Anthony Wong and Edison Chen take on the highly anticipated multi-million-ringgit Chinese New Year Film ‘Temple of Wishes’ set to hit cinemas on the first day of Chinese New Year 2027.

 The upcoming 2027 Chinese New Year film ‘Temple of Wishes’ held its media conference in Kuala Lumpur today, bringing together three-time Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor Anthony Wong, Edison Chen, who returns to the big screen after an extended absence, alongside Taiwanese actress Nikki Hsieh, Hong Kong actor Samuel Pang, actress Summer Chan and Malaysian actor Zhen Ning. 

The star-studded cast drew considerable attention as they gathered to unveil more details about the festive film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas on the first day of Chinese New Year in 2027.

With an estimated production budget of approximately RM10 million, ‘Temple of Wishes’ was filmed across China, Malaysia and Italy, with locations including Hengdian, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Bellagio, Italy. The production team also constructed a purpose-built set for several key scenes in the film, with the architecture and intricate details carefully designed to create the unique world of  ‘Temple of Wishes’.

Director Pei Chiek Goh revealed that the screenplay was completed four years ago and that the film has gone through years of preparation before finally making its way to the big screen. He expressed his appreciation to the investors, cast and crew for their continued support throughout the years, which made it possible for the long-gestating project to begin filming.

Goh admitted that he was already extremely happy to see the film finally go into production, adding that his next hope is for the finished film to receive strong support from audiences.

Pei Chiek Goh on pairing Anthony Wong and Edison Chen

Asked why he chose Anthony Wong and Edison Chen to lead the film, Goh said with a laugh: “Of course, because they were suitable. The two actors in the film need to have chemistry. It’s not simply a matter of coming in and following the script from day one.”

He revealed that the two actors were among his early choices when he first began considering the casting. “I think I was lucky because during the discussions, all the main actors were very supportive, and everything went quite smoothly,” he said.

Goh also admitted that he was initially nervous, but the encouragement and sense of security provided by the cast, as well as their ideas about the script, gradually eased his concerns. “With a combination like this, it’s really exciting,” he said.

Anthony Wong praises Edison Chen for his efforts to memorise Chinese dialogue

Anthony Wong, who has portrayed numerous memorable characters throughout his career, said he accepted ‘Temple of Wishes’ because he found the role both interesting and challenging. He described the filming process as smooth and said the development of his character added several highlights to the film.

Speaking about working with Edison Chen, Anthony praised Edison for his dedication on set, noting that although Edison is not fluent in Chinese, he put considerable effort into memorising his dialogue.

“Edison is actually very hardworking. Some of those Chinese lines are difficult even for me to remember. He worked very hard on set to memorise them, and he even wrote them out using English phonetics. That deserves a lot of praise,” Anthony said.

Asked why he agreed to star in ‘Temple of Wishes’, Anthony jokingly replied: “Money! They were very generous. It’s a big production!”

Anthony also shared an interesting moment from filming, revealing that he and Edison independently developed similar ideas about their characters. Edison  subsequently approached director Goh the following day to discuss the idea, which Goh readily accepted, making the creative process much smoother.

Anthony said that once a character is sufficiently developed, the character will naturally evolve, with the script serving as the foundation. He added that the chemistry he shared with Edison in understanding their characters, combined with Goh’s openness towards the actors’ ideas, helped make the characters richer and added greater depth to the film.

“That was really amazing!” he said. Wong also expressed confidence in the film’s eventual reception, saying: “I feel this film will be very successful.”

Edison Chen reveals why he accepted Temple of Wishes

Having not participated in a film production for many years, Edison Chen said he decided to join ‘Temple of Wishes’ because he wanted to find out whether he was still suited to acting and whether audiences would still be interested in watching him on the big screen.

Returning to a film set, Edison said he found the experience enjoyable and was happy to be back. However, he noted that because he is now more focused on his character, waiting time on set seems much longer.

He joked: “I wasn’t this serious when I was acting before. If I had free time, I would do other things. But now, I try to stay focused on the character, so every minute feels like a long time.”

When asked what he would wish for if given one wish, Edison said he would not make a wish. Instead, drawing from his years of experience, he shared an inspirational line:

“I don’t make wishes. I set the plan, I take the steps and I make it real.” He emphasised that rather than simply wishing for something, he believes in taking action and turning goals into reality step by step.

Nikki Hsieh drawn to the film’s subject matter and story

Samuel Pang, who is returning to Malaysia to film for the first time in more than 20 years, joked that many of his previous roles involved fighting and action.

Taking on the role of an ordinary character in ‘Temple of Wishes’ therefore represents a significant change for him.

Taiwanese actress Nikki Hsieh revealed that she has always been interested in fortune-telling and seeking spiritual guidance. She was also drawn to the film’s subject matter and story, which led her to accept the role.

Summer Chan said she would remind herself before filming to leave room for spontaneity. She would observe how her co-stars approached their performances on set before adjusting and experimenting with her own acting.

Zhen Ning wears 20kg armour

Malaysian actor Zhen Ning, who plays “The Great General of the Temple of Wishes”, revealed that one of his biggest challenges was wearing armour weighing 20kg while carrying a 10kg weapon.

As he has had limited experience in action films, Zhen Ning underwent special training with several instructors before filming began to prepare for both the role and the action sequences.

A temple where countless wishes converge

‘Temple of Wishes’ follows two ordinary men, A-Tian and A-Le, who find themselves struggling on the fringes of society. Together, they establish a temple known as the ‘Temple of Wishes’, drawing worshippers with the promise of granting their deepest wishes.

What begins as an imaginative idea soon takes on a life of its own, attracting people from all walks of life and setting off a series of unexpected events. For some, the temple becomes a symbol of hope; for others, it becomes a place where hidden desires begin to surface.

As more wishes converge within the temple, the boundary between truth and illusion becomes increasingly blurred. What is real, and what is merely a wish? Audiences will have to step into cinemas to uncover the truth for themselves.

‘Temple of Wishes’ is produced by YP Entertainment Sdn Bhd, co-produced by Umi-Umi Penang, with Huayang Film handling production and Mega Films Distribution Sdn Bhd serving as the distributor. Filming in Penang has been completed, with the production team set to move on to additional locations. Principal photography is expected to conclude by the end of September, followed by post-production. ‘Temple of Wishes’ is scheduled for theatrical release on 6 February 2027, the first day of Chinese New Year.