Filming for a children’s short drama featuring a robot performer began in Futian District on July 24, highlighting Futian’s efforts to develop an industrial hub dedicated to producing flagship short dramas based on literary IP for children. 

Actors and crew members pose for a group photo at the launch ceremony of the filming for children's short drama "The Adventure of the Little Brave Prince" in Futian District on July 24. SD-Agencies

The drama, titled “The Adventure of the Little Brave Prince,” is the first of its kind in the country to feature a robot as a performer. Written by Zhou Yiwen, it tells the adventure of an 11-year-old boy named Bao Xiaolong, who grows to overcome the world’s evil spirits.

The original children’s fantasy story topped China’s new children’s books chart in 2009. Its radio drama version has accumulated 2.8 billion clicks, and its animated adaptation has garnered 220 million views. Zhou has been recognized by UNESCO as an “outstanding contemporary artist of recent years.”

Key character promotional stills from "The Adventure of the Little Brave Prince."

Zhou serves as the chief director, chief screenwriter, and producer of the short drama, which is planned to include 20 seasons and 1,040 episodes. Each season will consist of 52 five-minute-long episodes. Production is scheduled to take place during the winter and summer holidays between July 2025 and August 2028. The first season, which will premiere on the IQIYI platform in October, will also be available on multiple internet platforms, including CCTV Video, Tencent Video, Youku, and Douyin.

The short drama will feature real scenes of the city’s landmarks, including the Ping An Financial Center, Wutong Mountain, and Xiangmi Park. Two versions are planned for release — one in Mandarin and one in Cantonese. The Cantonese version will use traditional saltwater songs for narration, highlighting the Lingnan culture, and the Mandarin version will be distributed through mainstream platforms to reach audiences nationwide.

Zhou Yiwen, chief director, chief screenwriter and producer of children's short drama, speaks at the production's launch ceremony in Futian on July 24.

Additionally, an English version is planned for future release and is expected to be distributed on major international platforms such as Netflix, helping promote Futian's culture abroad. Each episode serves as a “micro-tour” of the city, offering young audiences an immersive exploration of Shenzhen’s stories.

Futian places great importance on the development of children’s literature, films, and television shows. At the launch ceremony, Zhou said that filming and producing the thousand-episode short drama at the Yiwen Children’s Literature Academy is expected to support Futian’s goal of establishing a leading IP short drama industry base for children’s literature series.

It was announced that another of Zhou’s literary works for children, “Meta World: Mountains and Seas," will also be adapted into a thousand-episode short drama. Currently comprising eight volumes, the series integrates elements of the metaverse, the classic Chinese text of “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” and science fiction.

Originally from Hunan Province, Zhou has been based in Futian District since 2020. He has been designated as an art consultant for the district.