Justice for Love: End of the World


 * The correct title of this article is #JusticeForLove: End of the World. The omission of the # is due to technical restrictions.

"History repeats itself"

- Tagline

"The world ends"

- American tagline

"The apocalypse is coming! Will Alicia finally get the justice she deserves?"

- Japanese tagline

"WITNESS AND EXPERIENCE THE EVENT THAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS 66 MILLION YEARS AGO"

- International tagline

"Will Alicia get the justice she deserves? Asteroid impacts Earth! Cities crumble! Landmarks vaporized! Inspired by real events, this could happen tomorrow! On December 25, justice will be served!"

- International trailer

"A depressed woman must clear her friend's name after being framed for murder just before a huge asteroid hits Earth."

- Netflix official synopsis

 # JusticeForLove: End of the World (最終時間 Saishū jikan, The Final Hours, also known simply as Justice for Alicia in the Philippines) is a 2020 Japanese-Philippine disaster drama film co-produced by Toho and GMA Pictures as part of the 46th Metro Manila Film Festival.

Directed by Gina Alajar in her feature directorial debut, and starring Max Collins and Yasmien Kurdi, the film's story focuses on two female individuals in San Francisco, one of whom is suffering from depression while an asteroid threatens to impact Earth.

First conceptualized in 2013 following the Chelyabinsk meteor event, the film was adapted from the screenplay of The Last War, and inspired by the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, also incorporating elements from the Philippine drama genre, the film was released on December 25, 2020 to generally positive reviews and grossed over ₱677 million, making it the highest grossing Philippine film of 2020, and the third-highest grossing Philippine film ever, only behind The Hows of Us and Hello, Love, Goodbye.

Description
"Award-winning actress Yasmien Kurdi makes a comeback to the big screen with this epic sci-fi disaster film directed by Gina Alajar: In 2020, a huge asteroid is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth, while in San Francisco, Mylene (Max Collins) accidentally rescues Alicia (Yasmien Kurdi) who is about to commit suicide, after losing everything she had in a series of unfortunate events. As the asteroid approaches Earth, Alicia begins to realize and later discovers that her miserable life was done intentionally by her own brother, at the same time history decides to repeat itself when Mylene is accused for a crime she never committed. With only three months left, Alicia must clear Mylene's name, while attempting to reunite with her own family in Manila as mankind prepares for the inevitable end."

Synopsis
"After arriving in San Francisco to reunite with her sister, Mylene accidentally rescues a depressed woman about to commit suicide by helping her recover from her depression. When Mylene is accused for a crime she never committed, Alicia must clear Mylene's name while attempting to reunite with her own family, as the world around them slowly falls apart due to a huge asteroid impact which marks the end of mankind."

Plot

 * Based on the international version. The theatrical version has never been released on home video on any market.

The film begins in 1984, when two paleontologists had discovered that extinction events in Earth's history has been occurring periodically, while a NASA scientist warned that the planet is unprepared for any asteroid impact event. The film then cuts to an introductory sequence depicting the technological advancement of mankind along with timelapse shots of human civilization.

The film is divided into three chapters, each focusing on a single individual or perspective.

Chapter I: "Alicia"
In the present day, Alicia Salvacion is close to having the perfect life she wanted in San Francisco after getting married and giving birth to her first and only baby. However, by early July, a streetcar accident on Market Street resulted in the death of Alicia's husband and her baby, leaving Alicia devastated. A few days later, Alicia begins to suffer from depression and attempts to commit suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Meanwhile, Mylene Concepcion and her family, arrive in San Francisco to reunite with her younger sister, Andrea, when Mylene accidentally interferes Alicia's suicide attempt on the bridge and saving her life. Mylene promises to help Alicia recover from her depression, which resulted in the two becoming friends.

Mylene discovers that Alicia had escaped her miserable past in the Philippines, after she was framed for the murder of her own father four years ago, a crime she never even committed in the first place, while Alicia still blames herself for the loss of her younger brother, Ethan, despite that 23 years has passed and is now presumed dead.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is informed about a recently discovered 10-kilometer asteroid, that is on a collision course with Earth, which was given the name Clara. Rather than announcing the threat, the United States government decided to conceal the asteroid's existence to the public, due to high anticipation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Andrea realizes that her fiancé, Gregorio, is involved in organized crime throughout the Bay Area, and attempts to warn Mylene. Gregorio threatens Andrea of killing Mylene if she attempts to escape from him. For the safety of her own sister, Andrea is forced to agree Gregorio's condition of staying with him.

In Tokyo, a small asteroid fragment destroys a large portion of the city and forcing the 2020 Olympics to be cancelled. NASA discovers that humanity has only three months left before Clara impacts Earth, the asteroid is large enough to trigger another extinction event. The government still refuses to reveal the impending doom by assuring the destruction of Tokyo was an isolated incident.

Back in San Francisco, Mylene is spending time with Alicia in her apartment in North Beach when she is kidnapped by Ethan, who turns out to be alive. Now obsessed in seeking revenge, Ethan has been following Alicia for several years, and is also responsible for the murder four years ago, that resulted in Alicia being framed and escaping the Philippines.

