Three Kingdoms (TV series)

Three Kingdoms is a 2010 Chinese television series based on the events in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The plot is adapted from the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other stories about the Three Kingdoms period. Directed by Gao Xixi, the series had a budget of over 160 million RMB (US$30 million) and took five years of pre-production work. Shooting of the series commenced in October 2008, and it was released in China in May 2010.

Three Kingdoms set a record as the most expensive small screen series in China's television history at the time, having been sold to four regional TV broadcasters at the price of 160 million yuan. The series was a commercial success in China and dominated ratings, but has caused controversy among critics and fans, with many commenting that the TV series has veered too far from the classic novel and real history. The series was criticised for prioritizing commercial entertainment over research and understanding of the novel and history and creating plot-holes in its re-interpretation. While some publications have praised the willingness to rewrite the events of the novel, other publications criticize the writing and editing for being sluggish, long-winded and superfluous, and using clichés from "Gongdou"-dramas and romantic dramas to be eye-catching while losing the solemnity and dignity of the original novel. It has also been sold to over 20 countries, earning an estimated 800 million RMB (US$133.3 million) in total as of May 2012.

Main

 * Chen Jianbin as Cao Cao
 * Yu Hewei as Liu Bei
 * Lu Yi]ge Liang
 * Yu Rongguang as Guan Yu
 * Kang Kai as Zhang Fei
 * Nie Yuan as Zhao Yun
 * Ni Dahong as Sima Yi
 * Yu Bin as Cao Pi
 * Luo Jin as Liu Xie
 * Xiaodingge as Liu Xie (child)
 * Lü Xiaohe as Dong Zhuo
 * Peter Ho as Lü Bu
 * Chen Hao as Diao Chan
 * Zhang Bo as Sun Quan
 * Zheng Wei as Sun Quan (child)
 * Ruby Lin as Lady Sun
 * Victor Huang as Zhou Yu
 * Sha Yi as Sun Ce
 * Liu Jing as Da Qiao
 * Zhao Ke as Xiao Qiao

