Netflix unveiled a small slate of Chinese-language content Thursday, led by the Taiwanese fantasy series Agent From Above and Hong Kong sci-fi blockbuster Warriors of Future.
“We’re committed to investing in and creating high-quality Chinese-language shows that we know will appeal to more audiences in Taiwan and around the world,” said Netflix’s manager of Chinese-language content Jerry Zhang.
Produced by Singapore’s mm2 Entertainment and Taiwan’s Good Films Production, Agent From Above is rooted in a universe of “gods, monsters, humans and ghosts” inspired by traditional Taiwanese beliefs. The series follows a former drug addict who is recruited to do the bidding of legendary Chinese god San Tai Zi as redemption for his sins. Directed by Donnie Lai and produced by Good Films’ Rita Chuang, the show stars Taiwan’s Kai Ko, Wang Po-Chieh, Hsueh Shih-ling, Buffy Chen and Johnny Yang.
Netflix is blocked by Beijing regulators from accessing the massive mainland Chinese entertainment market, but the company produces a targeted amount of Chinese-language shows out of Taiwan and Hong Kong for local subscribers and the large diaspora audience across Southeast Asia and around the world.
Warriors of Future was Hong Kong’s highest-grossing film of the summer, which Netflix has since acquired. An action sci-fi drama directed by Ng Yuen-fai and starring local veterans Louis Koo, Lau Ching Wan and Carina Lau, the film is set in the year 2055 and involves humans facing off against alien invaders. It will stream worldwide on Netflix beginning Dec. 2.
The streamer’s slate also notably includes the pioneering Taiwanese LGBTQ+ romance series The Nipple Talk, which follows three friends of different genders and different sexual orientations as they strive to balance love and lust in their quest for a relationship. Produced by Sequoia Entertainment, the series is directed by Lincoln Lai and stars Lin Szu-yu, Bryan Chang, Lu Xia and Kaiser Chuang.
“We’re thrilled to work with some of the best production companies in the region, which not only allows us to showcase top Chinese creative talent to a global audience but also allows our members to be the first in the world to stream a mega box office success like Warriors of Future,” added Janslle Ong, a Netflix manager of content.
The remaining two titles on Netflix’s upcoming Chinese-language content roster are the previously announced thriller mysteries Copycat Killer and The Victims’ Game, both produced by Greener Grass Production.
Copycat Killer is an adaptation of a crime novel by genre fiction writer Miyabe Miyuki, which will start streaming in the first quarter of 2023. The Victims’ Game is the first Chinese-language production to be renewed by Netflix. It will begin filming next year with the original cast returning.
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