Historical epic dramas are in vogue again
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E-mail SHINE, December 8, 2017
Interview with author Sun Haohui
Professor Sun, a native of Shaanxi Province, is a scholar of Chinese history and law at the Northwest University. It took him about 16 years to complete "The Qin Empire" fiction series, which has more than 5 million words.
The award-winning series romanticizes the rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period and the founding of the Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of imperial China.
Q: Can you share some details about the planning of "The Qin Empire" film and TV franchise?
A: We have set up a new production enterprise to shoot and develop the franchise in collaboration with Ciwen Media. We will also build two film studios and theme parks in Hainan Province, particularly for the sets of China's early 3,000 years of history.
The film franchise, with four installments about the story of Emperor Yingzheng, will be a mega-production. We hope that it will be among the highest-grossing movies in China. The TV series will have a new interpretation of the period, and we can learn a lot from its reforms and changes.
Q: What's the highlight of the new franchise?
A: It will highlight many facts about wars and politics in ancient China with astounding and spectacular scenes. People will be amazed by the wits of ancient Chinese people. The customs and lifestyles of people from that period will be rightly displayed.
Q: What are the criteria for selecting actors in the series?
A: There are over 140 characters in the 100-episode drama about Yingzheng, so casting is both difficult and important. Authenticity is the top priority. For instance, according to historical materials, Yingzheng was a very tall man. We will take a lot of things into consideration to select the best candidate who may just be an amateur actor.
Q: What is the major problem facing today's historical epic dramas?
A: Some directors don't show much respect for script and history. Some scriptwriters just write a story structure and leave behind lines and dialogues, so many of the lines are improvised while shooting. I think it is not a proper way to make a good historical epic drama.
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