"The Billion Dollar Kiss" marks Thu Trang's directorial debut in a feature film. However, the actress is quite confident in releasing the film during the Lunar New Year, unafraid of competing with two other projects associated with Tran Thanh's name.
The race for Lunar New Year 2025 films is hotter than ever. Of the three films that have confirmed their release dates, two are projects by... Tran Thanh behind: One is The four assassins, in their roles as directors and actors, are two of them... Falling in love with the wrong person: her best friend who is also a producer.
The remaining films Billion-dollar kiss by Thu Trang The director's work hasn't received as much attention as Tran Thanh's two projects, but it still generates curiosity thanks to its cast of famous actors.
Thu Trang changes direction.
Thu Trang is not an unfamiliar name in Vietnamese cinema. The actress, born in 1984, is famous for many films that have achieved high box office revenue, such as I am your grandmother. (2015) Blood Moon Party (2020) Sister Thirteen: Three Days of Life and Death (2020)…
She has also served as a producer for many film projects, but this is her first time trying her hand at directing.
The main character in Billion-dollar kiss She is Vân (Đoàn Thiên Ân), a bread vendor. After a minor accident, she unexpectedly meets two guys, Tú Henry (Ma Ran Đô) and Nhật Quang (Lê Xuân Tiền). Both have different personalities but are ideal types for many girls.
Tu Henry is introduced as a famous playboy heir who inherited a tourism conglomerate from his late father. Nhat Quang is no less impressive: a Harvard graduate, a top 10 young entrepreneur, and the owner of a successful supermarket chain.
They all harbored special feelings for Vân, creating a complicated yet intriguing love triangle.
With her debut project, Thu Trang has been quite quiet. The film was announced belatedly, and its release date during Tet (Lunar New Year) was later than other works.
The actress hasn't rested at all and has been quite active lately. Last year, Thu Trang starred alongside Thai Hoa in... The little girl is looking for a husband. win Outstanding Film Actress at the Golden Kite Awards 2023.
This year, she continues to appear alongside a host of stars in The bride from a wealthy family . This helped the film earn over 73 billion VND.
The actress is quite confident in bringing her brainchild to theaters during the Lunar New Year season, unafraid to compete with more experienced colleagues. Her rivals this time include not only Tran Thanh but also two renowned directors, Nguyen Quang Dung and Diep The Vinh.
Moreover, Thu Trang not only directed but also produced the film, and even played a supporting role.
The cast consists of young stars, but they haven't made much of an impact yet.
Basically, the content Billion-dollar kiss It lacks many interesting points. The film still follows the familiar direction of the romantic comedy genre, exploiting the love triangle motif. The director chose the dreamy setting of Da Lat as a backdrop for the romantic scenes, contributing to making the story more relatable.
However, the promotional images and trailer haven't generated much curiosity. It seems the team is deliberately hiding the most exciting elements, not revealing any plot twists to avoid ruining the audience's experience.
The presence of a cast of young and attractive actors is almost a draw for viewers, including Doan Thien An – Miss Peace in Vietnam 2022. This is also her first leading role in a film after a supporting role in Prince of Bac Lieu (2024).
Alongside Doan Thien An are Le Xuan Tien and Ma Ran Do. However, none of the three are yet guaranteed box office stars, and their appeal is not comparable to the other stars in the project such as Tran Thanh, Kaity Nguyen, Thanh Son…
Le Xuan Tien has experience working on many high-grossing projects such as The Old Lady with Many Tricks 2 (2018) The Old Lady with Many Tricks 3 (2020) Girl from the past (2022)… Unfortunately, the performance of model Born in 1996, he hasn't yet been highly regarded. He mainly plays familiar roles, so he hasn't made a lasting impression on the audience.
Meanwhile, Ma Ran Do is not a prominent face in the film industry either. The actor, born in 1997, is famous for his "hot boy" image and is best known for his appearances in music videos. No love is like first love. (2020) by singer Trung Quân Idol.
Inviting new actors to the project is an effort by Thu Trang to target a younger audience. The trio promises to bring a fresh perspective to the Lunar New Year screen, while also increasing the appeal of the story.
However, she also put herself in a difficult position with her debut work. It's very possible that the quality of the film will be somewhat affected by the inexperience of the cast.
Last year, director Le Hoang was also quite confident when he brought Tea It was shown during Tet (Lunar New Year). As a result, the film had to be withdrawn from theaters due to poor box office performance. Tomorrow Tran Thanh's performance was defeated and only brought in over 1.6 billion VND.
Therefore, Thu Trang could still find herself in a similar situation if the production team doesn't have a strong promotional strategy to increase the film's visibility.
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