Stephen Chow's comeback film 'Kung Fu Women's Soccer' reaches 60 million yuan in pre-sales
Director Stephen Chow has made a spectacular comeback with his first new film in seven years, 'Kung Fu Women's Football,' which recorded cumulative pre-sale revenue of 60 million yuan the day before its release.
Comedy Master Returns After 7 Years, Pre-sale Revenue Hits 60 Million Yuan
Comedy film master director Stephen Chow has unveiled his new work after seven years. 'Kung Fu Women's Football,' which opened across China on the 11th, surpassed 60 million yuan (approximately 13.3 billion KRW) in cumulative revenue from advance screenings and pre-sales as of the afternoon of the 10th, the day before its release. This is the highest pre-release performance among works released during China's summer peak season in the last three years.
This work chose football as its subject matter, coinciding with the excitement surrounding the 2026 North American World Cup. It is the first time in about 20 years that football has been featured as a theme since the hit film 'Shaolin Soccer' in 2001. Director Chow has released this new work seven years after his 2019 film 'The New King of Comedy.'
While his previous work 'Shaolin Soccer' dealt with the challenges of a fallen former football player and Shaolin martial arts masters, this time the protagonists are the women's football team, the 'Emei Team.' Facing a crisis ahead of a top-tier football tournament, they use Kung Fu to challenge strong teams and strive for victory. Chow's signature narrative of ordinary people challenging their dreams is captured through the theme of women's football.
Director Chow chose a promotional strategy of announcing the release date abruptly without revealing trailers or posters until just before the opening. The Hong Kong media outlet HK01 reported, "Even in the trailer, most of the main actors' faces were not revealed, but the anticipation of fans was heightened solely by Stephen Chow's unique 'absurd' comedy sensibility." The film introduces a setting where each player uses different martial arts, such as a goalkeeper using Tai Chi and a forward using Baguazhang.
Cast Including Zhang Xiaofei and Dilraba Dilmurat, with a Production Budget of 84.2 Billion KRW
The cast boasts a glamorous lineup. Golden Rooster Best Actress winner Zhang Xiaofei took on the role of 'Shuangshuang,' the team captain and goalkeeper. She cut her long hair and underwent six months of physical training for the role. Dilraba Dilmurat, who played the starting forward 'Yu Long,' gained 8kg to build her physique and underwent three months of football training. Actor Zhang Yixing, formerly of EXO, took on a leadership role, performing most of the high-difficulty action scenes in the film himself.
The casting, which evokes nostalgia for 'Shaolin Soccer,' is also noteworthy. Hong Kong stars such as Carina Lau, Jimmy Yang, and Zhang Zhichong, along with original 'Shaolin Soccer' members Lin Zichong and Huang Yifei, make special appearances. Korean actor Song Kang-ho (60) appears as the referee for the final match. To enhance the film's realism, former members of the Chinese women's national football team, Zhao Lina and Li Jiawei, appeared as actors and served as technical advisors, guiding the match scenes and tactical direction.
The production scale is the largest among Director Chow's previous works. The total production cost reaches 380 million yuan (approximately 84.2 billion KRW). The director lowered the proportion of actor salaries, which typically accounts for 30-40% of production costs, to about 15%. Instead, nearly half of the total production budget was invested in producing over 1,200 computer-generated imagery (CG) special effects scenes to enhance the visual effects.
Casting Controversy and the Current State of the Chinese Film Market
As Japanese actor Takeru Satoh (37) was included in the cast list, some casting controversies were raised online, coinciding with anti-Japanese sentiment in China. Satoh's role is a special appearance rather than a leading role.
In the first half of this year, the Chinese film market's box office revenue was 17.3 billion yuan, a decrease of nearly 40% compared to the same period last year. According to data compiled by Maoyan, as of the morning of the 9th, pre-sale revenue recorded 40 million yuan.
