Yu Zheng (Chinese: 于正; pinyin: Yú Zhèng; born 28 February 1978) is a Chinese showrunner, screenwriter, and lyricist[1][2]. He is known for Palace (2011), which earned him a Best Screenwriter award at the 16th Asian Television Awards, Female Prime Minister (2013), Story of Yanxi Palace (2018), and The Double (2024).
Yu was born and raised in Haining, Zhejiang. After high school, he moved to Shanghai, where he became an auditor at Shanghai Theatre Academy.[3]
In August 1998, Yu signed with TVB as a screenwriter. One year later, he signed with Li Huimin Studio (Chinese: 李惠民工作室). In July 2003, Yu transferred to Taiwan Star International Entertainment Company (Chinese: 台湾星之国际娱乐公司). In 2008, he founded Yu Zheng Studio (Chinese: 于正工作室). In June 2009, he founded the Quansheng Time Film and Television Company (Chinese: 全盛时代影视公司).[4][5][6]
In December 2004, Yu, then a total unknown[7], was threatening to sue director Raymond Lee over the drama Assassinator Jing Ke, because Yu's name did not appear in the credits.[8] Lee did not respond, but writer Wang Qiuyu (Chinese: 王秋雨) published a blog asking for Yu's apology, adding "Finally some sincere advices to Yu Zheng, a creator is not a businessman. Spend more time creating, less energy on gaining exposures." Yu did not follow up on his legal threats.[7] Talking about the incident in 2014, Lee said, "Yu Zheng is very smart, he knows how to make himself known."[7]
In 2010, actress Ruby Lin, who starred in Yu Zheng-produced Beauty's Rival in Palace, declined to participate in his subsequent project, Beauty World, opting instead to become a producer. Many actors from Beauty's Rival in Palace chose to join Lin's debut project, The Glamorous Imperial Concubine, over Beauty World. On December 12, Yu posted on his Weibo account, insinuating that "someone" was a copycat of his production. Lin responded by expressing her disappointment at Yu, who later denied that his comments were directed at Lin. Despite this, he continued his veiled attacks, writing on Sina Weibo: "What are the benefits for an actress to become a producer?...The correct answer is, for a chance to make out with all the young, hot guys!"[9] In 2014, Yu suggested on a talk show that Lin was his most despised actress due to her "double-dealing."[10] In 2016, half a month after Lin's marriage to Wallace Huo, Yu posted on Weibo a photo of Lin's wedding pastries, extending his best wishes for her, indicating a reconciliation of their years-long feud.
On October 30, 2012, Yu alleged on his Weibo that a "certain director" had fired an actress for refusing his sexual advances. On November 6, director Xi Xin (Chinese: 习辛) publicly accused Yu of defamation and filed a lawsuit when Yu refused to apologize. In November 2013, Beijing First Intermediate People's Court ruled in Xi's favor.[11][12]
On March 18, 2013, Yu was physically assaulted by actor Shen Tai (Chinese: 沈泰) in a coffee shop. Shen served three days in detention but refused to apologize.[13] Yu claimed he was beaten because he refused Shen's demands for a role in his drama. Shen denied this allegation and wrote on Weibo: "Everybody has a bottom line. Knowing such a person can only be described as disgusting. If he does stupid things again, I will slap him just the same."[14]
On April 2, 2014, actress Shirley Dai claimed that the Yu Zheng TV drama Palace 3: The Lost Daughter she starred in was based on Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao's 1992 novel Plum Blossom Scar (Chinese: 《梅花烙》). Yu Zheng responded with a rant on his Weibo, calling "a certain actress" an attention seeker.
Shortly after the drama aired in China on April 7, Chiung Yao released an open letter to China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television on April 15, accusing Yu of blatant plagiarism and seeking the immediate suspension of the TV series broadcast. Yu denied the claim, stating he was a fan of Chiung Yao with no intention of offending her. On April 28, a team led by Wang Jun from Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Yu.
