Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Chow has joined in the frenzy over Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2, which is opening in Hong Kong cinemas on Feb 22.
Posting on Instagram for the first time since June 2024, Chow shared a photo of himself with his back to the camera. He was dressed up as the titular wide-eyed demon-child of Ne Zha 2, complete with Nezha’s ring and red sash.
Hong Kong actor Lam Tze Chung, one of Chow’s frequent collaborators, looked shocked in the photo.
“Ne Zha 2 will be released in Hong Kong this Saturday, and I have prepared the basic outfit for the film,” Chow wrote in Chinese on Feb 18.
The 62-year-old then shared his excitement by repeating “I have to watch Ne Zha 2” 10 times.
In the Chinese animated fantasy-adventure Ne Zha (2019), Nezha – doomed to live only three years and shunned by society – triumphed over fate and saved his village.
The sequel has overtaken American animated coming-of-age film Inside Out 2 (2024) on Feb 18 to become the highest-grossing animated film globally. Released in China on Jan 29, it has made more than 12.3 billion yuan, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.
Film distributor Encore Films announced on social media on Feb 14 that Ne Zha 2 is coming soon to cinemas in South-East Asia.
The film’s director Yang Yu, better known by his pseudonym Jiaozi (dumpling in Chinese), has said in interviews that he is a fan of Chow’s comedy films.
The Ne Zha films contain several scenes that pay homage to Chow’s movies, such as Hail The Judge (1994), Shaolin Soccer (2001) and Kung Fu Hustle (2004). – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
