Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer, a spiritual successor to his 2001 martial arts comedy Shaolin Soccer, is heading to cinemas in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 23, 2026, following a successful theatrical run in China. Singapore-based distributor Encore Films announced the release on October 14, confirming that audiences will be able to watch the film in its original-language version or a newly produced English dub featuring voice performances by Chow, Jimmy O. Yang and MC Jin. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the international rollout follows the film’s strong reception across Asia and Oceania, extending the project’s commercial reach beyond its original Chinese-language market.
Directed and written by Chow, Kung Fu Soccer reimagines the martial arts and football formula through an all-female underdog team, the Emei Women’s Football Team, as its players pursue victory in the fictional Supreme Invincible Cup. Zhang Xiaofei leads the cast as team captain Shuangshuang, alongside Dilraba Dilmurat as star striker Yu Long and Lay Zhang as kung fu mentor Xu Feng. The ensemble also features Hong Kong screen veteran Carina Lau and Japanese actor Takeru Satoh. The project revisits the comic action and sporting spectacle that made Shaolin Soccer a cult favourite, while introducing a new cast and a story centred on women competing in a traditionally male-dominated sporting arena. Screen International reported that the film opened in mainland China on July 11, 2026, after its release date was announced only days before its debut.
The film’s box office performance has made it one of the defining releases of China’s 2026 summer movie season. According to Variety, Kung Fu Soccer generated approximately RMB2.315 billion, equivalent to $344.4 million, between June 1 and August 31, finishing as the season’s highest-grossing film. Its performance helped lift total summer box office revenue in China to approximately $1.86 billion, up 4.45 per cent from the previous year. The North American and British release marks another stage in the film’s international expansion and reflects distributors’ continued efforts to bring Chinese-language productions to wider audiences through theatrical releases and accessible dubbed versions. For Chow, whose previous successes include Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, the film offers another opportunity to connect his distinctive blend of martial arts, absurdist comedy and sporting spectacle with audiences across different markets.
