'The Roundup' is a sequel to the hit crime film 'The Outlaws' (2017) starring Don Lee. Photo: Handout
The Roundup, a South Korean action comedy which starred popular Korean-American actor Don Lee, will not be screened in Vietnam, officially because the film is considered "too violent".
South Korea's Lotte Entertainment had applied in May for film certification for the movie from the Vietnamese film department, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.
"Despite the effort, The Roundup has been banned by Vietnam for presenting too many violent scenes," a Lotte Cinema official told The Korea Herald last Thursday (July 7).
The action film centres on a beast-like detective called Ma Seok-do (played by Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok).
The Roundup, a sequel to the hit crime film The Outlaws (2017) starring Lee and Yoon Kye-sang, presents a cop's journey to extradite a suspect, who has been committing crimes against South Korean tourists in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Most of the movie was shot in South Korea, though a few of the scenes were shot in Vietnam.
The fact that Ho Chi Minh City was shown as a lawless city may have influenced the Vietnamese authorities' decision, a film industry insider who wished to remain anonymous told The Korea Herald last Thursday.
The action flick recorded 10 million admissions on June 11, becoming the first South Korean film to achieve the feat after director Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning Parasite in 2019.
Selling 10 million tickets is considered the benchmark for major success in South Korea, which has a population of around 50 million. The Roundup became the 28th film to reach the milestone of 10 million ticket sales in South Korea. – Korea Herald/Asia News Network
