Fresh new faces to grace summer’s rom-com movie this April.

Nadine Lustre may not have a long-standing career in showbiz to boast yet. But that’s not a huge problem since she grabbed the lead role in the upcoming summer rom-com movie ‘Diary ng Panget.’

The 20-year-old singer-dancer began her acting career in 2011 with supporting roles in the TV5 teleserye ‘PS I Love You’ starring Gabby Concepcion and Dina Bonnevie and the Vice Ganda movie ‘Petrang Kabayo.’ She has since appeared consistently in other shows as main cast or performer.

Diary ng Panget will be different, however, because she will be playing one of social writing app Wattpad’s most beloved Pinay character: the ugly duckling Reah ‘Eya’ Rodriguez.

Book and movie versions of Eya Rodriguez

Diary ng Panget has a huge following in Wattpad and has readers from around the world. The movie version is expected to create the same sensation, especially with Nadine and a cast of fresh but good-looking faces at the helm:

The story was written by 20-year-old Laguna native Denny who is currently studying in Italy; her mother is working in a medical centre for the elderly in Imola, Bologna province. Denny confessed that Diary ng Panget is a simple ugly-girl-meets-rich-handsome-boy story. But it is her humour that has made it a hit.

Denny is known by the name ‘HaveYouSeenThisGirl’ in Wattpad. The Diary ng Panget tetralogy is available in bookstores.

Aside from Nadine, the main cast includes Pinoy Big Brother 2010 champ and Fil-Aussie hunk James Reid, collegiate cager Andre Paras and ‘Princess of the Dance Floor’ Fil-Brit Yassi Pressman.

Fans who have seen the trailer of the movie can’t help but notice the resemblance between Nadine and teen star Kathryn Bernardo. Nadine confessed that she is flattered by the comparison because ‘Si Kathryn iyon, sikat siya, maganda siya.’ But she said she hopes she will make a name for herself and that fans of Kath won’t criticise her for the semblance.

With Diary ng Panget about to hit local screens this 2 April, Nadine and her co-stars James, Andre and Yassi won’t have to worry as they will soon get a share of the lime light. After all, there’s no better way to jumpstart a fresh career in showbiz than with a movie that teens won’t easily forget.