Security Bureau weighs action as years-old Joshua Wong film tops Netflix charts following state-backed media report

The Security Bureau in Hong Kong has announced it will take "relevant follow-up actions" after a state-backed newspaper reported on a 2017 Netflix documentary glorifying pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong. The documentary, titled "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower," was released nearly a decade ago and rose to the top of Netflix's Hong Kong charts last week following Wen Wei Po's report on Monday.

The film, directed by Joe Piscatella, highlights Wong's rise during the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement and his efforts for free elections. According to the newspaper, the film "glorifies his offenses" and features anti-China activists, which the bureau claims distort the facts. The spokesperson emphasized that all videos in Hong Kong must adhere to local laws, including the two national security laws.

They called on the public to "think critically and dissociate themselves from any act or activity that endangers national security." The documentary has become the most viewed film on Netflix in Hong Kong, with its trailer garnering over 250,000 views since 2017. The most recent charge against Wong, filed on Friday, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, as he was found guilty of conspiring with foreign forces to lobby for sanctions against Hong Kong or Beijing.