Stephen Chow sweeps the Chinese box office with the sequel to his cult film blending soccer and kung fu

Shaolin Soccer is a cult film for reasons that are obvious to anyone who’s seen it. Blending soccer, martial arts, and comedy, Stephen Chow managed to combine his love for Hong Kong kung-fu cinema with his interest in Captain Tsubasa to make a charming, goofy, and hilarious film that anyone who’s seen it still remembers fondly and with bursts of laughter, whether in China, Spain, or the US. And that’s why it shouldn’t surprise us that, 25 years later, he’s decided to make a spinoff.

A film that’s already a hit

Released last Saturday in mainland China, it grossed $38.3 million on its first day in theaters, with viewers giving it a score of 9.4 out of 10. With a projected gross of $368 million, which could very well be revised as time goes on, it’s set to be one of the highest-grossing productions of the year.

The film, Kung Fu Soccer, follows a structure similar to the original film, but with one significant change. This time it follows a fictional women’s soccer team called Emei that competes in the ultimate soccer tournament, for which they’ll need secret kung fu skills to win. just like in the original film.

As Stephen Chow’s first film since The New King of Comedy, released in 2019, this is a major phenomenon for cinephiles both inside and outside China. Which is why its success is a reason to celebrate his return to the movies, especially with a comedy so beloved by audiences.