New film and series projects by streaming platforms due in coming year

China's major streaming platforms are poised to offer both domestic and overseas viewers a variety of new audio and video content.

Following the overseas popularity of many hit Chinese online series such as "The Knockout" and "A Lifelong Journey," steaming website iQiyi recently announced a list of more than 280 new projects and online programs covering series, movies, and variety shows.

Many of these productions will be released on iQiyi's domestic and international channels in the coming year. AIGC, or artificial intelligence generative content, will be widely applied in the provider's content production and marketing.

According to Gong Yu, founder and chief executive of iQiyi, AIGC will enhance the productivity in iQiyi's five major application scenarios of text, images, sound, video, and 3D models.

"Due to AIGC technology, there will be remarkable changes in the production methods, cost structure, and personnel structure of the film and TV industry within three to five years," Gong said. "It will bring more new possibilities to the industry."

The platform will continue to present works that focus on the fate of ordinary people in the waves of historical change that can resonate with the audience of today. Audiences will be offered online series and films in diverse genres of suspense, fantasy, spy thriller, and romance.

Suspense drama "Interlaced Scenes," based on a Japanese novel of the same name by Seicho Matsumoto, tells the story of two police officers who accidentally discover that the crime scene depicted in a novel coincides with the crime scene they are investigating. The fiction and reality are intertwined, providing a new direction for their investigation while also leading them to a deeper mystery.

Chinese actor Zhang Songwen, who gained great popularity for his acting in "The Knockout," will star in a new drama, "Lost in the Shadows," a story about the truth behind mysterious missing people cases in the 1990s.

"Golden Trio" is a heartwarming online series about the efforts of three old friends to build a community with elderly care services. In the community, they help to solve the problems of the elderly people and gradually recognize the problems in their own lives.

Hong Kong actors Aaron Kwok and Gordon Lam, and Taiwan actor Richie Jen will star in the crime comedy film "Rob & Roll." The film tells a hilarious story of a temporary robbery gang, formed by two decadent middle-aged men and a fierce bandit.

Chinese contemporary artist Huang Ran's feature directorial debut, the English-language crime drama film "What Remains," is also a highlight. The film, which explores the complexity of humanity behind the mysterious murder cases of a serial killer, was shown to acclaim at the 76th Locarno International Film Festival.

On Youku, a batch of sci-fi, suspense, and live-action series will also be produced and released to cater to the taste of youngsters.

Famous Chinese sci-fi writer and Hugo Award winner Liu Cixin's novelette "Sea of Dreams" will be adapted into a sci-fi series. The graphic novel is one of the writer's favorites and the series is also known as Liu's most anticipated adaptation work. It is about how mankind uses their final breaths to fight for existence when the planet is faced with inevitable devastation and heat death.

"We Live in Nanjing," a story about two young men's efforts to save the world, will also have an online series adaptation. The original novel won China's highest sci-fi award, the Galaxy Award in 2021.

Renowned filmmakers such as Zhang Yimou and Cao Baoping will also produce miniseries with creative perspectives and storylines. Set in the late 1990s, "The First Shot" revolves around a group of young cops' endeavors to crack down on drug trafficking.

The streaming platforms in China will also cultivate more talented content creators such as writers and scriptwriters through workshops, master classes, and regular selections to bring new vitality to the film and TV industry.