“Heaven Official’s Blessing” Live Action Cast in Leaked Set Photos

There’s been a lot of anticipation around the cast of Heaven Official’s Blessing live-action 吉星高照 adapted from Tian Guan Ci Fu 天官赐福, another “Boy’s Love” novel from the author behind The Untamed. From Lu Han’s potential casting at the very start to Teens in Time (TNT) member Ding Chengxin who was repeatedly mentioned until his side shot down the rumors, they are just some of the many, many names that were thrown in the mix. Some blamed production for trying to keep people guessing for as long as they can. After all, TGCF casting rumors have often trended and even gotten actors hate when it didn’t fit viewers images for the two main characters Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. 

Heaven Official’s Blessing has quietly started filming

While the cast has yet to be announced, leaked set photos indicate that filming is now underway since the booting ceremony was quietly held on July 25. Being the second live-action drama adapted from Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s novel, Heaven Official’s Blessing seems to be following in the footsteps of The Untamed to not only have director Chan Ka Lam on board but also go with lesser known names, many of which include idols and newer actors. The donghua is too beautiful for words and so far, the negative comments from Netizens just based on the costumes seem understandable but as someone who’s looking forward to the live-action, I still have hopes for the official first look at the cast.

Heaven Official’s Blessing tells a love story between Xie Lian, the crown prince of Xian Le kingdom who ascends to the heavens for the third time after being repeatedly banished to the mortal world and Hua Cheng, also known as the Crimson Rain Sought Flower, who is one of the four Ghost Kings. While the novel revolves around a romance between the two male characters, it is expected that the live-action will only show hints of a bromance to adhere to Chinese censorship.

Here’s some background info on some of the cast members spotted on set.

Zhai Xiaowen 翟潇闻 as Xie Lian. He is an idol under Wajijiwa Entertainment. He became a member of the boy band R1SE after placing 6th in Produce Camp 2019. He landed his first acting role in Hu Yitian and Hu Bingqing’s version of Unrequited Love and currently plays the second lead in the esports romance Falling into Your Smile.

Zhang Linghe 张凌赫 as Hua Cheng. Having started out as an actor, he first appeared as the leading man in the 2020 historical romance drama Maiden Holmes. He is also set to appear in a supporting role in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Cang Lan Jue starring Esther Yu and Dylan Wang.

Chang Huasen 常华森 as Wind Master (Male form). He has starred in a few web dramas since going into acting in 2019. He was one of the idol hopefuls in the 2021 survival show Youth with You 3 ranking in 10th as of the last elimination. However, the finale was subsequently cancelled due to controversies surrounding the show though the top 9 contestants eventually debuted as a boy group.  

Liu Lingzi 刘令姿 as Xuan Ji. She was one of the idol hopefuls in Youth with You 2 in 2020 and was ultimately eliminated in 14th place. She studied at The Central Academy Of Drama. 

Source: 1