Among Hong Kong’s acclaimed police thrillers, the Cold War franchise has stood out with its sharp political edge and tightly woven storytelling.
Its first two chapters – Cold War (2012) and Cold War 2 (2016) – were major hits, collectively crossing the HK$100mil (RM50.6mil) mark at the city’s box office.
The saga centres on a volatile power struggle between two police commissioners: Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok) and MB Lee (Tony Leung Ka Fai), whose authority is repeatedly tested as they navigate a series of complex criminal investigations.
It traces the rise of a young MB Lee (Terrance Lau), while uncovering the early power dynamics that shaped the saga’s central conflicts.
The film brings in new additions – Lau is joined by award- winning Malaysian actress Fish Liew, Taiwanese actor Wu Kang Ren, Hong Kong-American actor Daniel Wu and more.
At a recent press conference in Hong Kong attended by StarLifestyle, screen icon Chow Yun Fat – who reprises his role as legislator Oswald Kan from the second film – expressed his pride in seeing his younger peers take the spotlight.
“What I’m happiest about is being able to pass on the legacy,” Chow, 70, said.
“Filming was tough, but they endured and stayed. It shows real resilience, and I thank them for that.”
The affable Chow also urged his juniors to stay resilient in the unpredictable film industry, adding: “Being an actor is like surfing – some ride the waves, while others get swept under. I’ve seen actors train hard for months, only to appear in a single shot.”
Although Kwok, 60, doesn’t have a younger counterpart in the film, he’s anything but disappointed, joking that he could always play his own younger self.
“It’s time we give new actors the space to shine,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tony – fresh off his Best Actor win at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards for The Shadow’s Edge (2025) – praised Lau, 37, for doing justice to the younger version of his character.
“His performance was so good it made me question my own life,” the 68-year-old quipped.
Tony described Lau as a promising talent, but cautioned against placing undue expectations when asked if the latter could clinch a Best Actor prize for the role.
“Don’t pressure the young actors... They are still in the process of establishing themselves. As Fat Gor (Chow) mentioned, our generation has already worked hard to carry the legacy. What matters most now is passing the torch,” he said.
Addressing unanswered questions
Cold War 1994 centres on the rivalry between a young MB Lee and deputy commissioner of police operations Peter Choi (Daniel).
Their power struggle unfolds alongside a high-profile kidnapping case involving Hong Kong’s most influential Poon family, where ambition, authority and loyalty collide.
At the group interview ahead of the press conference, director Longman said the third instalment aims to answer the lingering questions fans have asked since the earlier films.
He revealed that a second prequel, Cold War 1995, has already been filmed and is currently in post-production.
“We shot both films back-to-back (over roughly 100 days).
“There were many strong opinions, but everyone worked hard to create something audiences will enjoy.”
Also present at the session were Lau, Daniel, Kang Ren and Tse Kwan Ho, who shared their experiences joining the franchise.
The following conversation has been edited for clarity.
What inspired you to join Cold War 1994?
Kang Ren: I joined the project because I really loved the first two Cold War films, so when the opportunity came, I was thrilled.
I’ve also long idolised Kwan Ho, who plays my father in the movie.
I first noticed him in The Mad Phoenix (1997), which I watched before entering showbiz.
Back then, I hadn’t fully understood acting yet, but revisiting it later made me appreciate his performance more deeply.
Tse: I portray Will Poon, the family patriarch. The role felt new to me.
I’ve played wealthy characters before, but never someone with this level of influence – a man who essentially runs Hong Kong.
When I heard that Kang Ren, Fish and others I’ve worked with before were joining, I was excited – especially since I admire Kang Ren.
He plays my son Simon and performs entirely in Cantonese which is no small challenge.
What was the chemistry like on set?
Daniel: The chemistry was really strong.
I share many scenes with Terrance, and before filming even began, we were already chatting nonstop.
He’s very easy to work with – super friendly and natural – so it didn’t feel difficult at all.
Lau: We instantly clicked over our many common interests.
He even gave me a gift (headphones) during filming!
Terrance, stepping into such a pivotal role in the franchise comes with a lot of responsibilities. What kind of preparation went into the role?
Lau: I rewatched the first two Cold War films to study Tony’s version of MB Lee.
Beyond his mannerisms, I tried to understand the character’s mindset, motivations and why he made the choices he did.
Breaking that down helped me build my own version of MB Lee that’s connected to the original but still feels distinct.
All this while, I’ve only watched him from behind the screens, thinking, “Wow, he’s so good looking!”
You also have many action sequences. How did you prepare for that?
Lau: I trained for about two months, covering hand-to-hand combat, firearms and stunt work.
To complete the look of the younger MB Lee, I also built muscle, tanned my skin and grew out some stubble.
Daniel, you’ve been building a Hollywood career over the past years. Your last Hong Kong project was 2020’s Caught In Time. What’s it like returning to Hong Kong cinema?
Daniel: It feels like returning home. It took some time to readjust, but everything fell back into place once filming began.
Hong Kong shoots are very fast-paced – much faster than in the United States – which is something I like.
And since I haven’t filmed a Hong Kong project in a long time, speaking Cantonese was challenging. But I had two to three months to prepare.
Kang Ren, you’ve worked on a wide range of productions, mostly in Mandarin, since debuting in 2007. How was the experience filming this movie in Hong Kong, especially since you perform fully in Cantonese?
Kang Ren: It was a good challenge.
I was impressed by how efficiently everything is done – from camera setups to actors preparing for scenes.
Everyone clearly knows their role, so everything moves quickly, and you just adapt to the flow.
Kwan Ho, we’ve heard that transforming into Will Poon was tough. Could you share more about the process?
Tse: Since my character is 20 years older than I am (63) in real life, the styling to visually age myself was... interesting.
Before each shoot, I’d have to undergo three hours of prosthetic makeup.
Several rounds of moulding were required to create the prosthetics, and in the end I had around 11 pieces – including for the neck, chin, nose and even the hair.
It was tiring just sitting there, but the results were amazing.
I truly felt like I had become Will in the moment. It really helped me get into character.
Finally, what are your expectations for the film?
Longman: I hope the film will answer the long-standing questions audiences have over the past decade. It’s a very rich project packed with action, love and more.
Cold War 1994 is now showing at cinemas nationwide.
