HCM CITY  Vietnamese-American director Victor Vũ is working on a new period mystery movie to celebrate his 20 years in the film industry.

The film Thám Tử Kiên – Kỳ Án Không Đầu (Detective Kiên – A Mysterious Case) is Vũ’s 18th production, which is inspired by Hồ Oán Hận (Resentment Lake), a detective story by writer Hồng Thái.

The work is set under the Nguyễn dynasty in the 19th century. It revolves around Kiên, a detective, who travels to a haunted village and discovers its mysteries and tragedies.

The character Kiên, played by Quốc Huy, appeared in Vũ’s movie Người Vợ Cuối Cùng (The Last Wife) released last year.

The movie tells the story of a young woman, living in a poor family during the semi-feudal colonial society of Việt Nam. Love, betrayal, and social and family issues are themes of the film.

Huy, a graduate of the HCM City University of Cinematography and Theatre, will continue his role in Vũ’s new project.

The 38-year-old actor said at the the press conference to publicize the film project in HCM City on last Wednesday that he spent much more time training in martial arts, fighting with swords, and riding horses to prepare for the role.

“There will be more thrilling fighting scenes in the movie,” he added.

The cast also features young actors such as Minh Anh and Anh Phạm.

The film’s director Vũ is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in the US.

He is known for the films Scandal and Thiên Mệnh Anh Hùng (Blood Letter) released in 2012, Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) in 2015, and Mắt Biếc (Dreamy Eyes) in 2019.

His blockbusters Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh and Mắt Biếc were selected by the ministry of culture as the Vietnamese entries for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards in 2017 and 2020.

Both films are adapted from novels of the same names by best-selling author Nguyễn Nhật Ánh.

Vũ’s 2021 horror movie Thiên Thần Hộ Mệnh (The Guardian) was distributed in cinemas in 12 countries such as Australia, Canada, Hungary, France, Ireland, the UK and the US. 

In 2022, Vũ released his TV thriller series called Trại Hoa Đỏ (Red Flowers Farm) in collaboration with American director of photography Dominic Pereira and music producer/composer Garrett Crosby.

Vũ’s latest movie Detective Kiên – A Mysterious Case is slated to be in theatres on May 16 next year.  VNS