Lotte-funded movie 'Hai Phuong' makes a big hit in Vietnam

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 05:18

Films

Lotte-funded movie 'Hai Phuong' makes a big hit in Vietnam

Posted : 2019-03-04 12:50

Updated : 2019-03-04 18:24

A Vietnamese movie financed and produced by the local unit of Lotte Cultureworks has become a box office sensation in the Southeast Asian country, the South Korean company said Monday.

"Hai Phuong," which was released on Feb. 22, had drawn 1.73 million moviegoers as of Sunday, the 10th day of its release, topping the break-even point of 1.02 million, according to the cinema arm of the retail giant Lotte Group.

It is now the third most-viewed and the top R-rated action film of all time in Vietnam. The flick, if the current trend continues, is expected to become the second film ever to collect more than 2 million admissions.

Lotte says the success of the action movie in a market overwhelmed by romance and comedy movies is remarkable.

The film is about a single mother who struggles to save her daughter after the girl is kidnapped by an organized crime ring. It won the hearts of the Vietnamese people by combining Hollywood-style action with the traditional Vietnamese martial art of Vovinam.
The movie's North American release is set for this month.

Lotte Cultureworks has been distributing films in the Southeast Asian country, starting with Korean movies such as the "Along With the Gods" series, "Be With You" and "Rampant" in 2017.

"Daddy Issue," the first Vietnamese movie financed and distributed by Lotte, earned $2.6 million (about 3 billion won) on 1 million admissions in December last year. (Yonhap)