Editor's note: Every week sees a plethora of movies, TV dramas, and variety shows airing. If you're unsure how to choose, take a look at our recommendations from Pengpai Youxi.
【Movies】
Box Office
According to the professional version of Lighthouse, as of September 20 at around 4 PM, "Wild Children," "The Determination to Leave," "A Snowy Revenge," "Wilderness Robot," and "Wish You Happiness!" occupied the top five positions on Friday's single-day box office chart.
→"Wild Children": Wang Junkai interprets "My Brother," how much emotional tension is there?
→"The Determination to Leave": It's just a determination to be myself, why is it so difficult?
This weekend, sandwiched between the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day releases, only "Wilderness Robot" was a new entry among the top five in Friday's box office.
The new films released this week include: "Wilderness Robot," "Land in Front of the Door," "Invisible Friends," and "My Grandfather" on the 20th, and "Fudu Youth" on the 21st.
Additionally, new films set to release next week, such as "Transformers: Origins," "Kick Out the Future," and "Only This Green," will also hold screenings this weekend.
→Premiere｜"Graceful, Refined, Confident," the film "Only This Green" steps into Peking University
National Day Preview
As of the time of writing, the films set to release during this year's National Day holiday include:
September 30: "Volunteers: Battle for Survival," "Crisis Route," "Safe Entry."
October 1: "749 Bureau," "The Road of Fire," "Only This Green," "Blockbuster Good Man," "Panda Plan," "New Big Head Son and Little Head Dad 6: Mini Adventure," "Pipilu and Luxixi's 309 Secret Room."
The Eight Harry Potter Films Returning to Theaters Nationwide
Muggles, gather round!
On September 20, @Warner Bros. Pictures announced that the entire Harry Potter series, consisting of eight films, will be re-released in theaters across the country starting on October 11.
The re-release dates are as follows↓↓
Other recommendations:
"The Sinking of the Lisbon Round" continues to gain positive buzz, box office defies decline
【TV Dramas】
New Shows Premiere
The long-delayed costume web drama "Illusion Forest" will air simultaneously on iQIYI and Youku starting September 22. The series stars Xu Jiaqi, Wei Zheming, Wu Xize, and Zhang Yue.
The urban drama "Reluctant to Let Go of the Stars", adapted from a novel of the same name, will premiere exclusively on Tencent Video starting September 23, starring Zhang Xincheng, Wang Yuwen, Wu Junting, Luo Qiuyun, Guan Yue, and Guo Yunqi.
The passionate adventure drama "Zhenhun Street: A Fire Reignited", adapted from Xu Chen's comic "Zhenhun Street," will begin streaming exclusively on Youku starting September 23, starring Ao Ruipeng, Jin Jia, Zhang Yuxi, and Chen Zihan.
New Show Updates
The costume drama "Yun Xiang's Legend: To Advance and Drink" produced by Youth Hello Media and Perfect World Pictures has announced its cast: Chen Xiao, Mao Xiaotong, Liu Guanlin, Cheng Xiao, Fan Shiqi, Liu Xiening, Liu Yun, Wang Jinsong, and Tang Xiaotian. The show will stream exclusively on iQIYI.
Chen Xiao as Yun Xiang
Directed by Ding Hei, the forensic suspense drama "Testimony of Truth", adapted from the Japanese drama "Unnatural Death," started filming on September 13 in Chengdu, starring Song Yi, Jin Shijia, Liang Jingkang, Zhou Fang, Lin Yongjian, and Cong Shan.
The urban emotional suspense drama "Obsessed" recently began filming, directed by Xue Xiaolu, with Sun Li, Wu Kangren, and Luo Haiqiong leading the cast.
The youth web drama "Summer Named After You", adapted from a novel of the same name, started filming on September 14, starring Zhai Xiaowen, Wu Shile, Peng Chuyue, and Ma Yinyin, and will stream exclusively on Youku.
Co-produced by Noontime Sunshine and Youku, and based on the novel by minifish, the costume martial arts drama "Rain Linling" began filming in Hengdian on September 15, starring Yang Yang, Zhang Ruonan, Fang Yilun, and Zhang Yuxi.
