According to Chinese media, up to now, Ngo Kinh's movie "Xiao Ren" has grossed about 1.39 billion CNY, and the share for investors reached nearly 500 million CNY - enough for the project not to lose money and pave the way for the next part.
The success of "Xiao Ren" is considered a notable boost in the context that the market once doubted the appeal of martial arts films. Previously, the blockbuster "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was released during Tet but did not meet expectations, causing investor confidence to decline. The fact that a project that was not initially highly rated can "reverse the tide" shows that audiences are still interested in this genre.
According to the sharing of screenwriter and director Du Bach Mi, the crew once determined that the project could be loss-making but still determined to implement it. Part of the motivation came from Ngo Kinh - who both plays the main role and participates in production with the desire to contribute to restoring the martial arts film genre. The combination of passion and methodical investment has helped the film create a positive effect.
The project has also been oriented to develop into a series of films. Part two named "Tiêu nhân: Chiến khởi Giang Đô" has been registered since 2025 and is completing the script. Director Viên Hòa Bình said he will start filming when the script meets requirements, expected at the end of this year.
In fact, "Tiêu nhân" is not an isolated case. In recent years, some action movies such as "Nộ hỏa trọng án" or "Cửu Long thành trại: Vây thành" have achieved good results, proving that the market still has a stable demand. However, the big problem is still the lack of works that can break through to raise the revenue ceiling.
At the same time, many familiar faces are also returning to this film genre. Vuong Bao Cuong is said to be implementing a new action project, while Donnie Yen continues to expand into the role of director and prepare for the next films. In Hong Kong (China), director Trinh Bao Thuy is also planning to develop more projects following the previous success.
Experts believe that for action movies to truly "warm up", more individual highlights are needed. In the context of fierce market competition, filmmakers are forced to innovate both in content and expression, while improving production quality.
