Every few months, I'm asked if Wong Kar-wai is working on a new film. Rumors do surface on Chinese social media every so often, but they never go anywhere. The latest might actually be legit. It's called "Northern Story," and it's not a movie. Chinese coverage calls it a drama series, and Douban lists it as a TV show with Wong as director.
The premise is an original period drama based on the real story of a female entrepreneur from Qinhuangdao. It's set during China's reform era and built around a strong female lead. It reads like his last project, the 30-episode TV series "Blossoms Shanghai," but set up north.
We've been here before. Back in January 2025, I wrote that a Chinese outlet was reporting we'd have to wait longer for Wong's next film because he was working on yet another Chinese TV series. That seems to be this project. One report at the time claimed Wong had signed a three-series deal with a streamer, with "Blossoms" as the first of the three.
Casting has been pure speculation. Tang Yan, Yang Mi, Yang Zi and Zhao Liying have all been floated, but nothing has been confirmed. Douban shows a tentative 2028 premiere, but there's no cast, no episode count and no shoot date.
Timing matters here too. Last November, the "Blossoms" scandal blew up. Screenwriter Gu Er claimed he wrote large parts of the scripts while being paid ¥3,000 a month as Wong's personal assistant, not as a writer. Then came the leaked recordings.
At the time, I said it was hard to see how Wong recovers. Then again, public outrage only has real consequences in China when it lines up with official interests, which may explain why Wong is still standing. It doesn't hurt that he's the auteur behind the most acclaimed movie of the last 25 years, "In the Mood for Love." Either that or David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" keeps topping the prestige polls.
And it's now been 13 years since "The Grandmaster." Remember "Chungking Express 2036," the sequel China's film administration approved for development? It seems to have been put on the back burner.
At this point, it's fair to ask whether Wong has quietly given up on cinema. "Blossoms" was announced as his next film before it turned into a 30-episode series. His last two features, "My Blueberry Nights" and "The Grandmaster," got only decent reviews, nothing close to the rapture that greeted "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," "Happy Together" and "In the Mood for Love." If "Northern Story" ever happens, it'll be more proof that the auteur who defined '90s arthouse cinema no longer sees himself as relevant to today's film world.
It’s now been 13 years since "The Grandmaster,” and it doesn’t sound like Wong Kar-wai will be making another film in the near future. His future seems to be on the small screen.