Curiosities are more than aroused. Majority are in bated breath anticipating the arrival of Gameboys.
With its promotional posters — paying homage to iconic motion pictures such as Pretty Woman, Top Gun, Call Me By Your Name, and Brokeback Mountain, to mention a few — created by master fashion photographer Raymund Isaac, all eyes are locked in Kokoy de Santos and Elijah Canlas starrer, hailed as the Kings of Pinoy BL, finally arriving on ktx,ph by the end of July.
How does the young men, who portray Gavreel Mendoza and Cairo Alarcon feel about the impending playdate? De Santos’s swift reply:“I am very excited that finally, people will get to see the movie that we worked hard for. We offered our blood, sweat and tears, our very essence and souls so that this movie comes to fruition.”
“It’s always a different level of fulfillment as an artist once you see the output of everyone’s hard work and passion on the screen. I can’t wait for the new audiences and the whole Gameboys fandom to see it as well,” is Elijah’s rejoinder.
The dynamic duo cannot deny their eagerness, specifically on what morals their audiences will take home from the motion picture version and how the new fans will react to the larger-than-life cinematic universe of Cai, Gav, and the other major characters.
The amazing journey they faced together as friends and co-actors in what is considered now as the alpha Filipino BL series make them beam with a great amount of joy and pride.
“Being in Gameboys, as I give life to Gavreel, has opened my eyes to the fact that life is not always sunshiny,”says Kokoy. “Kailangan mo din pagdaanan ang sakit at poot para matamasa ang totoong ligaya.”
“This may sound cliché, but nothing really is impossible. Imagine, we were shooting the pilot for the first season over a year ago. With no idea how to work around the process of zoom filmmaking. Shooting remotely inside our homes. Being directed and instructed through zoom. Using our own personal phones as cameras. It’s crazy to think that all of that led us to today. It keeps me going,” adds Elijah.
The Pinoy BL royals come clean that they have yet to see the finished movie. How different is the movie then content-wise, from the series?
Kokoy addresses the query flippantly: “Alam naman natin na nabitin tayoo nang bongga sa series, tama? Tama! Kaya naman dito itutuloy natin ang nabitin na pagmamahalan. Excited? Very Excited!”
Retorts Elijah: “I think the most obvious difference is that the movie is not told through the video call set-up that everyone was accustomed to from the first season. The movie is bolder, braver, and the stakes are just as high if not higher.”
Adding more drama and flavor, thus making the phenomenal Pinoy BL more addictive and intoxicating are: Adriana So as Pearl Gatdula, Gav’s ex-girlfriend turned best friend and resident fag hag and problem solver; Kyle Velino as Terrence Carreon, Gav’s shady ex-boyfriend and Cai’s one-time, big time rival; Miggy Jimenez as WesleyTorres, Cai’s childhood friend who has a not so hidden feelings for him anymore; and Kych Minemoto as the femme and fabulous Achilles De Dios, who has an unrequited love episode with Terrence and completes the WesTerAchi bizarre love triangle.
Appearances of Sue Prado, Jerom Canlas, Angelli Sanoy, Angie Castrence, and Susan Africa are expected to appear in the movie incarnation.
Without a doubt, the Pinoy online series that is Gameboys made Pinoy BL history already and with the arrival of its movie version, it continues to spread its magic and romantic moments, and call for acceptance, understanding, and the full embracing of a different kind of love.