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Lead actress of high-budget Vietnamese film
Báo Tiền Phong
26/08/2026
17:58
Tran Thien Tu takes on the lead role in ''Guardian Warriors: The Mystery of King Dinh's Tomb'' - a large-scale historical fantasy project that requires a box office gross of approximately 180 billion VND to break even. From the little girl Ngo in "The White Silk Dress", the actress born in 1991 returns with a warrior persona, performing most of her own action sequences after months of martial arts training.
Releasing on August 28, Guardian Warriors: The Mystery of King Dinh's Tomb is inspired by legends surrounding the burial site of Dinh Tien Hoang. After the King passed away, seven warriors were tasked with escorting 99 coffins in different directions to distract rebel forces, protecting the secret of the tomb and the spiritual essence of Dai Co Viet.
The project has garnered attention for choosing the historical fantasy genre, which is rarely explored by Vietnamese producers due to the high demands for filming locations, costumes, props, and action choreography. The film is directed by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh, with Johnny Tri Nguyen serving as the action director, featuring a cast including Tuan Tran, Tran Thien Tu, Quach Ngoc Ngoan, People's Artist Tu Long, Meritorious Artist Kim Oanh, Le Minh Thuan, and others.
According to the production team, the film needs to gross about 180 billion VND to reach the break-even point. This figure puts the work under significant pressure at the box office, especially since historical fantasy is not yet a genre with a stable audience in the Vietnamese market.
Beyond the action, the relationship between An Nhien and her father, played by Quach Ngoc Ngoan, serves as a crucial psychological arc. The character seeks recognition from her family but chooses to prove herself by embarking on a mission that could cost her life. Thien Tu portrays An Nhien as tough in combat while still revealing the vulnerability of a young person constantly yearning for validation.
Nhan sắc của nữ chính Hộ linh tráng sĩ có kinh phí 180 tỷ đồng.
Tran Thien Tu is no stranger to Vietnamese cinema. She played the young Ngo in The White Silk Dress in 2006, later appearing in The Legend of the Immortal, For June, and The Scar. Her pure acting style and petite appearance meant she was previously remembered mostly for roles focused on internal emotions.
Thien Tu studied acting extensively in China and graduated with a Master's degree from The Central Academy of Drama. She returned to the screen with Cam (2024) and Aerial Battle (2025), before taking on her first action role in Guardian Warriors.
An Nhien marks a distinct shift in Thien Tu's image. As an actress who describes herself as soft-spoken and having never studied martial arts, she had to build physical strength, practice combat, learn swordplay, and execute complex fight sequences. Two titanium swords often left the actress's arms sore and fatigued. During some training sessions, she would return home unable to even hold chopsticks.
Johnny Tri Nguyen often required the actors to eliminate hesitation in their movements. “Johnny always reminded us that a warrior cannot be sentimental when fighting. Strikes must be decisive, and the actor must be prepared to take hits. Hearing the word 'warrior' repeated every day gradually created a reflex for me when getting into character,” Thien Tu shared.
Thiên Tú đang xây dựng hình ảnh đả nữ thế hệ mới.
Action director Tuan Nguyen remarked that the actress possesses about 70-80% of the aptitude required to pursue the 'action heroine' persona. Thien Tu performed most of her own combat scenes, only requiring a stunt double for high-risk maneuvers.
Following the early screenings, Thien Tu drew attention for her period costume look and scenes using dual swords. Audiences noted that her face is well-suited for historical fiction characters, and her movements are powerful and relatively decisive.
The challenges for Thien Tu did not stop at the training hall. The actress and the film crew spent seven consecutive days and nights filming in the Thung Ui area, Ninh Binh, to complete the final altar sacrifice scene. The cold weather, grueling shooting schedule, and combat scenes caused the cast to lose energy quickly.
“After every 'cut' call, everyone would immediately run toward the fire, sharing roasted potatoes and corn to stay warm. At that moment, everyone was exhausted and freezing, but the atmosphere among the crew is something I will always remember,” she shared.
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