Back to the Past brings time-travel stories to US screens

After years of anticipation, Back to the Past, the long-awaited film sequel to the Hong Kong television hit A Step Into the Past, itself adapted from a best-selling novel, opened across China and Malaysia on Dec 31, drawing strong early demand ahead of its North American release. The BBC reported that audiences said "tickets were very hard to come by" in the first days of release in Hong Kong.

On its opening day, Back to the Past quickly became the film with the most screenings in Hong Kong cinema history, grossing more than HK$11 million ($1.4 million). The result also made it Hong Kong's highest opening-day box office champion. After just one day in the theater, the film had already climbed to No 7 on Hong Kong's 2025 annual box office rankings, seen by many as a continuation of "a shared nostalgia for a generation".

The film finally arrived in North America on Jan 30, offering longtime fans of the original series a belated but emotional reunion, nearly 25 years after it first aired. The film revisits the original cast and storyline, following the time-traveling protagonist as past and present collide once again. The film's overseas release also marks a rare moment for Chinese-style time-travel storytelling to reach mainstream US theaters.

"It brought back a sense of childhood, because I grew up watching this series, so it feels very nostalgic. It was genuinely moving," May Yang, an English student studying in the US, originally from Guangdong province, told China Daily.

First aired in 2001, A Step Into the Past quickly became one of Hong Kong-based Television Broadcasts Limited's most iconic sci-fi historical productions.

The story centers on Xiang Shaolong, a modern-day police officer who is accidentally transported back to China's Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Trapped in ancient times, he is drawn into court intrigue, military rivalries and encounters with legendary historical figures, all while trying to preserve the timeline and find his way home.

Today, time-travel storytelling, known in China as chuan yue has become a staple of Chinese and broader Asian popular culture.

So how does chuan yue differ from Hollywood's time travel? The online magazine Inverse explains that, rather than sending characters physically through time, many East Asian stories rely on transmigration, a concept that "combines soul migration with time travel".

In an academic paper published by the University of Michigan, Jia Tan of The Chinese University of Hong Kong notes that "chuan yue often involves the traveling of consciousness instead of the body", and "draws less on science fiction conventions and instead relies more on well-established genres such as period drama or martial arts", which is why she ultimately categorizes chuan yue as fantasy rather than sci-fi.

For many North American viewers, the film serves as an introduction to Chinese-style transmigration, offering not only spectacle but also insight into Chinese values around loyalty, family and identity.

Howard, a retired English teacher who regularly attends international film screenings, told China Daily that he enjoys movies from abroad because they offer insight into different cultural values. He came to see Back to the Past, drawn by its premise.

While Howard focused on the film's moral themes, Yang highlighted its cultural impact.

"Movies and TV shows can carry culture forward, helping pass on traditions and introduce different histories. They give people in different countries different perspectives and different kinds of resonance," she said.

bilinlin@chinadailyusa.com