Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Soccer' grosses over $200 million in China, sparks Korean backlash

Stephen Chow’s new comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" (also released as "Kung Fu Women’s Football") has become a major box‑office hit in China. Within nine days of its release it earned roughly RMB 1.46 billion (about $214 million), prompting ticketing platform Maoyan to raise its full‑run forecast to RMB 3 billion ($441 million). The film is on track to approach Chow’s personal record of RMB 3.39 billion set by "The Mermaid" in 2016.

In the mainland, the film’s box office quickly surpassed RMB 11 hundred million, and it is projected to exceed RMB 30 billion by the end of its run. The success has been noted for its minimal marketing, with Chow announcing the release via a casual social‑media video on his birthday.

The movie has also ignited controversy in South Korea. Korean media and scholars allege that the film’s portrayal of a fictional “Ewha Women’s Football Team” unfairly caricatures Korean women’s football, prompting online protests and calls for edits before its overseas release. Chinese netizens have responded by dismissing the criticism as overly sensitive.

The story involves China’s domestic film market and diplomatic cultural tensions with South Korea.