[2024.12.08] MICHELLE WAI IS GRATEFUL AS THE LAST DANCE BECOMES THE HIGHEST GROSSING HONG KONG FILM

Michael Hui and Michelle Wai set off sparks and create a box office miracle
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THE LAST DANCE sets a new historical record. Michael Hui jokes that the ancestors helped and Dayo Wong hopes to have a movie that breaks the record every year
courtesy of singtao.com

Anselm Chan and Michelle Wai have become the over HK$ 100 million box office Hong Kong film director and star. It felt like a dream for them, but they were not satisfied.

THE LAST DANCE so far has taken in HK$ 115.5 million in Hong Kong, with the 122 million in Macau the film set a new record.

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE made HK$ 115 million in Hong Kong and HK$ 120 million in Macau. THE LAST DANCE has broken both.

Michelle Wai says that the director forgot about her a few years ago, saying that she made YouTube videos and did not belong to the film industry. At the time she could not be more heartbroken.
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Anselm Chan Mou Yin directed, Michael Hui Koon Man, Dayo Wong Tze Wah, Michelle Wai Sze Nga and Tommy Chu Pak Hong starred Emperor Motion Picture THE LAST DANCE (POR. DEI YUK) has been on a strong trajectory since its opening. It set a new record again yesterday morning. With a cumulative box office of over H$122 million, it officially ranked first at the box office of Asian and Chinese-language films in Hong Kong and Macau. Emperor Group Chairman Albert Yeung Sau Sing expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the audience for their support, and Hui Koon Man did not forget to thank the ancestors. "What an unexpected miracle! I estimated that this time the ancestors helped! The credit also goes to all the cast and the crew's efforts!" As for the audience's recognition of Wai Sze Nga, she was happy and grateful, "Gratitude for running into a good script, good co-stars and a good team, I am the most grateful for making something the audience likes." Director and screenwriter Chan Mou Yin said frankly that the film was his most challenging work. It was also his experience and understanding of life, and a letter he wrote to life. He hoped that after watching the film, the audience would be relieved and continued to practice sadhana.
Emperor Group chief Dr. Albert Yeung Sau Sing happily stated, "I sincerely thank each viewer around the world for their support of THE LAST DANCE. This film's screenplay is outstanding, production excellent, and actors' performances bring surprises. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew and may they continue to work hard, take advantage of even more opportunities, make even more different types of good movies for the audiences, and may the film industry reach the another level!"

Wong Tze Wah last year with A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG) already became the HK$ 100 million box office star. This time he repeated the feat with THE LAST DANCE. He thanked the audience for their support and hoped to have one or more record breaking movie every year.

Tommy Chu Pak Hong emotionally admitted that he never expected the movie would have such a great effect, very happy that LAST gave the audience a channel for relief, a thinking state in life; Catherine Chau Ka Yee also thanked the audience for their participation and was very happy to be a part of the team.

The Anselm Chan Mou Yin directed, Michael Hui Koon Man, Dayo Wong Tze Wah, Michelle Wai Sze Nga, Tommy Chu Pak Hong starred film THE LAST DANCE (POR. DEI YUK)'s box office broke through HK$ 115.5 million on the 29th, surpassing Wong Tze Wah's other film A GUILTY CONSCIENCE and ranking first among Hong Kong's highest-grossing Chinese-language films. Wong Tze Wah hoped that there would be movies that break records every year, and Hui Koon Man said that it was an unexpected miracle, thanking the ancestors for their help. Chan Mou Yin and Wai Sze Nga said in an interview that they felt dreamy. Although they rose to become 100 million box office director and actress, they were not complacent. Chan Mou Yin still adhered to the teachings of senior filmmaker Fong Ping, to make high-quality films; because no matter whether it is a blockbuster or a small film, the box office could not predicted. He also predicted that the next film he directed definitely would not break THE LAST DANCE's record. Wai Sze Nga hoped to win the Hong Kong Film Awards with this film, hoping to be seen by everyone that she was an actor who loved acting, not an Internet celebrity, and hoped to have more performance opportunities in the future.

THE LAST DANCE opened on November 9th and was released yesterday for 29 days. It broke box office records repeatedly, including the fastest Chinese film to break HK$ 100 million. As of 5 PM yesterday, the Hong Kong box office reached $115,588,921, becoming the champion of Hong Kong Chinese films. In addition, the Macau box office received a total of more than 122 million, ranking first in the box office of Asian and Chinese-language films in Hong Kong and Macau and creating box office history. The previous box office record of $115,060,394 set by A GUILTY CONSCIENCE was achieved after more than two months of release, and the Macau box office collected a total of 120 million. THE LAST DANCE surpassed both in less than a month as GUILTY retreated to 2nd place.

The Wong Tze Wah starred THE LAST DANCE and A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG) were the top two films. He said, "I hope that one or more movies can break the record every year." Hui Koon Man thanked the ancestors, "An unexpected miracle! I estimated that this time the ancestors helped! The credit also belonged to all the people in front of and behind the scenes!" Wai Sze Nga was glad to have the audience recognition, and she was so happy and grateful to have run into a good script, good co-stars and a good team.

