'Hello, Love, Again' stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards Photography by Charisma Lico

In love, timing is everything.

You can seem to have it all with someone special—attraction, humor, complementing worldviews, sparks so bright they could put shooting stars to shame—and yet, the right person at the wrong time is still the wrong person.

Timing decides if what’s meant for us is just a hello, goodbye, or ever after.

It’s rare for timing to change its mind, if it ever even does.

What would it take to convince it that a “for now” could be a “forever?”

A-list stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards offer answers to big questions about love in Hello, Love, Again, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 global blockbuster Hello, Love Goodbye which earned P880.6 million worldwide; it is currently the second highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, next to Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes’ Rewind.

Directed by the acclaimed Cathy Garcia-Sampana, the film follows the lives of ambitious Joy Fabregas and big-hearted Ethan Del Rosario. The two Filipino overseas workers meet in a Hong Kong alley, pursue a brief but life-changing romance, and go on to find the strength to chase their dreams. But in the whirlwind of finding love, Joy and Ethan realize that reaching their full potential means going their separate ways. They come to the painful understanding that to each other, they are both inspiration and obstruction.

Hello, Love, Goodbye ends on a bittersweet note, emphasizing that love needn’t last a lifetime to be meaningful. Five years after Joy and Ethan first cross paths, Hello, Love, Again transports us to Canada where they may again be at the mercy of imperfect—or perfect—timing.

Related Story: “Hello, Love, Again” Is a Heartwarming Love Letter to Filipinos Everywhere

On Alden: Button-down by AMI Paris from 8Rockwell, blazer and pants by Carolina Herrera, and shoes by Dior | On Kathryn: Blazer and shorts by Gucci

Where they left off

“I think the question right now is, ‘Hanggang saan mo ba kayang ipaglaban ’yung pagmamahal mo para sa ibang tao? At pagmamahal mo para sa iyong sarili?’” Alden says.

Here is where we left Joy and Ethan. In Hello, Love, Goodbye’s final moments, the star-crossed lovers tearfully swore to return to each other’s arms after exploring the world. Audiences were left to imagine if their “see you later” would eventually turn out to be a “so long, farewell,” while also being convinced that breaking up was necessary if Joy and Ethan were to find happiness as individuals, not just as a couple.

Hello, Love, Again picks up at a point when they can try to be together again, yet there seems a reluctance to do so. Joy, who strived to make use of her nursing degree and succeeded, and Ethan, who finds good and honest work at a coffee shop, appear to have moved away from the people they once were. With years passing between their Hong Kong meet-cute and their reunion in Canada, much has obviously changed. Why our leads can’t seem to fall in love again after everything has fallen into place, audiences will have to wait to find out.

When asked about what kind of character development we can expect, Kathryn shares, “Ibang flavor siya ni Joy and Ethan.”

“’Pag iisipin mo, ’yung ‘Boy Meets Girl’ diba, from Hello, Love, Goodbye. And then, fast forward to Hello, Love, Again. Why ‘again?’ Ano’ng nangyari sa life nila pareho? When we change, people grow, right? And just like Joy and Ethan, for sure, tumanda sila. And ang dami nilang natutunan sa ilang years na ’yun,” she continues.

Joy, in particular, looks to be more self-assured and a lot less swayed by distractions—love included. Ethan, on the other hand, maintains his quiet devotion to and earnest pursuit of Joy, perhaps wanting nothing more than to give them a second chance. (Or at least, this is what the film’s trailer wants us to believe).

Despite existing only onscreen, Joy and Ethan’s second chapter presents a real-life dilemma that everyone who has felt love and longing can relate to. The passage of time inevitably transforms us, and our desires, needs, and goals shift—which means the life partner we once thought was a 10/10 for us could all of a sudden become barely passable.

Hello, Love, Again, with its intimate understanding of the human condition and contextualizing it within the quintessential OFW experiences of sacrifice, duty, and the struggle of self-love, holds the potential to teach valuable lessons on love and life yet again. Teasing audiences, Alden says, “Is Canada going to be permanent for the both of us as Joy and Ethan? Will Canada change us individually? Or change us as a couple? Or will it destroy us?”

Growth in all areas

If, in Hollywood, method acting has helped actors step into the minds of their characters, for Kathryn and Alden, what helped them embody Joy and Ethan was simply allowing themselves to grow—on their own, and together, too.

“We have different perspectives in life right now. And I mean personally si Kath, sobra siyang nag-grow. Ayan ’yung nakita ko sa kanya when it comes to being a person, being an actress, definitely. A lot of things that happened really contributed to the good… We both matured in a very good way, that naka-affect siya ’dun sa characters namin dito,” Alden tells Metro.Style.

