LOVI POE is currently shooting a movie in Italy produced by Dreamscape Digital for ABS-CBN’s streaming service, iWant.
She will be paired with Kapamilya actor Zanjoe Marudo for the project.
Lovi will top-bill an original movie to be shown on ABS-CBN’s streaming service, iWant.
The new project, which pairs her with Kapamilya actor Zanjoe Marudo, is produced by Dreamscape Digital, the digital arm of ABS-CBN’s content provider, Dreamscape Entertainment.
Dreamscape Entertainment head Roldeo Endrinal posted behind-the-scenes photos from Lovi and Zanjoe’s shoot in Matera, Basilicata, Italy, on his Instagram account.
According to Endrinal’s post, the movie will be directed by Connie Macatuno, the director of another Dreamscape Digital movie, Glorious.
Dreamscape Digital has yet to announce when the movie will start streaming on iWant.
This is the first time that Lovi will do a project that is fully-produced by a company associated with ABSCBN.
However, she was able to do guest appearances in some of the network’s shows since 2013.
Lovi’s recent guest appearance in a Kapamilya show was in Magandang Buhay last October, to promote her movie, The Annulment.
She also did the movie The Significant Other in 2018, which was only distributed by ABS-CBN Films’s subsidiary, Star Cinema, but produced by CineKO Productions.
When it comes to her current home network, GMA-7, Lovi also did guest appearances in its drama anthology programs, like Magpakailanman and Tadhana.
She also appeared in an episode of Sunday PinaSaya and the prime-time series Beautiful Justice as herself.
However, it has been a long time since Lovi did a regular teleserye with GMA-7.
Her last full-length series was The One That Got Away, aired from January to May 2018.
Lovi said that there are two years left to fulfill her contract with GMA-7.
Lovi also openly said that she is happy to be a Kapuso.
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JULIE ANNE SAN JOSE and Rita Daniela say they did not have ill feelings towards each other after competing in the GMA-7 singing competition Popstar Kids.
These two Kapuso singers may be close friends now but they were once onscreen rivals.
Popstar Kids is a singing contest for kids that aired in 2005 in QTV, a sister network of GMA-7.
This discussion came up because Rita and Julie Anne are now co-hosts in The Clash, a modern singing competition in GMA-7 that airs on the weekends.
Rita, who was 10 years old at the time, was the grand champion of Popstar Kids while the 12-year-old Julie Anne placed third.
While the competition looked fierce on TV, the two revealed that they did not have ill will against each other.
They thought the contest was just a game. “Kami naman lahat, talagang nagsusuportahan talaga kami. Parang naglalaro lang kami since mga bata pa lang kami,” said Julie Anne in a recent interview with 24 Oras.
Rita added that their friendship started at this time.
“Parang hindi kami mapaghiwalay dati.”
The two won exclusive contracts with GMA-7, and were even in a pop group called Sugarpop.
And yet the two reached fame through different paths.
Julie Anne became a lead actress early in her career.
She was paired with former screen partner Elmo Magalona, and they starred in several drama series and even a movie.
Rita had to play supporting roles for many years.
A 2011 interview with Rita belied assumptions that she felt bitterness for the reversal of fortune between her and Julie Anne.
She said she might be the winner of Popstar Kids but that doesn’t mean she should feel bitterness against her peer.
“Kung ano ang nangyayari sa career ni Julie Anne, isa ako sa mga unang nagiging masaya dahil deserve niya ang mga blessing na dumarating,” Rita said back then.
They remained friends even during that time.
“We always talk ni Julie Anne at lahat ng nangyayari sa kanya ay kinukuwento niya sa akin. Ngayon kasi, medyo busy siya kaya hanggang text-text muna kami. Basta updated kami sa isa’t isa.”
She also believed then that she would have her time in the spotlight.
“I believe that we all have our time to shine. Siguro nga noong manalo ako sa Popstar Kids, that was my moment to shine. It opened doors for me and maraming magagandang nangyari sa akin. Wala akong mairereklamo,” explained Rita.
And that time came seven years later when Rita she struck gold portraying a sassy prostitute in 2018’s My Special Tatay.
Rita now stars in One of the Baes, a primetime comedy series, and co-hosts The Clash with Julie Anne.
