Swedish books inspire actor to produce US$4-million movie

The US$4-million movie entitled I'm Wanted, a joint production by TNA Entertainments, the Sweden Film Institute and Canada Telefilm, will be the most expensive film to be made in Vietnam.

The cost of the movie will be about US$20 million if it is produced in other countries, said Truong Ngoc Anh, from TNA Entertainments at the project's launch ceremony held in Hanoi on November 25.

Most of the scenes of the movie will be shot in Vietnam, with the rest being filmed in Sweden.

The project was initiated by producer and actor Kim Ly after he read the two Swedish novels. He was deeply impressed by the real-life story of Daniel Luthman who was adopted as a child from Vietnam. Due to certain circumstances, Luthman became a gangster in Stockholm's underworld.

Celebrated film personalities such as Swedish director Beata Gardeler, Hollywood producer Niv Fichman and Canadian script writer James Schultz are involved in the project.

Director Gardeler is well known for her film In Your Veins. This year, her short film Solitude won the Novella Film Award at the Goteburg Film Festival for the Nordic countries. Her series 30 Degrees in February was nominated for the Emmy Awards also.

During his 35-year-long career, Niv Fichman has produced about 200 movies, including the Academy Award-winning The Red Violin, Clean which was nominated for awards at the Cannes festival, and his latest film Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Writer Schultz spent time with Daniel Luthman to write the script based on facts.

This is the second film of artists Truong Ngoc Anh and Kim Ly after their blockbuster Huong Ga (Rise) which hit screens nation-wide early this month.