''The Goldfinger'' is a 2023 Hong Kong crime drama film written and directed by Felix Chong, and starring Tony Leung and Andy Lau. Set in the 1980s, the film is based on the story of

Carrian Group The Carrian Group was a Hong Kong conglomerate that was known for rapid expansion in the 1980s, which ended in collapse amidst a major corruption and fraud scandal. Founding Carrian was founded in 1977 by George Tan Soon-gin, who fled Singapore ...

, a Hong Kong corporation which rose rapidly before collapsing shortly afterwards due to a corruption scandal. Budgeted at HK$350 million, production for the film began in February 2021 and wrapped up on 24 May 2021. It was released in Hong Kong and globally on 30 December 2023.

Plot

When a stock market crash causes the sudden collapse of a multi-billion-dollar company, a ICAC principal investigator Lau Kai-yuen ( Andy Lau) uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving the company’s founder, Henry Ching ( Tony Leung) and becomes entangled in a long-running investigation.

Cast

* Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Henry Ching, founder of a multi-billion-dollar company who is based on

founder George Tan. * Andy Lau as Lau Kai-yuen, principal investigator of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). * Charlene Choi as Carmen Cheung *

Simon Yam Simon Yam Tat-wah (; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He received international acclaim for his performances in international film festival and box office hits such as ''Naked Killer'', '' SPL: Sha Po Lang'', ''Election' ...

as K.K. Tsang *

Michael Ning Michael Ning ( born 5 November 1979) known professionally as is a Hong Kong born Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', t ...

as stockbroker Chung * Alex Fong *

Catherine Chau Catherine Chau () is a Hong Kong actress. She started by completing the 1996 TVB Acting Class and graduating in 1998. She was nominated for Most Improved Female Artist at the TVB Anniversary Awards (2009). Her notable roles include ''The Dance of ...

Philip Keung Philip Keung Ho-man (; born 26 October 1966) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. Keung began his acting career as a television actor in 1985 for Asia Television (ATV), and also began appearing in films from 1988. He eventually left ATV in 201 ...

* Chin Ka-lok *Carlos Chan *

Will Or Will Or Wai-lam (, born 22 January 1992) is a Hong Kong actor best known for his role in the film '' Drifting''. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the 58th Golden Horse Awards and both Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer in ...

* Renci Yeung

Production

Production for ''The Goldfinger'' began in February 2021, under the English working title ''Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong''. On 20 February 2021, the film held its production commencement press conference at Emperor Cinema located in iSquare in

Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hu ...

where it was attended by

Emperor Motion Pictures Emperor Group is a diversified group of companies founded by Albert Yeung in Hong Kong. Albert Yeung's father, Mr Yeung Shing, opened a watch shop named "Shing On Kee Watch Shop" in 1942, setting the business foundation.

chairman

Albert Yeung Albert Yeung (; born Yeung Sau Shing; 3 March 1943), is a Hong Kong businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Emperor Group. Early years Albert Yeung was born in Hong Kong in 1943 and traces his root to Teochew (Chaozhou), Guangdong, ...

, producer Ronald Wong, screenwriter and director Felix Chong, alongside cast members Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Charlene Choi,

, Alex Fong,

, Chin Ka-lok (who also serves as the film's

action director Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet pr ...

), Carlos Chan and

. According to Yeung, the film is produced at a budget of HK$350 million, a recording-breaking budget for a Hong Kong production, and anticipates the film to break box office records as the highest-grossing Hong Kong film. At the event, Lau revealed he first received from the script producer Wong and after reading it, he believed Leung is the best choice to act as his on-screen opponent. On the other hand, Leung revealed that his and Lau's roles in the film are reversed from their previous collaboration in the ''Infernal Affairs'' film series. Production for ''The Goldfinger'' officially wrapped up on 24 May 2021, after filming its climax scene involving Lau and Leung on location in a presidential suite at The Peninsula.

Release

''The Goldfinger'' was theatrically released on 30 December 2023 simultaneously in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Reception

Box office

In Hong Kong, the film debuted at No. 1 during its opening weekend, grossing HK$9,373,112 during its first two days of release including previews.

Critical reception

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldfinger Hong Kong action thriller films Hong Kong crime thriller films 2020s Cantonese-language films Emperor Motion Pictures films Films directed by Felix Chong Films about corruption Films based on actual events Films set in the 1980s Films set in Hong Kong Films shot in Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (Hong Kong) Films set in London Films set in Kuala Lumpur