Wolf Hiding portrays quest for revenge and criminal infighting, Xu Fan reports.

Wolf Hiding, one of December's most popular films, features Hong Kong star Nick Cheung Ka-fai as a mysterious killer. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Despite the cold wave sweeping across major parts of China, Nick Cheung Ka-fai and his fellow cast stars, like Ethan Juan, have found a fervent passion for cinema during a tightly scheduled tour to promote their latest endeavor, Wolf Hiding.

Since its theatrical release on Dec 16, the movie has grossed more than 210 million yuan ($29.4 million), to become one of the most popular action blockbusters in the last month of the year.

I entered the film industry during that era (late 1980s). Despite it being a tough period, I felt proud to see that I could successfully complete these challenging stunts.

Nick Cheung Ka-fai, actor

Set in an unnamed foreign country, the film opens on the eve of a leadership change within a powerful criminal group. This results in a major city being plunged into darkness and a spate of crimes, ranging from illegal human organ harvesting to forced prostitution and human trafficking. However, a mysterious killer emerges and kidnaps the chosen successor. Various criminal factions and even law enforcement agencies become entangled in the ensuing chaos.

Cheung, a two-time winner of the Best Actor gong at the Hong Kong Film Awards, recalls that he received the script a few years ago from director Ma Yuke, with whom he struck up a friendship on the 2013 movie The White Storm.

The movie also marks the directorial debut feature of Ma, a native of Lanzhou, Gansu province. After shooting to fame for portraying You Tanzhi, a martial artist who falls for a woman who doesn't love him back in the popular 2003 TV series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Ma has played in more than 50 TV dramas and movies, and started conceiving the plot of Wolf Hiding over a decade ago.

In addition to trusting Ma, due to his decades of experience in the film and TV industry, Cheung was also deeply drawn to the script's portrayal of his character — a man seeking vengeance for his beloved younger sister.

Ethan Juan plays a police officer. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

In the movie, flashback scenes show that Chen An, Cheung's character, and his younger sister grew up in an orphanage. Although they lived in poverty and resided in a small wooden house in the suburbs, their lives were simple and happy. However, tragedy struck when his sister was kidnapped on the street by members of a criminal gang and met a tragic end. Overwhelmed with immense grief, Chen began planning his revenge.

Filming took place in Shenzhen and Shanwei in Guangdong province in 2021. Cheung remembers that the crew constructed the wooden house on a piece of open land, situated about two to three hours away from downtown Shenzhen. The surrounding area was planted with beautiful, blooming sunflowers, creating a serene and vibrant atmosphere that allowed Cheung to easily connect with the correct emotions for the scenes.

Wang Ta-lu plays a gangster. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

As one of the most renowned stars in the Hong Kong film industry, Cheung began his acting career in the late 1980s after previously serving as a police officer. During his early days, he worked as an extra or in cameo roles and did stunts, enduring pain and injuries when required to perform realistic kicks or beatings.

"I entered the film industry during that era. Despite it being a tough period, I felt proud to see that I could successfully complete these challenging stunts," says Cheung.

With those early years helping him accumulate experience in performing stunts, he reveals that he took regular exercise under the guidance of a foreign action choreographer and performed a lot of the action sequences in Wolf Hiding himself.

Actor Paul Chun plays a retiring gang leader. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

One of his most impressive sequences includes a fierce fight between Chen, his two friends, and the gangsters in an abandoned shipyard, as the protagonists attempt to rescue some young women who have been kidnapped.

Actor Ethan Juan, who portrays one of the friends — a police officer — says that the fight scene was filmed over the course of five days, amid inclement weather caused by a typhoon hitting Guangdong province. Each day, shooting had to resume from where it left off the previous day, requiring the actors to vividly depict a state of exhaustion while also fiercely battling the criminals.

"I needed to find the right way to approach each day's filming. So, I discussed with the director, 'can I engage in a brief fight with the stunt performers three times before each shot, and then continue filming the fourth time without resting?' By artificially inducing a sense of fatigue, I felt content with the final visual effect," says Juan.

The movie marks the directorial debut of Ma Yuke, who also portrays a gangster in the film. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

As seasoned actors with years of experience in the film industry, they each have their own views on how to deliver a great performance. While Cheung believes that a good script and a good director lay the foundation for an actor's success, Juan says he relies on reading books, watching more movies, and listening to music to enrich his knowledge and better prepare himself for future projects.

Currently, the movie has earned a rating of 9.3 points out of 10 on Maoyan and 9.1 points on Taopiaopiao, two of the country's largest online ticketing platforms.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn