THE CRITERION CHANNEL WILL PREMIERE WONG KAR WAI'S BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI
- Tammy Reese
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Tammy Reese
The 30-Episode Series Will Stream Exclusively on the Criterion Channel
Beginning on November 24, the Criterion Channel will exclusively premiere Blossoms Shanghai, the long-awaited television series from visionary director Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood for Love). The 30-episode series opened in China to phenomenal success, topping TV ratings for its entire run and becoming the most-streamed television series nationwide. Three new episodes will be released on the Channel every Monday night at 8 p.m. ET through the end of January.
Wong Kar Wai commented, “I am thrilled to continue my long-standing relationship with Criterion with the North American debut of my first series on the Criterion Channel. The series captures the vitality of Shanghai’s roaring ’90s, revealing universal human truths about desire and destiny. We hope the series provides insight into the pivotal moment of China’s reinvention.”
Blossoms Shanghai is the first original episodic series by legendary filmmaker Wong Kar Wai. An adaptation of Jin Yucheng’s award-winning novel Blossoms, the series chronicles the ascent of self-made millionaire Ah Bao, the Jay Gatsby of Shanghai, during the economic boom that followed the opening of the Shanghai stock exchange. The major Chinese actor Hu Ge stars as Bao, personifying the idealism and adventurism that defined the 1990s. While In the Mood for Love pays tribute to the Shanghainese community in Hong Kong, Blossoms Shanghai is Wong Kar Wai’s first attempt to tell a story about his birthplace, at one of the most intriguing moment in its recent memory.
Blossoms Shanghai will join an extensive collection of Wong Kar Wai titles on the Criterion Channel, the North American home for his swoon-worthy filmography. The Criterion Collection released the stunning WORLD OF WONG KAR WAI box set in 2021, the most comprehensive collection ever released, featuring 4K digital restorations of his acclaimed feature films. The Criterion Channel features the DIRECTED BY WONG KAR WAI collection, with As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, and In the Mood for Love now streaming. Criterion has also acquired streaming rights for Blossoms Shanghai in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
ABOUT CRITERION
Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium — from laserdisc to DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD to streaming on the Criterion Channel — Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.
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