Chinese platforms hosting bite-size soap operas about werewolves and mafia dons are drawing big audiences – and shaking up the streaming market
In a leafy Los Angeles garden, a mafia boss dressed in a flamboyant white suit stands at an altar, shooting wildly into the rows of seats in front of him as his guests dive for cover.
The wedding has been infiltrated by a team of assassins, but the young don is not going down without a fight. He continues to fire at his enemies, using his body to shield his petite bride from the flying bullets.
“Cut!” director Xiang Sining cheerfully shouts from behind the monitor. That’s a wrap for Kidnapped by the Mafia, a romantic drama that went on to become a hit after its release in late June.
Xiang is part of a wave of Chinese filmmakers that are enjoying a meteoric rise in America as pioneers of “vertical dramas” – a new format that essentially tries to reimagine television for the TikTok generation.
