It’s confirmed! GMA Network will be making a Pinoy adaptation of the Korean drama “Start-up”! The lead roles were awarded to Bea Alonzo and Alden Richards.
Richards will be playing the character of Nam Do-san. Apparently, he had seen the original series and is grateful for the opportunity to portray the character. “Napanood ko rin po siya and excited ako, this is my first K-drama adaptation project. Parang ang sarap lang sa pakiramdam na mabigyan ng opportunity to be able to do something na hinahanap ng audience,” he said in “24 oras”.
Photos from Bea Alonzo and Alden Richards on Facebook
Meanwhile, Alonzo will be playing the character of Seo Dal-mi. She revealed that Start-Up’s Pinoy remake had already been pitched to her before signing with the network in July 2021. “Alam mo, nakakatawa kasi even before I signed with GMA, my first-ever meeting with the bosses, ito na ‘yung na-pitch sa akin. And it is one of the reasons why I decided to become a Kapuso. So finally, it is happening and I’m very, very excited,” she said.
However, the box office queen admitted that she’s nervous to work with Richards. Here’s why: “Nakita ko rin siya sa workshops namin and talagang sobrang nakaka-impress ‘yung performance niya so kahit ako kinakabahan na makasama si Alden. Kailangan galingan ko din. Parang I have to be on my toes kasi magaling si Alden.”
Richards, on the other hand, has been a fan of Alonzo ever since. He then shared his impression of her during the said workshops. “Noong nag-workshops kami for other projects, hindi niya pinapalagpas ang small details. Because ‘yung small details ang nagca-count sa portrayal ng role. Sabi ko nga, ‘Tama. Perfect match.’ Kasi parehas kaming hands-on sa trabaho when it comes to the creative side,” he said.
In case you haven’t seen “Start-Up”, Seo Dal-mi is portrayed by Bae Suzy while Nam Joo-hyuk played the role of Nam Do-san. Kim Seonho also starred in the K-drama as Han Ji-pyeong. It follows the story of Dal-mi, an ambitious woman who hopes to become “Korea’s Steve Jobs”. Set in Korea’s fictional Silicon Valley called “Sandbox”, she crosses paths with two love interests. Ji-pyeong, an orphan who grew up to be a successful investment manager; and Do-san, a math genius who founded his own company (with the help of his parents) called “Samsan Tech”.
The rest of the cast is yet to be revealed. GMA Network Entertainment Group senior VP Lilybeth Rasonable promises though that the remake will feature “certain surprises”.
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