On This DayA Better Tomorrow at 40: how John Woo blockbuster changed Hong Kong cinema – SCMP archive

As A Better Tomorrow celebrates its 40th anniversary, we look back at how the film redefined the Hong Kong action genre

Forty years ago, John Woo’s

A Better Tomorrow

was released. The action film is considered to be a turning point in Hong Kong cinema with directors like Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration. In this On This Day article, we look at SCMP’s archive coverage of this modern-day classic.

A Better Tomorrow was released on August 2, 1986. Due to its popularity, it ran in theatres for 61 days – unheard of at the time – and was Hong Kong’s No 1 movie that year grossing over HK$34.6 million.