LayarHijau.com – On December 16, the drama "24 Strategies of Chang'an" announced its main cast.
Cheng Yi will take the leading role, joined by Xu Lu, as previously reported. Other cast members include Wang Jinsong, Liu Yijun, Zhou Qi, Tong Mengshi, Ni Dahong, Zhang Hanyu, Han Tongsheng, and others.
Rumors about Cheng Yi starring in this drama began circulating in May of this year, but his team did not respond to the speculation.
Fans of Cheng Yi in China feel that the actor's silence suggests an indirect rejection. In other words, they believe he may not actually want to take on this role.
In the comments on the official announcement for the drama, Cheng Yi's fans protested, accusing the production of exploiting his popularity for publicity. They also alleged that the drama team and the actor's management are pressuring him to participate in the project. Rumor has it that if Cheng Yi declines this drama, Huanrui will not approve any future projects he takes on, as reported by Sohu.
A few days ago, news broke that the filming of the drama had been suspended. Fans of the actor question why, if he truly wanted to star in the drama, he hasn't joined the rest of the cast on set.
As of now, neither Cheng Yi's team nor the drama's production has responded to the fans' protests.