Cover Jackie Chan marks 72 years of extraordinary cinema with new films still on the way (Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Jackie Chan marks 72 years of extraordinary cinema with new films still on the way (Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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From kung fu comedy pioneer to dramatic powerhouse, here’s why global action legend Jackie Chan still captivates audiences worldwide
On April 7, 2026, Jackie Chan turns 72—and he shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. For audiences across Asia, Chan is far more than an action star: he is a cultural institution. Born in Hong Kong and forged in the gruelling discipline of Peking Opera school, he spent decades performing his own death-defying stunts, breaking bones, shattering records and rewriting the grammar of action cinema with nothing but his body, his wit and an almost reckless sense of joy.
He made audiences laugh while genuinely fearing for his life—a combination no one before or since has quite replicated. With a new family comedy in cinemas, a touching Alzheimer’s drama winning hearts and a spy-dog action film on the horizon, the global icon continues to reinvent himself with remarkable vitality. Whether you grew up watching him dodge buses in Police Story or discovered him through Rush Hour, these essential films trace the extraordinary arc of one of cinema’s greatest living legends.
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‘Drunken Master’ (1978)
Above Jackie Chan’s 1978 breakthrough ‘Drunken Master’ launched a genre-defining kung fu comedy
Before Jackie Chan became a global superstar, he was a young rebel learning to fight drunk. Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, Drunken Master cast Chan as Wong Fei-hung, a mischievous folk hero sent to train under a brutal, slovenly beggar (Yuen Siu-Tin) in the fluid, unpredictable art of Drunken Fist. It was the film that broke Chan free from Bruce Lee’s shadow, pioneering the kung fu comedy genre and cementing the irreverent, everyman persona he’d spend decades refining.
‘Police Story’ (1985)
Above ‘Police Story’ remains one of Jackie Chan’s most thrilling cinematic achievements
After a frustrating Hollywood experience, Jackie Chan returned to Hong Kong demanding total creative control—and delivered a masterpiece. Starring as dedicated officer Chan Ka-kui, he crafted a modern action thriller featuring co-stars Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, whose lighter romantic scenes perfectly balance the relentless stunt-driven chaos. The iconic shopping mall finale—Jackie Chan sliding down a pole of exploding lightbulbs, sustaining burns and injuries—remains one of cinema’s most genuinely dangerous action sequences.
‘Rush Hour’ (1998)
Above ‘Rush Hour’ paired Jackie Chan with Chris Tucker in a culture-clash buddy comedy
For all his dominance in Asia, Jackie Chan craved Hollywood validation, and Rush Hour delivered it spectacularly. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film paired Chan’s kinetic martial arts with Chris Tucker’s rapid-fire improvisational comedy in a culture-clash buddy cop adventure. A global blockbuster, it made Chan an A-list Hollywood name overnight. Fascinatingly, he has since admitted finding the Americanised humour baffling—a candid confession that makes revisiting the franchise all the more intriguing.
‘The Foreigner’ (2017)
Above Jackie Chan shed his comic persona for a raw, grieving role in ‘The Foreigner’
The Foreigner silenced every doubter. Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), the 2017 film cast Chan as Quan, a quietly grieving Chinese restaurant owner and former explosives expert in London whose daughter is killed in an IRA bombing. Opposite Pierce Brosnan’s slippery politician, Chan deliberately shed his trademark charm—adopting a lumbering gait and hollow, haunted stare—to deliver a transformative performance proving he was always far more than an action star.
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‘Vanguard’ (2020)
Above Jackie Chan leads a globe-trotting ensemble of elite agents in the action film ‘Vanguard’
A globe-trotting ensemble action film, Vanguard finds Chan as Tang Huanting, the founder of a private security agency protecting a wealthy businessman from ruthless mercenaries. Directed by frequent collaborator Stanley Tong, the film trades Chan’s signature practical stunt work for slick, digitally enhanced set pieces across lavish international locations. It’s a thoroughly modern production, and a fascinating preview of how Chan has evolved his action brand to suit both his age and contemporary audience expectations.
‘Unexpected Family’ (2026)
Above Jackie Chan brings genuine heart to his 2026 comedy-drama ‘Unexpected Family’
Released in Chinese cinemas on January 1, 2026, this comedy-drama represents Jackie Chan’s most emotionally courageous role in years. Rather than relying on physical spectacle, he confronts the harrowing realities of Alzheimer’s disease with remarkable tenderness. The film underscores a profound truth about Chan at 72: the most compelling stunts he can now perform aren’t physical—they’re emotional. For audiences eager to discover a genuinely different side of the icon, this is unmissable.
‘Panda Plan 2: The Magical Tribe’ (2026)
Above Jackie Chan plays guardian to a divine panda cub in the hilarious ‘Panda Plan 2’
His most comedic film to date, this slapstick sequel directed by Derek Hui finds Jackie Chan playing a fictionalised version of himself: an international action superstar who, alongside his adopted giant panda cub Hu Hu, tumbles into a magical, primitive world. Co-starring Li Ma and Wang Yinglu, the film cleverly uses its wild premise to explore modern parenting and emotional intelligence, wrapping genuinely warm lessons inside gloriously over-the-top physical comedy.
‘Pawfect Agents’ (2027)
Not yet released but already generating buzz, Pawfect Agents reunites Jackie Chan with director Leo Zhang (Bleeding Steel) in an action-comedy where a veteran agent on the brink of retirement is pulled back into the field by an audacious international theft—the priceless Sanxingdui Golden Mask. His unlikely partner? A technologically advanced CGI spy dog. Filming begins in October 2026, with a 2027 global release targeted. It looks, frankly, like enormous fun.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
