Chinese period drama heartthrob Zhang Linghe’s popularity has been on the rise, and with his schedule fully booked, the upcoming period production ‘Ci Tang,’ slated to begin filming this fall, has frequently trended online due to ongoing uncertainty about its female lead. From initial rumors of Zhang Jingyi and Wang Yuwen to last month’s controversy involving his company junior Lu Yuxiao—which sparked intense fan backlash—the rumored female lead has now shifted to “Koi Goddess” Yang Chaoyue. With the female lead spot changing as if on a carousel, many drama fans watching from the sidelines have expressed their exhaustion, with some even jokingly complaining: “Is this a drama or an imperial consort selection?”
Looking back at the rumored female lead casting saga since preparations for ‘Ci Tang’ began, it could almost be written as a casting drama within the entertainment industry itself. Zhang Jingyi was the initially rumored female lead, believed to be a good visual match for Zhang Linghe, but this quietly fizzled out. Subsequently, Wang Yuwen was rumored to take over, but many fans and people in the industry felt she lacked blockbuster works and didn’t match Zhang Linghe’s current “status,” leading to skepticism.
By July, rumors switched to Lu Yuxiao, Zhang Linghe's company junior who had previously worked with him on ‘The Lotus Casebook.’ This instantly ignited fans’ anger, who believed the agency was deliberately promoting “old bringing new” paired hype, even prompting the official fan club to post a strong protest and to stage a full boycott. After the Lu Yuxiao backlash, many thought the casting would quickly be settled, but recently rumors have again flooded Weibo, claiming that the coveted female lead would ultimately go to Yang Chaoyue. As of now, neither the production team nor Zhang Linghe’s camp has given any official response to the latest female lead rumors, so fans and drama watchers may have to endure the “imperial consort selection” rumors a while longer.
Source: NOWnews Today's Entertainment