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.
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. Renowned Chinese actor Hu Ge stars as Bao, personifying the idealism and adventurism that defined the 1990s.
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. The auteur stated he is “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 joins 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 including, As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, and everyone’s favourite, In the Mood for Love now available for streaming. Criterion has also acquired streaming rights for Blossoms Shanghai in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Beginning on November 24, three new episodes will be released on the Channel every Monday night at 8pm ET through the end of January.
For more information on the series and to subscribe to the Criterion Channel, please visit criterionchannel.com.
