Up to now, Vietnamese animation only has the movie "Wolfoo and the mysterious island" to be released in theaters in 2023.
This work only earned more than 5 billion VND, not enough to attract investors' attention and make them feel secure enough to invest in animated films.
"Nezha 2: Ghost Boy in the Sea" directed by Sui Cao, released in Chinese theaters during the Lunar New Year, has grossed over 12.3 billion yuan (over 1.68 billion USD) as of February 19. This film has surpassed "Inside Out 2" (grossing 1.46 billion USD globally), becoming the highest-grossing animated film in the world to date.
Hollywood must be surprised
"Na Tra 2: Ma Dong Noi Hai" is an impressive work of Chinese animation when it surpassed a series of Hollywood animations - something that few people thought would happen before. Because, Hollywood has many large animation studios, owns famous brands, loved by audiences in many countries.
Before "Na Tra 2: Ma Dong Noi Hai", Chinese animation had successfully built the "Kung Fu Panda" brand with characters and settings in this country. "Kung Fu Panda" was released in 2008 and won big revenue worldwide. By 2015, the film "Journey to the West: The Great Sage Returns" (Monkey King: Hero is Back) was released in theaters with revenue of 153 million USD.
However, these were just isolated flashes of light because the next expected films failed to make an impression. Chinese audiences had to wait until 2019 to enjoy "Na Tra: The Demon Boy Comes to the World", a work that earned a revenue of 742.5 million USD. By 2025, "Na Tra 2: The Demon Boy Comes to the Sea" brought Chinese animation to new heights in revenue, surprising the film capital of Hollywood.
Notably, "Na Tra 2: Ma Dong Noi Hai" reaped high revenue with 99% from the domestic market, opening up great expectations for the country's animation industry. Revenue will continue to increase as this work is staying in theaters domestically and showing more in the international market.
In addition to the detailed technical details, the two parts of the film about Na Tra have an attractive and creative story, conveying a humane message. Part 1 tells the legendary story of Na Tra - a boy who stood up against his imposed fate and the prejudices when people refused to live peacefully with those considered different. Part 2 continues the story of Na Tra, who gradually overturned the rules and prejudices, affirming that good or evil has nothing to do with race. The film also raises other contemporary issues.
Great potential, lots of material
The success of the two films about Na Tra in particular, and the breakthrough of Chinese animation in general, shows that animation has a significant position in world cinema. In Vietnam, many audiences also love animation but for a long time they could only enjoy foreign films such as Hollywood, Japan, etc.
At the workshop "Investment and commercialization of animation" - within the framework of the first Animation Film Festival "Stream of Aspiration" in 2024, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai, Content Director of CJ CGV Vietnam, regretted: "Hollywood considers Vietnam a country of animation, because all Hollywood and European films when released in our country have very good revenue. The market is recognized by Hollywood like that, but we are losing opportunities at home."
Great potential, there is no shortage of material because Vietnam has a treasure trove of folk tales, myths, history... with many characters capable of creating impressive animated stories. Vietnam also has a young, skilled workforce, with animation technical skills that are not inferior to foreign countries. Many production companies also accept outsourcing for major Hollywood projects.
Unfortunately, up to now, Vietnamese animation has only had its first film "Wolfoo and the Mysterious Island" released in theaters in 2023. This work earned more than 5 billion VND, not enough to attract investors' attention so that they feel secure investing in animation.
Explaining this, many opinions say that Vietnamese animation is still limited in many aspects, such as lack of investment funding, uncreative scripts, and lack of connection between producers. Many insiders believe that Vietnamese commercial animation is still in its early stages, and needs more time to have "Na Tra", "Journey to the West"... like China.
At the recent launch of the "Vietnam Association of Cinematography and Animation" (VAVA), Mr. Doan Tran Anh Tuan - Director of Colory Animation Studio, Vice President of VAVA - said that the success of the film about Na Tra is the sweet fruit harvested after many years of planting. Animation is a part of cinema, while Chinese cinema is developing strongly, with many ecosystems and talents.
"Vietnam has the skills to make animation films but lacks cultivation. Production companies mainly develop individually, without many sources of investment. To have a breakthrough, we need to link and coordinate more closely between units. We must sow to reap sweet fruits" - Mr. Tuan likened.
Both films about Na Tra took up to 5 years to produce. Of these, "Na Tra 2: Ma Dong Noi Hai" cost up to 600 million yuan, gathering more than 4,000 participants. Producer Liu Wen Zhang said the number of characters in this film is 3 times that of the previous part. The film has more than 2,400 scenes, including more than 1,900 scenes with special effects. With such grandiose animated works that require such large human and material resources, only solidarity can create overall strength, bringing about impressive products.
According to experts, Vietnamese animation is in its early stages. The establishment of VAVA is expected to create a forum for connecting, sharing, and promoting cooperation between domestic and international experts; protecting the rights of studios and individuals in the industry, supporting the resolution of issues related to copyright, contracts, and quality standards, etc. Everyone hopes that this will be a stepping stone, creating motivation, strength, and confidence for Vietnamese animation to develop further in the future.
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