C-drama star Li Yitong and top singer-actor Liu Yuning lead the way in China's latest fantasy offering in 'A Dream Within A Dream'
Photo Image: Courtesy of iQIYI
The summer heat is back and premiering on June 26 in IQIYI, is the historical romantic comedy 'A Dream Within A Dream', starring top television stars Li Yitong and Liu Yuning.
The streaming giant's latest and much-anticipated series promises an entertaining twist on the traditional costume drama genre by uniquely blending modern humour, interactive plot mechanics, and self-aware storytelling.
Produced by Linmon Pictures and co-produced by iQIYI, directed by Guo Hu, with screenplay by Ren Zhuangliu and Xia Luote, 'A Dream Within A Dream' follows the enchanting story of Song Xiaoyu (Li Yitong), a struggling actress, and Nan Heng (Liu Yuning), a cold-hearted ruler, who unexpectedly meet when she is transported into the fictional world of her own script.
Once inside her script, Song Xiaoyu transforms into Song Yimeng, a doomed character within the story. Every attempt she makes to alter her scripted fate results in bizarre, predetermined deaths.
To break free, she must collaborate closely with Nan Heng, confronting unexpected dangers and unraveling the deeper mysteries of the script's world.
'A Dream Within A Dream' also innovates by blending contemporary humour with popular tropes of historical romance dramas, presenting a fresh, comedic narrative style.
Highlights teased in trailers, including intense wedding showdown scenes, a dramatic scene of choosing whom to save when two characters simultaneously fall from a city wall, and visually striking slow-motion kiss scenes, have already sparked considerable anticipation among viewers.
The series also highlights how an ordinary girl and a cold-hearted ruler overcome the chains of fate, rewriting their story and crafting a romantic tale filled with laughter and tears.
About Liu Yuning
Liu Yuning, 35, is a Chinese singer, actor, and the lead singer of Modern Brothers. In 2018, Liu rose to stardom by his covers on platforms YY's Live Streaming and Douyin.
Forbes China also listed Liu on their 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019. His debut album won the "Media Recommended Album" award at the 2020 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards, and his second extended play "Listen•Ning" (2020–21) won the Most Popular EP award in 2021 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards.
Outside of music, Liu also gained recognition as an actor through his roles in television series such as "A Journey to Love in 2023" and "The Prisoner of Beauty" in also this year. Many of his fans are excited of him acting alongside Li Yitong, among the leading tv actresses in China, in 'A Dream Within A Dream'.
About Li Yitong
Li Yitong is a Chinese actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Wan Mei, an assassin in the 2018 Chinese television series "Bloody Romance" and as Huang Rong in 2017 TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", one of the most loved tv series of all-time in East Asia. It was also the series that made Li Yitong a household name in China.
She also won many fans when she acted as Lu Wenxi (Abao) in the 2019 Chinese television series Royal Nirvana and Fu Rou in the 2021 Chinese television series Court Lady, another top series in China.
She is also a big star for iQiYI having acted in many of its top C-dramas including "The Knockout", "Warm on a Cold Night", "Hi Producer" and "Spy Game".
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C-drama star Li Yitong and top singer-actor Liu Yuning lead the way in China's latest fantasy offering in 'A Dream Within A Dream'
Photo Image: Courtesy of iQIYI The summer heat is back and premiering on June 26 in IQIYI, is the historical romantic comedy 'A Dream Within A Dream', starring top television stars Li Yitong and Liu Yuning. The streaming giant's latest and much-anticipated series promises an entertaining twist on the traditional costume drama genre by uniquely blending modern humour, interactive plot mechanics, and self-aware storytelling. Produced by Linmon Pictures and co-produced by iQIYI, directed by Guo Hu, with screenplay by Ren Zhuangliu and Xia Luote, 'A Dream Within A Dream' follows the enchanting story of Song Xiaoyu (Li Yitong), a struggling actress, and Nan Heng (Liu Yuning), a cold-hearted ruler, who unexpectedly meet when she is transported into the fictional world of her own script. Once inside her script, Song Xiaoyu transforms into Song Yimeng, a doomed character within the story. Every attempt she makes to alter her scripted fate results in bizarre, predetermined deaths. To break free, she must collaborate closely with Nan Heng, confronting unexpected dangers and unraveling the deeper mysteries of the script's world. 'A Dream Within A Dream' also innovates by blending contemporary humour with popular tropes of historical romance dramas, presenting a fresh, comedic narrative style. Highlights teased in trailers, including intense wedding showdown scenes, a dramatic scene of choosing whom to save when two characters simultaneously fall from a city wall, and visually striking slow-motion kiss scenes, have already sparked considerable anticipation among viewers. The series also highlights how an ordinary girl and a cold-hearted ruler overcome the chains of fate, rewriting their story and crafting a romantic tale filled with laughter and tears. About Liu Yuning Liu Yuning, 35, is a Chinese singer, actor, and the lead singer of Modern Brothers. In 2018, Liu rose to stardom by his covers on platforms YY's Live Streaming and Douyin. Forbes China also listed Liu on their 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019. His debut album won the "Media Recommended Album" award at the 2020 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards, and his second extended play "Listen•Ning" (2020–21) won the Most Popular EP award in 2021 Chinese Top Ten Music Awards. Outside of music, Liu also gained recognition as an actor through his roles in television series such as "A Journey to Love in 2023" and "The Prisoner of Beauty" in also this year. Many of his fans are excited of him acting alongside Li Yitong, among the leading tv actresses in China, in 'A Dream Within A Dream'. About Li Yitong Li Yitong is a Chinese actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Wan Mei, an assassin in the 2018 Chinese television series "Bloody Romance" and as Huang Rong in 2017 TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", one of the most loved tv series of all-time in East Asia. It was also the series that made Li Yitong a household name in China. She also won many fans when she acted as Lu Wenxi (Abao) in the 2019 Chinese television series Royal Nirvana and Fu Rou in the 2021 Chinese television series Court Lady, another top series in China. She is also a big star for iQiYI having acted in many of its top C-dramas including "The Knockout", "Warm on a Cold Night", "Hi Producer" and "Spy Game".
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In a particularly powerful act, she commanded the destruction of foreign opium ships, a bold strike against the rising tide of colonial exploitation. Her efforts resulted in one of the most successful reconciliations between pirates and the Qing Dynasty. "Furthermore, she advised the Chinese national hero Lin Zexu in his resistance against British imperialism, embodying a fierce patriotism and devotion to her homeland," said Chin. BRAINSTORMING Chin said that the idea behind the movie emerged during early brainstorming sessions with his core creative team. "We chose this story because it is based on a true story which offered a compelling opportunity to push the boundaries of AI-assisted storytelling — blending emotional depth with technological innovation. "This is our first theatrical release where we used AI throughout the entire production pipeline. "We built a distributed team of over 130 creatives from 13 countries, all working remotely. "That in itself came with a lot of coordination — time zones, communication styles, and making sure everyone was in sync," he said. Beyond that, there were some very specific creative challenges. "Keeping the characters visually consistent across different scenes was tricky, especially when working with evolving AI tools. "Lip-syncing voiceovers to match AI-generated visuals was another learning curve, and choreographing fight sequences in a way that felt dynamic and realistic took a lot of trial and error," said Chin. "It pushed us to adapt quickly, stay flexible, and trust both the process and each other." DIGITAL Chin said that the Malaysian and Singaporean creative teams developed organically through a shared interest in AI and digital storytelling. "While some members had worked together in other contexts, for many of us it was our first collaboration. "Despite that, we quickly found common ground through aligned values and creative goals,." 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