First Stills of Tian Long Ba Bu remake starring Tony Yang and Janice Man

Tony Yang as Qiao Feng

The drama adaptation of Tian Long Ba Bu (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils) 天龙八部 based on a novel of the same name held its opening ceremony for the Dali portion of filming today. At a time when a number of Jin Yong classics like The Return of the Condor Heroes and Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slying Saber are also getting remakes, the trend seems to gear towards choosing newcomers to play iconic wuxia characters. 

Janice Man as Wang Yuyan

Bai Shu as Duan Yu

Tian Long Ba Bu may not have the biggest stars but it brings together many familiar faces. That in itself opens up the show to public comment both good and bad, though I think it's paid off with a cast that seem perfect for their roles. Even though filming has been ongoing for months, the only news that has come out was when one of its stars Viva He reportedly got into a minor accident after falling off a horse.

Zhang Tianyang as Xu Zhu

Su Qing as A Zhu

Viva He Hongshan as A Zi

After all the secrecy, the show finally introduces the cast with new stills and a new rounds of filming to begin in Dali, Yunnan Province. Truth be told, I tired midway through the 2013 adaptation of the story, but this is looking good! Tony Yang (Monster Hunt 2) is not my first choice for Qiao Feng but his transformation after the costume and hair is quite convincing. I could say the same for the rest of the cast. 

Janice Man (Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy) plays the beautiful Wang Yuyan. The 25-year-old actor Bai Shu (My Girlfriend's Boyrfriend) is a blank page to me but visually appealing as Duan Yu. Zhang Tianyang (The Legend of Jasmine) plays Xu Zhu. Su Qing (Story of Yanxi Palace) and Viva He Hongshan (Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace) play A Zhu and A Zi. After Viva He's performance as the bratty consort in Ruyi, she seems perfect for A Zi. 

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