[2026.09.16] THE LUNAR NEW YEAR FILM SLATE CONTINUES TO GROW

Lin Minchen is such a hard worker on the set so it is no wonder she has won over director Clifton Ko 

Lin Minchen while staying in Tokyo often shares videos to wrangle up fans

Bosco Wong needs to spend more time on his new film so it will miss the Lunar New Year schedule
courtesy of on.cc

The film market winter actually has not put next year's Lunar New Year "on ice", as recently many Lunar New Year films have announced their production starts. Some point to even Louis Koo Tin Lok has been interested in joining the fray! The Malaysian goddess Lin Minchen starred Lunar New Year film MAD MAD WORLD (FU GUAI BIK YUN LOI) has been completed. Due to her good performance, director Clifton Ko Chi Sum not only added to her role during the shoot, but also arranged for her to perform in the Lunar New Year film for 2028.

Although a "chill" has been felt throughout the film industry in recent years and last year's Lunar New Year scheduled was almost "completely neglected", 2027 would welcome a "Small Springtime" as many Lunar New Year films have started production. Reportedly Koo Tin Lok is planning to make the CHILLI LAUGH STORY (HOP GA LAT) sequel HOP GA DA MA JUEK. Meanwhile the Malaysian goddess Lin Minchen, Loletta Lee Lai Chun and Hugo Goh (Wong Toi Yung) starred film MAD MAD WORLD (FU GUAI BIK YUN LOI) has already wrapped up production in Malaysia and is now in post-production. Director Ko Chi Sum revealed that the shoot was very smooth, Lin Minchen due to her outstanding performance even had added scenes. "Her aura and pace has quite a comedy feel, during the shoot she is very sharp and gets a lot right away. She has very few bad takes, so I keep adding to her role. Finally I probably added 4 scenes total." In the film Lin Minchen and the Malaysian actor Yuan Teng played a happy rivals and many scenes together, including fighting on the beach with actual feel temperature of nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Ko Chi Sum pointed out that they were full of sparks. "Lin Minchen and Yuan Teng are very in sync in many scenes. Lin Minchen is very demanding on herself, especially with Cantonese dialogue she has been very persistent. Before the shoot she spent a lot of time to prepare, afterward she also insisted on providing her own voice."

Although MAD is still in the post-production, Ko Chi Sum has already planned to start shooting the 2028 Lunar New Year film BAK KUT TEH (YUK GWUT CHA) in March next year and save a spot for Lin Minchen as he had confidence in her performance. BAK would be inspired by the classic Hong Kong film CHICKEN AND DUCK TALK (GAI TUNG NGAP GONG) and then create an all new story. Ko Chi Sum revealed that he has given Michael Hui Koon Man a heads up. Many viewers hoped that he would be able to perform, but due to the new film would be shot in Malaysia. The traveling would make that unlikely. For the Lunar New Year schedule becoming cheerful, Ko Chi Sum stated that a full bloom would be a good thing. As for next year Lin Minchen might face "counterfeit Lin Minchen" Miko Wong Jie Kee and her Lunar New Year film GOLDEN BLESSIGNS (WONG GUM HEI SI), Ko Chi Sum joked, "I don't know who is the counterfeit Lin Minchen!"

In addition, Lin Minchen is now staying in Tokyo, Japan and learning Japanese. The day before yesterday she uploaded a class video on the social network and went to a designated place with her classmates to buy Daifuku. She could not use the phone and navigation throughout the process, and could only ask the locals for directions and communication in Japanese. In the end she successfully completed the mission.

The television Best Actor Bosco Wong Chung Chak's first film as a producer and a star would have been a new Shaw film for Lunar New Year 2027, but recently the film has been rumored to be postponed and withdraw from next year's Lunar New Year schedule. Regarding this, admitted that the production has been delayed and explained the reason. "Mine has been postponed! Originally I wanted to make it this year, but Miss Lok (Elaine Lok Yi Ling) has been great. She felt that since it would be the first film I would produce, everything should be done to its best. Several choices for lead actresses in my mind happen to be unavailable, so postponing it would be a little better!" With the delay the film might not be the Lunar New Year film. Bosco said with a smile, "It can be a 2028 Lunar New Year film, or it doesn't have to be a Lunar New Year film at all, it would depend on the schedule!" Was the lead actress he had in mind his past co-stars Chrissie Chau Sau Na or Jacky Cai Jie, he played coy. "It's a secret, I won't tell you yet!"