MegaStar Media Ltd. Co. announced it would screen “Rio”, the first U.S. 3D film dubbed in Vietnamese, at theatres across the country on April. 8.
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| Vietnamese voice actors who worked on the movie “Rio” |
The joint project between MegaStar and “Rio”’s producer 20th Century Fox aims to expand the target audience to kids and the elderly who have troubles reading subtitles, Brian Hall, chairman of MegaStar, told a press briefing. He said 3D movie dubbing has been going on for a while in Thailand, Japan and China.
“Rio” will screen in Vietnam and around Asia on April 8, one week earlier than in the U.S.
Vietnamese voice actors that took part in the dubbing, Minh Tiep, Minh Hang and Dai Nghia, had to sign a contract agreeing not to talk about the project until the movie screened here, Christopher Thinh, MegaStar’s director of distribution and logistics, said.
The movie’s U.S. creator Carlos Saldanha cast each of the voice actors and Fox sent Hollywood dubbing experts to oversee the quality of the process, Thinh said.
The dubbing in Vietnam was completed on Sunday and more post production will be completed in the U.S. before it is flown back for screening. Other versions include 2D and 3D with Vietnamese subtitles.
Hall told the Daily that MegaStar invested VND1 billion (USD47,846) in the project and said he hoped to do more such projects if the dubbed version is received well.
The cost was much greater than doing subtitles, he said.
As the name suggests “Rio” is set in Rio de Janeiro and tropical forests of Brazil. When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio with this bird of his dreams.
The film is directed by Ice Age director Saldanha, with the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway and George Lopez.
Ticket prices will be the same as other 3D movies in the country.