“’Yung timeline nu’ng film was the same timeline that we have in real life,” he reveals.

Kathryn agrees, saying, “Ang daming nagawa ni Tisoy alone and then ako, alone. It’s so nice to see after five years, parang, okay, he’s this person na, or parang I’m this person na. And sana lahat ng natutunan ko sa five years na hindi tayo magkasama, sana may maitulong ako sa kanya.”

Professionally and personally, Kathryn and Alden have moved from one end of the spectrum to the other since first starring alongside each other. Their trials in life, and especially their triumphs, have given their performances a richness and realness that are bound to make Hello, Love, Again resonate with an even wider audience.

“Mas lumalim ’yung mga ganu’ng klaseng conversations,” Alden says of his relationship with his co-star. As they reflect on the ways their new film has benefited from growth, Kathryn and Alden also give tribute to everyone who worked on- and off-cam. According to both of them, the crew’s closeness was a massive contributing factor to the overall feel of both films. Their co-stars in Hello, Love, Goodbye still talk with Kathryn and Alden in a group chat, with all of them making the effort to check in on each other from time to time. As everyone progressed with their lives and careers, so did their friendships.

“Meron kami isang kasama, nagka-anak na siya. Tapos, naging inaanak na namin. Kinasal siya,” Kathryn reveals. Of course, Cathy Garcia-Sampana’s continuous growth as a director and master of Filipino stories were the constant driving force of both projects. Alongside head writer Carmi Raymundo, she pulled all the stops to deliver what could be her finest work yet.

“Sobra ko siyang na-appreciate lalo,” Kathryn says. Hello, Love, Again is the fourth movie Kathryn and Direk Cathy have worked on together. She continues, “Nag-usap kasi kami before flying to Canada. S’yempre tumanda na rin kami. Tapos ang dami rin nangyari. So tinanong niya siyempre ano ’yung gusto namin… ’Yun ’yung ginawa namin ni Tisoy personally with Direk Cathy. Parang before kasi, medyo takot ako magsabi... Pero ngayon, sabi ko, parang I want to talk to Direk Cathy and just tell her everything. And then she listened to me. I listened to her.”

- On Alden: Button-down by AMI Paris from 8Rockwell, blazer and pants by Carolina Herrera, and shoes by Dior | On Kathryn: Blazer and shorts by Gucci

- On Alden: Gentle Monster x Maison Margiela sunglasses

- Car from Don Robert's Bridal Cars

Real-life representation

Aside from the film’s central romance, it succeeds in its storytelling, thanks to the authentic representation of the overseas Filipino worker. While Hello, Love, Goodbye effectively tackled homesickness, the risks OFWs take, familial ties, ambition, and failure, Hello, Love, Again is expected to deepen these themes—none of which are pure fiction.

Every day across the globe, hundreds of thousands of OFWs live these experiences. There are over two million OFWs today and many of them dream of making their way to Canada and never looking back. Kathryn and Alden pay homage to these individuals via their real-life conversations with them on the set that guided their acting.

With most of the filming done in Calgary, one of Canada’s financial centers and home to swaths of land used for oil and farming, Kathryn and Alden made use of the opportunity to speak with Pinoys with all kinds of stories to tell.

“Tinatanong namin, you know, their life here. Kung ano ’yung difference. Bakit sila nag-settle dito? Not sa States, hindi sa Manila. ‘What’s making you stay here? Are you happy here?’ …’Yung one month namin sa Canada, I learned so much, personally also. Feeling ko tumanda ako ’yung one month na ’yun, I swear. Ang daming nangyari sa buhay ko,” Kathryn recalls. “And I think, kinailangan siyang mangyari. So, pagdating ko dito, parang nag-iba ’yung mindset ko,” she shares.

Alden, on the other hand, made sure he and the film crew made great ambassadors to their Canadian counterparts. Telling the story of Pinoys abroad, he felt the need to show that what he was portraying onscreen was the real deal. “[’Yung mga Canadians], mas naging Pinoy than us being like them. And what I really appreciate talaga is sometimes ’yung ugali natin talaga as Filipinos, it resonates with others, eh. Kasi, we have so much love to give. We have so much kindness to give to these people. And nakakatuwa na na-appreciate nila kami,” he describes working with some locals in Canada.

“First time nilang maka-work ’yung mga Pilipino. Nag-adjust sila… I think it adds a layer to the characters and to the performance that we give to the film… Certain personal experiences that we had while filming this film really contributed a lot to how we told the story of our characters individually,” Alden reveals.

