Hong Kong action movie “Kowloon Walled City” starring and produced by Louis Koo premiered on May 1st. It has been the daily box office champion in Hong Kong for 41 consecutive days. The total box office in Hong Kong has officially exceeded HK$100 million, with hopes of breaking the record for the highest box office in Hong Kong film history held by “The Attorney” starring Chapman To with HK$114 million.
“Kowloon Walled City” premiered in Hong Kong on May 1st, and as of June 11th, the total box office surpassed HK$100 million. Louis Koo, the lead actor and producer, along with actors like Raymond Lam and Liu Junqian, held a special thank-you ticket event named “Dragon Storm Hits Hong Kong” on June 10th during the Dragon Boat Festival, announcing the good news of the box office success.
Each actor present expressed their gratitude to the audience. Louis Koo, in character as “Dragon Storm,” greeted the audience saying, “I am the Dragon Storm, come and enjoy the movie.” Raymond Lam thanked the audience for their support over the past month and hoped that the box office would continue to rise. Liu Junqian directly attributed the success of the film to the audience and hoped they would help the film climb to the top spot in the history of Chinese movies in Hong Kong.
Previously, the leading film in the history of Hong Kong box office was “The Attorney” starring Chapman To. The total box office of that film in Hong Kong was HK$114 million, making it the first movie in Hong Kong film history to exceed HK$100 million. The gap between the total box office of “Kowloon Walled City” and “The Attorney” is currently only HK$10 million.
“Kowloon Walled City” is adapted from a novel and comic of the same name, with a plot set in the 1980s in the lawless area of Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. It tells the story of an illegal immigrant, Chen Luojun (played by Raymond Lam), who was deceived by the “Big Boss” (played by Sammo Hung) and his henchman “Wang Jiu” (played by Ng Yuen Lung). He mistakenly sought refuge in Kowloon Walled City and was rescued by “Dragon Storm” (played by Louis Koo). He settled in the city and formed brotherhood with “Xin Yi” (played by Liu Junqian), “Si Zi” (played by Cheung Man Kit), and “Shi Er Shao” (played by Hu Zitong). Unexpectedly, Chen Luojun’s biological father, Chen Zhan (played by Aaron Kwok), had a deep connection with “Dragon Storm” and had a blood feud with the owner of the city, Di Qiu (played by Richie Jen).
The film showcases a masculine ensemble cast, with action scenes ranging from buses to hair salons, narrow alleys, rooftops inside Kowloon Walled City. Each fight scene is intense and visually appealing, capturing the essence of reviving the glory of Hong Kong action cinema.
It is noteworthy that the film with a budget of HK$300 million has been simultaneously released in Mainland China. Even after release, it continues to earn millions of RMB in box office daily. The total box office in Mainland China has reached RMB 677 million so far. The film has also been released in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UK, Australia, the US, and France.
According to industry analysis, “Kowloon Walled City” is likely to break the record set by “The Attorney” to become the highest-grossing film in the history of Hong Kong cinema. At that time, the lead actor Louis Koo will also become the “Box Office King” of Hong Kong.