MANILA—Daniel Padilla confirmed Thursday that his series with his reel and real-life partner Kathryn Bernardo is pushing through, and revealed that a film co-starring them is also in the works.

The screen superstar spoke about his upcoming projects in a livestreamed interview with Boy Abunda, which served as the first episode of the host’s “The Purple Chair” series on YouTube.

“Serye muna kami,” Padilla said, when asked what’s next for him and Bernardo. “May meeting kami very soon for a movie.”

The series was first teased in December 2020, through an omnibus trailer of upcoming ABS-CBN titles, with the line, “Kaya mo bang ipaglaban ang inyong pag-ibig kung galing kayo sa magkaibang panahon?”

 

The new film has yet to be officially announced.

“The last movie na dapat gagawin namin ni Kathryn, hindi natuloy,” Padilla recalled. “Biglang nagka-pandemic, bawal nang bumiyahe. The story was based para talaga sa America. Kung hindi mo siya gagawin doon, hindi puwede.”

Padilla was referring to the San Francisco-set “After Forever,” which was announced in February 2020 with Cathy Garcia-Molina as director.

Padilla and Bernardo’s last film together was “The Hows of Us” in 2018. Their most recent series was “The House Arrest of Us,” which spanned 13 episodes and concluded in January 2021.

Ahead of the new titles starring “KathNiel,” a film starring Padilla with Charo Santos-Concio and newcomer Rans Rifol, “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon,” is set to premiere this year.

Directed by Carlo Francisco Manatad, the film with the international title “Whether the Weather is Fine” will make its world premiere as a competing entry at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 4. It will then premiere in North America via the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9.

Referring to director Manatad, Padilla said: “Kaya rin siya na-inspire na buoin itong ‘Whether the Weather is Fine,’ kasi talagang sinugod ‘yung Tacloban after the storm surge. Nakita niya talaga lahat ng nangyari.”

The film, set during the onslaught and aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda, centers on “a mother (Santos-Concio) and her son (Padilla) as they struggle for survival and deal with absurdity of fate,” according to its synopsis.

“I’m very excited because it’s different from the movies that I make. Kasi, ‘diba, siyempre, galing kaming Star Cinema with the romcoms, the dramas,” Padilla said. “Ito, ibang-iba ‘yung atake ng film. Iba ‘yung feel.”