Hong Kong star William Chan and others starring in the 30-episode series “The Ninth Gate,” which began airing at the end of last month, has become hugely popular. Recently, the full cast’s remuneration for the series was exposed. William Chan topped the list with a salary of 12 million yuan, a substantial increase from the 8 million yuan he earned for starring in “Only Side by Side with You” with Li Ruo Xi before, marking a 50% surge in his value, surpassing another leading young actor, Cheney Chen, by a margin of 4 million yuan.
“The Ninth Gate,” a sequel to “The Old Nine Gates,” centers around the mysterious disappearance of the “401 Unit.” On a rainy night, elite troops under the command of Defense Officer Zhang Qishan (played by William Chan) vanished outside Changsha while carrying out a secret mission. To uncover the truth, Zhang Qishan enlists the help of Wu Lao Gou (played by Cheney Chen), and Huo Xian Gu (played by Chen Yao), among others. Venturing deep into the underground ancient tomb known as “The Separated World Tower,” they encounter time-space distortions, eerie illusions, and the suffocating mystery of the “800-meter distance.” After facing memory confusion and various crises, Zhang Qishan and Wu Lao Gou join forces to ultimately destroy the Separated World Tower.
Following the temporary resolution of the crisis, Zhang Qishan and the surviving members of The Ninth Gate toast to Jie Jiu Ye (played by Ji Xiaobing) before going their separate ways amidst the great changes of the era, marking a weighty and heroic end to The Ninth Gate legend.
With the airing of “The Ninth Gate,” the cast’s remunerations were made public. William Chan, portraying the young handsome lead Zhang Qishan, reprised his role from the blockbuster drama “The Old Nine Gates” second season in 2016, alongside Zhao Liying and Zhang Yixing, earning the highest salary of 12 million yuan. Cheney Chen, portraying the tomb-raiding expert Wu Lao Gou, closely followed with a remuneration of 8 million yuan as the other male lead earning the second-highest salary in the series.
Chen Yao, in the role of Huo Xian Gu, received 4.5 million yuan, the same as the male supporting actor Xu Zhengxi.
Child star Shi Xiaolong, playing the member of The Ninth Gate known as “Blackie Lao Liu,” adept at using a dagger, being the only member with a background in combat, earned 1 million yuan. As for seasoned actors Li Naiwen and Wang Jinsong in the series, both received the same remuneration of 4 million yuan, and their performances have also been well received by the audience.
Although previously William Chan’s remuneration often exceeded one hundred million yuan in the Chinese entertainment industry, his current salary of 12 million yuan is still a significant increase compared to his previous role in “Only Side by Side with You,” which also saw an additional 4 million yuan increase.
Taiwanese media “The Epoch Times” analyzed the core reasons, stating that firstly, the streaming platform Youku had previously invested a massive amount of 360 million yuan in the S+ level project “The Ninth Gate,” providing top-tier salaries for the main cast supported by the production scale and budget. Secondly, William Chan is the only returning lead actor from the core lineup of the prequel “The Old Nine Gates,” portraying the pivotal character of “Zhang Qishan,” attracting a substantial fan base and nostalgia from the past decade. Furthermore, his popularity with Li Ruo Xi in “Only Side by Side with You” led to an increase in market commercial value and bargaining power simultaneously.