Initially set for release in the summer of 2018, crazy-looking star-studded fantasy adventure film Legend of Ravaging Dynasties 2 is finally making it to cinema screens this December. It’s a CGI-heavy celebrity vehicle featuring Kris Wu and all of the TFBoys (Jackson Yee, Karry Wang and Roy Wang) — but one big name from the film is notably missing in the new trailer: Fan Bingbing.
That’s quite the turnaround from the 2018 promo:
Now see if you can spot her in the brand new trailer:
Some possible glimpses there but hardly a prominent presence.
Just to make the point abundantly clear, here’s the 2018 teaser, featuring Fan right from the start:
This, of course, goes back to Fan Bingbing’s massive tax scandal, which broke right around the time Legend of the Ravaging Dynasties 2 (let’s just call it L.O.R.D. 2) was gearing up to hit cinema screens as part of the summer blockbuster season in China.
The film won’t be out until December 4 now, but if the trailer is anything to go by, Fan’s role in it has been significantly reduced. That she is still considered problematic for China releases will cast a dampener on the hopes of the team behind Jessica Chastain-led spy thriller The 355, who were doubtless eyeing the country’s enormous box office when they cast Fan in a lead role.
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Having gone from arguably China’s biggest star to something of a pariah figure, Fan has been gently nudging at a comeback in the past year or so, not just through mentions of The 355 but also through various brand collaborations, including a recent promo shoot for Prada:
Whether she can make it back to Chinese cinema screens in a starring role any time soon however, looks to still be very much in the balance.
