Hong Kong suspense film “Detective War,” starring Louis Koo and others, had a disappointing box office performance after its release during the National Day holiday period in mainland China. The film unexpectedly announced its withdrawal from theaters on the morning of October 5th after only 5 days of screening, with plans to reschedule for another release, sparking discussions and debates.
“Detective War,” produced by Louis Koo’s “One Production Film” with an investment of nearly 100 million Hong Kong dollars, premiered on October 1st during the prime National Day holiday slot. However, its first-day box office earnings were only about 2.24 million yuan. Subsequently, its daily box office figures and screening ratios plummeted drastically, with a decrease in screenings to around 5% and box office share dropping to 1%, placing it at the bottom among new releases during the holiday period, accumulating a total box office of 4.49 million yuan in 5 days.
The film received a low rating of 4.3 on the popular Chinese review platform Douban. Audiences generally felt that the film had a confusing plot, fragmented editing pace, and some even criticized it as being too esoteric, considering it to be one of Louis Koo’s most disappointing works in recent years.
Faced with poor box office performance and negative reviews, on the 5th, the film’s producers released a statement on Weibo, expressing that in order to respect the original creative intention and ensure the best presentation and viewing experience, they decided to adjust the release schedule after a comprehensive review, officially withdrawing the film and planning to “restart the public screening at a later date.” However, shortly after the withdrawal statement was published, it was quietly deleted, sparking further attention and discussions.
Due to the sudden withdrawal news, the lead actor and main promoter of the film, Louis Koo, was caught off guard when asked about it at an event in Hong Kong on the same day. His management team admitted to not receiving any prior notification, calling the situation “unforeseen.” The director, Kong Lingzheng, emphasized that “Detective War” is a Hong Kong production targeted primarily at Hong Kong audiences. The Cantonese original version of the film is scheduled to be released as planned on October 8th in Hong Kong.
At the premiere event held that evening in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, the male lead and investor Louis Koo did not appear in person. He only provided a pre-recorded video explanation, citing work commitments as the reason for his absence, and urging everyone to support “Detective War.”
In recent years, there has been a trend in the Chinese film market of “retreating when unable to compete,” but this is not a universal solution, as withdrawing a film typically incurs high costs in promotion and publicity. Past experiences indicate that unless a film’s quality is severely underestimated and it truly deserves a second chance, most films with already collapsed reputations are likely to remain overlooked and face a similar fate when “rescreened at a later date.”