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Tonally, Ringo Lam’s City on Fire stands far apart from most of the Heroic Bloodshed films of its time. Compared to the punkish outrage of Tsui Hark’s work and operatic morality plays of John Woo, it adopts a naturalistic style that suits the critical assessment of the corrupt games played between (and among) Hong Kong’s police and criminals.

The film begins with a group of jewel thieves rooting out and murdering an undercover cop (Elvis Tsui) embedded among them, a crime they shortly follow with a bank heist that ends with them killing a uniformed police officer amid a chaotic getaway. With the city on high alert, a special investigations head, Inspector Lau (Sun Yueh), taps one of his undercover agents, Ko Chow (Chow Yun-fat), to infiltrate and take down the gang.

Released as Chow’s star was on the rise thanks to hits like Woo’s A Better Tomorrow,...

It is a dark time for the future of movies as theaters struggle to compete with streaming services and premature digital releases. And over the past few years, AI technology has been growing in our world and showing capabilities of scary proportions. One of the foreboding issues that both the Actors’ and Writers’ Guilds protested against a couple of years ago during the strikes was the threat of studios using AI to cut corners and take from working artists. While Hollywood is fighting the issue, the Chinese film industry is embracing it, as a feature-length AI-produced movie of A Better Tomorrow was announced.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures is implementing a new strategy that will try to cut off AI users at the source. Normally, programs would need assets to pull from as a jumping-off point to create something. So, starting this summer with films like How to Train Your Dragon,...

Earlier this summer, the home video distributor Shout Factory was announced to be collaborating with Hong Kong Film Archives to bring you the 4K remastering of the most coveted of Chinese action film classics. The films will include works by Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat, John Woo, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. The partnership is set to be a treasure trove for fans of classic action films from Hong Kong cinema. Now, Shout! TV is going further by unveiling a Hong Kong Fight Club Fast Channel. Fast channels are free ad-supported television channels on services like Roku, Plex or Freevee that stream content live like old-fashioned television. You can also watch it Right Here!

The channel showcases the absolute greatest in action cinema from Hong Kong’s cinematic golden age of the ’80s and ’90s. Restored from new 4K scans, the channel will showcase the classic films in the best quality...

The Story: A college kid (Brandon Lee) witnesses a gangland hit. Betrayed by witness protection, he’s recruited by a task force headed by a no-nonsense cop (Powers Boothe) as a pawn, but little do they know he’s more than able to handle himself against any of his foes.

The Players: Starring: Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe, Tzi Ma & Nick Mancuso. Directed by Dwight H. Little.

The History: The early nineties were the heyday of the martial arts movie star. Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme were consistently churning out hits, so if they could become icons, why not a guy like Brandon Lee? He was movie star handsome, could move, was charismatic and could act. Oh yeah – he also happened to be the son of the greatest Kung-Fu movie star of all time, Bruce Lee.

“I wouldn’t want to refer to them as stepping stones. That seems to demean them.

On a warm summer night in the City of Brotherly Love, history was made as the Wu-Tang Clan took the stage for what was billed as their final show — and they went out in epic fashion. The Wells Fargo Center was electric with energy as thousands of fans gathered to witness the legendary hip-hop collective deliver a performance that was equal parts celebration, reflection, and unfiltered lyrical fire. Direct support for this tour came from Run The Jewels who also put on an electrifying performance.

From the moment the lights dimmed and the iconic opening chords of “Bring da Ruckus” echoed through the arena, it was clear that Wu-Tang wasn’t here to say goodbye quietly. With all living members present — RZA, Gza, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna — the group launched into a masterclass in hip-hop showmanship. Their chemistry was as potent as ever,...

Picture this. It’s Thanksgiving weekend, just five months from now, and American families are already flocking to see The Labubu Movie in theaters. Made using 100 percent artificial intelligence, this (totally hypothetical) film adaptation of the mega-popular monster keychain comes from the Beijing-based retailer Pop Mart. The blockbuster was born out of China’s cutting-edge film industry in record time — putting thousands of butts in seats and raking in millions at the box office before the craze could end.

Last month, back in the real world, CEO and founder of Pop Mart Wang Ning announced his company would start an in-house film unit, per Chinese news reports. The collectibles brand saw global demand for Labubus skyrocket after a viral endorsement from K-pop star Lisa in Vanity Fair last fall. Designed by artist Kasing Lung, the baby-faced “Labubu” was partly inspired by Nordic mythology and first introduced as part of a...

