MANILA, Philippines?They even walk the same way, Malou Choa-Fagar says of Dolphy and Vic Sotto.

Co-workers have noticed many more similarities between the country?s top two comics who are sharing the big screen for the first time in the tentatively titled flick, ?Dobol Trobol: Wala ?Yan sa Pare Ko.?

Fagar, executive in charge of production, notes the way the two actors move. ?Very slowly,? she says. ?The way they stand is almost identical as well. And when it comes to work, they also have the same style, the same pacing. In front of the camera, they?re focused; between takes, they take it easy.?

They?re virtually twins, agrees director Tony Y. Reyes. ?We?re familiar with the Dolphy-Panchito tandem and Vic?s teamwork with Tito Sotto and Joey de Leon. Here we are seeing another kind of chemistry.?

Three years

Reyes says this project has been three years in the making and required the participation of three film companies?Dolphy?s RVQ, Vic?s MZet and Tony Tuviera?s APT.

?They?re excited to work together,? Reyes says of his main actors. ?It?s not uncommon for us to spend 13 hours on the set.?

He recalls that this movie, a cross between ?The Odd Couple? and ?Meet the Parents,? was conceived on the set of a Dolphy birthday special, where Tito, Vic and Joey were among the guests.

But Dolphy relates that the idea was hatched much earlier, in the 1990s: ?Vic and I were still in the same network, [and] ?Eat Bulaga? was still aired by ABS-CBN.?

Every time they met in the hallways, Dolphy recounts, they would remind each other of their movie together.

Now the King of Comedy playfully confirms that they do share a number of traits. ?We?re both quiet, serious, and pusong mamon (soft-hearted). And generous ??

To women?

?Alam n?yo na ?yon (You all know that),? Dolphy quips.

Vic is having fun. ?At the same time,? he says, ?I?m learning from the master. And I?m seeing the real Dolphy behind the scenes.?

Fagar says a July playdate is possible for the movie, which she calls ?historic.?

?Stars like Ryan Agoncillo and Paolo Contis are volunteering to do cameos,? says Reyes. ?They know this project is special.?

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