Historical film on the Phu Quoc prison escape to be made
VOV.VN - Vietnamese director Bui Thac Chuyen, best known for the 2025 war film Tunnel: Sun in the Dark, is set to return with a new historical drama inspired by daring prison escapes during the Vietnam War, according to the film’s production team.
Following the commercial and critical success of Tunnel: Sun in the Dark, which grossed VND172 billion at the box office, the director continues to explore wartime stories rooted in historical memory and human resilience.
The new film is set against one of the most intense periods of the Vietnam War and draws inspiration from real-life accounts of prison break attempts at Phu Quoc Prison, often referred to as a “hell on earth” during the conflict.
The story centres on a special prisoner who is also an operative in a strategic supply network running from North to South Vietnam. His mission involves delivering a large sum of US dollars to support revolutionary forces.
However, to complete the mission, he must first escape from Phu Quoc Prison, where survival itself becomes a daily struggle under extreme conditions.
According to the production team, the film is not simply a prison-break narrative but a psychological survival journey, where the boundary between life and death is constantly blurred.
“It is not merely a film about escape. It is a story of survival in extreme conditions where every decision carries life-or-death consequences,” the producer said.
The project is currently in the casting phase, with the deadline for applications set for May 8, 2026. The film is expected to begin production following final casting selections.
The announcement adds to growing interest in Vietnamese war cinema, which has seen renewed attention in recent years through large-scale historical productions.
Earlier, Vietnam also produced a theatrical film inspired by prison escape stories at Con Dao Prison, titled “The Sound Across the Ocean,” released in 2025, though it had limited nationwide distribution.
Born in 1968, Bui Thac Chuyen is known for films such as Sống trong sợ hãi" (Living in Fear), (2005), "Chơi vơi" (Adrift) (2009), "Lời nguyền huyết ngải" (Blood Curse), and (Glorious Ashes).
Vietnamese war film "The Tunnel" sets single-day box office record
“Dia Dao: Mat Troi Trong Bong Toi” (Tunnel: Sun in the Dark) grossed nearly VND20 billion (approximately US$770,000) on April 7, marking an unprecedented milestone and setting the stage for director Bui Thac Chuyen to reach VND100 billion in revenue in less than a week.
