China’s Own Version of “Triumph in the Skies” Begins Pre-Production
TVB’s ultra-successful aviation franchise Triumph in the Skies <衝上雲霄> has inspired a new series targeted for the Mainland Chinese viewers.
The drama, titled Zhuangzhi Gaofei <壯志高飛> (roughly translates to “Flying Ambitions”) will be produced by the Hong Kong-based Media Asia, the same studio that brought critically-acclaimed films like Infernal Affairs <無間道> and Love in the Buff <春嬌與志明>.
Much like TVB’s own television series Triumph in the Skies, which first arrived to television screens in 2003 and its sequel in 2014, Flying Ambitions will be about a team of young, hopeful pilot cadets who dream of soaring the skies.
The 40-episode drama is developed by the same team that created Triumph in the Skies, which includes producer Tommy Leung (梁家樹) and scriptwriter Au Koon-ying (歐冠英). Flying Ambitions will be shooting in countries such as France, Spain, and Macau. Principal photography is expected to begin on August 15, and is slated to last four months.
According to Hong Kong reports, the male lead and female lead will be played by Running Man China star Ryan Zheng Kai (鄭愷) and Swordsman <笑傲江湖> star Joe Chen (陳喬恩), respectively. Ryan plays a “senior first officer who is extremely values and stringent about his career”. His quiet and compose personality is reminiscent of Triumph in the Skies’ main lead Captain Samuel “Sam” Tong, portrayed by Francis Ng (吳鎮宇).
Joe, on the other hand, plays a simple-minded flight attendant who had no ambitions, but her encounter with a friend inspires her to earn a license in aviation. Facing new challenges in her life, Joe learns how to find the will to fight on. Her character is similar to Holiday “Holly” Ho, portrayed by Fala Chen (陳法拉) in 2014’s Triumph in the Skies II.
Source: hk01.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I am still still waiting for Wong Jing’s version to come out so we can see the real TIT! LOL!
LOL…too funny! 😉
Anyway….seems like Tommy Leung hasn’t really been doing anything productive since he left TVB, as what we’ve seen so far from him have been mostly lower grade “remakes” of popular HK movies and TV series. Also sounds like Media Asia is going the Wong Jing route nowadays with endless rehashing of old material rather than coming up with stuff that’s different (maybe not necessarily “original” but at least “different”). I’m getting more and more disappointed with the HK entertainment industry by the minute. There is barely anything worth “following” anymore – the music industry is dead pretty much, the movie industry has largely been taken over by Mainland China, and the television industry is on its last legs (despite 2 new TV stations, which are barely eking out an existence). Sad and pathetic….
@llwy12 Spot on! The glory days of TVB are over.
I’ve been a long time fan of TVB, and even now, I’m starting to watch Mainland dramas. It’s different, and hearing old TVB songs/midis make me nostalgic.
@llwy12 so sad! I love HK and everything about it, back in the day. What would miraculously save the HK entertainment industry you think?
@kaykay408 That’s kind of a loaded question in my opinion. Personally, I don’t think the HK entertainment industry CAN be saved, as the “damage” is already too far done, so to speak. The industry has changed A LOT in the past 20 years especially (society has changed a lot too, of course) and unfortunately, much of it wasn’t for the better. I think the fact that many HK celebrities nowadays actually “prefer” to work outside of HK (due to variety of reasons – better pay, better opportunities, better treatment, etc.) is very telling in terms of what the industry (and by extension, HK as a whole) has become. I read an article the other day that summed it up best: the rest of the world’s entertainment industries continue to move forward while HK’s entertainment industry continues to regress….
@llwy12 🙁 I’m praying for Hongkong for its future, not just the entertainment industry.
Thanks God there’s the internet. I’ll just go back to the old music and shows when feeling nostalgic.
Love Joe Chen but why is she almost cast in every show these days?
I was a huge fan of Triumph in the Skies II so I was about to stomp in here to object. But if Joe Chen is leading it… then I’m actually looking forward to it. Although they could really find someone older to play Sam Tong.
So who’s playing Chilam’s role?