Legend of Shen Li is Rumored to Premiere in Early March 2024

The first big costume drama from mainland China to premiere this early Springtime is Legend of Shen Li starring Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin.

Rumors in the Chinese Entertainment industry have it that the production is eyeing for the first week of March for the drama release.

Zhao Liying is also the executive producer of this drama so she has the control of its activities including promotion and scheduling. 

I guess this is the first drama that Zhao Liying puts full investment as head of the production so she must have full trust on its value.

It will be slated to air on Tencent/WeTV, and also on major television stations in China - Hunan TV and Zhejiang TV which means it has a broader scope of release as it covers most provinces in the country. 

Hunan TV and Zhejiang TV are the second and third TV channels in mainland China with the biggest coverage of broadcast after CCTV (the state broadcaster).

If they will push through with an early March premiere date, Legend of Shen Li might clash with Yang Mi's Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Yuehong as iQiyi is also eyeing for an early March premiere date. 

Plot Summary: Legend of Shen Li:

In ancient times during the wars between gods and demons, many have died and only one survived. Emperor Hang Zhi (Lin Gengxin). But after that, he refused to see anyone and was nowhere to be found. 

Several hundred years later, a female demon lord, Shen Li (Zhao Liying), was born with a pearl in her mouth. When she was pressured into a political marriage with the Celestial Emperor’s son on her 1000th birthday, she escaped.

But on her way of escaping, Shen Li got attacked and transformed back to her phoenix shape. 

She fell to the human world in a coma with serious wounds. A vendor took her as a fat chicken, plucked all her feathers, and put her on sale in a cage.

Shen Li woke up to find herself in this situation and got so pissed that she collapsed on her back. As she felt depressed and desperate, a delicate man in black and white stopped and stared at her in deep thought, "I want this chicken." 

And so fate intervenes for the demon lord and the heavenly emperor to meet in the human world. 

Major supporting cast: Xin Yunlai, He Yu, Jackie Li, and Zheng Li