Stephen Chow on Kung Fu Hustle

The martial arts star discusses his influences and working in Hollywood

Since its release in the US, Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle has become something of a minor sensation. Distributed by Sony Pictures, at its peak this sturdy mix of martial arts and Tex Avery-like lunacy showed on 2,503 screens, making it the widest cinematic release ever in the US for a foreign language film. It also took a reasonable $16 million haul. It's little wonder Chow is content with the way his film has been handled. "It's a good experience to work with Sony," he says. "I think we both respect each other and they gave me a free hand to do my job. With a studio, you have bigger financial support, bigger creative support, bigger support in distribution... I think it's a good thing."

Born in Hong Kong - where Kung Fu Hustle became the highest-grossing film ever - the writer-director-star is well aware that the Hollywood system is markedly different from that in Asia. His previous film, 2001's Shaolin Soccer, only received a significant following in the US through pirated copies and internet downloads and only had a limited release in the UK. Officially, Miramax owned the rights to distribute the film in the US but kept the film on the shelf for over two years until it received a cursory release in August 2004. By this point the market had already been flooded with illegal versions of the film.

Being rather diplomatic, the 43 year-old Chow appears to hold no grudges about the film's treatment. "I would like to believe that it depends on individual studios. I don't really have an idea why and how Miramax shelved Shaolin Soccer in the States. I think they had their reasons. Of course, they changed the schedule, the releasing time. And they know which is the best date to go - but they didn't tell me. That's why I don't know why." Was he annoyed? "It doesn't help if you feel annoyed. I would like to focus on my work. As long as you can do something good, you get your chance."

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