On the second day of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2023, held on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, the overall gross experienced a slight decrease, a common trend for the festival’s second day.
However, defying expectations, the film ‘Rewind,’ featuring Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, not only avoided a decline but saw a substantial increase in revenue.
While specific financial figures have not been disclosed, reports suggest that ‘Rewind,’ a Star Cinema production starring the DongYan tandem, nearly doubled its earnings from the first day. According to information from an entertainment website, the film grossed approximately 68 million pesos on its second day, expanding its reach to 170 cinemas by today.
The MMFF executive committee clarified their decision not to release specific box office data, emphasizing a commitment to fairness among entries that may not garner as much attention in theaters, which could potentially impact their standing.
There is a possibility that ‘Rewind’ will surpass the previous year’s MMFF earnings, and its success is credited to positive word-of-mouth.
While some films maintained their total gross from the first day due to scheduled block screenings, others experienced varying degrees of decline. Unfortunately, one entry even lost cinema screenings.
As the winners of MMFF 2023 have been announced, with ‘Rewind’ not securing any awards, observers are keen to see how this will influence the choices of moviegoers. Notably, last year, the success of ‘Deleter,’ starring Nadine Lustre, was significantly boosted after winning awards.