Chapter 848 I Want to Win an Award
Zhang Yuezhen said, "Although Death Stranding was not a hit, it has a group of very loyal fans, especially you. Your international fans mainly come from this show. According to the backend data of Maxine, 14% of the viewers of Seventeen Floors: Reboot have also watched Death Stranding."
Chen Pinhe frowned slightly.
"If that's the case, why didn't Maxine increase the salary for the second season of Death Stranding to $300,000 per episode?" Chen Pinhe was suffering from some PTSD from the salary controversy. "If it weren't for the fact that they offered me too low a salary for the first season, I wouldn't have been ridiculed so much back then."
Zhang Yuezhen: "It's true that the budget was tight. The production cost of this drama was very high, with a lot of ocean special effects scenes, so there was no way to leave more room for actors' salaries."
Zhang Yuezhen added, "Moreover, a salary of $250,000 per episode is not low. In Hollywood, many A-list stars can only get this much. Basically, in top-tier American TV series, $1 million is the maximum price, and only a handful of people can get it."
“$250,000 per episode.” Chen Pinhe chuckled. “Those guys from Friends probably earn way more per episode than I do, right?”
“Friends has hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Moreover, as a sitcom, their production costs are mainly for personnel expenses; art direction, visual effects, and post-production don’t cost much.”
Chen Pinhe: "I'm really getting worse as I get older. When I took on Death Stranding, I thought it was a good project and it was my first English-language series, so I didn't care about the salary. But now, the low salary has become the reason for my criticism. I can't even ask for more money from them. They say that The Seventeen Floors: Reboot is doing well, but it can't even get me a raise of $50,000 per episode."
Zhang Yuezhen said, "This price is indeed not low. The second season of Death Stranding itself had a budget of this size."
Zhang Yuezhen is really having a headache right now.
She didn't expect Chen Pinhe to be so serious about his salary for the second season of "Death Stranding".
Chen Pinhe used to really not pay much attention to this area.
It's not that he doesn't care about money, but rather that actors of his generation have been influenced by a certain concept from a young age—
A good project and a good role are far more important than a high salary.
It seems that the previous attacks on him really did make him start to change his mind.
It is absolutely true that it is shameful for a top Chinese actor to only receive $50,000 per episode for acting in an English-language TV series.
Zhang Yuezhen hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go talk to Maxine again. If they still refuse to budge in the end, then I'll turn down 'Death Stranding 2' and not act in it?"
Chen Pinhe nodded.
"We don't really need Death Stranding 2 right now, do we?"
Zhang Yue really thought it over.
In terms of TV series, there's the "17 Floors: Reboot" series; in terms of movies, there's Isaac Asimov's new film vying for awards, and commercially successful films like that romantic comedy.
Indeed, Death Stranding 2 is no longer that important to Chen Pinhe.
-
"So, Death Stranding 2 needs to find a new male lead?" Chen Ziyan heard the news almost immediately.
This news comes from South Korea.
Jong Bon-seok wanted to find a male actor in South Korea who was the right age and had the right image to replace Chen Pin-ha in the role.
Lu Qingzhen: "Chen Pinhe couldn't reach an agreement with Maxine because of his salary. Your previous approach worked. It not only brought him down from his pedestal, but also made him sever ties with Death Stranding."
Chen Ziyan said, "Death Stranding is actually a niche hit, and it still has some fans around the world. Chen Pinhe's decision to give it up was a bit short-sighted."
"The inability to agree on the salary is a big problem."
"Maxine has offered him a salary of over $200,000."
"He's still not satisfied? Then he's a bit out of his depth." Lu Qingzhen immediately changed her tune.
Chen Ziyan: "I was thinking about whether to help Teacher Jiang Jun get this role. After 'Doomsday,' Teacher Jiang Jun didn't have any other projects except for 'Doomsday 2.' 'Doomsday 2' was filmed a long time ago."
