Start-Up PH has released its official trailer, drawing interest from the audience for its impressive visuals.
The trailer begins with a flashback—teenage Dani savors an emotional moment with her wooden music box and shares excitement with her grandmother about her childhood pen pal. The grown-up Dani utters, “Thank you for everything you did to me. You don’t know how much you have helped me.”
It then transitions into an impressive aerial shot that captures the city where the main location takes place, and onto another familiar scene where two sisters meet again through a career event. Bold and vibrant colors of Sandbox can be seen on stage with self-made investor Tristan looking competent in all white attire. Seated beside him is Ina who shows intellectual poise in her aura that seems tough to beat. It was followed by a series of iconic scenes including Dave and his friends who aspire to enter Sandbox and make it big with their craft, the sibling rivalry, Tristan transforming Dave into the man of Dani’s dreams, as well as the meaningful relationship between “good boy” and “lola” Joy.
You know the full story, plot, and character development if you have watched the original version. But in this Philippine adaptation, there are some things that seem to emerge as new, interesting, and intriguing based on the trailer released. It is obviously translated into Filipino culture without veering away from the original storyline, which is quite admirable. They have managed to execute the best visuals as possible from cinematography to set up to color grading. The dialogues and expressions sound so Filipino, the locations and all visual elements are as vibrant and engaging as the dreams of Filipino youth.
The trailer also highlights uplifting messages that read, “A story on pursuing dreams”, “Destiny brings us to the right people”, “Experiences light the dark pathways”, “Success is built on helping others in the presence of fierce competitors so that someday you can repay and be your own boss”, and ends with a compelling finale that says, “To dream is to set foot on a journey with so many hardships, but one we all take because it’s worth it!”
Looking at the characters, Yasmien Kurdi is a stunner and scene stealer with her amazing visuals and portrayal of Ina, the tough competitor of her younger sister. A few parts into the trailer, she has already displayed impressive talent in illustrating a Filipina of high ambition and strong conviction. It shows in the way she speaks, her manner of walking, detailed expressions, and sense of fashion. She holds no fear in the face of career challenge and expresses no regrets with her life choices. It appears that Yasmien is one of the outstanding performances to look forward to in this remake.
Jeric Gonzales brings a different charm in portraying innocence yet strong drive for success in both career and love. He is shown riding a bike, being scolded by his father, playful yet hopeful with co-aspirants. You will be drawn to his striking presence on screen and his performance as Dave shows some definite wow factor.
Alden Richards presents his own style and own charm of portraying the “Gordon Ramsay of Investments” and “Good Boy”. He looks professional yet mysterious with his overall appearance, intelligent yet cold when he starts to speak, and holds this smirk that conveys his critical remarks when he senses mistakes or unintelligent decisions.
Bea Alonzo shows chemistry with “lola” Joy, intense conflict with her long-lost sister, strong will for career success, and a glimpse of spark with Dave and Tristan. It is kind of intriguing to think how her relationship with these people go in this version. Nonetheless, Bea shines in translating her role the Filipino way.
Kim Domingo as Stephanie is another head-turner whose presence illuminates through the screen. She holds this power as the unapproachable, intelligent young lady who leaves her work as a lawyer and ventures into the world of startup through Sandbox. The trailer already tells us that the character truly fits her.
The trailer also showcases the complete cast of Start-Up PH including Gina Alajar, Jackie Lou Blanco, Boy2 Quizon, Royce Cabrera, Ayen Munji-Laurel, Lovely Rivero, Tim Yap, Nino Muhlach, and Gabby Eigenmann.
From the cast to cinematography, this remake project appears to be something that Filipinos can be proud of. It clearly shows that everyone from the production team to the actors did all their preparations with diligence and hardwork to make the show engaging, relatable, and inspirational for the Filipino audience.
Start-Up PH (2022) is about young entrepreneurs aspiring to achieve big dreams, directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng and Dominic Zapata. It is set to premiere on September 26th via GMA Network.
[Copyright Myra Bansale for KORB Blog]
Cover image: GMA Drama
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