Hong Kong Fight Club, a new Fast channel featuring classics from John Woo, Chow Yun-Fat, Jet Li and Jackie Chan, will arrive on Shout! TV this August.

According to the official release, the channel, hailing from from Shout! Studios, a Radial Entertainment company, “showcases the absolute greatest in action cinema from Hong Kong’s cinematic golden age of the ’80s and ’90s. Restored from new 4K scans, these fan favorites look better than ever. The channel will also sport interactive features, special events, and livestreams, as well as new original content produced for the channel featuring titans of the genre, including Jet Li, John Woo and more.” We are so in.

Among the titles that will be hitting Hong Kong Fight Club are John Woo masterpieces “Hard Boiled,” “The Killer,” “Bullet in the Head” and “A Better Tomorrow,” Ringo Lam’s influential “City on Fire” and Jet Li classics “Fist of Legend...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.Introducing...Action shot from the Locarno Critics Academy. Photography: Carlo Pisani.The cohort for this year’s Locarno Critics Academy, co-organized by Notebook, has been announced. Stay tuned for more by these ten young critics in these pages.Newsa Better Tomorrow.The China Film Foundation (Cff) plans to partner with businesses to license over 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies, hoping to “breathe new life into the classics” and attract younger audiences. Announced projects include an animated version of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986), of which neither Woo nor Bruce Lee’s family were previously aware.YouTube has modified guidelines for its Partner Program, which lets high-profile creators monetize their videos, to “better identify mass-produced and repetitious...

Released the same year as his cult classic Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, director Ngai Choi Lam’s bonkers feline horror movie The Cat is clawing back to life with a brand new Blu-ray.

On August 26, 88 Films presents the North American Blu-ray debut of the Hong Kong film The Cat with a limited release featuring a high-definition transfer loaded with bonus content.

The special features include a limited edition rigid slipcase, 40-page perfect bound book, a limited edition premium artcard, audio commentary by Frank Djeng (Asian Film Festival), a new interview with writer Gordon Chan, and an image gallery.

Check out this absolutely insane plot synopsis: “Li Tung is unable to sleep due to his noisy upstairs neighbors. When he goes to confront them, he encounters an old man, a young woman, and a mysterious black cat.

“The next morning, the trio vanish, leaving behind a startling surprise in a...

“The Killer” demonstrates John Woo’s ability to craft a compelling story with the same intricacy as his elaborate gun fu. The production was infamously plagued by challenges due to clashing over creative differences with producer Tsui Hark, a working relationship that was already tumultuous from previous troubles with “A Better Tomorrow II.” This culminated with the director being able to retain his artistic vision but needing additional financial backing from the financing companies of lead actors Chow Yun-Fat and Danny Lee. Although initially not a success upon its release in Hong Kong, the film later received international acclaim and is now regarded as a classic. The movie was remade in 2024 as an English-language feature, also directed by Woo, although it received less favorable reviews than the original.

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Operating under the Triads, Ah Jong is a revered assassin who maintains unwavering...

It was recently reported that the home video distributor Shout Factory is collaborating with Hong Kong Film Archives to bring you the 4K remastering of the most coveted of Chinese action film classics. The films will include works by Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat, John Woo, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. One of the titles included was Peking Opera Blues from 1986 and Blu-ray.com reports on the new details. Tsui Hark directs with a cast that includes Brigitte Lin, Sally Yeh, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang and Mark Cheng. The new remastered release is due to hit retailers on September 23.

Description: Shout Factory’s Hong Kong Cinema Classics continues to offer movie enthusiasts a treasure trove of must-see film classics from a remarkable era in cinematic history. The goal is to preserve and present these iconic movies in their finest form for fans, both old and new, at home.

Official selection of...

The beloved action cinema hailing from Hong Kong in the 1980s and ’90s is now being honored by distributor Shout! Studios.

IndieWire exclusively announces that the films of John Woo, Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark, and Tony Ching will screen as part of the “Hong Kong Cinema Classics” series, taking place at Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque and New York City’s IFC Center in August 2025. The retrospective will then tour select markets across the U.S. throughout the fall, with Shout! Studios releasing physical and digital versions, courtesy of the Golden Princess library.

Woo will also be in attendance at select American Cinematheque screenings. The auteur recently made his return to Hollywood filmmaking with 2023’s “Silent Night” and his 2024 remake of “The Killer” Woo’s “Hard Boiled,” “Bullet in the Head,” “A Better Tomorrow,” and its sequel, “A Better Tomorrow II,” are all among the “Hong Kong Cinema Classics” program. “A Better Tomorrow III,...

