Dubai: Supporters of the popular Filipino love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla thronged to Dubai for a special screening of the duo's latest flick, Can't Help Falling in Love.
The soaring popularity of the tandem known as "KathNiel" has extended to fans overseas, with throngs of supporters among the first to see the movie at Novo Cinema in Dubai Festival City.
The movie — a lighthearted romance comedy about a high-strung career woman who discovers that she is married to a complete stranger — will be shown in UAE cinemas starting Thursday.
Fans of the Filipino tandem tell us why they continue to support the duo, who has been both an onscreen and off-screen item for the past six years.
“I am a KathNiel fan because I can see the true relationship between them, their spark, and they never get tired of each other,” shares 18-year old Rafaella Salay.
Nida Menor, who says she has already seen most of the KathNiel movies, says she never tires of watching the duo onscreen.
“I’m a fan, especially of Daniel, because his the favourite star of my granddaughter,” says Menor, who is on vacation in the UAE to visit her family in Sharjah.
Dubai resident Jhoan Garala doesn’t watch a lot of Filipino movies, but she came to watch the KathNiel flick as it was highly recommended by her friends. “I’ve seen one of their movies and I liked it. So I’m expecting the same quality – something good, something more mature from them,” says Garala.
During a pre-screening announcement inside the cinema, fans were treated with a recorded video message from Bernardo and Padilla. In the video message, the two said they hope to join their UAE fans in their next movie.
The movie was a first for Novo Cinemas to do an advanced screening for fans. “It was really well-received,” shares Darren Haynes, Brand Marketing Manager of Novo Cinemas.
“We’ve got lots of Filipinos who are very eager to see Daniel Padilla because he’s a famous heartthrob. Filipino celebrities are always welcome to have a premiere screening here. For tonight, the stars had a video message for the fans, which is also exciting.”
