Once a Thief
縱橫四海
“They only stop to reload.”
Synopsis
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer [Subtitled]Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-07-09
Top Cast
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Chow Yun-Fat
Red Bean Puddin / Joe
Leslie Cheung
James / Jim
Cherie Chung Cho-Hung
Red Bean / Cherie
Paul Chu Kong
Chu / Godfather
Kenneth Tsang
Chow / Dad
Woo Fung
Mr. Cheung
Pierre Yves Burton
Mr. Burton
John Tang Yat-Kwan
Young Red Bean Pudding / Young Joe
Tong Ka-Fai
Young James / Young Jim
Leila Tong
Young Red Bean / Young Cherie
David Wu
Auctioneer
John Woo
Stanley Wu
Phillip Kwok Chui
Guard
Jack Wong
Mr. Cheung's Thug
Dave Lam Ching
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 14, 1994
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 19, 2022
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
Undisclosed
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$4.3M
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Woo
- Screenplay & Story
- John Woo
- Original Score
- Violet Lam
- Original Title
- 縱橫四海
- Country of Origin
- Hong Kong
- Spoken Languages
- Cantonese, English, French, Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 48m
- Worldwide Gross
- $4.3M
- Production Studios
- Golden Princess Film Productions, John Woo Film Production, Milestone Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Woo
John Woo, Clifton Ko Chi-Sum, Janet Chun Siu-Chun
Violet Lam
Poon Hang-Sang, William Yim Wai-Lun
David Wu
Terence Chang, Linda Kuk Mei-Lai
Department Leadership Roster
John Woo
Director
Clifton Ko Chi-Sum
Writer
John Woo
Screenplay
Janet Chun Siu-Chun
Writer
Terence Chang
Producer
Fanny Leung Man-Yee
Production Design
David Wu
Editor
Linda Kuk Mei-Lai
Producer
Phillip Kwok Chui
Stunt Coordinator
Poon Hang-Sang
Director of Photography
William Yim Wai-Lun
Director of Photography
Violet Lam
Original Music Composer
Shirley Chan
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Once a Thief.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Once a Thief.
B Gardens
Full library from Vio, Sonarr, and Radarr - 9,053 items
My Collection
All the Films I have on Hard Drives
IMDb Archive
Heist Films
Heist films from Wikipedia's list and category tree plus Wikidata genre tagging.
John Woo
Films directed by John Woo, Hong Kong and Hollywood.
Hong Kong Cinema
Hong Kong films (Chinese-language, country=HK) enumerated from Wikidata, verified against TMDb. Excludes Western co-productions.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Once a Thief
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Once a Thief about?
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Who directed Once a Thief?
Once a Thief was directed by John Woo.
Who stars in Once a Thief?
The principal cast of Once a Thief includes Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung Cho-Hung, Paul Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang.
When was Once a Thief released and how long is it?
Once a Thief was released in 1991 with a total runtime of 1h 48m.
How much did Once a Thief make at the box office?
Once a Thief grossed $4.3M in worldwide ticket sales.
Who composed the musical score for Once a Thief?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Once a Thief was composed by Violet Lam.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Once a Thief?
Once a Thief holds official age classifications: DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).