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Exclusive: Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has acquired international rights for the zany kung-fu-themed action romantic comedy Zenithal.

Vanessa Guide stars as a woman battling to establish peace between the sexes after her longtime boyfriend falls under the thrall of a Machiavellian schemer, who has murdered and harnessed the virulent powers of a famous kung-fu master, as part of a plan to restore absolute male domination.

It is the first feature of Jean-Baptiste Saurel, who has recently been signed as one of the directors on France TV’s upcoming Zorro reboot starring Jean Dujardin, with previous credits including the Disney+ sci-fi French original Parallels.

The feature expands on his provocative 2012 Cannes Critics’ Week short The Dickslap (La Bifle). Bff has released a first-look photo hinting at one of the zany plot twists.

First look at ‘Zenithal’

“Zenithal questions the injunctions of virility through comedy, with a visual style inherited from U.

The third feature directed by Vietnamese superstar Ngo Thanh Van — better known to western audiences as actor Veronica Ngo in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “The Old Guard” — lives up to its title with a furious display of female revenge set in the seedy streets of late-’90s Ho Chi Minh City. Despite a routine plot and some abrasive tonal shifts, this tale of a motherly mentor turning three damaged young women into deadly assassins is packed with exciting action and boasts fine performances from four killers bound by blood, bullets and all manner of deadly weapons. Following a series of rowdy screenings in SXSW’s Midnighters section, “Furies” will stream worldwide as the first Vietnamese Netflix original feature on March 23.

A gritty and often brutal action thriller, “Furies” is reminiscent in tone and texture of old-school Hong Kong heroic bloodshed epics and has a dash of the “indestructible...

In "Furie," Veronica Ngô stars as an ex-gangster in a desperate situation. "Furies" takes Ngô from in front of the camera and puts her in the director's chair of the action-heavy prequel headed to Netflix. An early 2000s vibe about seedy gangland colorfulness nods to an adrenaline junkie wave that birthed titles such as "Smokin' Aces" or "Shoot 'Em Up," which isn't a complaint. Ngô orchestrates a sleaze-filled yet feminine action brawler that flips the script on once prevalent subgenre gender norms, unfazed — better yet, empowered — by the task. The hyper-intensive style favorably reminds of "Sin City" minus black and white, or even as recently as "Bullet Train," how Saigon becomes drenched in neons like Nicolas Winding Refn's got a hold of lighting rigs.

Ngô also plays Jaqueline, the gracious leader of an underground assassin squad composed of girls who've endured unspeakable abuse under male-dominated societal norms. Bi (played...

"Either you end this with me, or run away for the rest of your life." Netflix has revealed the official trailer for Furies, an action movie from Vietnam. This will be premiering at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival in a few weeks before it's streaming on Netflix worldwide at the end of March. Three furious vigilantes unite to take down a sinister crime syndicate that controls the mean streets of '90s Saigon in this prequel to Furie. If you haven't watch the original, it's awesome (on Prime Video). A mysterious woman trains a trio of girls to take revenge on a criminal gang that abuses females. The three warriors risk everything to challenge this corrupt empire. Furie fight choreographer, Samuel Kefi Abrikh, returns again for this. Furies stars Rima Thanh Vy, Thuan Nguyen, Song Luan, Veronica Ngo, and recording artist Toc Tien. On top of spectacular stunt choreography and cinematography...

Stars: Joey King, Ed Stoppard, Alex Reid, Dominic Cooper, Veronica Ngo, Olga Kurylenko, Kristofer Kamiyasu, Fergus O’Donnell, Antoni Davidov | Written by Ben Lustig, Jake Thornton | Directed by Le-Van Kiet

The Princess opens with the title character waking up groggy to find herself locked in a tower with only vague memories of how she got there. Within minutes she has to deal with a pair of soldiers with ill intent, both of whom she quite violently dispatches with moves that include a lethal kick and a hairpin through the eye.

As that probably told you, The Princess tosses all notions of historical accuracy, or any kind of accuracy really right out the window. Director Le-Van Kiet takes Ben Lustig (The Thirst) and Jake Thornton’s script and runs with it. After his last two films, he knew he needed to repeat the success of his last hit, the female-fronted action film Furie.

In most stories, a princess trapped in tower will need a man to save her. Joey King’s unnamed Princess isn’t like that. Furie director Le-Van Kiet’s actioner attempts to take a female lead and invert The Raid, with her facing off against a seemingly unending phalanx of enemies as she descends the tower where she’s being held captive, prior to her wedding to the evil and ambitious Julius (Dominic Cooper).

Initially, the presence of Joey King and the fact that this film (in the UK) would be launching on Disney+ made me think it would essentially be Enchanted with swords; a stereotypical Disney princess finally fighting back violently. Kiet and writers Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton lean into this a little in the film’s opening, which springs The Princess’ fighting skills on us when guards come to her room. Even here though, there’s an immediate retreat from anything cartoony,...

Stars: Lê Bình, Pham Anh Khoa, Veronica Ngo, Thanh Nhien Phan, Kim Long Thach, Hoa Tran, Cat Vy | Written by Le-Van Kiet, Nguyen Truong Nhan | Directed by Le-Van Kiet

Furie (Hai Phượng) is directed by Lê Văn Kiệt and stars Veronica Ngo as ex-gangster and debt collector Hai Phuong, whose daughter is suddenly kidnapped on the street by a group of criminals who are selling body parts on the black market. In order to find and save her daughter before she is lost forever, Hai Phuong falls back into the volatile and violent life she tried to leave behind. Resulting in a warpath of violence stopping at nothing to kill everyone who stands in her way.

The comparisons to John Wick for western audiences are going to come thick and fast, however, this isn’t just a “Vietnamese John Wick” it’s a distinctive different palette of filmmaking and performance.

Veronica Ngo, who had a brief but memorable role as Paige Tico in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” is returning to her Vietnamese roots with the action-thriller “Furie.”

Ngo, who has credits dating back to 2005’s “Saigon Love Story,” produces, writes, and stars in “Furie.” Arclight Films is selling the movie at the American Film Market, and Well Go USA has bought U.S. rights.

“The appetite for more cross-cultural and strong female empowerment stories is accelerating at a rapid pace,” said Arclight chairman Gary Hamilton. “Now more than ever, it’s important for us at Arclight to bring hidden gems that would not ordinarily be accessible such as ‘Furie’ to audiences around the world. We are thrilled to partner with Well Go USA to showcase Vietnamese filmmaking at its finest. Well Go’s expertise in distributing content for the global audience makes them the perfect partner to put this Asian,...