[Watch] Louis Koo Hopes To Visit Malaysia To Thank Fans As ‘Back to the Past’ Movie Breaks Pre-Sale Records

The movie adaptation of the beloved TV series “A Step into the Past” has achieved remarkable success in Malaysia, breaking pre-sale records with over RM1 million in ticket sales before its official release and subsequently storming past RM3.5 million at the box office in just two days since opening.

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The much-anticipated time travel movie “Back to the Past” has already made waves in Malaysia before its official release, with pre-sale tickets surpassing RM1 million – a remarkable achievement for Hong Kong cinema in the Malaysian market.

Speaking to the media, lead actor and producer Louis Koo expressed his excitement about the film’s warm reception.

I’m thrilled to know that Back to the Past will be released simultaneously in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Malaysian audiences have always been incredibly supportive of this story, and I hope the box office performance continues to grow.

When asked about the possibility of visiting Malaysia for a celebration tour, Koo’s eyes lit up.

I’d love to come to Malaysia to wish everyone a happy new year, celebrate our success, and of course, enjoy some amazing Malaysian food.

Reuniting The Original Cast After 20 Years

The film is a continuation of the 2001 television series “A Step into the Past”, which was based on the late Huang Yi’s novel “The Chronicles of Searching Qin”, reuniting the beloved original television cast, including Jessica Hsuan, Raymond Lam, Sonija Kwok, and Joyce Tang, more than two decades after the hit TV series first aired.

‘A Step into the Past’ follows a 21st-century Hong Kong police inspector who travels back to the Warring States period of ancient China and becomes part of key historical events leading to China’s unification under the Qin dynasty.

For many fans, seeing these familiar faces return to their iconic roles feels like a nostalgic homecoming.

Hsuan, won Best Actress at the TVB Star Awards Malaysia in 2017, described the reunion as particularly moving.

The moment I saw Raymond and the other cast members again, it felt like we’d travelled back 25 years – like family members meeting after a long separation.

Lam, who reprises his role as Qin Shi Huang, the Qin Emperor, reflected on how much he has grown as an actor.

When I first started, I was surrounded by senior actors. After all these years apart, coming back to this character brings both familiar challenges and new experiences.

Bringing Ancient Times Into The Modern World

One of the film’s most discussed elements is its use of contemporary internet slang and humour in an ancient setting.

The film features many humorous dialogues, including internet slang like “Hit Your Lung” – a comedic literal translation of the Cantonese slang “丁你個肺” (expressing mild frustration or annoyance) that creates intentionally awkward Chinglish humour.

Koo said the dialogues are quite spontaneous and that many family scenes, including segments where he teaches his family English and French, were cut due to runtime constraints.

In the future, there might be opportunities to release ‘NG’ (blooper) clips and ‘daily life’ segments, but that’s for later discussion.

The film also explores what the world might look like in 20 years.

If someone told you three years ago that artificial intelligence would become reality, you might not have believed it. But here we are. We had to consider how transportation, weapons, and technology would fit logically into our story.

Speaking about his collaboration with action director Sammo Hung, Koo praised the martial art legend’s experience in choreographing the film’s extensive action sequences, noting their previous work together on films like SPL: Greedy Wolf and Call of Heroes, and acknowledging the increased difficulty of coordinating even more actors this time around.

A Labour Of Love With Challenges

Bringing the beloved TV series to the big screen posed significant hurdles: more than 20 cast members were still employed at various television stations, making schedule coordination extremely challenging.

Koo acknowledged that balancing multiple storylines and character relationships within a limited timeframe proved challenging during production.

The film features extensive action sequences choreographed by legendary director Sammo Hung, whose experience was crucial to coordinating the large cast.

While fans are already asking about potential sequels, particularly involving the character Xiang Yu, a nobleman of the former state of Chu who famously rebelled against the Qin dynasty, Koo remains cautiously optimistic, stating that future projects depend entirely on audience response and support.

Distributed in Malaysia by Five Star AV and Brilliant Pictures, the film represents a successful Hong Kong-Malaysian entertainment collaboration, with the cast hoping audiences will enjoy this nostalgic journey combining ancient times with modern twists.

As Hsuan optimistically concluded, “We hope the box office numbers keep climbing so we can all come to Malaysia together to celebrate!”

Meanwhile, according to GSC Cinemas, the film has stormed past RM3.5 million at the Malaysian box office in just two days since its release, creating what the cinema chain calls “unstoppable momentum.