Yu Zheng
Yu Zheng (Chinese: 于正; pinyin: Yú Zhèng; born 28 February 1978) is a Chinese screenwriter and producer[1][2] who is noted for Palace, which earned him a Best Screenwriter award at the 16th Asian Television Awards.[citation needed]
Yu Zheng | |
|---|---|
于正 | |
| Born | February 28, 1978 |
| Education | Shanghai Theatre Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Agent | Yu Zheng Studio (Huanyu Film) |
Biography
Early life
Yu was born and raised in Haining, Zhejiang, after high school, he moved to Shanghai, he became an auditor at Shanghai Theatre Academy.[3]
Career
In August 1998, Yu signed with TVB. One year later, he signed with Li Huimin Studio (Chinese: 李惠民工作室). In July 2003, Yu transferred to Taiwan Star International Entertainment Company (Chinese: 台湾星之国际娱乐公司), he also founded his company, Yu Zheng Studio (Chinese: 于正工作室). In June 2009, Yu founded the Quansheng Time Film and Television Company (Chinese: 全盛时代影视公司).[4][5][6]
Controversies
Authorship controversy
In December 2004, many news media reported that Yu Zheng—then a total unknown[7]—was threatening to sue director Raymond Lee and the production company for the drama Assassinator Jing Ke, because his name did not appear in the credits under either "story by" or "writer(s)".[8] Lee did not respond, but writer Wang Qiuyu (Chinese: 王秋雨) published a long blog entry demanding Yu's apology, adding "Finally some sincere advices to Yu Zheng, a creator is not a businessman. Spend more time creating, less energy on gaining exposures." At the end Yu never followed up on his legal threats.[7]
Discussing this incident in 2014, Lee said, "Yu Zheng is very smart, he knows how to make himself known."[7]
Veiled attacks against rivals
In 2010, actress Ruby Lin who starred in the Yu Zheng production Beauty's Rival in Palace, refused to star in Yu Zheng's next project Beauty World, choosing to become a producer herself instead. Subsequently, many fellow actors from Beauty's Rival in Palace chose to join Lin's debut project The Glamorous Imperial Concubine over Beauty World. On December 12, Yu posted a message on his Sina Weibo account insinuating "someone" as "shanzhaiing" his production. Lin responded by writing "so-called friend has lost even the most basic respect... really disappointed." Yu then denied he was referring to Lin, saying that he wished to collaborate with Lin again, adding "Why would Ruby be agitated?"[9] Later, after Lin kept her silence, he continued his veiled attacks, writing on Sina Weibo: "What are the benefits for an actress to become a producer?... Correct answer is, for a chance to make out with all the young, hot guys!"[10]
On October 30, 2012, Yu Zheng wrote on his Sina Weibo microblog alleging that a "certain director" fired an actress because she refused his sexual advances. On November 6, television director and producer Xi Xin (Chinese: 习辛) made a public statement accusing Yu Zheng of defamation.[11] Since Yu refused to apologize, Xi filed a lawsuit claim. A year later in November 2013, Beijing First Intermediate People's Court ruled in Xi's favor.[12]
Battery case
On March 18, 2013, Yu Zheng was physically beaten by a man, later identified as actor Shen Tai (Chinese: 沈泰), in a coffee shop. Shen served 3 days in detention but refused to apologize.[13] Yu claimed he was beaten because he refused Shen's demands of a role in his drama. Shen called it a lie, and wrote the following on his Sina Weibo microblog: "Everybody has a bottom line. I can just say that knowing such a person can only be described as disgusting. If he does stupid things again I will slap him just the same."[14]
Plagiarism allegations
Lawsuit with Chiung Yao
On April 2, 2014, a newspaper quoted actress Shirley Dai as claiming that the Yu Zheng TV drama she participated in, Palace 3: The Lost Daughter, was actually based on Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao's 1992 novel Plum Blossom Scar (Chinese: 《梅花烙》). Yu Zheng then unleashed a rant on his Sina Weibo microblog calling "a certain actress" an attention whore.[15]
Shortly after the drama aired in China on April 7, Chiung Yao released an open letter to China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television on April 15 accusing Yu Zheng of blatant plagiarism "unprecedented and beyond my endurance," seeking the immediate suspension of the broadcast of the TV series. Yu denied the claim, saying he was a fan of Chiung Yao with no intention of angering her. On April 28, a team led by Wang Jun from Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Yu.[16]
