Daniel Zhou, the 1.88m tall heartthrob from Produce Camp 2021, has quickly risen in popularity thanks to his onscreen chemistry with Michelle Chen in Sniper Butterfly. Dubbed “Red Boy” by fans and media, Zhou’s real-life connection with the 19-years-older actress has added more buzz to his growing fame. Naturally, fans anticipated seeing him on the red carpet at major year-end events.
However, Zhou was noticeably absent from the lineup of the prestigious Tencent Video All Star Night 2025, leaving fans disappointed and questioning why. The answer came swiftly—and bluntly—from his manager and mentor, controversial director Yu Zheng, who declared that Zhou would not be allowed to attend.
This came as a shock, especially given Yu Zheng’s past support of Zhou. The same director who once confidently claimed, “Daniel Zhou will be the most famous male actor in C-ent next year,” has now seemingly put roadblocks in the actor’s path.
Yu Zheng explained that Zhou is currently filming Shadows of Desire, a low-budget, small-scale project. Letting him leave set for one day would halt production and result in financial losses of tens of millions of yuan. Unless event organizers—like those behind iQIYI Scream Night—are willing to cover the losses, he said he would not approve Zhou’s participation in events.
His comments inadvertently exposed a little-known reality in Chinese showbiz: red carpet appearances often involve financial negotiations. Some platforms reportedly offer compensation to cover the cost of halting film production, using star appearances to fuel publicity and marketing efforts. In return, stars enjoy the spotlight and boost their commercial value—a win-win.
As an example, following her attendance at iQIYI Scream Night, actress Zhou Dongyu reportedly saw her event appearance fee jump from 300,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan.
Now that Daniel Zhou is barred from Tencent Video All Star Night, fans are accusing Yu Zheng of sacrificing the young actor’s opportunities for financial reasons, potentially stalling his momentum during a crucial growth phase.
Many are also pointing out that other actors manage to attend such events without disrupting filming. Production teams often reschedule shoots to give actors time off for high-profile events—an effective strategy to promote their ongoing projects.
Insiders have revealed that some production companies are now adding specific clauses to contracts that require film crews to allow artists to attend key annual events hosted by major platforms. This ensures both visibility for the artists and avoids future disputes over appearances.
Sources: kenh14