Shocking phenomenon of "riding the Kong wave"

(Baonghean) - With revenue exceeding 18.2 billion VND after its first day of release, and just a few days over the weekend, the cinematic masterpiece "Kong: Skull Island" broke all records, attracting nearly 700,000 viewers to theaters and raking in hundreds of billions of VND. Kong created a sensation from the box office to the meeting tables of managers, and ultimately, the craze of the film's spin-off syndrome shocked the public.

From fans...

It's been a long time since we've seen movie theaters from North to South lined up with fans buying tickets to see a Hollywood blockbuster, filmed for the first time in Vietnam, premiere. Many people have seen the film two or three times and shared their positive feelings and pride in the beautiful Vietnamese scenery depicted in the movie on various newspapers and social media platforms.

An impressive scene from the film. Photo: Internet.

Not only in Vietnam, but also in the North American market, "Kong: Skull Island" was the highest-grossing opening weekend film, with $61 million. Across all international markets, this blockbuster has raked in over $142 million in its first three days of release, becoming the highest-grossing film in all markets during its opening week.

This is seen as a very positive sign for the big-budget film, with an investment of up to $185 million.

In Southeast Asia, "Kong: Skull Island" became a box office phenomenon in many countries, including Vietnam, bringing in a total revenue of $2.1 million after its opening day. In Latin American countries, Kong even created a stronger impact than "Godzilla" in 2014.

Audiences jostled to buy tickets to see the movie "Kong - Skull Island" at the theater. Photo: Internet

It can be said that for the first time, a Hollywood blockbuster film with a substantial investment, shot in famous locations such as Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh), Trang An (Ninh Binh), and Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh), the film "Kong: Skull Island" by director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, has become the hottest cultural event of the past week.

As director Jordan Vogt-Roberts shared during a Q&A session with Hanoi audiences on March 12th: "Kong has interesting and novel aspects that viewers have never experienced before with monster movies."

Receiving an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and positive reviews is quite rare for a monster movie. I can't control what people say, but I'm proud of this film, and I hope Vietnam is too."

To "piggyback" on others' success.

Kong was warmly welcomed by Vietnamese audiences. The appointment of the film's director as Vietnam's Tourism Ambassador for the 2017-2020 term by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was also seen by society as a foregone conclusion, given the expectation of the event's appeal and the widespread value that director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, in his role as ambassador, would bring to Vietnamese tourism.

However, when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed erecting a 3D model of Kong at Ho Guom Lake, public opinion began to realize something was amiss. Although the Ministry's intention, at first glance, seemed simple and reasonable: to leverage the film's influence to promote tourism in Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular.

Kong in the movie.

It's normal to capitalize on a film, and promoting tourism is also normal, even highly recommended. However, exploiting the images that filmmakers have included in their works, such as the mountain ranges and caves in Phong Nha-Ke Bang (Quang Binh), Trang An (Ninh Binh), Ha Long Bay, etc., must be done in accordance with their true value and through professional activities of the tourism industry.

Because we once squandered opportunities to promote Vietnamese tourism when the French made the film "Indochine," starring the famous actress Catherine Deneuve. The film was shot in Hue, Ha Long, and Hoi An. Or like the film "The Quiet American," based on the novel by Agraham Green, filmed in the heart of Saigon.

It's hard to imagine the idea from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism being accepted by the city of Hanoi. It's unclear what connection there is between the image of a giant, wild orangutan and the Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, etc.

Vietnam is not home to giant primates. The value of this film lies not in its content, but simply in the scenes chosen by the filmmakers as settings—tourist destinations we need to promote to attract tourists and showcase Vietnam to the world.

Therefore, the idea of ​​advertising this film in a cultural and spiritual space like Ho Guom Lake is truly inappropriate. Kong is a major brand in the entertainment film industry. But how to promote it in a way that conveys self-respect is another matter entirely.

Pano advertising the film.

Fortunately, the city of Hanoi flatly rejected this proposal. Otherwise, one day, a giant orangutan would be perched by Ho Guom Lake, confidently believing that simply having crowds lining up to buy tickets automatically grants it access to one of the most sacred and cultural spaces in Vietnam's capital!

Hue Anh