Produced by Michelle Ye (葉璇), Chinese period television drama, Legend of the Purple Hairpin <紫钗奇缘> recently commenced filming in Hengdian World Studios. Starring Michelle Ye as Huo Xiaoyu, Raymond Lam (林峯) as the “Yellow-Clothed One” Nalan Dong, and Michelle Chen (陳妍希) as Lu Jinglan, Legend of the Purple Hairpin is a loose adaptation of the popular traditional opera, The Purple Hairpin <紫釵記>, written by Ming dynasty playwright, Tang Xianzu (湯顯祖). Although it has been ten years since Michelle and Raymond have last worked together, their powerful onscreen chemistry has continued to charm their fans even to this day. When deciding the cast for the drama, Raymond was the first person Michelle considered for the role of Nalan Dong, the drama’s lead male character. She admitted, “Raymond has a very noble look when it comes to costume dramas. He is very casual yet elegant, and very skillful. He absolutely suits the lovesick nature of Nalan Dong. He is my very first choice for the role.” “An opportunity like this is very rare,” said Raymond. “Because we both have very busy work schedules, we could never have a chance to work together. I will cherish this opportunity.” Elaine Jin (金燕玲), Kingdom Yuen (苑瓊丹), Zheng Yitong (郑亦桐), and Zhang Tianqi (张天其) will also star in the drama. However, an actor for Legend of the Purple Hairpin’s other male lead, Li Yi, has not been decided yet. Legend of the Purple Hairpin takes place during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and will focus its story on the romantic fate of four characters – dancer Huo Xiaoyu, the heroic “yellow-clothed one” Nalan Dong, the scholar Li Yi, and the brave Lu Jinglan. Ka Wai Nam (賈偉南), the scriptwriter for 1984’s The Duke of Mount Deer <鹿鼎記> and 2009’s Beyond the Realm of Conscience <宮心計>, will helm the script. The drama will incorporate elements of martial arts action and dance. The production company has also put aside a large budget to invest on the drama’s light-weighted and extravagant Tang costumes. Three different dance stages were especially built for the drama’s large-scale action scenes. Besides Hengdian World Studios, Legend of the Purple Hairpin will also film in Xian. Creds: QQ
