Actor-director Stephen Chow is returning to soccer with Kung Fu Soccer, as the film secures an international rights deal more than two decades after the global success of Shaolin Soccer. The new project represents Chow’s first major return to the sport-themed genre that helped cement his international reputation in the early 2000s. Shaolin Soccer went on to become a hit for its unique blend of martial arts, comedy, and over-the-top action, amassing a loyal following around the world. 

With Kung Fu Soccer set to bring Chow back to the genre, the filmmaker's latest project is already making waves beyond Mainland China. 

Stephen Chow is back in the soccer business with Kung Fu Soccer, more than two decades after the success of Shaolin Soccer. Variety reported that the China-Hong Kong co-production will focus on the Emei Women’s Football Team in the fictional Supreme Invincible Cup tournament. This will also be a crossover of martial arts and soccer. 

The film will be distributed in Mainland China by Maoyan Entertainment. Encore Films will take on all other territories. The deal strengthens Encore’s position as a major player in bringing major Chinese productions to audiences around the world. 

“Director Stephen Chow is widely regarded as the ‘King of Comedy’ and one of the rare filmmakers whose work has entertained audiences across cultures for decades,” Joyce Lee, managing director of Encore Films, said, as per Variety, describing Chow's enduring global appeal. 

Moreover, Lee stated that unlike other movies about soccer, which deal exclusively with the possibility of victory of the team, Chow’s works offer a certain dose of absurdity. She also called Kung Fu Soccer a wonderful combination of imagination, action, emotion, and humor. She insisted that the unique mixture of elements is the key to the popularity of works created by Chow.

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The excitement surrounding Kung Fu Soccer stems largely from the enduring popularity of Shaolin Soccer, the movie that transformed Chow into an international favorite. 

In Shaolin Soccer, the soccer movie, which is in Prime Videos, Sing, a former Shaolin monk, wants to bring kung fu to the masses, as his master’s teachings have become obsolete. He meets washed-up soccer coach Fung and puts together an unlikely team by reuniting his estranged Shaolin brothers. Together, they use their martial arts skills to enter a prestigious soccer tournament.

Chow played the character of Sing, their modest but talented leader whose devastating kicks become their best weapon. The film combines slapstick comedy, over-the-top action, and heartfelt themes of perseverance as the underdogs face increasingly dangerous opponents. The team’s journey culminates in a spectacular showdown that helped turn Shaolin Soccer into an international cult favorite.

Now, Chow is returning to the genre that made him a worldwide sensation. It has been built on the legacy of Shaolin Soccer, whose blend of martial arts, comedy, and heart made it a classic. More than 20 years later, that same larger-than-life formula seems primed to be applied to a whole new generation of audiences, this time on an even bigger international stage.

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With Kung Fu Soccer heading to international audiences, can Stephen Chow recreate the magic that made Shaolin Soccer a cult phenomenon? Let us know in the comments.