Chinese Drama Starring Zhang Linghe Replaces Opening After AI Backlash

Chinese drama This Moment in Flames, starring Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan, had to replace its opening sequence just days after its premiere. The reason: viewers heavily criticized the AI-generated opening sequence, calling it a cheap imitation of real film production.

The series, originally titled 这一秒过火, is based on a novel by a writer known under the pen name Fei Wo Sicun and was billed as one of the season's flagship productions, with a budget matching the highest S+ tier on the Chinese streaming market. That made the contrast all the more striking once viewers saw the opening sequence.

Opening Sequence That Angered Viewers

The fully AI-generated opening sequence showed characters with stiff, unnatural postures set against flat, poorly lit backgrounds. Viewers compared the effect to amateur PowerPoint animation or graphics from decade-old browser games, rather than a production with a star-studded cast and a high budget.

The criticism wasn't limited to the opening sequence itself. Some viewers pointed to the simplified editing, the excess of close-ups, and the heavily smoothed image filter used throughout the episodes, saying it resembled the look of short vertical clips posted on social media rather than a full-length television series.

The topic quickly climbed China's trending lists, gathering thousands of comments critical of the production decisions. For industry observers, the episode became an example of the tension between cutting production costs through AI tools and audience expectations for a flagship series.

A Quick Apology From Producers

The production team reacted swiftly. On the evening of July 21, the show's official Weibo account posted a statement apologizing to fans, and the very next day episodes 8 and 9 featured a new, live-action opening sequence filmed with the actors. The remaining episodes were set to receive the same update in the following days.

Our intentions for this sequence were sincere, but the final result sparked widespread discussion and disappointment - production team's statement on Weibo

The speed of the response, measured in days rather than weeks, shows how sensitive a point the use of generative AI has become in productions featuring well-known actors. The studio preferred to absorb the cost of reshooting the sequence rather than risk deepening a reputational crisis around its star cast.

Part of a Broader Industry Trend

This is the latest in a string of recent cases in which generative AI in film and television productions has drawn backlash from audiences, alongside earlier disputes over AI use in Hollywood and on streaming platforms. In China, where the online drama market is growing rapidly, pressure to cut production time and costs is pushing studios to adopt AI tools more boldly, sometimes ahead of audience expectations.

The case of Zhang Linghe's drama also shows that a cast's reputation today can be directly tied to the quality of computer-generated effects. Zhang Linghe, known for roles in productions such as Love Between Fairy and Devil and Story of Kunning Palace, has built a large and devoted fan base that is quick and vocal in expressing dissatisfaction whenever it feels a production falls short of expected quality.

What It Means for Viewers in Poland

For Polish audiences, the case is above all a signal of how quickly viewers can flag the use of generative AI in entertainment productions, even when it involves a secondary element like an opening sequence. In Poland, rules requiring AI-generated content, including video material, to be labeled take effect on August 2, 2026, making similar controversies increasingly likely on the domestic market as well.

The Chinese production's example could become an argument both for advocates of quickly adopting AI in television production for cost reasons, and for critics warning that viewers are increasingly able to spot and reject unpolished generative effects, regardless of a production's overall budget.