Wikipedia mirror

Back to the Past (film)

Back to the Past
Theatrical release poster
Traditional Chinese尋秦記
Simplified Chinese寻秦记
Hanyu PinyinXún Qín Jì
JyutpingCam4 Ceon4 Gei3
Directed byNg Yuen-fai
Jack Lai
Screenplay byChang Chia-lu
Lily He
Based onThe Chronicles of Searching Qin
by Huang Yi
Produced byLouis Koo
Tang Wai-but
StarringLouis Koo
Raymond Lam
Jessica Hsuan
Sonija Kwok
Joyce Tang
Bai Baihe
CinematographyKenny Tse
Edited byWong Hoi
Music byChan Kwong-wing
Production
company
Distributed byOne Cool Pictures
Release date
  • 31 December 2025 (2025-12-31) (Hong Kong)
Running time
107 minutes[1]
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetUS$45 million[2]
Box officeUS$51 million

Back to the Past (Chinese: 尋秦記) is a 2025 Hong Kong historical science fiction action film directed by Ng Yuen-fai and Jack Lai, with action direction by Sammo Hung. The film is a continuation of the 2001 television series, A Step into the Past, which was based on Wong Yee's novel, The Chronicles of Searching Qin. It stars the original cast members of the series Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok, Joyce Tang, and Michelle Saram reprising their roles from the series.[3]

Produced by Koo's One Cool Film Production, filming for Back to the Past began in April 2019 in Guizhou and wrapped up on 7 July 2019.[4] It was theatrically released on 31 December 2025 in Hong Kong.[5]

Plot

The story takes place nineteen years after the conclusion of the television series. Hong Siu-lung has retired to the countryside with his wife and children, living a peaceful life. However, at the height of Ying Ching's power, after unifying the six states and dominating the realm, he is suddenly attacked by Ken, a modern man who leads a group traveling through time.

Wrongfully imprisoned in his early years, Ken vows to rewrite history. He attempts to usurp the throne and proclaim himself emperor in order to make up for the regrets of his life. Left with no choice, Ying Ching seeks help from his master Hong Siu-lung, from whom he has been separated for nearly twenty years. Master and disciple are reunited once more, joining forces to confront the conspiracy plotted by Ken and his followers.

As a result, Hong Siu-lung is drawn back into the turmoil of the Qin dynasty. Facing threats to his family and unresolved grudges from the past, he must rely on both modern knowledge and ancient wisdom to defuse the crisis and ultimately seek his true place of belonging.

Cast

Production

Development

For many years, Louis Koo has expressed interest in adapting A Step into the Past to the big screen. Koo's film production company, One Cool Film Production, was able to acquire the rights to the series in 2017.[6]

In March 2018, it was announced that aside from Koo, Jessica Hsuan and Raymond Lam will also be reprising their roles from the series and production was to begin at the end of 2018 with budget of US$45 million.[2] Jack Lai will be set to direct and make his directoral debut.[7]

In February 2019, it was announced that Sammo Hung will serve as the film's action director.[8]

On 18 March 2019, the film was promoted at the 2019 Hong Kong FILMART. Aside from Koo, Hsuan and Lam, series cast members Joyce Tang and Michelle Saram were also present at the event, confirming their participation in the film. Visual effects artists Ng Yuen-fai will also co-direct the film with Lai.[3]

Filming

Principal photography for Back to the Past began in April 2019 in Guizhou. On 12 April 2019, photos from the set were revealed, showing Koo's costume.[4] Production for the film officially wrapped on 7 July 2019.[9][6]

Release

The film experienced a series of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, going without a release date for years.[6] A trailer was released in March 2021, but the film did not receive a release date until November 2025.[10][11]

It was ultimately released in Hong Kong on 31 December 2025.[5] It was distributed by Trinity CineAsia in the UK and Ireland on 2 January 2026, and by Well Go USA in North America on 30 January 2026.[5][12]

Reception

Box office

Back to the Past grossed HK$10.9 million (US$1.4 million) on its first day, setting a record for the highest opening-day performance of a Chinese-language film in Hong Kong.[13][14] It was the second-biggest opening overall in Hong Kong, behind Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which earned HK$20.88 million.[13]

In China, the film made approximately RMB 78.6 million (US$24 million) during its opening weekend.[12]

Critical response

Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a subpar historical sci-fi fantasy that is saved – and arguably even transcended – by the potent wave of nostalgia it inspires in its target audience." Lee noted that "both Koo and Lam have matured into significantly better actors in the intervening years", though it was hampered by what he characterized as Lily He Xin's "slack screenplay" and logical gaps in the plot.[15]

Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com awarded the film 2 out of 4 stars, criticizing the film's "bland exposition" and "functional, forgettable dialogue". Abrams wrote that the villain Ken was "a fairly generic villain", and felt the film ultimately did not offer anything new compared to the original show.[16] Phil Hoad of The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, finding the "rote gun-fu" fight choreography surprising given the involvement of Sammo Hung, and criticized the story's "soapy convolutions" and "increasingly sententious tone."[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Back to the Past (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b "FilMart: One Cool Pictures Launches Mega-Budget Chinese Movie Quartet". 19 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b addy (20 March 2019). "It's Finally Here! Original Cast Reunite for "A Step into the Past" Movie Sequel". JayneStars. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b "【造型曝光】《尋秦記》貴州低調開機 古天樂指揮拍攝 (19:25)".
  5. ^ a b c Ramachandran, Naman (17 December 2025). "Louis Koo's 'Back to the Past' Lands U.K., Ireland, Netherlands Release From Trinity CineAsia". Variety. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Chak, Ashlyn (8 January 2026). "What to know about Back to the Past, record-breaking new Hong Kong film". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Louis Koo, Jessica Hsuan, Raymond Lam Return for "A Step into the Past" Film Version".
  8. ^ "Jessica Hsuan's "Back to the Past" to begin filming March". 22 February 2019.
  9. ^ "林立揚Sean Lin - Day-105 #尋秦記電影版殺青". Facebook.
  10. ^ "电影版《寻秦记》又延期？宣萱透露电影明年上映". Sohu (in Chinese). Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  11. ^ "《尋秦記》原班人馬重現大銀幕 先導海報正式登場預告明年一月上映". Yahoo News (in Chinese). 26 November 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b Brzeski, Patrick (8 January 2026). "Louis Koo Action Drama 'Back To The Past' Set for North American Release by Well Go USA". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b Wong, Silvia (6 January 2026). "'Back To The Past' opens big in Hong Kong but overall box office falls 16% in 2025". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  14. ^ Tsang, Denise (2 January 2026). "Back to the Past, starring Louis Koo and Raymond Lam, smashes Hong Kong record". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  15. ^ Lee, Edmund (31 December 2025). "Back to the Past movie review: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic sequel to TVB series". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  16. ^ Abrams, Simon (30 January 2026). "Back to the Past: Hong Kong TV adaptation best reserved for fans". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  17. ^ Hoad, Phil (7 January 2026). "Back to the Past review – everybody's still gun-fu fighting in time-travel sequel". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.