"The Spirit Cat - Possessed Corpse" is considered the beginning of Vietnam's first horror cinematic universe. Despite its promising introduction, building a series of horror projects also presents numerous challenges in terms of quality and public reception.
Recently, the director Vo Thanh Hoa It caused a surprise when they introduced a long-term project at the horror film's premiere. Lynx - The Corpse Possessed. According to him, the team will not stop at a single standalone work but will introduce a series of follow-up projects, creating a unique "horror universe" unprecedented in Vietnamese cinema.
The plan offers many interesting aspects but also faces considerable skepticism from the audience. This is because... build Creating a "horror universe" not only requires unique creativity but also demands a significant investment of time, money, and effort from the team. Furthermore, producers face the possibility of financial loss if a project doesn't meet expectations.
A new milestone for the horror genre.
Expected to launch in November. Lynx - Possessed It's a horror film that's attracting attention because it brings together familiar faces like Hong Dao, miss Thuy Tien, Samuel An…
The project director is Luu Thanh Luan - once created a sensation Devil dog last year. He is also a close associate and will continue to work alongside Vo Thanh Hoa in the future.
The team said Lynx - Possessed This marks the "opening shot" in a series of 14 horror films, each featuring a different animal, linked to Vietnamese folk beliefs and ancient mysterious stories.
Films about mythical creatures like the Five-Toed Pig, the Five-Colored Rat, and other symbolic animals such as pythons, tigers, and crocodiles will be continuously released from now until 2030. Each project will unfold a completely different story, deeply exploring spiritual elements, legends, and especially the cultural values of each animal in Vietnamese life.
Before releasing the project to the audience, the team spent over five years brainstorming and preparing. They also invested heavily in researching the script, setting, and relevant materials to deliver the best possible project.
Vo Thanh Hoa's ambition for a horror universe is understandable. In the past two years, many horror projects have achieved impressive box office revenue, such as Demon dog, Demon skin , Tet in the village of hell … Most recently, horror movies Bran - inspired by fairy tales Tam Cam - It also caused a sensation at the box office, grossing over 96 billion VND.
Furthermore, horror films typically don't require high budgets, and the production process is less complex compared to action or fantasy films, so the potential for profit is also better.
The answer lies in the future.
Vo Thanh Hoa's approach has received much support. This is because exploiting Vietnamese folk elements such as the spirit cat, the demon dog, mythical creatures, and mysterious legends will help make the projects unique and avoid duplicating Western horror films.
However, Vietnamese cinema has previously introduced a few "cinematic universes," but they haven't always been as successful as expected.
For example, Studio68 - a company specializing in film production. Ngo Thanh Van - It previously attracted attention for its determination to create a "Vietnamese fairy tale universe." The project was grandly introduced with films about characters familiar to childhood such as Ông Kẹ (the Bogeyman), Thằng Bờm (Bờm the Boy), Thạch Sanh (Thạch Sanh)...
Unfortunately, this universe remains at the conceptual stage due to the downfall of... Trang Ti (2021). The film was not well-received by audiences, faced a strong boycott, and only grossed over 22 billion VND according to figures. Box Office Vietnam (Independent box office observer unit).
Most recently, Ngo Thanh Van also suffered a major failure with Wolf Queen: Wild Daisy in the Night (2022) - a spin-off action movie Hai Phuong (2019). The project received significant investment but only grossed 22 billion VND at the box office, resulting in heavy losses for the producer.
Vietnamese audiences have always been considered unpredictable and prone to sudden changes. Even an experienced producer like Ngo Thanh Van couldn't avoid failure, which partly illustrates the fierce competition in the film market.
Internationally, not all cinematic universes are successful. Universal once tried to build one. Dark Universe The project aimed to revive classic characters like Dracula and Frankenstein, but it quickly failed right from the first film. The Mummy (2017) with Tom Cruise.
This shows that building a cinematic universe is not easy; it can go bankrupt at any time, even with a bold idea and a large budget.
Overall, creating a "horror universe" with Lynx - Possessed This is a groundbreaking and promising direction. However, to achieve commercial success, the team needs to carefully consider ensuring the quality of each film, as well as maintaining audience enthusiasm.
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