【Epoch Times July 27, 2026】”The King of Hong Kong Comedy” Stephen Chow (Xingye) self-directed and self-written film “Kung Fu Women’s Soccer” has reached a total box office of over 1.9 billion yuan (RMB) as of July 26, 16 days after its release. During a promotional event, Stephen Chow revealed plans for a sequel and referred to the lead actress, 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei), as “Sister Xiaofei,” promising that she will be given priority as the female lead in the next film.
According to data from “Maoyan Professional Edition,” as of the afternoon of July 26, “Kung Fu Women’s Soccer” had surpassed 1.9 billion yuan in total box office revenue on the mainland, ranking first in the 2026 mainland summer box office list and entering the top three in the annual 2026 mainland movie box office list.
“Kung Fu Women’s Soccer” stars 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei), Dilraba Dilmurat, and Zhang Yixing. During a recent promotional event in Shenzhen, Stephen Chow was asked by the audience if there would be a sequel. He confirmed that the second film is already in the works with the core idea being “Emei team using Chinese kung fu to conquer the world.” Stephen Chow, in front of the audience, referred to 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) as “Sister Xiaofei” and asked, “Will you come back for the sequel?” Zhang Xiaofei unconditionally agreed, saying, “If Xingye dares to make it, I dare to come back.”
Stephen Chow’s change in referring to 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) from “Zhang Xiaofei” to “Sister Xiaofei” has sparked discussions online. Netizens interpret the combination of a film, a title change, and a promise as carrying significant meaning:
Firstly, “Kung Fu Women’s Soccer” has been performing exceptionally well in the summer box office, on the verge of reaching 2 billion yuan. With this film, 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) has become the first post-85s female actress in Chinese film history to lead a movie that surpassed 1 billion at the box office.
Secondly, at 64 years old, Stephen Chow is significantly older than 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) who is 38. In the entertainment industry, which values seniority and hierarchy, for Stephen Chow to switch his address from “Zhang Xiaofei” to “Sister” demonstrates his appreciation and recognition of 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei)’s acting skills, box office appeal, and market value.
Reports from mainland media in the past revealed that when the actress for the film was first announced, the criticism was much more heated than the current box office success. Initially, when 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) was announced as the female lead, there were widespread negative comments online.
Some said that 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) gained fame through family-influenced films as the “National Mom,” and her style did not match Xingye’s surreal comedy. Even within the investor group, there were conflicting opinions, suggesting replacing 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) with more popular actresses to ensure stable box office performance with their fan base.
It was reported that Stephen Chow’s response at the time was straightforward: “You can change the person, but the film will stop shooting.” As a result, the production was actually halted for nearly two months, incurring daily venue costs of tens of thousands.
In fact, Stephen Chow has a history of standing firm in his casting decisions. In 1999, when filming “The King of Comedy,” he chose the then 18-year-old newcomer Cecilia Cheung. At that time, the entire industry seemed to be waiting for a spectacle, but “Liu Piaopiao” became a classic character in Chinese film history. Subsequent “Xing Girls” including Zhang Yuyi and Xu Jiao were also heavily questioned at their casting announcements, but ultimately proved critics wrong with their performances.
Stephen Chow’s casting choices are not based on popularity but on the spark they bring to the table.
Netizens have learned from interviews that 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) went to great lengths to prepare for her role as “Shuangshuang,” the team captain in the film. She declined all commercial appearances and high-paying roles for half a year, sacrificed her long hair that she kept for five years, and underwent intensive training six months in advance to learn soccer and martial arts from scratch, training with sandbags daily to improve fitness, tearing through several pairs of professional soccer shoes, reducing body fat from 24% to 16%, and gaining 15 pounds of muscle. She performed all the difficult maneuvers like mud rescues and hanging by ropes by herself, without using a stunt double.
Regarding her compensation, 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) went all-in by voluntarily giving up a fixed salary of 8 million yuan for a profit sharing model tied to the box office performance, effectively risking a breach of contract penalty of 2 million yuan and linking her income directly to the film’s success. Netizens commented, “This goes beyond just being professional; this is gambling with one’s life.”
Additionally, the character “Shuangshuang” in the film, portrayed as tough exterior but fragile inside, resonates with 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei)’s personal experiences. Stephen Chow once revealed on set: “‘Shuangshuang’ is a character crafted for her.” He would often say to the crew, “We’ll follow the captain’s lead,” never assuming the role of the director himself.
The statement “winning is fine, losing is fine too,” proposed by 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei), later became a memorable quote in the film. Amid the film’s soaring box office success, Stephen Chow gifted 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) a personally signed No. 10 jersey, with the message “Sister Xiaofei, you are my best.”
Interestingly, the reception of “Kung Fu Women’s Soccer” has been quite polarized. With 235,000 people on Douban rating it 6.5 out of 10, some critics criticize the predictable plot and lack of originality, while Maoyan’s rating of 9.4 out of 10 suggests that general audiences thoroughly enjoyed the film.
Chinese film and television producer Tan Fei praised Stephen Chow’s ability to convey meaning in a way that even children over the age of six can comprehend. This is not merely pretense, but genuine acceptance.
The success of “Kung Fu Women’s Soccer,” with nearly half of its box office revenue coming from third- and fourth-tier cities, cannot be underestimated. Many who don’t usually frequent cinemas made a deliberate effort to buy tickets and show their support. Maoyan data indicates that nearly 40% of low-frequency viewers and approximately 16% of new users watched the movie, surpassing market averages.
Stephen Chow has expressed great satisfaction with 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei)’s performance. Even during the initial promotion of the film, he politely addressed her as “Teacher Zhang Xiaofei” or “Ms. Zhang,” following the customary way of addressing juniors in the entertainment industry. However, at the promotional event where the box office was about to surpass 2 billion yuan, Stephen Chow referred to 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) as “Sister Xiaofei.” This change in address led netizens to interpret that Stephen Chow now sees 張小斐(Zhang Xiaofei) not just as an “actress” but as a “collaborator,” implying that she is there to create films together, not just work for him.