Hong Kong actor Louis Cheung found his recent cinematic achievement overshadowed following a devastating local fire and subsequent controversy involving a television series he is currently filming. While Cheung’s new movie, The Golden Boy, premiered on November 21 and quickly surpassed HKD 3 million at the box office by November 25, planned promotional activities, including meet-and-greets with the audience, were abruptly canceled due to a tragic five-alarm fire that erupted in the Tai Po Estate’s Wang Fuk Court last Wednesday.
The complexity intensified when a separate production, the ViuTV drama series The Owner’s Battlefield, in which Cheung is also starring, reportedly used Wang Fuk Court as a filming location prior to the disaster. With production having commenced just over a week ago, speculation arose regarding the show’s future, especially given that its themes address sensitive contemporary issues and the location is now the site of a tragedy.
When questioned by media outlets about the production status of the drama, Cheung maintained that he was not in a position to comment, deferring inquiries to the broadcasting network. “It would be better if you direct these questions to ViuTV. As an actor, it is not appropriate for me to answer,” he stated.
The convergence of unfortunate events prompted public discussion on social media. Early Sunday morning, a user commented on a social media platform, describing the actor’s recent luck as notably poor. The user cited three contemporaneous setbacks: the successful film release being monopolized by tragic news coverage; the loss of a key filming location for his TV drama; and, crucially, the drama’s topic immediately transforming into a politically sensitive subject matter due to the real-world catastrophe.
Cheung responded directly to the netizen’s observation, reframing the situation with an emphasis on communal resilience over personal misfortune. He acknowledged the impact on his professional life while maintaining a philosophical perspective.
“Life inevitably presents unimaginable circumstances,” Cheung wrote. “The most important thing is the mindset you adopt when confronting them. While there is certainly an impact on the film and my work, compared to what Hong Kong is currently facing, it is trivial.”
Cheung continued by stressing the importance of collective unity during challenging times. “I know everyone is struggling. Life brings many challenges. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, and we will walk through it together,” he stated, concluding with a firm denial of feeling personally unlucky: “Finally, I have never once considered myself to be unlucky.”
The response highlights the nuanced role of public figures in the media landscape, balancing professional obligations with responsibilities toward community well-being. For the producers of The Owner’s Battlefield, the reported location use and the nature of the fire require immediate re-evaluation of production plans, potentially necessitating script changes, location scouting, or a complete halt to ensure sensitivity to the affected community. ViuTV has yet to release an official statement regarding the future of the series.
