HBO Asia announced that production has begun for the second season of the award-winning HBO Asia Original mandarin series, The Teenage Psychic.
Filmed entirely in Taiwan with an all-Taiwanese cast, the second season stars Kuo Shu-Yao, as she reprises her lead role as Xiao Zhen, alongside new cast members including two-time Golden Bell Award-winning actress Wen Chen-Ling and rising star, Fandy Fan .
The eight-episode second season of The Teenage Psychic is scheduled to premiere in 2019 and will be available across Asia on HBO GO, HBO (Astro Ch 411 / 431 HD), and HBO On Demand (via Astro GO).
Mr Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia said,
“HBO Asia has always been committed to producing quality content from Asia for a global audience. We are delighted that the first season of The Teenage Psychic was well-received in the region and even received the prestigious recognition at the Golden Bell Awards in Taiwan.
It was an obvious decision for us to renew the series for a second season - the show absolutely deserves it.” He further added, “We are always looking for opportunities to produce more local language productions such as The Teenage Psychic and working with local talents and crew across Asia.”
The new season of The Teenage Psychic continues with Xiao Zhen trying to lead a typical teenage life while going through high school. Meanwhile, Xiao Zhen’s beloved drama club is also facing the possibility of being shut down with news of her best friend relocating overseas with her family and reducing the number of members in the club even further.
Juggling the multiple pressures from school, the drama club and the demands of the spirit world, things are about to take a turn for the worse for the 17-year-old.
New cast members for season two include award-winning actress, Wen Chen-Ling, who plays Zhan Xiao Tong, a neglected student with low self-esteem. Receiving encouragement from Xiao Zhen, Xiao Tong joins the drama club and discovers her talent in acting.
As her life begins to turn around, she soon finds herself faced with more challenges. Also joining the cast is Fandy Fan who plays Zhang Yu Xuan, a sickly teenage boy who is raised in a restricted and overprotected environment. Unhappy to remain silent, Yu Xuan is determined to take control of his own life and escape the constraints of his upbringing.
The Teenage Psychic season two will be directed by up-and-coming director Liu Yan-Fu. Chen Ho-Yu, director of The Teenage Psychic season one, will executive produce.
The first season of The Teenage Psychic told a coming-of-age story that revolves around a teenager who just wants to lead a typical teenage high school life. Born with the ability to see spirits, her life will never be normal.
Throughout the series, she had to juggle the pressures of teenage life – first love, academic success and peer pressure – with the demands of the spirit world.
The Teenage Psychic season one also clinched the coveted Best Mini-Series award and Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series (TV Movie) award for Nana Lee at Taiwan’s 52ndAnnual Golden Bell Awards 2017 and received two nominations at the 22nd Asian Television Awards 2017 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Chen Mu Yi and Best Cinematography.
The Teenage Psychic season one is also available to audiences in the U.S. on the HBO U.S. service.
The Teenage Psychic has also inspired HBO Asia’s one-hour original mandarin documentary, The World Behind The Teenage Psychic, which explores how the distinct blend of Taoist, Buddhist, Chinese folklore and indigenous belief systems continue to flourish in modern Taiwan.
HBO Asia started producing its Original productions in 2012 and have since expanded their range of Asian Original productions to include series, movies and documentaries. The Teenage Psychic season two marks the fifteenth Asian original production for the network, with more slated to premiere in the coming years.
Viewers can catch a marathon encore of The Teenage Psychic Season 1 on the weekend of 15 and 16 December from 10:15am and 9:50am respectively on HBO (Astro Ch 411 / 431 HD) or catch up anytime on HBO On Demand (via Astro Go).
[CREDIT: HBO]
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