Back to the Past film, starring Louis Koo and Raymond Lam, smashes Hong Kong record

Historical science fiction action film Back to the Past, starring actors Louis Koo Tin-lok and Raymond Lam Fung, has broken the opening-day record for a Chinese film despite a gloomy box office last year.\nHong Kong’s box office sank to a 14-year low of HK$1.13 billion (US$145.2 million) in 2025 from a year earlier amid a wave of cinema shutdowns, according to data compiled by industry body Hong Kong Box Office Limited on Friday.\nLast year’s best performing films – both locally produced and from abroad – were animation movies.\nBut Back to the Past grossed HK$10.91 million on its debut on Wednesday, a record for the first day performance of local or Chinese films, and No 2 on the all-time list behind Avengers: Endgame shown in 2019, which recorded HK$20.87 million on its opening.\n“As film is still being screened, we hope the results will reach a new high,” the box office company said.\nThe special effects-driven action adventure is based on a TVB drama series in 2001, A Step into the Past, that featured roughly the same cast including Koo and actresses, such as Jessica Hester Hsuan and Sonija Kwok Sin-nei.\nThe film and television drama are based on Huang Yi’s novel, but the movie continues where the TV adaptation left off about 20 years ago.\nIn the film, Koo plays the role of a special agent stranded in the Qin dynasty for about two decades after a time machine malfunctions, and gets entangled in a three-cornered battle with a leader of mercenaries and the first emperor of China, Ying Ching, played by Lam.\nThe film embodies the collective memory of an era for Hongkongers, when the city’s entertainment sector was at its heyday before it went downhill.\n\nAs of Wednesday, the last day of 2025, Back to the Past was ranked No 7 in Hong Kong-produced films – a bright spot against the city’s overall box office performance in 2025.\nAccording to the box office company, Hong Kong chalked up HK$1.13 billion last year, down 15.79 per cent from 2024.\nThe most popular film last year was Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, a Japanese animation film, which grossed HK$97.60 million in Hong Kong.\nThe best performing locally produced film, Another World, also an animation film, had only a fraction of the Japanese anime’s box office, at HK$15.15 million last year. Both films are still on show in Hong Kong.\n“We hope residents who love movies can go to the cinema more often in the new year and support Hong Kong cinema and the film industry,” Hong Kong Box Office said.\nThe city has seen a wave of cinema shutdowns since 2024, with at least a dozen closures. This included Golden Harvest’s landmark Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui.\n