Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, Luis Manzano, and John Lloyd Cruz have finally sat down with Star Cinema executives and Direk Olive Lamasan for a story conference on their much-anticipated movie that has been slated for a 2009 release. Aside from the film being Governor Vilma’s comeback project, the movie is also creating much buzz because Luis and Lloydy will be playing gay lovers. Faced with such a challenge, both actors have said that they are prepared to do anything that the script requires of them.

In the said story conference, Luis and John Lloyd were asked if they consulted their respected real-life significant others about accepting the gay roles. (John Lloyd is in a three-year-old relationship with magazine editor Liz Uy while Luis is in a “special relationship” with Angel Locsin.) Lloydy replied, “Ako hindi. Dapat ba? (laughs). Trabaho kasi ‘to. Wala pa naman kami sa point na ‘yun [dapat i-consult ang work]. We have been together for three years. [Ang sa amin] kung trabaho mo ‘yan, trabaho mo ‘yan. Kung ano ang trabaho ko, trabaho ko. Pero alam niya na gagawa kami ng pelikula na ganito. Kung in the sense na kinailangan kong hingin ang permission niya, hindi. Ipina-alam lang, hindi ipinaalam.”

As for Luis, who took some time to consider the signing up for this project, he said that the decision was his own and there was no need to consult Angel or anyone else. “Siguro hindi consult but share. Not necessarily asking for approval na kung mag-no siya ay sorry hindi ko tatanggapin. Hindi ganun. It’s more of, ‘Guess what’s my next project? Makakasama ko ang mom ko at si Lloydy’ and not, ‘Okay lang ba sa ‘yo na gagawin ko ito?”

As early as now, many are already curious about just how “gay” John Lloyd and Luis will be in this movie. Without going into the details, Luis shared a brief description of his and John Lloyd’s characters. “It’s about two people who fell in love but it just happened that they are of the same gender. One doesn’t necessarily need to cross dress or to have a twang sa pananalita to be gay. They are two men who fell in love.”

Hailed as one of the most in-demand leading men of today, John Lloyd has proven his box-office drawing power while being paired with actresses like Claudine Barretto, Bea Alonzo, and Sarah Geronimo. But how will he fare with a man as his “leading lady?” Is he ready to do a kissing or love scene with Luis? “I’ve been very vocal naman since before na wala akong problema sa ganun. Pero sana lang ‘yung ka-eksena ko has to be a real man. Wala naman akong problema dun kay Luis (laughs). Ang orientation ko kasi bilang artista, kapag sumagot ka sa isang pelikula aasahan mong aalagaan ka. Pero halimbawang in the process ay meron kang kailangang gawin, napag-usapan naman, dapat mong gawin dahil trabaho mo ‘yun bilang artista.”(www.abs-cbn.com)