The Komiks King is now a Ratings King

Carlo J. Caparas is a “king” in more ways than one. He has been variedly referred to as a Komiks King (unchallenged), a “Massacre” King (based on the consistent box-office record of his “massacre” films about real-life heinous crimes) and a Box-Office King. Add to Carlo’s “king” titles his newest — Ratings King.

If you haven’t noticed, it was Carlo who started having his hit movies serialized as teleserye or fantaserye, with the Jericho Rosales starrer Panday on ABS-CBN, based on the FPJ hit series which lorded four consecutive Metro Manila filmfests. Carlo successfully reversed the age-old trend of top-rated TV shows being made into movies (John en Marsha, etc.). The two warring stations, GMA and ABS-CBN, have since been featuring similar stuff by other novelists but Carlo remains on top of the (ratings) game.

According to recent ratings, GMA’s Joaquin Bordado (with Robin Padilla reprising the role played by former Sen. Ramon Revilla in a movie) got 31.7 percent against the competition’s 20.l percent; while his other work, Kamandag (a komiks original, starring Richard Gutierrez) got 31.5 percent against the competition’s 21.5 percent. Another top-rater isTasya Fantasya (first played by Kris Aquino in a movie and now by Yasmien Kurdi), featuring an ugly duckling who turns into a beauty when she puts on her magic eyeglasses, reminiscent of Bakekang, also a GMA series in which Sunshine Dizon played the role first played by Nora Aunor in a movie.

“I don’t want the core of my stories altered,” said Carlo (who, with wife Donna Villa, has been reiving interest in the komiks by launching a nationwide Komiks Caravan). “The characterization has to be basically the same,” added Carlo who confers with the TV writers for his in-put.

Watch out for more Carlo J. Caparas hit movies on both GMA and ABS-CBN, to wit:

• For GMA — Andres de Saya (a hit series starring Vic Vargas and Gloria Diaz), Angela Markado (starring Hilda Koronel, directed by Lino Brocka), Totoy Bato (starring FPJ) and Ermitanyo (starring Dante Varona and Charo Santos, now president of ABS-CBN); and two ongoing serialized novels, To Have and to Hold (in Inquirer) and Gagambino.

• For ABS-CBN — Tuklaw (starring Richard Gomez), Pieta (starring Ace Vergel), Anak ng Lupa (starring Bong Revilla), Alias Paniki (starring Ramon Revilla), and Kahit Ako’y Lupa and Lumuhod Ka sa Lupa (both starring Rudy Fernandez).

Briefly noted

• Contrary to rumors, Jericho Rosales and Heart Evangelista haven’t broken up, even if Heart has reconciled with her parents who intially didn’t approve of Heart’s romance with Jericho. “It’s also her parents who are now managing Heart,” said Angeli Pangilinan, head of Genesis which used to manage Heart (and still manages Jericho). “But Genesis is handling projects that we closed for Heart.” According to Angeli, Jericho is in Malaysia for a singing engagement while Heart and her mom are in the US visiting Heart’s sister.

• ABS-CBN Star Magic jewel Kim Chiu will have her debut on April 26 at The Glass Garden. The affair will be the main feature of the TV special My Girl Turns 18 which is airing on May 4, Sunday, 9:30 p.m. Kim’s gowns for the pictorial and her debut were designed by Francis Libiran. Food will be catered by Hizon’s and the venue will be “beautified” by Lily Flower Boutique. Souvenirs are courtesy of Charms & Crystals. As she turns 18, Kim said she’s overwhelmed by all the blessings coming her way. She’s in the cast of Maligno, with Claudine Barretto reprising the role played by Susan Roces in the movie version, and she ‘s one of the favorite young endorsers (Bench, Bantex, Jollibee, Whisper, PH Care, Belo Medical Clinic among them).

• Here’s a rejoinder from Funfare’s “beauty experts” Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib to yesterday’s item on estranged couple Ruffa Gutierrez and Yilmaz Bektas, together with 2006 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico (said to be Yilmaz’s new girlfriend although Yilmaz insisted that they are just “business partners”) and Joyce Giraud, another beauty queen from Puerto Rico:

It was mentioned in the article today (April 16) that Ruffa competed with Joyce Giraud in the 1994 Miss World contest. Ruffa was Second Princess (third placer) in 1993 and Joyce competed in 1994 with Bb Pilipinas-World Cara Subijano who was a semi-finalist in the pageant held in South Africa, won by India’s Aishwarya Rai (now a popular actress).

Meanwhile, Zuleyka Rivera’s rumored “real” boyfriend is Manhunt International winner 2006 Jaime Agusto Mayol (who competed with our very own Iago Raterta in China) representing the US East Coast. Born in 1980 in Puerto Rico, Jaime stands 6’2”. He attended college at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah and holds a degree in International Business. He works as a sales and marketing executive in a public relations agency and is also a professional volleyball player and a top model. However, he and Zuleyka have never formally admitted their relationship but according to a close Pinoy friend (who requests anonymity) of Mayol, the two have been dating for two years now.

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