Vietnamese foundfootage horror hit heads to North America
A Vietnamese foundfootage horror hit is heading to North American theaters. “Lầu Chú Hoả: The Deadliest Mansion,” directed by Hùng Trần, opens Sept. 4 via Mockingbird Pictures at AMC, Regal and Cinemark. The June breakout became Vietnam’s first theatrical found-footage horror release, topping the local box office with more than one million admissions. Variety reports the title also crossed VND78 billion ($3 million) in cumulative grosses as Mockingbird Pictures pushes the export to multiplexes.
Key Takeaways
- The Vietnamese foundfootage horror hit opens in North America on Sept. 4.
- Mockingbird Pictures is placing it across AMC, Regal and Cinemark circuits.
- Hùng Trần’s film was Vietnam’s first theatrical found-footage horror and a June box-office leader with more than one million admissions.
- Runup Vietnam produced with Hive Media Corp, the Korean company’s first production investment outside its home market.
When does Lầu Chú Hoả open in North America?
According to Variety, Mockingbird Pictures is overseeing the North American theatrical rollout. The company is placing “Lầu Chú Hoả: The Deadliest Mansion” across AMC, Regal and Cinemark circuits.
That commercial booking follows a breakout at home. After its June debut, the movie topped Vietnam’s box office, drew more than one million admissions and crossed VND78 billion, or $3 million, in cumulative grosses.
Viewers who track new theatrical-to-home windows can follow streaming and TV alerts as more details emerge. Variety’s exclusive focuses on theaters, not a streaming premiere date.
What is The Deadliest Mansion about?
The story pulls from a well-known Vietnamese urban legend. A band of young streamers force their way into the notoriously haunted Hứa family estate, hoping the stunt will bring them fame and money.
Instead, their broadcast captures a dormant, malevolent force stirring back to life. Variety says that turn pulls them into the century-old tale of the “Ghost of the Hứa Family.” The entire film was shot in found-footage style.
Producer Lee Jin Sung said found footage has the power to make audiences feel as though they are experiencing the horror themselves. Working with Hive Media Corp, he added, allowed the team to bring that experience to a uniquely Vietnamese legend while preserving the identity and atmosphere that make the story distinctive.
Who is bringing this Vietnamese horror overseas?
Mockingbird Pictures is handling the North American run as part of its effort to bring Vietnamese commercial films to international audiences. Phong Duong, business director of Mockingbird Pictures and one of the executive producers at sister company Bluebells Studios, called it one of the most intense Vietnamese horror experiences in recent years.
“We believe this is a film that can travel, and we want audiences around the world to experience that fear for themselves,” Duong said, according to Variety.
The film was produced by Runup Vietnam alongside South Korea’s Hive Media Corp. Variety reports the deal marks Hive’s first production investment outside its home market. Hive has backed several of Korea’s biggest recent releases, including “12.12: The Day,” “Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next” and “Harbin,” along with the found-footage horror “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum,” which drew more than 2.6 million admissions in South Korea.
Mockingbird Pictures’ distribution footprint spans more than 60 new theatrical releases a year in Vietnam and upwards of 100 titles across post-theatrical platforms, reflecting a growing focus on bringing Southeast Asian films to international audiences.