Chapter II: "Mylene"
Mylene seeks help on Lori, one of Alicia's friends and a well-known investigator, who is tasked by the federal government of California to investigate Gregorio and his connections to increased crime activity throughout the Bay Area, after the Oakland city government had confiscated three containers that arrived at the Port of Oakland in May 2020.

Lori successfully locates Alicia, and immediately organizes a rescue operation in cooperation with local authorities, but later turns into a car chase which ends at the Embarcadero. While attempting to escape by boat, Ethan accidentally shot Alicia, before being disarmed by Lori. Ethan is then arrested for kidnapping and murder, and due to the newly discovered evidence, Alicia is acquitted for murder in the Philippines after four years.

Few days later, Alicia experiences frequent headache and dizziness, and at one point losing consciousness. Lori decides to bring Alicia to a hospital, in which she is diagnosed with internal bleeding in her brain, and has only less than a year left to live. Alicia blames Ethan for permanently ruining her life and decides to visit him in a psychiatric hospital. Afterwards, she considers about returning to Manila to reunite with her mother, Romina, and spend her last few months there.

Meanwhile, Mylene approaches Gregorio's executive assistant Cristina in an attempt to rescue Andrea, but it only results in Gregorio retaliating by killing Olivia, and frame Mylene. The next day, Mylene is arrested for murdering Olivia, while Gregorio escapes San Francisco. Realizing that Mylene is in the same situation that she experienced before, Alicia is forced to stay in San Francisco to help Mylene clear her name, with additional support from Lori.

At the same time, Stephanie convinces Cristina to testify against Gregorio in Mylene's court trial, which will be held in Sacramento. 2 months later, the court trial finally takes place, while another asteroid fragment impacts San Francisco, levelling most of the Bay Area and killing Andrea in the process. Due to the evidence Lori presented, along with Cristina's testimony, Mylene is proven innocent and is acquitted for murder.

In Sacramento, Mylene mourns the death of her sister, while at the same time, she begins to notice Alicia's worsening health condition. After bringing Alicia into a hospital again, Mylene discovers Alicia's internal bleeding in her brain, while her remaining life is reduced from 7 months to only 2 months. This forces Alicia to finally return to the Philippines with Romina's sister Corazon, to spend her remaining time with her mother.

Chapter III: "End of the World"
With Clara becoming visible to the naked eye and the destruction of San Francisco from another fragment, the United Nations finally reveals the asteroid's existence to the public. The United States government announces their plan on deflecting the asteroid by launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) together with Russia, in an attempt to save mankind from extinction.

Mylene decides to stay in Sacramento with her husband and son, while Lori returns home and abandons her investigation. Upon arriving in the Philippines, both Alicia and Corazon find out that Romina had already died only a few hours before their arrival in Manila. Alicia realizes that she was too late, and immediately regrets her decision to stay in San Francisco, while initially blaming Mylene.

Approximately 5 days before Clara's impact, the ICBMs were launched, but failed to deflect the asteroid, and Clara is still on a collision course with Earth. Society quickly breaks down as widespread panic occurs around the globe. NASA announces that Clara is projected to impact somewhere in western Europe on October 10, instantly obliterating everything in a 300-kilometer radius upon impact.

As Alicia's health condition continues to worsen, and the end of mankind now inevitable, Alicia finally accepts her ultimate fate, and decides to visit some of her former relatives for the last time, including her ex-husband Nathan, now married again to someone else, and her supportive best friend Eileen, now promoted to a hotel manager in Baguio City.

Moments before Clara's impact, Mylene and Alicia both spend their final moments on Earth before the global firestorm could reach them. Alicia finally forgives Mylene for blaming her, before eventually wishing for a second chance to start anew, not only for herself, but for the whole world as well, by having the asteroid impact Earth and wipe out human civilization, at the same time being able to reunite with her loved ones in the afterlife.

Clara makes impact in central France, just east of Paris, triggering a global firestorm that quickly reaches New York City in only 30 minutes. It reaches the Himalayas four hours later, then Panama around eight hours after impact. Cities like London and Athens are left burning to ruins, as the global firestorm finally engulfs the Earth, 14 hours after impact. Alicia, Mylene, Lori, and all of mankind are presumably killed by the global firestorm, as the entire surface of the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable.

30 years later, only the remnants of human civilization remain. Cities like Sydney, Mexico City, and Chicago are all in ruins. The film ends on a shot of a ruined San Francisco, with a disclaimer message stating that the events depicted is a work of fiction that could one day become reality. Only by working together can mankind avoid this terrible fate.

Cast

 * All cast members are credited under their real names in the international version.

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
 * Isabelle Abiera as Mylene Concepcion
 * First time arriving in San Francisco only to reunite with Andrea, she accidentally meets Alicia and later helps her recover from her depression. When she discovers that Andrea is in danger, she desperately attempts to rescue her, even it means risking her own life.


 * Yasmien Kurdi as Alicia Salvacion
 * After losing her family in a streetcar accident, she experiences hopelessness once again and attempts to commit suicide, but is given another chance to live thanks to Mylene's intervention. She later discovers that her miserable life was done intentionally by her own sibling, while being diagnosed with internal bleeding in her brain. With no more hope on having the life she wanted, she eventually wishes for a second chance to start anew.