"Isn't $200,000 a week too low for Teacher Jiang Jun?"
“Yes.” Chen Ziyan shook her head. “Forget it, it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. There’s no need for Teacher Jiang to act in someone else’s sequel.”
Lu Qingzhen said, "Hollywood really offers very few roles to Chinese actors. Teacher Jiang has already achieved such great success, but he still can't get good roles."
“Yes, all the scripts that came in were obviously bad movies,” Chen Ziyan said. “They could only play supporting roles, which was really unnecessary, since there’s still Doomsday 2 coming up.”
Lu Qingzhen asked, "Don't those overseas streaming platforms intend to create a series for Professor Jiang?"
“We’ve discussed a few ideas, but none of them are quite mature. Now, Teacher Jiang’s status has been elevated to a very high level, but because his foundation is not stable, he feels somewhat constrained and bound by this status,” Chen Ziyan said. “I have clearly defined the path for Teacher Jiang: he will not act unless it is a top-tier production or a top-tier director.”
"Isn't there also a spin-off movie being developed with Jiang Jun's character in 'The Seventeenth Floor' as the main character?" Lu Qingzhen said. "Actually, that's enough. If the spin-off movie does well at the box office, then with the 'Seventeenth Floor' series and the 'Doomsday' series in hand, plus the second 'Squid Game', Jiang Jun will be very secure for the next few years."
Chen Ziyan nodded and said, "I don't just want him to be stable, I hope he can go further. He has good acting skills and some action skills, and his range is very wide. With the widespread popularity brought by 'The Seventeenth Floor' and 'The Squid Game', he has the potential to reach a position where Hollywood will actually create a project just for him."
Lu Qingzhen: "Death Stranding 2 is indeed a bit weak. It's not a global blockbuster, so it can't give Mr. Jiang much of a boost."
"Mm." Chen Ziyan nodded.
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"Chen Pinhe has withdrawn from Death Stranding 2. Either the script needs to be revised, or a replacement actor needs to be found. The filming date for Death Stranding 2 has not yet been set, so there is still time to make adjustments."
Wu Bai said to Li Yuefeng, "If you're willing, I'll try to negotiate with Maxine to see if I can get you a major role."
Li Yuefeng said, "Minor supporting roles are out of the question, but we can consider the main cast."
“But I heard that Chen Pinhe withdrew because they couldn’t agree on the salary. If you were to act in it, the salary might not be very high either,” Wu Bai said. “The only drama that made you well-known in Europe and America was ‘The Seventeen Floors’.”
Li Yuefeng: "It's okay if the pay is a little lower for a while, I don't mind. But please try to shorten the filming time for me. Don't pay me less and make me film for hundreds of days. I'm already this age. In a few years, I'll be middle-aged. I don't have that much time to waste with them."
“Hmm.” Wu Bai nodded. “Now that this news has spread, what I’m most worried about is that Maxine will end up casting a Korean actor for the role. Maxine’s head in Asia, Jong Bon-seok, is of Korean descent and is very familiar with the Korean entertainment industry.”
Li Yuefeng said, "Death Stranding has not been broadcast in China either, and the Chinese market is not attractive to this show."
Wu Bai: "Yes, fortunately, your 'Corpse 2' has been approved. The fact that Jiang Jun and Lily Williams are co-starring with you makes your resume even more impressive than that of the average actor. Not to mention that your film 'The Classic' is very popular in Asia."
"Yan Lingyu became popular, and I also benefited a little, but not much," Li Yuefeng said. "I was quite surprised that Death Stranding didn't receive much attention in China."
Wu Bai: "This subject matter is indeed not of interest to domestic audiences, and it is destined to be a niche subject."
Li Yuefeng: "But it still gets a lot of attention overseas."
“Yes.” Wu Bai nodded. “Overseas audiences have a traditional fondness for adventure dramas that combine the ocean with a touch of fantasy.”
