Zhao Lusi's shocking salary drop revealed, Yu Shuxin "caught in the crossfire," experts explain the reason.

Chinese media outlets have been abuzz in recent days with news that the salaries of Chinese actors continue to plummet, citing Zhao Lusi and Yu Shuxin as examples, completely ending the era of "hundred-million-yuan fees."

According to Sohu, the current level of remuneration in the entertainment market has become clearly differentiated according to the level of the artist, and although some stars still possess great commercial value, the overall fees have dropped significantly compared to their heyday.

Among the female actresses born after 1995, who are the main force in mainland Chinese historical dramas today, top names like Zhao Lusi, Yu Shuxin, and Bai Lu command a maximum fee of around 20 million RMB per project, equivalent to over 74 billion VND. This group is considered to be at the "peak of the new standard." Rising actresses like Zhang Jingyi, Li Landi, and Zhou Ye receive between 8-12 million RMB, while mid-tier or rookie actresses only earn a few million RMB per film. The gap between different levels of artists is therefore becoming increasingly apparent.

This change is particularly noteworthy when compared to the period of exorbitant salaries that once overshadowed the Chinese entertainment industry. CEO Gong Yu frankly stated that in 2018, the highest salary for an actor in a single film exceeded 150 million RMB (approximately 560 billion VND). Even the common amount was around 80-120 million RMB, creating an unprecedented "salary bubble."

Numerous cases have become the focus of intense debate, such as Zheng Shuang. The actress was embroiled in a "dual contract" scandal when participating in the project " A Chinese Ghost Story ," receiving a total of 116 million RMB for 77 days of filming, averaging over 2 million RMB per day. Zhou Xun and Huo Jianhua are rumored to have received 50 million RMB each for participating in "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace ." Sun Li was also rumored to have received over 60 million RMB for "That Year the Flowers Bloomed and the Moon Was Full ." According to some sources, Zhou Dongyu and Luo Jin were paid 109 million RMB and 77 million RMB respectively for the film "The King Behind the Scenes ."

According to Hua Bei Productions, current salaries have dropped significantly and are clearly stratified based on ability, popularity, and film genre. Actors born in 1995 still belong to the highest-earning group thanks to the dominance of historical dramas. However, their salaries only reach around 20 million RMB. Exceptional cases may receive 30 million RMB, but these are very rare.

Conversely, actresses born after 1985, who were once "rating queens" like Tang Yan and Liu Shishi, have seen a sharp decline in their salaries. Because they are no longer suited to idol dramas or commercial films, many even earn less than the younger generation of actresses born in 1995. To shift towards more serious dramas or expand their acting abilities, they proactively reduce their fees to meet the demands of producers.

Explaining the reasons for the sharp drop in acting fees, Hua Bei attributed it to three main factors. Firstly, investment in the industry has been tightened, forcing platforms and producers to reduce costs, with actors' fees capped at a maximum of 25% of the total budget. Secondly, the trend in actor selection has changed: platforms no longer prioritize popularity but rather script quality and suitability. For dramas, many actors are proactively requesting reduced fees to have a chance to participate. Thirdly, the tightening of the management system, especially the elimination of "dual contracts," has led to more transparent and fair compensation levels.

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