Why we love Antoinette Jadaone to the stars & back

MANILA, Philippines - Antoinette Jadaone is undeniably a master in romantic-comedy genre. After megging and/or writing the box-office sensations That Thing Called Tadhana, English Only Please, You’re My Boss, Walang Forever and The Breakup Playlist, she’s entrusted with another potential rom-com hit with the red-hot love team of Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto in the lead.

Star Cinema’s romantic road-trip flick Love You To The Stars And Back is showing nationwide on Aug. 30. It will be Jadaone’s last film before she plunges back into teleserye-making with Piolo Pascual, JC de Vera and Arci Muñoz, together with the smoldering tandem of Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez, a.k.a. Alempoy, of the surprise phenomenal blockbuster movie Kita Kita.

Love You To The Stars And Back was conceptualized two to three years ago,” Jadaone told The STAR following a press conference at ELJ Tower of ABS-CBN. “I was supposed to write it for director Paul Soriano, but it didn’t push through.”

“When Star Cinema asked me to do the Joshua-Julia movie, I remembered this concept,” she said. “I never thought Star Cinema would say yes to this because it has some extra-terrestrial theme. The premise is like ‘what is the most important thing in your life if I told you that you will be taken by aliens tomorrow.’”

At the well-attended presscon, Jadaone said she had “no high expectations” from her two lead stars when they started shooting. But that point of view suddenly changed along the way.

“I only knew Julia and Joshua from Vince & Kath & James movie,” the 33-year-old UP-educated and Palanca-winning writer and director said. “I just knew Julia is from the Barretto clan, and Joshua was from PBB (Pinoy Big Brother).”

“But when they did the heavy scenes in the film, I told myself ‘these are real actors,’” Jadaone recalled. “They’re not trying to be cute or just playing around. As young lovers Caloy and Mika, they even made me cry on the set during two heavy scenes. That’s a big factor.”

“Now I’m so proud of them,” Jadaone added. “Nag-shine silang mabuti nang hindi nila sinasadya. And one did not outdo the other.”

Although rom-com has become her forte, Jadaone revealed she’s open to trying other genres, like horror, for a change. She also wants to join international film festivals if given a chance.

“I really wanted to,” she said, “but I have to think of a good story first. I don’t want to do any movie just because I want to join an international film festival.”

For now, Jadaone said she will continue to inspire and provide moviegoers with happiness and positivity through films that are well worth their money.

“It’s not easy to make movies these days because every P150 or P200 people pay matters,” she said humbly. “I don’t want moviegoers to feel that they just wasted their hard-earned money after seeing a film.”

“And if I created a good film that will teach people how to love or how to be happy, I am already making a difference,” she also said. “Even if it’s not really life-changing, I think that’s the least that I can do as a filmmaker.”

Love You To The Stars And Back features a powerhouse support cast led by Cherry Pie Picache, Ariel Rivera, Maricar Reyes-Poon, Edgar Allan Guzman, Odette Khan, Ruby Ruiz, Joaquin Reyes, Eda Nolan, Jelson Bay, Belle Mariano and Carmina Villarroel.