Hong Kong action film “The Legend of Qin” will officially premiere on December 31 this year, with the movie featuring the theme song “Highest Destiny” from the TV series, reinterpreted by actors Louis Koo and Raymond Lam. The duo’s first collaboration showcased excellent chemistry, and the recording process went smoothly.
“The Legend of Qin” is produced by Louis Koo, co-directed by Gordon Lam and Lee Jun-fung, and stars Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Krystal Tin, and Nancy Wu in leading roles. The TV series “The Legend of Qin” debuted in 2001, becoming a massive hit of that year and earning the title of the “pioneer of time-traveling drama” in Hong Kong. It still holds a high rating of 8.6 on the website Douban, firmly securing its position in the list of classic Hong Kong dramas.
Louis Koo recently gathered the original cast members of the TV series including Raymond Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Krystal Tin, and Nancy Wu, as well as new actors like Joe Ma, Kelvin Kwan, and Natasha Wood, for the movie’s promotional launch event.
The movie version of “The Legend of Qin” continues the story from the 2001 TV series, with Louis Koo having sung the theme song for the TV series back then. With the original TV series being highly popular, “Highest Destiny” has become a classic Cantonese song.
During the movie promotion, Louis Koo mentioned that many fans have told him that they get “goosebumps” as soon as they hear the intro of the theme song. He said: “The title ‘Highest Destiny’ carries a mission within these four words. Although there may not be the ultimate realm in this world, we should all strive to do our best, just like making the movie version of ‘The Legend of Qin,’ where we encountered many challenges but overcame them all.”
Raymond Lam mentioned that during a concert in the past, he had Louis Koo as a guest where they sang the theme song “Highest Destiny” together, warming up for the recording process. He reflected: “With the previous experience, the recording process went more smoothly.” He mentioned that the original version had a horse neighing sound at the beginning, which he described as a collective memory for everyone, expressing his desire to retain it. Louis Koo agreed and decided to “immediately give everyone a flashback,” hence the movie version of the theme song still includes the horse neighing sound as a tribute to the original TV series.
The movie “The Legend of Qin” tells the story of a wrongful imprisonment years ago that triggers a crisis changing the course of history. Ken (played by Joe Ma) vows to travel back to the Qin dynasty to claim the throne, making up for the life he lost due to the false imprisonment. Despite the retired life of Xiang Shaolong (played by Louis Koo) and his family in the Qin dynasty, every move is still closely observed by his disciple, the Qin King (played by Raymond Lam).
Just as the Qin King believes he is about to unify the six states and rule the world, he faces a surprise attack from modern-day man Ken, forcing him to seek out his master Xiang Shaolong, whom he both respects and fears. After 20 years of separation, master and disciple finally reunite, intertwining Ken’s appearance with the fate of these three individuals. The Qin dynasty is in turmoil once again, with years of grudges needing to be resolved. The theme song conveys the message of fate that cannot be controlled, as stated in the line “Who pleads with whom, in the changing era, only heaven and earth dictate fate,” shaking the hearts of the audience.