Dayo Wong recently expressed delight over reuniting with director Anselm Chan and the lead stars of “The Last Dance” in the new movie, “1971”.

The actor, who appeared at the press conference for the movie, said that collaborating with Anselm felt different this time, as their chemistry has improved significantly.

He joked, “From being somewhat obedient in ‘The Last Dance,’ to being completely obedient this time… This time, Michael Hui and I ‘completely surrender’ and trust the director’s choices.”

When asked about what’s exciting about the new film, the comedy star is mum about the details, only saying, “I’m very happy. This time I did something I’ve never tried before in my acting career, which is very satisfying, and I’d be happy to do more of it.”

Stressing that the film is a completely different story from “The Last Dance,” Dayo said that even his relationship with Michael Hui’s character in the movie is different.

“The characters in this new film are completely different, you could say they are unfathomable and more complex, requiring constant exploration with the director,” he added.

“1971,” which revolves around the Marriage Reform Ordinance of 1971, is currently filming.

(Photo Source: Anselm Chan IG, A Circle Magazine IG)

Despite his status as the current box office king, Dayo Wong has never forgotten the fact that he used to be a “box office poison”.

The actor, who appeared at an audience appreciation event in Guangzhou to celebrate the success of his Chinese New Year film, “Night King,” recounted the bitter memories of having one box office bomb after another for years of his acting career.

“Everybody knows I used to be a box office poison… 20 years is not a short time. If you struggle for 8, 9, or 10 years without success, do you still hope for a miracle in the 11th year? What about the 12th? But there really is a miracle,” he said.

Dayo also used his experience to encourage the audience, saying, “Sometimes you don’t need to look too far ahead in life. Just take it one step at a time and slowly a blue sky will appear.”

It is noted that for a long time, audiences preferred watching him in television dramas and stand-up comedy shows, but were unwilling to buy tickets to his movies. His early film, “Pink Bomb”, only grossed about HKD 50,000 while his self-written, directed, and starring film, “Fighting to Survive”, only earned HKD 170,000. Later, he even sold his house to make “The Grand Grandmaster”, which, although achieved some box office success, did not receive good reviews.

However, his luck began to change in 2022, when his comedy movie, “Table for Six” became a box office hit, followed by a string of successes from “A Guilty Conscience,” “The Last Dance,” to now “Night King,” which has now surpassed HKD 70 million at the Hong Kong and Macau box office.

(Photo Source: Cinema Online, HK01)

His new movie might have a different life lesson to be shared with the audience, but according to Dayo Wong, the most important message he wants to convey from working on the movie, “Night King” would be “don’t smoke.”

The comedian, who plays a nightclub manager in the new CNY movie co-starring Sammi Cheng, said that he needed to smoke for several scenes during filming, which was challenging, seeing that he is a non-smoker.

“You really shouldn’t smoke even one cigarette. When people see me smoking one cigarette in one scene, I actually smoked 10,” he joked.

Dayo said that he used to smoke when he was very young, but that he hadn’t smoked for many years.

“It’s a real sacrifice for art,” he added, light-heartedly.

As to whether the movie will be a box office hit what with him and Sammi being the stars, Dayo said that nobody can predict the box office results.

“But I am confident that everyone will enjoy the film,” he said, adding that the movie is hilarious and full of unexpected twists.

This 2026 Chinese New Year, Sony Pictures Entertainment Malaysia will distribute the most powerful festive blockbuster, “Night King” nationwide on 16 February 2026.

This masterpiece is directed by Hong Kong Film Award winner, Jack Ng, and crafted by the team behind the historic HKD 100 million box-office hit “A Guilty Conscience”.

This New Year, “Dayo God” Dayo Wong and Pop Diva Sammi Cheng join forces for the first time in a CNY blockbuster. They play a pair of bickering exes caught in a web of love and resentment: one is the legendary nightclub manager Foon (Dayo Wong), and the other is his bossy ex-wife Madame V (Sammi Cheng), a CEO who returns to take over the club.

Their onscreen chemistry promises a brilliant “battle of beauty, laughter, and acting” for the Year of the Horse.

In addition to the heavyweight leads, the film features a high-visual cast. Stunning hostesses played by Louise Wong, Fish Liew, Renci Yeung, Mandy Tam, Sumling Li, Miko Wong, Hazel Lam, and Tang Lai-ying will pull out all the stops to recreate the glory days of East Tsim Sha Tsui’s nightclubs.

Tse Kwan-ho, Alan Yeung, Lo Chun-yip, and “ERROR” member Dee Ho will also join the fray, celebrating the New Year with the Malaysian audience!

Regarding his inspiration, Director Jack Ng revealed that the idea originated during a celebratory banquet for “A Guilty Conscience.”

He stated, “Compared to the serious courtroom theme, I wanted to film something that makes everyone cheer and feel happy. The prosperity of East Tsim Sha Tsui in the 80s and 90s, and the changes of the era, have a wonderful resonance with today’s society.”

Celebrities were lining up to bid farewell to the late Benz Hui, who passed away in late October.

The funeral, which was held on 17 November at the Po Fook Memorial Hall in Tai Wai, saw numerous colleagues and fellow actors, including goddaughter Charmaine Sheh, Dayo Wong, Michael Miu, Nick Cheung, and director Johnnie To.

The funeral was conducted according to Buddhist rites. The funeral hall was simply decorated, with a smiling portrait of Benz in the centre. In front of it were heart-shaped wreaths from his widow, daughter, and stepson, and next to them was a wreath from his goddaughter Charmaine Sheh, which read “My dear father, may you rest in peace, we will remember you forever.”

Several televisions in the funeral hall played clips of Benz’s past performances and awards.

