Giddens Ko's 'Kung Fu' Debuts at Far East Film Festival
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- Giddens Ko premiered "Kung Fu" at the Far East Film Festival on Saturday, revealing that Stephen Chow contributed to the film's development after Ko showed him the script to discuss choreography and story.
- "Kung Fu" is adapted from Ko's own novel written 25 years ago and is described as Taiwan's largest-budgeted production, incorporating footage from classic wuxia works that Ko said function as foreshadowing for the main character rather than mere homage.
- Ko first attempted to shoot the project as his second feature around 2013 but pulled back, attributing the retreat to overconfidence after the commercial success of his debut "You're the Apple of My Eye."
- Kai Ko, making his fourth film with Giddens, simultaneously premieres "I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish" — which he wrote, produced and stars in — at the festival on Sunday.
- For his role as a Taiwanese man who relocates to Macau in that film, Kai Ko learned Cantonese, calling it the hardest part of the role and noting the language has nine tones where incorrect tones change word meanings entirely.
- Giddens Ko confirmed he is developing his next feature in Taiwan with a role written for Kai Ko, while Kai Ko's second directorial project could arrive in 2027 if his current script comes together.
Why it matters: Ko's "Kung Fu" realizes a project he shelved roughly a decade ago after his debut "You're the Apple of My Eye" succeeded, now produced as Taiwan's largest-budgeted film with Chow's input — a concrete escalation from his early career scope, and the latest entry in a 15-year collaboration with Kai Ko that now extends into writing, producing, and directing.
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