Director Chan Mou Yin admitted that he was a slow and pessimistic person in an interview. Although THE LAST DANCE's box office continued to climb after the opening, he only realized that he was happy at the first celebration banquet a few days ago. In addition he finally received praises from his parents, "Pretty sharp!" He also began to feel that he was pretty sharp, and broke a number of movie records as if he has done a big thing. He said, "Tze Wah and I are the same kind of people, I feel that the world is not perfect. Being able to reach a certain box office figure that is respectable, I already feel satisfied. So at first Tze Wah and I both estimated that it would receive about 50 million, but I didn't expect to break the record of A GUILTY CONSCIENCE's 115 million." Wai Sze Nga instead was full of confidence in the box office, and was optimistic about breaking 100 million from the beginning, "The subject is suitable for any level of audience to enjoy, I believe every audience likes it". She recalled the first few days of audience appreciation events, and every time she could not help but cry. When she listened to the audience share stories, not only her, but all the staff broke down and cried.

Becoming a HK$ 100 million box office director and a HK$ 100 million box office actress, both of them said that there is no pressure. Chan Mou Yin said, "I have to start over, come up with a script again, and sell it to the boss. (Will the next movie catch attention?) I will say it in advance, it definitely wouldn't perform as well as this one. This time has been the right people at the right time and the right place. (The record has been broken, would an extended version be launched to drum up more box office?) I have a consensus with Tze Wah god, and the extended version will be launched after breaking the record. It will add Kaki Sham and Elaine Jin (Kam Yin Ling)'s super-quality performances. Wai Sze Nga was not complacent, "Of course I am happy with the results, but I don't have my head in the clouds; nor do I feel like I have finally made it. Maybe I have always been doing what I like. The time has been a little longer, but fortunately I have not given up." She admitted that THE LAST DANCE's success has given her show business career a strong shot of confidence, and everyone has seen that Wai Sze Nga had this side.

This year, Wai Sze Nga lost in the competition for the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress with READY O/R ROT (BUT YUT SING FUN 2). Now many people are optimistic about her becoming the favorite for next year's Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress with THE LAST DANCE. She admitted that she wanted the award, "I hope so, I really want to have this award. I won't say polite words like 'it doesn't matter, I want to participate', because I want to be seen. A few years ago, when the director was looking for an actor, he has forgotten about Wai Sze Nga. Even when someone suggested me, they would be told that 'she doesn't belong to the film industry, she makes YouTube'. I was so heartbroken when I learned about it. Because I liked acting I entered the industry, I made YouTube videos because I had no role to play. I have to live too, but I didn't give up. I continued to persevere. I hope that even more people will remember me after winning the Hong Kong Film Awards. I still exist. I am an actor, and I hope that more movies will ask me to perform in the future." She admitted that she had more acting opportunities, but the film let her know that a movie had a deep impact on people. The requirements for taking on movies in the future will be a little higher, and she must understand what message the movie will want to bring and whether she can do it. Chung Suet Ying was awarded the Golden Horse Movie with THE WAY WE TALK (HONG NGOR GUM TIN JUM MOR SUET). Would she be her biggest rival in the competition for the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress? Wai Sze Nga said, "I am very happy for Chung Suet Ying to win the award, and I sent a text message to cheer her up before the competition, 'Let's go, you are already the Best Actress in my mind'. She wanted me to win the award too, it was healthy competition."

When asked why Chan Mou Yin thought THE LAST DANCE was popular? He said, "Tze Wah god is right. The first time you watch is the movie, and the second time you look at yourself. From it you can find your own shadow and similarities. Of course because there is a group of skilled and infectious actors, they can easily get into the role and they have also contributed a lot for the film. Like Wai Sze Nga; although we have cooperated with the first and second installment of READY O/R KNOT (BUT YUT SING FUN) before, we were very familiar; THE LAST DANCE was also written for her, but I told her, 'The role doesn't have to be yours, I want you try and see if you have the heart to play it -- whether you are suitable for this role or not?' She immediately asked what she needed to do, so we started from scratch and found a Namo Master. Then she didn't take other jobs and spent 9 months concentrating on practicing the hell-breaking ritual. She spent so much time preparing for the role, not all actors can do that. I thank her for having trust in me."

Chan Mou Yin pointed out that the scene where Wai Sze Nga sat in the ambulance and shed a tear after reading the suicide note of "Papa" Hui Koon Man surprised him the most. "This shot took all night to make, no one know what feeling I wanted. She took the initiative to ask me, and I told her about my view of the world. I wanted to shoot a very lonely feeling. She said after listening to it that she knew and took her mark. She expressed it so profoundly. Although in the end it could only be cut into two shots, they were already enough. I haven't praised her once throughout the entire film. It's not that she didn't do a good job, it's that I think she is in this state; and there can't be a trace of joy in her heart. On the last day, the last shot, I finally couldn't help but praise her."

Wai Sze Nga admitted that the production was very painful, because it was very depressing. "The scene of the daily performance was so painful and lonely, but the director didn't me cry. He said don't cry, and enduring it was very hard. So when I finished work and got in the car to go home and take a shower, I burst into tears. After acting in the film, I really wanted to hold 'Man Yuet' in the film, because the road she has traveled was really not easy; so I kept telling myself 'You are great'."