Chapter 624 "Hurricane 2"
Three days?
Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in disbelief, "You want me to act for three days, and you'll only get one and a half million US dollars?"
Chen Ziyan nodded.
What's going on?
"The first 'Hurricane 2' grossed $210 million in North America and $380 million worldwide. The sequel is about to start filming. One of the roles was filled by someone who had to drop out because he got the second male lead in Spike Ryan's new movie. That's when they thought of you," Chen Ziyan said. "Derek Dylan, the male lead of 'Hurricane,' is also the producer of this film. He's a key figure and also a client of Dylan. So, Dylan persuaded him to change the character to an Asian. Whether the character is Asian or not doesn't really matter, but if it's Asian, they can invite you to participate. I've been asking Dylan to keep an eye out for big Hollywood productions for you."
Darren is Lu Yanhe's agent overseas.
Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment and asked, "But what's the point of me participating in this movie?"
"Darren has agreed to get you into the lead role."
"I only have three days of filming."
“Three days of filming doesn’t mean you won’t have at least ten minutes of screen time in this movie,” Chen Ziyan said. “As long as you have more than ten minutes of screen time, you can become a member of the main cast. Especially since the first movie had a high box office, the second movie will definitely not be bad, which will help you solidify your image as a rising star in Hollywood.”
Chen Ziyan didn't mention characters, film art, or anything like that to Lu Yanhe at all, because those things didn't exist in the movie "Hurricane".
This is a disaster movie, mainly featuring visual effects.
Chen Ziyan cast Lu Yanhe for two reasons. First, the film was sure to do well at the box office. Combined with the sequel to "The Mist," if Lu Yanhe could achieve box office success with three consecutive Hollywood films, he would be among the top-tier actors cast in Hollywood films. Second, this film would help Lu Yanhe gain global exposure.
“In ‘The Mist,’ you mainly had special effects makeup, which reduced the audience’s familiarity with your face,” Chen Ziyan said. “But in ‘Hurricane 2,’ the character is a very handsome elite figure, which is beneficial for the audience to recognize your face and for your screen image. This is not a negative character; he sacrifices himself to save the protagonist, making him very memorable.”
Lu Yanhe understood why Chen Ziyan insisted that he take on this movie.
“Three days of filming, $500,000 a day. Although this is still far from the A-list cameo fees in Hollywood, it is still a significant step forward,” Chen Ziyan said. “Combined with your fee for the second part of ‘The Mist,’ it will be beneficial for us to negotiate prices when we take on Hollywood films in the future.”
Lu Yanhe was persuaded.
“Okay.” He sighed. “I’ve already been incredibly busy this month, and now I have to go shoot a movie.”
“You can always squeeze out time if you want, the key is whether it’s worthwhile,” Chen Ziyan said. “Three days, the pay, the image, the commercial value, the global fame, all the benefits, it’s worth it even if I don’t sleep.”
Lu Yanhe shrugged. "Okay."
-
On July 1, Derain Dylan posted two tweets.
First tweet: Rumi, you are despicable! You deserted your post and left us with a mess! I will never work with you again in my life!
Second tweet: Welcome Lu Yanhe, the son of "The Mist," to our "Hurricane 2" crew! Bro, I can't wait to meet you!
...
As a top Hollywood actor, Delan Dylan is known for keywords such as masculinity, sexiness, and wild handsomeness.
His global fame and influence, aided by Hollywood's global star-making system, are top-tier.
His two tweets immediately captured the world's attention.
The first "Hurricane" film was a huge commercial success and had a large fan base. After Derian Dylan spoke out, many people realized that Rumi Wade, the actor originally slated to star in the film, had been dropped, and Lu Yanhe, the Chinese actor from "The Mist," had taken over the role.
Lu Yanhe, who was participating in the closing ceremony of the first Jump Up Film Critics International Film Festival, suddenly felt a commotion in the audience, and then, one after another, people's eyes fell on him.
Not long after, Lu Yanhe heard about Derian Dylan's actions from Lin Yu.
He suddenly felt like everything was going black.
However, with so many people and cameras around, Lu Yanhe had to manage his facial expressions carefully to avoid being caught on camera showing any signs of losing control.
"..."
After the closing ceremony, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi personally escorted the guests to their cars and back to their hotels. Whether they planned to continue their travels in China or return home was no longer their concern.
