Back to the Past
Movie Title: Back to the Past
Hong Kong Release Date: 31 December 2025 in cinemas
Genre: Historical / Sci-fi / Action
Directors: Ng Yuen-Fai, Jack Lai
Back to the Past is the highly anticipated big-screen continuation of the beloved 2001 TV drama A Step into the Past, itself adapted from the acclaimed novel The Chronicles of Searching Qin by Huang Yi. After more than two decades since the original series captured audiences with its unique blend of time travel, history and adventure, the film finally brings the story back to cinemas with much of the original ensemble reprising their roles.
The plot picks up nineteen years after the events of the TV series, with Hong Siu-lung living a quiet life with his family in the Qin Dynasty at peace. But that peace is shattered by a new threat from the future: Ken, a modern man who has lost everything due to wrongful imprisonment and is determined to travel back in time to reshape history and seize power. As old alliances and ancient rivalries resurface, Hong and his former disciple — now Emperor Qin Shi Huang — must confront unresolved wounds and the explosive possibility of history being rewritten yet again.
The film marks the reunion of Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok and Joyce Tang — actors who helped make A Step into the Past a cultural touchstone in Hong Kong and across Asia. Their return adds both nostalgia and dramatic depth to a story that now resonates with themes of legacy, duty and the consequences of changing fate.
Produced by Louis Koo’s One Cool Film Production, Back to the Past was filmed in 2019 in Guizhou, and the project has since weathered multiple delays — a testament to its long-awaited arrival on the big screen. The film blends historical spectacle with science-fiction elements, grounded in martial arts action and the emotional stakes of its characters’ journeys.
For fans of the original series and newcomers alike, Back to the Past offers a rare opportunity to revisit one of Hong Kong television’s most imaginative tales in a new cinematic format. It promises not just thrilling action and time-bending drama, but a reflection on how the past, present, and future are always more connected — and more complicated — than we think.