-
The movie "Death Stranding 2" has attracted a lot of attention in the industry.
The news of Chen Pinhe's withdrawal was first released by Chinese media, and then foreign media followed suit.
That's good now.
For fans of any drama, changing actors for a role is a major taboo. It means that the emotions that have already been projected onto a certain image will have to be projected all over again.
Many viewers will feel "betrayed" as a result and abandon the show altogether.
Fans of the show "Death Stranding" have voiced their protests.
Chen Pinhe is not any of the other major characters; he is the main protagonist.
Replacing such a character is a huge problem.
Upon seeing this, Maxine's first reaction was that this was a serious problem. Her second reaction was whether Chen Pinhe's side was behind this, trying to force them to use him again and agree to his conditions.
Zhong Benshuo was furious.
Because thousands of viewers around the world even sent protest letters to Maxine's headquarters.
This drama series, which isn't particularly outstanding in terms of statistics, has shown an inexplicably huge fan base at this moment.
Even Maxine headquarters contacted us to inquire about the situation here.
There are growing calls to boycott the second season of Death Stranding.
Zhong Benshuo also faced considerable pressure. Should they bring Chen Pinhe back? Maxine insisted on not agreeing to the $300,000 per episode fee, mainly because if Chen Pinhe's fee was raised to that level, the female lead would also demand a similar amount. For Maxine, the performance of *Death Stranding* wasn't enough to justify a higher budget; that would set a bad example.
After an internal discussion, Maxine decided that it was still not advisable to open this door.
The main reason is that Death Stranding is far from being one of Maxine's mainstays.
It's not profitable enough.
If it's a profitable project, then it's a different story.
For Maxine, this show inevitably presents a problem.
Will development continue for a second season?
If development continues, should we insist on casting a different actor for the role of Chen Pinhe, given the current situation?
Alternatively, the script could be revised to omit Chen Pinhe's character in the second season and introduce a new character.
After some discussion, Maxine decided to revise the script.
Take half of the role and screen time of Chen Pinhe and give it to the female lead, Wang Jiaqi.
Then, introduce two new characters to take on the next half.
At this point, Jong Bon-seok very quickly cast one of the roles for South Korean actor Gong Young-beom.
The other role was originally intended for a Japanese actor.
Since Death Stranding is not being shown in the Chinese market, using Chinese actors makes little sense.
However, at this time, Li Yuefeng's agent took the initiative to contact him.
This actor rose to fame in South Korea with his role in "The Classic," and is now very well-known.
Zhong Benshuo also knows him.
Looking further, Li Yuefeng's resume includes a cameo role in "Raise the Red Lantern," a supporting role in "You Are the Apple of My Eye," the "Seventeen Floors" trilogy with Lu Yanhe, and leading roles in "The Corpse" and "If Love Has a Destiny"...
Next, he will star in the Sino-US co-production project "The Corpse 2".
It seems this actor has the potential to become a global sensation.
Zhong Benshuo put forward a condition.
Li Yuefeng needs to sign a three-part performance agreement with Death Stranding.
Li Yuefeng's agent replied directly: Is he the male lead?
Zhong Benshuo suddenly came to his senses.
Why should Li Yuefeng sign three roles for a character who isn't even the male lead?
He himself thought it was ridiculous.
-
“Of course Li Yuefeng has no need to sign such an agreement with Maxine.” Lu Yanhe said after hearing about this from Chen Ziyan. “Li Yuefeng doesn’t necessarily need this opportunity. Zhong Benshuo is just taking advantage of his position. He’s making exorbitant demands because Li Yuefeng came to him on his own initiative.”
Chen Ziyan: "I think the same way you do, and Wu Bai would never agree to it."
Lu Yanhe: "Moreover, Li Yuefeng has two leading roles in his next two movies, so why should he play a supporting role in 'Death Stranding'?"
