Has it really been almost a decade since Wong Kar-wai‘s last film, “The Grandmaster“? Indeed it has, as next February marks the ten-year anniversary of that film’s world premiere at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival. But now, the Hong Kong auteur returns with “Blossoms Shanghai,” which Wong says is the third part of the story he started in “In The Mood For Love” and “2046.”
Based on Jin Yucheng‘s 2013 novel “Blossoms,” Wong’s upcoming film follows three Shanghai residents in the early 1960s, at the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, through to the 1990s. Shanghainese screenwriter Qin Wen adapts Yucheng’s novel for the project. It also marks the first time Wong works with “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” cinematographer Peter Pau. While “Blossoms Shanghai” was produced as a TV series, Wong will also edit the project into a feature film.
“Blossoms Shanghai” stars Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan, and Xin Zhilei. There’s no US release date set yet for the series or film version, but it releases in China next year.
A pivotal figure in Hong Kong cinema, Wong Kai-Wai is one of the world’s most respected contemporary filmmakers. After his 1988 debut “As Tears Go By,” Wong made a flurry of films with cinematographer Christopher Doyle in the ’90s, widely considered among the best of that decade. 1994’s “Chungking Express” received the most attention stateside, thanks to Quentin Tarantino‘s endorsement of the film. Wong’s output slowed down in the 2000s, but “In The Mood For Love” and “2046” are among his most well-received films critically.
So, given Wong Kar-wai’s reputation as one of modern cinema’s greatest auteurs, “Blossom Shanghai” is a big deal and easily one of the most anticipated projects of 2023. Stay tuned for an official US release date, but until then, here’s a new trailer for the series/film to tide everyone over. Watch it below (no English subtitles!). Additionally, check out a new poster from the film, too.