Actors Gao Weiguang and Ma Yili with director Deng-ke.
Production has begun in China on a Mandarin language version of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, set in 1930s Shanghai.
Originally created by Every Cloud Productions and based on books by Kerry Greenwood, it was announced that the Shanghai 99 Visual Company had obtained the Chinese format rights to the series in October 2017.
This is the first Australian television series to have been re-versioned in China and the 30 x 42 minute episodes will air on the Tencent Network in the spring of 2020. In producing the series, the Shanghai 99 Visual Company has also partnered with Tencent Penguin Film and artist management company Easy Entertainment.
Starring as the eponymous lady detective is Chinese actress Yili Ma, awarded best actress at the 2017 Shanghai Television Festival. Jin Weiyi is the head writer and one of the producers. Every Cloud’s Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox, who created the series, will serve as creative consultants to the production.
“It’s such a thrill to be on set in China for the first week of production and to see Miss Fisher incarnated in the fabulous setting of 1930s Shanghai. The cast and crew here are wonderful custodians of the Miss Fisher brand and we look forward to a continuing successful relationship with Shanghai 99,” said Cox and Eagger.
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries has sold to 247 territories in 179 countries, and upcoming feature film spin-off Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears will be released via Roadshow Films and Acorn in the US.
Spin-off series Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, a series of four telemovies set in the ’60s and following Phyrne Fisher’s niece, screened earlier this year via the Seven Network.