Sammo Hung only has good things to say about Louis Koo, his co-star in 'Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In'. Photo: Handout
After being absent from action films for more than five years, martial arts actor Sammo Hung is back doing what he does best – and that’s punching, kicking, and doing amazing stunts on the big screen.
The 72-year-old screen legend is starring in the new action crime thriller Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, which opened at cinemas nationwide on May 17.
Co-starring A-listers such as Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok, Richie Jen, Philip Ng and Raymond Lam, the martial arts feature has already set a box-office record when it premiered in Hong Kong on May 1, where it grossed more than HK$5mil (RM3mil) on the first day.
It also topped the Chinese mainland’s daily box-office chart for a week, and earned more than 15.72mil yuan (RM10.2mil) in eight days.
In Malaysia, the film collected RM3.2mil in the first three days of release.
Its success should be good news to Hung who has said he finds it heartbreaking to see the Hong Kong film industry being in a slump with not many movies turning in profits.
His own return to the big screen is for financial reasons, he told StarLifestyle in an email interview.
“One word – money,” he said of the reason that drew him to participate in Twilight Of The Warriors. “As it was during the pandemic and there were not many job offers, I thought ‘Why not?’”
Another reason, he added, was that the film was produced by Wilson Yip Wai Shun, with whom Hung worked as an action choreographer on films like Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010) and Paradox (2017).
“I have worked with producer Yip on several projects previously, so when I received an offer to join this project, I said, ‘Why not?’”
(From left) Actor Raymond Lam, director Soi Cheang, actor Sammo Hung and Philip Ng at a press event in Hong Kong to promote the movie. Photo: Lotus Five Star
For Twilight Of The Warriors, however, the famed action star stuck to his job as an actor and left the action choreography to the person in charge, Kenji Tanigaki.
He told StarLifestyle he performed his stunts without adding any “twists” to them.
“I’ve been an action choreographer, and I know it is a lot of work to figure out all the action sequences according to a scene while staying true to the essence of the whole movie.
“You can’t have just anyone come in and change it to how they want. For this movie, I trust Kenji san and I respect him and his team. I did my best to follow his choreography.”
Mr Big (Sammo Hung) takes it easy after a hard day's work by reading a comic book. Photo: Handout
Set in the 1980s at the infamous, crime-ridden Kowloon Walled City – which was torn down by 1993 – Twilight Of The Warriors is directed by Soi Cheang based on Andy Seto’s City Of Darkness comic book.
Hung plays the film’s main villain – a mob boss named Mr Big who is planning to invade the Walled City and take over the drug trade in that area.
Of course, many stand in his way including the current godfather of the city, Tornado (Koo), and Mr Big’s former employee Chan Lok Kwan (Lam), who had escaped to Kowloon Walled City to find a better life.
As seen in the trailer, The God Of War (2017) actor has a couple of explosive brawls in the film, including one where Mr Big faces off against Koo’s character.
Describing Koo as a “superb actor”, Hung told StarLifestyle that he’s impressed with the level of action his 53-year-old co-star is able to pull off in the film.
The duo’s most recent collaborations were in Paradox as well as when Hung directed Koo in the 2016 flick Call Of Heroes.
“It is very difficult to measure a movie star and an action movie star as they are very different. I can’t judge the action based on what I think this person should be able to perform; it’s not fair.
“The best approach is to focus on how to control and help elevate the performance. Teamwork is key,” Hung said.
“Having worked with Louis Koo before and having him as my ‘action sparring’ partner for this movie, I knew his capabilities.
“He likes to do the stunts himself and push the limits, so our action scenes were quite smooth.
“The action choreographer was also very careful (with my action sequences) and ensured I wouldn’t get injured, so I felt safe throughout filming.”
(Hung is said to have gone for a knee operation in 2017 and has been seen using a wheelchair or walking stick.)
When StarLifestyle asked if he faced any challenges during the filming, the action maestro answered: “Frankly speaking, there wasn’t much of a challenge for me with these action scenes. It’s like a well-oiled chef – just a few moves and the dish is served.”
Hung practised martial arts from the age of nine until he was in his 50s.
Using that skill, he not only became an action icon on the big screen, he helped reinvent the martial arts genre and started the horror-comedy-action blend of jiangshi (Chinese zombies) movies, such as Encounters Of The Spooky Kind (1980).
He also combined martial arts with bawdy comedy in movies like the Lucky Stars trilogy (1980s and 1990s), which he directed and starred in.