 * Martin del Rosario as Ethan Salvacion
 * Alicia's younger brother that develops intense hatred on Alicia, and is seeking to take revenge by intentionally sabotaging Alicia's life, or by killing her.


 * Rose Byrne as Lorraine "Lori" Jones
 * One of the best investigators of the FBI, she is tasked by the federal government of California to investigate Gregorio Soriano, while at the same time helping both Alicia and Mylene in their own problems in San Francisco.


 * Jay Manalo as Gregorio Soriano
 * Andrea's fiancé and the CEO of Soriano Industries. Andrea later discovers that he is also involved in organized crime throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.


 * Mariam Al-Alawi as Andrea Concepcion
 * Mylene's younger sister.


 * Jade Lopez as Stephanie "Steffi" Perez
 * Mylene's supportive best friend and a local news reporter.


 * Ysabel Ortega as Olivia Imperial
 * A protective friend of Mylene and Andrea.


 * Empress Schuck as Cristina Alvarez
 * Gregorio's executive assistant.


 * Gineb Macalinao as Corazon Salvacion
 * Romina's sister and Alicia's only relative in California.


 * Jason Abalos as Alex
 * Mylene's husband.


 * Rosario Rodriguez as Romina Salvacion
 * Alicia's mother.


 * Dion Ignacio as Adrian
 * Alicia's second husband that was killed in the streetcar accident.

Additionally, Therlyn Alcuitas portrays Eileen Salcedo, Alicia's supportive best friend in the Philippines. Mikael Daez portrays Nathan Castillo, Alicia's ex-husband. Caprice Cayetano and Seth dela Cruz both portray Corazon's twin children.

Gabriella Wilde, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Raymond Bagatsing, Kit Thompson, and Kris Bernal were also cast but did not appear in the final cut of the film, with Bernal intended to portray Nathan's second wife, while Rittenhouse's character is an astronomer, who would discover the asteroid from an observatory.

Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
 * Directed by Gina Alajar
 * Produced by Darling Pulido-Torres, Shusuke Kaneko
 * Screenplay by Ryuhei Kitamura, Masato Kato
 * Story by Des Garbes-Severino, Maria Zita S. Garganera, Suzette Doctolero
 * Adapted from the screenplay of The Last War written by Toshio Yasumi
 * Loosely based on the 2014 series Rhodora X by GMA Network
 * Inspired by the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event
 * Music by Shiro Sagisu
 * Cinematography by Kosuke Yamada, Taro Kawazu
 * Edited by Hiroshi Okuda
 * Special effects by Eiichi Asada, Makoto Kamiya

Locations

 * United States
 * San Francisco
 * Sacramento
 * New York City
 * Chicago
 * Philippines
 * Manila
 * Japan
 * Tokyo
 * France
 * Paris
 * Nepal
 * Himalayas
 * Panama
 * Panama Canal
 * United Kingdom
 * London
 * Greece
 * Athens
 * Australia
 * Sydney
 * Mexico
 * Mexico City

Weapons, vehicles, and races

 * 2020 NA (Clara)

Alternate titles

 * The Final Hours (最終時間 Saishū jikan, literal Japanese title, original international title)
 * Catastrophe 2020 (early international title)
 * Asteroid Clara (United States)
 * Justice for Alicia (Hustisya para kay Alicia, literal Philippine title)
 *  # JusticeForLove: End of the World (Official international title)
 * Justice for Alicia: End of the World (Alternate international title)
 * The End (Ang Pagunaw, working title)

Themes
The film uses overlapping themes to depict its story and as a way for the audience to interpret the film in their own liking.


 * Human arrogance – The contemporary human civilization is constantly depicted as arrogant and destructive, as shown from Alicia's perspective, in which everyone, even her own family and relatives, despised her for various reasons related to self-importance. The extinction of the human race, and the destruction of its civilization, parallels Alicia's miserable life, albeit on a global scale; accomplishments were easily destroyed in an instant, just like what Alicia experienced, such as the Empire State Building being destroyed during the firestorm sequence.
 * Human extinction – In this view, the human race is seen as a failed species, the rise of civilization and technological advancement only resulted in increasingly impacting Earth's environment in a negative way, such as rapid population growth, overconsumption, overexploitation, pollution, and deforestation. A decline in biodiversity and changes in Earth's climate is observed while human civilization continues to expand rapidly. The impending impact event is interpreted as a natural way to get rid of the human race, while allowing Earth's biodiversity to gradually recover afterwards, just like what happened with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.
 * Depression – The impact event could be an obvious metaphor for depression, just like with the 2011 film Melancholia. Throughout the story, each of the events depicted appears to parallel with Alicia's worsening health condition. The asteroid threat is first discovered at the same time Alicia meets Mylene, which prevented her from commiting suicide; the destruction of Tokyo takes place right after Ethan kidnaps Alicia; Mylene is framed when Alicia is about to leave San Francisco; the asteroid deflection plan fails after Alicia blames Mylene for her mother's death; and the impact event being shown after Alicia wishes for a second chance.
 * Apocalypse eschatology – The impending impact event is also used as a metaphor for Christian beliefs regarding the Last Judgment, in which God will punish the wicked and reward the faithful, and predicts that negative world events will reach a climax. In this case, Alicia's miserable life reached its climax when she is diagnosed with internal bleeding in her brain, and is later rewarded with a chance to start anew with the people who actually loved her, while the rest of the human race is punished for despising Alicia, by letting the asteroid impact Earth and wipe out their civilization. The original ending further depicts this theme, showing Alicia reuniting with her loved ones in the afterlife, but is removed in the international version.
 * Asteroid impact avoidance – The final scene shows a disclaimer stating that the events depicted is a work of fiction that could happen in reality, warning the audience to work together as a species to avoid extinction like what happened to the non-avian dinosaurs during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.

