Filmmaker Wong Jing's fiery call for Mirror star Keung To to 'roll back' from entertainment sparked controversy

Local filmmaker and actor Wong Jing has recently stirred controversy on Weibo with a fiery critique of local popstar Keung To from the boyband Mirror -- someone Wong has never collaborated with -- and asking Keung to "roll back from the entertainment industry." 

Despite proudly claiming to have helped launch the careers of many superstars with his renowned blockbusters in the early years, Wong's influence has gradually decreased.

Wong has recently transitioned to YouTube and interacted with followers on platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu to reminisce about his past collaborations with stars and to criticize others, including the prodigious comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi.

Please roll back from the entertainment industry: Wong

In Wong's Weibo post recently, he uploaded several photos such as Keung's fans celebrating his birthday in Causeway Bay, an image of Keung with superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah, along with a scathing critique "Hong Kong's top-notch? Don't kid yourself! Your appearance, songs and dance are unbearable." 

The filmmaker added, "Please roll back from the entertainment industry for god's sake."

Seemingly in response to Wong's criticism, Keung shared a video on his Instagram Stories on Saturday (Apr 12) evening, showing him smiling and waving while leaning on the back of a chair, simply captioned "smile."  

Keung also uploaded the same video on Threads with the remark "Laugh it off…",  prompting an outpouring of support from fans in the comments, encouraging him not to take the criticism seriously and praising his smile.

Wong removed the original post by Saturday night and replaced it with promotional content for his reality show "Memories beyond Horizon Season 3".

Keung To did nothing wrong: Wong

As discussions continued, Wong clarified on Sunday (Apr 13) that his critics were aimed at addressing the blind adoration of Keung’s fans, who elevate the star to an absurd position solely due to financial backing.

Wong explained that he deleted the post last night because he realized Keung did nothing wrong, rather, it was the frenzied capital behind his supporters that was the issue.

Comparing Keung with Hong Kong's legendary artists such as Sam Hui Koon-kit, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, and Anita Mui Yin-fong, Wong sighed “no wonder that 1.3 billion people in mainland deem its entertainment industry dead.”

In the post, Wong expressed hope that Keung could one day develop impressive singing and dancing skills, truly embodying the qualities of a top star. 

Referencing to Andy Lau, an iconic figure in the cinema and music industries who faced criticism in his early career, Wong concluded with a statement, "I wish to be able to sincerely call Keung To a top-notch star, if I'm still alive"

Peter Lai faced backlash for criticizing Mirror

The incident is not the sole case of criticism directed at rising stars; lyricist and actor Peter Lai Bei-dak also made headlines early this year for declaring "Cantonpop is dead" during a YouTube video.

Lai not only expressed unfamiliarity with popular artists like Hins Cheung Kin-hin but also criticized the high ticket prices for Mirror's concerts, drawing backlash for being out of touch with the new generation and resistant to change.

(Phoebe Poon)