EXCLUSIVE: CJ ENM’s Vietnamese outfit, CJ HK Entertainment, is joining forces with local horror pioneers ProductionQ for the first time on horror feature The Demon Prince.
The film, which CJ ENM is introducing to buyers here at ACFM, is directed by Tran Huu Tan and produced by Nguyen Pham Hoang Quan. The duo are credited with kickstarting Vietnam’s period horror boom with hits such as The Soul Reaper (2023) and Cam: The Sisters (2024), combining local folklore, modern storytelling and psychological tension.
Set in ancient Vietnam, The Demon Prince revolves around a wandering storyteller who entertains the crowds with tales of a demon prince born from a forbidden ritual, until he encounters a masked stranger who makes him wonder if the story might be more than a myth. Meanwhile, in a remote leper village, a handsome stranger brings hope with miraculous cures until doubts grow about whether his help may come at a terrible cost.
ProductionQ has also produced horror hits such as Home Sweet Home, which played at Busan International Film Festival in 2019, and Vietnamese Horror Story (2022). The Soul Reaper was also made as a series Hellbound Village for local streamer K+ with Netflix acquiring Southeast Asian rights.
Currently in post-production, their new film is being lined up for release on December 5, 2025. CJ HK Entertainment and ProductionQ are planning a cast reveal at the end of this month.
Launched in 2017 as a joint venture between CJ ENM and Vietnam’s HKFilm, CJ HK Entertainment has produced major Vietnamese hits such as Tran Thanh’s family dramas Mai and The House Of No Man, which both grossed around $20M.
The company also distributes Vietnamese, Korean and other international films in the Vietnam market, produced both by CJ group companies and other international producers. It recently enjoyed a hit with Vietnamese family drama Leaving Mom, which has grossed $6M since its August release.
CJ also co-distributes films acquired by Vietnam’s Mockingbird Pictures including U.S. indie studio Neon’s Together and Indonesian horror films Pabrik Gula and Perewanan. Korean hits have included Hitman 2 and Yadang: The Snitch, which are the number one and two Korean films in Vietnam so far this year.
Upcoming releases to be co-distributed with Mockingbird include Japanese studio Toho’s Exit 8 on September 26, and Death Whisperer 3, produced by Thailand’s M Studio, on October 10.
On the original production front, CJ HK Entertainment is lining up four to five Vietnamese productions for release in 2026. Details of the new slate will be announced soon.
