The romantic movie Sid & Aya (Not a Love Story) continues its blockbuster dominance, as its producer, Viva Entertainment, said today that it has earned PHP144 million (US$2.3 million) in three weeks.
This was shared by Viva on Instagram, where it posted the news with the caption in Filipino reading: “Even if the weather has been cold, your warm support continues for Sid & Aya (Not A Love Story)! Thank you so much!”
While US$2.3 million is nothing by Hollywood standards, it’s an impressive feat for a Filipino film to achieve.
Local movies have been struggling to compete against big-budgeted Hollywood movies, no thanks to piracy and paid streaming platforms such as Netflix and HOOQ.
READ: Your illegal streaming habit is hurting the Philippine film industry
Many of the recent movies that did well in the tills are usually romantic comedies top-billed by what Filipinos call “love teams.”
These are a pair of actors who work on almost all projects — from television shows to movies — together. To create buzz for the team-up, fans are made to believe that they are a real couple — or at least make it appear that they could be in the future.
In Sid & Aya‘s case however, its leading actors are not a love team, primarily because they’re married.
Dingdong Dantes, the male lead, is married to actress Marian Rivera, also considered a major star in the Philippines. His co-star, Anne Curtis is married to businessman and vlogger Erwan Heussaff.
This makes their movie’s achievement even more impressive because it was marketed on the back of its plot and production values and not on manufactured tales of coupling up, a common practice in the local film business.
In the movie, Dantes plays the insomniac Sid, who hires Aya (Curtis) to spend time with him, leading to a complicated relationship.
Sid & Aya (Not a Love Story) will be released in countries around the world including Singapore on June 21 at the following Golden Village theaters: VivoCity, Plaza Singapura, Yishun, and Paya Lebar.
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