EXCLUSIVE: David Chua talks about his lifelong fascination for celebrating Halloween

After going public about the truth behind his AI girlfriend Sophia Moretti earlier this month, director and producer David Chua is going back to his tradition of celebrating Halloween with another eye-catching costume, but this time without the fictional woman many thought he was in a new relationship with. David shares the reason behind this decision in an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN.  

“Sophia has been a special part of my creative journey, but this Halloween, I wanted to challenge myself and explore my own imagination a little more. I wanted to see what I could bring to life on my own and put more of myself into every detail. It’s about giving myself room to grow and showing another side of my creativity,” he explained.

Since becoming more vocal about his use of AI, David also shared how he has dealt with public opinion regarding his admission of creating an AI girlfriend on social media. “Of course, I’m human. But I can respect different opinions without hiding my own. I’m open to criticism, and I believe exploring AI comes with a responsibility to use it honestly and thoughtfully. AI gives me new ways to create, but the heart, the story, and the purpose are still mine.”

Growing up with a creative imagination, the former model shared that he has always been fascinated with the tradition of celebrating Halloween. “As a kid, I loved Halloween because I could become anyone I imagined. As an adult, I love bringing those characters to life in my own way. It’s a chance to be creative, playful, and keep that childhood wonder alive. As I put the look together, I get to add parts of myself to fit my style, my ideas, and the little details that make it feel personal. Halloween gives me the freedom to explore imagination, mystery and transformation. It’s a time when the unfamiliar becomes playful, and we get to step outside everyday life to embrace something magical, spooky or unexpected. At the heart of it is the joy of becoming, creating and sharing that experience with others.”

In past years, David has had a lot of fun bringing to life characters like Captain America, Lestat the vampire, The Joker, and American artist Machine Gun Kelly in past years. But he revealed that one movie character tops the list of his favorite costumes for Halloween. 

 “My favorite so far is Vampire Lestat. There’s something captivating about his confidence, mystery, and loneliness beneath the glamour. Bringing him to life in my own way let me explore both his power and vulnerability. For future costumes, honestly, I haven’t decided yet. But I’d love to do something unexpected, something out of the box.a character that challenges my creativity and lets me surprise myself and people,” he said. 

This year, David enjoyed putting together his look for the costume from the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands, in the role originally played by Johnny Depp.  

“I chose Edward Scissorhands because I’ve always found something beautiful about being different. I think we all experience moments when we feel misunderstood, judged or don’t exactly fit in. Best of all, he turns his imperfections into something beautiful. And that’s what makes Edward so special to me. For me, dressing up as Edward isn’t just about recreating an iconic character. It’s also about embracing parts of ourselves that make us unique, even the ones we sometimes wish we could change. Because sometimes, the things that make us feel like we don’t belong are the very same things that make us special,” he explained.