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If you thought Hong Kong films were doing particularly well last year – and they were, indeed – then you need to book yourself into a screening of our city’s latest box office banger. Back to the Past premiered on the New Year’s Eve just past, and immediately grossed a record-breaking $11.54 million on its opening day. The whole thing was a bit of a Christmas miracle anyway, with one of Hong Kong’s most beloved television drama series getting a long-awaited sequel film more than two decades after its original run.
A Step Into the Past first aired in 2001 on TVB, swiftly proving to be one of the best and most popular period drama series ever produced by the local television channel. Based on the Wong Yee novel, The Chronicles of Searching Qin, the series starred an ensemble cast of household names in the Hong Kong film industry, including Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, and Sonija Kwok, adding to its immense acclaim.
For those who haven’t seen the original show or need a refresher, the plot follows the trials and tribulations of Koo’s character, Hong Siu-lung, a protective security unit inspector from the 21st century who travels back in time to the Warring States period of ancient China, helps the Qin emperor ascend his throne, and is forced to navigate the intrigues of court politics to survive the ensuing power struggle.
Now, after more than 20 years, the hit series is being followed up by a silver screen release thanks to Koo’s film production company, One Cool Film Production. Back to the Past sees the main cast from the original series reprising their roles, and new faces central to the feature film’s plot, which takes place 19 years after the events of the original television series. In the sequel, Hong – who has been content leading a quiet life in the countryside with his family – is once more drawn into the political conflicts of the Qin dynasty when a group of time travellers from the 21st century appears in the past, bringing turmoil and crisis to the first Qin emperor’s court.
It’s clear that Hongkongers have been nostalgic about this classic 00s series because just from a single day’s release, Back to the Past was already ranked at number seven in Hong Kong’s best-performing films of 2025. In fact, it went on to gross more than $42 million on its opening weekend, which would have made it the biggest local film of 2025 had it not come out on the last day of the year. Still, the film has made history as the biggest opening day of all time for a Hong Kong film, exceeding last year’s hit films The Last Dance and Cold War 2.
If you’ve already seen the film and still want more, Back to the Past has teamed up with Ngong Ping 360 to launch a special movie-related promotion. From now until January 21, movie fans can visit the Lantau Island landmark to see a 2.1-metre-tall Back to the Past Be@rbrick installation, with a sci-fi design that draws inspiration from the film. Visitors can also take the limited-edition Be@rbrick home with them – in a much more manageable, regular size – though sale dates for the collectible have yet to be announced. Meanwhile, the Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal Souvenir Shop hosts an exhibition of Back to the Past costumes worn by Louis Koo, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok, and Kevin Chu’s characters, and three standard carriages from the Ngong Ping Cable Car has been decked out in movie decals to celebrate the film’s launch.
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