The New King of Comedy 新喜劇之王 (2019): The $8 Million Remake That Cost Stephen Chow His Crown, Killed His Box Office Mojo, and Made Everyone Ask 'Why?'
Full movie in Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles
The Sequel Nobody Asked For
Here's a film that was supposed to be a triumphant return to form for the King of Comedy. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the dangers of nostalgia, the weight of expectation, and the impossibility of recapturing lightning in a bottle.
The New King of Comedy is a 2019 film written, directed, and produced by Stephen Chow. It's a spiritual successor to his 1999 classic King of Comedy — but this time, the struggling actor is a woman, the setting is mainland China, and the heart of the film is gone.
The film was made on a shoestring budget of just $8 million — a fraction of Chow's usual blockbuster budgets. It was filmed in just two months and rushed into cinemas for the 2019 Lunar New Year slot. The result? A box office disappointment, a critical drubbing, and a 5.7 on Douban.
What Is It About?
The plot is a gender-swapped version of the original.
Ru Meng (E Jingwen) is a small-town woman with a big dream. She's been working as an extra and a stunt double for over a decade. She's been rejected, humiliated, and told she's not good enough. But she refuses to give up.
Her boyfriend, Charlie (Zhang Quandan), is the only one who supports her. He helps her save for their wedding fund. Her father, however, is furious. He doesn't understand why she can't just get a real job.
Ru Meng's life takes a turn when she encounters Ma Ke (Wang Baoqiang), a washed-up former star who torments her on set. He's the classic fallen star archetype — bitter, insecure, and cruel to those beneath him.
After a series of humiliations, Ru Meng begins to doubt herself. She decides to give up on acting and return home to work in a restaurant. Then she receives a last-minute call: she's been shortlisted for a major audition. She goes. She wins. The film ends with her accepting the Best Actress award.
The Cast That Made It Work (or Didn't)
E Jingwen as Ru Meng — the struggling actress who never gives up. E Jingwen was a relative unknown before this film. She was cast because she had actually worked as an extra before being discovered.
Wang Baoqiang as Ma Ke — the fallen star who torments Ru Meng. Wang Baoqiang's casting was a deliberate choice: he himself started as an extra and worked his way up to become one of China's biggest stars.
Zhang Quandan as Charlie — Ru Meng's supportive boyfriend. He's a comedian who rose to fame through online viral videos.
Zhang Qi as Ru Meng's father — the disapproving parent who eventually comes to support her.
The Shoot: The Cheapest Stephen Chow Film Ever Made
With a budget of just $8 million, the film was made on a shoestring budget. The shoot lasted only two months. There were no special effects, no big set pieces, and no 3D. Stephen Chow and Wang Baoqiang both took no upfront salary, instead investing their fees into the film as a profit-sharing arrangement.
The budget was a deliberate choice. Chow wanted to prove that he could make a great film without spending a fortune. He also wanted to return to his roots — the small-budget, character-driven comedies that made him a star. But the plan backfired. The film's cheap look and rushed production were cited by critics as major weaknesses.
Why It Failed
The film's failure can be traced to three factors.
The Nostalgia Trap: The original King of Comedy is a classic. It's beloved. It's quotable. Any sequel or remake would be compared to it — and The New King of Comedy was compared unfavorably. Critics called it a cash grab that traded on nostalgia without offering anything new.
The Casting: E Jingwen is talented, but she lacks the charisma of Stephen Chow. The chemistry between the leads is flat, and the emotional beats don't land as they should.
The Tone: The film is a mix of comedy and tragedy — but it doesn't balance them well. The humor feels forced, and the dramatic moments feel unearned.
Why It Still Matters
Despite its flaws, The New King of Comedy is an important film. It's a reminder that even the greatest filmmakers can stumble. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of nostalgia. And it's a testament to Stephen Chow's willingness to take risks — even when they don't pay off.
On Douban, it holds a 5.7 — one of the lowest-rated films in Chow's career. It was nominated for Best Film at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, but lost to Better Days.
Final Thought
The New King of Comedy is a film about a woman who never gives up — directed by a man who gave up too soon.
It's a film that tried to recapture the magic of the original and failed. But it's also a film that reminds us why Stephen Chow is still a legend. He took a risk. He failed. But he tried.
Have you seen The New King of Comedy? Do you think it deserves its low rating, or is it unfairly judged? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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