[Photo provided to China Daily]

"People now show passionate support for the previous films, even on the sets. It's really touching to see that everyone in the crew, even temporary workers, are fans of the films," says the director, turning emotional.

"I will give you a happy ending this time, and you will probably find you've watched A Chinese Odyssey with the wrong mindset," he says, smiling.

So, will Lau's new movie get fans to throng the cinemas?

Not everybody is keen.

"I won't go," says Xiao.

"A sequel is made after so many years, and the main cast from the earlier films is replaced. For me, this means the maker merely aims to make money."

"I will wait until it is available online."

Possibly, the sequel belongs only to cyberspace.