SINGAPORE, November 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — iQIYI, Asia’s leading streaming platform, hosted the “iJOY 2026 Thailand” event in Bangkok, reviewing its annual achievements in the Thai market while unveiling its upcoming content strategy, upcoming C-Dramas, Thai local originals and variety shows. As iQIYI International’s newest global ambassador, Esther Yu made a surprise appearance with co-stars He Yu and Thai actor Mike Wu to introduce “Speed and love“the new flagship drama from iQIYI’s Heartbeat Theater. The main cast and production team of “Running Man Thailand”, co-developed by iQIYI and Korean company SBS, also attended the event, attracting great attention.
Yang Xianghua, president of iQIYI Movie and Overseas Business Group, noted in his opening remarks that iQIYI Thailand has recorded significant annual growth in membership and revenue so far in 2025, with Thailand becoming the most profitable overseas market. More than 40 Thai drama series launched on iQIYI Thailand this year, many of which were iQIYI originals. In 2026, iQIYI plans to further increase its investments in Thailand and aims to double the number of its original Thai dramas, while advancing the “iQIYI Starship Program” to bring Chinese and Thai artists to other international markets and co-developing high-end productions with major local studios.
At the event, iQIYI International revealed its 2026 lineup of major C-Dramas, including “The Legend of the Pink Clouds”, “How Dare You!?” Among them, “Fate Chooses You” is directed by Guo Hu and stars Ren Jialun and Wang Herun, telling the fantasy love story of a cursed war spirit who is reborn to join forces with a practitioner seeking redemption. “How Dare You!?”, starring Wang Churan and Cheng Lei, is an adaptation of Qi Yingjun’s popular novel and is notable for its comedic fusion of time travel and modern workplace themes.
As the new flagship drama of iQIYI’s Heartbeat Theater, “Speed and Love” stars Esther Yu, He Yu and Mike Wu appeared on stage to promote both the drama and iQIYI International’s Double 11 membership campaign. “Speed and Love” focuses on racing and personal growth, exploring themes of confidence, ambition and self-discovery.
Li Kaichen, iQIYI Vice President and Head of APAC and MENA, announced Esther Yu as iQIYI’s new international ambassador, following Bai Lu and Chen Zheyuan. Under the “iQIYI Starship Program”, it will participate in multiple cross-border activities to advance the global reach of Chinese-language entertainment. Distributed in China and Thailand.
In the local originals segment, iQIYI announced its 2026 Thai content lineup, created in collaboration with top local studios including GMMTV, Mandee Work, Idol Factory, Copy A Bangkok and others. The line-up includes titles such as “Burnout Syndrome”, “Duang with You”, “Peach Lover” and the series “4 Elements”, among others. The premiere of “Interminable” took place on November 7. The main cast and production team of “Unknown Lovers”, “Lust”, “GELBOYS 2”, “Identity Zero” and “Series 188” also appeared on stage to introduce their dramas and share behind-the-scenes insights.
Another highlight was “Running Man Thailand”, jointly produced by iQIYI and Korean studio SBS Prism. The show features seven popular Thai celebrities – Daou, Nunew, Phuak, Oat Pramote, Ink Waruntorn, Jeff Satur and Tay Tawan – as the main cast, and is scheduled to begin filming in late 2025 with a premiere in 2026. The lead actors and producers made their first appearance at the event, demonstrating iQIYI’s growing footprint in global entertainment collaboration.
Through iJOY 2026 Thailand, iQIYI has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to cross-border innovation and creativity, strengthening its role as a driving force in shaping Asia’s entertainment ecosystem and expanding the global influence of Chinese-language content.
View original content to download multimedia:^ https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/iqiyi-international-hosts-ijoy-2026-thailand-in-bangkok-unveiling-annual-content-strategy-and-new-international-collaborations-302609298.html
SOURCE iQIYI International
