SINGAPORE — Don’t be too surprised if you see Nick Cheung skulking around cinemas in Hong Kong in strange disguises — the actor just wants to see if people truly enjoy his directorial debut, Hungry Ghost Ritual.

“I always go secretly to the cinemas to see how audiences respond to my movies. And sometimes, I wear a wig, false buck teeth and a hat,” Cheung quipped at a press conference on Saturday afternoon at Hotel InterContinental in Singapore.

“When the audience doesn’t know you are there, they don’t try to give you face. So this movie is no exception — I will go in and observe their reactions.”

Although one would think the 46-year-old actor should feel proud if the audiences end up leaving the cinemas looking a little green in the face. After all, Hungry Ghost Ritual is, as its title suggests, a good old-fashioned horror movie.

It’s an unusual choice for an actor who is better known for action crime thrillers like The Stool Pigeon, The White Storm and Beast Stalker, for which he won Best Actor awards.

“There aren’t as many horror movies now in Hong Kong. When I was a child, I used to watch Hong Kong’s horror movies and I really enjoyed them,” Cheung explained, acknowledging that investors usually shun movies with supernatural themes because they cannot be screened in mainland China. “So when I was given the opportunity to make my own film, I chose to make a horror movie.”

And for a first-time director, Cheung did “very well” on set. At least, that’s what one of the film’s stars, Carrie Ng, claimed. “He was fierce!” the actress laughed, adding that Cheung climbed up and down on set “like a stuntman”.

“He has very, very high expectations for his cast, because he is also an actor. In one scene, I had to scold my assistant, but I couldn’t bring myself to because I am a very gentle person. He kept pushing me to be fiercer.”

The Hong Kong actress, who is best known for her award-winning performance in the 1993 Category III movie Remains Of A Woman, added that she was so inspired by Cheung, she has gone on to direct her first movie, a murder thriller, which is slated to be released next year.

As for Cheung, who refuses to rate his directorial debut, the satisfaction of making Hungry Ghost Ritual outweighs his concern over the movie’s performance at the box office.

“There are people who love horror movies, so they watch them even if they are scared. But there are some people who are truly afraid and won’t watch horror movies no matter how good they are — or especially if they know how good they are!” he said, adding that even he hasn’t watched classic Japanese horror flick The Ring because he is afraid of being spooked when he is at home alone.

He added: “Horror is a very obscure genre and it’s a challenge in terms of box office earnings. But I don’t regret choosing to make this movie, because I hope to cater to those who truly like horror.”

Hungry Ghost Ritual premieres July 10 in Singapore.