Wong Kar-wai's first TV drama series 'Blossoms Shanghai' will be released in Korea.
It will meet domestic viewers on July 7 through SBS F!L UHD. A greeting video from director Wong Kar-wai to Korean viewers will be released alongside the main poster, stills, and teaser trailer, generating anticipation.
Studio S, responsible for the domestic import/distribution (SBS Drama production and distribution company), announced the confirmation of 'Blossoms' airing in Korea, hinting that the unique aesthetics of director Wong Kar-wai, which deeply resonated with movie fans, will be vividly expressed in the drama as well.
In particular, the classic song 'Let’s Twist Again' by Chubby Checker featured in the teaser trailer highlights the director's distinctive sensibility and unique emotions.
Director Wong Kar-wai, who has a strong fan base in Korea through films like 'In the Mood for Love', 'Chungking Express', and 'Happy Together', has established himself as a representative director of Asia in the 1990s with his delicate direction and unparalleled visual beauty. His first TV drama 'Blossoms' is a period piece set in 1990s Shanghai, depicting the journey of a poor young man, Abao (played by Hu Ge), who dives into the world of capital and grows into a millionaire during the period of reform and opening up.
The story intricately unfolds the dramatic narratives of characters as Abao navigates love, ambition, and loneliness through entangled relationships with three women: Lingzi (played by Mai Li), Miss Wang (played by Tang Yan), and Lili (played by Xin Zhilei). It is expected to provide an immersive experience with Wong Kar-wai's unique character psychology depiction and sensuous visual beauty.
'Blossoms' is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by novelist Jin Yiqing. This novel won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, China's top literary award, recognizing its artistic value. Wong Kar-wai, who grew up in Hong Kong but is originally from Shanghai, purchased the rights to 'Blossoms' in 2014 out of a special affection and interest in his hometown, completing the drama after a seven-year preparation period and three years of filming.
One of the co-production companies, Shanghai Film Group, provided a large-scale filming location in Shanghai to realistically recreate the dazzling night view of the city in the drama, restoring the streets of Huanghelou and Jinxianlu from the 1990s at a 1:1 scale.
Every detail, from the neon signs appearing in the drama to the floor patterns in hotel interiors and props like stamp albums, underwent meticulous verification. To achieve this, director Wong Kar-wai and the cast conducted a campaign to collect old items related to Shanghai from that era.
The drama will be simultaneously broadcast on China's CCTV-8 and Tencent in December 2023, recording the number one spot in OTT popularity throughout its airing in China. It was also selected as 'Best Work of the Year' at the Asia Content Awards held alongside the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) last year in Korea.
