Any new Wong Kar Wai project is an event. But his first-ever TV series? That’s historic. Thanks to an IndieWire report, we now know that “Blossoms Shanghai” – the filmmaker’s lavish, 1990s-set drama that took China by storm – is heading to The Criterion Channel for its North American debut.
If you’ve been waiting to see Wong’s signature romantic melancholy stretched across 30 episodes of rise-and-fall storytelling, your moment has arrived.
What’s ‘Blossoms Shanghai’ About?
Adapted from Jin Yucheng’s award-winning novel, the series follows Ah Bao (Hu Ge), a self-made millionaire who claws his way up during Shanghai’s economic boom in the ‘90s – only to find that holding onto wealth is much harder than getting it.
Wong himself describes it as a story about “desire and destiny” set against China’s “pivotal moment of reinvention.” Translation? Expect lush cinematography (this is Wong Kar Wai, after all), complex yearning romance (obviously), a Gatsby-esque rise and fall (Ah Bao has been called Shanghai’s Jay Gatsby), and all the moody, neon-soaked nostalgia that made In the Mood for Love a masterpiece.
Why This Is a Major Get for Criterion
Criterion and Wong Kar Wai have a long-standing relationship; their “World of Wong Kar Wai” box set is basically film-school required viewing. But “Blossoms Shanghai” marks a first for both: Wong’s TV debut (30 episodes means way more time to luxuriate in his style), Criterion’s biggest series acquisition yet (they’re known for films, so this is a power move), and a continuation of Wong’s Shanghai trilogy (after In the Mood for Love and 2046, this is the first actually set in his birthplace).
Oh, and if you needed more proof this is prestige TV, lead actor Hu Ge (a massive star in China) won Best Actor at the Shanghai Television Festival for his performance.
When Can You Watch It?
North America will get it streaming soon on The Criterion Channel (exact date TBA), with UK/Ireland/Australia/NZ also coming to Criterion but no date yet. While no theatrical release has been announced, with In the Mood for Love getting a 25th-anniversary re-release this summer (starting June 27 in NYC), maybe we’ll get special screenings.
Wong Kar Wai’s Still Got It
At a time when TV is dominated by IP factories and algorithm-driven content, “Blossoms Shanghai” feels like a rarity: an auteur’s vision, uncompromised, just bigger. If you love slow burns, tragic romance, and cinematography that hurts to look at, this is your next obsession.
Will you be tuning in? Or rewatching Chungking Express to prepare?
RJ Tantoco is a writer and researcher with a passion for all things strange, geeky, and genre-bending. Whether it’s horror slashers, offbeat indie gems, or the latest multiverse mind-bender, RJ dives deep. His writing blends fandom with sharp analysis, offering fresh takes on cult favorites and cinematic oddities alike. When he’s not watching movies, he’s probably studying for his masters or deep on an RPG quest.