2025 is considered a brilliant period of development for the film industry, with box office revenue reaching a record high of nearly 5,600 billion VND and over 70 million tickets sold, of which domestic films accounted for 62% of the total number of films released.
The market has potential but also carries significant risks.
On the afternoon of March 11th, CGV Vietnam held its first-ever "Strategic Partnership in the Film Industry " conference in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together numerous producers, directors, and representatives from various domestic film production companies, and announcing several noteworthy statistics.
Conference to share new data on the Vietnamese film market. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTOR
Accordingly, 2025 is considered a brilliant period of development for the film industry, with box office revenue reaching a record high of nearly 5,600 billion VND and over 70 million tickets sold, representing increases of 24% and 29% respectively compared to 2024. Compared to the pre-pandemic period (2019), 2025 recorded an impressive revenue growth of over 35%.
While many international markets are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic box office revenue levels, Vietnamese cinema has not only recovered quickly but has also entered a period of strong growth. A report by CGV also indicates that Vietnam's annual box office revenue growth will exceed 20% between 2023 and 2025.
These positive figures stem from the strong growth of the film market in general and domestic films in particular over the past four years. Since 2023, the proportion of Vietnamese films has reversed significantly. Notably, in 2025, domestic films are expected to account for 62% of the total number of films released in theaters, acting as a driving force for revenue and profits for domestic cinema chains.
Vietnamese cinema is clearly shifting from quantity to quality. The average revenue per domestic film between 2023 and 2025 is projected to increase 3.8 times compared to pre-pandemic levels. The era of Vietnamese blockbusters has officially begun, with new revenue milestones constantly being broken. Vietnamese films are not only expanding in scale but also raising the overall revenue level of the entire industry. Notably, the total revenue of Vietnamese films alone in 2025 is equivalent to the revenue of the entire film market in 2018.
Audiences tend to wait for social media reviews or positive feedback before buying movie tickets. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTOR
In 2025, the Vietnamese box office also recorded 10 highest-grossing films, all of which were domestic films, demonstrating the strong resilience of Vietnamese cinema in the face of competition from foreign films. Leading the rankings was " Red Rain" with approximately 714 billion VND, becoming the highest-grossing Vietnamese film of all time. Following closely behind was "The Four Leopards" with 332 billion VND, and then... The film "Battle in the Air" grossed 252 billion VND. Other films also achieved impressive results, such as "Detective Kien - The Headless Case" at approximately 248 billion VND, "Ancestral House" at 242 billion VND, and "Flip Face 8 - The Embrace of the Sun" at 232 billion VND. Additionally, " Billion-Dollar Kiss" reached approximately 212 billion VND, "Searching for Ambergris" at 203 billion VND, "Underground Tunnel - The Sun in the Darkness" at 172 billion VND, while "Bringing Mother Abandoned" recorded around 170 billion VND, according to Box Office Vietnam.
However, the film market is also witnessing fierce differentiation and competition. While some projects have seen explosive box office success, the majority of films are still struggling to reach the 20 to 50 billion VND mark. This shows that investing in film today is both highly promising and fraught with risks.
In 2025, the average per capita viewing rate reached 0.7 - meaning that on average, each Vietnamese person watched a movie 0.7 times/year - showing that the frequency of movie screenings by the general audience is growing steadily. However, compared to regional markets such as Singapore (1.3) or Malaysia (1.0), this number still has a large gap. This is also the potential for Vietnamese cinema to continue to break through, aiming to enter the top 10 markets with the highest number of moviegoers in the world .
Feedback from CGV's customer survey also points to a significant change in the movie-going habits of Vietnamese audiences. Notably, viewers tend not to go to the cinema immediately after a film premieres, but instead wait for reviews on social media or positive feedback from others before deciding to buy tickets.
Ms. Jeong Jiyoung, General Director of CJ CGV Vietnam. PHOTO: PROVIDED BY CGV
At the event, Ms. Jeong Jiyoung, General Director of CJ CGV Vietnam, shared: "I hope that this event will become a meaningful annual activity, demonstrating CGV's commitment to accompanying directors, producers, and film production units in the country, in order to build a sustainable and professional Vietnamese film ecosystem."