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Filmmaker Giddens Ko Unveils Taiwan's Largest-Budgeted Film "Kung Fu"

EntertainmentCulture4/26/2026
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Filmmaker Giddens Ko presented his upcoming film "Kung Fu" at the Far East Film Festival, revealing Stephen Chow contributed to its development. The film, an adaptation of Ko's novel written 25 years ago, is described as Taiwan's largest-budgeted production. Ko is also developing a new feature in Taiwan with actor Kai Ko, who premiered his own film at the festival.

Facts First

  • Stephen Chow contributed to the development of Giddens Ko's upcoming film "Kung Fu"
  • "Kung Fu" is Taiwan's largest-budgeted production, adapting Ko's novel written approximately 25 years ago
  • Kai Ko stars in "Kung Fu" and has made four films with Ko, including his directorial debut "Bad Education"
  • Kai Ko premiered his own film "I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish" at the festival, where he learned Cantonese for the role
  • Ko is developing a new feature film in Taiwan that includes a role for Kai Ko

What Happened

Filmmaker Giddens Ko presented his upcoming film "Kung Fu" at the Far East Film Festival on Saturday. Ko revealed that Stephen Chow contributed to the development of the film, which Ko described as Taiwan's largest-budgeted production. "Kung Fu" is an adaptation of a novel Ko wrote approximately 25 years ago and incorporates footage from classic wuxia works as narrative threads. Ko first attempted to film it as his second feature around 2013, following his debut film "You’re the Apple of My Eye". Actor Kai Ko stars in "Kung Fu" and has made four films with Giddens Ko, including his directorial debut "Bad Education", which was written by Ko.

Why this Matters to You

If you enjoy Taiwanese cinema or the work of Stephen Chow, you may see a new, high-budget film blending their creative influences. The festival also showcased Kai Ko's own film, "I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish", which premiered Sunday, demonstrating a collaborative creative community that could lead to more diverse projects.

What's Next

Giddens Ko is developing a new feature film in Taiwan that includes a role for Kai Ko. Kai Ko is also working on a second directorial project with a new screenwriter, which is projected to arrive in 2027 if the script is completed.

Perspectives

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Giddens Ko explains that his creative process involves drawing inspiration from cinematic traditions and structural touchstones, noting that wuxia is about "stretching the audience imagination."
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Kai Ko views the director as the "real general" and "real captain" of a production while reflecting on the technical difficulties of his acting roles and his own directorial ambitions.