The TV series "Blossoms Shanghai," directed by renowned Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai, has recently been embroiled in controversy. Last Saturday (November 8th), screenwriter Cheng Junnian (online name "Gu Er") released several audio recordings that appeared to be from inside the production, sparking controversy over screenwriter attribution and allegations of exploitation within the production team. The official Weibo account of "Blossoms Shanghai" issued a formal statement denying the allegations and specifically condemning Cheng Junnian for releasing the "unverified" audio files.
According to reports from mainland media, Cheng Junnian publicly accused the production team of the TV series "Blossoms Shanghai" of plagiarizing his work several months ago, claiming that he had been exploited and bullied for a long time. Cheng Junnian stated on Weibo that he participated in the scriptwriting of "Blossoms Shanghai" as a living assistant earning 3000 to 6000 yuan per month. After three years of dedicated work, revising the script day and night, he was ultimately only labeled as a "preliminary editor," which he found unacceptable.
He subsequently uploaded several audio recordings, which appeared to show Wong Kar-wai and screenwriter Qin Wen making negative comments about celebrities such as Tang Yan, Liu Shishi, Chen Daoming, and Jin Jing. Qin Wen even revealed that she assaulted a police officer and escaped punishment through connections. The latest content has also implicated well-known stars such as Chen Kun and Golden Horse Award-winning actress Zhou Xun. Currently, Cheng Junnian's Weibo account has been taken down, and all related audio recordings have been deleted from Weibo.
According to reports, Wong Kar-wai claimed in the recording that he planned to hold a summer camp to collect scripts from young people, and he and screenwriter Xu Siyao subtly criticized Chen Kun and Zhou Xun for running training courses that had already swindled many young screenwriters' works. Wong Kar-wai also mentioned the Chinese Communist Party authorities' handling of the Wuhan epidemic, saying that the government "only knows how to exploit people and shows no compassion." There are concerns that "Blossoms Shanghai" may be taken down, and some have stated that he may face a blacklist from the industry in the future.
In response to this controversy, the production team of "Blossoms Shanghai" issued a strong statement, claiming that the recording released by Cheng Junnian "not only lacked the consent of the parties involved, but also contained numerous inaccuracies, deliberate editing, and malicious interpretations." The statement emphasized that Cheng Junnian's original position was "preliminary editor," and that he "wantonly smeared and spread rumors" due to dissatisfaction with the authorship arrangement, and accused him of "long-term residence abroad to evade judicial investigation."
The production team officially called on the "Guan Yu 2" crew to return to China to pursue their rights "legally and reasonably" and to immediately cease these "multiple illegal" actions. The statement further indicated that they would resolutely protect the rights of all key members of the production team, adding, "The production team is continuously collecting evidence, which has already been submitted to national judicial and law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities. The entire production team believes that the law will provide the most truthful and powerful response and judgment."
