Stephen Chow's new film, Kung Fu Soccer (original title: 功夫女足), premieres across China on July 11. This marks Chow's return to filmmaking after seven years since his last release, The New King of Comedy, in 2019. The film is particularly anticipated as it revisits the theme of soccer, two decades after his hit Shaolin Soccer.
Chow has employed an unconventional marketing strategy, revealing the release date without prior trailers or posters. Hong Kong media outlet HK01 noted that the limited exposure of the cast in the trailer has heightened fan anticipation, driven by Chow's signature absurd comedy style.
The main poster evokes memories of Shaolin Soccer. The film follows the 'Emei Team,' a women's soccer squad that faces a critical challenge as they prepare for a prestigious tournament, using kung fu to compete against formidable opponents. It embodies Chow's typical narrative of ordinary people striving for their dreams, now set against the backdrop of 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, featuring unique martial arts styles for each player, such as tai chi for the goalkeeper and various other martial arts for the forwards.
The cast is impressive, 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.
Notable cameos include Liu Jialing, Jimmy Yang, and original cast members from Shaolin Soccer, Lin Zichong and Huang Yifei, who will evoke nostalgia for fans. South Korean actor Song Kang-ho also makes a surprise appearance as the referee in the final match.
To enhance authenticity, former Chinese national team players Zhao Lina and Li Jiawei not only act in the film but also serve as technical advisors, guiding the choreography of the game scenes and tactics.
The production scale is unprecedented, with a total budget of 380 million yuan (approximately $54 million), making it the largest for a Chow film. Notably, the proportion of actor salaries, typically 30-40% of the budget, has been reduced to about 15%, allowing for half of the total budget to be allocated to over 1,200 CGI special effects scenes. This aims to deliver a 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 Sato Takeru has sparked some online controversy. Nevertheless, as his role is more of a cameo, 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, with pre-sale revenues reaching 40 million yuan as of the morning of July 9, according to Maoyan.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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