| Meow | |||||||||||||||
| Native Name: |
| ||||||||||||||
| Director: | Benny Chan | ||||||||||||||
| Screenplay: | Ho Miu-kei Poon Chun-lam | ||||||||||||||
| Producer: | Benny Chan | ||||||||||||||
| Starring: | Louis Koo Ma Li Jessica Liu Andy Wong | ||||||||||||||
| Narrator: | Sammy Leung | ||||||||||||||
| Cinematography: | Edmond Fung | ||||||||||||||
| Editing: | Yau Chi-wai | ||||||||||||||
| Music: | Wong Kin-wai | ||||||||||||||
| Studio: | One Cool CMC Emperor Film Production Company Gravity Pictures Film Production iQiyi Motion Pictures (Beijing) PJ One Cool Film Pomelo Film Company Dalian Erdong Filming and Culture One Cool Ocean Films One Cool Film Productions | ||||||||||||||
| Distributor: | Emperor Motion Pictures | ||||||||||||||
| Runtime: | 100 minutes | ||||||||||||||
| Country: | Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||
| Language: | Cantonese | ||||||||||||||
| Budget: | US$14.5 million[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Gross: | US$7.1 million[2] [3] | ||||||||||||||
Meow is a 2017 Hong Kong science fantasy comedy film directed and produced by Benny Chan. It stars Louis Koo as a father who adopts an alien cat who is sent to invade Earth. Co-produced by Koo's One Cool Group Limited, the film is also Chan and Koo's sixth film collaboration as director and star respectively.[4] and it was one of the last films directed by Benny Chan during his lifetime.
In the distant corners of the universe, a planet of alien cats known as "Meow" exists whose creatures are more civilized than earthlings. Thousands of years ago, the king of Meow has been sending messengers to inquire the Earth, hoping to prepare for an invasion. However, over the years, every messenger sent to Earth never returned forcing the king to put aside his plans.
Today, the king decides to re-ignite his plan and selects the bravest and mightiest warrior of Meow, Pudding, as a vanguard to Earth. However, during the journey, Pudding loses a divine Meow device that can resist the particles of Earth and loses his divine powers. As a result, the lean-built Pudding becomes a giant fat cat Sai-sai-lei. Sai-sai-lei is then adopted by as a pet by a family consists of Ng Sau-lung (Louis Koo), his wife Chow Lai-chu (Ma Li), their elder son Ng Yau-choi (Andy Wong) and younger daughter Ng Yau-yau (Jessica Liu). Sai-sai-lei has no choice but to hide in the Ng household before finding his device to invade Earth. In order to start the invasion, Sai-sai-lei plans to cause chaos to the Ng family but after living and getting along together, Sai-sai-lei is moved by the family's love and sincerity and loses his desire for warfare. However, one day, Sai-sai-lei suddenly recovers his device.
According to the first behind-the-scenes featurette released, producer and director Benny Chan stated the story of Meow was initiated by star Louis Koo when the latter told Chan he wanted to make a film about cats which resulted in Chan having the idea about cats from another planet.[5]
In order to create the film's titular cat, Sai-sai-lei (犀犀利), three special effect companies were used to create over 1,000 special effect shots. Of the three special effects companies, two of them were local Hong Kong companies while one of them was South Korean and they were responsible for separately creating the CG for Sai-sai-lei's head, lower body and entire body.[6]
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Hong Kong (SPCA) held a charity preview screening of Meow on 16 July 2017 at The Metroplex cinema located in the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre to raise funds for animals that were abandoned, cruelly treated or injured in accidents[7] before being theatrically released in Hong Kong on 20 July 2017. The film was also released in China on 14 July 2017.[8]
The film has grossed in Hong Kong and in China.