EXCLUSIVE: Music to arthouse film lovers’ ears: Wong Kar Wai‘s epic drama series Blossoms Shanghai is finally getting an international release, via Mubi.
Mubi will release the 30-part drama series in Latin America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Turkey and India. Dates haven’t been set yet. There’s still no word on a UK or U.S. release.
Blossoms Shanghai marks the first ever series for the revered Hong Kong filmmaker, known for acclaimed movies such as Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love and 2046.
Based on the novel Blossoms by Jin Yucheng, Blossoms Shanghai chronicles the ascent of a self-made millionaire Ah Bao, the Jay Gatsby of Shanghai, from the slums to the height of the gilded city. The series explores how Bao personifies the idealism and adventurism that defined the city in the 1990s. Starring are Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan and Xin Zhilei. Cinematographer is Peter Pau, Oscar winner for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The deal was made between Block 2 Distribution and MUBI.
The series first aired in China on CCTV-8 and Tencent Video in late 2023 and there have long been hopes it would find an international and domestic distributor or even play at a major festival. It was made ten years after his last movie (The Grandmaster) and was three years in production throughout the pandemic.
Efe Cakarel, Founder & CEO, MUBI, said: “Wong Kar Wai was the inspiration behind starting MUBI. His work has always represented everything we aspire to champion: bold vision, emotional depth, and a singular sense of beauty. To bring Blossoms Shanghai—his first series—to MUBI is profoundly meaningful. It’s a sweeping, deeply personal masterpiece, and we’re honored to share it with audiences around the world.”
The voracious Mubi is increasingly mixing in TV to its platform. Previous exclusive series include Wiliam Kentridge’s Self Portrait as a Coffee Pot, and Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom Trilogy. To mark the 35th anniversary of its release, David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks (1990) and Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series (2017), will also be coming to MUBI in select territories from 13 June 2025.
Recent and upcoming MUBI releases include Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound starring Paul Mescal, Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind starring Josh O’Connor, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value starring Renate Reinsve, Oscar winning Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance starring Demi Moore, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer starring Daniel Craig, and Magnus von Horn’s Oscar nominated The Girl with the Needle.
