Show business was packed and eventful in 2024.
We bore witness to jaw-dropping breaking stories, remarkable highlights, and massive breakthroughs that helped define people's appreciation of the entertainment world.
From GMA's historic back-to-back Best Picture wins at MMFF, to Bea Alonzo's confirmation of breakup with Dominic Roque, to Alden and Kathryn's highest-grossing local film in Philippine movie history– here are five stories that became major conversation drivers in 2024.
GMA PRIME'S PULANG ARAW: A WELL-LOVED WAR DRAMA
Pulang Araw, GMA Prime’s war-drama offering, was a major breakthrough for the Kapuso Network.
Aside from the fact that it boasted a powerhouse cast top-billed by four of the biggest Kapuso stars today, the period drama received praises and positive reviews for its moving storyline, effective cinematography, and stellar acting.
“Pulang Araw” was a Dominic Zapata-directed masterpiece top-billed by Asia's Multimedia Star Alden Richards, Kapuso Primetime Princess Barbie Forteza, First Lady of Primetime Sanya Lopez, and Pambansang Ginoo David Licauco.
It also featured the special participation of Kapuso Drama King Dennis Trillo who played the role of a villainous Japanese soldier named Col. Yuta Saitoh– Trillo’s first major anti-hero assignment in his acting career.
“Pulang Araw” is a fictional portrayal of the lived realities of Filipinos during the Japanese Occupation. Its story revolves around the dynamic lives of four childhood friends who are led to separate but interwoven journeys towards hope, liberation, and self-reflection.
National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, who served as the show’s story consultant, described the series’ concept as a great reminder that love above all triumphs even during the darkest days.
“Mahalagang malaman natin yung mga grim o malungkot at tragic na nangyari noon. Pero mas mahalagang malaman natin na yung mga Pilipino, buong sigla at buong enthusiasm yung passion nilang makipaglaban,” Lee said in an interview with GMA Regional TV News.
“So hindi sya puro dark, kasi sa akin bright yun eh– na nagkaisa-isa sila. Nakipaglaban sila, hindi lamang para sa sarili o pamilya, kundi para sa ibang tao,” he reminded.
Right from the start, the hype was real for Pulang Araw. The well-received trailer racked up more than five million social media views in less a day.
The series made its Netflix debut on July 26, and premiered on free television on GMA Prime on July 29.
WHAT'S UP, MADLANG KAPUSO? IT'S SHOWTIME ON GMA IN 2024, 2025
“It’s Showtime,” the ABS-CBN’s longest-running noontime show that had been airing on GTV since July 2023, debuted on GMA-7’s main channel last April 6, 2024 following a major announcement that ushered in a new era in the television industry.
In historic fashion, “It’s Showtime” made its GMA debut on April 6, 2024, after a groundbreaking contract signing between the two broadcast companies on March 20.
In a grand media conference attended by both corporations’ top leaders and “It’s Showtime’s” hosts, GMA President and CEO Gilberto Duavit Jr. welcomed the Vice Ganda-led variety show to its fray, as he was “very proud and happy to have ‘Its Showtime’ on GMA.”
“You bring so much joy to many people, so much happiness… at lalo pa nating palawakin ang Madlang Kapuso, Madlang Pipol, Madlang Kapamilya. Welcome, welcome to GMA,” added Duavit.
"It's Showtime" started airing on GTV, a free-to-air TV network wholly owned by GMA Network, in July 2023 after a historic contract was signed in June of that year where GMA Chairman Atty. Felipe L. Gozon famously declared that “the TV War is over.”
On December 20, 2024, GMA News Online reported that GMA Network will continue to broadcast “It’s Showtime” on its channel in 2025 as its daily noontime variety show.
BEA ALONZO AND DOMINIC ROQUE CONFIRM SPLIT
After three years of being in a relationship, Kapuso star Bea Alonzo and actor Dominic Roque called it quits.
The two addressed their breakup through a joint statement on social media on February 11, ending days of speculations and rumors about their split.
