Hong Kong director-producer Johnnie To has been scouting locations for a new action movie in northern Japan, leading to hopes that he will soon return to directing.
To has been spotted either checking out locations or meeting with local government officials in Sapporo and Kita Hiroshima, both located in the snowy northern district of Hokkaido, since late December last year.
Japanese media has speculated that Tony Leung Chiu-wai will star in the movie that To is prepping. However, a spokesperson for To’s Hong Kong-based production company Milkyway Image told Deadline that the project is still in early development, and while he’s keen to work with Leung, nothing has been confirmed.
To and Leung both served as jury members at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, with To heading the jury and discussing the current landscape for Hong Kong filmmakers during the festival’s TIFF Lounge conversation series with Japanese director Yu Irie.
One of Hong Kong’s leading directors, and a regular at major festivals such as Cannes and Berlin, To has not directed a feature-length movie since romantic comedy Chasing Dream in 2019, although he directed a segment of the 2020 anthology film Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong. He also produced Soi Cheang’s Mad Fate, which premiered in Berlin in 2023.
It’s understood that To’s long-gestating third installment in the acclaimed Election series may now be difficult to pull off considering the recent political changes in Hong Kong. The first film in the series, Election (2005), premiered in competition at Cannes and won best director at Sitges.
Japan has recently been actively courting international productions to shoot in the country, after a long period of not being considered a major filming destination, with the launch of competitive production incentives and co-production schemes. Hokkaido press reported that To had a meeting with Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto, during which he said, “I want to spread the word about Hokkaido and Sapporo to the world through movies,” before exchanging gifts of picture books and To’s self-produced whisky.