On April 17, novelist Meiyuzhe (Chinese: 寐语者) claimed that Palace 3: The Lost Daughter not only plagiarized Chiung Yao's work but also stole an important part from her novel The Imperial Enterprise (Chinese: 《帝王业》). She claimed that it was not the first time Yu Zheng plagiarized from her novels.[17]
On July 14, Yu Zheng's objections to the jurisdiction of the Chiung Yao lawsuit were denied by Beijing Third Intermediate People's Court.[18]
On December 25, 2014, the court ruled in Chiung Yao's favor, ordering 4 companies to stop distributing and broadcasting The Palace: The Lost Daughter, also demanding Yu Zheng to publicly apologize, and pay Chiung Yao ¥5 million (around $800,000). China Radio International called it a "landmark ruling".[19][20]
On December 5, Beijing Third Intermediate People's Court convened the case. Wang Hailin (Chinese: 汪海林), executive director of Chinese Television Series Screenwriter Association, testified as expert witness for Chiung Yao's camp.[21]
On December 12, 109 Chinese screenwriters published a joint statement supporting Chiung Yao's lawsuit against Yu Zheng.[22] A day later, an additional 30 Chinese screenwriters made their support of Chiung Yao known.[23]
Other plagiarism
Yu's 2006 drama Concubines of the Qing Emperor (Chinese: 《大清后宫》) had been suspected of plagiarizing the Hong Kong drama War and Beauty (2004). Yu denied it, but stated that his drama "contained the successful parts of classic dramas like War and Beauty, Dae Jang Geum, and Winter Sonata".[24]
Yu's 2011 hit drama, Palace was allegedly a plagiarism of several well-known television series/novels, including Tong Hua's Bu Bu Jing Xin as well as the Taiwanese hit series Meteor Garden. On June 3, 2014, writer Tong Hua accused Yu of not only consistently "consulting" her work but also telling the public that others were plagiarizing him. Tong Hua threatened legal actions if Yu continued his false claims.[25][26]
Writers Fu Xing (Chinese: 傅星) and He Zizhuang (Chinese: 贺子壮) have claimed that in 2003, Yu Zheng and Fu Xing co-wrote a script for the drama Take Me to Fly, Take Me for a Walk (Chinese: 《带我飞，带我走》). Whereas Fu came up with all the characters and relationships, Yu claimed all the credits when he published the script as a book. Yu later wrote an apology letter to Fu, who forgave him.[27] Yu also offered to compensate Fu ¥30,000 but never did.[7]
On May 6, writer Li Yaling (Chinese: 李亚玲), who co-wrote 2 Yu Zheng dramas Pretty Maid (2010) and Spell of the Fragrance (2010), offered to be a witness to support Chiung Yao's lawsuit. She claimed that back in 2008 Yu had asked her to "borrow" Plum Blossom Scar's story for a new script, but she refused. Li Yaling further claimed that Yu had copied scenes from the Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya (2009) for Pretty Maid, an action that also damaged her reputation because she was listed as the writer.[28] She also claimed that Yu Zheng once told her that as long as plagiarism does not exceed 20% then the courts would have no case. Another writer Zou Yue (Chinese: 邹越) also claimed to have heard the "20% rule" from Yu Zheng.[17][28]
On March 12, 2015, Yangzhou Intermediate People's Court accepted a plagiarism lawsuit filed by author Zhou Haohui (Chinese: 周浩晖) against Yu Zheng and others, for allegedly plagiarizing from his novel The Evil Hypnotist (Chinese: 《邪恶催眠师》) for their 2014 TV series Cosmetology High.[29]
On December 21, 2020, Yu Zheng and Guo Jingming were highlighted in a joint letter signed by 111 Chinese film and television industry insiders.[30] The joint letter called for immediately stop the publicity and hype of the two who have plagiarism and bad traces, and revise and adjust the related variety shows they are currently participating in.[30] On December 31, 2020, Yu Zheng and Guo Jingming issued their own individual apology through their respective Weibo accounts.[31] Yu made a long-issued court-ordered apology for plagiarizing Chiung Yao's 1993 novel Plum Blossom Mark in his TV drama Palace 3: The Lost Daughter broadcast in 2014.[31] Following his apology, Yu's appearances as a judge in the third episode of the third season of variety show I am the Actor have been removed.[32]
Filmography
Film
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Post | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 老虎肉 | Screenwriter | |||
| 2013 | Palace: Lock Sinensis | 宫锁沉香 | Screenwriter | [33] |
Television series
