Rewind breaks PHL domestic box-office record

REWIND is now the highestgrossing Filipino film of all time, nearly a month since its premiere at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on Dec. 25, 2023.

The romance-drama has grossed P815 million in the domestic box-office, said Star Cinema on Jan. 17.

It took the top spot held by the 2019 film Hello, Love, Goodbye, starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards and directed by Cathy GarciaMolina, which earned P691 million in domestic sales.

The announcement was made on the social media posts of Star Cinema, which produced both films.

Although the MMFF has ended its run, Rewind is still showing in many cinemas nationwide. It will also be screened at the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Rewind tells the story of a married couple, John and Mary. After Mary dies in a car accident, John gets a chance to “rewind” to the day before the accident.

The film is directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar and stars real-life celebrity couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes in their long-awaited comeback reunion on the big screen.

However, counting its worldwide gross, Hello, Love, Goodbye remains the country’s highest-grossing film. It took P880 million in global ticket sales in 2019, while Rewind only has a total of P845 million — so far.

Given its upcoming MIFF run in Los Angeles and its ongoing run in the US and Canada, it may yet overtake the 2019 film.

During the Rewind thanksgiving party, Mr. Dantes said that the film made such an impact on him and his wife that they felt fulfilled when it was completed.

“We prayed that, hopefully, through this film and also through the nine other beautiful films [in the MMFF lineup], our industry can come alive again,” Mr. Dantes said in the vernacular during his speech at the party, which was uploaded on the Star Cinema YouTube page on Jan. 17. —