Stephen Chow’s film “Female Soccer” starts filming, netizens suspect an aggregation of popular celebrities.

Hong Kong’s “King of Comedy,” Stephen Chow, known as “Xing Ye,” has quietly started filming his new movie “She Shoots” in Shenzhen, China. Leaked set photos and videos show actors performing high difficulty actions including somersaults and wire-assisted soccer kicks. The related discussions have become a hot topic online.

According to reports by Hong Kong’s “Oriental Daily,” Stephen Chow has been personally directing the actors on set in recent days. Videos circulating online show the actors quickly coordinating to perform somersaults, wire-assisted soccer kicks, and other high difficulty actions; some even getting splashed with water… It is estimated that “She Shoots” will incorporate a large amount of special effects in post-production.

Some netizens have expressed that the exaggerated stunts in the movie remind them of Stephen Chow’s classic work “Shaolin Soccer,” stating that they “feel like everything is back” and are looking forward to “She Shoots” continuing Chow’s unique comedic style. Others hope to see Stephen Chow himself act in films rather than just directing them. Some netizens are questioning the cast of “She Shoots,” expressing concerns that an abundance of popular stars may affect the quality of the film, especially in terms of presenting comedic elements.

Previous reports indicated that the cast of the film includes Zhang Xiaofei, Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhang Yixing, Xu Jiao, Wang Yibo, and South Korean actor Song Kang-ho joining. However, the actual cast remains to be officially announced.

Stephen Chow, who hadn’t filmed a new movie in years, announced on his 61st birthday in 2023 that he would be filming a female version of “Shaolin Soccer” titled “She Shoots,” listing five criteria for casting and recruiting actors globally, specifically requiring that photos submitted during auditions must not be edited or falsified. The news generated a strong response, attracting around 30,000 applicants and even prominent actors who volunteered to participate.

It is worth noting that Stephen Chow’s 2001 directorial and starring film “Shaolin Soccer” is still considered a classic Hong Kong movie. Although the film was popular worldwide at the time, it has never been released in mainland China. One theory suggests that “Shaolin Soccer” allegedly tarnished the reputation of the “Shaolin Temple” by using the word “Shaolin” in its title, but because Stephen Chow refused to change the name, some netizens speculate that in the current highly nationalistic environment in China, Stephen Chow’s new soccer-themed film must have made some ideological compromises in the storyline; otherwise, “She Shoots” would not have been approved for filming after obtaining the dragon label (mainland release permit), leading to the film being unable to be shown.

Another more common perspective suggests that the final plot of “Shaolin Soccer,” where the “Evil Team” bribes almost everyone except the “Shaolin Team” and even openly uses stimulants on the field, mirrored the scandal of “match-fixing” in the Chinese football world at the time, undoubtedly striking a nerve with the Chinese Communist Party’s sensitivity.

Some netizens are eagerly anticipating Stephen Chow’s creativity in producing a new comedy film that breaks free from nationalist constraints.