Unlike last year, MMFF 2025 box-office gains are spread across the top five films.
While “Call Me Mother” is reportedly leading the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) box office, what stands out most about this year’s edition is how tight the race has been among the top five films—an early sign of a healthier and more competitive MMFF season.
MMFF 2025 kicked off on a strong note, with sold-out screenings, long lines, and packed theaters reported across major cinemas on opening day, December 25.
The numbers: a distributed victory
Festival organizers described the turnout as a promising turning point for Philippine cinema, fueled by renewed audience excitement during the holiday opening.
Industry insiders noted that Vice Ganda and Nadine Lustre’s “Call Me Mother” emerged as the clear frontrunner on Day 1, topping early box-office rankings and outperforming other entries.
However, a source from the MMFF shared that unlike last year—when overall grosses were heavily driven by just two films, “And the Breadwinner Is” and “The Kingdom”—this year’s box-office returns appear to be more evenly distributed among the top five entries.
A promising turning point
Overall ticket sales reflected a solid holiday opening for the annual film showcase, reinforcing optimism among exhibitors and producers about renewed moviegoing interest.
Landing in second place was the horror anthology “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins,” which continued the franchise’s tradition of drawing strong genre support. Close behind was the drama “Unmarry,” starring Angelica Panganiban and Zanjoe Marudo, which ranked third following favorable word of mouth from early viewers.
Rounding out the Top 5 were the legal drama sequel “Bar Boys: After School” and the romantic drama “Love You So Bad,” starring Will Ashley, Bianca de Vera, and Dustin Yu. Rankings beyond the top three showed slight variations across reports from cinema industry groups, largely due to differences in reporting cut-off times and theater tallies.
Despite these minor discrepancies, MMFF 2025’s opening-day performance underscored renewed audience enthusiasm, with festival organizers expressing confidence that the strong momentum will carry through the remainder of the festival run.
Unlike last year—when overall grosses were heavily driven by just two films, “And the Breadwinner Is” and “The Kingdom”—this year’s box-office returns appear to be more evenly distributed among the top five entries.”
READ:
Nadine Lustre opens up on motherhood fears as Vice Ganda shares on-set pressure
Kiko Escuadro
December 9, 2025
Vice Ganda, Krystel Go shine at MMFF 2025 Gabi ng Parangal
Kiko Escuadro
December 28, 2025
A complete guide to the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival
Kiko Escuadro
December 9, 2025
