Yu Zheng

Yu Zheng (; born 28 February 1978) is a Chinese screenwriter and showrunner. Founder of Huanyu Entertainment, Yu is known for the historical romance dramas Palace, Story of Yanxi Palace (2018), and The Double (2024), as well as for his high-profile, outspoken, and sometimes controversial media presence.

Biography

Early life Yu was born and raised in Haining, Zhejiang. After high school, he moved to Shanghai, where he became an auditor at Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Career In August 1998, Yu signed with TVB as a screenwriter. One year later, he signed with Li Huimin Studio . In July 2003, Yu transferred to Taiwan Star International Entertainment Company . In 2008, he founded Yu Studio . In June 2009, he founded the Quansheng Time Film and Television Company . In 2012, Yu co-founded Huanyu Entertainment with Yang Le (Coco Yang), subsuming Yu Studio. was threatening to sue director Raymond Lee over the drama Assassinator Jing Ke, because Yu's name did not appear in the credits. Lee did not respond, but writer Wang Qiuyu published a blog asking for Yu's apology, adding "Finally some sincere advices to Yu, a creator is not a businessman. Spend more time creating, less energy on gaining exposures." Yu did not follow up on his legal threats. In 2014, Yu suggested on a talk show that Lin was his most despised actress due to her "double-dealing." In 2016, half a month after Lin's marriage to Wallace Huo, Yu posted on Weibo a photo of Lin's wedding pastries, extending his best wishes for her, indicating a reconciliation of their years-long feud.

Xi Xin On October 30, 2012, Yu alleged on his Weibo that a "certain director" had fired an actress for refusing his sexual advances. On November 6, director Xi Xin publicly accused Yu of defamation and filed a lawsuit when Yu refused to apologize. In November 2013, Beijing First Intermediate People's Court ruled in Xi's favor.

Shen Tai On March 18, 2013, Yu was physically assaulted by actor Shen Tai in a coffee shop. Shen served three days in detention but refused to apologize. Yu claimed he was beaten because he refused Shen's demands for a role in his drama. Shen denied this allegation and wrote on Weibo: "Everybody has a bottom line. Knowing such a person can only be described as disgusting. If he does stupid things again, I will slap him just the same."

Plagiarism

Chiung Yao On April 2, 2014, actress Shirley Dai claimed that the Yu TV drama Palace 3: The Lost Daughter she starred in was based on Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao's 1992 novel Plum Blossom Scar . Yu responded with a rant on his Weibo, calling "a certain actress" an attention seeker.

Shortly after the drama aired in China on April 7, Chiung Yao released an open letter to China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television on April 15, accusing Yu of blatant plagiarism and seeking the immediate suspension of the TV series broadcast. Yu denied the claim, stating he was a fan of Chiung Yao with no intention of offending her. On April 28, a team led by Wang Jun from Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Yu.

On April 17, novelist Meiyuzhe claimed that Palace 3: The Lost Daughter plagiarized not only Chiung Yao's novel but also her own The Imperial Enterprise . Meiyuzhe claimed that it was not the first time Yu plagiarized from her novels. On December 12, 109 Chinese screenwriters published a joint statement supporting Chiung Yao's lawsuit against Yu. The following day, an additional 30 Chinese screenwriters expressed their support for Chiung Yao. On December 25, 2014, the court ruled in Chiung Yao's favor, ordering four companies to stop distributing and broadcasting The Palace: The Lost Daughter. The court also demanded that Yu publicly apologize and pay Chiung Yao ¥5 million ($800,000).

Other plagiarism Yu's 2006 drama Concubines of the Qing Emperor had been suspected of plagiarizing the Hong Kong drama War and Beauty (2004). Yu denied it, but stated that his drama "contained the successful parts of classic dramas like War and Beauty, Dae Jang Geum, and Winter Sonata".

Yu's 2011 hit drama Palace was allegedly a plagiarism of several television series and novels, including Tong Hua's Bu Bu Jing Xin as well as the Taiwanese series Meteor Garden. On June 3, 2014, Tong Hua threatened legal actions if Yu continued his plagiarism.

Writers Fu Xing and He Zizhuang have claimed that, in 2003, Yu and Fu Xing co-wrote a script for the drama Take Me to Fly, Take Me for a Walk . Whereas Fu came up with all the characters and relationships, Yu claimed all the credits when he published the script as a book. Yu later wrote an apology letter to Fu, who forgave him. Yu also offered to compensate Fu ¥30,000 but never did.

On March 12, 2015, Yangzhou Intermediate People's Court accepted a plagiarism lawsuit filed by author Zhou Haohui against Yu and others, for allegedly plagiarizing from his novel The Evil Hypnotist for their 2014 TV series Cosmetology High.

On December 21, 2020, Yu and Guo Jingming were highlighted in a joint letter signed by 111 Chinese film and television industry insiders. The joint letter called for immediately stop the publicity and hype of the two who have plagiarism and bad traces, and revise and adjust the related variety shows they are currently participating in. Following his apology, Yu's appearances as a judge in the third episode of the third season of variety show I am the Actor have been removed.

Filmography

Film Year English Title Chinese Title Post Notes Screenwriter 2013 Palace: Lock Sinensis Screenwriter

Television series

Web series

Awards Year Work Award Category Result Notes 2008 The Last Princess Annual Golden TVS Award Best Screenwriter 2009 Shanghai Modern Award Screenwriter Award 2011 Palace Grand Ceremony of Movie & TV New ForcesMost Popular Screenwriter 16th Asian Television Awards Best Screenwriter Youku Film and Television Award Screenwriter Award 2012 Palace II 2012 Qiyi Festival TV Producer of the Year 2014 SwordsmanChinese American Film FestivalBest Screenwriter 2019 China Entertainment Industry Summit (Golden Pufferfish Awards) Celebrity Producer of the Year