Supporting

 * Li Li as Bao Long
 * Bai Yu as Lady Bian
 * Cao Xiwen as Lady Cai (Liu Biao's wife)
 * Li Fangyao as Cai He
 * Liu Dan as Cai Mao
 * Hu Zi as Cai Yang
 * Guo Miaoxin as Cai Zhong
 * Liu Zijiao as Empress Cao
 * Zhao Lei as Cao Bao
 * An Pengzeyu as Cao Chong
 * Li Daiqing as Cao Hong
 * Yuan Shaoxiong as Cao Fang
 * Yang Guang as Cao Ren
 * Yang Demin as Cao Rui
 * Xia Tian as Cao Shuang
 * Guo Jiyun as Cao Song
 * Li Gen as Cao Zhang
 * Zhao Jin as Cao Zhen
 * Li Jichun as Cao Zhi
 * Wang Jinjun as Cheng Dekou
 * Shang Yue as Chen Deng
 * Sun Hongtao as Chen Gong
 * Lu Jidong as Chen Gui
 * Sun Hai as Chen Qun
 * Ding Xiaonan as Chen Ying
 * Zhong Minghe as Cheng Pu
 * Jiang Changyi as Cheng Yu
 * Cao Zhanjun as Cui Zhouping
 * Jiang Yi as Ding Feng
 * Bai Hui as Consort Dong
 * Gao Baosong as Dong Cheng
 * Yang Chuanxi as Dong Zhao
 * Zhang Xinhua as Fa Zheng
 * Piao Lan as Lady Fan
 * Dong Zhiyong as Fan Qiang
 * Wang Daosheng as Fu Jun
 * Tang Zidi as Lady Gan
 * Xia Xiaolong as Gan Ning
 * Chen Gang as Gao Xiang
 * Wang Baogang as Gongsun Zan
 * Fan Jinlun as Guan Ping
 * Wei Zhi as Guan Xing
 * Wang Di as Empress Guo
 * Zhang Ge as Guo Huai
 * Wang Jinxin as Guo Jia
 * Gong Zhixi as Guo Si
 * Han Zhenguo as Guo Tu
 * Liu Jun as Han Dang
 * Jiao Zhiqiang as Han Fu
 * Hu Sha as Han Sui
 * Ying Qiang as Han Xuan
 * Qin Fanxiang as Hao Zhao
 * Cai Jun as Hua Tuo
 * Zhang Xiqian as Hua Xin
 * Ding Xiaonan as Hua Xiong
 * Liu Kui as Huang Gai
 * Zhao Xu as Huang Kui
 * Sun Wanqing as Huang Quan
 * Song Laiyun as Huang Zhong
 * Ren Xuehai as Ji Ping
 * Chen Fusheng as Ji Ling
 * Liao Weili as Jia Hua
 * Li Muge as Jiang Gan
 * Ye Peng as Jiang Wei
 * Li Yixiao as Jingshu
 * Bai Hailong as Kong Xiu
 * Er Hou as Kong You
 * Cao Guoxin as Li Dian
 * Ge Youyuan as Li Feng
 * Sen Zhixue as Li Jue
 * Song Chongdong as Li Ru
 * Deng Liming as Li Yan
 * Ji Chenggong as Liu Biao
 * Qiu Shuang as Liu Cong
 * Xu Xiao as Liu Dai
 * Wang Shigui as Liu Du
 * Fan Guan as Liu Qi
 * Wang Peng as Liu Shan
 * Yang Tong as Liu Xian
 * Li Yuemin as Liu Zhang
 * Jia Xiang as Lu Ji
 * Huo Qing as Lu Su
 * Shao Feng as Lu Xun
 * Zhao Bingkui as Lü Boshe
 * Jerry Chang Lu Feng as Lü Meng
 * Chen Yilin as Ma Chao
 * Xia Tian as Ma Dai
 * Guan Ziqian as Ma Liang
 * Zheng Shiming as Ma Su
 * Ning Sheng as Ma Teng
 * Shang Yisha as Lady Mi
 * Hong Pangzi as Mi Fang
 * Wu Qiong as Miao Ze
 * Da Lin as Niu Jin
 * Han Lei as Pan Zhang
 * Tian Xiang as Pang De
 * Chen Houxing as Pang Ji
 * Du Xudong as Pang Tong
 * Fan Shide as Pujing
 * Xue Xiaolong as Two Qiaos' father
 * Pu Youwei as Qin Lang
 * Ding Dong as Qin Qingtong
 * Dai Qiwen as Shen Yi
 * Wang Shijun as Sima Hui
 * Zhao Dacheng as Sima Shi
 * Miao Yaning as Sima Yan
 * Liu Guoguang as Sima Zhao
 * Ji Aojun as Sun Huan
 * Fan Yulin as Sun Jian
 * Li Yatian as Sun Li
 * Yang Rui as Sun Qian
 * Zhao Xuan as Tao Gongyi
 * Tong Han as Tao Qian
 * Xu Tao as Tian Feng
 * Liu Bingyu as Wang Lang
 * Wang Huan as Wang Ping
 * Zheng Tianyong as Wang Yun
 * Wang Xinjun as Wei Yan
 * Wang Mengchuan as Wen Chou
 * Kang Qunzhi as Lady Wu
 * Wang Maolei as Wu Zhi
 * Hu Chunyong as Xiahou Ba
 * Li Mengcheng as Xiahou Dun
 * Li Qilong as Xiahou Yuan
 * Liu Ganhan as Xiang Jun
 * Wang Wentao as Xing Daorong
 * Guo Tao as Xu Chu
 * Chen Wei as Xu Huang
 * Sun Yan as Xu Sheng
 * Yao Gang as Xu Shu
 * Hai Yan as Xu Shu's mother
 * Xu Maomao as Xu You
 * Yang Rui as Xue Zong
 * Shao Yueheng as Xun An
 * Li Jianxin as Xun Yu
 * Zhang Qifu as Yan Jun
 * Li Xu as Yan Liang
 * Li Xu as Yan Yan
 * Li Xiaowei as Yang Ling
 * Lu Dongfu as Yang Song
 * Jin Yi as Yang Xiu
 * Chen Shanshan as Yang Yi
 * Qi Huai as Yu Fan
 * Wu Kegang as Yu Jin
 * Han Wenliang as Yuan Shang
 * Xu Wenguang as Yuan Shao
 * Yan Pei as Yuan Shu
 * Liu Long as Yuan Tan
 * Lan Tian as Yuan Xi
 * Bu Sisi as Yunying
 * Cai Jin as Zhang Bao
 * Tan Jianchang as Zhang He
 * Cheng Xiangyin as Zhang Liao
 * Li Daguang as Zhang Lu
 * Lu Lu as Zhang Ren
 * Liu Yajin as Zhang Song
 * Chen Xinhua as Zhang Su
 * Chen Bing as Zhang Wen
 * Zhao Qiusheng as Zhang Yi
 * Shen Jie as Zhang Zhao
 * Wang Guogang as Zhao Fan
 * Li Hua as Zhong Yao
 * Zhang Jiaoyang as Zhou Cang
 * Zhao Shuijing as Zhou Shan
 * Hou Jie as Zhou Tai
 * Zhu Lei as Zhu Ran
 * Cao Yi as Zhuge Jin
 * Ru Xiaobin as Zhuge Jun
 * Chao Fan as Zu Mao

Replaced cast

 * Jiang Wen was originally cast as Cao Cao, but decided to abandon the role after two directors quit the project. Jiang Wen would later portray Cao Cao in the movie Lost Bladesman. Soon afterwards, Tang Guoqiang, who played Zhuge Liang in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994), asked for the role, but it had already been reassigned to Chen Jianbin.
 * Ken Watanabe asked director Gao Xixi for the role of Guan Yu. Gao reportedly was unable to meet Watanabe's request for a salary of 30-40 million yuan, and was forced to turn him away. The role eventually went to Yu Rongguang (who previously appeared as Han De in the 2008 film Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon).