The Tet box office battle appears to have tilted decisively after the first day of release, with “Tho oi!” dominating its three competitors: “Bau vat troi cho” (A Gift From Heaven), “Mui pho” (The Scent of Pho), and “Nha ba toi mot phong.”

According to data from independent revenue tracker Box Office Vietnam, as of 8am on February 18, after one full day in cinemas, “Tho oi!” had grossed VND50 billion (US$2 million), far surpassing the other Tet titles in both ticket sales and number of screenings.

Earlier, Tran Thanh announced that “Tho oi!” had set a new record for advance bookings, with more than 130,000 tickets sold before release. Many screenings were already sold out even before the film officially hit theaters. The film’s 18+ rating appears to have had little impact on its rapid ticket sales.

VietNamNet reporters noted that several cinema complexes in central Hanoi were packed on the first day of Tet, with the majority of moviegoers choosing “Tho oi!” Some families with children under 18 had to switch to other Tet films despite initially wanting to watch Tran Thanh’s latest project.

Tran Thanh has now cemented his reputation as an almost unbeatable name during four consecutive Tet seasons.

Ranking second at the box office is “Nha ba toi mot phong,” starring and directed by Truong Giang. However, its revenue currently stands at only about one-third of “Tho oi!,” with approximately VND16 billion (around US$640,000) as of 9am on February 18.

After the first day, “Bau vat troi cho,” featuring the duo Tuan Tran and Phuong Anh Dao, known for their previous collaboration in “Mai,” climbed to third place with VND7 billion (US$280,000). Meanwhile, “Mui pho,” starring Xuan Hinh, Thu Trang and Quoc Tuan, ranks last among the Tet releases with VND6.6 billion (about US$264,000).

There are still five days left in the Tet holiday for the films to compete for audience attention. Yet with its current momentum, it will be difficult for the remaining three titles to overtake “Tho oi!”

Previously, Tran Thanh’s Tet films achieved remarkable box office milestones, earning VND551 billion (US$22 million) for “Mai,” VND460 billion (about US$18.4 million) for “Nha ba Nu,” and VND332 billion (roughly US$13.3 million) for “Bo tu bao thu.”

My Anh