Asian film studios
At the end of November, social networks and film forums widely shared images of 2 Korean stars, Suzy and Kim Seon Ho, running on West Lake.
According to Korean newspapers, 2 actors Bae Suzy and Kim Seon Ho are present in Hanoi to film for the work "Portraits of Delusion". Initially, the film crew planned to choose a location in another country, but at the end, Vietnam was chosen.
From the end of November to mid-December, images of actor Kim Seon Ho shopping, strolling the streets, buying sticky rice in Hanoi were widely shared. Kim Seon Ho's Vietnamese fan group also implemented a project to put the image of the male actor on an LED screen right on Lieu Giai street - as a way to send a greeting to Kim Seon Ho. Responding to the affection of Vietnamese fans, Kim Seon Ho went to the place, took a photo of the LED screen, and posted it on his personal page.
Information about Kim Seon Ho in Hanoi has led to widespread comments on platforms about how the content of the work "Portraits of Delusion" will be filmed, and how Hanoi's image will be when filmed.
Previously, the movie "As you stood by" screened on Netflix made Vietnamese audiences excited when the final episodes were filmed in Da Nang.
At the end of episode 8 of "As you stood by", after experiencing a series of upheavals, the main characters of the film moved to Vietnam to live. They start a new life here, experiencing local culture together. Even, the two female leads have learned Vietnamese to be able to participate in business and trade activities with local people.
As you stood by" surpassed the US blockbuster, in the top most watched movies on the Netflix platform. The film is built about Vietnam in an unprecedented way. Vietnam has become a destination for the 2 main characters to heal, to enjoy a peaceful life, after the storms they experienced.
Korean films are targeting the Vietnamese market more than ever, as the content about Vietnam and scenes filmed in Vietnam are increasingly numerous.
As you stood by" was filmed in Da Nang, Hoi An. Beautiful, simple scenes of Vietnam were expressed emotionally on screen. "Taxi Driver 2" also had impressive scenes in Vietnam.
In 2023, "A Tourist's Guide to Love" was one of the American films filmed almost entirely in locations in Vietnam. The film went through many prominent destinations of Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ha Giang... When the film was included in the list of works watched a lot on the Netflix platform, it made audiences excited about the majestic scenery and unique culture of Vietnam.
Since 2016, the Hollywood movie "Kong: Skull Island" to Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Quang Binh has created a wave of pride from Vietnamese audiences. The beautiful and majestic natural scenery of Vietnam has been praised by international press when the blockbuster "Kong: Skull Island" caused a global box office storm.
Vietnam is expected to become a new film studio in Asia. Creating an open mechanism for foreign film crews to come to Vietnam to film is both creating conditions to promote the economy and an opportunity to promote the image and attract tourism development.
Expectations on the wings of dreams
From the 1990s to the early 2000s, many famous foreign film projects chose Vietnam as the setting, for example: The Lover (1992), Indochina (1992), The Quiet American (2002), The Two Daughters of the Grocery Owner (2006)... However, Vietnam still cannot be a destination, a film studio of Asia due to many limitations.
According to director Bui Tuan Dung's analysis, "Looking from Thailand, they used to be a vibrant film studio in Asia. Many film studios in the US and other countries choose Thailand as a filming location. The reason may lie in preferential mechanisms, tax policies, plus service prices, or very professional Thai labor. Many Vietnamese films also choose Thailand as a post-production location. In Thailand, every stage of the film production process is provided methodically and professionally, from A to Z".
Currently, Thailand is affirming its position as the leading international film destination in Asia. According to a report from the Thai Film Authority in July 2025, foreign films contributed nearly 2.9 billion baht to the national economy in the first 6 months of 2025.
The Thai Film Authority forecasts that revenue from international film works will reach about 10 billion baht in 2025, far exceeding the initial target of 7.5 billion baht. Most recently, a series of famous blockbusters such as "Jurassic World: Rebirth" and "White Lotus" have chosen Thailand as the filming location.
The arrival of film crews in Thailand to film has helped promote the growth of the cultural industry ecosystem, including the film industry, tourism, hotels, restaurants, and local services... At the same time, the image of Thailand is widely promoted through a series of international film products, contributing to promoting the "cinema tourism" trend.
Vietnam is also being placed on a foundation and resources to aim to welcome more international film crews.
Vietnamese audiences are very proud to see on the generic (the execution of the crew) of the movie "Dear X" a series of Vietnamese names. "Dear X" just caused a storm on the live film streaming platform. Before "Dear X", many other Korean films had the participation of Vietnamese crews.
The Moon: Final Mission" is considered one of the most impressive visual effects works of Korean cinema, with eye-catching, vivid images and especially prominent in outdoor scenes. In the credits at the end of the film, many Vietnamese names appear, taking on important positions in post-production such as VFX, FX, CGI and many other technical categories.
Taking on the visual effects part for "The Moon: Final Mission" are BAD CLAY Studio and DITUS - two leading VFX (Visual Effects) studios in Vietnam.
In which, BAD CLAY Studio has participated in performing special effects for many famous projects such as "Sweet Home", "Detective Pikachu", "Yin Yang Master" and a series of Vietnamese films that achieved hundreds of billions of VND in revenue such as "Hai Phuong", "Mat Biec", "Em va Trinh"...
Few people know that behind the resounding success of "Squid Game" - a Korean blockbuster that once held the number 1 position in Netflix history with 1.65 billion views in 4 weeks - there is the mark of Vietnamese people. In the credit section, many Vietnamese names appear in the Digital Artists category, even VFX project managers are also Vietnamese.
2025 also marks international film cooperation projects between Vietnam - India, Vietnam - Korea contributing to enlivening the box office.
To see, with the labor force cooperating with international blockbusters, the experience learned when cooperating, plus the beautiful natural scenery... Vietnam's dream of becoming an Asian film studio is within reach.
