More Than Blue TV series starts production in July 2020

[Taipei, 24 March 2020] The team behind the 2018 hit Taiwanese romantic film More Than Blue《比悲傷更悲傷的故事》is reuniting this summer to start production on a television series based on the film.

Produced by mm2 Taiwan (滿滿額), and in association with Goodfilms Workshop, the 10-episode series will feature the star-crossed lovers, Chang Che-Kai and Sung Yuan-Yuan in their student days, as well as flesh out the backstories of the supporting characters in the original film.

The production budget is estimated at 180 million Taiwan dollars (S$8.6 million), and production is scheduled to begin July 7, 2020.

Returning to the project are Producer Rita Chuang 莊淳淳, Gavin Lin 林孝謙, and Hermes Lu 呂安弦 director and screenwriter of the original film respectively.

The television series will be helmed by the up-and-coming director, Pei-Ju Hsieh 谢沛如, Winner of the Audience Award for her film《大餓》at the 2019 Taipei Film Festival. Director Hsieh will be tasked to inject a fresh perspective to this popular narrative.

The film, More Than Blue is a Taiwanese adaptation of a 2009 Korean romantic movie. The Taiwanese film was hugely successful because it was able to convey the strong core storyline of the Korean original with elements of contemporary Chinese culture.

The film broke box office records in 2018 when it made just under 240 million Taiwan dollars in the Taiwanese release and over 950 million Chinese yuan (S$195 million) in its release in China. The film similarly holds records for the highest-grossing Taiwanese film of 2018 in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

"We are incredibly optimistic about the fans' interest in the new television series as evidence from the online forums on the subject," says Chen Qi Yuan 陈其远 General Manager at mm2 Taiwan.

"There has been several outstanding dramas released in Taiwan recently that have done very well in the ratings, and we are expecting a new wave of interest for the format."

Producer Rita Chuang adds, "Because the 2018 film was so well-received, it is of the utmost importance for the television series to surpass both the original films' tone in terms of emotional depth; to move the hearts of the fans and new audiences alike."

"The the biggest challenge is maintaining the sentimentality of the story while weaving in more emotionally poignant plots to portray the experiences of true love," Producer Gavin Lin says.

"We hope that through this drama, the audience will see the potential and capability in the new generation of actors in Taiwan, and will feel motivated to face dilemmas with courage."

Director Xie Pei Ru has watched the original movies repeatedly and has analysed several films with similar themes. "I really admire how More than Blue successfully creates an emotional atmosphere that resonates with the audience, and I intend to follow this lead."

She also expresses that she is honoured to have the opportunity to work with Director Gavin Lin and the outstanding team behind the original film, and hopes that the upcoming drama will add depth and detail to the familiar characters that are well-loved by the audience.

Casts are to be confirmed. The show is expected to be broadcasted in 2021. Negotiations with major international entertainment platforms are still ongoing. mm2 Asia has been appointed as the global distributor outside of China.