Historical science fiction action film Back to the Past , starring actors Louis Koo Tin-lok and Raymond Lam Fung, has broken the opening-day record for a Chinese film despite a gloomy box office last year.

Local takings sank to a 14-year low of HK$1.13 billion (US$145.2 million) in 2025 from a year earlier amid a wave of cinema shutdowns, according to data compiled by industry body Hong Kong Box Office Limited on Friday.

Last year’s best performing films – both locally produced and from abroad – were animated movies.

But Back to the Past grossed HK$10.91 million on its debut on Wednesday, a record for the first-day performance of local or Chinese films, and No 2 on the all-time list behind Avengers: Endgame shown in 2019, which recorded HK$20.9 million on its opening.

“As the film is still being screened, we hope the results will reach a new high,” the box office company said.

The special effects-driven action adventure is based on a TVB drama series in 2001, A Step into the Past , that featured roughly the same cast including Koo and actresses such as Jessica Hester Hsuan and Sonija Kwok Sin-nei.

The film and television drama are based on Huang Yi’s novel, but the movie continues where the TV adaptation left off about 20 years ago.