Director Giddens Ko‘s new martial arts action comedy, Kung Fu, is setting a February 2026 release in time for the Lunar New Year, and the first official teaser is now online. The film is headlined by Kai Ko, Leon Dai, and Berant Zhu, from a story that takes its cues from Ko’s own 2005 novel publication.
High school loser student Yuan accidentally aids a bullied, homeless man, only to find out later that this man is a Kung Fu master resurrected for a 500-year entanglement with his berserk, evil fellow swordsman. Present day, Yuan and his own fellow Ah-yi are taken as disciples by the master. At first, they enjoy following the master’s order to uphold justice, while also earning a brief satisfaction and the favor of Yi-jing, another female disciple. But soon they will also face the hard side of humanity, learn about the insufficiency of themselves and taste the bitter reality in a hard way, as the fight between the master and his rival escalates.
Ten years in the making and filmed in the span of two years and with a budget reportedly of up to NT$300M ($9.1 million), Kung Fu stands to be Taiwan’s biggest production in a decade. The film is produced by Lu Wei-chun for Taipei-based Machi Xcelsior Studios, and features action sequences by action choreographer Chang Jae-wook and his fivqe-member Triple A stunt team.
Though billed a comedy initally, I do admire that the teaser bolsters with some reverence. There’s some gruesome elements with a darker aesthetic throughout that lends something much more to Ko’s latest work here than what initial impressions have left. So far, I can dig it.
Check out the teaser:
