[2026.04.08] TONY LEUNG CHIU WAI WANTS HIS RETIREMENT FILM TO BE A HAPPY AND WARM FILM

Tony Leung Chiu Wai is in great spirits, full of smiles as he makes heart gestures

Tony Leung Chiu Wai makes different heart poses while conducting Korean media interviews. Due to his helpless expressions, he has been said to be "forced to open for business". Some online also feel he is very cute

Hungarian director Enyedi Ildiko and Tony Leung Chiu Wai attend the SILENT FRIEND Hong Kong premiere
courtesy of mingpao.com

Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Hungarian female director Enyedi Ildiko attended the premiere of the movie SILENT FRIENDS at the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival yesterday. Leung Chiu Wai was in a good mood yesterday, smiling throughout the whole process, and even sent hearts upon request. When he went to South Korea to promote a few days ago, he made a variety of heart gestures. Some online pointed out that his expression was helpless, as if he was "forced to do business". Leung Chiu Wai laughed and said, "I can't say that. I'm not used to doing this, but it can make people happy and it doesn't bother me anyway. I did smile." He revealed that he was very happy and inspired from making SILENT FRIENDS. He felt that he has entered the third stage of his film career, stepped out of his comfort zone, and now he could be exposed to different types of films. He wanted to make a happy and warm movie for his retirement film.

Regarded as an introvert, Leung Chiu Wai was in a good mood yesterday. Smiling throughout the event, he was asked by the media to make heart gestures when taking photos. He said with a smile, "I seem to have gone to South Korea." When he was interviewed in South Korea, he made a variety of heart gestures. Some online pointed out that the expression on his face was helpless, as if he was "forced to open for business". Leung Chiu Wai said, "I can't say that. I'm not used to doing this, but being able to do something makes people happy, it's no big deal anyway. I did smile."

Director Enyedi Ildiko said that she came to Hong Kong to promote because this was Leung Chiu Wai's home. She revealed that the last time she came to Hong Kong was 25 years ago. Leung Chiu Wai said that he did not know the director. When he was invited to film, he immediately appreciated her work and found that he liked them all. Then he got to know the director through a video call, and felt that Enyedi Ildiko had substance, humility and confidence. Even though he has not read the script at the time, he has decided to work with her. The 90- day filming process was very pleasant and inspiring as he expected. When Leung Chiu Wai was praised for being equally humble and have substance, he laughed and said, "Of course not!"

Leung Chiu Wai said that this time he played a neuroscientist and had to act with a ginkgo tree, but he was not lonely at all because the crew was so professional. He thought this film was fun. He revealed that after filming SILENT FRIENDS, he found that the trees were very intelligent and conscious. Now he runs at the Peak every day, and has more respect for the trees. He would reflect on the relationship between humans and nature. "I used to think that plants are plants, and they are relatively inferior in the human world; but now there is no hierarchy, I would think about whether humans are too arrogant? Does it take into account the survival of other species, even global warming, animal extinction and extreme weather problems".

After the release of SILENT FRIENDS in Germany, he went to Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, France, Spain, South Korea, etc. to promote. Leung Chiu Wai admitted that he was very tired. In addition to the fatigue of traveling, he also had to deal with a series of visits. He would go to the United States, the mainland, Taiwan, and Japan to promote it in the future, but he felt it was a very special and inspiring experience.

Leung Chiu Wai's performance was well received, and film critics said that he transformed "interpretation" into "existence". Leung Chiu Wai said, "I did my best. I spent 6 months to prepare in advance, just hoping that I can enjoy the production without any baggage. I also hope that the audience will have fun and be inspired." Would he give up on the idea of retirement? Leung Chiu Wai smiled and said, "It's two different matter." Was he afraid that the new film will be released in Hong Kong, and the audience will focus on his topless bathing scene? He laughed and said, "Nothing I can do about that, because each viewer who goes to the theater to watch a movie would have a different angle."

While Leung Chiu Wai was promoting in South Korea, he said that he wanted to work with other directors. Who would he want to work with? He said, "I have no plan. I don't resist working with anyone. I have worked with Hou Hsiao-hsien, Chen Tran Anh Hung and Ang Lee, etc. I used to be afraid of having language problems, I never expect that today going to Germany to make a movie I didn't need to learn German." He said in an earlier interview that his favorite film was IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (FA YEUNG NIN WA). In addition to winning the Best Actor in Cannes, working with director Wong Kar Wai for 20 years was very compatible and happy.

Would he work with Wong Kar Wai again? Leung Chiu Wai said, "I dare not say, because everything has a chance. My film career is divided into several stages, the first is when director Hou Hsiao-hsien inspired me, the second stage is working with Wong Kar-wai for 20 years, I got a lot of training, found my acting style, now is the third stage, I stepped out of my comfort zone and did things that I used to feel uncomfortable with, such as filming SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. There was a lot of pressure, I was the only Hong Kong person, burdened with a big production, I once wondered if I could do it? I used to hide in my comfort zone and absorbing new things was hard. Now I feel like I can get more exposure to different types of movies. I am currently in the later stages of my acting career, and I feel that it is very important to make movies I like. I don't want to sacrifice time to make movies I don't like, because filming requires a lot of physical energy and effort."

Leung Chiu Wai once revealed that he will make a TV series this year, but not a Hong Kong TV series. Would he make a Netflix drama? He admitted that he was filming a drama for the platform and would not start work until the promotion of the film was completed. He also revealed that other plans were in progress but not Hong Kong films. Leung Chiu Wai believed that the decline of the film market was somewhat related to the development of the platform. "I used to go to big theaters to watch movies, then theaters became smaller, and now they have gone bankrupt. The industry is declining. I have the opportunity to make different movies at the same time, so I still believe that movies have room to survive, and can give low budget productions more attempts. Just like when I went to the Broadway Cinema Center to watch art films, I saw a group of regular fans who liked this type of movie."

How has the movie he would personally produce been going? Leung Chiu Wai said that he still has not have the director and script. As for Johnnie To Kei Fung wanting to work with Leung Chiu Wai again in his lifetime, Leung Chiu Wai said with a smile, "I hope to have the opportunity." He said that he hoped that his last work would be a "happy and warm movie", would To Kei Fung directed? Leung Chiu Wai said, "I don't know, does he make a happy and warm movie? I hope so."