A Very Good Girl has broken new ground for Philippine cinema in many different ways. For veteran actress Dolly De Leon, her character Molly Suzara — a retail mogul clothed in luxurious gowns — is a far cry from her role as Abigail in Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. The 2022 film launched her into global stardom, picking up supporting actress nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs along the way. For Kathryn Bernardo, who has largely built her career on romantic films, A Very Good Girl gave her the rare opportunity to play a darker, grittier character (Philo).

On the industry front, the film’s splashy American premiere and global release sent a strong signal of ABS-CBN’s new strategy to make films that not just target the local Filipino audience but also open to the global market — especially in countries with a large Filipino diaspora. This strategic direction is also one of survival and necessity for the Philippine national broadcaster.

“In 2020, for political reasons, we lost our license. For many decades, we saw ourselves primarily as the largest TV station in the country, so losing that license and the ability to transmit our television signal across the country really shattered us,” said Carlo Katigbak, CEO of ABS-CBN. “We had to figure out what we were going to do next as a company. TV is a big part of our history but that chapter is over. We have to push ourselves so that our storytelling will have appeal and resonance not just for the Filipino audience, but for a global audience.”