Notable opponents
After the exciting summer movie season, Vietnamese producers continue to look forward to the National Day holiday September 2nd. This is one of the favorable times for the film market when audiences have more time for entertainment activities, and families also tend to choose works suitable for many generations.
There are at least 4 Vietnamese films identified or expected to be present at the box office during this period, including "Summer Breaks Afraid of Retirement", "Guardians - Mystery of King Dinh's Tomb", "Younger Son Overcoming Wealth" and "Human Trafficking Camp". Each work pursues a different genre, audience group and distribution strategy.
The earliest to be released in theaters is "Summer Break Afraid of Retirement", officially premiered on August 21st and has early screenings from mid-month. The film is directed by Huynh Lap, featuring Meritorious Artist Cao Minh, Cody Nam Vo, Hua Vi Van, Hong Anh, Phuong Thanh, Tin Nguyen and Xuan Phuc.
The big advantage of "Summer Break Afraid of Retirement" lies in the easy-to-reach family theme. The film can attract young audiences thanks to Huynh Lap, Cody Nam Vo, while targeting middle-aged and elderly viewers through a story about veterans.
The most prominent opponent on the race track is "Ho Linh Trang Si - Mystery of King Dinh's Tomb", scheduled to premiere nationwide on August 28. This is a legendary, martial arts project by director Nguyen Phan Quang Binh, inspired by folk legends surrounding King Dinh Tien Hoang's tomb.
The film brings together a large cast including Johnny Tri Nguyen, Tuan Tran, People's Artist Tu Long, Do Thi Hai Yen, Quach Ngoc Ngoan, Hua Vi Van, People's Artist Nhu Quynh, Thien Tu, Le Vu Long and martial artist Tran Quang Loc.
Johnny Tri Nguyen not only participates in acting but also takes on the role of martial arts director. According to the crew, many actors have to go through a long training process to directly perform combat scenes. The work also invests in armor pillars, weapons and settings, with the desire to recreate the historical atmosphere in modern cinematic language.
The official website of the film announced the expected release date is August 28th and said that the film will also have an IMAX format. Historical elements, national spirit and large-scale action scenes are likely to create interest during September 2nd.
Human Trafficking Camp" is the remaining mystery. The film is directed by Toni Duong Bao Anh, starring Steven Nguyen, and belongs to the action - survival genre and exploits cross-border human trafficking.
According to information shared by the producer, the project uses more than 700 actors, implemented in many locations. The film will be released on September 2, 2026.
The situation could change at the last minute
Precious Son Overcoming Wealth" was once considered an important opponent of the holiday film season when it was released in theaters on August 28. The work is directed by Nguyen Quang Dung, marking the next time Thu Trang and Tien Luat play husband and wife on the big screen.
Thus, this year's race may not be too crowded in quantity but shows a clear differentiation in genre. "Summer Break Afraid of Retirement" and "Younger Son Overcoming Wealth" bet on family emotions; "Guardian Soldier" emphasizes scale, action and legendary material; while "Human Trafficking Camp" chooses social topics with a vital color.
Among these, "Ho Linh Trang Si" has an advantage in scale and timing, but also bears the greatest pressure on revenue.
After the success of some historical, war and family films in recent years, Vietnamese audiences show that they are willing to buy tickets for domestic works if the story is attractive enough. The September 2, 2026 holiday is therefore not only a revenue competition, but also a test for the diversity of genres of Vietnamese cinema.