Anyway, the travel expenses have all been paid out, and when they want to go back depends on their visa processing time and their own arrangements.
This year's film critics' festival has still sparked some discussion and response within the industry.
In particular, the discussions surrounding these screened films have been reported by many professional and authoritative film media outlets, generating considerable influence.
A film festival that truly discusses film.
This is the impression formed by this year's film festival.
At the closing ceremony, Chen Siqi also announced the global release plan for the book "Film Festival: Yu Ming".
Several film critics who were familiar with Lu Yanhe privately inquired about "Hurricane 2," asking him why he took on the role and whether it was true.
Lu Yanhe could only say, "I'm very curious about what the filming set of a special effects blockbuster is like. I've never filmed one before, and I want to learn."
Film critics found Lu Yanhe's reason for participating in the film relatively acceptable.
Many people assume that film critics praise art films while belittling commercial films, but that's not actually the case. Critics will criticize mediocre art films without hesitation, but they'll rave about good, high-quality commercial films. Of course, some early (pseudo) film critics in China who were simply trying to appear sophisticated don't count.
Professional film critics will take a very serious approach to evaluating a film, taking into account factors such as production cost, director's style, and genre.
Unlike unprofessional film critics who constantly use terms like "garbage," "no substance," "all self-indulgent," and "extremely clichéd," their criticisms are superficial and lack any insightful analysis.
What makes a good film review? At the very least, it should be insightful.
Before Lu Yanhe transmigrated here, the most memorable film review for him was one about "Passengers" starring Jennifer Lawrence. The review stated that if the story were told from the moment Jennifer Lawrence awakens, the entire film would have a completely different feel.
In a single sentence, Lu Yanhe's conflicted feelings about this film were perfectly captured.
It's good, but also feels long; it's interesting, but there are also many boring chapters.
To put it bluntly, the story itself is fine, but the way it's told is problematic.
Lu Yanhe is very willing to communicate with professional film critics because the latter are serious researchers. They study not only artistry, but also storytelling techniques; they study not only the text, but also the impact of market changes.
Therefore, when everyone learned that Lu Yanhe took on the role in "Hurricane 2" because he wanted to learn about the shooting methods of special effects blockbusters, they immediately understood.
It's perfectly normal for a filmmaker like Lu Yanhe, who has his own system of writing, directing, and acting, and also owns a production company, to want to understand these technical aspects.
Lu Yanhe also knew that this was the only reason they would be willing to accept.
If Lu Yanhe were to tell the truth at this point—that he did it to further increase his fame and to facilitate future negotiations on his salary—his image would be severely damaged.
One should always put on an act; one shouldn't be too honest.
Not every honest attitude about utilitarian motives can earn the praise of being "open and honest".
Especially now—
Derian Dylan's "openness" caused Lu Yanhe some trouble.
Rumi Wade, who stood up "Hurricane 2," responded to Derain in a defiant manner:
I never signed a performance contract. Instead of saying I ran away at the last minute, why didn't I ask you why you're so stingy?
The implication was that he wouldn't act because they couldn't agree on the pay.
Shortly after, Rumi Wade's agent responded to the matter through the Los Angeles Times, saying sarcastically, "Rumi Wade is not a cheap man; he deserves what he's paid for."
The way you put it makes it sound like Lu Yanhe has become the Cheap Man.
Soon after, Variety magazine published a news item: Following his $6.5 million plus bonus share for the sequel to The Mist, Lu Yanhe has once again secured a high salary: he has officially signed a contract to star in Hurricane 2 at the end of the month, and will receive $1.5 million for just three days of filming.
This news serves as a strong rebuttal to Lu Yanhe's claim about Cheap Man.
However, this exorbitant salary has also drawn the attention of many in Hollywood.
Why pay such a high salary to an Asian actor?
It's one thing for Lu Yanhe to earn $6.5 million plus bonuses for the sequel to "The Mist," given his status as a series lead. But how can an Asian actor with no connection to the first "Hurricane" film earn $1.5 million after only three days of filming?
There is a lot of controversy.
Derek Dylan stated on his Twitter account: Lu Yanhe is one of the most popular and top actors in Asia, and he deserves this salary!
-
Lu Yanhe has once again become a trending topic on Chinese social media due to his high salary.
If Lu Yanhe's high salary for starring in the sequel to "Misty" made everyone feel proud and honored, then this time, it has made many people somewhat envious or even jealous.
