LayarHijau – Upcoming fantasy drama Canghai Huakai (滄海花開), previously titled Yuedu Hualuo, is already making headlines before filming even begins. According to Chinese entertainment reports, actress Li Landi has allegedly dropped out of the project due to dissatisfaction over changes in billing order that reportedly favored Ding Yuxi.
Sources revealed that Ding Yuxi and Li Landi were initially promised equal billing as co-leads, sharing the same level of on-screen credit. However, an internal production sheet that recently circulated online suggested that Ding Yuxi had been promoted to the first lead position, while Li Landi was listed as a “special guest star,” ranking third after the second male lead.
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The sudden change sparked outrage among Li Landi’s fans, who accused the production team of breaking their earlier promise and prioritizing Ding Yuxi’s status to maintain market appeal. Other reports claimed that the drama’s original male lead was supposed to be Yang Yang, but after he turned down the role, it was offered to Ding Yuxi—along with a new title aimed at increasing its commercial value.
The controversy comes amid a wave of disputes in the Chinese drama industry over “billing wars” or fanwei zhengyi. Recently, another Xinli Media project, The Poisonous Empress of the General Family (将门毒后), rumored to star Dylan Wang (Wang Hedi) and Meng Ziyi, also made headlines over a similar issue. Coincidentally, both dramas are produced by Xinli Media, which has been under intense scrutiny following the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring director Wong Kar-wai and screenwriter Qin Wen making critical remarks about several A-list stars.
While Li Landi’s rumored withdrawal has yet to be confirmed, many of her fans have voiced their support. The actress is currently enjoying a career upswing following her breakout role in Coroner’s Diary (朝雪錄) opposite Ao Ruipeng, which established her as one of the most popular post-95 generation actresses. She is now filming Take a Nap (海島舒服日誌) alongside Liu Haoran, and therefore doesn’t seem affected by potentially losing one project.
For Ding Yuxi, however, Canghai Huakai is viewed as a crucial comeback opportunity. His ongoing drama Fight for Love (山河枕) with Victoria Song has not been performing well in ratings or public reception, with reports indicating that some advertisers have even pulled out early. Many industry watchers note that he is still seeking a new hit to restore the popularity he once enjoyed with Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy (永夜星河).
While Li Landi is riding high on her recent success, Ding Yuxi appears to be navigating a challenging transition phase in his career. He is said to be looking for a project that can once again showcase his strengths as an actor. That’s why Canghai Huakai was expected to be an important turning point. But with Li Landi’s reported exit still up in the air, the drama’s future remains uncertain.
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