SUPER COP: REBORN – Stanley Tong wants Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh team up in new “Police Story” sequel

Stanley Tong’s career began as a stuntman in Hong Kong. He transitioned to directing as part of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team’s 4^th generation, tasked with directing “Police Story 3: Super Cop” for Golden Harvest. Over the next 30 years, he collaborated with Jackie Chan on several more films, though his ideas have recently drawn considerable criticism. Now, Tong aims to recapture his initial success with a surprising sequel.

As far as story details go, the new film will chart its way into “Taken” territory as Chan’s role and his ex-wife – both retirees from the force – jettison to Paris to rescue their daughter when they learn she’s been kidnapped, uncovering a human and organ trafficking ring in the process. There’s little further information on it that we can point to but if this is going to be case, “Super Cop: Reborn” may also signal a potential reunion for Tong, as well as for franchise staple Jackie Chan, and for Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022) headliner Michelle Yeoh since the 1992 threequel.

The “Police Story” franchise itself is kind of all over the place since Chan’s titular hit makers in 1985 and 1988; “Police Story 3: Super Cop” (1992) marked a sophomore milestone in 90s martial arts cinema following Chan’s second East-meets-West breakout with “Rumble In The Bronx” (1995), having releasing in the states as “Supercop” from Miramax/Dimension in 1996. The film also premiered Yeoh in the States that year as a force to be reckoned with, resulting in the rise of Hong Kong niche fandom and home media sales and rentals at the turn of the century with films like “Yes, Madam!” (1985) and “Royal Warriors” (1986), and even David Chung’s Sino-Japanese war actioner, “Magnificent Warriors” (1987).

Tong soon attempted a “Supercop” sequel starring Yeoh called “Project S” (1993) with a cameo by Chan a year after, produced by Chan’s Golden Way Films, while the premier star/stuntman would reteam with the director several years later on “Police Story IV: First Strike” (1996). Chan would then attempt a reboot in 2004 with director Benny Chan, collaborating for “New Police Story” with Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung and Daniel Wu also starring, before tapping back in with director Ding Sheng for their 2013 standalone, “Police Story: Lockdown”. A sequel to “New Police Story” was announced in 2023 as well, with Nicholas Tse directing it, which bares asking just what’s going to happen as the weeks and months pass. Indeed, the last few “Police Story” films have taken on something of a darker tone which speaks to where this newest chapter could go if it happens at all. Nonetheless, it’s still worth asking what’s going to happen since the “New Police Story 2” announcement in conjunction with all else Chan has been doing and/or plans on doing.

Looking at Stanley Tong’s films starring Jackie Chan, it’s clear that each new project has been less successful than the last, judging by IMDb ratings. In fact, it’s high time the “Police Story” franchise got a new lease on life. Whether Stanley Tong, with his “Taken” idea, is the right person to bring that to the table remains to be seen.

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