A Legend

Lore & Background

The film follows Professor Fang, who during an archaeological excavation unearths a mysterious shamanic jade that transports him and his assistant, Wang Jing, back to the Western Han dynasty. There they become fierce Han generals leading cavalry against the Xiongnu. Professor Fang, now a warrior, meets the Xiongnu princess Meng Yun, sparking a love story spanning thousands of years. Later, Professor Fang, Wang Jing, and their friend Lei Zhen venture into an ancient glacier to uncover a long-lost sacred site.

Production began in January 2023 when the film was registered with the National Film Administration. In February 2023, lead actors were first exposed in Zhaosu County, Xinjiang. The film's budget was revealed as US$50 million at the Cannes Film Festival trading market in May 2023. The film was completed on July 28, 2023. A notable scene involved 1,090 herders and more than 6,000 horses. AI technology was used to recreate Jackie Chan at age 27.

Released on July 10, 2024, in China, A Legend opened at third-place, earning 6.67 million yuan (US$934,959) on its opening day. It earned a final gross of US$11,164,000 in China. The film received criticism from Chinese critics for its plotting, acting, and stiff use of AI technology to de-age Jackie Chan. It received a 5.1 out of 10 on Douban.

Reader's Guide

A Legend is significant as a direct standalone sequel to the 2005 film The Myth, continuing a narrative thread while ignoring the 2017 film Kung Fu Yoga. Its production was notable for its scale, mobilizing over 6,000 horses and 1,090 herders for a single battle scene, and for its use of AI technology to digitally de-age Jackie Chan to 27 years old. The film's budget of US$50 million and its performance at the Chinese box office—opening in third place and grossing over US$11 million—reflect its commercial ambitions. However, critical reception was poor, with reviewers in China criticizing the plotting, acting, and the artificial quality of the de-aging effects. The film's legacy lies in its attempt to blend historical fantasy with modern digital effects, and its place within Jackie Chan's filmography as a sequel revisiting a popular earlier work.

Did You Know?

• The film is a direct standalone sequel to The Myth (2005), overlooking Kung Fu Yoga (2017).
• The film's budget was US$50 million, revealed at the Cannes Film Festival trading market in May 2023.

Story & Narrative

A Legend continues the mythological thread established in Stanley Tong's 2005 blockbuster The Myth, deliberately bypassing the 2017 entry Kung Fu Yoga to function as a direct standalone sequel. The narrative centers on a past-life connection that stretches across millennia. The story kicks off during an archaeological dig when Professor Fang and his assistant Wang Jing stumble upon a mysterious shamanic jade artifact. This discovery catapults them back to the Western Han dynasty, where they are reborn as fierce cavalry generals. Their mission: defend their homeland against the Xiongnu across the sweeping Hexi grasslands. In the midst of this ancient warfare, Professor Fang encounters Meng Yun, a Xiongnu princess, igniting a romance that transcends thousands of years. The trio of Professor Fang, Wang Jing, and their companion Lei Zhen ultimately venture into a remote ancient glacier, searching for a long-lost sacred site that holds an untold legend buried deep in time. The film weaves together archaeological mystery, epic warfare, and a love story that defies the boundaries of time itself.

Production & Scale

The making of A Legend was a multi-year, high-budget undertaking. The project was formally registered with China's National Film Administration in January 2023, and by February, principal cast members were already visible on location in Zhaosu County within the Uyghur Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang. That April, the core creative team took the stage at the Beijing International Film Festival to unveil the first concept poster and confirm the lead cast. A month later, the film entered the Cannes Film Festival trading market, where its production budget of fifty million US dollars was revealed. Filming wrapped on July 28 of that year. One of the most ambitious set pieces, a sequence dubbed "Thousands of Horses and People," required the coordination of 1,090 local herders and over 6,000 horses on screen. The production also employed AI technology to digitally recreate Jackie Chan as he appeared at age twenty-seven. In the run-up to release, the team held a roadshow in Chengdu on July 4, 2024, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes, before the official release date of July 10 was confirmed alongside the promotional single "Our Legend," performed by Chan himself.

Cast & Creative Vision

Stanley Tong, the veteran director and writer behind the original The Myth, returned to helm this 2024 action fantasy sequel, bringing his signature blend of large-scale spectacle and personal storytelling. The film's ensemble is headlined by Jackie Chan, who once again anchors the franchise's physical and emotional core. Joining him is Lay Zhang, the South Korean-Chinese singer and actor, alongside Gülnezer and Aarif Rahman, rounding out a cast that spans multiple entertainment industries. Tong's decision to frame the story as a direct continuation of The Myth while entirely sidestepping Kung Fu Yoga signals a creative reset, treating the 2005 film as the definitive narrative anchor. The film was released in Chinese theaters on July 10, 2024, and its promotional materials, including the title track "Our Legend" sung by Chan, were made public on July 9. The project also maintained a presence on social platforms such as Weibo and was catalogued on international databases including IMDb and Douban, reflecting its dual domestic and international ambitions.

Reception & Box Office

A Legend entered Chinese theaters on July 10, 2024, debuting at the third position at the domestic box office. Its opening-day haul stood at 6.67 million yuan, equivalent to roughly 935,000 US dollars. Over its full theatrical run in China, the film accumulated a total gross of approximately 11.16 million US dollars. Critical reception, however, proved mixed to negative. Chinese reviewers took issue with the screenplay's plotting, the quality of the acting, and particularly the film's reliance on AI-driven de-aging technology to portray a younger Jackie Chan, which many described as visually stiff and distracting. On the popular Chinese review platform Douban, the film settled at a score of 5.1 out of 10, a figure that underscores the gap between the production's ambitious scale and audience expectations. For a franchise that had previously enjoyed strong cultural resonance, the reception of A Legend raised questions about how legacy IP balances spectacle with storytelling in an increasingly competitive and tech-driven cinematic landscape.

Gallery