It takes a village to build a star.
This is what Regal Entertainment CEO Roselle Monteverde makes clear when PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) asks how a star is born.
"Ang laki rin ng puhunan mo sa artista, di ba?" Roselle begins. "Yung gamble mo para mapasikat din sila. To make a movie is not cheap."
From discovering new faces to creating the right projects, the Regal boss points out that the process is not an overnight journey of one but a continuing journey of many.
"You never stop discovering new artists, kasi for longevity, di ba? At the same time para hindi sila over-expose din. So, you need a variety of different artists.
"So, merong group kami na talagang looking for artists to develop pa kasi there are more projects to come."
What are the qualities they look for in new discoveries?
"Definitely, when you see someone, 'Oy, ang ganda. Oy, ang gwapo! Puwede maging artista.' Yan ang number one," Roselle answers frankly.
She adds, however, that a beautiful face has to come with talent and that the talent has to come with the right attitude.
"May iba talaga talented, pero it needs also to be developed pa. So, they go through workshops. So, sino yung matiyaga and hardworking, yan ang pinakaimportante."
Because developing a star is a huge gamble, Roselle reiterates, establishing trust between management and star becomes very important.
“So, they should think of it that way—na we’re here for you and you have to give your all also in any projects that we give you.
"It’s not just one person that will make a movie, it’s always teamwork.
"So, sa pagde-develop ng artist, ganun din. It takes a lot of effort behind the artist, at the same time sa artist ang cooperation."
Elaborating, Roselle says, "So, yung ganda, maraming maganda, maraming guwapo.
"Pero you would see yung may character, yung may magandang personality, yung marunong umarte, yung very personable, yun yung nagtatagal."
Also for Roselle, the so-called X-factor can only work to an extent.
"Well, puwede in some ways kasi meron namang mga anak ng mga artista. Baka meron 'to. Nasa genes, di ba? May X-factor siya.
"Pero all of that is a learning experience also for them. It's also a journey that they need to hop on. Hindi siya yung parang instant star, di ba?
"Meron mga ganun na, luckily, become an instant star. But, hindi yan. That's one in a million, I guess."
giving NEW FACES EXPOSURE
With Regal having more than 60 years of experience in starmaking, does it have a formula on how to make talents famous?
"Any naman yan, there’s no right way," Roselle says right away. "Pero ang importante, exposure.
"For example, even doing interviews with anyone. That’s an exposure. How will the actor handle the interview? There’s a lot of it, e.
"It’s not just acting but also yung going through any events or anything that can make them think or experience so they will be able to grow themselves in the industry."
This need for exposure is the reason why Regal co-produces several shows for networks and for online streaming platforms.
"Para rin lumawak yung pagkuwento mo sa isang storya. Hindi nali-limit na you only use the same people or even directors, ganun. Kasi, we shouldn't just think of the actors are the ones moving around a certain project. It's the people behind it. Ang laking team nun."
This year, Regal already has a calendar of the new shows it will make.
"Usually we start planning sa last quarter of the past year for this year. So, may mga plans na kami to do movies and seryes. At the same time, online content. Naka-plan na yan, may mga assignment na yung mga artist.
"But, of course, there would be some changes, di ba?
"But there are already mga plans. Like, let’s say for this quarter, what movies we’re going to be starting and what series are we gonna start already. So lahat yun sinusulat na, lahat yun nasa pre-production stage."
mixing NEW FACES WITH ESTABLISHED STARS
In these productions, Roselle adds, they make sure to mix their new talents with senior or more established names.
Most recently, Regal Entertainment co-produced Lovers and Liars with GMA-7. It marks the return of Claudine Barretto on prime-time TV after a 12-year absence.
In the May-December affair series, Claudine, 44, is paired with Kapuso actor Yasser Mata, 27.
