[2024.10.15] LOUIS KOO STEPS IN TO SAVE THE HONG KONG LUNAR NEW YEAR FILM MARKET

DaDa Chan and Kenneth Ma would play mahjong while teaching how to chase girls.
courtesy of on.cc

Samantha Ko and other actors secretly meet with the director
courtesy of on.cc

Louis Koo is indeed a big brother in the film industry. When he saw the Hong Kong film market was in trouble, he immediately stepped in to save it.
courtesy of singtao.com

In the past the Lunar New Year has been very busy for movies in Hong Kong, and a date film companies would fight over. Like TABLE FOR SIX (FAN HEI GUNG SUM) and CHILLI LAUGH STORY (HOP GA LAT), there were three or four Hong Kong Lunar New Year movies released at the same time and their box office results also drew much attention; but currently the film market has declined sharply, and there is a lack of investors amid the continued downturn. Reportedly there would only be a few Hong Kong Lunar New Year films next year, one of which would be a new film with the TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAU LUNG SING JAI JI WAI SING) team. Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin would collaborate with Louis Cheung Kai Chung in another new movie to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Kenneth Ma Kwok Ming would team up with goddesses Samantha Ko Hoi Ning, DaDa Chan Jing and others to teach everyone how to chase girls with a large number of stars in support of the film to celebrate the New Year.

In the past, film companies usually would be busy preparing to start production on Lunar New Year films during the summer vacation in August and September. However the recent situation in the Hong Kong film industry has been dire, so far no Lunar New Year film has officially started production. Even the "Lunar New Year Heavenly Queen" Sandra Ng Kwan Yu has no works this year. At the beginning of the year she revealed that she would make a movie about playing mahjong, which she planned to start production this year and hoped to become a Lunar New Year movie in 2025. However she later said that the script was not good enough, so she would not consider it yet; as for another Lunar New Year film starring guy group MIRROR members Edan Lui Cheuk On, it has also announced earlier that it would be postponed.

In the critical situation where there would be no Hong Kong Lunar New Year films, two film companies have finally stepped in to rescue the market recently. One would be a One Cool Film and Entertaining Power invested, ROB N ROLL (LIM SI GIP ONG) director Albert Mak Kai Kwong directed film. Koo Tin Lok recently while attending a TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (GAU LUNG SING JAI JI WAI SING) event also hinted that the original cast would shoot a new film with a few action scenes, but it would not be about the Walled City at all. Actually the new film he mentioned turned out to be one of the Lunar New Year films next year.

According to insiders, this Lunar New Year film in addition to the original cast of Koo Tin Lok and the "Four Songs of the Walled City": Raymond Lam Fung, Philip Ng Won Lung, Tony Wu Tsz Tung and German Cheung Man Kit, Louise Wong Dan Nei, Gigi Leung Wing Kei, Chrissie Chau Sau Na, Peter Chan Charm Man and others would join the strong lineup. Although Koo Tin Lok and Sister Na have collaborated many times, people would never get tired of this combination of handsome men and beautiful women and still look forward to it; Wong Dan Nei attended an event a few days ago and also leaked that the new movie that will start filming next week would be in more of a rush, but because of confidentiality she could not reveal anything yet. When asked if she would make a Lunar New Year film, she continued to keep her lips sealed and said, "I didn't say it, you guessed it. (Which actors would you work with?) Some people that no one can guess. If they were so easily guessed, the audience would feel the lack of freshness." Earlier director Mak Kai Kwong stated that this would not be a Lunar New Year film, but due to the lack of Hong Kong Lunar New Year films next year it was asked to answer the call. The film would be expected to start production within a few days, but in order to be released before the Lunar New Year on January 29th, 2025 the production would be really hurried.

Reportedly the LAN KWAI FONG (HEI OI YEH PO) producer Ng Kin Hung would direct another Lunar New Year film. The film would be about gambling. For now the cast would include Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin and Louis Cheung Kai Chung. The film company hoped to start filming this month, so that it would be able to make the Lunar New Year release in time. Both films would be shot in Hong Kong and Macau.

As for the Patrick Kong (Yip Lim Sum) directed Lunar New Year film, its subjects would mainly be mahjong, chasing girls and crazy comedy. It would feature Kenneth Ma Kwok Ming, Samantha Ko Hoi Ning, DaDa Chan Jing, Carlos Chan Ka Lok and others, and guest stars would as as numberous as a galaxy. It would not bring joy to Hong Kong, but also cheer on filmmakers. Reportedly the filming started yesterday, and everyone would show up to announce the details within days. One of the lead actresses Chan Jing replied yesterday, "This is my first time working with Director Yip. I was born in the Year of the Snake and making a film to celebrate the Year of the Snake. I think it is very meaningful."

In the film, she would play a couple with Chan Ka Lok, but as it turned out the two did not know each other beforehand. Ka Lok said with a smile, "Our first official meeting was on the day we met at the director's company to talk about the movie. This time I would play a popular artist. Lately at home I have been beigning her movies like crazy for research." Ma Kwok Ming joked that he will do his best this time. "I am very happy to be able to participate in the performance. I hope the audience would be happy from coming to see the movie."

The Hong Kong film market has been bleak. Even during the Lunar New Year there has been almost no Hong Kong-produced Lunar New Year films, causing major headaches for major film companies. In recent years many Hong Kong artists such as Anita Yuen Wing Yee, Bobby Auyeung Chun Wa and Philip Keung Ho Man have gone to Malaysia to make movies. Earlier a film company has proposed using a Malaysian film for a Hong Kong Lunar New Year film, but there was a lot of opposition because it was not produced locally. In the end, two film companies stepped in to support the Lunar New Year schedule and hoped to tide over this difficult period with everyone.