ABS-CBN-produced Love Is Never Gone to stream on Prime Video

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JOSHUA GARCIA and Ivana Alawi in a scene from Love Is Never Gone

STREAMING service Prime Video will have a new Filipino romance drama series, titled Love Is Never Gone, starting May 8.

Produced by ABS-CBN Studios and Dreamscape Entertainment, it stars Joshua Garcia and Ivana Alawi, marking the first time the two celebrities will lead a series together.

Set in Morocco, it blends romance and suspense, following two lost souls who find strength and love in each other only to discover that lies and betrayal threaten to derail their happiness.

For Ms. Alawi, the series was a rare chance to do something both action-packed and romantic in another country — most importantly, with a reliable co-star.

“Joshua is more than just an actor. Napakabait niyang tao (He’s a very kind person). He’s generous and he treats everyone with respect,” she said during a press launch on April 28 in Quezon City.

Her role also requires speaking different languages, as she plays a woman who takes on various high-risk jobs to survive. Though the actress was raised in Bahrain by a Moroccan father, she spoke neither Arabic nor French, which are two languages her character speaks.

“Inaral ko nang tatlong araw bago mag-shoot. Multilingual ako dito. Kahit Spanish alam ko rin (I studied for three days before shooting. I’m multilingual here. I even know Spanish),” she said.

“Kapag dumadating sa set, smiling si Ivana. Iirap-irap lang ’yan pero mahal kami niyan (When she arrives on set, Ivana is smiling. She always glares at us but she loves us),” Mr. Garcia said of his co-star at the press launch.

“Mabilis siya umiyak sa mga eksena. Natutuwa ako kasi same page na kami palagi (She cries very easily in our scenes. I’m glad because we’re always on the same page),” he added.

As for their chemistry, the actor explained that it was both natural and due to the bonding opportunities they had while filming in Morocco.

‘FILMIC APPROACH’
Love Is Never Gone has all sorts of twists and turns. Teo (played by Mr. Garcia) is a devoted son who works in Morocco in order to give his family a better life, while Yana (played by Ms. Alawi) has ties to a crime syndicate which leads to an inevitable betrayal of their budding romance.

While the first few episodes are largely set in Morocco, the story picks up years later back in the Philippines, when Teo encounters Yana who now goes by a different identity.

“It’s really full of action. There’s a lot to look forward to and be surprised by,” Ms. Alawi said.

Director Emmanuel Palo told the press that the “filmic approach” of the show is only right given that it will stream not only in the Philippines, but in other countries and territories.

“We firmly believe our audience deserves nothing less,” he said. “Aside from the visuals, it’s really the narrative. Yes, it looks and sounds good, but our creative team really worked hard to give us a story that’s relatable and real, with characters that are truthful.”

Fellow director Jojo Saguin explained that the series offers a blend of things that not many people expect to see, all in one.

“The camera angling is different, the action scenes plus the undeniable chemistry of our two stars is quite different, and there’s the texture of Morocco,” she said.

“Of course, love for family is the core,” she explained, of the themes that viewers can expect in the show. “Matapos na ang lahat, sa pamilya ka pa rin babalik (After everything, you still go back to family).”

Also in the cast are Jameson Blake, Jane Oineza, Michael de Mesa, Epy Quizon, Fyang Smith, JM Ibarra, Dina Bonnevie, and Ara Mina.

The production is one of several collaborations between ABS-CBN and Prime Video, all aiming to bring Filipino entertainment to more viewers worldwide.

Love Is Never Gone is scheduled to premiere on May 8. — Brontë H. Lacsamana