City on Fire 4K Blu-ray from Arrow Video Arrives December 2025
Chow Yun-fat’s rise to international stardom was cemented in the mid-1980s with John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow. Just one year later, his role in Ringo Lam’s City on Fire confirmed his reputation as Hong Kong’s most electrifying new action star. Arrow Video will release the film on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK on Dec. 1, 2025, with a new restoration and a comprehensive slate of extras.
A defining moment in heroic bloodshed cinema
City on Fire (1987) remains one of the most influential examples of the “heroic bloodshed” subgenre. Chow plays Ko, an undercover police officer on what is meant to be his last assignment. Tasked with infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves, he becomes entangled in a violent clash between the authorities determined to bring down the criminals and the suspicious gang members who sense betrayal.
Danny Lee co-stars as Fu, a weary thief who develops an unlikely bond with Ko. Their relationship provides the film’s emotional core, heightening the tragedy as the bullets fly and loyalties fracture. Ringo Lam’s gritty direction, combined with Chow’s magnetic performance, established the film as a benchmark of Hong Kong crime cinema. The film’s taut plotting and stylized violence later served as a direct influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
Fans of Hong Kong action will also want to look at other upcoming titles, including John Woo’s The Killer 4K UHD Blu-ray Set and the newly restored Hard Boiled 4K UHD Blu-ray, both from Shout! Studios.
Restored in 4K with Dolby Vision
Arrow Video has restored City on Fire from the original negative, presenting the film in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision HDR. The release includes both original Cantonese and English mono tracks in lossless audio. Subtitles are available in English for the Cantonese soundtrack and in English SDH for the English soundtrack.
This release follows a growing wave of classic Hong Kong cinema on physical media, from Shout! Studios’ A Better Tomorrow Trilogy 4K UHD to Eureka’s Triple Threat: Three Films With Sammo Hung Blu-ray.
Special features
The disc includes a robust collection of new and archival supplements:
- Brand new audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Burn It Down – new interview with screenwriter Tommy Sham
- Hong Kong Confidential – new appreciation by author Grady Hendrix
- Some Like It Hot – new appreciation by film historian Ric Meyers
- Burning Rivalries – new appreciation by critic Kim Newman
- Archival interview with director Ringo Lam
- Archival interview with cinematographer Andrew Lau
- Archival interview with co-star Roy Cheung
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
Collector’s packaging
Arrow’s release comes with reversible sleeve artwork featuring both original poster art and newly commissioned design by Tony Stella. A collector’s booklet with an essay by Dylan Cheung provides further context on the film’s legacy and its place in Hong Kong action cinema.
Collectors of Arrow Video’s Hong Kong output will also recognize the care put into large-scale sets like the Shawscope Volume Four Limited Edition Blu-ray, which complements single-title releases such as City on Fire.
Release date
City on Fire 4K Blu-ray will be released in the UK on Dec. 1, 2025.