Emerging as netizens’ top bet in the recently-concluded RAWR Pulse, DonBelle, seems poised to take its place alongside the country’s biggest love teams. Slated to star in one of the most anticipated movies of the year, ‘Love is Colorblind’—which will have the blockbuster director, Cathy Garcia-Molina, at the helm—Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, who are shipped by fans as ‘DonBelle’—take a golden ticket with them, as they journey into becoming their generation’s most popular teen stars.
Kapamilya Homegrowns
While ‘DonBelle’ is a relatively new team-up, both Pangilinan and Mariano have been with ABS-CBN, for a while now.
Mariano started as a child star in various Kapamilya teleseryes, including the kiddie-gag show, Goin Bulilit. She, later on, took on her first major role in a tv series, via the primetime drama, Lorenzo’s Time, which starred Zaijian Jaranilla as the title role.
Pangilinan, on the other hand, first appeared in a number of movies, including Walwal, To Love Somebuddy, and Fantastica, in 2018, before taking on roles in television. His first major role on television is the Zanjoe Marudo and Angelica Panganiban sitcom, Play House, where he got paired with former Kapamilya teen star, Kisses Delavin.
In 2020, he starred in his first title role in movies, via the Star Cinema film, James, Pat, and Dave, where he first worked with Mariano.
After a streak of supporting appearances in a number of movies and television, Mariano finally starring her lead roles in movies. In 2020, she led Four Sisters Before Wedding, alongside some of ABS-CBN’s up-and-coming young stars. She will have her biggest breaks in both movies and television, in 2021, with projects she will co-star with Pangilinan.
He’s Into Her
One of iWantTFC’s most anticipated offerings in 2021, He’s Into Her will feature Pangilinan and Mariano in their first lead role, as a loveteam. The series is based on the popular web novel of the same name, and will also feature some of ABS-CBN’s most promising stars, including Kaori Oinuma, Rhys Miguel, and Joao Constancia.
Set to debut first on the streaming service, iWantTFC, He’s Into Her in April, is also poised to grace the small screen, premiering on both A2Z Channel 11 and Kapamilya Channel, in the first quarter. Ecstatic anticipation abounds for the series as reflected by consistent trending of topics and hashtags related to the series and DonBelle, on various social media sites, proving that fans are more than ready to make it a huge hit.
Cathy Garcia-Molina Film
Aside from their iWantTFC series, DonBelle is expected to star in a movie helmed by the phenomenal box-office director, Cathy Garcia-Molina. During the Kapamilya Strong contract-signing event, where Donny re-affirmed his loyalty to ABS-CBN, the two young stars will first star in a short filmed based on another popular Wattpad novel, which will then be expanded into a full-length feature directed by Garcia-Molina.
Following Garcia-Molina’s nearly uninterrupted streak in directing blockbuster movies, it’s now difficult to believe that any project she will do won’t be a hit. In 2019, she helmed the now highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, Hello, Love, Goodbye, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards. Her most recent hit is the 2020 sequel of the 2013 mega-blockbuster, Four Sisters and A Wedding—the film, Four Sisters Before the Wedding, where Mariano played one of the title roles.
ABS-CBN’s Confidence and Further Projects
ABS-CBN Management’s confidence on DonBelle is reminiscent of the ones they gave to EchoTin, KimeRald, KathNiel, and Mayward, who all took off in their careers, following their home network’s massive investment. He’s Into Her and the Cathy Garcia-Molina film are strong indications that Pangilinan and Mariano are also enjoying such trust, which is only expected to propel the two young stars as they venture into becoming one of ABS-CBN’s frontrunning love teams.
Beyond their debut film and iWantTFC projects, a major teleserye is also underway, which means that DonBelle’s future will remain bright, after their official launch. ABS-CBN’s massive confidence in the two young stars is not surprising. Both Mariano and Pangilinan have proven themselves as actors in their previous projects, uniting them together feels perfectly right, especially now that their fans have been continuously growing.
With their current growth as an emerging love team, there is no doubt DonBelle is en route to becoming one of their generation’s most sought-after team-up. It’s hard not to be convinced they’d be taking a path other than forward, or up. They are definitely making it big this year, and we’re excited to see them take off, and inevitably soar.
