Stephen Chow's new film, Kung Fu Soccer (original title: 功夫女足), premiered across China on July 11. This marks Chow's return to filmmaking after seven years, following his 2019 release, The New King of Comedy. The film is particularly anticipated as it revisits the theme of soccer, over 20 years after his hit film Shaolin Soccer.
Chow employed an unconventional marketing strategy for this release, announcing the premiere date without revealing trailers or posters until just before the launch. Hong Kong media outlet HK01 noted that while the trailer kept most of the cast's faces hidden, Chow's signature absurd comedy style has heightened fan expectations.
The main poster evokes memories of Shaolin Soccer. The film follows the 'Emei Team,' a women's soccer squad, as they face a critical challenge ahead of a prestigious tournament, using kung fu to compete against stronger teams. It features Chow's typical narrative of ordinary people striving for their dreams, now centered on women's soccer.
Kung Fu Soccer is not merely a female version of Shaolin Soccer. It reflects the growing interest in women's soccer in China and the rise of women's sports, showcasing different martial arts styles for each player, such as Tai Chi for the goalkeeper and various techniques for the forwards.
The cast includes top talent, with award-winning actress Zhang Xiaofei playing the team captain and goalkeeper 'Shuangshuang,' who cut her long hair and underwent six months of physical training. Dilireba, portraying the main striker 'Yulong,' gained 17.6 pounds and trained for three months in soccer. Actor Zhang Yixing, formerly of EXO, performed most of his own stunts in the film.
Other notable appearances include Liu Jialing, Jimmy Yang, and Zhang Jicheng, along with original cast members Lin Zichong and Huang Yifei from Shaolin Soccer, providing a nostalgic touch for fans.
To enhance authenticity, former Chinese national team players Zhao Lina and Li Jiawei not only acted in the film but also served as technical advisors, guiding the choreography of the soccer scenes and tactics.
The production scale is unprecedented, with a total budget of 380 million yuan (approximately $54 million), making it Chow's largest project to date. Notably, the proportion of actor salaries, typically 30-40% of production costs, was reduced to about 15%, allowing for half of the budget to be allocated to over 1,200 CGI special effects scenes. This aims to deliver a visual spectacle that surpasses Shaolin Soccer.
However, there are potential challenges for box office success. Amid rising anti-Japanese sentiment in China, the casting of Japanese actor Takeru Satoh has sparked some online controversy. Nevertheless, as his role is more of a special appearance than a leading one, it is expected to have a limited impact on the film's performance.
The Chinese film market has faced difficulties, with box office revenue in the first half of the year dropping nearly 40% year-on-year to 17.3 billion yuan.
Despite this, Kung Fu Soccer, driven by the name 'Stephen Chow,' is considered one of the most anticipated films of the summer, raising hopes for revitalizing the sluggish theater scene. According to Maoyan, as of the morning of July 9, advance ticket sales had reached 40 million yuan.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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