Early concept
After the 2006 remake of Sinking of Japan recieved criticism for its ridiculous and unrealistic plot, Japanese studio Toho, known for the Godzilla franchise, approached Shusuke Kaneko on producing another science fiction film while the Godzilla franchise was placed on a ten-year hiatus. Kaneko is known for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, which attracted unprecedented critical acclaim for a kaiju film, and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, the 25th installment of the Godzilla franchise. At the time, there was no consensus on what will be the film's main premise, due to the renewed popularity of disaster and sci-fi films, including the upcoming releases of The Day the Earth Stood Still and 2012 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. On February 15, 2013, the Chelyabinsk meteor event took place over Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia. Due to the incident, interest in asteroid impact events have drawn renewed attention, while the film's concept was then finalized on visualizing the possible effects of a large asteroid impact, a rarity in the disaster film genre, as most films that had previously been released usually end with Earth being saved from the catastrophe. It was decided from the outset that it would be clear from the beginning that the asteroid threat must be depicted as if it were a real event, and to show the entire world would actually end in the film, due to sci-fi films lacking respect from film critics. In order to achieve this, the filmmakers took inspiration and influences from real impact events that took place in Earth's history.

The Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event served as the main inspiration for the film, which is known for wiping out the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago, following the impact of a 10 to 15 kilometer asteroid in the Gulf of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Other impact events that served inspiration included the 1908 Tunguska event, and the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event. Beyond impact events, pseudoscientific concepts were also used as influences for the film, from the Nemesis & Shiva hypothesis, to the Nibiru cataclysm.

Pre-production
Pre-production only began in 2019, as the project went into development hell for several years due to Toho focusing on reviving the Godzilla series, following the release of the 2014 American reboot film by Legendary Pictures. The film became a co-production with Philippine studio GMA Pictures following the success of 2018's The Return of Godzilla, the first Godzilla film that was co-produced by Toho with a Philippine film studio. GMA Pictures has a different concept in mind, however, as they opted to produce a film focusing on relationships instead of a sci-fi disaster film. Both studios later agreed to merge the two concepts into one.

GMA Pictures hired Gina Alajar as the film's director, with the story written by Des Garbes-Severino, Maria Zita S. Garganera, and Suzette Doctolero, while Toho hired Ryuhei Kitamura and Masato Kato to write the film's screenplay. The film's screenplay was adapted from The Last War, replacing the nuclear warfare theme with contemporary concerns regarding astronomical impacts on Earth. Doctolero added elements from the Philippine drama genre, such as adding a depressed woman and her sibling obsessed in seeking revenge into the film. Doctolero was influenced by previous work including Hiram na Anak, Bihag, and especially Rhodora X. Alajar wanted to produce a movie that is character-driven instead of the usual plot-based stories, and as a result, the entire film is shown from only one perspective, while minimizing or completely removing the other perspectives of the film. "I want to make a movie about relationships, probably a family drama or a love story. I love character-driven rather than plot-based stories. Given a choice, I prefer experimental to formulaic movies."

- Gina Alajar, director of #JusticeForLove: End of the World

Casting
Yasmien Kurdi was cast as Alicia Salvacion, a depressed woman that suffered through a series of unfortunate events. The character was written specifically for Kurdi, as Alajar already knew Kurdi's potential as an prominent drama actress, as shown from her previous work in Sa Piling ni Nanay and Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka. Alajar would later praise Kurdi following the film's success, and after both of them were cast in Start-Up PH two years later. Max Collins was cast only due to her birthplace being San Francisco, the film's main setting. Rebecca Rittenhouse was cast as an astronomer, who would discover the asteroid. While all of her scenes were filmed, she does not appear in the finished film, due to the removal of additional perspectives in favor of entirely focusing on Alicia's perspective. As a consequence, the film's intended title, Asteroid Clara, was changed to Justice for Alicia.

The rest of the cast were added later, including Martin del Rosario as Alicia's younger brother, Rose Byrne as an investigator, Ivana Alawi as Mylene's younger sister, Jade Lopez as a reporter, Ysabel Ortega as one of Mylene's friends, Jean Garcia as Alicia's mother, Lovely Rivero as Romina's sister, and Gabriella Wilde as Lori's friend in San Francisco. Additional cast include Empress Schuck, Jay Manalo, Reese Tuazon, Mikael Daez, and Kris Bernal. Some of the cast prepared for their roles in the film, including watching disaster films as reference. For her role in the film, Rittenhouse consulted various astronomers, and also instructed to watch documentaries regarding astronomy and the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction, as Rittenhouse had no previous experience on sci-fi disaster films.

