Vietnamese literary classic “Dumb Luck” to get global film adaptation starring singer MONO

At the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) in Singapore, Fremantle, Beach House Pictures, and Anh Teu Studio announced their collaboration on a film adaptation of Vu Trọng Phụng’s 1936 classic novel, Dumb Luck (SỐ ĐỎ). The project brings together a stellar team of global and local talent, promising to reintroduce one of Vietnam’s most influential literary works to an international audience.

Set in 1930s Vietnam during the waning years of French colonial rule, Dumb Luck follows Red-Haired Xuan, an unscrupulous drifter who ascends to the heights of society against the backdrop of profound social and political change. This biting satire of class, power, and societal hypocrisy remains strikingly relevant nearly a century after its publication.

The film will star Vietnamese singer MONO as Xuan, with direction and writing by celebrated filmmaker Phan Gia Nhat Linh (The Girl From Yesterday, Em Va Trinh). Linh also serves as a producer under Anh Teu Studio, working alongside Beach House Pictures and Fremantle in a Vietnam-Korea-Singapore co-production. The movie is slated for release in Vietnam through CJ CGV.

First published in 1936, Vu Trọng Phụng’s Dumb Luck faced censorship and was banned in Vietnam from 1954 to 1986. Despite its turbulent history, the novel has since been recognized as a cornerstone of Vietnamese literature. Today, an excerpt titled The Happiness of a Family in Mourning is part of the national high school curriculum, and the book has been translated into multiple languages, including English, German, Chinese, and French.

Phan Gia Nhat Linh expressed his excitement for the project, said, “I’m so happy to bring this wonderful Vietnamese story to international audiences and to make this film with our Anh Teu Studio in collaboration with international companies — Beach House Pictures and Fremantle — for the first time.”

Christian Vesper, CEO of Global Drama & Film at Fremantle, emphasized the novel’s legacy, said, “I am excited about our first film collaboration with our colleagues at Beach House Pictures, along with the great team at Anh Teu Studio, and delighted that we are able to bring such an iconic novel to life. Linh is an outstanding director, and Dumb Luck underlines our commitment to supporting the finest talent in the global film industry.”

Conor Zorn, Head of Scripted at Beach House Pictures, highlighted the novel’s enduring relevance, said, “Dumb Luck’s sharp satire and poignant themes of class struggle and division by influential Vietnamese writer Vu Trong Phung still resonate profoundly in today’s world. We are thrilled to be partnering with one of Vietnam’s best storytellers, director Linh, to bring this remarkable story to the big screen.”

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