[2025.06.24] DIRECTOR CALLS FOR SUPPORT ONLINE AFTER FIGHT FOR TOMORROW'S BOX OFFICE TROUBLE

Patrick Tam takes the initiatives to meet, communicate and build chemistry with Locker Lam before the film production began, for the first time in his career

Patrick Tam and Locker Lam play father and son in the film, risking their lives and going against the tides to elevate themselves.

Director Chan Tai Lee laments that the box office was beyond his control, he could only post more to call the public to support the film
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Chan Tai Lee directed, Patrick Tam Yiu Man (Ah Tam), Locker Lam Ka Hei, Ying Chi Yuet (Little Cat) and Mark Cheng Ho Nam starred movie FIGHT FOR TOMORROW (PING MING SAM LONG) received a total of about HK$ 360,000 over two days of release (as of the 22nd), and its box office was in trouble. Ah Tam also kept thanking the audience. Seeing the audience praising his wonderful performance, he could not help but cry when he sang the theme song of the movie on stage. Everyone contributed to the movie on their own to fight film's cold winter period.

Ah Tam and Locker played father and son who swim against the tide and fight for their ideals during the novel coronavirus pandemic in FIGHT FOR TOMORROW; the reality was the same as the two admitted that their acting careers have been bumpy. Locker has thought about giving up because he has had few performance opportunities and unable to support his parents. He planned to go on a working holiday to find another way out. Ah Tam had a mid-life crisis after stepping into his 50s, as he could no longer play the young role, and his turn has not yet arrived for the old ones. However he has not considered giving up, and he understood that letting go would lead to an opportunity for a turnaround.

Ah Tam and Locker worked together for the first time. In order to establish chemistry they met many times in advance to get to know each other. They joked that they rarely talked when they met in order to devote themselves to their roles. Ah Tam said that this was the first time in his film career when he met and communicated with the co-star before the start of filming. Because the film told the story of the two generations desperately going against the current in the days of ever-changing pandemic, and it also involved the relationship between father and son, basically they had to support each other and the roles were equally important. "In addition to talking about movies, we also share things other than movies, such as music preferences. Locker also talked about how to operate an online channel and increase popularity through social platforms, which opened my eyes."

The movie release ran in the cold winter of the film industry, when theaters have closed one after another; the audience's intention to enter has declined, affecting the box office results. Ah Tam thought that worrying would be in vain, and the only way was to attend audience appreciation events and promote hard.

Both of them were desperate in the play, fighting for their ideals. In real life they are also working hard for their careers, but the 56-year-old Ah Tam recalled that he encountered a bottleneck in the early days of "enlistment". "I couldn't play the young role and the old role has not yet come to me, which was a bit consistent with my character Shek Sam Long in the film. Mid-life crisis has appeared, but I am not as obsessed with the past as the character. I can absolutely let go, I wouldn't be drowning in the past. However adapting takes time, fortunately adjustment only took two years. At this time I just happened to run into FIGHT. It turns out that I can master the role of a father. I am very happy to be praised, which proves that years of hard work have not been in vain".

Locker entered the industry in 2016 with WEEDS ON FIRE (DIM NG BO), felt that the results were not as expected. He also thought about giving up at a low point. Only when he ran into FIGHT FOR TOMORROW did he land in the lead. "The past 10 years has had its ups and downs. I wanted to try different genres and roles at the beginning of my career, hoping to be seen but the results have been different from what I expected. My show business career has been iffy, without too many opportunities to perform. When I got into the business I promised my family that I would be able to not only take care of myself during the period but also cover family expenses. Just when I wanted to take a break from the entertainment industry and plan to go on a working holiday to think about my future, someone asked me to make an online video. The exaggerated performance attracted the director, which made me regain the opportunity to make movies. I felt that I was useful, working on the actor job like and be able to make a living."

Locker said that he liked acting, but felt that he was born at the wrong time. The opportunities have indeed decreased during the cold winter of the film industry, but he understood that many things were predestined. He could only find other performances. "I have been lucky in the past few years. I have had the opportunity to perform in stage plays and have been appreciated. This year I have again participated in stage plays, and the most important thing is to get to work. As I wait for the opportunity I discover other interests, so I form a soccer team with (Carlos) Chan Ka Lok and others. Although it is amateur in nature, but we train with a coach every week and will sign up for competitions to prevent myself from becoming decadent and negative."

Director Chan Tai Lee posted on social platforms due to the box office emergency, saying that the scripting, casting and filming of FIGHT FOR TOMORROW were all parts under his control. The film was his personal "local film social experiment", the content of which was an increasingly polarized world in all aspects and encouraged the repair of broken relationships; The general environment has been more difficult after the pandemic quarantine was lifted in Hong Kong, through this film he presented an energy bar to everyone. "I believe that under the guard of 'goodness', as long as everyone does their jobs well, the general environment will improve step by step. This kind of cliché might give people goosebumps, and might often be criticized as preaching; all of which are all important elements of my formula this time." Chan Tai Lee lamented that the box office was not under his control, so he hoped that through the post more people would buy tickets to watch FIGHT FOR TOMORROW. He also welcomed the audience who loved the film to call for more public support for the film at the cinemas.