Filming
Principal photography began on August 2019, and ended in May 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced filming to be suspended temporarily. Most of the film was shot in San Francisco, while some scenes were also filmed in Manila and Sacramento. Filming locations in San Francisco included the Embarcadero, Telegraph Hill, North Beach, and Pacific Heights. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District only allowed filming for one scene on the Golden Gate Bridge, after discovering from the script that the film also contained a destruction scene of the bridge.

For the streetcar accident scene, the filmmakers had to apply several permits from San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) to use their F Market streetcar line in the film. A small portion of Market Street had to be closed for several days. The filmmakers initially requested for a PCC streetcar, but Muni refused and decided to use one of their own rolling stock, Car No. 130, which was taken out of service after 2010. Operations on the F Market line was not affected during filming, as service was temporarily suspended from March 2020 to May 2021 due to the pandemic.

Post-production
A destruction scene of Tokyo was later added during post-production, replacing the original scene which takes place in South Africa. The Tokyo Tower prop used in the film was based from the one built for Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. 16 years ago. The scene was completely shot in the Toho lot. A majority of the miniatures were built at 1:33 scale while the Tokyo Tower prop is scaled up to 1:20 scale. Unlike the other destruction scenes in the film, which were portrayed by CGI, the destruction of Tokyo was portrayed in the traditional manner, using miniatures that were blown up by real explosives. This was done as a tribute to Toho's previous films that used a similar method.

For the main impact scene in the climax, there is still some debate within the scientific community regarding the firestorm effects during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction. The filmmakers discussed ways to combine scientific facts with fictional elements, the latter being for entertainment purposes, for the firestorm sequence. The final result is a compromise; after the asteroid's impact with Earth, it triggered a rapidly expanding wave of intense heat and thick hot smoke that moves faster than the speed of sound, vaporizing anything it touches in its path. It is described by visual effects supervisor Atsuki Sato as a "literal wall of fire".

A miniature scale model of the Empire State Building was also used during the destruction of New York City, but it is not specified in which scale the model was built, but it is presumed to be built in 1:20 scale just like with the Tokyo Tower prop. Additional footage of Sacramento being engulfed by the firestorm and a destruction scene of Los Angeles by another asteroid fragment was filmed and included in the film's international trailer, but does not appear anywhere in the film itself.

The effects of impact winter is accurately portrayed in the film's climax, but the duration was exaggerated, however, as the scene takes place 30 years after the asteroid's impact, while in reality, the resulting impact winter from the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction possibly lasted for only a decade.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was first released by GMA Music on January 29, 2021, with music by Shiro Sagisu.

The soundtrack was re-released by Toho Music on September 20, 2021 under the title Justice for Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (最終時間 オリジナル・サウンドトラック Saishū jikan Orijinaru Saundotorakku, The Final Hours: Original Soundtrack).

Controversy
After the release of the film's teaser, it was suddenly removed from the Metro Manila Film Festival's official entries, citing multiple issues, such as being co-produced by a foreign studio, the film's main setting (which takes place outside the Philippines), and the appearance of Australian actress Rose Byrne in the film.

However, due to high anticipation from viewers, and the closure of cinemas caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the film remained an official entry, but is disqualified from receiving any awards.

As a result, it is the only film that never received any nominations in the festival's Gabi ng Parangal which was held virtually on December 27, 2020.

Release
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was never given any theatrical release in the Philippines. Instead, the film was made available online through transactional video-on-demand platform, Upstream.

The 46th Metro Manila Film Festival is the first to have its film entries available to an audience outside the Philippines, and as a result, the film's initial release already used the international version. The theatrical version was never shown and remains unavailable.

Nonetheless, the film was still released in select theaters in United States and Japan. For the United States release, the film's title was changed to Asteroid Clara.

Re-release
#JusticeForLove: End of the World was re-released on December 25, 2021 and in December 25, 2030 as part of the film's first and tenth anniversaries, also due to renewed popularity, including the international release of Don't Look Up, the extremely close approach of 99942 Apophis, initially thought to impact Earth on April 13, 2029, and the release of the American remake in 2026.

Revised version


Following dissatisfaction from actresses Rebecca Rittenhouse and Gabriella Wilde regarding their characters that were cut in the film, and with the upcoming release of the American remake on December 25, 2026, Toho decided to release a revised version to be released jointly alongside the American remake. The revised version was given a limited theatrical release on November 3, 2026, coinciding Godzilla's 72nd anniversary, and was followed by an international release on home media as a double-feature with the American remake.

The film earned more than $3 million during its initial theatrical run. It received mixed reviews from critics, noting that the revised version is "inferior" compared to the original, but is still considered better than the American remake.

Home media
Due to the majority of theaters still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was later released direct-to-video internationally, on DVD and Blu-ray. It was distributed by Toho.

