L.O.R.D. Legend of Ravaging Dynasties (Movie)

It's unlikely to follow Ice Fantasy without catching wind of L.O.R.D. 爵迹, an upcoming CGI animated film starring an ensemble cast led by none other than the reigning queen of c-cinema, Fan Bing Bing (Empress of China). 

Both adaptations are the brainchild of Guo Jingming who authored the novels that have turned into classic fantasy literature. In an attempt to do justice to the story, Guo Jingming was heavily involved in the making of L.O.R.D. as writer and director.

Motion capture is a technique often seen in Hollywood, think Avatar, Gollum and the Hulk's man-cancelling suit as stated by Mark Ruffalo himself. L.O.R.D will be the first of its kind for the Chinese entertainment industry, generating much hype due to the magnitude of its ambition. 

However, it is undeniable that most of the buzz has to be from its extremely high-profile cast that include Fan Bing Bing, Kris Wu (EXO), Chen Xue Dong (Tiny Times), William Chan, Amber Kuo (Tiny Times), Lin Yun (The Mermaid), Kevin Yan Kuan, Roy Wang (TF Boys) as well as special appearances by Yang Mi and Aarif Rahman. Each and everyone of them will be acting via motion capture that it has become a test of wit to try and identify who is who.

L.O.R.D. is scheduled to hit theaters on Sept 30, 2016 in 3D.

Source: YXDown

Empress of China

Empress of China 武媚娘传奇 is an 81-episode historical drama about Wu Ze Tian, the only female ever to rule China as an emperor. One line sums up the entire series but Wu Ze Tian's rise to political power in a male-dominated society that even today is still dominated by men is truly one for the ages.

Fan Bing Bing lands the coveted role of Wu Ze Tian, further establishing her status as one of China's top stars. I still remember her humbler beginnings as Zhao Wei's handmaiden in Princess Pearl. Yet no one puts Fan Bing Bing in a corner these days since 2014 was a particularly spectacular year for Fan, even earning a stint in Hollywood as Blink from X-Men Days of Future Past.


Empress of China came and went, breaking records along the way and the theme songs repeated 81 times will likely remain in our cherished memories.
Opening song Wu Zi Bei 无字碑 by Jane Zang 张靓颖
Ending song Qian Qiu 千秋 by Sun Nan 孙楠

Since I'm having a bout of nostalgia, one thing that's worth mentioning are the beautiful costumes crafted in such rich detail that encapsulates the magnificent splendor of the era. It feels outrageously expensive because it is and it's well worth the effort since the cast looked positively royal.

There are two versions of the drama - the non-censored version aired in Taiwan (CTV) and edited version in China without the plunging necklines. I normally wouldn't care but it was pretty funny given that I was watching this on Hunan TV when it first came out in all its former glory and the next thing I knew, head shots.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2015 popular cdramas.

Source: 3Lian, PCHome