Or, in the case of Mano Po Legacy: The Flower Sisters, another GMA-7 and Regal co-production, the headliner is veteran star Aiko Melendez who will have as co-stars younger Kapuso leading ladies Beauty Gonzalez, Thea Tolentino, and Angel Guardian.
During the pandemic (2000-2003), Regal launched the successful online Boy's Love (BL) series Ben X Jim, featuring the fresh teamup of Jerome Ponce and Teejay Marquez.
The right casting can make or break a project, says Roselle: "Binabalanse kasi yun. That’s why you get big stars, and have the new artists play a role on a serye or on the movie.
"Kasi iba yung workshop, what you learn, iba rin yung real, yung totoo na. The experience acting with actors."
Roselle goes on to say that it's not just about coming up with the right acting vehicle for the star, but also about coming up with a good story for the audience.
"Any opportunity that comes in, pinag-aaralan namin, tinatrabaho, and we come out with a good product—yan naman ang important. You come out with a good narrative, you put the right actors in there, na mababalanse the senior ones with the young ones.
Kasi, you don't only think of now, you think of the long term."
ROSELLE MONTEVERDE'S BEST BETS FOR 2024
For 2024, Roselle rounds up a list of stars that Regal Entertainment wants to build up.
She no longer includes established names in show business who also have upcoming projects in her film company.
JANELLA SALVADOR
Janella Salvador is a Regal Baby, a term for stars who have signed a contract with Regal. She first signed in 2014, then renewed in 2017.
The young actress may have started her career via the popular hit morning series Be Careful With My Heart, but Roselle is proud to say it is Regal that gave her her first hit movie.
"We started her sa isang horror movie, yung Haunted Mansion. It was an instant hit. Of course, she started with Please Be Careful With My Heart with Richard Yap and Jodi Sta Maria. That was also a hit, but her first movie was Haunted Mansion."
Haunted Mansion was Regal’s horror offering for the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival. It ranked fourth among the eight entries that earned the highest box-office sales, according to a PEP Troika report.
Because Haunted Mansion was a success, Regal continued to put its trust on Janella.
"Makikita mo na agad sa bata, may X-factor talaga si Janella. So, continuously we made movies for her," Roselle says.
Janella has in fact starred in four films for Regal after Haunted Mansion—Mano Po 7: Chinoy in 2016; My Fairy Tail Love Story, So Connected in 2018; and the horror movie The Heiress in 2019.
For 2024, Janella is scheduled to release a comedy movie, where she will co-star with Jane de Leon.
How to Be a Good Wife is the title of that movie, and multi-awarded director Jun Robles Lana is its director.
In subsequent social media posts, both Janella and Jane mention how excited they are to work together in a movie because they can rehash their successful tandem in Darna.
In ABS-CBN's Darna, Janella plays the villain to Jane’s superhero. The Kapamilya series ended in February 2023. Viewers of this action series noted the screen chemistry of the two actresses.
Janella Salvador
JANE DE LEON
While Janella already has movies under her belt, Jane de Leon is a relative newcomer.
But How to Be a Good Wife wouldn't be her first Regal Film. Jane was part of The Debutantes, a horror-thriller where she co-starred with four other actresses: Sue Ramirez, Miles Ocampo, Michelle Vito, and Chanel Morales.
Then she had a role in 2018’s Walwal, opposite Elmo Magalona, and a small role in The Heiress.
Jane de Leon’s movie career temporarily stalled in 2019 after she was chosen by ABS-CBN to play the iconic Pinay superhero.
“Because she was put in Darna, natigil ang kanyang movie career," explains Roselle. "So, we were not able to give her projects because she was training, tapos nagka-pandemic. I think total total lahat yan almost 8 years din kami nag-antay.”
When Darna ended, Regal immediately kickstarted Jane’s movie career, starting with last year’s Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme. Roselle praises the Kapamilya actress’s performance there.
"Ang galing niya dun. Kasi iba naman ang dating niya. Dito victim ka, hindi ka superhero ha. Nakuha naman niya lahat yun, which is really good."