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Carry Me Fly and Walk Off | 带我飞带我走 | Screenwriter | |
| 2004 | Assassinator Jing Ke | 荆轲传奇 | Screenwriter | |
| 2005 | Misty Love in the Palace | 烟花三月 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| 2006 | 我爱河东狮 | Screenwriter | ||
| Concubines of the Qing Emperor | 大清后宫 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Golden Age | 金色年华 | Screenwriter | ||
| 2007 | The Legend of Chu Liuxiang | 楚留香传奇 | Screenwriter | |
| 2008 | The Last Princess | 最后的格格 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Rouge Snow | 胭脂雪 | Screenwriter | ||
| A Thousand Teardrops | 一千滴眼泪 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| 2009 | Love Tribulations | 锁清秋 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Rose Martial World | 玫瑰江湖》 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Good Wife and Mother | 贤妻良母 | Screenwriter | ||
| 2010 | Pretty Maid | 大丫鬟 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Beauty's Rival in Palace | 美人心计 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Happy Mother-in-Law, Pretty Daughter-in-Law | 欢喜婆婆俏媳妇 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Spell of the Fragrance | 国色天香 | Producer | ||
| 2011 | Palace | 宫 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Beauty World | 唐宫美人天下 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Hidden Intention | 被遗弃的秘密 | Producer | ||
| 2012 | Palace II | 宫锁珠帘 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Bounty Hunter | 赏金猎人 | Producer | ||
| Allure Snow | 倾城雪 | Producer | ||
| Beauties of the Emperor | 王的女人 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| In Love with Power | 山河恋·美人无泪 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| 2013 | Swordsman | 笑傲江湖 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Legend of Lu Zhen | 陆贞传奇 | Producer | ||
| Old Days in Shanghai | 像火花像蝴蝶 | Producer | ||
| 2014 | Palace 3: The Lost Daughter | 宫锁连城 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Cosmetology High | 美人製造 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| The Romance of the Condor Heroes | 神雕侠侣 | Screenwriter, Producer | [34] | |
| 2015 | Love Yunge from the Desert | 大汉情缘之云中歌 | Producer | |
| Legend of Ban Shu | 班淑传奇 | Producer | ||
| 2017 | Above the Clouds | 雲巔之上 | Producer | |
| 2018 | Untouchable Lovers | 鳳囚凰 | Screenwriter, Producer, Actor | |
| Story of Yanxi Palace | 延禧攻略 | Producer | ||
| 2019 | The Legend of Haolan | 皓镧传 | Producer | |
| Arsenal Military Academy | 烈火军校 | Producer | ||
| 2020 | Winter Begonia | 鬓边不是海棠红 | Producer | |
| Consummation | 拾光的秘密 | Producer | ||
| TBA | Zhaoge | 朝歌 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| Ode to Daughter of Great Tang | 大唐女儿行 | Producer, Visual director | ||
| The Heritage | 传家 | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| Song of Youth | 玉楼春 | Screenwriter, Producer |
Web series
| Year | English Title | Chinese Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Crazy for Palace | 我为宫狂 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| 2014 | Crazy for Palace 2 | 我为宫狂2 | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| 2015 | The Backlight of Love | 逆光之恋 | Producer | |
| 2016 | Demon Girl | 半妖倾城 | Producer | |
| Memory Lost | 美人為餡 | Producer | ||
| Demon Girl 2 | 半妖倾城2 | Producer | ||
| 2017 | King is not Easy | 大王不容易 | Producer |
Yu Zheng Studio (Huanyu Film)
Male artists
- Nie Yuan
- Xu Kai
- Song Weilong
- Merxat
- Zhao Yiqin
- Zhang Yijie (张逸杰)
- Sun Ao (孙傲)
- Hong Yao (洪尧)
- He Fengtian (何奉天)
- Wang Maolei (王茂蕾)
- Wang Yizhe (王一哲)
- Wang Yuwei (王宇威)
Female artists
- Ning Jing
- Wu Jiayi
- Bai Lu
- Wu Jinyan
- Yang Rong
- Liu Min (刘敏)
- Zhang Nan (张南)
- Gao Yu'er (高雨儿)
- Zhang Zexi (张译兮)
Former artists
Awards
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Last Princess | Annual Golden TVS Award | Best Screenwriter | Won | |
| 2009 | Shanghai Modern Award | Screenwriter Award | Won | ||
| 2011 | Palace | Grand Ceremony of Movie & TV New Forces | Most Popular Screenwriter | Won | |
| 16th Asian Television Awards | Best Screenwriter | Won | |||
| Youku Film and Television Award | Screenwriter Award | Won | |||
| 2012 | Palace II | 2012 Qiyi Festival | TV Producer of the Year | Won | |
| 2014 | Swordsman | Chinese American Film Festival | Best Screenwriter | Won | |
| 2019 | — | China Entertainment Industry Summit (Golden Pufferfish Awards) | Celebrity Producer of the Year | Nominated | [35] |
References
- ^ "Yu Zheng wants to revive Chinese film industry: my goal is to become another Ang Lee". 2013.