Among those he calls friends are fellow martial arts stars Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
His reach goes beyond Hong Kong too.
Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung team up to beat up some bad guys in 'Project A' (1983). Photo: Handout
Between 1998 and 2000, Hung appeared weekly on American TV playing a Shanghai cop who fights crime in the Los Angeles Police Department in the CBS TV series Martial Law.
Hung – who has the moniker “Dai Goh Dai” which translates roughly as Biggest Big Brother – is also widely credited for giving many stars their start in the Hong Kong film industry, including Oscar-winning Malaysian actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh who made her first-ever film appearance in his film The Owl Vs Bombo (1984).
“She’s a very hardworking person; she has put in a lot of effort. I think behind every successful person there’s a story of hard work,” he told South China Morning Post.
Similarly, he only had good things to say about his younger co-stars in Twilight Of The Warriors to StarLifestyle – namely TV actor Lam and Hong Kong-born American actor-martial artist Ng.
“I’ve not had the opportunity to work with Raymond Lam before, and even in this movie, we don’t have fight scenes together. But from what I’ve observed on set, he is really hardworking and holds nothing back. He goes all out.
“As for Philip Ng, I personally know him and have worked with him before. As a new generation actor, he is full of potential,” Hung said.
Sammo Hung poses for a photo for StarLifestyle at a press event in Hong Kong. Photo: Lotus Five Star
With such a stellar career of over 200 movies to his name and an unmistakable force in the industry, it should not come as a surprise that Hung has been the recipient of many awards in his 63-year career.
He was bestowed the lifetime achievement awards from the Asian Film Awards in 2023 and last month’s Hong Kong Film Awards.
In 2019, he was in Malaysia where he also received a lifetime achievement award at the 3rd Malaysian Golden Global Awards.
Yet, the esteemed actor-filmmaker described getting the lifetime achievement awards as bittersweet.
“I am happy to be recognised and honoured for my contribution to Hong Kong cinema, especially action movies.
“However, it is also a challenging time for Hong Kong films, as the industry is experiencing a significant downturn,” he said, commenting on the decline experienced by the HK film industry.
Fiilmmaking legend Sammo Hung was accompanied by his glamorous actress wife Joyce Mina Godenzi at the 3rd Malaysian Golden Global Awards conducted at Istana Budaya in 2019. Photo: SHAARI CHEMAT/The StarIn an interview with Singapore’s The Straits Times, Hung elaborated further on his personal dilemma about receiving this award.
“The term ‘lifetime achievement’ – it sounds as if there’s nothing left to achieve. It feels a bit early for that.
“My brain still feels 28, although my body is probably closer to someone who is 90. I’m touched because I never thought I’d get a lifetime achievement award, but it also feels like I’m being hastened to retire. These are conflicting feelings,” he told the Singapore publication.
To StarLifestyle, Hung added that there are still a few things that are elusive to him, such as having a blockbuster hit for a film he’s produced.
“So far, all the box office hits have been movies made by other people.”
Ip Man (Donnie Yen) is challenged by a kung fu master (Sammo Hung) at his school in Ip Man 2. Photo: Handout
Another dream of his is winning a Best Director award.
“I’ve won lifetime achievement awards, acting awards and for stunt and action choreography, but not once for directing. If I do 10 more films, I’ll be happy if even one nabs a best director prize, or even a nomination for it,” he told Straits Times.
Adding to StarLifestyle, Hung said he hoped that Twilight Of The Warriors’ director Cheang would win Best Director at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards.
At the same time, Hung said this: “Historically, it’s rare for an action movie director to receive a Best Director gong (at HK Film Awards). I hope Director Soi will break the mould and set a new precedent.”
(Soi did win the 2024 Hong Kong Film Awards’ Best Director prize, his first, for his 2023 mystery thriller Mad Fate at the ceremony which took place in April.)
Despite Hung’s reservations, the director of films like Warriors Two (1978), Winners And Sinners (1983), Wheels On Meals (1984) and The Bodyguard (2016) holds Twilight Of The Warriors in high regard.
“I hope this movie can revitalise the Hong Kong action genre, creating more opportunities to nurture a new generation of action stars.
“This would also increase my chances of winning Best Director someday.”
As for what excites him most about the future of filmmaking, Hung told StarLifestyle: “I don’t think I’m a great boss or businessman because I’m not good with numbers. But, I have a lot of ideas.
“If I believe an idea is good and offers something fresh and entertaining for the audience, I’ll try my best to make it happen.”
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In is out at cinemas nationwide since May 17, 2024.