Jane de Leon
ROB GOMEZ
Besides Janella and Jane, Roselle also mentions several newcomers that Regal wants to trust for 2024. One of them is Rob Gomez.
Rob is even more of a newbie than Jane. His name first made noise when he was seen by the public as the lead in 2021’s A Girl and A Guy.
The sexy romantic comedy, directed by Erik Matti, premiered in an online platform at the height of the pandemic.
Roselle only has good words for Rob.
"Si Rob, good opportunity for him, ang direktor mo si Erik Matti. So, instantly pag alam mo Erik Matti, maganda yung pelikulang kalalabasan nito. And siyempre, because it’s a different type of movie, love story na may pagka-edgy and may flesh na nakikita, naging popular siya agad, di ba?”
The Regal boss gives a thumbs-up to Rob: "Magaling din si Rob, saka very personable na tao."
Because A Girl + a Guy was a hit, Regal placed Rob in several shows it produced for GMA-7, including Mano Po Legacy, Regal Studio Presents, and Lovers & Liars.
He also became a lead in Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme.
Rob Gomez
KELVIN MIRANDA
Kelvin Miranda is another one of Roselle Monteverde’s choices. She praises his acting skills and personality.
“Si Kelvin Miranda is showing very good signs of being a very good actor. And very personable din siya, sa mga nakikita ko, when he goes out, marunong siya. And because maybe his background also helps. Very grounded siya.”
Kelvin started out as a bit player in 2016, then slowly rose to become a lead actor. In 2019, he made waves as the lead in Dead Kids, a thrilling indie film that premiered on Netflix.
After Dead Kids, Kelvin has had starring roles in Kapuso shows like The Lost Recipe, Mano Po Legacy, at Unica Hija. He will play a starring role in the upcoming fantaserye Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre.
Kelvin Miranda
MIGGS CUADERNO
Roselle admires Miggs Cuaderno’s acting skills, which he has honed from a long career as a child actor.
He played the rebellious son of Aiko Melendez in Mano Po Legacy: The Flower Sisters. They were also mother and son in the 2014 Cinemalaya film Asintado.
"Kasi si Miggs talaga na-train yan as a child actor pa lang. I think he won Best Child Actor," says Roselle.
Indeed, Miggs won Best Actor for the movie Quick Change at the 2014 Chéries-Chéris, an international LGBT film festival in Paris. He was 10.
Now that he’s 19, Roselle hopes he can portray more roles for his age.
"So, siya rin magaling kasi he can do a good boy role, he can be a bad boy.
"Yung range din ng acting niya, because nag-start siya as a child actor, parang na-learn na niya yung trade."
Miggs Cuaderno
SARAH EDWARDS
Sarah Edwards is another best bet for Regal.
Sarah portrayed the stepdaughter of Claudine Barretto’s character in Lovers & Liars, which ran from November 20, 2023 to January 11, 2024.
Praising Sarah's versatility, Roselle says, "Kahit saan mo siya ilagay, puwede siya.
"Kaya niyang makipag-dialogue, makipagbatuhan with Claudine Barretto sa last serye niya. Kaya niya ring magpa-in love sa isang tao, kaya rin niyang magpaselos, so diyan na siya, set na siya.
"Kasi kahit anong ibigay mo sa kanya, kaya niyang i-deliver."
Sarah Edwards
MIKA REINS
Showbiz newbie Mika Reins is included in the stars to be primed for stardom under Regal in 2024.
Mika previously starred in Regal Studio Presents: Poor Rich Girl in 2023 and Regal Studio Presents: Mannequin Love in January 2024.
Regal Studio Presents is a weekly youth-oriented anthology that the Regal Entertainment co-produces with GMA-7.
Mika was also cast in Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme (2023) and Lovers & Liars (2023-2024).
The Chinese-Filipina model was featured as Preview's 2021 cover girl.