On April 17, novelist Meiyuzhe (Chinese: 寐语者) claimed that Palace 3: The Lost Daughter plagiarized not only Chiung Yao's novel but also her own The Imperial Enterprise (Chinese: 《帝王业》). Meiyuzhe claimed that it was not the first time Yu plagiarized from her novels.[15]
On July 14, Beijing Third Intermediate People's Court denied Yu's objections to the jurisdiction of the Chiung Yao lawsuit.[16] On December 12, 109 Chinese screenwriters published a joint statement supporting Chiung Yao's lawsuit against Yu..[17] The following day, an additional 30 Chinese screenwriters expressed their support for Chiung Yao.[18] On December 25, 2014, the court ruled in Chiung Yao's favor, ordering four companies to stop distributing and broadcasting The Palace: The Lost Daughter. The court also demanded that Yu Zheng publicly apologize and pay Chiung Yao ¥5 million ($800,000).[19][20]
Yu's 2006 drama Concubines of the Qing Emperor (Chinese: 《大清后宫》) had been suspected of plagiarizing the Hong Kong drama War and Beauty (2004). Yu denied it, but stated that his drama "contained the successful parts of classic dramas like War and Beauty, Dae Jang Geum, and Winter Sonata".[21]
Yu's 2011 hit drama Palace was allegedly a plagiarism of several television series and novels, including Tong Hua's Bu Bu Jing Xin as well as the Taiwanese series Meteor Garden. On June 3, 2014, Tong Hua threatened legal actions if Yu continued his plagiarism.[22][23]
Writers Fu Xing (Chinese: 傅星) and He Zizhuang (Chinese: 贺子壮) have claimed that, in 2003, Yu Zheng and Fu Xing co-wrote a script for the drama Take Me to Fly, Take Me for a Walk (Chinese: 《带我飞，带我走》). Whereas Fu came up with all the characters and relationships, Yu claimed all the credits when he published the script as a book. Yu later wrote an apology letter to Fu, who forgave him.[24] Yu also offered to compensate Fu ¥30,000 but never did.[7]
On May 6, writer Li Yaling (Chinese: 李亚玲), who co-wrote 2 Yu Zheng dramas Pretty Maid (2010) and Spell of the Fragrance (2010), offered to be a witness to support Chiung Yao's lawsuit. She claimed that back in 2008 Yu had asked her to "borrow" Plum Blossom Scar's story for a new script, but she refused. Li Yaling further claimed that Yu had copied scenes from the Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya (2009) for Pretty Maid, an action that also damaged her reputation because she was listed as the writer.[25] She also claimed that Yu Zheng once told her that as long as plagiarism does not exceed 20% then the courts would have no case. Another writer Zou Yue (Chinese: 邹越) also claimed to have heard the "20% rule" from Yu Zheng.[15][25]
On March 12, 2015, Yangzhou Intermediate People's Court accepted a plagiarism lawsuit filed by author Zhou Haohui (Chinese: 周浩晖) against Yu Zheng and others, for allegedly plagiarizing from his novel The Evil Hypnotist (Chinese: 《邪恶催眠师》) for their 2014 TV series Cosmetology High.[26]
On December 21, 2020, Yu Zheng and Guo Jingming were highlighted in a joint letter signed by 111 Chinese film and television industry insiders.[27] The joint letter called for immediately stop the publicity and hype of the two who have plagiarism and bad traces, and revise and adjust the related variety shows they are currently participating in.[27] On December 31, 2020, Yu Zheng and Guo Jingming issued their own individual apology through their respective Weibo accounts.[28] Yu made a long-issued court-ordered apology for plagiarizing Chiung Yao's 1993 novel Plum Blossom Mark in his TV drama Palace 3: The Lost Daughter broadcast in 2014.[28] Following his apology, Yu's appearances as a judge in the third episode of the third season of variety show I am the Actor have been removed.[29]
Chinese entertainment company Huanyu Entertaintment (full name: Dongyang Huanyu Entertaintment Co., Ltd.) was established in 2012.[31] Its founders are Yu Zheng and his frieng Yang le (Coco Yang) , It is headquartered in Chaoyang District, Beijing. The predecessor is Yu Zheng Studio. established in Shanghai in 2011, and the studio is affiliated with the company.[31]