Veteran filmmaking duo Sze Pak-lam and Lau Wing-tai are expanding their horizons with “Open Fire,” an ambitious $16.4 million action thriller that blends Hong Kong crime cinema with large-scale disaster elements.
The project is selected for the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project market that operates concurrently with Hong Kong FilMart.
The project, produced by industry veteran Ivan Wong, centers on a veteran firefighter caught between armed terrorists and Interpol agents during a slum blaze. With his wife trapped in the inferno, the protagonist must navigate competing priorities between saving lives and preventing a terrorist attack.
“When we explored the combination of crime-action and fire disasters, we immediately saw the potential for exciting chemistry,” the directors said. “Firefighters could be targeted by terrorists while performing rescues, and detectives could be engulfed in flames while pursuing criminals.”
The filmmakers, who have collaborated for over 15 years, previously co-directed “Guilt by Design” (2019), which starred Nick Cheung and was produced by Derek Yee. That project won the Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award at the 2016 HAF.
Wong, whose credits include associate producer roles on John Woo’s “Manhunt” (2017) and line producer for “God of War” (2017), sees substantial commercial potential in the project. “There is a steady market demand for action films, and this project uniquely combines two widely popular genres,” Wong noted. The team anticipates the primary audience will be males aged 20-50. While the production is currently targeted for Southeast Asian filming with Mandarin-speaking audiences in mind, the team is keeping options open.
“‘Open Fire’ is not limited to a specific region, offering a great opportunity to collaborate with the global film industry,” Wong added.
Sze, now based in London, views the project as his first foray into cross-regional collaboration. “I hope to explore more cross-regional film collaborations as a Hong Kong filmmaker,” he said. “I am also developing other projects that integrate Hong Kong cinematic elements with local cultures.”
The filmmakers are currently in preliminary discussions with investors but haven’t locked in financing, preferring to explore global partnership possibilities before making final decisions on production parameters.