She's the first Filipina winner of Elite Model Look, an international competition hosted by the talent management of American model Kendall Jenner.
ALEXA MIRO
Roselle is also eyeing Alexa Miro as a potential best bet.
Alexa's daring portrayal in the R-rated film A Girl + A Guy made waves online when it premiered on Netflix in 2022.
"Yan din, si Alexa Miro is magaling," Roselle says.
"Kaya lang nasa noontime show siya ngayon, kaya medyo hirap kami sa schedule. Pero nasa lineup namin siya this year."
At the time of the PEP.ph interview with Roselle, Alexa was a regular host for the blocktimer Kapuso noontime show Eat Bulaga!, which was later renamed Tahanang Pinakamasaya. The show concluded on March 2, 2022.
Alexa Miro
DONNA CARIAGA
Another Regal best bet, says Roselle, is Donna Cariaga.
Donna is a comedienne who was discovered on ABS-CBN's It’s Showtime. She won the noontime show's "Funny One" segment in 2017.
Regal gave her a break with her roles in Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme (2023), A Girl And A Guy (2022), and Unli Life (2018). She also appeared in On The Job: The Missing 8 (2021), produced by Regal's sister company, Reality Entertainment.
Donna Cariaga
LEARNING FROM MOM
Roselle gives profuse thanks to her mother, Lily Yu Monteverde—the legendary producer everyone knows as Mother Lily—for her knowledge in talent development and production.
Read: The Magic of Mother Lily and her "kamison"
Mother Lily is now 85 years old. Since she produced her first film in 1976, she has reinvented many things about local entertainment production.
Many classic films were produced under Mother Lily, including Temptation Island (1980), Relasyon (1982), Sister Stella L (1984), Scorpio Nights (1985), Batang-X (1995), and Live Show (2000).
Roselle says she started working with her mom when she was young, but felt no pressure from her.
“It wasn’t a pressure at all, kasi nga, like I said, since we were young, it’s been like our lives na rin.
"Everything just came out naturally and there were no hindrances naman on meeting people, or pressure on that I should do better than Mother."
Mother Lily’s management style was not overbearing.
“She’s not that preachy and hindi siya madalas, yung, 'O, ito gawin mo.' She wasn’t like that.
"Pinabayaan lang niya 'ko to do my style of managing. But kasi na-adapt ko rin yung style niya in some ways.”
Asked about the lessons learned from working with her mom, Roselle picks one more important than others.
Says Roselle, “Definitely, yung it’s still a business. Yung budget, it’s so important."
She wants to replicate how the Regal culture is very open to teamwork.
“If you have any questions, just call.
"Ilabas mo kung anong gusto mong mangyari, kasi hoping that everyone will… you don’t expect everyone to listen to you naman, di ba?
"But it’s good collaboration that you say what you think and it’s always been a discussion.
"It’s not always like one person saying, 'You have to do this.' That’s the culture kasi in Regal. That’s how I also want it and I’m glad that she was that way.”
ROSELLE MONTEVERDE'S FAVORITE MOVIES
PEP.ph asks Roselle about her favorite Regal movies.
She mentions 2002’s Mano Po, the first project handed to her by Mother Lily.
Initially, she had doubts because it was unlike other movies being made at the time.
“From scratch yun, from the concept to the script.
"At first, I questioned her about it. Sabi ko, bakit naman Mano Po while others were doing different movies.
"It’s a big gamble talaga. Drama siya, family drama, hindi siya love story.”
She recalls her mother saying they have to make the movie because "we really need people to put values in their lives."
To date, Regal's popular movie franchise has had eight installments between 2002 to 2016: Mano Po, Mano Po 2, Mano Po III: My Love, Ako Legal Wife, Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di, Bahay Kubo: A Pinoy Mano Po!, Mano Po 6: A Mother's Love, and Mano Po 7: Tsinoy.
The movie franchise has also given birth to Mano Po Legacy, a teleserye franchise as a co-production with GMA-7.
