The producer has not yet set a new release date, stating the postponement is to introduce the film at a more suitable time, ensuring a complete experience for audiences. The team instructed those who purchased tickets to contact the cinema system for refund assistance.

"Money Trap" was pulled from cinemas just one day before its premiere. On 18/11, the team organized a film launch event in TP HCM, attracting numerous guest artists including stars from "Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai", Hua Vi Van, and director Duc Thinh.

Lien Binh Phat's character in "Money Trap". *Photo: Film crew*

The film garnered attention as it marks Lien Binh Phat's return to the big screen after seven years. It explores the themes of financial fraud and the production of counterfeit cosmetics. Lien Binh Phat plays the lead role, Dang Thuc, a young man with a romantic relationship with his girlfriend Tam (Tam Trieu Dang). A crisis unfolds when Thuc's sister requires urgent heart surgery, and Tam's mother incurs a debt of one billion dong.

Trailer for the film "Money Trap". *Video: Silver Moonlight*

Faced with the pressure of needing a large sum of money, Thuc unexpectedly receives a mysterious invitation from an old friend. He gradually falls into the vortex of a "black" phone application. After each payment received, he is forced to comply with the demands of strangers, spiraling into a series of errors. Once an ethical and law-abiding individual, he becomes entangled in a life-or-death gamble driven by ambition, even risking his loved ones.

The film features Jang Hye Jin, an actress from the Korean blockbuster *Parasite*, in the final scene, portraying a mysterious woman in Korea. Behind the facade of a friendly restaurant owner, she holds the role of the "boss" of a transnational fraud network. Her character operates an application that manipulates user behavior, compelling them to commit various illegal acts.

Tam Trieu Dang, playing the female lead, in a scene with Lien Binh Phat. *Photo: Film crew*

Lien Binh Phat, 35, gained recognition through *Song Lang*, a film inspired by *cai luong* (Vietnamese traditional opera), where he played the main character Dung "Thien Loi". In 2021, he starred in *Come and Go*, directed by Lim Kah Wai and released in Japan. His participation in television programs such as *Running Man Vietnam* and *Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai* significantly broadened his appeal, reaching a younger audience. In late october, he became the first Vietnamese star to win Taiwan's (China) Golden Bell Award.

Several other Vietnamese films have also been abruptly pulled from cinemas. During Tet 2023, director Vo Thanh Hoa's film *Sieu lua gap sieu lay* rescheduled its release when facing competition from Tran Thanh's *Nha ba Nu*. In late april, *Tim xac*, an 18+ film starring Hong Van and Tien Luat, exited cinemas after earning only 42 billion dong, attributed to the strong performance of Ly Hai's *Lat mat 8* and Victor Vu's *Tham tu Kien*.

Mai Nhat