Car from Don Robert's Bridal Cars

Family and heart

The success of Hello, Love, Goodbye also hinges on the fact that it was the first of its kind to be done on this scale. Kathryn, a top-billed Kapamilya star and formerly a part of one of the industry’s most successful love teams, was plucked from her comfort zone to star alongside prime Kapuso actor, Alden, whose popularity was propelled by a comparable love team formula.

The decision to pair actors from different networks was rarely made because of the risk it carried. Everyone held their breath when news broke that the two would be together in a big-budget film, and a romantic drama, at that.

Looking back at this period in their careers, Kathryn and Alden thank themselves for taking a leap of faith. “It really opened a lot of opportunities and possibilities,” Alden states. “Nakita rin ng karamihan ’yung beauty in collaboration… Hindi naman tayo dapat laging nakikipag, you know, that network war, ’yung ganung klaseng concept na meron tayo. We are able to do something more beautiful if nagtutulungan tayo.”

On a similar note, Kathryn says, “Ang galing lang na nag-start siya ng friendship and good relationships. Not just with us. Kasi, parang after ang dami na ring project… Ang galing lang na possible pala. And, ang galing na isa ’yung Hello, Love, Goodbye sa nagbigay ng ganong chance. And then, nagtuloy-tuloy.”

All in all, Hello, Love, Again is a product of evolution, from its leads and its director, to its production and crew. It is a collaboration between ABS-CBN Studios, GMA Pictures, and Star Cinema. Audiences will be treated to a film about what could be when we allow growth to reshape our lives. Years since Filipinos from far and wide saw Hello, Love, Goodbye, the film’s longevity endures and its sequel is poised to extend and expand its impact—a testament to both films’ thoughtful depiction of Filipino experiences. With this, there are hopes for more opportunities for exploration and open-mindedness within the industry.

Just as Joy and Ethan jumped into unexplored territory to enrich their lives, fingers are crossed that Philippine cinema will continue to thrive. “Ang dami na rin kasing nagpapakita ng support nila as early as now,” Kathryn says. “It fueled us. Especially nu’ng mga nahihirapan kami. So, your excitement and everything you feel right now, doble ’yung nafi-feel namin nu’n… Gawa ’to lahat sa puso. Kung ano ’yung mapapanood niyo, kung ano ’yung makikita niyo, we gave it our all,” she ends.

“We wanted to tell another great story about this epic relationship that Joy and Ethan have that also highlights the OFWs… This story is not just for mga hopeless romantic or mahilig kiligin. This is a story about life,” Alden concludes.

Joy and Ethan’s story is a heartfelt reminder that we can find love again, and again, and again, and again—if not in a romantic partner, there is love for ourselves, our chosen family, and our life’s purpose. Perhaps there is no good or bad timing, only readiness or non-readiness to accept change that arrives any time it wants to.

As the countdown to Hello, Love, Again begins, it’s time we ask ourselves how ready we truly are.

And in this photo shoot with METRO, Joy and Ethan are ready to run away with each other. What their destination is, only they know. Stay tuned for the “sequel” of this story.

Hello, Love, Again stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards alongside Joross Gamboa, Valerie Concepcion, Jennica Garcia, Ruby Rodriguez, Kakai Bautista, Lovely Abella, Jeffrey Tam, and Jameson Blake. The movie hits cinemas on November 13.

Photographer: Charisma Lico

Metro head: Christina N. Lopez

Editor-in-Chief: Geolette Esguerra

Sittings editors: Grace Libero-Cruz and Kate Paras-Santiago

Creative director: Eugene David

Fashion associate: Carla Buyo

Editorial assistant: Tim Marasigan

Alden's grooming: Arvie Matibag

Alden's stylists: Mel Sy and Maita Baello, with associates Pat Pleno, Alvin Navaro, and Zia Dela Rosa

Kathryn's makeup artist: Justine del Rosario

Kathryn's hairstylist: Aries Manal

Kathryn's stylists: Kim & Boop Yap, with associate Lulu Solis

Videographers: Gian Escamillas and Jon Santos

Video producer: Mari Santiago

Interview by Grace Libero-Cruz

Shoot assistant: Arci Claveria

Photographer’s assistants: Jaz Orbe, JR Baylon, and Erwin Arda

Shot on location at Newport World Resorts Manila, Marriott Grand Ballroom, and Sheraton Manila Hotel

Special thanks to Star Cinema, Mico del Rosario, Keia Inciong, Andee de Guzman-Que/Gucci, Don Robert's Bridal Cars, and Hotel Okura