Daniel Wu on ‘Cold War 1994,’ ‘Twilight of the Warriors’ and Coming Home to Hong Kong: ‘The Craft Still Challenges Me’
Daniel Wu received the Best from the East Award at the New York Asian Film Festival, marking a resurgence in his Hong Kong career via two major projects: "Cold War 1994" and the "Twilight of the Warriors" series. He told Variety he never deliberately left Hong Kong cinema, but a pandemic-thinned schedule and the pull of a high-quality production brought him back, and the return has been significant given the "Cold War" franchise's commercial track record and Wu's evident enthusiasm for reconnecting with the industry's people and pace.
"Cold War 1994" is a prequel to the "Cold War" series, directed by Longman Leung and produced by Bill Kong and Ivy Ho, set against the 1997 Hong Kong handover; its two predecessors, from 2012 and 2016, were each the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of their year. Wu plays Peter Choi opposite Terrance Lau's M.B. Lee, a character previously played as a straightforward villain, and describes the role as his most morally ambiguous yet, tracing a gradual descent into becoming an "evil mastermind." Wu, who was 22 during the actual 1997 handover, says the shoot let him revisit a period of political upheaval he lived through but hadn't fully understood, while returning to a Hong Kong set felt like a reunion, with familiar crews he praises as "efficient, fast, and no bullshit." He also touched on a new haircut prepared for his role in "Twilight of the Warriors."
In short
- Daniel Wu honoured at New York Asian Film Festival for Hong Kong comeback roles
- Stars in "Cold War 1994," playing a morally ambiguous pre-handover character
- Wu calls return to Hong Kong film sets a warm, reunion-like experience
Explained simply
Daniel Wu is an actor who had largely stepped back from Hong Kong cinema in recent years. He has now returned with major roles in two projects: a film called "Cold War 1994" and a series called "Twilight of the Warriors". His return is significant because he is joining a film franchise with a proven commercial track record.
"Cold War" is a Hong Kong film franchise that has proven commercially successful. The first two films, released in 2012 and 2016, were each the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of their respective years. "Cold War 1994" is a prequel set against Hong Kong's 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule, a transition of major historical significance for the territory.
In the film, Wu plays Peter Choi, a character who gradually becomes morally compromised. Wu himself was 22 years old during the actual 1997 handover and lived through this period of significant political change, though he did not fully understand it at the time. Returning to film on a Hong Kong set has allowed him to revisit this historical period whilst working with experienced local crews.
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