Hong Kong Movie Industry Faces Cold Winter, Louis Koo Reveals Even Lower Pay and No Investment

At the Spring Tea Banquet organized by the Hong Kong Film Workers Association on March 22, the president, Louis Koo, was interviewed about the challenges facing the Hong Kong film industry. He revealed that he has taken the lead in cutting his fees, but emphasized that the key issue is not reducing fees, but the lack of investment in the industry. He expressed concerns about the future of Hong Kong cinema.

Koo mentioned during the interview that the Hong Kong Film Workers Association had originally planned to produce 8 films within two years, but so far only 4 have been completed, including the upcoming “Unforgivable Sin” and “Evil Rules the Streets.” Board member of the association, Michael Tang, added that the number of film productions in the first half of 2025 in Hong Kong is less than ten, marking a new low.

According to reports from Hong Kong media, the data from the Hong Kong film industry is equally pessimistic. The total box office revenue in the Hong Kong region for the year 2024 was 1.34 billion Hong Kong dollars, a 6.2% decrease from 2023, the lowest in nearly thirteen years. Despite seven films, including “Siege of Kowloon Walled City,” grossing over a billion, the total box office revenue of three local films during the 2025 Lunar New Year season was less than the performance of “Raging Fire 2” in 2024. In 2024, as many as nine cinemas in Hong Kong closed or changed ownership.

Facing the industry’s challenges, many veteran actors have chosen to lower their salaries. For example, Sean Lau voluntarily reduced his fee to star in the award-winning film “Dad” at the Asian Film Awards. Louis Koo expressed his support for this and lamented that even with reduced fees, there is no guarantee of getting roles. He admitted, “It’s not just about reducing salaries, it’s about the lack of people investing in the industry.”

The downturn in the industry has led to many famous actors in Hong Kong transitioning to other careers. Michael Tang described the industry as entering an “ice age.” He revealed, “Some crew members work as food delivery drivers during the day and do odd jobs on set at night just to make ends meet! Some have turned to driving for Uber, and even lighting technicians are selling insurance now.” Louis Koo responded, “No industry insiders have asked me for help yet, but I know many have switched careers. It’s a way to get through this period because, after all, people need to make a living, which is normal.”

Michael Tan mentioned that some staff members have requested salary increases, citing that they haven’t had a pay raise in eight years, reflecting the industry’s tough situation.

Regarding the future prospects of the Hong Kong film industry, Louis Koo stated, “Our film production plan has been ongoing for two years, and this year we have renamed it ‘Tighten Up Together.’ We hope that despite the challenging economic environment, everyone can work closely together and hold onto their positions, continuing to shine brightly for Hong Kong cinema.”

As for the goals of the “Tighten Up Together” plan, Louis Koo suggested that there might be adjustments in the numbers, but they will continue with the current plans for now. He also lamented that film budgets are very tight nowadays, so they will only proceed with new films at lower costs.

It is worth noting that many Hong Kong films that have become coproductions with mainland China in recent years have not performed as well as expected at the box office across the border. For instance, after “Siege of Kowloon Walled City” grossed over 500 million RMB last year, the box office for “The Negotiators,” starring Sean Lau and Rady Ananda, was only 156 million RMB, while “Customs Frontline,” led by Nicholas Tse and Jackie Cheung, only earned 129 million RMB. Both big productions ended up as loss-making ventures. When investors see no return on their investments, they naturally hesitate to put in more money.