Top 8 Remarkable Film Remake Projects in Vietnamese Cinema in 2017

Living with Mother-in-law - a sensation on the small screen and social media in the first half of 2017 is a film adapted from the novel of the same name by Phu Thuy Duoi Day Bien - a young Chinese writer. The film revolves around conflicts and troubles in the timeless story of the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. The differences in personality, lifestyle, and generational gap between Mrs. Phuong and daughter-in-law Van. Conflicts are pushed to the peak when Thanh - the person caught in the middle of the arguments consistently listens to her mother and often blames, scolds, or even hits Van. The conflict reaches its climax when Van and Thanh decide to divorce, each leading their own lives and gradually realizing the value of each other. From the first episodes, Living with Mother-in-law immediately created a sensation, even the impressive dialogues in the film and the mother-in-law daughter-in-law story became a hot topic constantly mentioned on social media. Every week, netizens even become talented scriptwriters as they take turns weaving the next developments of the film. It can be said that it has been a long time since Vietnamese television has been so lively.

• Director: Vu Truong Khoa
• Cast: NSND Lan Huong, Bao Thanh, Anh Dung, Viet Anh,...
• Format: Television
• Genre: Drama
• Based on: Novel Living with Mother-in-law
• Broadcast: 5/4/2017 - 3/7/2017

Beauty in a Thousand Pounds is a film adaptation that has been rated as 90% similar to the original, from makeup, setting, film music, and even dialogues, not much has been changed. Ha My (Minh Hang starring) is a chubby, unattractive girl with an excellent voice. She cannot appear in front of the audience, so she always has to be the backup singer for the famous singer Jolie (Phuong Trinh Jolie) on stage. Ha My falls in love with Duy Khang (Rocker Nguyen) - the handsome producer of Jolie but is heartbroken when she realizes that Duy Khang is using her. Ha My decides to undergo plastic surgery to change her life and find the person she secretly loves.
Beauty in a Thousand Pounds is highly appreciated for its beautiful surroundings and eye-catching images, but the makeup for the female lead does not satisfy the audience. Of course, the effect created by Minh Hang also falls far behind the original version. Partly because it sticks too closely to the original version released 11 years ago, so there are quite a few inappropriate elements. Anyway, this is still a movie worth enjoying.

• Director: James Ngo
• Cast: Minh Hang, Rocker Nguyen, Phuong Trinh Jolie, Au Bao Ngan,...
• Format: Film
• Genre: Romance
• Based on: 200 Pounds Beauty (South Korea)
• Release Date: 8/4/2017

Musical television shows are a genre that has been relatively unexplored in Vietnam, and Glee seems to have done quite well in bringing this genre closer to Vietnamese audiences. From the announcement of the project and cast, the team faced quite a bit of negative feedback, with many criticizing that the chosen cast diverged significantly from the original, especially in terms of vocal abilities since Glee was originally a pinnacle of American musical television. However, when the initial episodes aired, the allure of Glee Vietnam was quite substantial, and audiences gradually forgot about comparing it to the original. The show revolves around a talented singing group at the College of Arts and Sports who constantly practice and brainstorm new ideas to represent their school in city-wide music competitions. The group members continually encounter issues regarding love, gender, and bonding within the group. In Glee Vietnam, some plots and characters are altered from the original, and the music in the show is also remixed from popular Vietnamese hits such as: Just go away, Please don't, Where are you going, Last autumn,... instead of reusing original American tracks.

• Creators: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan
  
• Cast: Angela Phương Trinh, Rocker Nguyễn, Hữu Vi, Đỗ An, Thành Lộc, Lynk Lee, Cindy, Bích Ngọc, Hòa Minzy,...
• Format: Musical television show
• Genre: Musical, Drama
• Based on: Glee (US)
• Aired: 18/8/2017

Adapting foreign scripts is always a headache for producers, as they have to balance making the film relatable to domestic audiences while not losing the essence of the original. And Love Without Fear has done quite well in that regard, even surpassing the initial expectations from the audience. Not much different from the original, Love Without Fear tells the comedic love story between Tùng (Ngô Kiến Huy), a famous magician with terrifying but extremely afraid of ghosts acts, and the mysterious girl haunted by ghosts, Phương (Nhã Phương). The two coincidentally meet, and with his sincerity and empathy, Tùng helps Phương break out of her shell. Soon after, they continuously face troubles caused by mysterious events originating from the female ghost Vân, who is also Phương's high school friend. Unlike 200 Pounds Beauty, Love Without Fear retains the original script but introduces many new elements to suit the audience's taste. The film's strengths lie in its clear pace, timely emotional adjustments, and the actors' excellent chemistry.

