Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil portray Christine and Raf, respectively, in Antoinette Jadaone’s ‘Alone/Together.’ Black Sheep

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil portray Christine and Raf, respectively, in Antoinette Jadaone’s ‘Alone/Together.’ Black Sheep

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil portray Christine and Raf, respectively, in Antoinette Jadaone’s ‘Alone/Together.’ Black Sheep

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil portray Christine and Raf, respectively, in Antoinette Jadaone’s ‘Alone/Together.’ Black Sheep

Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, whose tandem has been considered among local showbiz’s most beautiful, veer away from their “aspirational” image and instead reflect the familiar among young viewers, in an upcoming film billed to be their most mature yet.

“Alone/Together” follows the love story of Christine (Soberano) and Raf (Gil), who cross paths again eight years after they first met during their college years.

Set photos provided by producer Black Sheep to ABS-CBN News on Tuesday show the characters in the Diliman campus of University of the Philippines, where a significant part of the story is said to take place.

Antoinette Jadaone, the director and writer behind “Alone/Together,” has described Soberano’s Christine as an “over-achiever” — she graduated magna cum laude from the BA Art Studies program of UP Diliman, and dreams of becoming a museum director at renowned attractions like The Met and The Louvre.

Gil’s Raf, meanwhile, is the opposite. “Umuulan ng singko at incomplete,” Jadaone said of the character, who is a BS Biology student from the University of Sto. Tomas. “Ang dream niya, simple lang — maka-graduate lang.”

‘PINAPAWISAN, BUMABAHO’

Acknowledging Soberano and Gil’s stature in showbiz as “aspirational” with their good looks and “perfect partnership,” Jadaone said “Alone/Together” will see them “not as the dream girl and the dream boy they have played in their movies but as me and you.”

“Maganda at guwapo sila, pero sumasakay sila ng jeep, pumipila, nakikipag-unahan, pinapawisan, bumabaho, tumatae, nagmamahal, nasasaktan, iniiwan, at umiiyak. ‘Yung pangit na iyak, hindi ‘yung magandang iyak. ‘Yung flawed, abot-kamay. ‘Yung pamilyar, ‘yung hindi na sa pedestal. In short, ‘yung totoo,” she said.

If the first official images from the set are anything to go by — with a decidedly unkempt Raf on board a jeep, and a pimpled Christine in casual clothes walking among fellow students — “Alone/Together” appears to be on track to realizing Jadaone’s vision.

The character’s styling, according to Jadaone, are matched with “real-life” dialogues, makeup, and lighting.

“It’s more grounded on reality,” the filmmaker said. “Ang goal, ‘pag napanood natin siya, ‘Ay, ako ‘yon,’ or, ‘Ay, kaibigan ko ‘yan!’”

Jadaone’s track record has shown the goal to be achievable, with her “hugot” blockbusters “That Thing Called Tadhana,” “Love You to the Stars and Back,” and “Never Not Love You” similarly stripping A-list stars of their celebrity through raw portrayals.

“Alone/Together” will hit cinemas in the first quarter of 2019.