The Road Not Taken () is 2026 drama film co-written, directed, co-produced by Peter Chan, starring Zhou Xun, Lawrence Wang, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Diana Lin, Vicky Chen and Zhang Youhao. A Chinese-Hong Kong co-production, it explores the effects of early-onset Alzheimer's disease on a famous female television host and her family.
The film will have its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 18, 2026.
Synopsis The film tells the story of a successful television host Jia Jia (Zhou Xun) whose professional life appears stable, even as her marriage to a wildlife conservationist is deteriorating.
At a public discussion about "artificial intelligence", Jia Jia is unable to recall the correct term and instead calls it "artificial talent". She dismisses the incident as a result of work-related exhaustion. However, as similar memory lapses begin to occur with increasing frequency, it becomes apparent that something more serious is affecting her.
The film interweaves Jia Jia's worsening symptoms with conflicts within her family, particularly her fractured relationship with her daughter and her complicated relationship with her father. As the disease progresses, the deterioration of her memory and perception increasingly disrupts her understanding of the world around her. Familiar relationships, social roles, past conflicts, and the identity she has constructed throughout her life gradually lose their stability, leaving her increasingly dependent on immediate emotions and struggling to distinguish what she can trust.
Cast Zhou Xun as Jia Jia (Shen Jia) Lawrence Wang as Jia Jia's husband Tian Zhuangzhuang as Jia Jia's father Diana Lin Vicky Chen as Jia Jia's daughter Zhang Youhao
Production The film began principal photography on May 8, 2026 at the Xicun Courtyard in Chengdu.
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