Workplace satire strikes chord with Chinese office workers

"Make Zhonghe Great Again" is a new workplace comedy from Dong Runnian, with the satire resonating particularly strongly with white-collar audiences.

Cast and crew pose for a photo at the premiere of "Make Zhonghe Great Again" in Beijing, July 29, 2026. [Photo courtesy of AskWin]

The film is rooted in contemporary workplace realities, particularly the repetitive routine of the daily grind — home, office and back again — that defines so many people's lives. These words come from director and screenwriter Dong at the film's premiere in Beijing on July 29.

He revealed the story draws on real interview materials from recent years.

"The film focuses on ordinary people's familiar workplace struggles and pain points, aiming to serve as a voice for today's workers and offer a fresh, surprising cinematic experience, that allows audiences to release stress through laughter while finding resonance and healing," he emphasized.

Beneath its "infinite loop" sci-fi premise, the film's core remains focused on the real-world struggles of ordinary people in the workplace.

Screenwriter and producer Ying Luojia also shared, "The two leading characters may seem like two people with completely different attitudes toward the workplace, but at their core, they are the same. Deep inside, both have a small flame that refuses to go out." She said she hopes the film will allow audiences to see real people and help more workers feel seen in their own roles.

"Make Zhonghe Great Again," starring Zhang Ruoyun and Bai Ke, is a sequel to Dong's phenomenal film "Johnny Keep Walking!" (2023) and debuts across Chinese theaters on Aug. 1.

The film tells of an employee by the name of Liu Ben (Zhang Ruoyun). He works at the science and technology conglomerate Zhonghe. He is demoted after his work is stolen by a wicked colleague called Ma Jie (Bai Ke). With this, he is sent to a branch office and the twist comes, they are trapped in an infinite loop where failure leads to time rewinding and being forced to start over from square one. The goal quickly becomes promotion to the top, in order to rectify workplace injustices, from stolen credit to unfair promotions.

The film features a return of many well loved actors, in both cameos or their characters from the first film, including the roles of Da Peng and Zhuang Dafei.

"Make Zhonghe Great Again" has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from audiences after its premiere, with critics calling it a continuation of the previous film's realist comedy core that breaks away from formulaic comedy templates, using absurd and lighthearted humor to tell a real workplace story.