Director Bùi Thạc Chuyên (second from right) and the cast speaking with the audience after the premiere screening. — Photos courtesy of the film crew

HÀ NỘI — The newly released war film Địa Đạo – Mặt Trời Trong Bóng Tối (Tunnel: Sun In The Dark) has led the box office earning VNĐ80 billion (US$3 million) in just four days.

According to Box Office Vietnam – an independent box office monitoring unit – the film gained nearly 500,000 viewers last weekend. This achievement has surpassed other films released at the same time in Việt Nam, such as Minecraft – a movie inspired by the video game of the same name and A Working Man – an action movie starring Jason Statham.

With the speed of the current ticket sales, Tunnel: Sun In The Dark is predicted to soon surpass the VNĐ100 billion ($3.8 million) milestone.

According to a representative of Box Office, the film which was officially debuted on April 4, will continue to attract more movie goers in the coming weeks due to a lack of fierce competitors. The upcoming films are mainly foreign projects, while Lật mặt 8 (Face Off 8) and Thám tử Kiên (Detective Kiên) – two Vietnamese films – are only scheduled to be released at the end of April.

Director of the Department of Performing Arts Nguyễn Xuân Bắc rated Tunnel: Sun In The Dark as a film worth watching. “Films like this are necessary because they are educational, especially on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the South Liberation and National Reunification," he said.

"It shows us the revolutionary soldier’s heroism, patriotism, willingness to sacrifice and desire for happiness. I hope the audience will not miss this film, especially the Vietnamese youth."

The film’s director Bùi Nhạc Chuyên expressed his joy at the audience’s warm reception to his latest project. "Our wish has always been to make a film that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification and can be seen by as many viewers as possible, so that everyone can feel how resilient our ancestors were and could defeat any enemy, no matter how strong they are. Everyone in the audience really appreciated this film," he said after the premiere.

The poster for Địa đạo: Mặt trời trong bóng tối (Tunnel: Sun In The Dark), which premiered on April 4.

Tunnel: Sun In The Dark follows a group of guerrillas led by main character Bảy Theo, played by actor Thái Hòa, in the Bình An Đông base. Theo and his comrades are tasked with protecting the area for a strategic intelligence information group. However, their communications are discovered by the enemy and so they find themselves in danger, facing numerous attacks. — VNS