Nobody does it like John Woo. Calling Woo a pioneering force that helped shape Hollywood action movies would be an understatement, as his influence runs deeper than one might imagine. It wouldn't be farfetched to call Woo's brand of cinematic violence poetic, where he revitalizes the mundane with slick gusto — whether it's when a hail of bullets pierces through shattered glass, or time slows down to highlight something impossibly cool.

Ever since Woo found mainstream success with 1986's "A Better Tomorrow," he has been experimenting with the action genre and how it expresses stylized violence in passionate bursts. That film brought together American gangster cinema and Hong Kong martial arts flicks in ways never done before, and once Woo cemented his status as one of the masters of the genre, countless action flicks (including "The Matrix") mimicked Woo's aesthetic time and again. More recent genre entries, like Chad Stahelski's...

The debate concerning the use of artificial intelligence in the movie industry has taken a surprising turn with nearly 100 martial arts classics, including those from Jackie Chan andBruce Lee, now destined to receive AI makeovers. A major sticking point for the 2023 Hollywood strike action initiated by the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America, the place of AI in the film industry is still a hotly contested issue. With studios increasingly looking to lower production costs and maximize revenue, the role of generative AI in everything from special effects, background performances, and voice-overs is currently being placed under increasing scrutiny.

At this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter), a collection of Chinese studios announced their intentions to use AI technology to reimagine nearly 100 classic martial arts movies. Dubbed the Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project, the studios plan to focus on films...

China’s film industry is taking a bold step into the future with a new initiative unveiled at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival.

The project, named the “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project,” aims to use artificial intelligence to modernize around 100 classic martial arts films, giving them a fresh look for today’s audiences.

The effort, supported by the Chinese government, will focus on iconic movies like Bruce Lee’s 1972 hit Fist of Fury, Jackie Chan’s 1978 classic Drunken Master, and Jet Li’s 1991 film Once Upon a Time in China.

Another highlight is a reimagined version of John Woo’s 1986 action film A Better Tomorrow, which will become a futuristic animated movie featuring Chow Yun-fat’s character as a cyberpunk hero. This animated remake is being touted as the first feature-length film fully produced using AI technology.

Leading the charge, Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation,...

Big plans are unfolding in China’s movie world. At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, some of the country’s top studios announced they’re using artificial intelligence to bring new life to classic kung fu films.

This project, backed by the Chinese government, is called the “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project.”

The idea is to use AI to remake about 100 old martial arts movies. These include famous titles like Fist of Fury starring Bruce Lee from 1972, Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master from 1978, and Jet Li’s breakout film Once Upon a Time in China from 1991.

Another film, John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986), is being turned into a futuristic animated version, where the character played by Chow Yun-fat is now a cyberpunk figure. This version is being promoted as “the world’s first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film.”

Zhang Pimin, the chairman of the China Film Foundation,...

The Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project: 100 Classics AI Revitalisation Project was recently unveiled at the Shanghai International Film Festival, promising to digitally restore and enhance iconic martial arts movies featuring legends like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and more.

According to presenters, this cutting-edge initiative aims to breathe new life into China’s storied kung fu cinema using advanced AI technology.

Chinese film studios are planning to remake and remaster martial arts classics using AI

• 100 films — including ones starring Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li — will be remastered

• John Woo's 'Better Tomorrow' is being turned into 'the world's first AI-produced animated… pic.twitter.com/3tmYQLZUgt

— Culture Crave...

The use of AI to upscale films into 4K transfers has been a controversial topic. When James Cameron’s classic films were announced to be converted into ultra-high definition, they were greatly anticipated due to the high-quality special effects and action sequences in his films and fans were thirsting to see it in crisp 4K resolution. Unfortunately, something became noticeably off with the image quality and people realized that they were upscaled with AI, which made for some unnatural smoothing and, in the case of Jaws 3, some really wonky background artifacts.

While there is a great deal of debate with this method, Variety reports that the China Film Foundation and its partners are embracing AI to restore one hundred classic martial arts movies under an initiative called the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project. This initiative will digitally remaster Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li films, among others, and...

Hollywood studios and craftspeople may be busy agonizing over the proper role of AI’s potential within the film industry, but Chinese studios aren’t slowing down.

Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li and a legion of the all-time greats of martial cinema are about to get an AI makeover. In a sign-of-the-times announcement at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Thursday, a collection of Chinese studios revealed that they are turning to AI to re-imagine around 100 classics of the genre.

Lee’s classic Fist of Fury (1972), Chan’s breakthrough Drunken Master (1978) and the Tsui Hark-directed epic Once Upon a Time in China (1991), which turned Li into a bone fide movie star, are among the features poised for the treatment, as part of the “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project.”

