Viva Films presents a fun and sexy rom-com titled “Baby Boy, Baby Girl,” directed by the award-winning and box office director Jason Paul Laxamana. The film stars Marco Gumabao and Kylie Verzosa and explores the world of “sugar dating,” where romantic relationships are treated as transactions, with clear expectations and agreements laid out. For those who have been broken by love, this type of setup may seem ideal.
In the film, Marco Gumabao plays Seb, who rose from rags to riches by becoming a sugar baby. After working as a janitor didn’t pay the bills, he turned to sugar dating and took it seriously. His extreme lifestyle change caught the attention of his ex-girlfriend, Josie, played by Kylie Verzosa. Josie is a failed startup businesswoman who is now struggling in online selling and trying to earn from whatever side hustle she can find. When she learns about Seb’s success, she asks him to groom her for sugar dating, hoping to never struggle financially again.
As Seb helps Josie achieve the “sweet life,” his feelings for her start to come back. But the principles of sugar dating seem to be working for Josie. Besides, the memory of Seb being with an older woman for money while they were still living together is still fresh in her mind. The question remains whether there is any chance for Seb to win Josie back now that she has a different view on love.
During the story conference, director Laxamana shared that he did a lot of research to be able to write the screenplay for “Baby Boy, Baby Girl.” He even made an account in one of those social media sites matching potential sugar daddies/mommies and sugar babies. He found out that the reasons (e.g., looking for companionship, a lavish lifestyle, mentorship, etc.), and requirements (e.g., duration of the dating, material things to be given/received, etc.) of people in social dating are stated very clearly. However, what are the consequences when someone can’t keep their part of the deal?
Kylie Verzosa said in the same conference that she got interested in the project the moment it was pitched to her, so she said yes right away. She expressed her gratitude for finally having the chance to work with director JP Laxamana, whom she has always admired.
The director admitted that he wasn’t sure at first if Kylie was the actress he was looking for to play Josie, but after seeing her previous films, particularly “Ikaw Lang ang Mahal” on Vivamax, he was very impressed by her acting. And when they started preparing for the shoot, he observed Kylie’s discipline and determination to be in character, which made him more convinced that she’s right for the role.
Both Kylie and Director JP rave about Marco Gumabao’s performance as Seb and say he is a joy to work with, as always. Marco and Kylie credit their years of friendship for making them comfortable in doing their intimate scenes together. When asked about his reaction to the movie, Marco said that he was shocked when he first read the script, but he was also very excited to be able to put himself in the shoes of sugar babies.
Aside from being entertaining, “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” also serves as an eye-opener to many viewers. The film also stars Migo Valid, Yen Durano, Gino Roque, Andrea Babierra, Giselle Sanchez, Marnie Lapus, Gary Lim, Rey PJ Abellana, Marissa Sanchez, and Yayo Aguila.
Catch “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” in cinemas nationwide on March 22, 2023, from Viva Films.
