'Hai Phuong' becomes highest-grossing Vietnamese movie of all time

On March 24, Box Office Mojo revealed that Hai Phuong, or Furie as it is known in English, had earned US$578,000 (VND13.4 billion) in the US, Tuoi Tre reports. Prior to that, the movie also did well here in Vietnam. According to Thanh Nien, despite not being available for moviegoers below 18, the film earned VND50 billion after three days in theaters across Vietnam and VND160 billion after three weeks.

In a recent announcement, the movie's production team shared that, after a month in theaters in Vietnam, Canada and the US, Hai Phuong has raked in VND200 billion, becoming both the highest-grossing Vietnamese movie of all time and the highest-grossing movie screened in Vietnam. Previous record-holders for both categories are Tet flick Cua Lai Vo Bau (VND176.5 billion) and Marvel's blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War (VND186 billion), respectively.

Furie follows the journey of a mother, a former gang leader played by Ngo Thanh Van, who fights to get her kidnapped daughter back from human traffickers. The action movie, which was premiered in Vietnam on February 22, integrates Hollywood-style fights and Vovinam, the traditional Vietnamese martial arts. A China release is also planned, but there's no specific dates at the moment.

While Vietnamese-produced movies are likely unfamiliar to many American cinema-goers, the movie's success could be attributed to the support of the Vietnamese diaspora and the brand name of Ngo Thanh Van, who had a role in the 2017 box office hit Star Wars: The Last Jedi.