Zhen Huan Remake “Xifei’s Royal Love in the Palace” Starts Filming November, Wallace Chung to Star?
It’s barely been eight years and China is ready to welcome Zhen Huan back to TV.
According to the producers of Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace <如懿传>, a new television drama featuring the life of Zhen Huan, also known as Consort Xi (Xifei), has been greenlit. The drama, titled Xifei’s Royal Love in the Palace <熹妃传> will begin filming in November. Production will last six months.
Zhen Huan was also the central character in 2011’s Empresses in the Palace <后宫·甄嬛传>, the cultural hit that kickstarted the rising popularity of Chinese television across Asia. The drama starred Sun Li (孙俪) as Zhen Huan, with supporting performances by Ada Choi (蔡少芬) and Chen Jianbin (陈建斌). Sun Li was nominated for Best Actress at the 41st International Emmy Awards for her performance, and the drama reached to audiences beyond China, including the United States and South Korea.
The production crew behind Ruyi will be producing Xifei. The cast has not been officially announced yet, but sources say Wallace Chung (鍾漢良) has agreed to portray the part of the Qianlong Emperor. As for the female lead, the source named Cecilia Liu (刘诗诗), Wang Likun (王丽坤), Jiang Xin (蒋欣), and Li Qin (李沁) as possible candidates.
Source: HK01.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I don’t know how well Ruyi did, it was quite slow. I couldn’t finish it. The problem with me is not because Zhou Xun tried to portray a young girl, but throughout the entire time she looked older than Wallace. I didn’t feel anything between them, or any women in the show. Even when he slapped her it should be a major thing but I feel like it was something that happens because it happens.
I would not mind at all if they would reuse Ruyi’s clothings for their next drama, why waste money to duplicate things that would look identical? All those clothes and jewelries are not what matter, what matter is the storyline and directing. Back then Ruby and Vicki did Princess Pearl they just wore the same things from Princess Xingyue and it is still being a better drama than most dramas today.
@davy Did the costume, jewelries and the hair department hated Zhou Xun? Her hairdo and the jewelries are ugly from the start to the end. Eventhough, she is the empress…all her costumes are again so ugly and cheap looking…if you look at Jia Pin, wow she is stunning from head to toe. If I didn’t knew Zhou Xun is the empress, I would have thought she is one of the ‘Tai Fei’. Lastly, I really cant stand Zhou Xun’s scarf being tightly wrapped around her neck. I know they wanted to hide the lines on her neck but its kinda suffocating watching her like that…
@snoopy
LOL I agree. I was annoyed by the scarf too. And especially the wedding head dress??? They made it looked like uh oh it’s you, my granny that I’m marrying.
Even Li Qin was supposed to be very pretty but her uighurr hat was not that good, plain in the manchu clothes too.
If people thought Wallace Huo couldn’t act, this Wallace Chung is even worse. Wallace Chung can’t act. His acting is pretty cringe worthy especially modern dramas.
@lynn90 Wallace Chung is an amazing actor! Love him in The Stand-In, Best Time, My Sunshine, General, Imminent Crime! Three was my fav movie of his. He is quite a versatile actor!
I don’t think it is a Zhen Huan remake if it is qianlong time since Zhen Huan was in Yongzheng time. Probably another sub story featuring Zhen Huan as a side character.
I am watching Ruyi fully, having set aside yanxi palace. I find Ruyi to be the much much better series with much better acting as well. Yes Wallace is still an issue but he plays the suspiscious self pity hateful emperor very well (I am only at halfway mark). Zhouxun at times is questionable but her restraint is an asset. I am sick of OTT acting or big action. However yes she has zero chemistry with Wallace. Which suits the series as it goes because this series is about the breakdown of their relationship. The villains here are smarter, the methods used still dumb but entertaining. Even the hateful Consort Jia has her difficulties and at times some things shouldn’t be happening, the dramatic license used is ok because it helps with the story.
Yanxi is a more positive in story, the story of the rise of an righteous heroine against all odds and enemies. The same character in Ruyi is also as scheming but this Consort Ling is disliked and later very evil but she has been through tough times that one can understand why she turns out that way. In fact the women in this series all have legitimate reasons. The greatest villain is the emperor who has no reason to be the way he is.
Ruyi must be watched more than 5 episodes to fall for it. As the series progresses you noticed in Yanxi it lacks people but in Ruyi in the background there’s always someone walking by. The lightning or rather soft light shining into the room, casting shadows, and what nots are gorgeous. The costumes are not as authentic or pretty as Yanxi, but the head gear is lovely and as the series go along, the higher the rank, the prettier and more elaborate. And I love Vivian Wu as Zhen Huan, she is one fine actress.
Whilst Yanxi is more true to history, I suspect maybe Ruyi herself may be more true to the real person. Yanxi is like a comic book series whilst Ruyi gives me a feel that it is semi autobiographical, more serious, more nuanced, more elegant and less same old stuff. I will return to Yanxi later but so far Ruyi is very interesting to watch.
Ruyi like I said will have a truly tragic end as we get to know each character well. Ruyi herself isn’t a fantastically great person, no one seems to mourn for the death of babies. She isn’t someone with amazing great forgiving heart but she is not an evil person unlike Consort Jia. Even the dead Empress wasn’t really evil. Anyway Ruyi like I said is about breakdown of relationship. It will be hard to watch as it ends.
As for Wallace Chung, mediocre actor.
@funnlim you said it best! Fully agree.
@funnlim
I haven’t want Ruyi or Yanxi, but, I want to talk about Consort Ling in Huan Zhu Ge Ge. I never like the character in Huan Zhu. She might be part of the ‘good guys’ as she sided with the 2 main characters. But, I never find her genuinely good or kind like everyone thinks so. Everything she did was for her own benefit and saving her own hide. I still remember her being all sad and sick in front of the 2 princesses lamenting about the fickleness of the Emperor’s love in part 2 when the Emperor was enamored with Princess Fragrance. All I can think of at that time was ‘Uh! that’s what you did to the empress, taking away the love of the emperor from her, but, you never feel bad for her. But, now it’s your turn, you are lamenting. What do you expect?’
Maybe that’s why she won out at the end. She’s the best schemer with the best skills in getting in the good book of the emperor.
@funnlim i was waiting for Ruyi but Yanxi came out first so I was watched it only to be disappointed. idk about ruyi haven’t watched it yet but Yanxi I can’t with WeiYingLuo’s attitude. She is the lead so yeah she has the protagonist halo and would never die no matter what her actions are, but her getting away with everything or saved all the time just makes it not that interesting for me.
Wait a minute, So if Wallace Chung is playing Qianlong, he will be playing the son of the actresses since Xifei Zhuan is about Yongzheng’s concubines? Is he doing a cameo?
@elizabeth My thoughts exactly. It sounds like he is the leading actor but he is not acting as Yongzheng. And he is not such a huge name to make a big hoo-ha playing a cameo.
@elizabeth
The translator made a mistake. The chinese source said Wallace Chung will be playing Yongzheng.