GMA Pictures and Brightburn Entertainment entry ‘Green Bones’ has climbed to the second spot in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 box office race.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) confirmed the film’s rise on January 15, as the festival’s official run concluded.
Based on gross sales, the top three MMFF films—listed alphabetically—are ‘And The Breadwinner Is…’, ‘Green Bones’, and ‘The Kingdom’.
‘Green Bones’ initially entered the MMFF at fifth or sixth place during pre-sales but steadily gained momentum. Thanks to sold-out screenings, glowing reviews, and a strong word-of-mouth campaign, the film surged to the second spot.
In a Facebook post, GMA Pictures Executive Vice President Nessa Vadellon expressed her gratitude: “Unbelievably, after starting near the bottom … we climbed to the no. 2 spot. Thank you to everyone who spent their hard earned Christmas money to watch Green Bones and our MMFF batchmates.”
Meanwhile, ‘And The Breadwinner Is…’—starring Vice Ganda—remains the festival’s top earner, with Star Cinema confirming that the film grossed over PHP400 million nationwide as of January 14.
The demand for ‘Green Bones’ screenings has led to multiple extensions, with the film now running in cinemas nationwide until January 21. Fans have also popularized the “Before and After Watching Green Bones” trend online, showcasing emotional reactions after viewing the powerful story.
MMFF films, including ‘Green Bones’, will also be screened at the Manila International Film Fest 2025 (MIFF) in Los Angeles from January 30 to February 2. Lead stars Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid are expected to attend the event to present their award-winning performances.
Directed by Zig Dulay and co-written by Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza, ‘Green Bones’ received high praise from critics and audiences alike. Co-produced by Brightburn Entertainment and distributed by Columbia Pictures internationally, the film explores the lives of two prisoners navigating a broken system.
At the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal, Green Bones took home the Best Picture award, with Dennis Trillo winning Best Actor and Ruru Madrid earning Best Supporting Actor. Despite opening in just 43 cinemas on Christmas Day, the film expanded to over 180 theaters due to its growing popularity and critical acclaim.
