Released during Wilma Galvente's tenure at the network, Marimar 2007 marked the beginning of a series of successful non-Asian remakes. However, it was the first international remake to truly shake the industry, as the announcement that Televisa had sold the rights to GMA-7 sent shockwaves nationwide. In retrospect, it was a masterstroke by the show's creators. I distinctly remember the level of promotional fervor, it's like a Greta Gerwig Barbie's level of promo, you can see Marimar's teaser billboard everywhere. Unfortunately after Angel Locsin's unexpected decision to turned down the role. A multitude of actresses auditioned, but it was the underreated Marian Rivera, who won the iconic role and went on to become a Primetime Queen and International Star!!!
At the time, I was already familiar with Marian's work through Super Twins and afternoon tv shows, and I had no doubt she could breathe life into this character. I remember her version of Marimar was carefully nurtured by GMA's creatives, with visionary directors like Mac Alejandre and Joyce Bernal lending their talents to the project. What made the show even more extraordinary was its delicate balance of reinvention and homage. The writers reimagined several characters, some were stripped away, while others were transformed. Take, for example, the character of Natalia Montenegro. Originally portrayed as Marimar's affluent rival for Sergio's affection, in this version she was reworked into a twisted, impoverished character, brought to life by Bianca King, who goes on to steal Marimar's Aldama identity halfway through the series.
Similarly, Anjelica's backstory was expanded in this version. In the original, her marriage to Renato was scarcely explained including her hate to Marimar (all we know at that time was she just weirdly hate poor people), but in this retelling version, Katrina Halili's Angelika was driven by ambition, marrying Richard Gomez (Renato) for wealth while harboring a hidden agenda. She was revealed to be Sergio's ex-girlfriend, and Sergio's actions aimed at making Angelika jealous by using Marimar in a fake marriage. This characterization added a layer of complexity to the plot. A brilliant move by the writers. Considering it was done during the peak of love triangle's era in television.
Marian's portrayal of both Marimar and Bella Aldama transcended the expectations set by Thalía's legendary performance. Her portrayal is so authentic that you not only believe in her transformation, but you also sense the depth of her commitment to the role, something that's immediately apparent in every scene she graces. You just believed her!!
The Marimar mambo theme song was ingeniously entrusted to Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez, who also gave it a Tagalized twist. I vividly recall the excitement surrounding its release, especially since Regine was renowned for her powerful vocal range, capable of delivering a striking homage to Thalía's iconic "Marimar Aww!!" with unparalleled flair. All in all this version of Marimar is amazing, Yes Thalia's version was also amazing but this Filipino remake was even more more more better and more fleshen' out.
