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Nguyen Quang Dung on the Vietnamese film 'clash' for the September 2nd holiday: 'I'm not afraid to face anyone
Báo Tuổi Trẻ
16:53
"Successor" is hitting theaters at the same time as "Hộ linh tráng sĩ" and "Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu". Regarding this, Nguyen Quang Dung stated that he is not overly concerned about the box office competition, because 'if you don't run into this person, you'll meet that person'.
Nguyen Quang Dung during a press talk on the occasion of the release of 'Quy tu vuot giau' (Rich Kids) - Photo: LAN HUONG
Following "Friend Zone", director Nguyen Quang Dung officially returns with "Successor", a remake of the Chinese box office phenomenon of the same name. Nguyen Quang Dung is a familiar name to Vietnamese audiences, especially those who enjoy remakes. "Splendid Years", "Blood Moon Party", and "Friend Zone"... are all remakes of successful foreign films.
Despite his experience with remakes, Nguyen Quang Dung admits he still faces pressure when the original version has already succeeded in other markets. According to the director, this is a pressure that filmmakers must accept and normalize if they want to execute a project.
"All the films chosen for remakes in Vietnam are those that have already achieved great success in other markets. If you choose to make films in this direction, you must normalize that pressure to be able to make a remake," shared Nguyen Quang Dung.
Nguyen Quang Dung admits the pressure of making a remake film - Photo: Provided by the production team
With "Successor", the director believes the key is to adapt the story to resonate with Vietnamese audiences while injecting his own perspective. He does not set a goal of repeating the success of the original.
Pressure also lies in how the film is evaluated after its release. If an experimental film fails, the filmmaker can still define it as an experiment, but a remake is different.
Nguyen Quang Dung notes that box office results become a crucial part of evaluating the success or failure of a remake. Because, from the very moment of choosing to remake a famous film, the filmmakers' goal is very clear: this is a commercial film and I want to make money from it.
The director believes that the success or failure of a film depends on many factors - Photo: Provided by the production team
Despite his experience, Nguyen Quang Dung once "took a hard fall" when "Friend Zone" did not meet revenue expectations. However, the director does not view this as a failure and remains confident in "Successor".
"Making a film is like going into battle; you have to be confident. Each film has its own destiny. That 'destiny' can depend on the timing, the market, and whether the audience accepts that type of film at that moment. A film placed at a different time might be good, but placed at the wrong time, it might not be. As a professional, you shouldn't be too miserable or dwell too much on those things," he confided.
"The film's 'destiny' lies in the timing, so why did "Successor" suddenly change its release date, joining the September 2nd holiday race and competing directly with "Hộ linh tráng sĩ: Bí ẩn mộ vua Đinh" and "Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu"?
Nguyen Quang Dung laughs, admitting that directors don't have that much say in release schedules. A film's theatrical release also depends on the decisions of investors and distributors.
'Quy tu vuot giau' (Rich Kids) is seeing alarming box office revenue - Photo: Provided by the production team
"For my part, I'm not afraid of competing with anyone. Because if I don't run into this person, I'll run into that person. If it's not Tran Thanh, it's Christopher Nolan or Spider-Man. So, in reality, I just focus on making my film well," the director affirmed.
Currently, "Successor" has had a rather bleak opening. As of 3:00 PM on August 28, the film had only grossed over 3 billion VND, ranking 5th in the daily box office charts. This has left many viewers concerned that the film could be the next "stumble" for Nguyen Quang Dung in the remake genre if it does not accelerate in the coming days.
After 'Quy tu vuot giau', Nguyen Quang Dung is cherishing the 'Chiec luoc nga' (The Ivory Comb) project, adapted from the novel by his father - writer Nguyen Quang Sang - Photo: Provided by the production team
When asked if he would continue making remakes if "Successor" does not meet revenue expectations, Nguyen Quang Dung said this decision does not depend on a single project.
"A film's lack of success can be a temporary sadness, but to have a long-term career, you cannot let the success or failure of one project dictate everything.
If you become too successful with one style of filmmaking and think that continuing to do so will guarantee success, you will also 'die'. You have to find ways to surpass the film you just made to have a long-term career," he concluded.
