Why It Took 15 Years To Happen
Andrew Patterson The first action-comedy movie became an instant cult classic but here's why it took 15 years for Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle 2 to finally happen.
The sequel Kung Fu Hustle 2 is finally official — here's why it took 15 years to happen. The original Kung Fu Hustle became an instant cult favorite when it came out in 2004, and many have been anxiously awaiting a follow-up. Stephen Chow is a legendary figure in Chinese cinema and started his career with roles in movies like John Woo's Just Heroes and taking over from Chow Yun-fat for God Of Gamblers II and III. He first moved into the directing seat for 1993's Flirting Scholar with Gong Li (Miami Vice), and regularly started to direct his own projects like 1996's The God Of Cookery.
Stephen Chow's breakthrough to international audiences came with 2001's Shaolin Soccer, which was a hyperactive, cartoonish sports movie. Chow shot it with overseas viewers in mind, and the movie's unique blend of action and comedy saw it become a solid hit. He followed up with Kung Fu Hustle, another martial arts and action-infused movie. In the film, he plays a lowlife criminal who gets mixed up with the Axe Gang, which leads to some incredible action scenes.
Kung Fu Hustle received great reviews and grossed over $102 million internationally. It remains one of Chow's most popular films. Surely, a sequel film to the widely-beloved '04 original would have the ability to draw in staggering viewer numbers like its predecessor. So, in the few years following Stephen Chow's confirmation of Kung Fu Hustle 2 in 2019, fans have naturally been wondering what the follow-up's wait has been about.
Kung Fu Hustle 2 Is Happening
Originally, Chow revealed his hope to produce Kung Fu Hustle 2 back in 2005. Of course, as fans now know, things didn't pan out that way. Chow re-confirmed news of the project while promoting his 2019 movie The New King Of Comedy. However, he also said that Kung Fu Hustle 2 won't be a direct sequel. The Kung Fu-themed movie will instead be set in the modern-day and he will likely only cameo. While it's disappointing Chow wouldn't be the lead - especially after his long absence from acting - in the sequel, it's just good to know it's finally in development.
Why Kung Fu Hustle 2 Was Delayed
Stephen Chow stated in 2005 he was working on Kung Fu Hustle 2, but its path to getting made would prove complicated. Chow's next film would be 2008's CJ7, a sci-fi comedy about a father and son who adopt a friendly alien. The E.T. aping comedy received a more lukewarm reception than Kung Fu Hustle and wasn't as successful. During this period, Chow was also hired to direct and star as Kato alongside Seth Rogen in Green Hornet. It seemed like a perfect pairing of star and project, but Chow would first drop out of the director seat following "creative differences" but remained on as Kato before later exiting the production entirely.
Stephen Chow is known to be an exacting collaborator and perhaps not the easiest Hollywood movie director to work with, with Green Hornet producer Evan Goldberg later admitting Chow wanted total control, which wasn't going to happen in Hollywood. Chow's next film as director was 2013's Journey To The West: The Demons Strike Back, and that year he stated that Kung Fu Hustle 2 was still planned but had been put on hold while he'd focused on other projects in the intervening years. In 2016, he directed fantasy comedy The Mermaid - which became one of the highest-grossing Chinese films of all time - and 2019's The New King Of Comedy, a remake of his own 1999 movie. Stephen Chow has been far more focused on directing than acting in recent years since Kung Fu Hustle, to the point he hasn't appeared in a movie since CJ7.
Kung Fu Hustle 2 – Details & Updates
As of right now, there still isn't a release date for the long-awaited Kung Fu Hustle 2. However, some of the forthcoming sequel's details have circulated over time. As previously mentioned, Stephen Chow has said that he won't star in the big-name, Kung Fu-centered sequel movie; it's more likely that he'll make a cameo. Instead, it's been reported that Kung Fu Hustle 2 will probably have a female lead. And the changes certainly won't stop there, as the action-comedy will be set in a foreign country. According to Yahoo! News (via the Alternative Press), Chow has also said that the film will feature "a lot of new characters" as well as "a lot of new actors." Regardless of how Kung Fu Hustle 2 strays from some of the original movie's specific elements, its release will have quite the draw once it finally punches into cinemas and/or streaming services.