There will also be a digital reworking of the John Woo classic A Better Tomorrow (1986) that,...

Shout! Studios’ Hong Kong Cinema Classics collection is getting bigger and more badass than ever with the addition of four films featuring martial arts filmmaking masters John Woo and Tsui Hark! Upcoming additions to the platform include A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, A Better Tomorrow III, The Killer (1989), and Hark’s Hong Kong action-comedy classic Peking Opera Blues. All films will be available On Demand and digitally starting in July on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Microsoft, and other digital platforms.

The following hails from Shout! Studios’ press release about the upcoming releases:

This summer, prepare for even more high-octane action and thrills when Shout! Studios and Hong Kong Cinema Classics invite movie enthusiasts and loyal fans to binge-watch some of the acclaimed early works by legendary filmmakers John Woo and Tsui Hark, and internationally celebrated actors Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka-Fai,...

The Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) proudly announces the official programme lineup for its highly anticipated 8th edition, set to take place from 19 to 27 July 2025. Staying true to its mission as a cultural bridge between Malaysian and global cinema, this year’s MIFFest places a spotlight on bold, diverse, and impactful storytelling from around the world. In its ongoing celebration of cinematic legends, the 8 th MIFFest is proud to pay tribute to the iconic Ti Lung with the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Extended Special Programme under the Master At Work series.

This year’s Malaysia Golden Global Awards (Mgga) sets the stage for an electrifying competition, with several standout titles leading the nominations. These critically acclaimed films reflect the depth and diversity of global storytelling celebrated at MIFFest. The Malaysia Golden Global Awards (Mgga) takes place on 26 July 2025 at Zepp Kuala Lumpur. The event will be streamed...

The 8th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) will open July 19 with “Ninavau,” a Malaysian feature exploring cultural identity and emotional heritage by director Bebbra Mailin, and close July 27 with “Transamazonia,” an environmental epic spanning France, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland and Taiwan from director Pia Marais.

The bookend titles underscore MIFFest’s dual mission of championing homegrown storytelling while embracing international co-productions, as the Kuala Lumpur-based festival positions itself as a key player in the Southeast Asian circuit with a robust 62-film lineup spanning 48 countries.

The fest will honor Hong Kong action icon Ti Lung with a lifetime achievement award. The 78-year-old star, whose career spans the golden age of martial arts cinema, will receive the honor at the Malaysia Golden Global Awards ceremony July 26 at Zepp Kl.

The tribute includes screenings of John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow” and Jess Teong’s “The Kid from The Big Apple,” with Ti Lung...

Malaysian director Bebbra Mailin’s local drama Ninavau is set to open the 8th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest), which will be closed by Pia Marais’s Transamazonia.

The festival will take place in Kuala Lumpur from July 19-27 and has programmed 62 films from 48 countries, up from the 50 titles selected last year.

Opening film Ninavau marks Mailin’s feature directorial debut and is based on a short she directed in 2019. It tells the story of a Kadazan woman who returns from the peninsula to her devout Catholic family with a change of heart in a film that explores cultural identity.

Before becoming a director, Sam Wong Ming Sing was part of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. In addition to working as a stunt coordinator on “Rush Hour” and “Bodies at Rest”, he also choreographed numerous action titles including “Police Story 3: Supercop”, “Project S”, and “Shanghai Grand”. Wong made his directorial debut with “Choy Lee Fut” or “Fight the Fight” in 2011, starring Sammo Hung.

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A Hong Kong and mainland China iQIYI co-production with a star-studded cast, “Man on the Edge” revolves around the conflict between the police and a powerful local gang. As 1997 approaches and Hong Kong’s British colonial era nears its end, change and chaos are imminent. Lam Yin Cheong, the leader of the San Luen Sing triad society, plans to retire and wants his old friend and lieutenant Lok Chi Ming (Richie Jen), who once took a fall for him, to take over and lead their brothers forward.

Exclusive: Arrow Films has struck a deal with Shout! Studios to release 156 Hong Kong titles in the UK, including seminal classics by John Woo and Tsui Hark.

It follows the acquisition of the Golden Princess film library by US outfit Shout! Studios in January, which comprised worldwide rights (excluding some Asian territories) to the renowned catalogue of titles.

While Shout! will handle the US release of the films, both on physical media and through streaming platform Shout! TV, Arrow Films has acquired UK rights to the features.

Produced during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 1990s,...

