LayarHijau – Zhao Lusi is once again making headlines after rumors surfaced that she may be stepping into a new role as a short-drama producer. The speculation comes amid uncertainty surrounding the actress’s previously rumored comeback project, which was expected to mark her return to filming after a lengthy break.
Back in April 2026, Zhao Lusi revealed that she was planning to return to filming during the summer. At the time, she said she wanted to take on a project centered on women, including their lives and emotional experiences.
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Her comments soon sparked speculation about which project she would choose for her comeback. One title that was repeatedly linked to her was As Beautiful as You Want (要多美丽就多美丽), a modern drama adapted from a novel by Yi Shu.
However, it is important to note that Zhao Lusi has never confirmed that the drama she referred to was As Beautiful as You Want. Her involvement in the project has remained based on industry reports and online speculation.
The casting rumors surrounding the project have also changed. Xu Kai was previously widely rumored to be the male lead and was expected to reunite with Zhao Lusi after their previous collaboration. However, his side has since denied the reports. A report published on August 15 again stated that Xu Kai’s side had rejected the claim that he would star in the drama.
As a result, neither Zhao Lusi’s involvement nor the full cast of As Beautiful as You Want has been officially confirmed.
Meanwhile, Zhao Lusi later offered some insight into the status of the project she was preparing to film.
During a livestream on July 21, Zhao Lusi revealed that she had originally planned to start filming in August. However, she said she still had not received the revised version of the script at that point.
Her comments were significant because they showed how important a completed script has become to her decision-making process. Zhao Lusi has made it clear that she does not want to rush into production simply for the sake of returning to work if the material is not ready.
As a result, her August filming plans became uncertain. Some reports later claimed that the project had been delayed because the script revisions could not be completed on schedule.
Around the same time, Zhao Lusi’s studio made another notable move. In July 2026, the studio opened a public call for original scripts in an effort to find promising new projects.
The submission call was open to writers from different backgrounds and did not require a specific level of industry experience. It reportedly received thousands of submissions within a short period.
One of the names said to have submitted a project was Jin Guodong (金国栋), a screenwriter known for Boss & Me (杉杉来了), the hit drama starring Zhang Han and Zhao Liying.
Now, another rumor has emerged suggesting that Zhao Lusi may be taking a more active role behind the camera.
Several Weibo accounts recently shared screenshots allegedly taken from promotional materials for a new short-drama account associated with Zhao Lusi’s team.
According to the screenshots, the account is described as a new account for a Zhao Lusi drama rather than the actress’s personal account. It is reportedly expected to livestream on Douyin while also releasing behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and exclusive full episodes.
The promotional material also describes the upcoming drama as a Zhao Lusi-produced project featuring several female leads and primarily targeting female viewers.
More notably, the project is reportedly scheduled to begin filming on August 22, 2026, with an online premiere planned for September 16 or 17. Its release period is said to last approximately one and a half months.
The account is also reportedly being positioned as a commercial platform targeting young women, particularly Gen Z consumers and urban white-collar workers. Potential brand partnerships reportedly include food, personal-care products, household cleaning products, and light health products.
If the information turns out to be accurate, the project would mark an interesting new development in Zhao Lusi’s career. Rather than simply appearing in front of the camera, she would be taking on a more active role in developing and producing content.
However, neither Zhao Lusi nor her studio has officially confirmed the rumor.
The original source of the screenshots is also unknown. The title of the short drama has not been revealed, and there is currently no official information about its cast.
It therefore remains unclear whether the rumored short drama is connected to As Beautiful as You Want or is a completely separate project being developed by Zhao Lusi’s team.
For now, the confirmed piece of the story is that Zhao Lusi had previously said she planned to return to filming in August, but in July she revealed that she was still waiting for the revised script. Meanwhile, As Beautiful as You Want remains a rumored project associated with her and has not been confirmed as the drama she will star in.
The latest short-drama rumor now raises another question: will Zhao Lusi continue waiting for her next major drama to be ready, or is she preparing to build a new path for herself by taking greater control over production through short-form dramas?
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