LayarHijau.com—Sohu Entertainment reported on March 7 that screenwriter Wu Nian Gu has filed a lawsuit against the producers of the drama "Filter." She posted a message stating: "Hello everyone, I am screenwriter Wu Nian Gu. 'Filter' has aired up to episode 23. Today, I have signed a legal service contract with my lawyer team regarding the copyright dispute involving Zhejiang Xinglian Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd. All subsequent appeal processes will be fully entrusted to my lawyer team. Below are excerpts from the framework and plot of my work. The hard work of screenwriters should be recognized and respected. Screenwriters are the soul and core of a drama, not unknown individuals who can be bullied by others. Trust in the law, and justice is in the hearts of the people."
On February 24, Wu Nian Gu wrote a lengthy post to advocate for recognition of her contributions to the scriptwriting of "Filter." She stated that she was involved in the creation of the "Filter" script and that her plot was clearly used in the trailer, but she was not informed in writing that she would not receive screenwriter credit.
"After the drama concludes, I will summarize the plot that uses my work and that I created. I do not want my three years of writing efforts to be adopted, filmed, and viewed by the audience while my existence is deliberately ignored," she wrote, as reported by Layar Hijau.
On the afternoon of February 25, Zhejiang Xinglian Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd. issued a statement on its official social media platform in response, stating that Deng (pen name "Wu Nian Gu") was one of the screenwriters of "Filter." In October 2022, Deng proposed to resign and withdraw from the project without completing the scriptwriting work. The content he contributed to the screenwriting team did not meet the requirements for a screenwriter's credit. They also stated that "Xinglian Film and Television reserves the right to pursue legal responsibility for Deng's misleading statements on the Internet."
On February 26, screenwriter Wu Nian Gu responded to the controversy over the screenwriter's credit on "Filter" in an interview. In response to the producer's statement that she "quit the project and did not complete the scriptwriting work," she explained that initially, three screenwriters collaborated on the project.
Due to a sick elderly family member, she requested to go home to care for them while writing the script. The scripts she submitted twice were not ideal, so she was asked to withdraw from the project group. "I am not defending my rights because of money, but because I was involved in this project, and yet there is no trace of my existence in it," she clarified.
The drama "Filter," starring Tan Jianci and Li Landi, premiered on WeTV on February 24, 2025. Tan Jianci plays Tang Qi, while Li Landi portrays Su Cheng Cheng. When Su Cheng Cheng, an ordinary woman, acquires a high-tech "filter bracelet" that allows her to change her appearance, her life changes completely. She begins to use the bracelet to adopt different identities, utilizing her newfound abilities to help others. Unaware of her secret, Tang Qi, a man with gradually worsening eyesight, happens to fall for each of Cheng Cheng's personas, only to lose them time and time again.
To protect her identity, Cheng Cheng weaves an increasingly tangled web of lies, deepening Tang Qi’s heartbreak and guilt. Will Cheng Cheng ever reveal the truth to Tang Qi, and can they find true happiness together—without lies or disguises?