Chinese Hong Kong film "Back to the Past" opens in North America

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Hong Kong historical sci-fi action film "Back to the Past" opened Friday in a limited theatrical release across North America.

Distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment, the time-travel film is screening in Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles at more than 55 selected theaters in major North American cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, as well as other cities with sizable overseas Chinese communities.

Directed by Ng Yuen-fai and Jack Lai, the film continues the story of the classic 2001 Hong Kong TV series "A Step Into the Past," adapted from Huang Yi's novel of the same Chinese title. The film reunites the original cast, with Louis Koo reprising his leading role alongside Raymond Lam, Jessica Hester Hsuan, and Sonija Kwok.

According to box office data from Maoyan, a leading Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform, the film has grossed more than 285 million yuan (41.14 million U.S. dollars) since its release on the Chinese mainland on Dec. 31. It also posted a strong opening in Hong Kong, setting an all-time record for the highest opening-day box office for a Chinese-language film.

The film currently holds a rating of 9.3 out of 10 on the Maoyan platform, based on reviews from more than 51,000 viewers. ■