The Venom Mob is a colloquial title given to a group of actors from the Shaw Brothers Studio who attained international prominence for their lead roles in the 1978 film, Five Deadly Venoms. Its members consisted of Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Philip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lo Mang, and Wai Pak. Although the main cast have never referred to themselves as the Venom Mob, they have continued to be referred to as such in English-speaking media[1][2] while English DVD versions of their films often introduced them collectively as The Venoms.
Prior their entry into the Hong Kong film industry, many members had attended Peking opera schools in Taiwan before being recruited by director Chang Cheh.[3][4][5] They were cast in Five Deadly Venoms by Chang and screenwriter Ni Kuang to bring in and cultivate the next generation of actors into the martial arts genre.[3][5] The group was active between 1978 and 1981 and made several films together following the success of their first picture.[a]
The group disbanded in 1981 with the split being attributed to reasons such as the declining popularity of martial arts films in Hong Kong and Taiwan, changing audience preferences, and Chang Cheh's shift to the Mainland Chinese market.[5]
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