Actor Wang Xingyue (王星越), who previously starred in Story of Kunning Palace <寧安如夢> and The Double <墨雨雲間>, had received widespread praise for his deep and emotional portrayals. He is now set to take on a new drama titled Xing Zhi Wan <行止晚>.
Zhou Ye Rejects Second Billing
Wang Xingyue shot to fame last year through The Double, in which he starred alongside Wu Jinyan (吳謹言). He currently has several unreleased dramas lined up, including Shadow Detective <暗影偵探>, Calming Waves <定風波>, Unveil Jadewind <唐宮奇案之青霧風鳴>, and Love in Red Dust <紅塵四合>.
Xing Zhi Wan, a romance novel by author Zhi Er, centers on “Zhao Wan’er”, who enters the palace at the age of four and grows up alongside the young emperor as childhood companions. However, Zhao Wan’er tragically dies young from a heart condition, leaving the emperor with a lifelong sense of loss. With Huanyu Entertainment securing adaptation rights, it reportedly plans to add a reincarnation twist to the drama, where Zhao Wan’er returns to the early days of her love with the emperor and attempts to change her fate, thereby triggering a butterfly effect.
Originally said to pair up with The First Frost <難哄> actress Zhang Miaoyi (張淼怡), his agent Yu Zheng rejected the idea, stating a “top-tier actress” will be cast instead. While he proposed his company’s newcomer Zhao Qing (趙晴), backing platform Tencent allegedly turned down the idea due to her relative low popularity, preferring Zhou Ye (周也) instead.
Plans for September Filming Delayed
The two had previously played a tragic couple in Scent of Time <為有暗香來>, and their on-screen chemistry had been very well-received, with fans eagerly hoping for them to collaborate again, especially as many had been disappointed at his limited screen time and the lack of romantic scenes.
However, plans on the 23rd to officially announce them as Xing Zhi Wan’s leads was suddenly canceled as the actress reportedly refused to accept being billed second to Wang Xingyue, and insisted on at least an equal billing, since she held the top female billing previously in Scent of Time. This led to a deadlock with Yu Zheng.
Responding to the ensuing delay in scheduled filming for September, Yu Zheng explained, “I just felt the materials weren’t impressive enough and wanted to wait for a shoot with a photographer I really like—then suddenly these rumors started flying.” However, he did not reveal who the female lead would be or whether there would be a recast, leaving fans and the public highly curious.
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