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| Why Netflix Won’t Touch Hong Kong Dramas – Tin Kai-man Spills the Reason |
“Too many voices, too little output” – veteran producer gets brutally honest about why HK’s not getting that Netflix money.
Hong Kong might’ve once ruled the East Asian film scene with its gritty gangster flicks and iconic comedies, but in 2025? The numbers—and Netflix—are saying something else entirely.
According to the latest box office stats, The Way We Talk (看我今天怎麼說) pulled in a modest HK$13.55 million as the best-performing local film in the first half of the year. Sounds decent—until you see it stacked next to heavy-hitters like Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童鬧海) with HK$63.91 million, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (職業特工隊︰最終清算) at HK$52.2 million, and even Lilo and Stitch (史迪仔) scoring HK$29.12 million. Yep, Stitch beat us too.
So what’s going on? Why isn’t Netflix – a company famously throwing cash at Korean zombie thrillers, Japanese slice-of-life dramas, and Thai romantic comedies – investing in Hong Kong?
Veteran actor-producer Tin Kai-man (田啟文), best known for being Stephen Chow’s chaotic right-hand man in countless comedies, isn’t sugar-coating it.
“They Think We're Annoying” – Oof.
Speaking bluntly in a recent industry chat, Tin explained: “It’s not like we haven’t talked to them [Netflix]… but they find us annoying. You know? Too many people with opinions—who aren’t even filmmakers or audiences—but still feel the need to poke their noses in. So Netflix just goes, ‘Sigh, forget it.’”
He pointed to the Nicole Kidman-led series that filmed in Hong Kong but never even got a proper release there. “Why bother? It’s that simple.”
According to Tin, Netflix only reserves 10 slots a year for Asian content. Of those, six are locked in for South Korea, while the remaining four are spread thin across Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and other territories. And with Hong Kong’s shrinking output, the city’s just not competitive anymore.
HK’s Shrinking Share of the Screen
The numbers back him up. Out of 140 films released in Hong Kong and Macau cinemas from January to June 2025, only 21 were Hong Kong productions. To make matters worse, the overall box office dropped by 16.26% year-on-year.
Tin also touched on the creative stagnation plaguing the city. “If we had more productions happening, even actors who never get lead roles could be given a chance. Everything gets better with practice. But right now? We’re barely keeping the engine running.”
More Capital = More Quality
Despite the doom and gloom, Tin doesn’t see streaming investment as a lost cause. In fact, he’s clear about what could help turn things around: money and market access.
“When there’s proper funding and an actual market, of course the quality will improve. Look at Korea—they didn’t get good overnight. They invested, they built things up.”
But until Hong Kong can get its house in order—streamline production, amplify fresh voices, and maybe stop the internal bickering—it’s unlikely Netflix or other platforms will take the risk.
TLDR:
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Netflix only gives out 10 Asian content slots per year – 6 go to Korea, the rest are split among others.
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Hong Kong’s messy production scene and weak box office make it an unattractive bet.
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Only 21 out of 140 films in the first half of 2025 were local HK productions.
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HK box office revenue dropped 16.26% compared to last year.
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Veteran producer Tin Kai-man says lack of funding, too many opinions, and not enough output are killing local chances for international backing.