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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Star Cinema’s family drama film “Meet, Greet & Bye” has recorded a strong worldwide box-office gross sales of Php120M (120 million pesos) as of November 17, 2025, making it the second highest-grossing Filipino film of the year. The heartwarming movie directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana and starring Piolo Pascual as the comeback son Tupe, Joshua Garcia as the ever dependable son Brad, Belle Mariano as the strong independent princess Geri, Juan Karlos as the comic musician bro Leo, and Maricel Soriano as the ultimate fan girl Mama Baby achieved a milestone local box-office gross sales of Php85M (85 million pesos) following strong five days in Philippine cinemas.
“Meet, Greet & Bye” paints a heartwarming picture of the four Facundo siblings who want to do everything they can to grant their dying mother’s wish to meet her favorite Korean superstar Park Seo-Joon. The film also stars Kaila Estrata, Kaori Oinuma, Matet de Leon, Jeffrey Tam, Robbie Jaworski, and more. It has already drawn early acclaim from audiences for its heartfelt relatability, raw honesty, and emotional highs and lows. Lawyer Jesus Falcis described it as “a rollercoaster film full of joy, sadness, and the right amount of sappiness” while vlogger Allan Sancon commented, “Grabe ‘tong pelikulang ito. Hindi kinaya ng tissue ang pag-iyak ko habang nanunuod. Tagos sa puso ko ang mga eksena dahil naalala ko noong inalagaan ko pa ng halos dalawang taon ang mother ko dahil nagkasakit siya.” Ralph Revelar Sarza of Walphs.com wrote, “The film’s emotional weight settles in the background details: the small, resonant gestures, the offhand jokes, the long silences. These unspoken truths and human moments are what make the film crushingly real.” wrote Ralph Revelar Sarza of Walphs.com. The Maganda Ba? blog described the film as “Napaka Ganda”, explaining, “Its theme may be sad and heavy, pero dahil sa galing ng script, you still see those small bursts of hope and happiness sa gitna ng mga pagsubok. Dahil doon, mas nakaka-relate ang manonood – kasi gano’n talaga ang buhay, masaya na malungkot, mahirap na masarap.”
The film also earned praise from celebrities and influencers for its universal theme, compelling storytelling, and relatable narrative. Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition Season 1 Big Winner Brent Manalo said, “Sobrang well-written, well-acted, ang ganda ng kwento, sobrang malaman. Walang dull moment for me, and yung emotions punong-puno, syempre di lang puro iyakan, may mga banters din at kitang-kita mo talaga ang chemistry nilang apat and, of course, Ms. Maricel. Ganda!” while 4th Big Placer River Joseph shared, “The movie really hits close to home. While you’re watching it, it makes you feel like you’re part of the family. Lahat nang pinapakita nila, napagdaanan ko rin. It will move you in so many ways.” Influencer Rod Magaru posted, “The film operates on the raw, yet universal, theme of family sacrifice — the difficult choices made and the heavy burdens carried in silence for the sake of the collective. It’s the unspoken dynamics of a family unit that form the emotional earthquake at the core of the story, making the eventual breakthroughs all the more resonant.” Meanwhile, Angeline Quinto was reminded of her own fears as a mother upon watching the film, stating, “Kaya ako naiyak kasi parang ayokong dumating sa time na ganun pag malaki na ang mga anak ko. Ayokong magkasakit, ayokong alalahanin nila ako pagdating ng panahon. Sa lahat ng mga anak, sa mga nanay, kailangan nyo panoorin ang pelikulang ito kasi ang daming revelations tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa bawat pamilya.”
Aside from the Philippines, “Meet, Greet & Bye” is now seen in Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, US, Canada, Guam, UK, Ireland, Austria, Italy and France. The movie will be screened in Papua New Guinea on November 20; Greece on November 22; Spain on November 23; Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Brunei throughout November; and Cambodia on December 12. For additional information on “Meet, Greet & Bye” including ticketing details and international screening schedules, visit the film's official website at meetgreetandbye.com and Star Cinema's official social media accounts.
