Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Chinese: 蛇形刁手) is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping in his directorial debut.

He is ambushed by Eagle Claw student Su Chen and an assassin masquerading as a Christian missionary (Roy Horan), and is injured.

One of the passing wanderers who witnesses the fight is the high master of the Eagle Clan, Sheng Kuan, who recognizes the style at once and decides to tail Chien.

As Chien hurries after them, he finally learns the truth behind the conspiracy upon defeating the fake missionary, and eventually challenges Sheng Kuan to single combat after Pai is brought down.

Prior to Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Chan had worked for director Lo Wei who wanted to make him into the new "Bruce Lee" in films like New Fist of Fury.

When producer Ng See-yuen decided to make a comedy with Chan as the star, the concept did not initially meet with approval from the film distributors.

[1] As well as original music by Chou Fu-liang, the film also features Jean Michel Jarre's "Oxygène (Part 2)" and Space's "Magic Fly".

At the Hong Kong box office, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow earned HK$2,708,748.20[2] (US$578,792),[3] becoming the 13th-highest-grossing film of the year.

[4] In South Korea, it was the second-highest-grossing film of 1979 (behind Jackie Chan's Drunken Master), with 765,930 box admissions in Seoul,[5] equivalent to an estimated gross revenue of approximately ₩1,148.9 million[6] (US$2,373,760).

[7] Combined, the film grossed an estimated total of approximately US$2,952,552 in East Asia, equivalent to US$14 million adjusted for inflation.

The film established the blueprint for Jackie Chan's kung fu comedy style, which he further developed with Drunken Master (1978) released later the same year.