“Yes,” Chen Ziyan said. “I also spoke with Wu Bai on the phone. After all, Li Yuefeng is going to star in the ‘Corpse 2’ and the ‘Seventeen Floors’ spin-off movies, so there’s no need for him to lower his status.”
Lu Yanhe: "What's Wu Bai's attitude?"
"He was so angry that he retorted, 'Is he the male lead in three movies?'" Chen Ziyan laughed. "Maxine probably still won't use Li Yuefeng in the end. Compared to Li Yuefeng, Japanese and Korean actors are much cheaper. They don't have that much budget to pay a supporting actor's salary. Even if Li Yuefeng's salary is low, it can't be that low."
"Then what's the point of talking? It's a waste of time."
Chen Ziyan: "Originally, Li Yuefeng thought he was going to take over the role that Chen Pinhe had left. It was a leading role, and Li Yuefeng was definitely interested. Who knew that Maxine changed the script?"
Lu Yanhe: "Li Yuefeng is really good at causing trouble."
“Indeed,” Chen Ziyan said. “A young man with no background or exceptional talent has managed to reach this position so quickly, which is truly a testament to his ability. So many actors have seen you guys reaping the benefits overseas and have tried to follow suit, but very few have actually gone to people’s doors like Li Yuefeng has, especially since he is already a top-tier actor in China. Most people have a bit of airs, but he doesn’t care about that at all.”
Lu Yanhe: "If he cared, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to become friends with me in the first place."
"He's really an oddball in this respect."
“I completely agree,” Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
"Oh, right, I have some news, it's not very good, but I still want to let you know."
"What news?" Lu Yanhe asked.
“Chen Pinhe’s performance in ‘The Pianist’ was named one of the top ten performances to watch this year by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’,” Chen Ziyan said. “‘Windbreaker No. 1’ was not included in that list.”
Lu Yanhe showed a hint of surprise.
“Oh, okay,” Lu Yanhe said. “It seems that the resistance facing ‘Dingfeng No. 1’ is greater than we imagined.”
“Hmm,” Chen Ziyan said, “That’s North America, after all, not China.”
Lu Yanhe: "Is there anything we can do now?"
"Not at the moment," Chen Ziyan shook her head.
Lu Yanhe: "Then we can only continue to wait and see."
“We will know in early November which film the Film Bureau will select for submission this year,” Chen Ziyan said. “There is no doubt that ‘The Wind Rises’ will sweep the domestic film awards this year. The only question is whether you or Wen will win Best Actor. Chen Pinhe will definitely be in the competition, but I personally think that he cannot sweep the awards with ‘The Pianist’ because the film itself is too average.”
Lu Yanhe: "Maybe none of the three of us can get it, and someone else will take it."
"Judging from the situation this year, there hasn't been a better performance than the three of you."
“But the three of us have already won major awards,” Lu Yanhe laughed. “According to convention, they would definitely prefer to reward those who haven’t won any awards.”
“You haven’t won all three major awards,” Chen Ziyan said. “This year’s major domestic film awards are a must-win for you, especially since you’re competing with Chen Pinhe. Are you really willing to just give them up?”
"Domestic film awards don't care about public relations, so there's nothing we can do about it."
“We don’t have any overt public relations efforts, but we’ve never stopped our underhanded tactics,” Chen Ziyan said. “At the very least, we have to keep an eye on Chen Pinhe’s side and not let them do anything underhanded.”
Lu Yanhe: "This is completely beyond my firing range, I can't keep an eye on it."
Chen Ziyan: "I didn't ask you to keep an eye on things. I'm just telling you this so that if someone comes to ask you if you want to win an award, don't say you don't care. If word gets out that you don't care, it won't be good for you. Now is not the time to be humble."
"I understand," Lu Yanhe said. "I want to win the award. I really want to win the award."
Chen Ziyan smiled.
“Yes, that’s the kind of aura it has.” Chen Ziyan nodded.
(End of this chapter)
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