Kung Fu Soccer Girls Premieres in Hong Kong with Star-Studded Cast

Summary

Key Points

• Co-director Lam Tze-chung brought his two children to the premiere, revealing they had previously watched his work and their favorite was Shaolin Soccer (少林足球) 2.
• Lam expressed hope that the film's strong mainland performance—63 million admissions, a record—would encourage Hong Kong audiences to return to cinemas, benefiting the entire industry 2.
• The Hong Kong release was rushed with only four days' notice, forcing the team to release promotional materials before color grading was complete; Lam even had to re-record dialogue by phone but still couldn't finish in time 2.
• Wu Yu-an, a Hong Kong wakesurfing athlete and ski instructor who taught Chow the sport, praised his willingness to try difficult moves like 360-degree spins and high jumps; she was thrilled to receive the local-sounding name "Sau-biu" (喪彪) and speak Cantonese in her acting debut 2.
• Yukino, a 19-year-old with no prior acting experience now admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, described Chow as caring and warm, noting he would ask actors to try their preferred reactions first before suggesting alternatives 2.
• The film's tribute segment went through dozens of versions during preparation; Lam said they ultimately chose an open-ended approach showing only backs to let audiences interpret freely 2.
• Upon learning of Patrick Tse Yin (謝賢)'s death during mainland roadshows, the team refrained from posting any good news that day as a silent tribute, since the film was already completed 2.
• Carina Lau joked that she only joined because of Chow, but complained he broke his promise to film a mahjong scene with her—there was sitting but no playing 1.
• Chow praised Lau's appearance as "like a newcomer" despite her veteran status, leading to playful banter where Lau protested he was "damaging her image" by claiming she didn't treat him as a director 1.

Why It Matters