Warnermedia’s Turner Asia Pacific has completed filming “The Haunted Heart,” its biggest budget series production.
The Taiwan set drama stars Bryan Chang, star of recent hit movie “More Than Blue.” Nini Ou-yang co-stars as a female video games tester who has such a high level of intelligence that she is able to communicate with ghosts, and solve mysteries. Other cast includes: Tsai Huang Ru and Chang Chieh.
The Chinese-language drama stretches to 30 60-minute episodes, having previously been conceived as a 13-part series. It was then expanded to a 20-part 90-minute structure for the Taiwan market. “The Haunted Heart” is produced by Phenomena, which is run by award-winning producer and scriptwriter Xie Li-ju. The series is also backed by a grant from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, which named it a flagship television drama production and awarded it first place in its 2012 scriptwriting competition.
Turner holds the distribution rights for most of Asia as well as the US, as part of the co-production deal. The series will premiere in mid-2019.
“When I first read the script, it really stood out; it wasn’t at all like the typical Taiwanese idol dramas and rom-coms. It has an unusual amount of depth to it and relatable themes with true heart. The storyline mixes life, death and the supernatural, as well as reality and virtual reality. The decision was made even easier for me by the exceptional production talent and young cast,” said Marianne Lee, VP of general entertainment, Turner Asia Pacific.