By Le Chou
Her two most recent films achieved a combined $40M at the Vietnam box office. No other producer comes close at the local box office. To put into context, a film in Vietnam is deemed a blockbuster if it grosses $4M (100 billion VND). Yet, her name has gone largely unnoticed.
In 2024, Nguyen Huu Tuong Vi cemented herself as one of the top producers in Vietnam with the monumental success of “MAI”, the highest grossing Vietnamese film of all time from director Tran Thanh. To date, the film has amassed $23M+ at the global box office; $21M in Vietnam via CJ HK Entertainment and $2M+ in North America and Europe via 3388 Films.
But back when she was trying to break into the industry, it wasn't producing what she had in mind. In 2007, Tuong Vi participated in a screenwriting course funded by the Ford Foundation and continued this writing path when she joined BHD Media Corp., penning TV series and occasionally producing shows. Eventually, she joined CJ HK Entertainment (formerly CJ ENM Vietnam) as a development executive, with writing still being her guiding passion.
Tuong Vi now admits she didn't fully embrace a growth mindset while in her mid- to late-twenties. Despite encouragement from both a teacher and her husband during those years to explore producing, she was resistant to learn and take on different skillsets.
It would take 10 years in the industry before Tuong Vi was willing to experience a pivotal career shift. In 2018, the development executive whose first passion was writing finally found herself embracing dual roles as both co-writer and first-time feature film producer for director Charlie Nguyen's romantic comedy, “My Mr. Wife”.
Tuong Vi was hooked. She continued producing films such as “Invisible Evidence”, a 2020 remake of the Korean thriller “Blind”.
In 2021, Tran Thanh's “Bo Gia” (Dad, I'm Sorry) took the Vietnam box office by storm with $17M (427 billion VND), toppling Marvel Studios' “Avengers: End Game” to become the highest grossing film of all time in Vietnam up until that time. The film was released in North America by 3388 Films and went on to become the first Vietnam-produced film in history to cross $1M at the U.S. box office.
Tuong Vi's producing instincts kicked into high gear, and she successfully persuaded Tran Thanh to collaborate with CJ HK Entertainment for his next film.
That next film eventually became two, when the pandemic caused production delays for the initial project, creating an opportunity for Tuong Vi to help spearhead the creation of another movie to capitalize on the lucrative holiday period of Lunar New Year (Tet) in Vietnam. Tet 2023 and 2024 each saw the release of a Tran Thanh-directed film, with a combined $40M gross at the Vietnam box office.
Although she has several producing credits under her belt now, the writer in her still peeks through. When asked of her favorite aspect of producing, Tuong Vi shares, “while I find each stage of production rewarding, the story development phase holds a special place in my heart…Witnessing a story evolve from concept to a fully fleshed-out script is incredibly fulfilling.”
With “MAI” leaving an indelible mark in box office history, its producer can stand proud knowing the integral role she played taking the film from script to screen.
The Vietnam film industry is experiencing explosive growth. In the mid 2000s, the country had a few dozen theaters with 100 screens. In less than 20 years, the country now boasts more than 200 theaters, totaling more than 1,000 screens. However, local box office hits are still typically relegated to critical release dates during a couple of cultural or national holidays throughout the year. Now that a single-film box office potential of upwards of $20M has been demonstrated by “MAI”, if the Vietnamese film industry is willing to boldly invest in provoking concepts, emerging talent and quality cinematic productions, it can look forward to being rewarded with more year-round lucrative box office returns.
And what can we look forward to from this producer? Tuong Vi shares, “I'm drawn to stories that are both uplifting and impactful. I believe in the power of film to inspire and leave a lasting impression on audiences.”
