According to Chinese media, the historical drama "General Monopoly" may start filming on February 20. Accordingly, the main cast is expected to include Wang Hedi and Meng Ziyi and there will be no changes.
This is reflected in the February schedule of both artists, which also shows the high possibility that they will join the film crew during this time.
However, as soon as the information spread, many viewers expressed opposition to Manh Tu Nghia taking on the female lead role. Some people believe that the actress is over 30 years old, no longer suitable for the "teenage girl" image in the original, and also a few years older than Vuong Hac De, so it is easy to create a feeling of "shoulder mismatch" on screen.
Many opinions also cited Manh Tu Nghia's previous projects such as "Phu The Song Kieu", "Dao Hoa Anh Giang Son" that did not achieve good effects, saying that she "did not have enough strength to carry the film". From there, many comments heavily assessed the actress's commercial ability, such as "weak purchasing power", "lack of brand identity", "weak media coverage" and "monochrome in ancient costume films".
Some viewers are worried that when he turns 33, Manh Tu Nghia will gradually lose his competitive advantage in the market, causing the project to face the risk of "low profits". On forums, there are even calls to " swap roles" or replace the female lead with a younger face.
Before this wave of criticism, social networks also appeared with the opposite opinion. Many people believe that focusing on attacking Meng Ziyi while almost ignoring Wang Hedi's acting ability is an unfair and gender discriminatory expression. They believe that the pressure of "carrying the film" is often put on female artists more than men, although both play an important role in the project's success.
From a movie that had not officially started filming, "General's Empress" quickly became the focus of controversy. Fans of other actors such as Dinh Vu He, Ly Lan Dich were also drawn into the affair when rumors of "role grabbing", "role splitting" appeared. Tan Le Production Unit, which is considered a reputable film studio, is currently under great pressure from the online community.
