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| Zhao Lusi Rumoured to Produce Short Drama as Her Next Acting Project Faces Script Delays |
Zhao Lusi could be preparing to move beyond the usual leading-lady role, with a new rumour suggesting the actress may produce a short drama while her next major acting project remains stuck in script revisions. The speculation arrives just as her much-discussed August return to filming has become uncertain, making the timing rather interesting — and giving fans yet another Zhao Lusi project to investigate before anyone has actually confirmed one.
The latest talk centres on screenshots reportedly showing promotional material for a new short-drama account linked to Zhao Lusi’s team. The account is said to be separate from her personal social media presence and is reportedly intended to promote a drama project through Douyin livestreams, behind-the-scenes material, interviews and exclusive full episodes.
If genuine, the setup suggests something considerably more ambitious than simply putting Zhao Lusi's name on another acting project. According to the circulating promotional material, the short drama would feature several female leads and be primarily aimed at female viewers.
The project is also reportedly being developed with a commercial strategy aimed at younger women, including Gen Z audiences and urban white-collar workers, with possible partnerships involving food, personal-care, household and light health brands. In other words, this would not just be a drama account posting pretty clips and hoping the algorithm feels generous.
The material reportedly gives 22 August 2026 as the planned filming date, with an online premiere expected around 16 or 17 September. Its release period is said to run for roughly a month and a half.
However, those details remain unverified, and neither Zhao Lusi nor her studio has publicly confirmed that the project exists, so the dates should be treated as reported information rather than an official schedule.
The rumour is particularly interesting because of what has been happening with Zhao Lusi’s next acting project. In April, the actress said she hoped to return to filming during the summer and indicated that she wanted to choose a story focused on women, their lives and emotional experiences.
Those comments immediately sent fans into detective mode over which production might become her comeback project. One title repeatedly connected to those discussions has been As Beautiful as You Want (要多美丽就多美丽), a modern drama adapted from a novel by Yi Shu.
But there is an important distinction here: Zhao Lusi has never publicly confirmed that this is the project she was referring to. Her reported connection to the drama remains speculation, rather than a confirmed casting announcement.
The casting rumours have hardly made things simpler. Xu Kai was previously linked to the male lead and was widely expected by some fans to reunite with Zhao Lusi following their earlier collaboration.
However, his side has since denied the casting reports, with another denial reportedly circulating on 15 August. That leaves both Zhao Lusi’s involvement and the wider cast of As Beautiful as You Want officially unresolved.
Then came a revealing update from Zhao Lusi herself. During a livestream on 21 July, she said she had originally expected to begin filming in August but had still not received the revised script at that stage.
Her comments suggested that production could not simply move ahead because a filming date had been pencilled in; the material itself needed to be ready first.
That apparently became a problem, with subsequent reports claiming that script revisions were taking longer than expected.
For an actress who had already spoken about returning to work, the delay naturally created another round of speculation about what she might do next. The entertainment rumour mill, as ever, did not exactly wait patiently for the script to arrive.
At the same time, Zhao Lusi’s studio appeared to be looking for more material. In July, the studio opened a public call for original scripts, inviting writers from different backgrounds to submit projects without requiring a particular level of industry experience.
The response was reportedly substantial, with thousands of submissions arriving within a relatively short period. One writer reportedly linked to the submissions was Jin Guodong (金国栋), known for Boss & Me (杉杉来了), the popular drama starring Zhang Han and Zhao Liying.
His reported involvement added another layer of interest to the studio's search for new stories, although it does not confirm that his submission has been selected for production.
The new short-drama rumour therefore fits into a much bigger picture around Zhao Lusi’s career. Rather than waiting for one large television production to determine her next move, she may be exploring a more hands-on approach to content development.
Producing a short drama would give her team greater involvement in the material, format and promotional strategy, while also allowing them to experiment with a faster-moving form of storytelling.
For fans, reactions to the possibility are naturally mixed. Some are intrigued by the idea of Zhao Lusi taking greater control over the projects associated with her name, particularly after the uncertainty surrounding her next acting role.
Others are more cautious, pointing out that the screenshots have not been officially authenticated and that there is still no confirmed title, cast or production announcement. A few fans, meanwhile, seem perfectly happy to wait for an actual announcement rather than solving another entertainment industry mystery from a handful of screenshots.
There is also the question of whether the rumoured short drama is connected to As Beautiful as You Want. At present, there is no confirmation that the two projects are related.
The short drama could be an entirely separate production developed by Zhao Lusi’s team, particularly given the reported emphasis on multiple female leads and its different commercial and release model.
What is actually confirmed is considerably simpler. Zhao Lusi previously said she hoped to return to filming in August, then revealed in July that she was still waiting for a revised script.
As Beautiful as You Want remains a project linked to her through reports and speculation, but she has not confirmed it as her comeback drama. Now, a separate rumour suggests she could be preparing to produce a short-form project, potentially giving her a new role behind the scenes.
If the short-drama reports prove accurate, it could become one of the more interesting developments in Zhao Lusi’s career, not because she is simply starring in another production, but because she could be taking a more active hand in deciding what gets made. Would you like to see Zhao Lusi take on a producer role, or would you rather see her return to a major drama first?