Hong Kong movie star and producer Louis Koo Tin-lok is currently rewriting history – and box office records – with the time-travel adventure Back to the Past.

Taking in over HK$60 million (US$7.7 million) since its New Year’s Eve debut, the film is a much-anticipated sequel to 2001’s A Step into the Past, a favourite television series from Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. It sends Koo’s security agent hurtling back to the Qin dynasty, reuniting him with many original cast members, including Raymond Lam Fung and Jessica Hsuan.

The film strikes a lucrative balance between high-concept sci-fi and warm nostalgia – cementing a winning streak for Koo following the massive box office success of Warriors of Future (2022) and Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024).

While many recent time travel films have used time loops or communication between divergent timelines, Back to the Past revels in the old-school charm of following its fish-out-of-water protagonists.

In celebration of the film’s success, here are 10 other examples of big-screen time-travel escapism from across Asia that are well worth your attention.

Read my full South China Morning Post feature here