The home video distributor Shout Factory is collaborating with Hong Kong Film Archives to bring you the 4K remastering of the most coveted of Chinese action film classics. The films will include works by Jet Li, Chow Yun-Fat, John Woo, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark. The digital titles will include A Better Tomorrow in 4K, A Better Tomorrow II in 4K, and A Better Tomorrow III in 4K, Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues in 4K, John Woo’s The Killer in 4K, Tony Ching’s A Chinese Ghost Story (starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wang), A Chinese Ghost Story II (starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wang), and A Chinese Ghost Story III (starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Joey Wang) and John Woo’s Bullet In The Head in 4K (starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai).

However, the first two big releases are the Chow Yun-Fat films Hard Boiled and City on Fire. The descriptions...

Directed by Ronny Yu and featuring a young Brandon Lee in the lead role, “Legacy of Rage” was also his only Hong Kong production. American actor Lee, trained in Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, and Muay Thai, was the son of the legendary martial arts icon Bruce Lee. After returning to America, he went on to star in “Showdown in Little Tokyo” (1991), “Rapid Fire” (1992), and “The Crow” (1994).

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In this revenge-driven story, Brandon Ma (Brandon Lee) and May (Regina Kent) are a happy couple living in a small apartment. Ma loves motorbikes and works two jobs—a car wrecker during the day and a waiter at night. May also works at the same nightclub as a dancer. Their wealthy friend, Michael (Michael Wong), enjoys spending time with them, believing he can win May over. Unaware that Michael’s father, Boss Yee (Michael...

The action cinema of John Wick, Havoc and John Woo’s The Killer has constantly evolved as it’s travelled between filmmakers and eras.

Now on Netflix, writer-director Gareth Evans’ Havoc is an ultra-violent stew of influences. It’s set in a benighted US city, but was shot in Wales; its bullet-strewn action is directly inspired by Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo.

Then again, action cinema has always been a particularly international genre, taking in disparate bits of American westerns, low-key French thrillers and more besides. When John Woo directed A Better Tomorrow, released in 1986, its contemporary gangland setting and ferocious shoot-outs changed the look and feel of action cinema forever. Widely credited with inventing what was later dubbed the ‘heroic bloodshed’ genre, it made a star out of its lead, Chow Yun-fat.

Woo continued to hone his signature style – slow-motion photography, close-quarters action, and his characters’ habit of holding...

Yesterday it was revealed that Shout Factory is bringing a plethora of Hong Kong action titles to 4K with new Ultra HD Blu-rays. Among these releases were the Chow Yun-Fat classics, Hard Boiled, The Killer, City on Fire and the A Better Tomorrow trilogy. Blu-ray.com now has the details of special features and specs on the Jet Li Collection that was also announced. The collection is due to hit retailers on July 29.

“For the upcoming Hong Kong Cinema Classics releases, Shout! Studios, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Film Archives, has been working diligently to remaster and restore several prized hits, all scanned in stunning 4K from the original camera negatives. The video and audio have been restored, and the subtitles have been newly translated. With fans in mind, Shout! Studios is currently producing a variety of bonus content for each physical media release for this numbered and deluxe home entertainment series.

Shout! Studios is punching Monday in the face with brass knuckles by announcing an outstanding action film initiative with Hong Kong Cinema Classics! The celebration of Hong Kong action classics includes 4K presentations on Digital and physical media featuring iconic filmmakers, time-honored films, and many of the action genre’s legendary badasses of the silver screen.

The Hong Kong Cinema Classics collection brings films like Hard Boiled, City on Fire, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Bullet in the Head, Fist of Legend, Peking Opera Blues, and more to the stage!

Per today’s press release from Shout! Studios:

Hong Kong cinema in the ’80s and ’90s, renowned for its thrilling action choreography, distinctive visual styles, and emotional storytelling, represents a remarkable era in cinematic history, whose crime thrillers, martial arts classics, and action films, in particular, have left an indelible mark on Hollywood, profoundly influencing everything from Quentin Tarantino’s...

In a major boon for action film enthusiasts and physical media collectors, Shout! Studios is launching a new entertainment label dedicated to restored Hong Kong cinema classics.

The Hong Kong Cinema Classics line will spotlight a treasure trove of Hong Kong cinematic masterpieces, beginning with digital 4K releases in June before expanding to definitive-edition physical media.

The move comes on the back of Shout! Studios nabbing worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the coveted Golden Princess movie library.

