# Cold War 2 (寒战2)
**Cold War 2** (寒战II) is a 2016 Hong Kong police-political thriller and the sequel to the 2012 film *[Cold War](https://www.edgepedia.org/cold-war-2012-film)*, written and directed by Longman Leung (梁乐民) and Sunny Luk (陆剑青). It continues the power struggle inside the [Hong Kong Police Force](https://www.edgepedia.org/hong-kong-police-force) immediately after the events of the first film, and widens the conflict to the city's legislature and judiciary, with [Aaron Kwok](https://www.edgepedia.org/aaron-kwok), Tony Leung Ka-fai, Chow Yun-fat, Eddie Peng, and Janice Man headlining the cast.[1](https://wellgousa.com/films/cold-war-2) • [2](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/cold-war-2-review/5106539.article)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Directors and writers | Longman Leung and Sunny Luk, who co-wrote with Jack Ng; their second feature after the nine-award *Cold War* (2012)[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-cold-war-2-review-20160705-snap-story.html) • [4](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1986071/film-review-cold-war-2-aaron-kwok-tony-leung-renew-power-struggle) |
| Cast | Aaron Kwok (Sean Lau, police commissioner), Tony Leung Ka-fai (M.B. Lee, former deputy commissioner), Chow Yun-fat (litigator Oswald Kan), Eddie Peng, Janice Man, Charlie Young[1](https://wellgousa.com/films/cold-war-2) • [3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-cold-war-2-review-20160705-snap-story.html) |
| Release | July 8, 2016 in Hong Kong and mainland China; 110 minutes; Cantonese[1](https://wellgousa.com/films/cold-war-2) • [5](https://zgdypf.zgdypw.cn/movie/detail/00103842016?from=movie) |
| Hong Kong records | Opening-day gross of HK$5,398,535 and a single-day high of HK$7,556,526 on July 9, both records for a Chinese-language film in Hong Kong[6](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00230/%E3%80%8A%E5%AF%92%E6%88%B0%202%E3%80%8B%E5%88%B7%E6%96%B0%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E9%96%8B%E7%95%AB%E6%97%A5%E5%8F%8A%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E5%96%AE%E6%97%A5%E7%A5%A8%E6%88%BF%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84.pdf) |
| 2016 Hong Kong standing | Top Chinese-language film of the year at about HK$66.24 million, third overall behind *Captain America: Civil War* and *Doctor Strange*[7](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20170103-709282) |
| Awards | Ten nominations at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Sound Effects; Tony Leung Ka-fai nominated for Best Actor at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031) |
| Global box office | US$103,197,501 worldwide as of September 2025[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031) |
## Spoilers
### Story and structure
The film picks up directly after the cliffhanger ending of *Cold War*, opening with a brief recap of the first film's events.[9](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cold-war-2) In the earlier film, the hijacking of an armored police van and two bombings were revealed as the master plan of constable Joe Lee ([Eddie Peng](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-peng)), son of deputy commissioner M.B. Lee ([Tony Leung Ka-fai](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-leung-ka-fai)), who competed with fellow deputy Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok) for control of the rescue operation.[4](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1986071/film-review-cold-war-2-aaron-kwok-tony-leung-renew-power-struggle)
In the sequel, Lau has become police commissioner while Lee is about to retire. After a bungled operation in a subway station, a suspected mastermind escapes police custody, and shadowy political figures move to replace Lau with Lee.[1](https://wellgousa.com/films/cold-war-2) • [10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/cold-war-2-a-satisfyingly-low-key-tale-of-intra-police-rivalry/2016/07/14/187db288-4840-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html) Whereas the first film pitted rival police departments against each other, the sequel sets law enforcement against the city's legislature: Lau is reprimanded for his actions, and the independent litigator Oswald Kan ([Chow Yun-fat](https://www.edgepedia.org/chow-yun-fat)) is brought in to oversee the hearings.[2](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/cold-war-2-review/5106539.article) All three leading men run their own private intelligence operations, and deciding which of them to trust is left as a challenge to the viewer.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/cold-war-2-a-satisfyingly-low-key-tale-of-intra-police-rivalry/2016/07/14/187db288-4840-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html)
