Huanyu Entertainment took a leading role at the 42nd MIPCOM Cannes, presenting its new productions to international buyers and partners at the world's largest television and streaming content market, which opened October 12 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France.
New productions on the Cannes stage
At the China Pavilion — organized under the guidance of China's State Council Information Office and the National Radio and Television Administration under the theme "Brilliant China, Intelligent Innovation for the Future" — Huanyu presented new productions including Shadows of Desire and Echoes, highlighting Chinese cultural heritage, distinctive visual aesthetics and high production standards. The company also met with representatives of dozens of international platforms and industry organizations.
China's consul general in Marseille, He Youlin, and NRTA international cooperation official Shi Zhiyan visited Huanyu's stand and met co-founder and general manager Yang Le, praising the company's push to reach international audiences with innovative content.
AI takes center stage at MIPCOM
Artificial intelligence was the dominant theme of this year's market, which focused on branded entertainment, AI-generated content, microdramas and vertical video. At the October 12 China New Productions Showcase, Huanyu's head of distribution presented the AI-produced series Palace: Forbidden Scent.
On October 14, Huanyu participated as the only Chinese lead partner in the AI Entertainment Forum, presenting "Exploring AI Content Monetization" — outlining its work in AI-assisted production, digital asset creation and reuse, production efficiency and commercialization.
The company behind the hits
Huanyu Entertainment (Huanyu Film) was founded in 2012 by screenwriter-producer Yu Zheng and Yang Le and is headquartered in Beijing's Chaoyang District. The company broke through globally with the 2018 costume drama Story of Yanxi Palace, which amassed over 15 billion views on iQIYI and became the most Googled television series of 2018. Huanyu has since expanded partnerships with international networks and platforms including HBO, Fox, Netflix and Disney+.
The 42nd edition of MIPCOM Cannes ran October 12–15, 2026 (confirmed via organizer RX Global), drawing thousands of delegates, producers, distributors and buyers — and Huanyu's prominent placement suggests Chinese costume drama and AI-assisted production are set to feature heavily in next year's global slates.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Life of Riley (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0