Following a highly successful run in China, where it topped TV ratings and became the most-streamed TV series throughout the country, Wong Kar Wai’s 1990s-set drama “Blossoms Shanghai” will stream exclusively in North America on The Criterion Channel. Comprising 30 episodes, the show tracks the rise of a financial titan whose wealth comes in the wake of Shanghai opening its own stock exchange.
Created and directed by Wong, the filmmaker said of the project in a statement, “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.”
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Like many of Wong’s works, “Blossoms Shanghai” contains strong romantic elements amid real-life historical foundations. It was adapted from the award-winning novel “Blossoms” by Jin Yucheng, which follows China’s economic boom during the 1990s as seen through the eyes of Ah Bao, a figure many will come to know as the Jay Gatsby of Shanghai. Starting out as a simple, ordinary man with no standing, Ah soon becomes a self-made millionaire, but must fight to keep his fortune as others seek to destroy him.
Ah is played by the highly popular Chinese actor Hu Ge, whose credits include the Jackie Chan-produced “The Myth” and the Chinese historical drama “Nirvana in Fire,” for which he received Best Actor at the 2016 Shanghai Television Festival. Hu would go on to win this award again in 2024 for his performance in “Blossoms Shanghai.”
The episodic series represents the third piece in a trilogy about Wong’s native Shanghai, including “In the Mood for Love” and “2046,” but the first to reflect a story that takes place in his actual birthplace. All three now have a home with The Criterion Collection, with the first two being featured in their “World of Wong Kar Wai” box set. Other films included in this comprehensive collection are “As Tears Go By,” “Days of Being Wild,” “Chungking Express,” “Fallen Angels,” and “Happy Together,” all of which are also now streaming via The Criterion Channel.
“In the Mood for Love” will also be returning to theaters this summer to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary. You can catch the Hong Kong historical romance starring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung starting June 27 in NYC at the IFC Center and Film at Lincoln Center, with a national rollout to follow. Criterion will also stream “Blossoms Shanghai” in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand at some point in the near future.
