SUPERCOP: REBORN Signals Potential Sequel With Jackie Chan And Michelle Yeoh
Stanley Tong’s career began as a stuntman in Hong Kong. He transitioned to directing as part of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team’s 4th generation, tasked with directing Police Story 3: Super Cop for Golden Harvest. Over the next 30 years, he collaborated with Jackie Chan on several more films, though his ideas have recently drawn considerable criticism. Now, Tong aims to recapture his initial success with a surprising sequel.
Allegedly, Tong has more films in the works than he has ever made in his career, and most of them are expected to star Chan. Among them are a sequel to Vanguard, a sequel to Rumble in the Bronx, a drama called If I Ever Meet You Again and a remake of The Two-Coloured Island. With his latest news, he’s stirring up a hornet’s nest among fans of both Chan and his Police Story 3 co-star and Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once headliner, Michelle Yeoh.
There are new reports and blurbs circulating Chinese language platforms, hinting that a follow-up to Police Story 3: Super Cop is in the works. The update in question alludes to the production of Super Cop: Reborn (超警重生), which is reportedly being steered by Tong and filed with the China Film Administration as of Friday last week.
As far as story details go, the new film will chart its way into Taken territory as Chan’s role and his ex-wife – both retirees from the force – jettison to Paris to rescue their daughter when they learn she’s been kidnapped, uncovering a human and organ trafficking ring in the process. There’s little further information on it that I can point to except for a credible breakdown over at Jackie Chan historian and superfan Thorsten Boose’s parapublication of this article where he’s delineated all the available facts of Tong’s filing for the production, including a synopsis, the production companies involved, a filming location, and more.
The Police Story franchise itself is kind of all over the place since Chan’s titular hitmakers in 1985 and 1987; Police Story 3: Supercop marked a sophomore milestone in 90s martial arts cinema following Chan’s second East-meets-West breakout with Rumble In The Bronx, having releasing in the states as Supercop from Miramax/Dimension in 1996. The film also premiered Yeoh in the States that year as a force to be reckoned with, resulting in the rise of Hong Kong niche fandom and home media sales and rentals at the turn of the century with films like Royal Warriors and Yes, Madam!, and even Tong’s 1987 Sino-Japanese war actioner, Magnificent Warriors.
Tong soon attempted a Supercop sequel starring Yeoh with a cameo by Chan a year after, while the premier star/stuntman would reteam with the director several years later on First Strike, a.k.a. Police Story 4. Chan would then attempt a reboot in 2004 with director Benny Chan, collaborating for New Police Story with Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung and Daniel Wu also starring, before tapping back in with director Ding Sheng for their 2013 standalone, Police Story: Lockdown; A sequel to New Police Story was announced in 2023 as well, which bares asking just what’s going to happen as the weeks and months pass.
Indeed, the last few films have taken on something of a darker tone which speaks to where this newest chapter could go if it happens at all. Nonetheless, it’s still worth asking what’s going to happen since the New Police Story 2 announcement in conjunction with all else Chan has been doing and/or plans on doing. It’s anyone’s guess until the trades can report something solid from the markets and dealmaking in the interim, and even then, keeping up with Chan is still a test of endurance. Don’t be surprised if that man’s got like five more Panda Plans in his cabinets zomewhere.
Looking at Tong’s films starring Jackie Chan, it’s clear that each new project has been less successful than the last, judging by IMDb ratings. In fact, it’s high time the Police Story franchise got a new lease on life. Whether Tong, with his Taken idea, is the right person to bring that to the table remains to be seen.
Hats off to eagle-eyed Jackie Chan chronicler Thorsten Boose (Instagram: @jackiechan.de) who initially tipped us to the info, as well as contributed to this article.
Lead image: Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop (Eureka Entertainment)
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!
