Comedy legend Stephen Chow is officially returning to the big screen as both writer and director with his highly anticipated new film, Kung Fu Soccer.
The comedy, titled Kung Fu Soccer, has released its official poster and confirmed that it will premiere in theaters on July 11.
The newly unveiled poster features a female football player performing a powerful bicycle kick while a massive flaming soccer ball dominates the background. The tagline reads, “The fire in your heart will never burn out!”
Alongside the poster, the production team also released a trailer titled “Stephen Chow Is Back!” and officially opened advance ticket sales.
The cast has also been officially announced. Leading roles will be played by Zhang Xiaofei, Dilraba Dilmurat, and Lay Zhang. The film also features special appearances by Carina Lau and Japanese actor Takeru Satoh.
True to Stephen Chow’s signature style, the ticket-release poster showcases members of the women’s kung fu football team performing spectacular martial arts-inspired soccer moves, including sliding tackles and bicycle kicks, blending traditional kung fu with high-energy football action.
Fans have been waiting six years for a new Stephen Chow film since the release of The New King of Comedy, making Kung Fu Soccer one of the most anticipated Chinese films of the year.
According to Chinese media, the project is breaking new ground in three ways that many considered nearly impossible.
First is its unusually short release schedule. The film’s premiere date was announced on July 6, leaving less than a week before its theatrical debut on July 11. This is considered one of the fastest release announcements ever for a major Chinese blockbuster.
In the past, only smaller productions with minimal promotion adopted such last-minute release strategies. In contrast, Kung Fu Soccer is a large-scale production arriving during the highly competitive summer movie season, making this marketing approach almost unprecedented.
The second surprising aspect is the extremely limited promotional campaign. From the end of filming until the release date announcement, the production revealed very few behind-the-scenes photos, only a handful of official posters, and just two promotional videos.
The first promotional clip simply featured Stephen Chow confirming that the movie would adopt a “flexible release schedule,” without even appearing on camera himself.
This stands in stark contrast to most Chinese productions, which typically launch multiple trailers, short promotional clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and extensive cast marketing long before release.
The third factor attracting attention is the film’s ambitious concept. Combining martial arts with women’s football in a mainstream commercial comedy is something few, if any, directors have attempted before.
Industry observers have long argued that Hong Kong comedy can be divided into two categories: Stephen Chow films and everyone else’s comedies. His movies have always maintained a unique identity, turning even the most outrageous and unconventional ideas into stories audiences readily embrace.
Many viewers are already calling Kung Fu Soccer a fully upgraded spiritual successor to Shaolin Soccer, the iconic film Stephen Chow directed, co-wrote, and starred in 25 years ago.
Sources: LD
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