Powered by positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth, the comparatively unconventional romance flick "Kita Kita" has now earned P90 million after a week in theaters, or around 40% more than producers expected before release.
"Parang panaginip," Piolo Pascual, one of the owners of the independently financed Spring Films, which co-produced "Kita Kita," said in an interview.
"When I heard the numbers, hindi ako makapaniwala," he added.
Piolo admitted that he personally expected the movie, which reportedly had a P10-million budget, to make only P50 to P60 million for the entirety of its box office run.
"It's not about the budget of the film. It's about the story, the quality - so ang sarap sa feeling na tinangkilik ng tao," he explained. "I'm overwhelmed."
"Kita Kita," topbilled by the odd-combination of Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez, focused on a Filipina who had lost her vision after her engagement with her Japanese boyfriend fell apart.
The movie was premiered in select cinemas last July 19.
Releasing it in late July was a risk. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was still showing, and the exceptionally reviewed "Dunkirk" and the space adventure "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" were about to premiere.
Its director, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, was well-aware of this and posted on social media that she would be satisfied if her film wasn't pulled out of cinemas after just one day. "Nakakagulat! Nakakaiyak!" she wrote.
"Kita Kita" is still showing on 120 cinemas nationwide, and will have international screenings to be announced on a later date.
It made an additional P10 million on Wednesday, taking its 8-day total to at least P100 million. - ABS-CBNNews.com
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