Sony Pictures has a feature-length Chinese-language adaptation of The Legends of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong, and we’ve got a trailer that gives us a glimpse of it.
The Legends of the Condor Heroes trilogy is recognized as a foundational text of wuxia—a genre that blends Chinese history with martial arts and fantasy. As Reactor contributor Alexis Ong describes in her guide to the books, Yong, the pen name for screenwriter, director, and journalist Louis Cha, “left a literary legacy that combined film techniques like flashbacks, fast cuts, and bold changes in perspective, creating a new visual foundation for martial arts today. Many of his scenes have become familiar visual flourishes in kung fu movies, and a distinctive way of telling stories in an age-old Chinese genre: wuxia, the realm of martial heroes.”
The film from Sony is titled The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants and focuses on the first book in the series, which you can read an excerpt of here.
Here’s the official synopsis for the movie, which was directed by Tsui Hark and stars Xiao Zhan and Zhuang Dafei:
Under Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army pushes west to destroy the Jin Dynasty, setting its sights on the Song Dynasty next. Amid internal conflicts among martial arts schools, Guo Jing unites the Central Plains’ warriors to defend Xiangyang, embodying courage and loyalty in the fight for the nation.
Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallant premieres in theaters on February 20, 2025.
Check out the trailer below.
