Stephen Chow, the Hong Kong filmmaker behind Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, returned to directing this weekend with Kung Fu Soccer, opening to RMB500.3 million ($73.6 million) over its first two days in China. It is his first feature as director since 2019's The New King of Comedy.
The film, a spinoff of his 2001 cult classic, arrives timed to FIFA World Cup 2026 fever and Shaolin Soccer's 25th anniversary. It follows an all-female team from the Emei clan who channel martial arts into soccer during a high-stakes tournament called the Supreme Invincible Cup. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film accounted for nearly 75 percent of China's entire weekend box office.
Leading the cast is Zhang Xiaofei as team captain, alongside Dilraba Dilmurat as star striker and Lay Zhang as kung fu coach, with guest appearances from Carina Lau and Jimmy O. Yang. Maoyan audiences rated it 9.4 out of 10.
By Monday morning, the cumulative total had crossed $76 million. Tracking projections put the China run above $368 million. Singapore's Encore Films holds international rights outside mainland China, but no U.S. release date has been set.
Chow, 64, has not appeared on screen since CJ7 (2008). His directorial filmography includes The God of Cookery (1996), King of Comedy (1999), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), and The Mermaid (2016). Seven years between features is a long pause. The weekend gross is not.
