Netflix has ordered seven Chinese-language series that will roll out across this year, starring the likes of Ethan Ruan, Kent Tsai and Wallace Huo.
The streamer doesn’t operate in China but has leant in heavily in Taiwan and local-language fare. As such, it has given the greenlight to Miracles of the ER, Confessions, The Fixers, Bloody Smart, How to Survive Med School, Dogman and Pacify (working title).
“Chinese-language storytelling is singular in its vibrancy, emotional depth, and willingness to explore complex, darker human truths,” said said Maya Huang, Head of Chinese Language Content, Netflix. “We’re especially excited by stories that take creative risks and immerse audiences in extraordinary worlds and experiences. Our goal is to uplift local storytelling while partnering with Taiwan’s creative community to expand access to support, training and resources.”
Here’s a rundown of the new shows, which will sit alongside the likes of previously-announce series such as Million-Follower Detective, the Bossdom Digiinnovation Co. series that is led by Hong Kong action star Ekin Cheng, and fantasy adaptation Agent From Above, based on Taiwanese author Teensy’s novel series ‘The Oracle Comes.’
Miracles of the ER stars Wallace Huo, Cheryl Yang, Kent Tsai, Chan Tzu-hsuan and Payne Peng, with Li Zhi-qiang and Huang Jing-tzu directing and Huang Jing-tzu and Lin-Yun-shuan writing. Jade Lee is the producer. It launches in Q4 2026.
Story follows the Central University Hospital’s emergency medicine associate director Zhou Cheng-jun (Huo) who accepts an average-performing medical school graduate (Tsai) on to his team of elite peers. Together with attending physician Dr. He Ya-hua (Yang), the ER faces relentless medical crises, ethical dilemmas and internal power struggles.
Confessions reunites the creator and principal cast of box office hit The Pig, The Snake and The Pigeon, marking writer-director Wong Ching-po’s first-ever local-language series. Starring Ethan Ruan, Gingle Wang, Chen Yi-wen and others, the psychological thriller traces how a violent crime in Taipei in 2004 binds three families across generations of buried resentment and moral reckoning.
Alyssa Chia, Vivian Sung, Hsuen Shih-ling, Chang Hsiao-chuan, Nikki H, Yeh Chuan-chen, Peggy Tseng, Liu Tzu-chuan, Fu Meng-po, Frederick Lee, Hsieh Chiung-hsuan, Ben Yuen, Sean Lin, Emerson Tsai, Tracy Chou, Chang Han, Cheng Chih-wei and Tang Chih-wei are also among the key cast. No launch date has been announced yet.
Youhug Media, Skyman Films, YP Production and Yellow People are the co-producers.
The Fixers stars Singapore’s Christopher Lee, Shou Lou, Regina Lei, Fu Meng-po, Tuo Tsung-hua and Chang Yung-cheng, and comes from director 96 Minutes Hung Tzu-hsuan. Cora Yim and Benjamin Lin are the executive producers. S11 Partners is the production house.
The fast-paced action-comedy series follows Lee as a down-on-his-luck gangster who stumbles into a covert network of operatives from the mysterious Qinghe Temple, which handles problems for the underworld and the establishment. He is paired with an arrogant young partner (Lou), a second-generation political scion whose personality clashes sharply with his own.
Bloody Smart comes from director Hsieh Chun-yi, who also writes alongside Sakana and Yalan Cheng. Hsu Guo-lun is the producer. Miracle Production House is the producer. Key cast comprises Gigi Leung, Buffy Chen, Jerry Yu, Rin, Elly Hsu, Liu Hsiu-fu, Devin Pan and Edison Song.
Per the synopsis: “In a tightly regulated school town obsessed with elite ideals, a Bloodfruit Tree quietly takes root, bearing crimson fruit. By legend, the fruit is delivered by a boy in black, only to those who truly ‘need’ it. As the fruit awakens long-suppressed desires, sealed emotions begin to slip free, setting the town on a slow path toward an irreversible unraveling.”
How to Survive Med School is written and directed by Giddens Ko, and co-directed by Kai Ko – the lead actor in Agent from Above and a Golden Horse Best New Director nominee – and actress-turned-director Tsai Jia-yin.
The series follows a young man who it tricked into enrolling in Taiwan’s top medical school. He rebels and vows to transfer to an aeronautics program and reunite with his girlfriend, who shares his dream of becoming an astronaut. No cast revealed at this stage.
Finally, Pacify is from directors Derek Kwok and Anthony Yan, with Chang Ya-ting as producer and Kevin Tse as executive producer.
Here’s the synopsis: “A cynical part-time worker, Hsiao-yu, is thrust into the supernatural after her sister is possessed by an evil spirit. Seeking answers, she joins a secret exorcism group, Yuzhen Bathhouse, and teams up with Chen Chiang-liu, whose quantum synesthesia allows him to sense hidden forces beyond ordinary, and his mentor, Chen Huo.
“As Hsiao-yu learns to harness energy for exorcisms and discovers how consciousness can shape reality, the possession cases they investigate begin to converge, revealing a terrifying conspiracy. With time running out, the trio must uncover the truth before deadly forces claim even more lives.”
Like How to Survive Med School, Pacify has not revealed cast, but both have wrapped principle photography, with premiere dates following at a later date.
Netflix has poured significant resource into Taiwan since 2020, working on several local industry initiatives, including a writers’ room workshop with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency and a production training program with the Producers Association of Taiwan. A pact with Yiyi Pictures has seen six screenwriting interns participate in six months of development training.
The streamer spent several years attempting to establish its service in China, but gave up after hitting censorship bollards time and time again. Last year, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told a crowd at the World Economic Summit that “not one” episode of its content had cleared China’s censorship board.
Today, Chinese-language content chief Huang said: “As the industry evolves, our focus remains consistent: long-term commitment, creative excellence, and a platform where Chinese-language stories can flourish locally and reach audiences worldwide. Our ambition is to be the destination for Chinese-language entertainment, that takes audiences into unexpected worlds and bold adventures that go beyond the everyday.”
