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Unreleased Vietnamese film grosses 70 billion VND
Báo Tiền Phong
22/08/2026
09:36
TPO - "Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu" (Summer Break, Retirement Fear) grossed nearly 70 billion VND thanks to a series of sneak previews spanning over 6 days. This is a strategy utilized by many producers to capitalize on audience interest and avoid clashing with strong competitors during the holiday film season.
Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu có sự tham gia của Cody Nam Võ
"Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu" tells the story of Tri Binh, a Gen Z youth who wants to use his family's house to open a coffee shop. Unable to convince his parents, Binh returns to his hometown to find his grandfather, Mr. Thoi, a reclusive war veteran.
The film features Meritorious Artist Cao Minh, Cody Nam Vo, Tin Nguyen, and Gin Tuan Kiet. Gin Tuan Kiet plays the younger version of Mr. Thoi, appearing in flashback sequences. The work combines elements of family, comedy, and spirituality, and is released during the period leading up to the National Day holiday on September 2nd.
Ranking second is "Insidious 6: The Further," which grossed approximately 1.4 billion VND for the day. The animated film "Shin - Cậu bé bút chì: Kỳ nghỉ yêu quái của tớ" (Crayon Shin-chan: My Monster Vacation) ranked third with over 944 million VND. "Spider-Man: A New Beginning" and "The Odyssey" grossed approximately 721 million VND and 370 million VND per day, respectively.
In terms of total revenue, "Spider-Man: A New Beginning" remains the highest-grossing title among films currently in theaters, with over 202.9 billion VND. "The Odyssey" has reached over 106.3 billion VND. Two new films, "Insidious 6" and the latest installment of "Crayon Shin-chan," have total revenues of over 6 billion VND and 4.5 billion VND, respectively.
According to common theater operations, sneak previews—often called "sneak shows"—are usually limited to 1-3 days and restricted to a few evening time slots.
The initial goal of this format is to gauge audience reaction. When a film receives positive feedback, the first comments on social media can create word-of-mouth effects before the official release date. Revenue from sneak previews also helps cinema chains assess demand to decide whether to increase or decrease showtimes.
In the Vietnamese market, the sneak preview period for some films is becoming increasingly extended. From a few experimental time slots, a film can now be shown continuously for nearly a week, covering most cinema chains. In essence, the work is released widely, even though it is still marketed as a "sneak preview."
For "Nghỉ hè sợ nghỉ hưu," the initial sneak previews were only on the evening of August 14th and the two days of August 15-16. From August 17-20, the film added schedules in many localities. Before the official release date, the work "fully enjoyed" a 6-day consecutive screening schedule, grossing nearly 70 billion VND.
Huỳnh Lập tận dụng thành công lợi thế suất chiếu sớm, giúp tác phẩm thu gần 70 tỷ đồng.
This strategy was successfully utilized by "Phí Phông: Quỷ máu rừng thiêng" (The Ritual: Blood Forest Demon). The film by director Do Quoc Trung was positioned for the April 30th-May 1st holiday season, with sneak previews starting from 6:00 PM on April 16th and full-day screenings from April 17-19. According to the announced release plan, the film was scheduled to officially premiere on April 24th.
After the initial phase, the film's screening schedule was maintained continuously instead of pausing to wait for the official release date. On April 23rd, "Phí Phông: Quỷ máu rừng thiêng" surpassed the 100 billion VND mark. This achievement was set about 6.5 days after the first screening, but still one day earlier than the official premiere date.
The promotional method of "reaching 100 billion VND before the premiere date" is not incorrect regarding the release schedule, but it must be understood that the film had been selling tickets, screening widely, and generating revenue continuously for about a week. After more than a month in theaters, the work reached 200 billion VND and became the first Vietnamese horror film to hit that revenue milestone.
Previously, many films benefited from special screenings. "Em chưa 18" (Jailbait) grossed 13.2 billion VND after two days of sneak previews in 2017. Positive feedback helped the film get increased showtimes from cinema chains as soon as it was officially released, ending its box office run with a revenue of 171 billion VND.
In 2025, Huynh Lap's "Nhà gia tiên" (Ancestral House) also had special screenings from the evening of February 19th and all day on February 20th, before its official premiere on February 21st. The distribution representative stated that the film sold one million tickets in 5 days, including sneak previews.
Sneak previews bring many advantages to distributors, especially the ability to capitalize on box office gaps and significantly increase revenue before competitors appear. Additionally, the positive reaction from the first group of viewers becomes an effective promotional tool. On the other hand, achievements reached before the premiere date are often communicated in a way that suggests "tens of billions of VND earned before even being released," creating a mentality among the audience that "this is a good movie, I must go to the theater to see it."
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