Encore Films has acquired worldwide distribution rights outside mainland China to Kung Fu Soccer, Stephen Chow‘s first film as director in seven years and the long-awaited spin-off of his beloved martial-arts-meets-football hit Shaolin Soccer from 2001.

The Singapore-based distributor will handle theatrical and related rights across international markets outside the mainland, where the film will be released by Maoyan Entertainment. Release dates are still to be announced.

Chow wrote and directed Kung Fu Soccer — covered for the past two years under its announced title, Shaolin Women’s Soccer — but does not appear in it, having stepped back from acting after 2008’s CJ7. The film recasts the Shaolin Soccer premise around an all-women squad: the underdog Emei team, who integrate martial arts into their game on an improbable run at a championship. Zhang Xiaofei (Hi, Mom) leads the cast as the team’s captain, alongside Dilraba Dilmurat and Lay Zhang (Zhang Yixing).

Shot in 2025 and now in post-production — with heavy use of visual effects — the film is expected in 2026, the 25th anniversary of Shaolin Soccer. It will also hope to ride the global enthusiasm surrounding this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Chow remains one of the most internationally recognizable figures in Chinese-language cinema, with a cherished body of irreverent work that includes Shaolin Soccer, The Mermaid, CJ7 and Kung Fu Hustle, the last of which grossed more than $100 million worldwide.

“Most football films ask, ‘Can they win the match?’” said Encore managing director Joyce Lee. “A Stephen Chow film asks, ‘Can they win the match while breaking the laws of physics?’”

Encore Films, founded in 2003, has built a regional distribution business out of Singapore, with recent releases including the record-setting animation Ne Zha 2. It acquired Kung Fu Soccer from Chow’s production banner, The Star Overseas, and further territory deals are still being lined up.

A spokesperson from The Star Overseas added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Encore Films. With its extensive international distribution experience and strong network of partners worldwide, we believe Kung Fu Soccer will reach audiences across many markets. We also look forward to working with outstanding distribution partners around the world to bring this exciting film to global audiences.”

Jon Stewart blamed the diplomatic snub JD Vance faced at recent Iran peace talks on the vice president’s alleged “pick and wipe,” roasting it as a “health code violation.”

During Monday’s monologue for “The Daily Show,” the comedian weighed in on Vance seemingly being snubbed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and chief negotiator, who was seen walking past the vice president to greet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Unfortunately, the negotiation meeting seemed to get off to an even worse start,” Stewart said. “Social media claims that Vice President JD Vance was snubbed by Qatari officials during those weekend talks in Switzerland. There’s a viral video going around that showed Vance standing alone as leaders around him exchanged hugs and greetings.”

As Stewart went on, he roasted the moment as “awkward,” adding, “JD Vance really answers the question, ‘What if a middle school dance were a person?’”

He further quipped: “My mom’s coming soon. I’m going to get out of here.”

Per Stewart, the diplomatic meeting “went from bad to wallflower,” joking that Vance got “more exasperated as the mean girls just couldn’t see that he has a lot to offer too.”

At this moment, Stewart drew the audience’s attention to Vance standing in the corner, where the vice president appeared to pick at his nose – and then wipe his hand on a nearby chair.

“Wait a second. You know what? I actually think this might not have been a diplomatic snub,” Stewart noted. “This might have been the result of a health code violation.”

“Can we take a quick look at the footage again? There’s JD Vance. Oh, he went for the pick! He went for the pick! Oh, no, he went for the chair,” he continued. “Oh, no! He went for the pick and wipe.”

Stewart further mocked Vance over the alleged nose pick, calling it a “classic diplomatic faux pas” that was “second only to the men’s room pee and peek.”

While Stewart then moved on to specifics regarding the peace deal, he once again roasted Vance for seemingly picking his nose, later joking that there was no reason for diplomats to be snubbing the vice president over this deal: “They should be kissing his booger-laden ring.”

“It’s so crazy. I guess the theory is, why trade smaller concessions with Iran for peace, when we could instead lose a war with them and make bigger concessions? Well, I hope you learned your lesson, Iran,” Stewart also quipped. “There’s plenty more concessions where that came from. You mouth off again, and you’re getting Greenland.”

Watch Stewart’s full monologue above.

“The Daily Show” airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.