Mark Lee Backs Jasper Lai Over 'Low-Cost', Boldly Aims to Break RM18M with 'A Road to Prosperity'

The 2027 Lunar New Year road comedy 'A Road to Prosperity', self-written, directed, and starring 'Jaspers' Jasper Lai Yuhan, held its media launch on the 16th and officially revealed its cast. Beyond Lai himself, the film also gathers Singaporean comedy king Mark Lee, veteran Hong Kong actress Nancy Sit, Chen Hongyu, as well as local influencers K Bro and Shusen as lead actors. The most surprising twist: viral Chinese influencer Potato Chen (real name Chen Xiaozhen), who shot to fame with the catchy hit 'Ms. Potato', also appeared as a 'secret weapon', officially announcing her participation!

After starring in two consecutive years of Low-Cost Lunar New Year movies, Mark Lee this time chooses to forego working with Low-Cost to join 'A Road to Prosperity' for Jasper Lai. When asked, he first pretended not to know: 'Low-Cost? What company is that? That's high definition!' before turning serious, explaining that Low-Cost is already a mature brand, and if he acted in both projects, promoting would be difficult. 'I've done enough Low-Cost in the last two years; this year I want to support Jaspers. He's our company artist—no matter if it’s money or effort, I'm backing him all the way!' Jasper Lai, moved, responded: 'He's famous for launching people to stardom! I’ve been queuing for two years, and finally, it’s my turn!' Mark Lee even boldly declared on the spot that he’s a box office guarantee: 'Wherever I am, that's where the 10 million box office will be.'

Potato Chen Worried About Being Scammed for Malaysia Filming, Reassured Only After Hearing Nancy Sit Was Cast

Potato Chen, filming in Malaysia for the first time, got a laugh as soon as she took the stage by poking fun at herself: 'I was tricked into coming!' She joked that when the invitation first arrived online, her first reaction was, 'Ha? Is this a scam?' Since it was her first international shoot, she even pleaded with the director two nights before flying out: 'Please don’t confiscate my passport—I must keep it with me!' Jasper Lai, hearing this, immediately revealed he was the one sweating: 'I was really scared she'd bail at the last minute! Two days before her departure, she suddenly called and said she wasn’t coming. Nearly gave me a heart attack!'

Potato Chen honestly shared that what finally gave her the courage to fly over was hearing Nancy Sit’s name: 'Sister Nancy is a childhood idol for us! With such a big star in the film, it can’t be a scam!' She also joked about her character’s name in the film—'Snake Boy Ming'—saying it was too down-to-earth for her “fashion style”. Nancy Sit, hearing this, suggested playfully, 'Why not be called Ba Wan Jin?' to which Potato Chen quickly pleaded: 'I’ll stick with Snake Boy Ming, please!'

Nancy Sit, a frequent visitor to Malaysia, is filming her first Malaysian Lunar New Year movie, playing 'Aunt Jin', who suffers from dementia. She praised Jasper Lai as very talented, but couldn't resist playfully complaining that the script got more and more 'terrifying' as she read: 'He seems to have forgotten I’m already 76 this year—he gave me action scenes meant for a 26-year-old! Climbing mountains, running all over the place.' But ever the professional, Nancy said if the audience is happy, it’s all worth the effort!

Stepping onto the big screen for the first time, Shusen admitted that working with so many seniors is stressful, especially since her role requires a lot of crying. Recently, she's been listening to sad songs and watching tragic movies to get in the right mental space. Nancy Sit then offered an impromptu acting lesson, sharing her own crying-scene hack: she revealed that back in the day, when she couldn’t cry on cue while filming with Wu Fung, he called her mother over—who then slapped her across the face, making her tears come out instantly! Nancy laughed and told Shusen, 'So if the director can’t get you to cry, maybe you’ll get a slap too!' Mark Lee, on the side, couldn’t help but joke: 'Auntie, why are you so excited? What’s your mindset?'

In addition, cast member Chen Hongyu will not only make a cameo as a police officer but has also taken on a new role as co-producer, investing both money and effort to help his good friend Jasper Lai realize their mutual dream.

With a production budget of RM3.5 million, 'A Road to Prosperity' will begin shooting in Perlis on the 18th, with later locations in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur. As for box office targets, when Jasper Lai heard that 'Grandma’s Love Letter' made over RM18 million, he boldly declared: 'Our minimum target for 'A Road to Prosperity' is to break RM18 million!'