The Era of Martial Arts Has Not Ended! BIFAN’s 30th Anniversary Opening Film “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert” Hits Korean Theaters in the Second Half of the Year!

Restoring the long-lost impact, a “real” action that thrilled the world

A work titled “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert,” in which Hong Kong martial arts film legend and the master who designed action for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Matrix” takes the megaphone, is based on a hard-boiled adult martial-arts comic. Breaking decisively away from recent trends that leaned heavily on flashy fantasy visuals, it restores on screen the raw physical impact of real sweat and rough breathing from the actors, as well as the visceral moment when bones and weapons collide.

That stubborn commitment in directing has sparked explosive responses from global critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, a global review site, it logged astonishing figures: a 97% freshness score and a 96% popcorn score. In particular, it earned about $135 million in mainland China, breaking the record of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” for the first time in 26 years. It also set a new all-time box office high for the martial-arts genre, heralding “the glorious return of martial arts.”

Selected as the Opening Film for the 30th BIFAN, “The Most Ferocious Return of Martial Arts”

“Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert,” which proved both artistic merit and popular appeal, has been chosen as the opening film of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), now in its 30th edition this year, and will make its first meeting with Korean audiences. BIFAN programmer Lee Jeong-yeop said, “The action that cuts across the desert and the roadside inn becomes more than just entertainment—it becomes the texture of the world itself. Action master Yuan Huaping crafted a new era of martial arts through heavy yet elegant harmony completed with actual body movements. Every time the sword flashes, dust and blood fly together—this is the most ferocious return of martial arts.” He added no praise beyond measure. Instead of a heroic martial-arts wanderer hero, the journey of a cold-blooded bounty hunter, Duoma, who fights amid the chaos at the end of the Sui dynasty—fighting for money and survival—will deliver audiences a chilling yet weighty catharsis.

All of Greater China’s top stars assemble, and the return of a legend

The casting lineup for “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert” is just as overwhelming as the film’s grand scale. Wu Jing, the top action star in Greater China, plays the lead role of Duoma, showcasing sharp, razor-edged action. Ming actor Yang Jia-hui and the actors Shi Jufeng and Jin Liyun join the cast, raising the density of the story. In particular, global action icon Bruce Lee returned to the screen for the first time in 14 years, making a special appearance that drew attention. K-pop group SEVENTEEN’s Jun and NCT’s Win Win will tackle diverse martial-arts action, leaving a strong impression as the next generation of action stars.

Director Yuan Huaping said, “When you swing a knife or raise a spear once, it has to feel like a real impact,” adding that it is “a film to recover the sensation of lost martial arts.” “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert,” which throws away exaggerated packaging and goes head-on with ‘the aesthetics of the body’—the essence of martial-arts action—has left viewers wondering whether it can captivate everyone, from the generation that once obsessed over Hong Kong cinema to younger audiences who crave a new kind of action catharsis.

“Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert” will open in theaters nationwide in the second half of this year.