The digital rollout begins June 24, while the label’s first physical release will be “The Jet Li Collection,” a 10-disc 4K Uhd + Blu-ray box set arriving July 29. This comprehensive set features five of the martial arts superstar’s seminal Hong Kong films: “Fist of Legend,” “Tai Chi Master,” “Fong Sai Yuk,” “Fong Sai Yuk II,” and “The Bodyguard from Beijing.” The lavish collection includes new interviews, audio commentaries, vintage featurettes and more special features.

Shout! Studios has unveiled Hong Kong Cinema Classics Line, “a new entertainment label spotlighting a treasure trove of Hong Kong’s most captivating and cinematic masterpieces on digital entertainment platforms in 4K and definitive-edition physical releases (Uhd and Blu-ray) for collectors’ home entertainment shelves,” according to the official release. The first titles will be released this summer.

The home video company “in collaboration with the Hong Kong Film Archives, has been working diligently to remaster and restore several prized hits, all scanned in stunning 4K from the original camera negatives. The video and audio have been restored, and the subtitles have been newly translated. With fans in mind, Shout! Studios is currently producing a variety of bonus content for each physical media release for this numbered and deluxe home entertainment series.”

Many of these titles have long been out-of-print or unavailable in the west, so to have them with brand-new...

While we’ve been hearing about Gareth Evans’s Havoc since 2021, it’s finally made its long-awaited debut on Netflix this week. Action fans have been waiting with bated breath for this one, with it the director’s first all-out action movie since The Raid 2, with his most recent film Apostle being a detour into horror. At the same time, he also tackled the TV series, Gangs of London (which has plenty of bone-crunching action of its own).

While The Raid films mainly relied on martial arts for the action sequences, Havoc is done in a different style, with Evans revealing that it’s his tribute to the heroic bloodshed genre that rose to prominence in the 1980s, and made Chow Yun-Fat into perhaps the era’s great action hero.

“I love the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed genre. I grew up watching those movies, where it was John Woo,...

Tsui Hark is a great director. Tsui Hark is a great actor (here the most expert will immediately mention Final Victory by Patrick Tam). Tsui Hark is a great producer. But Tsui Hark is first of all a Great Dreamer. A tireless creator of wonders who, from the late 80s to today, has continually rewritten the expressed codes of entertainment and the rules of the mainstream industry (let’s not forget the Hollywood experiences with Van Damme: Double Team and Knock Off). A brilliant activist of the Hong Kong New Wave who has constantly reinvented himself, project after project, always looking “further ahead”. Eyes wide open to the future but a heart deeply tied to roots and tradition.

Tsui Hark will present the super fantasy “Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” and will receive the Far East Film Festival Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement from celebrated China-Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai!

Acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark is set to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Far East Film Festival (Feff) in Italy’s Udine.

The director, known for blockbusters The Battle at Lake Changjin, Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back and the Detective Dee film series, will receive the Golden Mulberry Award at the festival on April 30.

The award will be presented by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, who appears in Tsui’s latest martial arts film, Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants. The feature, which was acquired by Sony Pictures International Productions, will screen at...

The 18th Asian Film Awards proudly announces this year’s recipients of the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award —Korean screen icon Jang Dong-gunand acclaimed Chinese actress Tang Wei. Recognised for their remarkable achievements and lasting contributions to Asian cinema, both esteemed actors will attend the awards ceremony on March 16 at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District to accept this prestigious honour.

Jang Dong-gun expressed his gratitude, saying, “It is a tremendous honour to receive this award, and I sincerely thank the Asian Film Awards for this recognition. Having my three-decade acting career acknowledged is deeply meaningful and inspires me to keep going. I look forward to sharing this joy with everyone in Hong Kong.” Tang Wei also shared her excitement, stating, “I am truly grateful to the Asian Film Awards for recognising my work. Hong Kong has always been special to me, and I...

The Asian Film Awards has unveiled Korean veteran actor Jang Dong-gun and Chinese actress Tang Wei as this year’s recipients of the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, which will be presented during the awards ceremony in Hong Kong on March 16.

With more than 30 years in the film and television industry, Jang has starred in top Korean films like Friend, Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, No Tears for the Dead and A Normal Family, among others. He has also acted alongside Hong Kong talent like Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse in Chen Kaige’s pan-Asian production The Promise and reunited with Cheung in Dangerous Liaisons.

Tang played leading roles in Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave and Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey into Night. She also co-starred with Chris Hemsworth in Michael Mann’s Blackhat and worked on numerous Hong Kong productions and co-productions like The Golden Era, Office...

