Forbidden City () is a 2025 Italian kung fu action film directed by Gabriele Mainetti.
1995. Yun and Mei are two sisters born in China during the one-child policy period, which lasted from 1979 to 2015. To protect Mei, their parents decide to keep her presence a secret and raise the girls with martial arts training.
In the present day, Mei arrives in Rome to find her sister Yun. In the Esquilino Chinatown neighborhood, she finds the restaurant "La cittÃÂ proibita", run by the Chinese boss Wang, which is a place of prostitution and illegal dealings. Mei confronts Wang's men in an attempt to find her sister, possibly held prisoner for sexual exploitation. She discovers that Yun is no longer there and that she might be connected to Alfredo, the owner of a nearby trattoria. Mei then goes to the "Da Alfredo" trattoria and assaults his son, Marcello, who runs the place with his mother Lorena since his father disappeared. Marcello claims he knows nothing about his father Alfredo, as he is said to have run away with a Chinese prostitute.
Later, Marcello tells everything to Annibale, a small neighborhood gangster who exploits illegal immigrants, his creditor and partner, as well as Alfredo's best friend. Annibale suspects Wang, from the rival restaurant, is behind the attack on the trattoria, and threatens him with severe retaliation. He then sends his henchmen Cip and Cioppe to find Mei, but she manages to overcome them. Mei captures one of Wang's associates, who reveals that both Yun and Alfredo are actually dead. Mei and Marcello are taken to the grave, causing them great shock.
After risking her life by boldly attacking Wang's restaurant, Mei realizes that Marcello is not involved in the murder and begins to bond with him. The two develop a connection, and after a Vespa ride through the streets of Rome, they kiss. Mei tells Marcello that Yun had come to Italy to work and earn money to pay the fine that would finally allow her to be recognized in China.
The tension culminates in a confrontation between Mei and Wang, during which she seriously wounds him. Before dying, Wang reveals that Alfredo wanted to run away with Yun but didn't have enough money and was willing to sell him the trattoria. Annibale, intervening, had shot Alfredo just before he signed the deal. Wang had killed Yun after witnessing Alfredo's death.
Marcello confronts Annibale, who realizes he has lost everything and commits suicide. Lorena becomes the owner of the trattoria, while Mei and Marcello move to China, where they live with their children, dedicating themselves to teaching martial arts and cooking.
Originally set to be released in Italy in late 2024, the date was rescheduled for a theatrical release on 13 March 2025. in July 2025, Well Go USA bagged rights of the film.
In the United States, it's set for a digital release on March 17, 2026, and a physical release (blu-ray, 4K, DVD) on April 21, 2026.