HÀ NỘI — Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of the new Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island, was voted Việt Nam’s next tourism ambassador by a 13-member council under the Ministry of Culture and Sport.

The American director is expected to be officially appointed next Monday. In an earlier exchange, Vogt-Roberts said he was happy to represent the country and promote its image to the international art community.

“’Kong: Skull Island’ is a joint US$190 million production between two major film powerhouses: Legendary and Warner Bros. The movie is expected to be a smash hit at the box office, attracting millions of viewers worldwide. Serving as our next tourism ambassador, Jordan Vogt-Roberts will bring about great coverage and improve the image of Việt Nam globally,” the council said.

In numerous videos featuring the making of the US blockbuster, the director and the film cast did not hide their admiration for Việt Nam’s pristine scenery, landscapes and local hospitality.

“I don’t think most of the world knows how gorgeous Việt Nam looks. You see shapes and landscapes that you didn’t know existed in ages. It’s beautiful,” said Vogt-Roberts in a Youtube video.

“And you just fall in love with the culture, the people and everything about this country.  And the places there, they are just spectacular,” he said.

2016 Oscar Best Actress winner Brie Larson plays war photojournalist Mason Weaver. She said that “Việt Nam in particular is very special because it has never been captured on film before in this way.”

“Promoting the image of a country and its tourism potential through cinema is important. A successful movie can inspire audiences to travel to its filming locations,” said deputy head of General Department of Tourism Ngô Hoài Chung.

“There was already a similar case in Việt Nam. After the success of Vietnamese box office hit Tôi thấy hoa vàng trên cỏ xanh (Yellow flowers on green grass), central province of Phú Yên, where the movie was filmed, has seen a surge in the number of visitors."

Chung also said steps have already been taken to preserve Kong: Skull Island filming locations for future plans.
 

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Kong: Skull Island was shot in three provinces of Ninh Bình, Quảng Ninh and Quảng Bình. It is the biggest Hollywood movie ever to be filmed in Việt Nam.

The movie premiered in Việt Nam on Thursday, a day before it hit international cinemas. — VNS