Radiant City <璀璨之城> marks the first time in 12 years that Chilam Cheung (張智霖) and Ron Ng (吳卓羲) are teaming up again for a TVB drama. The drama will also star leading actresses like Kelly Cheung (張曦雯), Samantha Ko (高海寧), and Jeannie Chan (陳瀅). The series attracted much attention even before filming began, with fans expressing high anticipation. It’s reported that planning for the drama began late last year, with producers working hard to secure top talent. Chilam has maintained a good relationship TVB over the years and agreed to join without much hesitation.
A teaser for Radiant City aired on TVB earlier this year, but there were no further updates afterward. In late June, media invitations were sent out for the official blessing ceremony, but it was suddenly cancelled without explanation. By the end of June, the cast and crew quietly gathered in Zhuhai to begin filming. Behind-the-scenes photos and birthday celebration pictures for cast member David Chiang (姜大衛) circulated online, leading many to believe everything was on track. But production suddenly came to a halt again after July 5. The cast and crew have returned to Hong Kong in batches and are awaiting further notice.
Sources say the pause is due to efforts to perfect Radiant City‘s script, as the production team believes revisions are needed to ensure smoother shooting going forward. The original plan was to film in Zhuhai and Macau over three months, but the Macau portion may now be cancelled.
Chilam already left the set shortly after the opening ceremony to join the filming of variety show Call Me By Fire 5 <披荊斬棘5> with Jordan Chan (陳小春) and Pakho Chau (周柏豪). The temporary pause has not affected him much for now. However, Call Me By Fire 5 is scheduled to continue filming until October and since the drama’s schedule has already been postponed multiple times, Chilam may accept other work. In the worst case, he might have to be replaced.
In a brief interview, Chilam seemed unfazed by Radiant City‘s production halt, saying, “Pausing to revise the script is a good thing–it’ll make sure that everything is perfect. It also gives me time to finish the other work that I have on hand. I’ll just go with the flow and wait for the company’s notice.”
Meanwhile, online rumors claimed Chilam’s team was the first to be eliminated from Call Me By Fire 5, causing a stir. The rumor trended heavily until it was clarified that it was actually singer Timmy Xu’s (許魏洲) team that had been eliminated much to the relief of fans of the “Greater Bay Area” team.
Female lead, Kelly Cheung, recently shared photos of her week on social media. Seemingly unaffected by Radiant City‘s pause, Kelly was in good spirits. Photos show her in a makeup chair and having lunch on set, while finding time to watch Natalie Tong’s (唐詩詠) stage play. Kelly’s life appears to remain as busy as ever, suggesting she is confident the shoot will resume soon.
Also starring in the drama, Alice Chan (陳煒) confirmed the pause and said that she was not told the exact reason, “We worked one day in Zhuhai and then stopped the next day.” A netizen had spotted Alice filming in Zhuhai and praised her for her beauty and friendliness.
Source: [1]
This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.
