The chase scene starring Ly Hai and Victor Vu.

(PLVN) - In recent days, Ly Hai's "Face Off 8" and Victor Vu's "Detective Kien" have been in close competition at the box office, attracting much discussion among audiences.

After several days at the top of the box office, Ly Hai's "Face Off 8" officially dropped to second place, behind Victor Vu's "Detective Kien". As of the afternoon of May 7th, the two films had grossed 171.3 billion VND and 155.3 billion VND respectively, according to Box Office Vietnam (an independent box office statistics unit).

With the aforementioned box office success, the two most anticipated films of this year's April 30th - May 1st holiday season have surpassed the break-even point and are aiming for the next milestone - 200 billion VND. Although this is a high figure, compared to "Face Off 7: One Wish," which created a sensation with a record-breaking revenue of over 482 billion VND, becoming the second highest-grossing Vietnamese film of all time, "Face Off 8" has left many expressing regret.

In response to the conflicting opinions, Ly Hai told Vietnam Law Newspaper: “I haven’t had time to sleep these past few days, only managing to get 2-3 hours of sleep each day. I’ve mainly been listening to feedback from my crew and colleagues.”

After the two premieres and the first few days of screenings, I had the opportunity to interact with the audience. I was moved to see the theaters packed, and many people even had red eyes and couldn't stop crying after watching. These were the real audience reactions that I saw with my own eyes, not something I saw on social media or other websites.”

The film "Face Off 8" is nearing the 200 billion VND revenue milestone. Photo: Producer.

For the 57-year-old director, in this film, he wants to bring healing stories amidst the abundance of negative and conflicting information out there. “If everyone does negative things, who will do positive things? That’s the answer I gave myself when I decided to choose a ‘difficult’ topic like a family film for young people. This is also how I challenge myself as a filmmaker.”

Usually, when I start a project, I spend a long time assessing the market. Seeing that the Vietnamese market has had many horror and thriller films recently, I definitely won't make them to avoid duplication. I have my own thoughts and direction. I avoid doing things that many people do; I don't like getting involved in conflicts and I don't want to mention anyone."

In recent days, Ly Hai and Minh Ha, along with the cast, have been diligently touring many provinces and cities across the country. TikToker Le Tuan Khang also accompanied the film crew during some meet-and-greet events in the Mekong Delta provinces.

Over the past few days, the film crew has spent time interacting with audiences in various provinces and cities across the country. Photo: Producer

As for the directing and producing duo Victor Vũ and Đinh Ngọc Diệp, they actively interacted with audiences at various theaters and shared posts related to the film "Detective Kiên". The success and impact of the project are said to have exceeded the duo's expectations.

In fact, Dinh Ngoc Diep initially admitted she felt a lot of pressure with the film. The director's wife worried that she and Quoc Huy might not have enough appeal to attract audiences to the theaters like younger actors. Meanwhile, although harboring the ambition to bring a unique historical detective story, Victor Vu confessed that this project was a "novelty" for Vietnamese audiences.

“This is a dream I’ve been pursuing for a long time. The open ending of the film is like an ‘extra treat,’ allowing the audience to decide for themselves whether they’re still interested in the story or not. I didn’t set a specific revenue target from the beginning. What I care most about is whether the audience feels the message and emotions I want to convey through the film.”

"For me, the success of a film doesn't lie in the numbers, but in whether it leaves a lasting impression on the viewers. From there, I will consider whether the next script is worthy of opening a new chapter for this story," the director said.

Victor Vũ's film "Detective Kien" achieved unexpected box office success and positive reception. Photo: Producer.

Nha An

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cuoc-ruot-duoi-cua-ly-hai-victor-vu-post547672.html