Zhang Yimou to announce shock retirement?

  • By Smith Alexander
  • Beijing
  • Last updated on

Zhang created a stir on Wednesday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.
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Sad news for Zhang fans. Speculation had been rife that the Chinese director best known for The Great Wall, House of Flying Daggers or Raise the Red Lantern, will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 74, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 15/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter-producer just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouYimou

For a little while on Wednesday evening, #ThankYouYimou was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouYimou.”
— @DesireePlum, 14 Jan 2026
“Zhang wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 14 Jan 2026

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