Bringing game shows to the big screen.

The final episode of Running Man Vietnam season 3 garnered attention when it was adapted into a film titled "Running Man Vietnam: The Puppet's Freedom." This marked the first time in Vietnam that an episode of a game show was brought to the big screen, quickly creating a strong impact.

According to statistics from Box Office Vietnam, as of February 4th, the film had grossed 32.8 billion VND after 10 days of release. From its opening days, the project, starring Tran Thanh, Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc, Quang Tuan, Anh Tu Atus, etc., rose to the top of the box office and maintained its leading position for many consecutive days. On its opening day alone, the film grossed over 11 billion VND (including early screenings). This figure is not only noteworthy in terms of ranking but also demonstrates the special appeal of the program. Because this is not a feature film in the traditional sense, but a remake of a television game show, it still has enough appeal to make audiences willing to buy tickets to see it in theaters.

Running Man Vietnam: The Puppet Show was organized like a film project, featuring a large number of artists and audience members.

Photo: Organizing Committee

Previously, concert documentaries like "Rain of Fire - My Brother Overcomes a Thousand Obstacles" movie grossed 12.2 billion VND, and " My Brother Says Hi: The Villain Creates the Hero" earned 15.4 billion VND, also showing positive signs from this trend.

According to media expert Hong Quang Minh, the aforementioned revenue figures don't simply reflect the fact that "gameshows in theaters sell well," but rather show a significant shift in the Vietnamese theater market. Theaters are gradually becoming spaces for entertainment experiences, rather than just places for movies. Audiences are now willing to pay when content is positioned as a cultural and entertainment event that is timely, community-oriented, and provides a sense of "watching together" that watching on television or YouTube cannot create. "In other words, theaters are shifting from a film-selling model to an experience-selling model, and Running Man Vietnam is a clear example of that trend," he stated.

The expert believes the key factor in this trend lies in the changing entertainment spending behavior of viewers, rather than the inherent appeal of the program itself. While a few years ago it was difficult to persuade audiences to pay to see familiar television content in theaters, today audiences, especially younger generations, are willing to spend money for the feeling of "participating in a shared moment," a common community trend. They are not just buying tickets for a game show episode, but for the feeling of being part of the flow of contemporary entertainment, similar to how they attend concerts, fan meetings, or showcases.

However, according to Mr. Hong Quang Minh, game show producers can view cinemas as an additional revenue stream, but should not consider them the main financial pillar for entertainment programs. According to the expert, this model is only suitable for content that is strong enough in terms of brand, has a large enough fan base, and is capable of creating a sense of event.

"The biggest risk in the market is confusing a successful media phenomenon with a sustainable business model. If many producers simultaneously bring game shows or concerts to theaters without creating a differentiated experience, the market will quickly become saturated. At that point, theaters will no longer be a 'channel for expanding content value,' but rather a costly and potentially failed experiment if they simply follow trends," warned Mr. Hong Quang Minh.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dua-gameshow-len-man-anh-rong-185260204223253841.htm