Hou Ming Hao and Xu Zhen Xuan’s ‘Immortalis’ begins filming – booting ceremony photos released
Michelle Topham 
Hou Ming Hao and Xu Zhen Xuan – two of China’s busiest actors
If you’ve watched enough Chinese dramas this year, you’ve probably come across Hou Ming Hao or Xu Zhen Xuan at least once, as both actors starred in a couple of hit dramas in 2025.
Hou Ming Hao was male lead in the recently ended hit drama Love in the Clouds, and in I Am Nobody: The Showdown Between Yin & Yan earlier in the year, as well as had a prominent guest role in Love in Pavilion.
He has also just finished filming the historical romance drama Key to the Phoenix Heart, one of my most-anticipated C-dramas as it co-stars the wonderful Ai Mi.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhen Xuan starred in The Journey of Legend and Time Raiders this year, and will soon be heading our way in the Republican era drama Overdo.
Before that, of course, both appeared in the smash hit Fangs of Fortune last year, with Hou Ming Hao in a lead role as demon Zhao Yuan Zhou, and Xu Zhen Xuan in as support role as Ying Lei.
Hou Ming Hao and Xu Zhen Xuan reunite for main roles in Immortalis
Fans of Hou Ming Hao and Xu Zhen Xuan will be thrilled today then as the latest drama starring two of China’s most hardworking actors — Immortalis — has now been confirmed as kicking off its filming.
The drama also stars Zhang Wen Xin, with iQIYI confirming its main cast this morning, dropping booting ceremony photos, and commenting about its plot:
Hidden sword light, a mystery unfolds, but the path of confusion will eventually be broken.
Yep, Hou Ming Hao and Xu Zhen Xuan have reunited for another cool looking project, while Xu Zhen Xuan is also reuniting with Time Raiders’ director Pan An Zi, and I for one am psyched.
Production information for Immortalis (aka 碧血蝉)
Like many Chinese dramas nowadays, Immortalis is based on a web novel. This time on one called “Bi Xue Chan” (碧血蝉) that was written by Bu Ming Yan (不明眼).
The wuxia mystery thriller is being directed by Pan An Zi, with scripts by San Xian.
iQIYI describes its plot:
Three “masked heroes” — Yang Wujian (played by Hou Ming Hao), Shen Qingshi (played by Zhang Wen Xin), and Zhou Huai (played by Xu Zhen Xuan) — each with opposing backgrounds and hidden identities, join forces on a journey to uncover the secret of immortality.
Yet all the bizarre and extraordinary events they encounter along the way prove to be interconnected, pointing toward a single grand conspiracy. Together, the trio works to quell the looming disaster and ultimately break free from the destinies that have bound them.
Immortalis is scheduled as a 40-episode drama, so will be shooting for at least three months, likely longer.
Just to kick off its promotion early, though, six character visuals of the three main cast members also came out this morning.
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