Vietnamese mystery film Karaoke Murder is doing something no other movie from the country has done before. The whodunit will open in theaters across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia on the very same weekend, a move its backers are calling a first for Vietnam.
The film, known at home as Án Mạng Karaoke, arrives in Vietnamese cinemas on Oct. 30. Audiences in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand will see it the same weekend, timed for Halloween.
A First for Vietnamese Cinema
U.S.-based specialty distributor 3388 Films is handling the international rollout. The company holds exclusive rights across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan.
Thien A. Pham, founder of 3388 Films, said the company had released films on four continents before, but never on the same weekend as the home release.
“Aligning an international release with a film’s local date is a significant breakthrough moment. It’s what we’ve advocated for years because we believe greater momentum can be generated for international films when local and international release dates sync up,” Pham said.
What the Movie Is About
Karaoke Murder marks the directorial debut of Hoang Le. Vo Thanh Hoa of 89s Group serves as creative director, with Mai Bao Ngoc producing. The production companies are 89s Group and F35 Studio.
The story follows a group of neighbors on a mountain pilgrimage. A former journalist in the group has to use her investigative skills again after a widely disliked, karaoke-obsessed tycoon is killed overnight. Cut off from the outside world, everyone becomes a suspect.
The ensemble cast includes Doan Thien An, Thanh Son, Dai Nghia, Van Dung, Phuong Dung, Tieu Bao Ngoc, Tuyen Map, Quynh Ly, Ta Lam, and Trinh Thao.
Early Screenings Top Vietnam Box Office
Previews began in Vietnam on Oct. 21, ahead of the official release. The film quickly climbed to the top of the daily box office chart.
Data from Oct. 21, 2026 showed Karaoke Murder earned more than VND 522 million from 6,071 tickets across 1,001 screenings starting from 6 p.m. That was enough to beat Human Trafficking Camp, which had more than double the screenings that day but earned less.
By the next morning, totals including presales pushed the film past VND 1 billion from roughly 11,000 tickets across 1,100 showings.
Why Karaoke Is at the Heart of the Story
The producers built the mystery around karaoke because of how deeply it runs in Vietnamese daily life.
“Singing sessions are part of weddings, birthdays and Lunar New Year, as well as ordinary Sunday afternoons, and nearly every household owns a speaker and microphone,” the producers said.
The pastime also causes friction. Vietnam penalizes noise after 10 p.m. , karaoke is a common cause of neighbor disputes, and news outlets report karaoke arguments ending in tragedy every year, according to the producers.
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A Track Record Behind the Overseas Push
Vo said 89s Group’s films had grossed more than VND 600 billion (about $23 million) at the Vietnamese box office between 2023 and 2026.
“That foundation gives us the confidence to step onto the world stage – not by imitating others, but with our own voice,” Vo said. “I hope the Vietnamese diaspora will feel a little piece of home when they watch Karaoke Murder”.
Also Read: Why American TV Keeps Going Back to Messy Families, From The Bear to Succession
Karaoke Murder opens in Vietnam and across four continents on the same weekend of Oct. 30. Keep checking VvipTimes for more updates on global entertainment releases and box office numbers.
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