• Director: Stephane Gauger
• Cast: Nhã Phương, Ngô Kiến Huy, Puka, Ái Phương, Kiều Minh Tuấn
• Format: Film
• Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance
• Based on: Spellbound (South Korea)
• Release date: 25/8/2017

It seems the trend of remaking films from Korean scripts is truly gaining popularity in Vietnam, and Unconditional Love is among the films remade from the famous scripts of South Korea. The sassy girl is the name that caused a stir in Korean cinema in 2001 and is the film that established the reputation of the glamorous Jun Ji-hyun. Since the original version has been aired for too long, the Unconditional Love team decided to make quite a few changes to the old script to suit the times and tastes of the Vietnamese audience. The biggest change must be the addition of 2 characters from Cong Duong, Ngoc Thao, and renaming the movie from The sassy girl to Unconditional Love.
The film was shot in Da Nang, and currently, it has finished shooting and will be aired right on the Tet holiday 2018. Although not yet aired, Unconditional Love has its own group of audiences eagerly awaiting the film every day. Let's go to the cinema this Tet holiday to support the film crew!

• Director: Văn Công Viễn
• Cast: Ngọc Thanh Tâm, Hoài Lâm, Công Dương, Ngọc Thảo, Đàm Vĩnh Hưng, Trang Trần,...
• Format: Film
• Genre: Romance, Comedy
• Based on: The sassy girl (South Korea)
• Release date: 14/2/2018

Adapted from the famous Korean film She Was Pretty, My First Love is the first Vietnamese film to give the audience the opportunity to choose the cast by interacting directly with the film's fan page. The film was originally scheduled to premiere in November this year but was postponed to April next year because the team wanted to ensure the quality of post-production. My First Love has changed quite a bit in terms of character portrayal, especially in the appearance of the lead actress Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc, which has received a lot of negative feedback from the audience. However, from the very first teasers, viewers will be captivated by the beautiful camera angles and scenes, so the audience can trust the quality of the film, although they must prepare themselves mentally for the changes in the characters compared to the original. According to the original Korean version, the film revolves around the fateful reunion of two friends after the ups and downs of life. While the female lead, who was once beautiful and wealthy, becomes ugly, rural, and poor, the male lead, who was teased for being especially ugly, suddenly becomes strangely attractive. This ironic encounter truly changes the lives of both, especially the ugly female lead. Although not yet aired, My First Love has received a great deal of attention from the audience. Let's wait until April next year to see if the film lives up to the original!

• Director: Nam Cito
• Cast: Lan Ngọc, Chi Pu, Bình An, B Trần
• Format: Television film
• Genre: Romance
• Based on: She Was Pretty (South Korea)
• Aired: 4/2018

Remade from Sunny - a hit Korean film in 2012, Radiant Years tells the parallel story between the past and present of a group of friends who reunite after 30 years only to discover that the former group leader is seriously ill. The intertwining memories between the present and the past, reminiscences of the beautiful days and unfinished dreams will surely bring you a touching film. Directed by renowned director Nguyen Quang Dung, the film brings together two generations of actors with the comeback of Hong Anh, My Duyen. Although the film has not yet aired, from the first images released, Radiant Years has been highly praised for its character portrayal, camera angles, and impressive color scheme. The film's setting is also chosen quite similar to South Korea, hopefully, this will be a film that stays true to the spirit of the original but still carries the distinctive features of Vietnamese cinema.

• Director: Nguyen Quang Dung
• Cast: Hong Anh, My Uyen, My Duyen, Thanh Hang, Hoang Oanh, Hoang Yen Chibi, Jun Vu, Thanh Tu, Khong Tu Quynh,…
• Format: Film
• Genre: Romance
• Based on: Sunny (South Korea)
• Release date: 9/3/2018