What’s Going on With Wong Kar-wai?

Wong Kar-wai‘s debut television series, Blossoms Shanghai, became available on the Criterion Channel on November 24th, over two years after its successful premiere in China. The 30-part drama, set in 1990s Shanghai and adapted from Jin Yucheng’s novel, was Wong Kar-wai’s first large-scale project since the 2013 film The Grandmaster. However, the North American release was overshadowed by controversy. Accusations of workplace mistreatment and problematic statements by the acclaimed director – known for films like In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, and Happy Together – surfaced online. These allegations, along with purported recordings, were shared on Chinese social media by a former crew member of Blossoms Shanghai. Here’s a breakdown of what has come to light so far.

What are the work-related accusations?

The current controversy stems from a long-running disagreement over who should be credited with writing the screenplay for Blossoms Shanghai. In 2022, a former crew member named Cheng Junnian, writing under the pseudonym Gu Er, began posting on WeChat about his experiences working on the show. After the show aired in 2023, listing Qin Wen as the sole screenwriter, Cheng publicly accused her of taking credit for his work. According to the World Journal, Cheng claims he originally was meant to be the writer and director of Blossoms Shanghai and had spent three years developing the scripts. He alleges that Qin Wen, who won an award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2024 Magnolia Awards, only made minor changes to his work and presented it as her own. Cheng says he was then demoted to Wong’s personal assistant, earning only 3,000 yuan a month (around $424). Despite being credited as a preproduction script editor, he claims his duties ranged from writing key plotlines to running personal errands for Wong, like cooking and bringing him snacks. Cheng, who has Kennedy’s disease, also alleges he was bullied at work and that when he requested time off due to worsening symptoms from the stressful job, Wong responded dismissively.

In August and September 2025, claims made by Cheng began to gain widespread attention, especially after he shared audio recordings he said were from crew members. These recordings reportedly featured conversations where Qin and Wong seemed to suggest Cheng was responsible for significant parts of the storyline. In one recording, Wong allegedly called it a good deal for Cheng to be both writing and working as an assistant for very little pay. Cheng’s claims sparked discussions on Chinese social media about unfair treatment in the workplace and the challenges people face trying to move up from entry-level positions. In October, Eye on Digital China reported that commenters on Xiaohongshu who supported Cheng described his alleged experience as a clear example of how difficult it is to improve one’s social class. The following month, a user on Zhihu, a question-and-answer platform, suggested that Cheng’s story resonated with so many people because it reflected the difficult realities faced by young people in today’s competitive job market.

What else was in the alleged recordings?

Throughout October and November, Cheng released more audio recordings that allegedly featured conversations with Wong. These recordings reportedly included Wong making suggestive comments about actress Jin Jing’s appearance and speaking critically about Tang Yan, a star from the show Blossoms Shanghai, as well as other colleagues. Wong also appeared to criticize the Chinese government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, even calling it a “greedy one-party state.” Another widely reported recording allegedly captured Qin telling Wong about an incident where she assaulted a police officer and avoided consequences through personal connections. Wong reportedly advised her to keep it quiet, even suggesting she could use the story in a screenplay. According to Vision Times, this conversation fueled public anger in China, reinforcing the perception that the wealthy and powerful believe they are exempt from the law.

Has there been an official response?

Okay, so it’s not Wong himself speaking out, but the show’s production company, Blossoms Shanghai, has been posting on Weibo. They’ve put out three statements now, and the latest one, from November 11th, is pretty strong. Basically, they’re saying Cheng’s recordings were deliberately edited to be misleading, full of inaccuracies, and that he released them illegally without anyone’s permission. They’re accusing him of spreading rumors because he wasn’t happy with the credit he did get on the show, and they’ve even turned over evidence to the authorities. They claim he’s avoiding investigation now that he’s living abroad and are basically asking him to come back to China. The whole Blossoms Shanghai team says they trust the legal system to sort everything out and reveal the truth.

The show previously stated on September 23rd that Cheng was involved in early planning but never officially a writer. They said he unexpectedly left the production after three months of filming and didn’t contribute anything further. The show also claimed Cheng’s online posts contained false and misleading information, and that his recordings were illegally obtained and manipulated, adding that they had begun legal proceedings. Soon after this statement, The Paper, a Shanghai news outlet, reported that Cheng’s WeChat account—where he’d shared these posts—was removed for violating platform rules. It’s important to note that Blossoms Shanghai streamed on Tencent Video, which shares a parent company with WeChat.

In September, Qin announced on social media that she was taking legal action against anyone who spread false or damaging information about her, specifically regarding who wrote the screenplay for Blossoms Shanghai. Later, on November 11th, Shanghai police officially stated that Qin hadn’t used personal connections to get released after an incident where she allegedly assaulted an officer. They investigated the 2019 event and determined her release followed proper legal procedures, explaining that she simply patted an officer on the back after a traffic fine and no further punishment was warranted. Qin claimed she was only joking with friends when she mentioned having connections, and that a recording of the conversation was taken and edited without her permission.

Why are international fans paying attention?

Although the controversy hasn’t received much attention internationally, some film lovers are worried about what it could mean for Wong Kar Wai’s future. There’s concern that if Chinese audiences or the government disapprove of his alleged criticisms, he might no longer be able to work in mainland China. As one person noted on Reddit, Wong’s films are heavily influenced by Hong Kong and Chinese culture, and losing access to the Chinese market could effectively end his career. Industry observer Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel believes even the critical comments alone could be enough to halt a filmmaker’s career there, before even considering the other accusations upsetting fans.

Has this affected Wong Kar-wai’s reputation?

Whether Wong Kar-wai is a difficult director depends on who you ask. As accusations of workplace exploitation and bullying surfaced, many recalled past complaints about his working style. Leslie Cheung, who suffered a scorpion bite during the grueling desert shoot for Ashes of Time, described Wong as incredibly talented but also selfish, prone to exceeding budgets and timelines, and lacking clear planning, as he told the Los Angeles Times in 1997. More recently, Korean actress Song Hye-kyo alleged that Wong had her passport confiscated by his team because he suspected she wanted to return to Korea while waiting for filming on The Grandmaster. Despite this, she only had a small role in the film, which ultimately took three years to complete. As Ruixin Zhang of Eye on Digital Media noted in October, Wong Kar-wai has a long-standing reputation for procrastination, perfectionism, and being demanding of actors, but the recent allegations have given that reputation a new weight.

Well, what if I still want to watch Blossoms Shanghai?

As a fan, I’m happy to report that here in North America, it doesn’t seem like all the recent news and online chatter is impacting the show. Blossoms Shanghai started streaming on the Criterion Channel on November 24th with the first three episodes, and they’re releasing a new one every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern until January 26th. I’m looking forward to watching them all!

2025-12-02 00:56