The film was also released worldwide via Netflix on May 19, 2021, based on the international version.

Changes to the international version
While the difference between the theatrical and international versions are minimal, some changes were still made. Here is the list of the changes:


 * The scene that takes place in 1984 which discusses the claimed periodicity of mass extinctions was added.
 * Mylene's arrival at the San Francisco International Airport was shortened.
 * A news report that mentions the preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was partially shortened (in the theatrical version, the news report had more dialogue).
 * The "MetLife" logo on top of the MetLife Building was removed.
 * Some LED advertisements on Times Square was removed and is replaced by static screens.
 * The biggest change was the film's final scene, which shows Alicia reuniting with her family in the afterlife, is replaced by shots of a ruined San Francisco with a disclaimer message.
 * All cast members are credited under their real names in the international version, instead of using their popular screen names like in the theatrical version.

Box office
In its initial theatrical run in the Philippines, #JusticeForLove: End of the World grossed ₱677 million, making it the highest grossing Philippine film of 2020, and the third-highest grossing Philippine film ever, only behind The Hows of Us and Hello, Love, Goodbye, both of which are the only films that earned more than ₱800 million in the Philippine box office.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the film's box office performance was poor, earning $5 million during its theatrical run, while its rival film Greenland grossed $52 million. In Japan, #JusticeForLove: End of the World grossed ¥7.35 billion, making it the second-highest grossing Japanese film of 2020.

Reception
Prior to the release of the film, skeptics predicted the film would flop, as previous films focusing on a global apocalypse were box-office bombs, such as Knowing and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. However, after its release, the film was a phenomenal success, receiving critical acclaim in the Philippines, while Western critics gave it a more favorable response. The visual effects, story, Kurdi's performance, the film's theme, plot, and the star-studded cast were praised, but the film was criticized for its underwritten human characters and extremely long running time.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 70% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Comparison with Greenland
While the film was released only seven days after a similarly themed film, Greenland, which fared better at the box office, #JusticeForLove: End of the World is noted to be more scientifically accurate, but its box office performance was poor in the United States. Both films were similarly received by Western critics, with Greenland scoring 78% and #JusticeForLove: End of the World scoring 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Greenland entirely focuses on the human cast and their attempts to survive during the catastrophe, while #JusticeForLove: End of the World focuses more on the impact event, using the asteroid threat as metaphors for the film's story, and its effects on Earth and in human civilization, such as a firestorm engulfing Earth and the long-term effects of impact winter, also including destruction scenes of major cities around the world, which Greenland particularly lacks.

Prequel series


Following the criticism regarding the underwritten characters, along with the film's extremely long running time, GMA Network produced a prequel series to this film, titled Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession, which was aired from September 13 to December 10, 2021. The series features Alicia's life story in the Philippines from 1997 to 2018, before arriving in San Francisco to start a new life, away from her horrible past. The series also explains as to why Ethan became so obsessed in seeking revenge on Alicia.

Start-Up PH


While not directly responsible, the film's unexpected success and positive reception helped influence the Philippine adaptation of the 2020 Korean series Start-Up by GMA Network almost 2 years later. Among the elements that were influenced by #JusticeForLove: End of the World include the casting of Yasmien Kurdi, Gina Alajar, and Lovely Rivero into the series, references to some of the characters' names, especially Stephanie Perez, and its air date of September 26, 2022, coinciding with the prequel series' first anniversary. Partly due to the phenomenal success of this film, the series quickly became the most anticipated Philippine television series of 2022.

American remake


In 2022, GMA Pictures' three-year license to the Justice for Love duology expired, and allowing their rights to revert back to Toho. Meanwhile, Legendary Pictures and TSG Entertainment acquired the rights from Toho to produce an American remake of the film. Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier were hired to write a script following a similar premise to the original, with Lussier attached to direct. Lussier later dropped the project on November 2023, but retained story credit in the final film. Roland Emmerich opted to write a revised script for the film, alongside frequent collaborator Harald Kloser and Laeta Kalogridis. The remake, Justice for the End of the World, was released in December 25, 2026, coinciding with the original film's 6th anniversary.

Influence on Don't Look Up
Though #JusticeForLove: End of the World had not yet been released when Adam McKay came up with the idea for Don't Look Up, he was certainly aware of its production in Japan, with David Sirota comparing McKay's concept to the film's basic premise while discussing the existential threat of climate change. Rebecca Rittenhouse's character, an astronomer who discovered the asteroid, which was cut in the film, influenced McKay to cast Jennifer Lawrence for a similar character in Don't Look Up. Both films also feature a scene in which humanity failed to stop the impending impact event. Like #JusticeForLove: End of the World, Don't Look Up ends with the human race being rendered extinct by the impact event, destroying modern civilization in the process. But while #JusticeForLove: End of the World focused more on serious drama and overlapping themes to depict its story, Don't Look Up uses the impact event as an direct allegory for climate change, and the film itself is a satire of government, political, celebrity, and media indifference to the climate crisis. Footage from the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event, that influenced the film's final concept, was used in Don't Look Up during the impact scene.