Although he has been working in Hong Kong cinema since the late ‘60s, the legend of director John Woo truly kicked off with A Better Tomorrow in 1986. The success achieved critically and commercially not only made actor Chow Yun-fat into a megastar overnight but also invented a new genre of cinema known as "heroic bloodshed." Like any blockbuster hit that captures the cultural zeitgeist, A Better Tomorrow II was produced to strike while the iron was hot.

South Korea’s Contents Panda is launching upcoming horror features Incarnation and The Second Child at the EFM, meeting the rising appetite for genre titles from Asia.

Incarnation centres on a nun who teams with a detective to investigate a series of suicides, which they discover is linked to a curse. The cast is led by Stephanie Lee of The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful, which proved a box office hit in 2019, and Lee Shin-seong, whose credits include Commitment (2013) and A Better Tomorrow (2010).

This film incorporates elements of Vietnamese horror, including rituals and spirits, tapping into a hugely popular genre...

Hing-Ka Chan is a rare breed of filmmaker and writer. He masterfully juggles humor, drama, and social commentary. By the end of the film you realise what an insight you’ve had into each of the characters, but during it? You never even have to work. His films are sharp, witty, and packed with surprises. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the layered storytelling, or just curious about his work, keep reading. I guarantee you’ll find out something new about this talented director.

Poker King (2009)

Poker King tells the story of a man who had no real interest in his family’s casino business until he tried to learn how to play poker online. After finding a passion for Texas Hold’em, he ends up competing to be crowned the Poker King. It doesn’t sound terribly deep, but it’s one of Hing-Ka Chan’s more poignant films.

Early Hong Kong classics from Jet Li, including works from celebrated filmmakers Gordon Chan, Yuen Woo-ping (perhaps best known by western audiences for his work on “The Matrix”) and Corey Yuen will finally arrive on digital 4K on Feb. 18, courtesy of Shout! Studios in collaboration with Li.

The releases include 1994’s “Fist of Legend,” 1993’s “Tai Chi Master,” “The Legend” and “The Legend 2,” and 1994’s “The Bodyguard From Beijing.” These are the movies that made Li an international superstar and paved the way for him to appear in western blockbusters like “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The One” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” along with Sylvester Stallone’s “Expendables” franchise.

“Thanks to our new partner Shout! Studios, movie fans can now easily enjoy these entertaining films in stunning 4K on various digital platforms. I hope a new generation of audiences will be introduced to these...

Home video distributor Shout! Studios has acquired the worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the Golden Princess movie library – a deal that Variety reports will “electrify action film aficionados” because the Golden Princess library is “a treasure trove of 156 Hong Kong cinema classics that’s been Mia from Western markets for decades. The deal, which brings together Hollywood’s indie powerhouse with one of Hong Kong cinema’s most prestigious catalogs, includes genre-defining works from directing legends John Woo and Tsui Hark, alongside star-studded vehicles featuring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Leslie Cheung.“

The line-up that is now in the hands of Shout! Studios includes “Woo’s action masterpieces Hard Boiled, The Killer, the complete Better Tomorrow trilogy, Bullet in the Head, and Once a Thief. The library also boasts Ringo Lam’s City on Fire, Prison on Fire and its sequel; Eric Tsang’s Aces Go Places...

While the downfall of physical media has been predicted time and time again, 2024 has proved the opposite with many impressive and interesting releases, not juts Asian titles. However, when it comes to Asian cinema many boutique labels especially have given film-lovers the opportunity to (re-)discover many gems of the cinematic landscapes of Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand to name but a few. The following list may serve as an overview of some of these releases, some of which may stand representative of a whole catalogue from a production company.

Without further ado, let’s delve into the list of the 30 best physical media releases of Asian cinema in 2024, in random order

1. Seven Samurai (BFI)

Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece certainly needs no introduction and its release on 4k was one of the most anticipated releases for connoisseurs of Asian cinema. While there is also the Criterion edition of the film,...

In 1986, a virtually unknown film with a tight budget became a blockbuster and broke box office records in Hong Kong and Asia. The film, “A Better Tomorrow” also made its star Chow Yun Fat an overnight success and launched him into the big league of the Asian film industry. Furthermore it also gave co-star, a Shaw Brothers veteran, Ti Lung‘s career a much welcoming boost.

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After the huge success of its predecessor, a sequel with the same cast returning soon hit the big screens. The filmmakers had to bring Chow back due to his popularity. The problem was, they killed off Mark, the character he played in the previous film, so he returns as Ken, Mark’s long lost twin brother. John Woo was also back as director but it was a troubled shoot since producer Tsui Hark was...