Yang Yang as Zhan Zhao
The drama "Four Happiness", adapted from the novel "Youxi," started filming on September 17, with Shen Yan as the chief director. It will stream exclusively on Tencent Video, featuring a cast of Tang Yao, Jiang Xin, Huang Minghao, Xu Di, Lin Xiaojie, Hou Songyan, Fu Xinbo, Wang Ju, and Huang Chengcheng.
The costume drama "Banquet Encounter in Yong'an", adapted from the novel "Chang'an Xiaofanguan," started filming on September 20 and announced its cast: Wang Yinglu, Li Yunrui, Changlong, Feng Jiayi, Sui Junbo, Dong Siyu, Liu Jun, and Ni Hongjie.
"Night and Dawn"
The series stars Chen Zheyuan, Nie Yuan, Xing Fei, and Yao Annan, with Wang Zhiwen, Ni Dahong, and Wang Jinsong also appearing.
Set around 1950, the story follows a young police officer partnering with an experienced communist spy to outsmart a group of agents and solve six major enemy cases: the shocking bank heist, the bizarre explosion case on Fujian Road, the Shanghai counterfeit currency scandal, the collective kidnapping of entrepreneurs, the malicious arson case, and the secret experiment that devastated a city.
The show's popularity on iQIYI has surpassed 7000.
Despite its compelling subject matter and a talented cast, the series has struggled to gain traction, currently ranking low on lists like Detawen, Yunhe, and Lighthouse, with numerous veteran actors supporting Chen Zheyuan. However, following its premiere, the overall reviews have been quite average. Many viewers noted that while the first three episodes featured strong performances from Wang Zhiwen and Wang Jinsong, the main character Chen Zheyuan’s hairstyle and makeup look too polished for a war-era drama, leading to a visual disconnect with other characters, and his acting also needs improvement.
Chen Zheyuan as Lin Shaobai
"Half-Baked Men and Women"
The drama stars Tian Xiwei, Xin Yunlai, Zhang Zhehua, Zeng Mengxue, Yuan Wenkang, Hou Wenyuan, and Zhou Yutong, with Dong Jie as a special guest. Adapted from the long novel "There Are No Good Men and Women Here" by author Liu Cuihu, it tells the story of young people facing emotional relationships in their search for love and self-discovery amidst urban life.
The relationships between the main characters in the series are complex and intertwined.
With content shared on social media that features emotional, high-stakes situations, the series attracted a lot of attention even before its premiere. Keywords like infidelity, cheating, and choices are electrifying viewers. Notably, after recently parting ways regretfully with Zhang Zhehua next door, the actor has fans again as he embraces Tian Xiwei in this project, seamlessly transitioning from his previous work "Fanren Song."
The series' viewership on Youku surpassed 6500 on its second day of airing, and it just broke into the top ten on various lists such as Lighthouse, Detawen, and Maoyan. However, as a contemporary romance drama, its performance is rather modest.
On its second day of airing, the series hit 6500 on Youku.
Despite its innovative concepts that challenge stereotypes in romantic relationships and steer clear of cliched Mary Sue narratives, audience feedback has been average, with continued concerns over the plausibility of character development, plot logic, and realism.
"Flowing Water, Long Journey"
Starring Ren Jialun, Li Landi, and Xu Zhengxi, with Gao Han and Zhang Yaqin also in the cast, and featuring guest appearances by Zhang Fengyi, Wen Zhengrong, and Tao Xinran, this drama is adapted from the novel of the same name by Xiao Lou. It tells the story of Xiao Wuxia, the young lord of the city, who disguises himself as Wei Zhao to infiltrate Liangguo and meticulously plans to uncover the truth behind his family's tragedy, only to have his plans disrupted by the sudden appearance of a girl, Jiang Ci, whom Pei Yan rescues and brings back to his residence. In the end, the three set aside their personal grievances to collectively confront the Liaong Emperor.
“Old shoulder, giant slide” has become a popular
