We're sure you have heard of the cryfest that is Through Night and Day, which stars Alessandra De Rossi (as Jen) and Paolo Contis (as Ben). The romance film, which was initially released in 2018, tells the story of an engaged couple whose relationship is tested when they go on a trip to Iceland. It has been making people cry buckets of tears ever since it dropped on Netflix on July 9.
Noreen Capili, the movie's scriptwriter, and De Rossi shared some trivia related to the film on their respective social media accounts, and we've compiled all the juicy bits here. Some might be spoilers, so read at your own risk if you haven't seen it yet!
Read on to find out more about everyone's new favorite film (spoilers abound!):
De Rossi almost wrote the screenplay herself
Not only that, she also thought of directing the movie herself. De Rossi then decided to ask Capili to write the script, whom she considers as her "idol, mentor, and BFF." Capili shared in her post that one of the producers initially wanted a male director for the project, but agreed on Veronica Velasco as its director.
It would have been a reunion movie with Empoy Marquez
Turns out that De Rossi originally conceptualized the story with her Kita Kita co-star Empoy Marquez in mind, but hinted in her tweet that something got in the way. Nevertheless, she thinks that Contis did a great job as Ben.
De Rossi went location hunting in Iceland
In one of her recent tweets, De Rossi shared her trip to Iceland in April 2018, prior to filming Through Night and Day. Apart from the sunsets, she also shared a photo of her scribbles and what looks to be a now-memorable scene off the movie. Plus, who would have thought that it would be a hit on Netflix two years later? The cover of the notebook seemed to know something big was going to happen in 2020.
De Rossi experienced hypothermia during the pool scene in Ireland
Capili shared that De Rossi had a near-death experience while shooting for the film. "Muntikan na ikamatay ni Alessandra yung scene sa pool...Hindi na siya makahinga at naninigas na siya kaya kailangan siyang balutin sa thermal blanket at yakapin. Nanginginig siya noong binibihisan namin siya sa maduming CR at nahulog ang dala niyang panty. I asked her, 'Okay lang ba sa'yo isuot ang nahulog na panty?' 'Hindeeeee!' So ayun—wala siyang panty buong araw. At least buhay siya."
"I Will Be Here" wasn't the first choice for the film's soundtrack
The movie is called Through Night And Day because it's a line from Eric Clapton's song "Tears inHeaven", which was supposed to be the film's theme song. But because the production team wasn't able to secure the rights to the track, they opted to use "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman instead.
Joey Marquez composed a song for the movie
Ben's proposal song to Jen was composed by Joey Marquez, who played Jen's dad in the movie.
Contis is responsible for the "green" jokes in the film
According to Capili, the funny lines and scenes in the movie were a collaborative effort. "Malaki ang natulong ng dalawang artista sa mga punchlines. Iba talaga kapag natural na komedyante. Swabe ang bitawan ng hirit and jokes. 'Yong mga bastos na punchlines—kay Paolo 'yon!" The movie's director, Veronica Velasco, also gave Alex and Paolo the freedom to decide on how they wanted to portray their characters.
Even Capili was surprised by how the story would turn out
When de Rossi told Capili about the film, she thought the Iceland breakup was going to be the ending! Little did she know that there was a bigger twist than that.
The screenwriter consulted a neurosurgeon for the script
Capili had an aneurysm 10 years ago, and was even in a coma. Before writing the script, she scheduled a "check-up" with her neurosurgeon. "Akala niya may sakit na naman ako. 'Yon pala, iinterviewhin ko lang siya. Mahal ang PF ng neurosurgeon ko but it was worth it. Nakatulong sa pagsusulat ang mga sinabi niya sa akin."
Not a lot of people were able to see the film in 2018
During its initial release in 2018, the movie was pulled out of theaters after several days. Capili shared on Twitter, "dahil walang nanonood. Kahit may word of mouth sa ilang nakanood, at nagpa-block screening pa yung isang actor-host na walang kinalaman sa movie, nagustuhan lang talaga niya. Waley." The movie hit Netflix in July and Pinoys haven't been able to stop watching it since!
Read Capili's full post below:
this strange new world.