Rumored Casting of Li Geng Xi and Fan Cheng Cheng for the Drama Adaptation of The Rebirth of Malicious Empress of Military Lineage Has Novel Fans in Uproar
Okay, please for the love of novel gods let this rumored casting be just that, a rumor never to become reality. Since the announcement that the C-drama The Rebirth of Malicious Empress of Military Lineage (将门毒后) was happening it’s become a top IP for young actors and actresses. The female lead Shen Miao and her epmoress rebirth journey from bumbling idiot to plotting mastermind is a rich character to play and the male lead Marquis Xie Jing Xing is even more perfect and appealing lol than writer Qian Shan Cha Ke‘s other perfect male leads like General Xiao Jue in Legend of the Female General and Duke Xiao Heng in The Double. Anyhoo, this week there is industry talk that the leads will go to Li Geng Xi and Fan Cheng Cheng and it’s led understandably to a collect brain melt. The funniest comment is “Who is casting this, the feet?” i.e. the farthest part from the brain haha. She’s got movie awards but is considered a hopeless illiterate and he’s the nepo baby to end all nepo babies having his entire career built on being former top actress Fan Bing Bing‘s much younger baby-ed brother. The thought of Fan Cheng Cheng as Xie Jing Xing has me simultaneously cringing and ROTFLMHO. I love this novel and really want C-ent to either cast right or never film a drama version, full stop.
Can they cast Xuan Lu as the female lead please ? Tired of unapealing actresses casted as FLs in big productions. After they wonder why micro drama sector is taking over…
And yikes Fan Cheng Cheng ! PLEASE NO !
FCC is a turn off. He has no charisma to portrait a strong character. I’ve seen some projects of him and he was so bland. I hope they cast Wu Lei or Ding Yuxi. I rather see Cheng Lei being casted again than FCC.
For the FL, havent watched any of her dramas. But i expected someone with ‘red rose’ aura. Beautiful but thorny to play the FL character. Wan Peng, Zhang Jingyi, Zhou Ye, or Xing Fei.
Will continue reading the novel tho.
I feel the main dude is okay not great and to me suits modern dramas but should build his resume with low key roles to get there and not skip in line so to speak but that is his agency and the people making the dramas call. Also the same for female mentioned she still has a ways to go but is very likable to me in her acting. I liked her in snow stride but she is very dowdy and cutesy for lead female leads in stories like this. Maybe her award win drew them to her. Sad that they get mud slung on them for reasons you mentioned koala. Oh well. They are not hopeless just maybe not suited for the roles.
LGX might be great in modern films, but she is not impressive in a period drama. she didn’t even bother to prep how differently people would act in period for Sword Snow Stride. her mannerisms were so out of place compared to everyone else in the drama, and her interpretation of that character was just not it. she was the female lead, but i literally preferred him with anyone else in that drama than her.
FCC is not an acting talent period. this whole idol to actor path needs to have an extra few stops in between to get these people some experience and actual skill before they pollute our screens.
Yes hopefully the rumors stay as rumors. Please please this is one of my favorite books ….
Wan peng and Zhang jingyi would be good as the female lead. Visually acceptable and just need to see who would be invited for a reading and get casted finally.
The male character of Marquis Xie should be… hmm someone who is good looking. Great at looking cold but has strong charisma at the same time.
Definitely not cheng lei as he is already acting in the upcoming same author adaptation, the female general.
Ding Yuxi doesn’t fit the tall lanky General physique. Wu lei would be good but not sure whether he is returning to dramaland so soon.
I beg to differ. Ding Yuxi exuded so much charisma and maturity as Shen Du in ‘Melody of Golden Age’, it would be imho perfect for the role. And most importantly, he can act+ Ding Yuxi and Wu Lei are about the same height…
@koalasplayground
I actually like koala’s idea of Zhao Lusi and Dylan Wang pairing as highlighted in her previous article.
I think she can play the female lead well from and infatuated idiot to a long suffering empress to a scheming subtle young noble heroine.
As for Dylan he would look good as the handsome cold young Marquis.
I think they are good friends real life and Zhao Lusi has good chemistry with her make leads.
Typos… sorry
…from an infatuated idiot to a long suffering empress to a scheming subtle young noble heroine.
….Zhao Lusi has good chemistry with her male leads….
By the way, I think Deng Wei might be suitable in terms of looks….
People complain when the same names appear all the time but also complain when less known names come up too.
I watched FCC in “Time Seems To have Forgotten” and I thought he was very much decent in there. I watched LGX in “The Long Season” and I thought she was mediocre in there.
So based on the performances they’ve given in these two projects, I don’t think they’re right for “Rebirth of Malicious Empress of Military Lineage”.
I don’t think China have any young actor or actress capable to handle these characters.
Besides it all, scriptwriters have the awesome talent to do terrible adaptations of good novels.
I’m hoping nobody makes a drama out of this novel.
I am heartbroken… Both are not suitable for these 2 roles. What a huge let down to novel writer.
NOOOoooooooo! This is one of my favorite novels.
Again from bumbling idiot to powerful smarty? So predictable a reborn heroine with recycled concepts being abused in C web novels. YAWN zzzZZZ. LOL.
Given a population of 1.4 billion, it’s dumbfounding C-ent is lacking acting talent in most dramas I watched. Some rabid fans defend Cdrama, saying that all good actors stick to non-idol dramas. But dang those so-called “main stream” dramas are hella boring and ideologically pontificating snoozefests LOL. After spending some time on just a handful of interesting C costume dramas, I’m back to Kdrama again. I still see the stark contrast between C- and K-dramas. Compared with K actors’ acting ranges and charisma, C actors’ performances are mostly like make-believe child plays. How exactly has the industry been training these mannequins to look real before cameras? LOL. I think lacking acting talent is the result of prevalent nepotism and favoring strong backing. Most casting is not merit-based. Then you’ve got these dummies who appear awkward before cameras.
I have watched about 20 versions of this in short drama format available on Douyin and procured in edited versions on YouTube. Some of these versions have pretty good acting, albeit cheaply made. I’ve been enjoying them. It’s time the backers pick some of these actresses and actors some push; they have fan bases. We search for their dramas to watch the same plots over and over because we enjoyed their portrayals.
uh…I’m speechless.
OMG…NOOOOOOO….It’s one of my fave novels. Please don’t let this be true!! C-netizens do you thing on weibo and crush this.