The upcoming 2027 Chinese New Year film “Temple of Wishes” is bringing together three-time Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor Anthony Wong, as well as Edison Chen, who returns to the big screen after an extended absence.
On 24 September, the star-studded cast, which also includes Taiwanese actress Nikki Hsieh, Hong Kong actor Samuel Pang, actress Summer Chan and Malaysian actor Zhen Ning, drew considerable attention as they gathered to unveil more details about the festive film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas on the first day of Chinese New Year in 2027.
With an estimated production budget of approximately RM10 million, “Temple of Wishes” was filmed across China, Malaysia and Italy, with locations including Hengdian, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Bellagio, Italy. The production team also constructed a purpose-built set for several key scenes in the film, with the architecture and intricate details carefully designed to create the unique world of “Temple of Wishes”.
Director Pei Chiek Goh revealed that the screenplay was completed four years ago and that the film went through years of preparation before finally making its way to the big screen.
Asked why he chose Anthony Wong and Edison Chen to lead the film, Goh said with a laugh, “Of course, because they were suitable. The two actors in the film need to have chemistry. It’s not simply a matter of coming in and following the script from day one.”
Anthony Wong, who has portrayed numerous memorable characters throughout his career, said he accepted “Temple of Wishes” because he found the role both interesting and challenging. He described the filming process as smooth and said the development of his character added several highlights to the film.
Speaking about working with Edison Chen, Anthony praised Edison for his dedication on set, noting that although Edison is not fluent in Chinese, he put considerable effort into memorising his dialogue.
“Edison is actually very hardworking. Some of those Chinese lines are difficult even for me to remember. He worked very hard on set to memorise them, and he even wrote them out using English phonetics. That deserves a lot of praise,” Anthony said.
Having not participated in a film production for many years, Edison said he decided to join the project because he wanted to find out whether he was still suited to acting and whether audiences would still be interested in watching him on the big screen.
Returning to a film set, Edison said he found the experience enjoyable and was happy to be back. However, he noted that because he is now more focused on his character, waiting time on set seems much longer.
“I wasn’t this serious when I was acting before. If I had free time, I would do other things. But now, I try to stay focused on the character, so every minute feels like a long time,” he joked.
When asked what he would wish for if given one wish, Edison said, “I don’t make wishes. I set the plan, I take the steps and I make it real.”
Principal photography is expected to conclude by the end of September, followed by post-production. “Temple of Wishes” is scheduled for theatrical release on 6 February 2027, the first day of Chinese New Year.
(Photo Source: Buletin Mutiara, Malay Mail,