Wu Jinyan and Chen Zheyuan Start Filming New Historical Drama Amid Apology Demands from His Fans

The upcoming historical drama Jiang Shan Wei Pin 江山为聘 has officially confirmed Wu Jinyan, who makes her comeback after having a baby, and Chen Zheyuan as co-leads, more aptly described in Chinese entertainment as “equal billing”. However, the details surrounding this announcement have sparked significant debate.

Chen Zheyuan Fans Demand an Apology

When the drama was announced, production clearly labeled Wu Jinyan and Chen Zheyuan side by side as “leading actors (in no particular order),” which is the accepted way to indicate their “equal billing”. However, at the booting ceremony, fans noticed that the phrase “in no particular order” appeared to be handwritten and tacked on to a background poster that had Wu Jinyan’s name first before Chen Zheyuan. Chen Zheyuan’s fans criticized this as a last-minute appeasement and are now demanding a public apology as they feel the actor was disrespected.

Additionally, while the billing claims to be equal, Wu Jinyan’s name consistently appears first. Some argue that a truly neutral listing should follow alphabetical order—where “Chen” would come before “Wu”.

Behind the Scenes Drama

Before this, Yu Zheng who manages Wu Jinyan, already hinted at issues over billing being the reason why filming hasn’t started. He claimed that the actress was originally contracted as the lead. However, he said that investors wanted a certain actor as the leading man and that he won’t accept being listed as second lead. Yu Zheng said they couldn’t replace him either as investors would pull out funding, so settling for equal billing where Wu Jinyan is listed first is pretty good too.

Focus on the Work, Not the Billing

Despite the controversy, both actors’ roles align well with the source material—Wu Jinyan plays a strategic heroine, while Chen portrays a mysterious prince. Meanwhile, others hope the drama will be judged by its story and performances and that there could be a shift away from obsessive “billing culture.”