iQIYI leads genre-specific storytelling with the return of its trend-setting 'Light On Theater,' featuring seven new suspense dramas

Rhea-AI Summary

iQIYI announced the return of its acclaimed 'Light On Theater' suspense drama brand with seven new titles. The lineup includes 'Low IQ Crime,' 'Let Wind Goes By,' 'A Life for a Life,' 'Drifting Away,' 'Dead End,' 'Breaking the Shadows,' and 'Justifiable Defense.' Launched in 2020, the brand gained prominence with its breakout hit 'The Bad Kids,' which set new standards for Chinese suspense storytelling.

The platform has expanded its genre-based approach with 'Love On Theater' for romance and 'Laugh On Theater' for comedy series. The brand has achieved international recognition, with series winning awards at the Busan International Film Festival and being selected for the Berlinale Series. 'The Bad Kids' was adapted into a Japanese version in 2024, demonstrating the brand's global appeal.

Positive

• Successful expansion of genre-specific content strategy with multiple theater brands
• International recognition through awards and festival selections
• Global market penetration evidenced by Japanese adaptation of 'The Bad Kids'
• Strong user retention driven by high-quality productions

Negative

• None.

Insights

Media Industry Analyst

This content expansion represents iQIYI's strategic positioning in China's competitive streaming landscape, but the announcement lacks material financial metrics or revenue projections to gauge direct business impact. The launch of seven new titles under the "Light On Theater" brand demonstrates content diversification, yet follows an established playbook rather than introducing revolutionary changes.

The international recognition and Japanese adaptation of "The Bad Kids" indicates potential for global monetization, though specific licensing revenue figures are absent. While genre-specific content strategies typically yield 15-2030% higher user engagement rates in streaming platforms, without concrete viewership data or subscriber growth metrics, the immediate financial impact remains speculative.

The expansion of genre-specific theaters ("Love On," "Laugh On," "Dajia," and "Weichen") suggests a Netflix-style content categorization strategy aimed at improving content discovery and user retention. However, in the current challenging Chinese streaming market environment, content investments need to demonstrate clear ROI to justify continued expansion.

Content Strategy Expert

The maturation of iQIYI's genre-based content strategy reveals sophisticated audience segmentation, but the announcement's timing and lack of performance metrics suggest this is more of a brand-building exercise than a market-moving development. The diversification into specialized content verticals mirrors successful global streaming platforms' strategies, though execution in the Chinese market faces unique regulatory and competitive challenges.

The focus on suspense content, while strategically sound given the genre's popularity, represents an incremental evolution rather than a transformative shift. The international recognition of series like "The Bad Kids" and "The Long Night" adds prestige but typically translates to modest revenue impact for Chinese streaming platforms, where domestic subscription and advertising remain primary revenue drivers.

Five years on, the pioneering drama brand remains the benchmark for suspense

BEIJING, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI, China's leading online entertainment platform, announced this month the return of its acclaimed "Light On Theater," celebrating the fifth anniversary of this suspense-themed drama brand. Featuring seven new titles with star-studded casts and renowned production teams, the lineup is set to reinforce iQIYI's leadership in suspense storytelling and highlight the success of its genre-driven model.

The new slate follows the distinctive style of "Light On Theater" with gripping narratives and rich character development as a lens to explore the depth of human nature. Highlights include the drama "Low IQ Crime," which brings a fresh dark comedy element to the genre, and "Let Wind Goes By," which premiered on Dec. 26 and breaks new ground as one of the first suspense series set in Northwest China as it follows two generations of police officers entangled in a complex web of relationships. The lineup also features "A Life for a Life," a compelling prison drama exploring the dynamic between a detention officer and an escaped convict. Other anticipated titles include "Drifting Away," "Dead End," "Breaking the Shadows" and "Justifiable Defense."

Since its launch in 2020, "Light On Theater" has emerged as one of China's first and most influential drama brands, offering a curated collection of premium suspense series. The label's breakout hit "The Bad Kids" debuted that same year and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The series earned critical acclaim and dominated social media conversations, setting a new benchmark for Chinese suspense storytelling with its masterful pacing and nuanced exploration of social issues. This pioneering success has sparked a surge in high-quality suspense productions across the industry that continues today, helping establish suspense as one of the most sought-after genres in Chinese entertainment.

"Our dedication to premium suspense content has created an incredibly engaged viewer base, with high-quality productions driving strong user retention," says Ying DAI, iQIYI senior vice president and head of "Light On Theater." "We continuously innovate our content possibilities and boldly push the boundaries of storytelling within the genre, consistently surpassing audience expectations."

Building on the success of "Light On Theater," iQIYI has expanded its genre-based approach with "Love On Theater" for romance and "Laugh On Theater" for comedy series, both of which have been well-received by audiences. This year's launch of "Dajia Theater," meaning "master of literature," and "Weichen Theater," meaning "tiny dust," which focus on literary adaptations and innovative mini-series respectively, further demonstrates iQIYI's commitment to serving diverse audience preferences while maintaining premium production standards across genres.

Global recognition

"Light On Theater" has also gained overseas recognition for its premium content, becoming increasingly popular among global audiences in addition to traditional genres like fantasy period dramas.

Standout series "The Bad Kids" and "The Long Night" won consecutive awards at the Asia Contents Awards (ACA) of the Busan International Film Festival, while "Why Try to Change Me Now" marked a milestone last year as the first Chinese-language series to be selected for the Berlinale Series.

The strong reception in overseas markets demonstrates how iQIYI's meticulously crafted stories resonate with audiences through their universal themes of human nature. Notably, "The Bad Kids" was adapted into a local version in Japan in 2024, highlighting its widespread appeal.

CONTACT: iQIYI Press, press@qiyi.com

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SOURCE iQIYI

FAQ

What new shows are included in iQIYI's Light On Theater 2024 lineup?

The 2024 Light On Theater lineup includes seven new titles: 'Low IQ Crime,' 'Let Wind Goes By,' 'A Life for a Life,' 'Drifting Away,' 'Dead End,' 'Breaking the Shadows,' and 'Justifiable Defense.'

How has iQIYI's Light On Theater performed internationally?

Light On Theater has gained international recognition with series winning awards at the Busan International Film Festival, selection at Berlinale Series, and 'The Bad Kids' being adapted for Japanese television in 2024.

What genre-specific content brands does iQIYI currently operate?

iQIYI operates several genre-specific brands including Light On Theater (suspense), Love On Theater (romance), Laugh On Theater (comedy), Dajia Theater (literary adaptations), and Weichen Theater (innovative mini-series).

When was iQIYI's Light On Theater brand launched and what was its breakthrough show?

Light On Theater was launched in 2020, with 'The Bad Kids' as its breakthrough hit that set new standards for Chinese suspense storytelling and became a cultural phenomenon.