Kong: Skull Island, A Blockbuster Brings Vietnam to the Heart of Hollywood
In February 2016, a film crew consisting of 120 members for the blockbuster Kong: Skull Island officially set foot in Hanoi. This event marked a significant milestone, opening the door for Hollywood to come to Vietnam. With three filming locations in Quang Binh, Ninh Binh, and Vinh Ha Long, Kong: Skull Island will showcase Vietnam’s stunning landscapes to audiences worldwide.
Mr. Ted Osius, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, commented on this event: “Kong opens a new chapter for Hollywood in Vietnam. After Kong, many other Hollywood blockbusters will come to Vietnam. This will enhance cooperation between the Vietnamese film industry and the world’s leading film industry – Hollywood.“
Since the normalization of Vietnam-U.S. relations in 1995, Kong: Skull Island is the largest Hollywood blockbuster filmed in Vietnam to date.
However, before King Kong 2, Vietnam has already appeared in Hollywood blockbusters since 1995
The appearance of the Kong: Skull Island film crew in early 2016 has indeed created a buzz in Vietnam. Not only did they encounter iconic landscapes, but the images of Vietnam featured in a prestigious Hollywood blockbuster also made Vietnamese audiences feel incredibly excited and proud.
However, there is a little-known fact: prior to the King Kong 2 project, Vietnam had already appeared in Hollywood blockbusters since 1995. The film we’re referring to is Tomorrow Never Dies, the 18th installment in the James Bond franchise.
Scenes from this legendary film were shot in Vietnam…
Looking back two decades, a reconnaissance team for Bond 18 had flown to Vietnam to survey locations for the film. This event drew significant interest from both the Vietnamese and Hollywood film industries. Even when hearing “007” was preparing to shoot in Vietnam, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who were traveling in Asia at the time, had made a brief stop in Vietnam to meet local producers.
According to plans, the shooting in Vietnam was expected to take place over nearly four months. The main crew would film in Ho Chi Minh City, focusing on action scenes and stunts on the streets. Additionally, the film would also shoot several scenes in the coastal region of Vinh Ha Long. The estimated budget was around $5 million.
However, while everything was set to proceed beautifully, the Bond 18 film crew received some disappointing news. All activities in Vietnam had to be suspended, and filming would not take place as originally planned. All sequences and scenes related to Vietnam would have to be relocated to Thailand.
And this scene will also be filmed in Vinh Ha Long…
The Vietnam involvement in Bond 18 has made a significant impact on both the Asian and Hollywood film industries. A Filipino film producer commented on this event: “Vietnam is the only country in the world that can say it has a connection with James Bond. If only Bond showed some interest in the Philippines, our country would surely be hit hard.”
The fact that James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies was aborted in Vietnam has created a rather negative legacy in the eyes of Hollywood filmmakers. For many years after that, Vietnam has consistently been on the blacklist of locations that filmmakers avoid. Even today, as Kong: Skull Island has successfully wrapped up in Vietnam, this closed door has only recently been reopened after more than 20 years of silence.
