The Cold War series, the highest-grossing police thriller franchise in Hong Kong cinema history, began filming two prequels last year. The first installment, Cold War 1994, released its first 15-second teaser yesterday (16th) at the Shanghai International Film Festival.



In the clip, two male voices can be heard — one is Daniel Wu,


while the other voice sounds very much like


Terrance Lau Chun-Him.



However, another lead actor, Greg Hsu (Wu Kang-ren),


neither appeared visually nor was his voice heard. It’s likely that he will be revealed in the next round of promotional footage.






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“Cold War 1994” 15-Second Teaser Revealed! Daniel Wu and Terrance Lau Appear
June 17, 2025

The teaser for Cold War 1994 opens with Daniel Wu addressing his subordinates, while Terrance Lau is seen seated to his left. (Screenshot from the teaser)

The Cold War series, the highest-grossing police crime franchise in Hong Kong cinema history, began filming two prequels last year. The first installment, Cold War 1994, premiered its first 15-second teaser yesterday (June 16) at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Two male voices are heard in the clip—one clearly Daniel Wu, and the other sounding very much like Terrance Lau Chun-Him. However, another lead actor, Greg Hsu (Wu Kang-ren), was neither seen nor heard, likely to be revealed in the next round of promotional footage.

The 15-second video begins with a formal banquet scene, where a group of men in uniform attire are seated in rows. Facing away from the camera is a uniformed officer from the disciplinary forces, who says in Cantonese with a slight foreign accent: “Colleagues, I hope the highest-level operation code will not occur during my term.” The following frontal shot reveals this speaker to be Daniel Wu. Online viewers speculate that his role is a younger version of Deputy Commissioner Lee Man-Bin, originally played by Tony Leung Ka-Fai in the original Cold War films. Terrance Lau is seated in front of him, to the left.

The concept poster, featuring a man's jawline, also led fans to deduce that Daniel Wu is playing the younger version of Lee Man-Bin.

As Daniel Wu delivers his line, flashes of iconic imagery from the Cold War universe appear, including the famous quote “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” Lee Man-Bin’s (Chief Superintendent) nameplate, the insignia of the British Secret Intelligence Service, a Triad ceremony involving the worship of Guan Gong, and police mobilization scenes. The teaser ends with a classified document labeled “Cold War,” followed by a voice—believed to be Terrance Lau—saying the words “Cold War.” Despite being only 15 seconds long, the teaser contains a wealth of hidden details.

It’s rare in recent Hong Kong cinema to invest in back-to-back shooting of two installments. The Cold War prequel duology—Cold War 1994 and Cold War 1995—was filmed in this way. Director Sunny Luk revealed that the groundwork for the prequels was already laid in the original movie. “In the first film, when the ICAC senior investigator interrogates Deputy Commissioner Lee Man-Bin (played by Tony Leung Ka-Fai), he mentions that in 1995, as head of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), Lee successfully dismantled a major triad organization through a flawless undercover operation… That was the starting point of the Cold War prequel story.”

Producer Bill Kong explained why they decided to set the story in the years 1994 and 1995, before Hong Kong’s handover: “1994 and 1995 were symbolic years for Hong Kong. During that time, people from all walks of life and backgrounds had differing thoughts about the upcoming handover. Within the police force, there were internal conflicts; the business world had its own strategic planning; the triads were fighting for their interests; powerful families were navigating internal power struggles; even the British government had its own calculations. This unique and complex era, filled with power struggles among various forces, will be a distinctive feature of the films. We hope to bring viewers a refreshing cinematic experience









This post has been edited by plouffle0789: Jul 26 2025, 11:39 AM

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