Stephen Chow - from king of pirated CDs to king of the box office.

Deeply ingrained in audiences' memories through a series of films about the marginalized in society, even after retiring from acting, the Hong Kong star is still warmly received.

In early 2016, Stephen Chow continued to mark a new milestone in the Chinese film industry when The Mermaid, directed by him, became the highest-grossing film in Chinese box office history. The film, with an investment of 300 million yuan (nearly 46 million USD), has so far grossed over 3 billion yuan (nearly 460 million USD) in mainland China.

In Hong Kong and countries like Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia, the clumsy mermaid film also achieved impressive box office success. In North America, despite age restrictions, the film still achieved some milestones such as "Highest-grossing Chinese film on its opening day" and "Highest-grossing Chinese film of the opening weekend"...

However, the comedy film wasn't critically acclaimed. QQ commented: "The Mermaid is just an ordinary commercial film, with limited special effects and unremarkable 3D effects." So what was the reason behind its box office success?

Stephen Chow directs the filming of "The Mermaid".

The film website Eastmovie believes that the decisive factor in the film's box office success is the influence of Stephen Chow..

Since filming began, the Hong Kong comedian's massive fanbase has chanted the slogan "We owe Stephen Chow a movie ticket." This slogan is explained by fans as a reminder that they watched Stephen Chow's comedies for free when they were children, and now it's time to "repay" those free viewings. Many fans are urging Stephen Chow's film to become the biggest box office hit.

Prior to Shaolin Soccer (2001), pirated DVDs were the primary way Stephen Chow connected with audiences outside Hong Kong, such as Thailand, Vietnam, mainland China, and Malaysia, making him a household name. His creativity, relatable character portrayals, playful acting style, and somewhat vulgar humor became a source of entertainment for young people. With the internet boom, Stephen Chow continued to appeal to a wide range of audiences, with students making up a significant portion.

With that slogan, for almost a year, after each article about The Mermaid, there have been countless comments about viewers' memories of Stephen Chow's films from the 1990s. "Growing up with Stephen Chow's films, now every time he releases a new movie, I feel like I'm meeting an old friend I haven't seen in a long time. For me, watching Stephen Chow's films is about the nostalgic feeling of beautiful childhood memories," wrote a reader who introduced himself as a father of two on Eastmovie.

"In my personal opinion, The Mermaid isn't very funny; people go to see it just to get it over with. The film isn't really captivating, but I still support it, for no particular reason, just because of Stephen Chow's name. I think people would feel warmer if he appeared in the film, even if only briefly. Stephen Chow, long time no see," reader Zhouzhou shared this sentiment.

A woman from the 70s generation shared: "The revenue reached three billion yuan because everyone loves Stephen Chow. The reason they like him is that people have seen his classic comedies like 'From Home 007,' 'Fight Back to School,' 'God of Gamblers,' 'The Deer and the Cauldron,' 'Beggar So-and-Son'... Since Stephen Chow became a director, I feel his films aren't as good as before, and they no longer have that 'essence' of the past... Now, all that remains is nostalgia."

A VnExpress reader commented: "I remember my student days, renting one movie after another to watch with my roommates, and laughing until my sides ached every time I heard Stephen Chow's voice and words."

Eastmovie asks: "If there hadn't been widespread piracy in the past, would Stephen Chow have the immense popularity he has now?"

Most viewers commented that "The Mermaid" wasn't as funny as Stephen Chow's previous films such as "God of Gamblers," "Fight Back to School," and "Tang Bohu's Flirting with Autumn Fragrance"...

Since the beginning of the year, The Mermaid has become the undisputed champion, overshadowing all other Chinese blockbusters, most notably God of Gamblers 3 (From Vegas to Macau 3). This God of Gamblers film stars Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, and Jacky Cheung, with a directing and producing team including Lau Wai-keung, Wong Jing, and Hsiang Wah-keung – all of whom previously worked with Stephen Chow on classic Hong Kong comedies in the 1990s. This theatrical clash further demonstrates Stephen Chow's superior appeal to audiences.

"The God of Gamblers, with its star-studded cast including three award-winning actors, a Hong Kong superstar, Carina Lau, and Psy, grossed far less than The Mermaid, with its young, relatively unknown cast, the most famous of whom were only Deng Chao and Luo Zhixiang. This shows just how big Stephen Chow's shadow is," commented reader Ju Ly on VnExpress.

Other factors contributing to the success of The Mermaid include the appearance of two generations of "Star Girls" in the film, namely Zhang Yuqi and Lin Yun, along with the participation of Deng Chao and Luo Zhixiang. Furthermore, a good marketing strategy and the timing of its release also influenced the film's revenue.

Sina commented that with *Journey to the West: The Love Story* and *The Mermaid*, Stephen Chow affirmed his personal appeal and claimed the title of "King of the Box Office." If he returns to acting, it is highly likely that the actor will break his own record.

According to VNE