Renowned actor and filmmaker Stephen Chow, also known as Sing Yeh, has recently seen a surge in his company’s stock price and personal wealth following a series of exciting developments in his career.
One of the highlights is the restoration and premiere of the classic film “God of Cookery” on the big screens in mainland China for the first time. At the same time, production has begun on a short film titled “A Tale of Journey to the West,” and Chow’s production and cinema operation company has announced a collaboration with a mainland Chinese film and TV platform.
After the release of the short film “Golden Pig, Jade Leaf,” Chow served as the producer for the second short film “A Tale of Journey to the West,” which has recently started filming. In response to this news, the stock price of the “Be High Group” (8220.HK), of which Chow is a major shareholder, surged by over 25% to a high of 3.08 Hong Kong dollars before closing at 2.74 Hong Kong dollars, still up by 11%.
The short film “A Tale of Journey to the West” is a collaboration between Stephen Chow and the mainland China-based audiovisual platform “9527 Theater.” The producer and male and female leads are Jiang Long and Zhang Tian’ai, with Jiang Long playing the role of “Supreme Jade” and Zhang Tian’ai portraying “Moonlight.” The connection between these characters and the original “A Chinese Odyssey” series is yet to be revealed, and the film is expected to be released later this year.
The name “9527 Theater” is derived from one of Stephen Chow’s classic films, “Flirting Scholar,” in which his character is given the designation “9527” upon entering the Lin Mansion.
Recently, a domestic game incorporating elements of the Chinese mythological epic “Journey to the West” titled “Black Myth: Wukong” has surpassed ten million in sales, sparking a renewed interest in the “Journey to the West” narrative. Some netizens have pointed out the resemblance between the character Wukong in the game and the one portrayed by Stephen Chow in the past, leading to speculations about the potential creation of a new generation adaptation of “Journey to the West.” There are even rumors of filmmakers inviting Stephen Chow to create a next-generation AI-generated version of the iconic character Sun Wukong. The official Chinese media outlet Xinhua News Agency has praised the game “Black Myth: Wukong” as a representation of “world-class quality storytelling with Chinese characteristics,” although some have criticized it as communist propaganda.
“God of Cookery,” one of Stephen Chow’s classic films, recently had its high-definition restored version premiered in Beijing. Despite some media suggesting that the delayed release of the film in mainland China after 28 years was an attempt to boost the sluggish Chinese film market, the box office returns fell short of six million Chinese yuan after nine days. Nevertheless, Stephen Chow, known for his business acumen, saw a significant increase in his personal wealth following the announcement of the collaboration between his entertainment businesses and iQiyi, which boosted his stock price by over 100 million Hong Kong dollars in just three days.
Looking back to 2013, Stephen Chow’s directorial film “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” grossed 1.248 billion yuan, becoming the box office champion of that year.
In addition to his recent works, Stephen Chow starred and directed in the films “A Chinese Odyssey: Part 1” and “A Chinese Odyssey: Part 2” in 1995. These films presented new stories based on the characters from the classic novel “Journey to the West,” although unrelated to the original plot. While the series did not perform well at the box office at the time, they continue to be beloved by fans.
The mythological story of “Journey to the West” follows the adventures of Sun Wukong and his three fellow travelers who journey to the Western Heaven to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. In contrast, “Black Myth: Wukong” serves as a sequel to “Journey to the West,” depicting an alternate storyline where Sun Wukong rebels against the heavenly realm and must pass on his legacy to a chosen successor known as the “Heaven’s Chosen One.” In the game, players must collect six spiritual items belonging to Sun Wukong to complete the journey.
Regarding the popularity of “Black Myth: Wukong,” Li Yang, the founder of mainland Chinese educational platform “Crazy English,” criticized the game as a reflection of national sorrow, stating that people should return to normal life and raise children to be upstanding individuals rather than indulging in virtual worlds.