- ^ "Yu Zheng Changes Yun Zhong Ge From Han Dynasty to Wuxia Premise". 2012.
- ^ 著名编辑于正作客QQ 畅谈《烟花三月》创作灵感 (in Chinese). Tencent. 2005-04-30. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ^ 于正：编剧制片人"一肩挑" (in Chinese). 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ^ 于正档案 (in Chinese). 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ^ 资料：于正个人档案 (in Chinese). Sina. 2005. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
- ^ a b c d (in Chinese) 于正称借鉴不是问题 琼瑶打压晚辈
- ^ (in Chinese) 《荆轲传奇》刚播就惹官司 编剧要告“编剧”
- ^ (in Chinese) 林心如与制作人于正微博交火
- ^ (in Chinese) 于正微博大骂林心如 借老板之名泡帅哥
- ^ 习辛指于正借机炒作 称杨蓉耍大牌才将其辞退 (in Chinese). Xinmin News. 2012.
- ^ 于正诽谤案尘埃落定：习辛胜诉 导演也有职业操守 (in Chinese). Netease. 2013.
- ^ 沈泰掌掴于正被拘留三天 坚决不道歉 (in Chinese). Sina. 2013.
- ^ 沈泰承认打于正怒骂其恶心:胡来还抽他 (in Chinese). Sina. 2013.
- ^ 于正与主演戴娇倩"互黑" "禁止"对方出席发布会 (in Chinese). 2014.
- ^ Chiung Yao Sues Yu Zheng for Plagiarism
- ^ a b (in Chinese) 于正，他们忍你很久了
- ^ (in Chinese) 琼瑶著作权案 法院驳回于正管辖异议申请
- ^ "Court Supports Chiung Yao's Plagiarism Charges". China Radio International. 2014-12-25.
- ^ "Plagiarism case: Yu Zheng lost the first trial". Sina. 2014-12-25.
- ^ 琼瑶告于正案首现"专家辅助" 行业内先于法律管理
- ^
- ^ 继续声援! 又有30余位编剧支持琼瑶诉于正
- ^ (in Chinese) 《大清后宫》抄袭《金枝欲孽》？
- ^ "Tong Hua Fed Up with Yu Zheng's Plagiarism". JayneStars. 2014-06-08.
- ^ (in Chinese) 于正桐华互指抄袭 圈内人士一边倒支持桐华
- ^ 于正涉嫌抄袭已十年 "惯犯"竟成荧屏"赢家" (in Chinese). 2014.
- ^ a b 琼瑶诉于正抄袭 编剧李亚玲：愿协助作证 (in Chinese). 2014.
- ^ "Yu Zheng embroiled in another TV drama plagiarism case". China.org.cn. 2015-03-12.
- ^ a b "Trending in China: Entertainers Call for Boycott of Copycat Screenwriters". Caixinglobal.com. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Story of Yanxi Palace creator Yu Zheng says sorry for plagiarism, as does writer Guo Jingming – years after court rulings against them". scmp.com. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ 《我就是演员3》于正镜头被删,往期节目被下架,彻底凉了？. 163.com (in Chinese). 3 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ "Yu Zheng Adapts Successful "Palace" Series with Movie Spin-off". 2013.
- ^ "Yu Zheng Pardons Rapist Character in Upcoming "The Condor Heroes"". JayneStars. 2013.
- ^ "2019金河豚奖入围名单" (in Chinese).
External links
- Yu Zheng on Sina Weibo (in Chinese)
- (in Chinese) Yu Zheng