“The Circle” is an upcoming Web television drama set in Beijing and Hollywood. It will combine the female empowerment feel of the U.S. entertainment hits “Entourage” and “Mean Girls.”
The Web show follows the story of a young Chinese woman who makes it as an actress after quitting her office job. The show aims to depict life in the male-dominated film industry.
Zora Media production company will back the program.
According to Tess Liu, a producer affiliated with the firm, "some U.S. shows were taken offline recently," adding that such makes an "opportunity to create an original Chinese show."
"If we create something, it has to be popular with a Chinese audience," Liu added.
Asked about the Web TV drama, Liu said that it is a female project, and the lead roles are all female. It's important to have a strong female dimension."
The main character will be played by actress Cindy Zhang. Angela Gao and Mike Sui will also join the cast.
"The Circle" will be helmed by U.S. director Jennifer Schwerin, who has also been in the Chinese film industry since 1995.
The show will be aired via the online video channel LeTV, one of the biggest streaming services in China. It eyes to capture the 15-45-year-old populace.
Initially, the plan for "The Circle" is to run for three seasons with 12 episodes each.
Shooting for the show will commence in July, both in Beijing and in Hollywood, and is expected to last for two months. The first season will have 80 percent of its scenes taken in Hollywood.
The censorship rules released by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television have prompted players such as LeTV, Youku Tudou and iQyi to start making their own content.
However, these firms must address the issue that Web dramas often do not have a great reputation.