THE LAST SECRET OF THE FIRST EMPEROR: Johnny Tri Nguyen To Star In New Historical Vietnamese Martial Arts Thriller
Johnny Tri Nguyen is coming back into the limelight these days with his newest role in The Last Secret Of The First Emperor. The actor and martial artist will star, as well as shepherd the action sequences on the historical actioner for Nguyen Phan Quang Binh (Song Of The Stork, The Floating Lives, Secrets Of The Wind) who will direct.
The project hails from BHD & Vietnam Media Corp who are launching sales at the Cannes market this week. Pre-production is currently underway and will reportedly roll cameras for 60 days across November and December in time for a late 2026 according to Deadline’s Liz Shackleton who had more to share on Thursday:
BHD says the film will feature high-octane martial arts action sequences, but will also be a tale of family bonds, romance, noble sacrifice and Vietnam’s rich history and culture. It will be filmed in Vietnam’s Ninh Binh province, known for its stunning landscapes, with support from the provincial government.
The story follows seven warriors on a top-secret mission: to transport 99 coffins as a strategic diversion designed to mislead hostile forces. Their true objective is to ensure that the tomb of Vietnam’s first Emperor remains an eternal mystery.
Nguyen’s rise to fandom fame stem from his international career in Hollywood as a stunt performer, as well as a local talent. His mix of credits on both sides of the camera partly includes “Mortal Kombat: Conquest,” Serenity, Cradle 2 The Grave and Tom Yum Goong, as well as The Rebel, Clash, and Sword Of The Assassin.
Things came to ahead with the censorship of his 2013 crime thriller, Cho Lon, directed by Charlie Nguyen. He’s accrued some screen credits since then, including Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, but it’s been a mystery as to when fans of the actor would ever see him back at the forefront of something as exciting as his earlier filmography. With Vietnam’s industry seeing some momentum and with Nguyen’s return back into film discourse, it’s great to see him and BHD striking while the iron’s hot.
“There’s something about Vietnamese martial arts that is very special for us, because throughout history, the little country of Vietnam has been facing a lot of big enemies, and there’s something unique about the martial art that carried us through,” Nguyen said.
“I want to present that little secret to the audience in the film. We’re going to put a lot of attention into making sure that it’s historically correct, even down to the wardrobes and costumes and set.”
Read more at Deadline.
Lead image: Johnny Tri Nguyen in “The Rebel” (2007), Cinema Pictures
