Michelle Yeoh Returns to Chinese Cinema with Miss Rubik, Says Two Years of Rubik’s Cube Training Felt “Like Filming an Action Movie”

(Kuala Lumpur, July 24) Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh returns to Chinese-language cinema with the inspirational comedy Miss Rubik's Cube, which premiered across Malaysia on July 23. Starring alongside Liu Haoran, Yeoh plays a spirited 70-year-old grandmother whose life is transformed by the Rubik's Cube. To portray the role authentically, she spent nearly two years mastering the puzzle, joking that the preparation was "as exhausting as filming an action movie."

Inspired by the true story of record-breaking Rubik's Cube enthusiast Zhao Wenying, the film follows Zhao Yanhong, who begins learning the cube from gifted solver Wu Youwei (played by Liu Haoran) before pursuing the World Cube Championship (WCC), proving that dreams have no age limit.

Yeoh said the film's core message—that every stage of life offers endless possibilities—closely reflects her own outlook.

"I've never allowed age or failure to stop me from chasing my dreams. No matter how old you are, you can still pursue the life you want."

She revealed that mastering the cube required tremendous focus and constant practice. During filming, she carried a Rubik's Cube almost everywhere and spent every spare moment practising.

Reflecting on the experience, Yeoh compared life to a Rubik's Cube, saying people constantly face challenges and rebuild themselves, and the important thing is to never stop searching for solutions.

Speaking about co-star Liu Haoran, Yeoh praised him as professional, hardworking and humble. She revealed that he spent much of his free time practising the cube on set and could even solve it with one hand. The two have since become good friends, and she plans to meet him whenever she visits Beijing.

Beyond the mentor-student relationship, the film also explores touching themes of friendship and family. Yeoh said the scene that moved her the most was when her on-screen son, played by Bai Ke, silently supports his mother's dream outside a hospital room.

To portray an elderly woman naturally, Yeoh carefully observed seniors' walking styles, body language and daily habits, deliberately slowing her movements to create a more grounded performance.

Besides starring in the film, Yeoh also serves as its executive producer. She expressed gratitude to Malaysian audiences for their long-standing support and encouraged families to watch the film together, hoping viewers would leave the cinema feeling inspired.