Kapuso Tween stars take lead in Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin remake

The shining moment of GMA’s young stars on television primetime is only beginning. Fresh off the release of Tween Academy: Class of 2012, the network is again putting its young stars at the forefront of another major project. This time, Kapuso teens Barbie Forteza, Joshua Dionisio, Joyce Ching and Kristoffer Martin star in a remake of the GMA classic primetime drama Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin. At a press conference held Tuesday, both Barbie and Joshua admitted to feeling anxious over the possible audience reception to the show, which is set to debut on October 10 after Pahiram ng Isang Ina. Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin is a remake of a primetime drama that debuted on the network 10 years ago. Back then, it was top billed by the likes of Angelika dela Cruz, Sunshine Dizon, Sherwin Ordoñez and Cogie Domingo. “Syempre kinakabahan [kami] kasi yung original po, maganda talaga at yung mga bida dati, magagaling na artista," admitted Joshua, who will be playing the role of Sir Charles, previously played by Sherwin Ordoñez. Barbie will play Angelika dela Cruz’s character, Mylene/Catherine while Joyce will play Clarissa, a role played by Sunshine Dizon. Kristoffer, meanwhile, will take on Cogie Domingo’s character, Jepoy.

Adapting to the times Director Roderick Lindayag said that although the new Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin is a remake, the show’s creative team will be taking liberties to modernize the plot and to make it more age-appropriate for its young stars. Unlike the lead stars in the original series, Barbie, Joshua, Joyce and Kristoffer are still in their preteens. When the original Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin debuted, Angelika dela Cruz was already in her 20s. Without sacrificing the series’ dramatic content, the show will be more youth-oriented, Lindayag explained. “Ang [Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin] ang isa sa pinaka-iconic na shows ng GMA. Isa ito sa unang tumatak sa utak ng audience. It has such a compelling story and we felt that the young audience now would appreciate that," Jun Lana, the show’s creative director, said. Dode Cruz, who was the head writer of the original series, said he expects the remake to be as well-loved as the original. “Based on the preview, mukha naming maganda siya at sikat yung mga bagong leads so mukha naming magiging hit siya," he said. Top stars, fresh talent The series is centered on Mylene/Catherine (Barbie Forteza) and Clarissa (Joyce Ching), two cousins who are separated when a landslide hits their community. It’s at this point that you can start rolling out the checklist of Filipino soap opera clichés: Mylene, who is given a necklace by her estranged rich father, Ferdinand Fuentabella (Gardo Versoza); the necklace later finds itself in the hands of Mylene’s cousin, Clarissa. The two girls grow up in the school of hard knocks but as fate would have it, they both find themselves in the Fuentabella household—Clarissa, as the child-Ferdinand-mistakenly-identifies-as-his-daughter and Mylene, who is now Catherine, as the “adopted" daughter of the Fuentabella’s house help (played by Matet de Leon). The twists and turns of the show don’t end there: after the landslide, Mylene (who is now Catherine) has a bad case of amnesia, thus making her unaware of her rich, privileged Fuentabella past. Tanya Garcia, Mylene’s mother in the series, is driven into madness, when she’s convinced that her daughter is dead. While it’s loaded with almost everything out of the drama series rulebook, Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin has the makings of another Kapuso hit. Aside from the four top teen stars, the series also showcases the best and brightest of Filipino talent. Sheryl Cruz plays Amara Luna, who is sure to cause misery and pain in the lives of the show’s leads, while Tanya Garcia makes a showbiz comeback as Lilian, Mylene’s mother. Completing the cast are Ehra Madrigal, Ernie Garcia, Carla Estrada, Joko Diaz, Kier Legaspi, Maricar de Mesa, Shirley Fuentes, Victor Aliwalas, Ella Cruz, and Carmen Soriano. – KBK, GMA News