The Box Office Vietnam ranking this week witnesses a battle for dominance between Vietnamese films and Hollywood blockbusters.
After several weeks of decline, the box office shows positive signs with the highest-grossing film nearing 40 billion VND. Although it does not occupy the top spot, Vietnamese films have made significant achievements at the box office.
Blockbuster Aquaman 2 Tops Vietnamese Box Office
Last week, Kẻ Án Hận unexpectedly surpassed many Hollywood blockbusters to claim the top position in total box office revenue with over 30 billion VND. However, this week, the Vietnamese horror film quickly succumbed to the blockbuster Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
The Hollywood project debuted with a budget of up to 215 million USD, drawing attention as it marks the final installment of the expansive DC Universe after a decade. Moreover, the film premiered during the superhero film trend, which has been successful with many high-profile projects when released.
As a result, the success of this project will significantly influence the future trajectory of the superhero film genre. The prequel Aquaman (2018) previously achieved more than 1.1 billion USD in global revenue, establishing itself as a remarkable title at the box office.
Upon its release in Vietnam, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom faced little competition, swiftly rising to the top of the box office rankings. This film surpassed Vietnamese productions such as Kẻ Án Hận, Quỷ Cầu, and foreign films like Wonka, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and The Marvels. As of now, the film has grossed over 39 billion VND at the Vietnamese box office.
This achievement highlights the enduring appeal of the DC superhero film brand among local audiences. Interestingly, the film has received mixed reviews regarding its content, pacing, and acting quality.
Vietnamese Horror Films Thriving This Christmas
This Christmas, three Vietnamese horror films are concurrently showing, each with different performance levels. Among them, Kẻ Án Hận and Người Mất Trời are earlier releases, while Quỷ Cầu recently premiered.
Despite not holding the top position, Kẻ Án Hận continues to perform well at the box office. The project has taken second place on the Box Office Vietnam chart with over 12 billion VND, raising its total revenue to more than 56 billion VND. This is a notable box office success, even though it has yet to surpass Người Vợ Cuối Cùng (97.1 billion VND) but is significantly higher than Chiếm Đoạt (22.8 billion VND) from last month.
Currently, the third position on the box office ranking is Quỷ Cầu. This film unexpectedly debuted with the tagline “No Pain, No Gain” and entered the market late in the year.
Featuring a cast of talented actors from both the North and South, including People’s Artist Kim Xuân, veteran actress Vân Dung, Quang Tuấn, and Quốc Quân, the film, unfortunately, did not attract significant audiences. It has received several critiques regarding its content, pacing, and performances.
Despite this, Quỷ Cầu has earned a respectable revenue of 10.5 billion VND. The production budget indicates that the project does not seem to have been heavily invested in. As a result, the potential for profit is quite low, and it may even struggle to break even.
In contrast, the horror film Người Mất Trời is still showing with a limited number of tickets sold, generating about 1.7 billion VND. This is considered a disappointing result for the year-end box office, failing to create significant buzz despite its horror theme being appealing to Vietnamese audiences.
As of now, the film has grossed 5 billion VND despite facing tough competition. Upon release, the project received numerous critiques about its content, pacing, and performances, although some aspects were noted to be promising.
Foreign Films Struggling
Outside of the top three films, the box office performance of other films remains low, under 2 billion VND. The third position is held by the animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru with 1.8 billion VND.
One surprising entry is the blockbuster Wonka, which has drawn international audiences but fails to attract viewers in Vietnam, maintaining its position in the lower ranks with 1.3 billion VND.
This colorful film is associated with Christmas, featuring a star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant, and Sally Hawkins. However, the film has not garnered significant attention, as it falls under the fantasy genre, which is not particularly favored among Vietnamese audiences.
Additionally, other foreign films did not create a significant impact on local audiences. The South Korean film One Fine Morning featuring two stars Lee Dong Wook and Lim Soo Jung has only earned around 500 million VND.
Other titles such as The Marvels, Wish, and Love at First Sight also struggled with low ticket sales, generating less than 150 million VND each.
In the upcoming days, a new Vietnamese film titled Trên Bàn Nhậu, Dưới Bàn Màu is set to premiere. This project belongs to the comedy genre, featuring vibrant colors and contemporary themes, with a cast of beloved actors such as Thúy Ngân, Diệu Nhi, Khả Như, and Kiều Minh Tuấn.
However, many aspects of the film’s box office performance may be affected by the current situation of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is still dominating the Vietnamese box office.
