Fil-Am stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio directs 2 Oscar winners in directorial debut
MANILA, Philippines — Academy Award winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose lead the cast of "Love Hurts," the directorial debut of Filipino-American stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio.
A trailer for the film sees Quan as Marvin Gable, a successful regional realtor who in the middle of work receives a letter bearing the movie's title, the message "hiding ain't living," and a cracked heart.
The words were what Marvin told Ariana DeBose's Rose, his former partner before he parted ways with her seemingly for good.
Two men arrive to capture Marvin, informing him they work for his brother Knuckles played by veteran Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu.
The two begin to beat Marvin up around the house, but Marvin fights back just as Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" blasts through the trailer, and Rose shows up to save Marvin.
Rose says she needs Marvin's help to go up against Knuckles even though Marvin vowed to leave his past life behind.
More fight scenes ensue inside Marvin's offce and in one of the houses he's trying to sell, he quipped he knows people who can fix the rummaged location.
The trailer ends with a fight between Marvin and Knuckles, with Marvin once again repeating the movie's title.
"Love Hurts" is co-produced by 87North's David Leitch, another stuntman-turned-filmmaker who helmed films like "John Wick," "Deadpool 2," "Hobbs & Shaw," "Bullet Train," and "The Fall Guy" after extensive stunt work on "Blade," "Fight Club," "Ocean's Eleven," "Troy," two "Matrix" movies, and more.
Eusebio worked with Leitch on "Daredevil," "300," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "The Fall Guy," and "John Wick," also becoming a stunt or fight coordinator on "Black Panther," "Doctor Strange," "The Fate of the Furious," and "The Matrix Resurrections."
The Filipino-American was also the second unit director on "Deadpool 2," "Birds of Prey," and "Violent Night," the latter also co-produced by Leitch and his wife Kelly McCormick through 87North.
Quan won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once," his huge comeback role after child star outings in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies."
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He left acting after struggling to find work, becoming a stunt choreographer on various films and was inspired to become an actor again following the success of "Crazy Rich Asians" which led to starring in "Finding 'Ohana" and "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
Following his Oscar win, Quan starred in "Loki," "American Born Chinese," and "Kung Fu Panda 4," and is set to appear in "The Electric State" and "Zootopia 2" next year. "Love Hurts" will be his first film in a major lead role.
Singer-actress DeBose appeared on Broadway productions like "Hamilton," "Bring It On," "Motown: The Musical," "A Bronx Tale," and "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," before breaking out on film in Netflix's adaptation of "The Prom."
DeBose won her Oscar for Steven Spielberg's take on "West Side Story," which made her the first Afro-Latina person and first openly queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar.
For portraying Anita in the film, DeBose and Rita Moreno — who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the original "West Side Story" film — became the third pair of Oscar-winning actors for portraying the same character in two different films.
"Love Hurts" is set to release in Philippine cinemas in February 2025, making for an ideal Valentine's Day watch. — Video from Universal Pictures Philippines' YouTube channel
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