Speaking to the media, Benz’s daughter, who is also named Charmaine, said, “I am proud to have such a father. He worked hard, was humble, kind-hearted, and genuinely cared for others. He taught me many life lessons… I will remember my father’s sense of responsibility and all his virtues, and I will live well.”

Michael Miu, who had known Benz for over 40 years, was heartbroken by the sudden passing and choked up as he recalled their many unforgettable moments together.

“I met him last year at his house for dinner. At the end of last month, I received a call from his wife and rushed to the hospital. He was already in a coma with a ventilator. I only found out about the seriousness of his condition that day. He kept his illness very secret. It was so sudden. I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to him. It’s heartbreaking. He passed away the next morning,” he said.

On the other hand, Nick Cheung, who has worked with Benz in many dramas during his years in TVB, expressed, “When I moved from ATV to TVB, I worked with Benz the most during that time. He could help the lead actor in the scene and also knew how to steal the spotlight. It was really rare. He was cheerful and quick-witted. There was no pressure working with him. Actors like him are becoming increasingly rare.”

(Photo Source: Oriental Daily, MP Weekly)

The multiple award-winning Anselm Chan movie, “The Last Dance” has been selected to represent Hong Kong for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.

Sharing the good news on social media, the director expressed, “I’m honoured that ‘The Last Dance’ can represent Hong Kong in the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Film. Thank you all for your continued support.”

“I hope the film can go further and touch more audiences,” he added.

The film, co-starring Dayo Wong and Michael Hui, follows a wedding planner who enters the funeral industry through a partnership with a traditional Taoist priest, seeking to understand the meaning of life and death through funeral rituals.

It also co-stars Michelle Wai and Chu Pak Hong.

The movie has won multiple accolades since its release including five awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, three at the 20th Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Awards, three accolades at the 16th Golden Lotus Awards, as well as winning the Far East Film Festival’s Silver Mulberry Audience Award as well as the Far East Film Festival’s Black Dragon critics honour.

(Photo Source: Anselm Chan IG, The Last Dance movie IG)

Dayo Wong recently took to social media to deny rumours of a new romance, which sparked earlier this week due to a photo shared online.

The photo, which was posted on Facebook, has Dayo celebrating his birthday surrounded by friends including Carina Lau. However, netizens couldn’t help but notice a woman sitting next to him, who was hugging him and burying her face behind his shoulder.

As many speculated that the woman must have been Dayo’s new girlfriend, the actor decided to set things straight on social media, saying that while he usually would laugh things off, he decided to clarify her identity to avoid inconvenience.

He wrote, “The woman in the photo is my good friend, Wong Ching Yan. More than ten years ago, she played my daughter in the stage play ‘The Real Thing’. Ever since then, whenever we meet, we hug each other like a father and daughter.”

“The last time we saw each other was about five years ago. This time, since it was ‘Dad’s birthday,’ things were naturally more playful and cheekier. The end!”

(Photo Source: Dayo FB)

As rumours circulated of a sequel to his hit 2023 film, “A Guilty Conscience”, it was reported that Dayo Wong will be collaborating with director Jack Ng again, though not for the sequel of the movie.

As reported on Mingpao, on 2 June, Edko Films announced that filmmaker Jack Ng will be reuniting with his lead actor in a new movie, which will also star Sammi Cheng.

“We can finally announce to you that Edko Films plans to start shooting a comedy film directed by Jack Ng and starring Dayo Wong and Sammi Cheng. Fans, see you at the cinema!” the company stated.

This will not be the first time Dayo and Sammi worked together in a movie. The comedian has guest-starred in the singer’s 2014 comedy movie, “Temporary Family”, playing her ex-husband.

He also was the surprise guest at Sammi’s 2016 concert, where he shared an anecdote about meeting the singer for the first time.

“After saying hello, we started talking about books. Sammi asked me if I had read ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Dostoevsky. When I said I hadn’t, she told me I wouldn’t understand it anyway. That was the end of it. Our relationship basically ended there,” he joked.

(Photo Source: Mingpao, ST Headline, Sammi IG)

Sean Lau recently expressed sympathy for good friend Dayo Wong, who did not receive a nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards despite his movie leading the pack.

As reported on Mingpao, Sean, who himself is being nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance in “Papa”, said that Dayo did really well in the movie “The Last Dance”.

“But it’s hard to say sometimes. It is a matter of selection. He definitely has a chance of being nominated and win an award in the future,” he said.

At the same time, Sean praised Dayo’s recent successes in his movies, after several of them broke box office records in Hong Kong.

“The Last Dance made HKD 148 million. The movies I starred in didn’t even have that much,” he said light heartedly.

When asked if he has confidence about winning this year, Sean said that he feels deeply honoured to be nominated and that, “No matter the result, I must have confidence in myself.”

As to whether Michael Hui is his biggest opponent in the category, Sean said, “Michael Hui is a filmmaker I respect. He is a comedy master and has made many hit comedies. He has an outstanding performance this time, and the movie is also a hit, which is rare. It’s very difficult for me to compare with Michael Hui because he is my super senior in the film industry.”

(Photo Source: IMDb)

“The Last Dance” continues to experience success as the movie has now become the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie in Malaysia in the past five years!

The film, which broke RM16.02 million on 27 December, has made RM17 million as of 2 January, besting the previous record held by “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”.

The Dayo Wong and Michael Hui-starrer is also doing well in Hong Kong, breaking records over and over again and is currently at the top of the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie of all time with HKD 152 million.

It has also won multiple awards internationally, with the latest being at the 16th Macau International Movie Festival, where Dayo Wong, co-star Michelle Wai, and director Anselm Chan have all won Best Actor, Actress and Director, respectively.

(Photo Source: Anselm Chan IG, IMDb)