Zhao Liying starring in the new film “The Road of Fire”, with co-stars Xiao Yang and Liu Ye, premiered in Mainland China for over two hours on October 1st, and raked in 35 million yuan at the box office. As of October 2nd, the film has crossed the 100 million yuan mark in just two days of release.
“The Road of Fire” mainly tells the story of three parents whose children were kidnapped, coincidentally coming together to embark on a journey to combat child trafficking. Xiao Yang plays Cui Dalu, whose child has been missing for 6 years; Zhao Liying plays Li Hongying, whose child was sold by her ex-husband; while Liu Ye plays Zhao Zishan, whose child died after being abducted. The film portrays their despair and anguish after losing their children, but more prominently, it depicts their deep-seated hatred towards human traffickers and their collective quest for revenge.
During the promotion of the new film, Liu Ye shared his filming experience. He expressed that all the bitterness and hardships along the way stemmed from the characters’ relentless pursuit of their own flesh and blood in the movie. Hinting at the storyline, he teased about whether the children were ultimately found, leaving it for the audience to discover, but he swiftly turned his focus to praise Zhao Liying, saying, “Miss Zhao Liying once again amazed me. She successfully portrayed a resilient and fearless mother figure, haha!”
Audiences have praised Zhao Liying’s portrayal of Li Hongying for breaking away from the traditional image of a sorrowful female lead. Instead of merely weeping, the mother whose child was abducted exhibits strength. Even after knowing her child has been found, she decisively takes matters into her own hands and seeks revenge on the human traffickers. The director commended Zhao Liying, saying, “Inside her petite body lies tremendous energy,” while the viewers hailed her performance as a way to vent frustration.
Liu Ye disclosed that nowadays, whenever the cast and crew of “The Road of Fire” gather for meals, Zhao Liying foots the entire bill. When asked about the reason behind this, Liu Ye quipped, “After several months of being together on set, we discovered that she is a very generous young lady, especially when it comes to bill payments.” Nevertheless, he jokingly added, “Of course, when she picks up the check, there’s a bigger discount available. Every time we settle the bill, the owner says just sign an autograph and take a photo for a discount,” leaving everyone in stitches.