The directors described the series as an "office politics film," and Leung said the second installment was intended to explain the characters' relationships more clearly and to present the power structure of the Hong Kong police more completely.[11](https://yule.sohu.com/20160707/n458308624.shtml) Chinese-language commentary framed the film as a shift from a cop-and-gangster picture toward a political thriller, extending the conflict from the police force to the Security Bureau, the Legislative Council, and the courts.[12](https://www.indsr.org.tw/respublicationcon?pid=5990&resid=3070&typeid=3&uid=12)
## Production
Leung and Luk spent four years developing the screenplay, which they identified as their greatest pressure: the script had to surpass the first film without abandoning the elements audiences liked.[13](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html) The film was a Hong Kong-mainland co-production; the National Film Administration filing lists [China Film Group Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/china-film-group-corporation), Edko Films, Edko (Beijing) Film Distribution, and Irresistible Films as the filing companies, with Leung and Luk as screenwriters.[14](https://www.chinafilm.gov.cn/dybalxgs/202210/t20221013_579315.html) Rotten Tomatoes lists the production companies as China Film Group Corporation, Edko Films, Edko Beijing Films, Irresistible Films, and Tencent Penguin Pictures, with Well Go USA as the North American distributor.[15](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cold_war_2)
A subway gunfight between Eddie Peng's and Aaron Kwok's characters was the first time a Hong Kong film shot an action sequence inside the MTR. Producer Bill Kong negotiated the access personally; the application process took three months, and the shoot ran ten days, filming from 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. with about 300 extras and only about four shots captured per night.[13](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html) A separate 200-meter tunnel gunfight was built on a set and filmed in ten days at a daily cost the directors cited as HK$400,000.[13](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html)
## Box office
The film opened in Hong Kong, mainland China, and other territories on July 8, 2016. Its opening-day gross of HK$5,398,535 broke the Hong Kong opening-day record for a Chinese-language film, previously held by *Sixty Million Dollar Man* (1995) at HK$5,000,235, and its July 9 single-day gross of HK$7,556,526 surpassed the record set by *Kung Fu Hustle* (2004) at HK$7,210,732.[6](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00230/%E3%80%8A%E5%AF%92%E6%88%B0%202%E3%80%8B%E5%88%B7%E6%96%B0%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E9%96%8B%E7%95%AB%E6%97%A5%E5%8F%8A%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E5%96%AE%E6%97%A5%E7%A5%A8%E6%88%BF%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84.pdf) By July 10 its Hong Kong cumulative total had reached HK$21,910,757.[6](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00230/%E3%80%8A%E5%AF%92%E6%88%B0%202%E3%80%8B%E5%88%B7%E6%96%B0%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E9%96%8B%E7%95%AB%E6%97%A5%E5%8F%8A%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E5%96%AE%E6%97%A5%E7%A5%A8%E6%88%BF%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84.pdf)
In mainland China the film earned over RMB 259 million in its first three days, surpassing the entire run of the first film, which had taken about RMB 254 million.[13](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html) It went on to become the highest-grossing Chinese-language film ever released in Hong Kong, passing HK$62 million within a month and ending the year at about HK$66.24 million, third among all films released in Hong Kong in 2016 and first among Chinese-language titles.[16](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1997710/cold-war-2-breaks-hong-kong-box-office-record-chinese-language) • [7](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20170103-709282) In Taipei it was the year's top-grossing Hong Kong film, with a cumulative NT$55,180,784.[17](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/HK_Film_Industry_Info2016_Preview.pdf) In the United States, where it received a limited release, it grossed $553.8 thousand.[15](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cold_war_2) Baidu Baike records a final worldwide total of US$103,197,501 as of September 2025.[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 60 percent Tomatometer from 10 reviews and a 57 percent audience score from more than 500 ratings.[15](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cold_war_2) Time Out's Douglas Parkes judged it a better film than its predecessor in most respects, crediting a clearer narrative and the addition of Chow Yun-fat, whose retired lawyer exudes what he called effortless charisma.