Legendary director John Woo unites with three of Hong Kong’s most charismatic actors in Chow Yun-Fat, Cherie Chung and Leslie Cheung for Once a Thief, a rollicking blend of buddy comedy and heist movie with lashings of humour, and of course, Woo’s signature pulse-pounding action!
Our three stars play a debonair trio of international art thieves who grew up as orphaned Artful Dodgers on the streets of Hong Kong. Fresh from a successful heist in the sunny French Riviera, they set their sights on one last job: break into a heavily guarded fortress and steal a painting so valuable that it is said to be cursed. But when they’re double-crossed by their former criminal mentor, villainous triad leader Mr. Chow (Kenneth Tsang, The Killer), the gang must use their wits, skills and unbreakable friendship to take him down.
With Once a Thief, Woo showcases his love for classic French crime capers and his enviable comedy chops on top of his flair for action, with car stunts by the legendary Rémy Julienne (GoldenEye). Thrilling, funny and surprisingly touching, Once a Thief deserves to stand tall among Woo’s action movie classics.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless Cantonese and English mono audio, plus alternate mono mixes for both languages
Optional English subtitles for the Cantonese soundtrack and English for the deaf and hard of hearing subtitles for the English soundtrack
Brand new audio commentary with Asian cinema expert James Mudge
Handling a Heist, a brand new interview with director John Woo
Heists and Lows, a brand new interview with producer Terence Chang
Thoughts About Thievery, a brand new interview with co-writer Clifton Ko
Stealing Some Shots, a brand new interview with director of photography Poon Hang-Sang
Art of the Steal, a brand new interview with editor David Wu
Hong Kong Confidential, a brand new appreciation by author and film historian Grady Hendrix
Once a Star, Always an Icon, a brand new appreciation of star Leslie Cheung by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng
Up Close and Personal, an archival interview with John Woo
Brothers in Arms, an archival interview with Terence Chang
Archival interview with actor Kenneth Tsang
Original theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Priscilla Page