In three days, $1.5 million was raised, which is nearly ten million RMB.
This money is too easy to make!
A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan both understood this principle.
This is not something that can be explained by reason.
In response, Lu Yanhe could only remain silent and wait for the controversy to die down.
Chen Ziyan arranged for public relations to promote Lu Yanhe's charity work over the past few years in order to mitigate the negative impact of Lu Yanhe's "high salary".
Meanwhile, Chen Ziyan also created another trending topic: the Hollywood star pay rankings.
She wanted everyone to realize that compared to the celebrities on the list, Lu Yanhe was actually far from being ranked.
There were also reports that she arranged for Lu Yanhe to star in several dramas, including "Late Spring" and "The Road to Glory," at a "friendship price."
After several rounds of maneuvering, people gradually accepted that it was normal for Lu Yanhe to receive such high pay for filming in Hollywood.
She wouldn't emphasize at this time that Lu Yanhe was worth the price—
In this world, who doesn't deserve a good life, a life free from worries about food and clothing?
But the reality is that many people struggle and work themselves to the bone, only to find their monthly salary is a mere 3,500 yuan.
Especially at times like these, it's crucial to avoid displaying an attitude of "taking it for granted."
This in itself is an attitude.
-
However, after the uproar over the paychecks subsided, everyone's attention returned to the movie "Hurricane 2".
In a sequel to a big-budget film with an investment of over 100 million yuan, Lu Yanhe has once again landed a leading role. Although his screen time seems limited, with only three days of filming, it's clearly stated that Lu Yanhe is the lead actor.
In Hollywood, whether you're a lead actor or not sometimes depends more on the significance of your character in the film and your own status than on the number of screen time you get.
Compared to the amount of screen time, what everyone is more concerned about is why Lu Yanhe's overseas journey has been so smooth.
The domestic and international markets are completely different worlds. You're an Asian actor who hasn't really made it in Hollywood, and your first film is already working with a major horror director, and then suddenly your second film is a hit with an A-list production?
Isn't your momentum a little too good?
The news of Lu Yanhe's participation in the film not only attracted great attention in China, but also caught the attention of many Hollywood film companies.
After all, they had all submitted scripts to Lu Yanhe before, but were all politely rejected, which eventually led people to believe that Lu Yanhe did not want to come to Hollywood to make movies.
At least a very small number of people know the inside story and understand that Lu Yanhe was able to get into the "Hurricane 2" cast because of his agent in the United States, Darren, who is also Derian Dylan's agent. There was someone pulling strings behind the scenes.
Those scripts featuring Asian characters were reminded of Lu Yanhe's existence by this news and once again sent their scripts to Darren.
Of course, Lu Yanhe's first Hollywood movie was a huge box office success, and his next two movies were both big hits with a strong chance of grossing over $100 million in North America. Darren is not in a hurry to get Lu Yanhe any more roles. After all, his starting point is so high that he doesn't need to take on any movie projects that would lower his status.
Darren also felt a sense of accomplishment in facilitating this collaboration.
This collaboration not only benefited Lu Yanhe, but also Derian Dylan.
With Lu Yanhe in the cast of "Hurricane 2", we can really look forward to its box office performance in China, a major box office market.
For this reason, Darren Dylan even specifically told Derian Dylan that Lu Yanhe's box office appeal in Asia should be taken good care of on set, especially by instructing the director to give Lu Yanhe a good performance in the film.
Derian Dylan's prior knowledge of Lu Yanhe was limited to knowing him as the main villain in the horror film *The Mist*. However, this villain was actually the most popular and beloved character in the entire film. After reviewing Lu Yanhe's resume, his awards at various film festivals, and the global success of his past films, Dylan made the final decision to offer Lu Yanhe a salary of $1.5 million.
One element was Derain's gratitude towards Lu Yanhe for being willing to come to the rescue.
Secondly, Derain knew that Lu Yanhe was worth the price; if he offered less, Lu Yanhe might not be willing to come.
The current result has made Derain very satisfied.
The general public's reaction to Lu Yanhe's joining the team is very positive and supportive.
This is the most important thing for making a sequel.
The audience for the first film has to be mostly satisfied. That's the foundation for the sequel.
-
I recommend the new book "The Demon-Slaying Sword".
(End of this chapter)
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