Hong Kong director Stanley Chan and mainland Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi’s film “Jiangyuan Lane” unveiled the entire cast’s looks for the first time on June 3, sparking netizens’ surprise as they could hardly recognize the actors. The movie will be split into two parts, with the first part named “Jiangyuan Lane: The Case” officially announced to premiere on June 21, expected to be a blockbuster hit for the summer season.
“Jiangyuan Lane” started filming in 2023 and had its premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2024. After three years, on June 3, 2025, the film released a teaser trailer and revealed the cast’s looks for the first time.
The poster displayed a powerful ensemble cast with characters taking on unconventional appearances: Zhang Ziyi with a scar covering her face and sharp gaze looking aged; Yang Mi appearing unkempt as a female prisoner; Jackson Yee playing a blind fortune teller with a bald head and one eye, exuding extreme desolation; Zhao Liying as a pioneering female writer with wavy curls and bold red lipstick; and Li Xian sporting a beard for his role, taking on a ruthless villain character for the first time.
Previously, there were rumors of fan arguments between Yang Mi and Zhao Liying’s supporters over screen time allocation. In the official poster, director Stanley Chan seemingly deliberately placed the two actresses in corresponding positions at the center.
From the trailer, following the swift pace of the character Jan Chau (played by Zhang Ziyi), the residents of Jiangyuan Lane appeared one by one: some curious onlookers, some whispering, some showing concern, all observing the woman in a blood-stained cheongsam in different postures. Dark corridors, a dripping handbag, the rundown lane entrance… However, as Jan Chau was about to leave Jiangyuan Lane, everything came to a halt, building up the tension surrounding the murder mystery.
Since its appearance at the Cannes Film Festival last year, “Jiangyuan Lane” had remained silent until recently when it was announced as the opening film of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. Notably, the film was revealed to be split into two parts, with the first part titled “Jiangyuan Lane: The Case.”
Addressing fans’ concerns about box office performance, director Stanley Chan released a short film explaining, “This work has a complex plot and numerous characters, covering pivotal historical moments, making a single film unable to contain it all. After careful consideration and refinement, our team decided to present it in two parts.” He admitted that this was a bold attempt and a “great risk.”
The film depicts the 1944 “Jiangyuan Lane murder case,” one of the four great mysteries of the Republic of China. The first part focuses on the investigation and trial process, while the second part showcases the trial outcome and the characters’ fates.