Push Admin

The real reason why Toni Gonzaga is out of US film production ‘Asian Persuasion’

Article (news)

Don Tagala, ABS-CBN News

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVvu3CutZY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVvu3CutZY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVvu3CutZY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVvu3CutZY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Asian Persuasion (@asianpersuasionfilm)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>NEW YORK - Principal photography had started for the primarily Asian-American feature film called “Asian Persuasion” and its director says they’re already halfway through its 20-day-shoot schedule. </p><p>“Asian Persuasion” is a romantic-comedy set in New York City.</p><p>Playing the lead roles are award-winning actress KC Concepcion, Hollywood actor Dante Basco (“Hook”) and other notable stars from Tinseltown such as Paolo Montalban (“Cinderella”), Scarlett Sher (“The Hustler”), Kevin Kreider (“The Bling Empire) among many others.</p><p>“It’s an Asian rom-com. It&#x27;s about a couple, me and KC, that split up. We have a kid and kind of figuring our life afterwards and I have a whole plan of trying to get her married off, so Mickey, my character, can get away from his financial kind of problems there,” Basco said.</p><p>Concepcion meanwhile said she is proud to be part of the cast.</p><p>“To be able to perform with them, and including Scarlett, yung anak ko dito, she actually played Constance Wu&#x27;s daughter sa ‘Hustler’ tapos meron siyang bago ngayon with Gemma Chan. And I feel really excited na naging daughter, daughter ko rin siya,” Concepcion said.</p><p>She added that she had long wanted to be part of a rom-com.</p><p>“I’m very happy na nung binasa ko pa lang yung script, na feel ko agad na this is for me. It was the perfect role for a romantic-comedy na matagal ko nang gustong gawin. It was so perfect and to come back with this project.. nakaka-proud.”</p><p>Tony award-winning Broadway producer-turned-film director Jhett Tolentino said the movie had mostly Asians in its cast by design, and that it was also a statement against Asian hate. </p><p>This is Tolentino’s directorial debut. </p><p>“My directorial debut, I have to say, I&#x27;m still finding my bearings right,” Tolentino said. “So what I&#x27;m doing now is just based on the script and what I wanted to find truth from every character. And I&#x27;m so blessed with these pros.”</p><p>Tolentino admitted to ABS-CBN News that when the project started, Toni Gonzaga was first in mind to play the lead role.</p><p>“Okay, I just want to make this straight. Toni Gonzaga was my first choice. Right. And then two weeks before our pre-production, so mid-February. I got an email from her management saying that she has a conflict or in the schedule.”</p><p>Tolentino said that at that time, arrangements have already been made for Gonzaga’s trip to New York and her political affiliation had nothing to do with her leaving the production. </p><p>“Yung sa akin lang, once you commit tapusin, and then so yun, I started the petition. I paid for her work visa. Nagbayad na kami, and then yun, they gave a notice na hindi siya... conflict of schedule. And ako naman, yeah, I have to admit I panicked a little… Kasi siyempre two weeks before ng pre-prod wala ‘di ba, So kaya ko tinawagan si Sharon, sabi ko, ‘Nasaan ang anak mo?’” Tolentino shared.</p><p>For Tolentino, it was a minor setback and the show moved on while keeping a positive attitude.</p><p>Tony Labrusca, who is playing a cameo role in this movie, felt that positive vibe while filming on the set.</p><p>“The way he runs his production, you know, it&#x27;s just it&#x27;s the most professional thing that I&#x27;ve ever seen and I can&#x27;t wait till it&#x27;s like that in the Philippines too. So yeah, it&#x27;s just so much fun and I&#x27;m really happy to be working with Jhett on this project,” Labrusca said.</p><p>“Asian Persuasion” is hoping to make its premiere at the Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2023. </p>

Principal photography had started for the primarily Asian-American feature film “Asian Persuasion” and its director says they’re already halfway through its 20-day-shoot. 

The real reason why Toni Gonzaga is out of US film production ‘Asian Persuasion’

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Showbiz

The real reason why Toni Gonzaga is out of US film production ‘Asian Persuasion’

Don Tagala,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 01, 2022 06:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Asian Persuasion

Toni Gonzaga

KC Concepcion

Jhett Tolentino

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.