What are some of the movies that come to mind if somebody mentions the word “siblings”? To be specific, movies with plots that hinge on the sibling dynamic instead of just having siblings in it. If you pick from the crime drama genre, there are Deewar, A Better Tomorrow, and Fiza. If you move towards the action genre, there’s Main Hoon Na, Karan Arjun, and Warrior. If you look at horror films, you’ll get Crimson Peak, Evil Dead Rise, and Nope. If fantasy is your thing, then there’s The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, the Spy Kids franchise, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you are wondering about step siblings, then you have Cruel Intentions and Step Brothers. And if you want to go into the realm of taboo, you can try out Close My Eyes. Now, even though it may seem like the...

A stunt choreographer tries to recapture his 80s and 90s youth in a movie that pays tribute to Hong Kong action cinema. Our Stuntman review:

Exploring similar territory to this summer’s The Fall Guy, but made with less noisy bombast, Stuntman is a heartfelt ode to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema. It opens with what looks strikingly like the climactic set-piece in Jackie Chan’s 1985 masterpiece, Police Story – a bruising fight in a shopping mall, with hoodlums being side-kicked down escalators and sent crashing into glass display cases. This, we later learn, is the set of mid-90s martial arts crime movie Operation Vulture, on which Sam (Stephen Tung) was at the height of his powers as a stunt choreographer.

During the making of that film, however, a high-wire stunt involving a leap from a bridge and a moving truck went catastrophically wrong, almost fatally injuring...

Exclusive: Legendary director John Woo has signed with Independent Artist Group. Famous for his pioneering work in the Hong Kong action genre stamped with balletic scenes of stylized violence that inspired a generation of Hollywood films, Woo just directed the remake of his signature film The Killer. The new one stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Sam Worthington and was released by Universal Internationally and ran on Peacock domestically.

Last year Woo directed the Lionsgate action thriller Silent Night, which starred Joel Kinneman as a man bent on revenge, but unable to speak.

Woo has always split time directing in both North America and China over an illustrious career that began with the Hong Kong action classics A Better Tomorrow, Bullet In The Head, Hard Boiled, and The Killer. He was courted by Hollywood, where his films have included Broken Arrow, starring John Travolta and Christian Slater, Face/Off, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage,...

It’s been four decades since The Terminator first blasted onto the big screen – seemingly from the future – and propelled writer-director James Cameron to the big time. Now, for its landmark anniversary, Empire celebrates cinema’s greatest cyborg in the November 2024 issue, featuring a major new candid Cameron interview, and much more.

The issue doesn’t hit shelves until Thursday 26 September – order online here – but in the meantime here’s a sneak peek inside its pages.

The Terminator At 40

For 40 years now, The Terminator has been unstoppable. Empire celebrates cinema's ultimate cyborg in a huge new James Cameron interview – talking the franchise’s ongoing legacy; Cameron’s most prominent thematic preoccupations; his changing relationship with the original film; and what the Terminator’s future holds.

Plus, producer Gale Anne Hurd writes exclusively for Empire, remembering the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how he boosted The Terminator to iconic status.

Paddington In Peru...

Netflix’s 2024 batch of family crime dramas have been quite the test of patience. Things started off pretty rocky with Fool Me Once, which featured rich people doing murderous things (I watched it in January and I don’t remember the details). That was followed by The Brothers Sun, which was packed with some of the most enjoyable stunts and a lot of heartwrenching mother-son drama. The streaming platform lulled me into a sense of comfort with the equally amazing House of Ninjas, which was about, you guessed it, a family full of Shinobi facing a deadly threat. Then, things started to go off the rails. Eric was all over the place. Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper established some sort of stability. But the triple-punch delivered by The Accident, The Perfect Couple, and Blood Legacy demolished the genre’s reputation. And, while I thought they were done with this nonsense, now...

John Woo, the director of such classic action movies as The Killer, Hard Boiled, Face/Off, and A Better Tomorrow, is swapping guns for song-and-dance routines in his next movie. Partnering with the cult music duo the Sparks, Woo is looking to venture into the musical genre in his next untitled project. While the announcement comes as a surprise from those expecting another action thriller, for fans who love how bonkers Woo's movies can be, it marks a welcome surprise as the filmmaker continues to evolve.

Speaking to Empire, John Woo addressed his new musical movie. Apparently taking a page out of Lady Gaga's book, the director was hesitant to label his next film as a full-blown musical. "My next project is actually a half-musical," Woo said, which is currently undergoing re-writes. Most surprisingly, the Sparks brothers (the duo behind the '70s hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for...