Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai’s first TV series 'Blossoms Shanghai' to air on SBS

Award-winning series to hit Korean TV, streaming services

Poster for 'Blossoms Shanghai' (SBS)

Studio S, the drama production arm of Seoul Broadcasting System, is bringing Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai’s first-ever television series “Blossoms Shanghai” to South Korean audiences.

The period drama will premiere Monday on SBS F!L UHD, with streaming availability beginning Tuesday on multiple streaming channels, including Tving, Watcha, Wavve, KT GenieTV, LG U+TV and SK Broadband Btv.

“Blossoms Shanghai” marks Wong’s long-awaited series debut. Widely regarded as one of Asia’s most influential filmmakers, Wong is known for acclaimed features such as "In the Mood for Love" (2000), "Chungking Express" (1994) and "Happy Together" (1997).

Set in 1990s Shanghai, "Blossoms Shanghai" follows Ah Bao (Hu Ge), a young man from modest beginnings who rises to wealth amidst the city’s rapid economic transformation.

Based on Jin Yucheng’s 2012 novel of the same name, which won China’s prestigious Mao Dun Literature Prize, the project has been years in the making. Wong acquired the rights in 2014 and spent roughly seven years developing the series, with three additional years dedicated to production.

“Blossoms Shanghai” originally premiered in December 2023 on China’s television channel CCTV-8 and China's streaming service Tencent Video. The series went on to earn the best creative award at the Asia Contents Awards held alongside the Busan International Film Festival in 2024.