Helios | |
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Traditional Chinese | 赤道 |
Simplified Chinese | 赤道 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Chì Dào |
Jyutping | Cek3 Dou6 |
Directed by | Longman Leung Sunny Luk |
Screenplay by |
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Produced by | Catherine Kwan |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Jason Kwan |
Edited by | Ron Chan Wong Hoi |
Music by | Peter Kam |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Media Asia Distributions |
Release dates |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
Countries | Hong Kong China |
Languages | Cantonese Mandarin Korean English |
Budget | US$18−26 million[1][2] |
Box office | US$33.15 million (China)[3] |
Helios is a 2015 Hong Kong-Chinese crime thriller film directed by Longman Leung and Sunny Luk and starring an international ensemble cast from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and South Korea. The film was released on 30 April 2015 in China and 1 May 2015 in Hong Kong.[4][5]
South Korea's most wanted criminal, "Helios" (Chang Chen), and his assistant "Messenger" (Janice Man), have stolen a weapon of mass destruction secretly developed by the South Korean military, a portable nuclear explosive device (DC8), along with sixteen fuel modules. The police forces of Hong Kong, China, and South Korea have been informed that Helios will hold an underground negotiation for the weapon in Hong Kong.
An emergency response team is set up, including chief inspector Eric Lee Yan-ming (Nick Cheung) of the Counter-Terrorism Response Unit, senior Chinese official Song An (Wang Xueqi), and two South Korean weapons experts: Choi Min-ho (Ji Jin-hee) and Park Woo-Cheol (Choi Siwon). The team work together to trace the whereabouts of the weapon. Lee invites Physics professor Siu Chi-yan (Jacky Cheung) of the University of Hong Kong to serve as special adviser for the operation.
Hong Kong, China and South Korea have the same objective, though with different goals. Choi wants to hunt down Helios, take back the weapon, and ensure that South Korean military secrets are not divulged. Representing the Chinese government, Song wants to resolve the crisis in Hong Kong and limit any terrorist activities in Hong Kong or Chinese territories. Lee and Siu, members of the Counter-Terrorism Response Unit, have to deal with the greatest challenge, facing pressure from both China and South Korea.
Messenger is arrested, and DC8 falls into the hands of the Hong Kong Police Force. Agents of China and Korea fight to possess the weapon. Meanwhile, Helios appears in Macau, with plans to retaliate and repossess the weapon. In the final confrontation, unsuspected conspiracies are revealed and Professor Siu is revealed as the real "Helios," with everyone caught off guard.
The film held its first press conference on 10 December 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel in Macau where its first trailer was unveiled.[6] The film was released in China on 30 April 2015.
The film opened in China on 30 April 2015 and earned US$20.68 million in its four-day opening weekend, with 101,873 screenings and 3.24 million admissions, coming in fourth place at the Chinese box office behind Furious 7, You Are My Sunshine and The Left Ear.[7] In Hong Kong, the film has grossed a total of HK$15.9 million (US$2.06 million).[8]