The production team, led by The Last of Us Producer Rose Lam, was said to be scouting Cát Bà, Vietnam.
A new League of Legends live-action series appears to be in development, with Vietnam emerging as a potential filming location.
According to a machine-translated post by the official Vietnamese Facebook page for government information (Thông tin Chính phủ) on 12 March, Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends is surveying and planning to film a 9-episode TV series in Cát Bà, Vietnam later in 2025.
The official Facebook accounts of League of Legends Vietnam, TeamFight Tactics Esports VN, and VALORANT, all replied to the post with either emojis or congratulatory remarks.
Vietnamese officials met with the production delegation
More details were published in the comments section of the same post where they wrote that the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VHTTDL) Nguyễn Văn Hùng had a meeting with the Riot Games representatives on 10 March, where he expressed his appreciation for the Hollywood film delegation.
This delegation included “Global Production Director” Rose Lam, who is best known as the producer of the critically acclaimed live-action TV Series The Last of Us, which won Best Adaptation at the 2024 Game Awards.
Riot Games is said to have restructured its entertainment division into two dedicated studios: an animation studio led by Christian Linke and a live-action studio headed by Brian Wright.
While "Riot Studios" is not an official designation used by Riot Games, multiple Vietnamese news outlets have referenced it in their reports. Similarly, "Global Production Director" is not an official title in English but has also appeared in various Vietnamese reports. Both may stem from translation choices or regional reporting practices.
Rose Lam stated that Riot Studios had surveyed multiple Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, and Thailand, before determining that Vietnam best suited the project's creative and production needs. The delegation assessed Cát Bà as a "highly feasible" and suitable filming location.
Another member of the delegation, Nicholas Simon, CEO of Indochina Productions, also attended the meeting and described the project as "a great opportunity to promote Vietnam." He added that Vietnam is "one of the priority countries" for international film productions due to its stable audience and growing tourism industry.
Vietnam is “ready to cooperate” but highlights legal and environmental regulations
Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng reaffirmed Vietnam’s openness to international film projects, stating, "Vietnam is ready to cooperate and facilitate the research team and filming."
At the same time, he underscored the importance of adhering to Vietnam’s legal and environmental regulations. "Any activity in Vietnam must comply with Vietnamese law, ensuring co-development, harmonised benefits, and shared risks," he said. Speaking specifically about Cát Bà, a UNESCO-recognised heritage site, he made Vietnam’s stance clear: "Vietnam will not trade the environment for economic benefits."
As part of a broader effort to promote tourism through cinema, the minister confirmed that the Ministry of Planning and Investment would work with Hai Phong authorities to support the production process. He also mentioned potential measures such as visa exemptions to facilitate international film crews. "Through Hollywood, the world's film centre, Vietnam hopes to further promote Vietnamese cinema and tourism," he noted. "We aim to develop our cultural industries to significantly contribute to the nation's growth."
Which region in Runeterra will the live-action project be set in?
There are a couple of regions of Runeterra surrounded by water that would fit Cát Bà’s setting, like Ionia, Bilgewater, and Shadow Isles. However, given the geography of the Vietnamese group of islands, it’s likely Bilgewater or Shadow Isles.
Aside from the said meeting with government officials and Lam’s involvement with the production, other details, including the release window of the said project have yet to be confirmed by Riot Games.
