Hong Kong actor Louis Koo: ‘I want to make movies in Vietnam’

During an online interview to promote his latest film “Warriors of Future” coming to the streaming service Netflix on Dec. 2, the 52-year-old Hong Kong actor and film producer was asked about some behind-the-scene moments and his experiences when he first came to Vietnam years ago.

Q: Before it was available online, the action sci-fi film “Warriors Of Future” became the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong of all time. What do you think is the reason behind the film’s great success?

A: First of all, I don’t think there are many opportunities to make science fiction movies in Asia. I did this film a long time ago when I started One Cool Film Production, which was almost ten years ago. A lot of time went into writing the script. I’m glad that the audience liked the film and that it performed well in Hong Kong.

This is the first movie I’ve made in this genre. Technically, our company completed everything ourselves and didn’t rely on foreign companies.

Q: Audiences have praised you for being such a hard-working actor. What has motivated you to work tirelessly over the years?

A: I don’t like to travel. I just like to work. I also watch movies and think about scripts when I’m at home. I also have lots of work to take care of at my film company, so I don’t want to stop or retire.

Incorporating my own life experiences, both happy and sad, into movie writing gives me a chance to be imaginative and creative. To me, filmmaking is like a magical door. The process of writing a script is bound to be hard, and without great courage and hard work, a good script can’t be written.

Putting my scriptwriting skills to use in my daily life helps me forget my problems and gives me the motivation I need to work through them.

Q: Are you interested in making a co-production film in Vietnam?

A: About seven or eight years ago, I went to Ho Chi Minh City for business purposes and talked to people there about filmmaking and the potential for collaboration between Hong Kong and Vietnamese film studios. Filmmaking in Vietnam was always something I wanted to pursue, but language barriers and other obstacles have prevented it from happening thus far. Once things have settled down, I plan to visit Vietnam again.

I thought Vietnam was great, but now I think it’s even better. The local food is especially better than I thought. Even the milk tea there is good, but I can’t remember what brand it is. My hotel is close to the river, so at night I can enjoy the view of the city, with all its lights and people.

Q: Can you share what project you are working on right now?

A: I hope to bring more science fiction movies to the audience. My company is working on a new sci-fi film, set in space with many space combat scenes.