Kung Fu (2026)
Action coordinators from Taiwan and South Korea come together on this fantasy-tinged thriller that blends martial arts choreography with ambitious visual effects. It features a cast of Taiwanese stars, including singer-actor Kai Ko as Yuan, a high-school loser who helps a homeless man. The vagrant claims to be Huang Jun (Leon Dai), a 500-year-old warrior.
Under the older man’s tutelage, Yuan, his friend Ah-yi (Berant Zhu) and classmate Yi-jing (Gingle Wang) become skilled fighters. They meet Huang’s ancient foe, Lan Jin (Liu Kuan-ting), a demon who embarks on a city-wide killing spree. Taiwanese director Giddens Ko (You Are The Apple Of My Eye, 2011) adapts his own web novel Urban Horror Disease, an online sensation when it was published in 2001. Ko was then a sociology student at Tunghai University in Taiwan.
Kung Fu from Taiwanese hitmaker Giddens Ko has been scheduled to open for the major Lunar New Year holiday in February 2026.
The film has been 10 years in the making and is billed as the biggest Taiwanese production in a decade, with a budget of nearly $9.1m (NT$300m). The action fantasy adventure is based on a novel by Ko about two high-school losers who, along with a homeless old man with unparalleled martial-arts skills, fight to restore justice to their city and unravel a 500-year-old grudge.
Compared to the original novel, which was published online in 2001, Ko said: “The film version has innovated a lot on kung fu and its origins and pays homage to many classic martial arts films.”.(screendaily.com)
Kung Fu (2026) is a large-scale martial arts action film that blends classic kung fu philosophy with contemporary storytelling and cinematic ambition. Designed as a global release with strong Asian roots, the film brings discipline, mastery, and personal growth to the forefront—wrapped in high-impact action built for the big screen. Set in a world where tradition collides with modern pressures, Kung Fu follows a new generation of fighters learning that true strength is not just about physical power, but control, purpose, and honour. Every strike carries meaning, and every fight reflects a deeper internal journey. (https://www.tgv.com.my/movie/kung-fu-2026)
Two loser high school students meet a wandering old man with unparalleled martial arts skills. Together, they not only strive to restore justice to their city but also unravel the mystery of the old man’s identity. (https://letterboxd.com/film/kung-fu-2026/)
