Deal for Kung Fu Hustle’s Stephen Chow to make online films for Tencent seen as an attempt to revive his career
- No details, such as planned release dates or storylines, were provided in the announcement of Tencent’s collaboration with Hong Kong’s ‘King of Comedy’
- Chow’s recent movies have not made a splash, and whether he will see an upturn in his fortunes may hinge on how audiences in China view his upcoming films
When Hong Kong’s “King of Comedy”, Stephen Chow Sing-chi, announced on June 7 he would collaborate with Tencent Video to make online films, media in China interpreted it as a consequence of his difficulties in recent years – his movies are no longer box-office hits and he has fought various legal battles.
Under the collaboration, Chow will produce some of Tencent Video’s online films. No further details, such as planned release dates or storylines, were provided. Chow said in the video he was looking forward to the collaboration and hoped he could bring more good work to the public.
His venture into making online films – which, in China, have far lower production values than cinematic releases – may come as a small but welcome distraction for Chow, who is reportedly being sued by production company Shanghai New Culture Media for breach of contract.
According to Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily, the movie star had failed to deliver on his pledge, in an agreement with Shanghai New Culture Media in 2017, to make profits of at least 1.04 billion yuan (US$163 million) in the following three years.