"After much thought, consideration, and care, we have mutually decided to amicably end our engagement. It was not an easy decision. We wanted to have more time to carefully deliberate and pray about it, but there have been many speculations, questions, and insults," their joint statement said.
The confirmation from the ex-lovers came days after days after King of Talk Boy Abunda confirmed on live television that Bea and Dom had already separated ways.
On February 6, Tito Boy announced on his afternoon show “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” that “as we talk today, yes, hiwalay po si Dominic at tsaka si Bea,” but initially suggested that the two were trying to talk and understand each other.
They began dating in early 2021, and confirmed their relationship in August of that year.
The two got engaged in July 2023, and planned for a marriage supposedly this year.
In June 2024, months after their confirmed split, Bea Alonzo spoke with Nelson Canlas on GMA Integrated News Interviews, and clarified that she did not initiate the break-up.
"Hindi ako ang nakipag-break," she said, but decided not to elaborate the matter any more.
"Let's leave it in the past. It's amicable. OK naman kami. I think it will be disrespectful to the relationship and to the other person to talk about it," she said. "It's a very sensitive topic. And gusto kong bigyang ng respeto at gusto kong iwan sa magandang paraan what we had."
GMA’S GREEN BONES: BIGGEST WINNER AT GOLDEN MMFF
Green Bones was a clutch pick– catching the last December bus to make it to this list– but a shoo-in nonetheless.
The GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs-produced film, an official entry at the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival, emerged as the biggest winner during the Gabi ng Parangal last December 27.
Green Bones won Best Picture– a back-to-back for GMA and for Kapuso director Zig Dulay who also scored the most coveted prize back in 2023 for the fantasy-family movie “Firefly.”
During his acceptance speech, Dulay said that these recognitions will only fuel their creative teams to make more and much-improved films.
"Ang pagkilalang ito ay nagsisilbing inspirasyon para sa amin para gumawa pa ng mas maraming mga pelikula--mga pelikulang hindi lamang magbibigay ng aliw, kung di bubuhay sa pag-asa at magbibigay ng inspirasyon para sa lahat,” he said.
"Ang award po na ito ay para sa lahat ng naniniwala sa kapangyarihan ng pag-asa, ng paglaya; at lahat ng naniniwala sa kapangyarihan ng pangarap. Lahat ng naniniwala sa kapangyarihan ng pelikulang Pilipino,” Dulay added.
Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid were both recognized as the film festival’s best of the best actors, winning Best Actor (Trillo) and Best Supporting Actor (Madrid) for their portrayal of Domingo Zamora and Xavier Gonzaga, respectively.
Best Screenplay also went to Green Bones, duly received by the story’s writers: National Artist Ricky Lee and GMA Executive Angeli Atienza; while also winning Best Cinematography via Neil Daza.
Child star Sienna Stevens also bagged the Best Child Performer plum.
HELLO, LOVE, AGAIN BREAKS RECORDS, MAKES HISTORY
“Hello, Love, Again,” the much-awaited sequel to Ethan and Joy’s life story in “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” was a record-breaker from end to end.
On its opening day, the collaboration film between GMA Pictures and ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema already racked up P85 million in local gross sales– the highest for a local film in history– before cruising to P155 million on its second day.
The upward trend continued for the HLA, amassing more than P520 million in only five days of showing.
Ten days after its release, the Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo-starrer already broke the box office record as the highest-grossing Filipino movie of all time.
Not long after, the rom-com phenomenon reached the P1 billion-mark in total gross sales, becoming the first Filipino film to achieve the feat. It hit the mark in less than two weeks after its premiere.
According to a November 24 report by GMA News Online, the Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo-starrer had already earned P1.06 billion at the box office as of November 23, something the two multi-awarded superstars also confirmed and gave thanks for through a short video via GMA News.
A sequel to the 2019 box-office hit “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” HLA served as the continuation of the story of Ethan and Joy (played by Alden and Kathryn)– two OFWs whose lives get intertwined after a chance meeting at a bar in Hong Kong.
