Vietnamese Whodunit "Karaoke Murder" Will Open on Four Continents on the Same Weekend
A Vietnamese mystery film, "Karaoke Murder," will open in cinemas across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia on the same weekend, according to Variety. The film's backers say no Vietnamese film has launched that way before.
The Vietnamese title is "Án Mạng Karaoke." A whodunit is a mystery where the audience tries to work out who committed the crime. The film is the first as a director for Hoang Le, and it opens nationwide in Vietnam on October 30.
The story follows a former journalist who looks into the overnight killing of a tycoon who loved karaoke. The death happens during a mountain pilgrimage, and the people around him are neighbours cut off from the outside world. The ensemble cast includes Doan Thien An, Thanh Son, Dai Nghia, Van Dung, Phuong Dung, Tieu Bao Ngoc, Tuyen Map, Quynh Ly, Ta Lam and Trinh Thao.
The film is produced by Mai Bao Ngoc and made by two production companies, 89s Group and F35 Studio. Vo Thanh Hoa of 89s Group serves as creative director.
The distributor handling the overseas launch is 3388 Films, a U.S.-based specialty distributor. Specialty distributors release smaller and foreign-language films rather than big studio titles. The company's founder is Thien A. Pham, and it has focused on Asian content for more than 20 years. 3388 Films will release "Karaoke Murder" on the same weekend in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. It also holds exclusive international rights in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan.
The company has a track record with Vietnamese films. Its earlier release "Mai" became the first Vietnamese film to cross $2 million at the North American and European box office, according to Variety. Vo Thanh Hoa says films from 89s Group grossed more than VND600 billion ($23 million) at the Vietnamese box office between 2023 and 2026.
For a film made in Vietnam, a single opening across four continents is an unusual step. Cinemas in each of the listed markets will now decide how much screen space to give a mystery with a Vietnamese cast and a Vietnamese setting. Audiences in those places will be the first to see whether the film finds a wide following outside its home market.