[9](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cold-war-2) The *South China Morning Post* gave it 3.5 of 5 stars, praising the stellar cast, tight plot, and sharp editing, and judging that it outshines the award-winning original.[4](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1986071/film-review-cold-war-2-aaron-kwok-tony-leung-renew-power-struggle) The *Los Angeles Times* was negative, calling it a glossy, forgettable procedural whose talky second half winds through confusing internecine warfare.[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-cold-war-2-review-20160705-snap-story.html) The *Washington Post* found it a satisfyingly low-key drama with more bureaucratic wrangling than criminal scuffles, placing it in the lineage of *Infernal Affairs* and *Election* as playful yet serious about the workings of power.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/cold-war-2-a-satisfyingly-low-key-tale-of-intra-police-rivalry/2016/07/14/187db288-4840-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html)
At the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards the film received ten nominations, including Best Film, Best Actor for Tony Leung Ka-fai, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing, and won Best Sound Effects.[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031) • [18](https://www.1905.com/special/filmfest/36hkfa/) Janice Man was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031)
## The series afterward
The directors said during the 2016 release that a third film was planned as the finale, with the cast upgraded and the ultimate figure behind the politician played by Waise Lee to be revealed; they also indicated that [Andy Lau](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-lau)'s character from the first film would appear.[13](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html) The series instead moved backward in time: a prequel, *Cold War 1994* (寒战1994), began theatrical release in Asian territories in May 2026, with a further installment provisionally titled *Cold War 1995* reported for around 2026 to 2027.[12](https://www.indsr.org.tw/respublicationcon?pid=5990&resid=3070&typeid=3&uid=12)
## References
1. [Cold War 2 – Official Movie Site, Well Go USA Entertainment](https://wellgousa.com/films/cold-war-2)
2. ['Cold War 2': Review, Screen Daily (James Marsh, 2016)](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/cold-war-2-review/5106539.article)
3. [Review: Hong Kong sequel 'Cold War 2' is a glossy, forgettable procedural, Los Angeles Times (Gary Goldstein, 2016)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-cold-war-2-review-20160705-snap-story.html)
4. [Film review: Cold War 2 – Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung renew power struggle in political thriller, South China Morning Post (Edmund Lee, 2016)](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1986071/film-review-cold-war-2-aaron-kwok-tony-leung-renew-power-struggle)
5. [寒战2 – 中国电影票房数据库](https://zgdypf.zgdypw.cn/movie/detail/00103842016?from=movie)
6. [《寒戰 2》刷新香港中文電影開畫日及最高單日票房紀錄, 香港票房有限公司 (2016)](https://mpia.org.hk/upload/file/00230/%E3%80%8A%E5%AF%92%E6%88%B0%202%E3%80%8B%E5%88%B7%E6%96%B0%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E9%96%8B%E7%95%AB%E6%97%A5%E5%8F%8A%E6%9C%80%E9%AB%98%E5%96%AE%E6%97%A5%E7%A5%A8%E6%88%BF%E7%B4%80%E9%8C%84.pdf)
7. [《美国队长3》称霸香港2016年电影票房, 联合早报 (2017)](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20170103-709282)
8. [寒战2 – 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E5%AF%92%E6%88%982/5600031)
9. [Cold War 2 – Film review, Time Out (Douglas Parkes, 2016)](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cold-war-2)
10. ['Cold War 2': A satisfyingly low-key tale of intra-police rivalry, The Washington Post (Mark Jenkins, 2016)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/cold-war-2-a-satisfyingly-low-key-tale-of-intra-police-rivalry/2016/07/14/187db288-4840-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html)
11. [专访《寒战2》导演：这其实是一个办公室政治片, 搜狐娱乐 (2016)](https://yule.sohu.com/20160707/n458308624.shtml)
12. [《寒戰》作為「認知戰」文本：當前香港的安全化敘事與影像治理, 國防安全雙週報第114期, 國防安全研究院 (2026)](https://www.indsr.org.tw/respublicationcon?pid=5990&resid=3070&typeid=3&uid=12)
13. [《寒战2》导演梁乐民陆剑青解析7大疑问, 人民网文化频道转京华时报 (2016)](https://culture.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0711/c22219-28543971.html)
14. [备案公示查询结果：寒战2, 国家电影局](https://www.chinafilm.gov.cn/dybalxgs/202210/t20221013_579315.html)
15. [Cold War 2, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cold_war_2)
16. [Cold War 2 breaks Hong Kong box office record for a Chinese-language release, South China Morning Post (2016)](https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/1997710/cold-war-2-breaks-hong-kong-box-office-record-chinese-language)
17. [2016年香港電影台灣票房, 香港電影發展局](https://www.fdc.gov.hk/tc/publication/HK_Film_Industry_Info2016_Preview.pdf)
18. [第36届香港电影金像奖入围名单, 电影网 1905.com](https://www.1905.com/special/filmfest/36hkfa/)
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