Video releases
Toho DVD/Blu-ray (2021)
 * Region: 1 & 2
 * Discs: 2
 * Audio: Tagalog (3.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital for DVD, 3.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio for Blu-ray)
 * Subtitles: English, Japanese
 * Special features: Trailers, promos, and footage from previsualization and storyboards (24 minutes); alternate and deleted scenes (10 minutes), VFX breakdown (30 minutes); general behind-the-scenes featurette (15 minutes)
 * Notes: Title card varies by country.

Toho Blu-ray (2023) [The Toho Sci-fi Collection]
 * Region: A
 * Discs: 2
 * Audio: Japanese, Tagalog (DTS-HD Master Audio Mono and 4.0)
 * Subtitles: Japanese
 * Special features: Alternate and deleted scenes (10 minutes), VFX breakdown (30 minutes), Japanese and international trailers (5 minutes)
 * Notes: Packaged with The Mysterians, Battle in Outer Space, and Bye-Bye Jupiter. Due to the large number of special features in this set, only the supplements relevant to #JusticeForLove: End of the World are described above. Tagalog audio only available to #JusticeForLove: End of the World.

Toho Blu-ray (2025) [Justice for Love: The Duology Collection, 2020 - 2021)
 * Region: 1 & 2
 * Discs: 8
 * Audio: Tagalog
 * Subtitles: English, Japanese
 * Special features: All bonus features from both the film and series' DVD
 * Notes: Film's title card varies by country.

