Starring Dolly De Leon And Kathryn Bernardo, ‘A Very Good Girl’ Makes Waves For Philippine Cinema

Dolly de Leon and Kathryn Bernardo star in ‘A Very Good Girl.’

ABS-CBN, Star Cinema
A Very Good Girl has broken new ground for Philippine cinema in many different ways. For veteran actress Dolly De Leon, her character Molly Suzara — a retail mogul clothed in luxurious gowns — is a far cry from her role as Abigail in Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. The 2022 film launched her into global stardom, picking up supporting actress nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs along the way. For Kathryn Bernardo, who has largely built her career on romantic films, A Very Good Girl gave her the rare opportunity to play a darker, grittier character (Philo).

On the industry front, the film’s splashy American premiere and global release sent a strong signal of ABS-CBN’s new strategy to make films that not just target the local Filipino audience but also open to the global market — especially in countries with a large Filipino diaspora. This strategic direction is also one of survival and necessity for the Philippine national broadcaster.

“In 2020, for political reasons, we lost our license. For many decades, we saw ourselves primarily as the largest TV station in the country, so losing that license and the ability to transmit our television signal across the country really shattered us,” said Carlo Katigbak, CEO of ABS-CBN. “We had to figure out what we were going to do next as a company. TV is a big part of our history but that chapter is over. We have to push ourselves so that our storytelling will have appeal and resonance not just for the Filipino audience, but for a global audience.”

Besides the Philippines and the U.S., A Very Good Girl — which cost USD$2 million to make — has opened in Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.A.E., among others. Kriz Gazmen, head of ABS-CBN Films, also shared that an OTT platform has already bought the rights to the film, which will be available for streaming in the near future. The film is directed by Petersen Vargas.

After nearly 30 years as an actress and appearing in films like Verdict (2019) as well as Lav Diaz’s The Halt (2019) and History of Ha (2021), De Leon recognizes the importance of a film like A Very Good Girl in opening the door for more non-traditional stories to be told. “What I really hope is that it’s going to push the envelope in Philippine cinema like a renaissance. Something that can go down in history as a classic and will be discussed for generations to come,” De Leon shared. “That would be a dream come true and it would be such an honor to go down in history as an actor who was part of a production like A Very Good Girl.”

Top actresses Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly De Leon star in ‘A Very Good Girl.’

ABS-CBN, Star Cinema
“I thought that playing a powerful woman with many layers and secrets was very exciting,” De Leon added. “Molly is not just your ordinary powerful woman. For all her darkness, she has some light in her that’s dying to come out and she wants to be a good girl but life happens and circumstances force her to make all the wrong choices and I thought that would be interesting to explore.”