Film co-written by Times reporter No. 1 on Netflix.
AFTER a successful run in theaters in January, the fantasy-comedy movie "Hello, Universe" — co-written by The Manila Times reporter Moises Cruz — is the top film on Netflix in the Philippines this week.
"Hello, Universe" is about Ariel (played by Janno Gibbs), a middle-aged man wracked with regrets, getting another chance to rewrite his past after he meets a magical figure who gives him the life he has always dreamt of.
Cruz collaborated with Xian Lim, who is also the film's director, in writing the script.
The movie stars Benjie Paras, Anjo Yllana, Gene Padilla, Sunshine Guimary and Maui Taylor.
Cruz said it gave the team so much joy that the film is reaping the rewards of their hard work.
"Of course, we are happy because we executed the script well and the people liked it. That's the goal," said Cruz, who also teaches Broadcasting at The Manila Times College of Subic.
"What we achieve for this film is a bonus. Just the opportunity to be accepted by Viva and be approved by Boss Vic [del Rosario], that's already an achievement for us," he said.
Cruz and Lim were classmates in Ricky Lee Scriptwriting Workshop Batch 17 in 2017. Their first collaboration is for the Cinemalaya film "Tabon" in 2019, Lim's directorial debut.
"The dynamic is different when you have the same wavelength and when you enjoy what you do. We're brothers in terms of writing. 'Tabon' is a dark story, while here in 'Hello, Universe,' it's lighter because the attack is very '90s comedy," Cruz said. READ MORE…