Film producer and actor Trấn Thành's new web drama Hẻm Cụt (Life in the Alley) attracts more than 63 million views for its first four episodes since its release on January 17. Photo courtesy of the producer

HCM CITY — Web dramas produced by famous Vietnamese artistes earned millions of YouTube views and elicited heartwarming laughter during the Tết holiday.

Film producer and actor Trấn Thành’s new web drama, Hẻm Cụt (Life in the Alley), quickly became the most-viewed web drama in Việt Nam during the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday.

The series has earned more than 63 million views for its first four episodes since its release on January 17.

Its first episode trended No 1 on YouTube in Việt Nam 18 hours after its release, garnering 1.5 million views.

The drama tells humour-laden stories of poor workers living in a dead end alley, highlighting love among neighbours always ready to help each other overcome difficulties.

To ensure top quality, Thành invited veteran comedians like People’s Artist Ngọc Giàu, and Việt Anh to join the project as also young talents like Quốc Khánh, Hoàng Mèo and Kim Nhã.

Đỗ Bá Dũng of Đồng Nai Province said: “The film made me laugh so much. It tells normal stories, but conveys meaningful lessons about life and love.”

Thành has been one of the most outstanding film producers in Việt Nam in recent years.

His web drama Bố Già (Dad I’m Sorry), released in 2020, became the most-viewed series in Việt Nam, its five episodes earning more than 180 million views.

In 2021, the series’ movie adaptation, also named Bố Già, was chosen to compete in the Best Foreign Language Film Category at the Oscar awards.

The movie, directed by Vũ Ngọc Đãng, set a box office record for Vietnamese films, earning revenues of VNĐ400 billion (US$18 million), according to the film’s producer.

It also won a slew of awards at the 22nd Việt Nam Film Festival organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last November, including: the Silver Lotus Award for Best Feature Film; Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay.

The film was also distributed in cinemas in the US and Australia after its premiere in Malaysia and Singapore.

Festive cheer

A scene from the fifth part of web drama titled Tết Đến Rồi Về Nhà Thôi (Tết is Coming! Let’s Come Back Home) produced by Thu Trang. Photo courtesy of the producer

Thu Trang, one of the most famous female film directors in the country, released the fifth part of her web drama, Tết Đến Rồi Về Nhà Thôi (Tết is Coming! Let’s Come Back Home), appropriately timed for the festival season.

The 43-minute work, focused on love among family members and people at large, has attracted nearly 4.2 million views on YouTube since its release on January 15.

The film features famous comedians like Thu Trang, Tiến Luật, Phi Phụng and singer Ngô Kiến Huy.

Luật said: “I love Tết Đến Rồi Về Nhà Thôi and always save my time to join this project. I love the warm atmosphere of people in a family gathering together to welcome a New Year.”

Trang began to produce the web drama four years ago with the desire to bring joy to audiences during the Tết holiday.

The first four parts of the series has attracted more than 29.5 million views.

Kim Ngân, a YouTube user, commented: “I’ve waited for the series every year. Seeing Tết Đến Rồi Về Nhà Thôi is seeing Tết. The film is joyful and meaningful with a quality cast.”

Trang became popular after playing a leading role in a family drama called Nắng (Little Sunshine) and its sequel Nắng 2 (Little Sunshine 2) in 2017, focusing on motherhood.

In 2018, she released her first film production, a three-episode web drama Thập Tam Muội (Young Sister 13), which was later adapted into a feature film titled Chị Mười Ba (Sister Thirteen).

Her movies Chị Mười Ba: Phần kết Thập Tam Muội (Sister Thirteen: The New Chapter) and Chị Mười Ba: Ba Ngày Sinh Tử (Sister Thirteen: Three Deadly Days) earned VNĐ62 billion ($2.67 million) and VNĐ108 billion ($4.76 million), respectively. — VNS