Months after the conclusion of the 2022 reboot of Darna, co-stars Jane de Leon and Janella Salvador are set to grace the big screen again in a new film under the direction of Jun Robles Lana.
Lana created a spark after releasing a sneak peek of the upcoming project titled "How to be a Good Wife" written by Keavy Vicente and Fatrick Tabada, in a story conference held on Monday, November 13.
Back to work pic.twitter.com/EQ8qcRnxOM
— Jun Robles Lana (@junrobleslana) November 13, 2023
Although the premise of the film is yet to be revealed, Lana already expressed how "smartly and deliciously" the screenplay is written. He also claimed that this is not a story the viewers are expecting it to be.
This is the second time de Leon and Salvador are working together. Both actresses headlined in the different films with de Leon starring in the comeback of Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Extreme; and Salvador in Mallari, an MMFF Official Entry. These are set to be released on November 29 and December 25, respectively.
Mabuhay JaneNella Nation!
Salvador expressed her excitement on X (formerly Twitter) on working alongside Susan Africa and Jane de Leon, whom the fans have dubbed their pair "JaneNella" and "Darlentina".
Excited to work on this new film with Ms. Susan Africa and [hindi ko kilala] pic.twitter.com/beEkYIJmWu
— Janella Salvador (@superjanella) November 13, 2023
In the 2022 reboot of Darna, de Leon played the titular role while Salvador portrayed Darna's nemesis, Valentina. Despite the established rivalry between the characters, fans could not deny the on-and-off screen chemistry of the actresses. This sparked the creation of the fandom, accompanied by skyrocketing demands of more projects for the two even before the nearing conclusion of the series.
Although it took a while, fans rejoiced as their wish is answered when the IdeaFirst Company unveiled that both de Leon and Salvador will be taking the leads of the film.
JaneNella Nation has been leading the conversations in different social media accounts—showing excitements, hoping it is not just another queerbaiting, even sharing their theories on the plot, and wondering if it will feature a sapphic storyline. Both actresses have shown willingness to work in a girl's love or GL project.
We have already started introducing the wide spectrum of love and life stories beyond the accustomed standards. What is left now for filmmakers is to explore even more the unexplored stories and give them the visibility they deserve.
Above all, we cannot wait for the JaneNella's comeback, and we know it will be greater than ever!