Trivia

 * The film's Japanese title, The Final Hours, is also the supposed international title, but it was changed to avoid confusion with the 2013 Australian film These Final Hours, which focuses on a similar story.
 * GMA Pictures originally suggested Justice for Alicia as the film's new international title, but Toho also rejected it, before being changed to #JusticeForLove: End of the World to reflect the film's main premise without mentioning the film's characters in the title.
 * Another alternative title, this time suggested by Toho, Catastrophe 2020, was rejected due to being inappropriate during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also similar to the original English title of Prophecies of Nostradamus, Catastrophe 1999.
 * Justice for Alicia remains as the film's official title in the Philippines, however, the film still uses the international title card.
 * Clara impacted Earth on October 10, 2020, as the day of impact is mentioned in multiple news reports in various scenes of the film.
 * The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled from July 24 to August 9, 2020, while a news report mentions the preparation for the games at the beginning of the film, suggesting the streetcar accident occured in early July.
 * Most of the film takes place in San Francisco, while some scenes take place in Sacramento and in Manila, most notably following the destruction of San Francisco during the film's second chapter.
 * Unlike previous Toho films, this film was never dubbed into Japanese or English and remains in its original Tagalog dub even in Japan or in the United States.
 * The asteroid that impacts Earth in the film is named Clara, a reference to Isabelle Abiera's character in the 2014 series Innamorata.
 * It also references the typical appearance of a bolide, especially for large impactors, as the name Clara means "bright".
 * One example of a recent superbolide event is the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013, which also served as inspiration for the film.
 * A scene depicting Mylene's ultimate fate, along with a destruction scene of Sacramento, was filmed but went unused for unknown reasons.
 * There are several scenes in this film that mirror or references certain films or series, along with real-life events.
 * The film's storyline features some parallels with the other series produced by GMA Network, particularly Hiram na Anak, Bihag, and Rhodora X.
 * The opening scene added in the international version references the Nemesis hypothesis, which was first published in 1984.
 * Alicia losing her husband and newborn baby in the streetcar accident is reminiscent of a similar scene in the 2019 series Hiram na Anak.
 * Alicia attempting to commit suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge is framed very similarly to a scene in the 2018 series Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka.
 * Additionally, it also references a scene in the 2019 series Hiram na Anak.
 * Mylene befriending Alicia as an asteroid threatens Earth is reminiscent of the 2012 film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
 * Tokyo being struck by a meteor fragment references a scene in the 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars.
 * After Olivia's death, Mylene is framed for murdering her, forcing Alicia and Lori to clear her name. A similar scenario plays out in the 2019 series Bihag.
 * Alicia being diagnosed with internal bleeding in her brain shares similarities with Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka. Additionally, it also references Melancholia.
 * One of the news reports following the announcement of Clara's existence mentions the Nibiru cataclysm, with some conspiracy theorists suggesting that Clara is actually Nibiru.
 * The scene which shows the destruction of New York City is framed very similarly to the final scene of the 2009 film Knowing.
 * Initially, more cities and countries were meant to be shown during the film's climax, but they were scrapped from the original script due to budget concerns.
 * This film marks the third time Paris is destroyed by an asteroid in film, after Armageddon and Greenland.
 * During the destruction of New York, one of the scenes depict the Lower Manhattan skyline without the One World Trade Center, despite being set in 2020 while the building was completed in 2014.
 * This was done intentionally by removing the whole World Trade Center complex from the scene using computer-generated imagery.
 * On the other hand, Moonfall depicts the [[Media:Moonfall-Lower Manhattan scene.png|One World Trade Center during its own New York City destruction scene]], but is not destroyed.
 * In the destruction scene of Times Square, a fictional advertisement featuring Julie Anne San Jose was originally present in the theatrical version, but it was later removed in the international version. By 2021, this fictional advertisement was finally shown on the real Times Square.
 * All destruction scenes in the film were portrayed by CGI, while the destruction scene of Tokyo is portrayed by miniatures.
 * The Empire State Building that appears in the film is also portrayed by a miniature model.
 * It is the highest-grossing entry in all films released in the Metro Manila Film Festival since its creation in 1975, beating the record set by the 2018 film Fantastica which earned ₱596 million.
 * This marks the second instance that both Isabelle Abiera and Jade Lopez appeared together, after in the 2019 series Bihag.
 * Coincidentally, Lopez is portrayed as the supportive best friend of Abiera's character, which is also her role in the series.
 * In earlier scripts, the film is mentioned to be "loosely based on the 2014 series Rhodora X by GMA Network" and was originally acknowledged as such, although the finished film did not acknowledge the series since it was judged as being different enough to not require it.
 * This film marks the second instance Ysabel Ortega portrayed a character that lives in San Francisco, after On the Wings of Love in 2015.
 * Gabriella Wilde's character, who was cut from the film entirely, was meant to be Lori's best friend in San Francisco.
 * In an interview with her, it is also revealed that an earlier cut of the film was nearly four hours long, forcing the removal of some subplots and characters to simplify the story and decrease its running time to only 2 hours and 30 minutes.
 * Among the removed subplots included Lori's investigation efforts, and Andrea having an affair. Lori was originally intended as the film's third protagonist, but appears only as a supporting character in the finished film.
 * The film marked the return of Yasmien Kurdi in a film appearance since Loving You in 2008. Prior to its release, #JusticeForLove: End of the World was advertised as "the return of award-winning actress Yasmien Kurdi to the big screen", such as in the film's official description.
 * This film marks the fifth time Kurdi appeared in a Metro Manila Film Festival entry, after Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita and So Happy Together (both in 2004), Shake, Rattle and Roll 2k5 (2005), and Bahay Kubo: A Pinoy Mano Po! (2007).
 * She would later appear as Rebecca de Guzman in the Reiwa series, starting in the 2022 film Godzilla: The Kaiju Invasion.
 * The Philippine adaptation of the 2020 Korean series Start-Up is also advertised in a similar fashion, using the same first sentence as the film's official description, both of which advertise Yasmien Kurdi as an "award-winning actress".
 * Empress Schuck previously appeared in Shake, Rattle and Roll Fourteen: The Invasion, another Philippine film that uses the same apocalypse theme as #JusticeForLove: End of the World, but instead of an impending impact event, the film uses the 2012 phenomenon.
 * This is not the first time Yasmien Kurdi portrayed a character named Alicia. She also portrays a character of the same name in the 2019 series Beautiful Justice, which, coincidentally, have the exact same theme as this film.
 * In the 2019 series Hiram na Anak, her character gave birth to a newborn baby also named Alicia.
 * Two scenes during the introductory sequence were portrayed by CGI, this includes the evolution of Times Square, and the construction of the Transamerica Pyramid.
 * Also during the introductory sequence, footage of the Castle Bravo nuclear test is shown, which served as one of the main inspiration for the Godzilla franchise.
 * This film marks the only instance Abiera is credited under her real name Isabelle Abiera after she started using her screen name Max Collins in 2012.
 * This film marks the second instance the Golden Gate Bridge appears being destroyed in a Toho film, after Battle in Outer Space in 1959.
 * At the end of the film, the audience is reminded that the events depicted in the film is a work of fiction that could happen in real-life, which references some of Toho's previous disaster films, most notably The Last War and Prophecies of Nostradamus, both having similar messages at the film's ending.
 * The film's international tagline, "WITNESS AND EXPERIENCE THE EVENT THAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS 66 MILLION YEARS AGO", is similar to "LEARN WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF ANOTHER GLOBAL WAR BREAKS OUT", the international tagline of The Last War.


 * Two easter eggs of #JusticeForLove: End of the World could be seen in the 2021 film Don't Look Up:
 * First is a magazine book cover titled The End is Near: Will there be a Superbowl? at 56:05, that uses the film's international poster, albeit changing the asteroid to a American football.
 * Second is the promotion for a fictional film titled Total Devestation starring Devin Peters at 1:40:51, which also focuses on an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.
 * The film is considered to be a significant turning point in Yasmien Kurdi's career as an actress, while the film's unexpected success is regarded to be responsible for not only renewing interest in the disaster film genre, which led to similar works being released in the following years, it also helped raise awareness on the real-world discussion of asteroid impact avoidance, culminating with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in the following year.
 * Following this film, Kurdi was cast in two bigger projects, Godzilla: The Kaiju Invasion as Rebecca de Guzman (later becoming a recurring character in the mainstream Reiwa series), and in the Philippine adaptation of the 2020 Korean series Start-Up  . Other notable appearances include Las Hermanas as Dorothy Manansala, and in Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession again as Alicia Salvacion.

Videos

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Links

 * Official YouTube channel
 * #JusticeForLove: End of the World - International trailer