Stephen Chow’s ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ returns to theaters after 21 years — legendary comic martial arts film back on the big screen

Pig Sty Alley rises again on the big screen, bringing back its singular action aesthetic

‘Kung Fu Hustle,’ a comic martial arts masterpiece created by the singular icon of Chinese-language cinema, Stephen Chow (Chow Sing-chi), is returning to South Korean theaters after 21 years. Wide Release, the film’s distributor, announced on the 22nd that the legendary movie will be re-released next month.

First released in 2005, ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ is set in Shanghai amid the turmoil of 1940s China. The film follows the bizarre commotion that unfolds when an inept street thug, ‘Sing’ (played by Stephen Chow), enters Pig Sty Alley (Pig Sty Village), a slum the notorious Axe Gang is trying to seize.

The film catches audiences off guard with the twist that the seemingly ordinary residents are actually reclusive martial arts masters. As ‘Sing’ becomes embroiled in their epic battle and awakens to his own potential, the movie’s signature low-budget-style humor and polished martial arts action combine to create a worldwide sensation.

The film also showcases the genius of Stephen Chow, who built an original comic universe through the ‘A Chinese Odyssey’ series and ‘Shaolin Soccer’ and took on the roles of director, screenwriter and lead actor. Martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, the master who shaped a distinctive action aesthetic across Hollywood and Asia through films including ‘Drunken Master’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and ‘Kill Bill’, also helped create the film’s hard-hitting, one-of-a-kind action sequences.

It is an opportunity to experience once again on the big screen the enduring humor of Stephen Chow and his dazzling martial arts direction. The film will meet audiences at theaters nationwide next month.