Chapter 700 Enjoy this wonderful moment, Movie King!
Filming for the third season of "The Seventeenth Floor" has been suspended, and even the crew is waiting for the results.
The cheers that erupted when the result was announced might lead one to mistakenly believe that a group of the most loyal fans had been waiting for their favorite star to shoot.
Lu Yanhe won Best Actor at the Situ Film Festival.
"Raise the Red Lantern" won the Best Film award.
A single Situ Film Festival awards only eight major prizes: Best Film, Grand Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and a Special Prize. In many cases, the Special Prize is not considered a particularly important award, but rather a "consolation prize."
Despite its limited number of films, it represents the pinnacle of art cinema globally, surpassing the status of the other three major film festivals in the film industry—although films from the Jose Film Festival are often more popular with audiences in terms of influence.
But that's the reality. Although many people don't consider film a professional field, it does have its own professional disciplines. In professional fields, the authority of professional awards always outweighs temporary popularity or audience reviews.
A box office champion in a given year is only temporary, but awards, to a greater extent, can transcend the flow of time. It's not that audience reviews aren't important, but the fact is that only a minority of films truly become classics through generations of audience appreciation.
Why did Lu Yanhe have such a high starting point in film?
Because his starting point was director Wang Zhong's film. At that time, although Wang Zhong had not won any international awards, he had a high level of sophistication because of his ten years of persistence and pursuit of his own film aesthetics. Later, "Three Mountains" became famous in Situ, and Lu Yanhe's ten-minute performance received unanimous praise from the global media, which directly put him on the throne of genius, and everyone looked at him with high regard.
Now, at 24, Wang Zhong, the Best Actor at the Situ Film Festival, won the festival's top prize for his independently written film, along with several other awards. Undoubtedly, among active Chinese filmmakers today, only Wang Zhong's status surpasses his.
There's no way around it; ultimately, film is the director's art.
This must be acknowledged.
Lu Yanhe's already unparalleled status in the film industry has been elevated once again, this time aiming for a place in film history.
However, what surprised many people even more was that Lu Yanhe's award was actually shared and congratulated by the artistic directors of the Venice International Film Festival and the Jose Film Festival.
Schmidt Lowry of Green Valley told him that "Raise the Red Lantern" could be nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film this year, while he himself could use "Tropical Rain" to compete for the Oscar for acting.
Currently, the Chinese-language films that Lu Yanhe is involved in are mostly distributed in North America by Green Valley.
On one hand, Lu Yanhe himself is going to act in Midoriya's "No God" series. He and Midoriya have similar interests in many ways. With this as a guarantee, he believes that Midoriya must also want the best for him.
On the other hand, Green Valley previously released films such as "Road to Glory" and "Love Letter", which performed very well. "Love Letter" even earned more than eight million in domestic box office in North America and helped Chen Bige get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Lu Yanhe enjoyed working with them and was naturally willing to continue cooperating with them.
Therefore, this time, with Lu Yanhe's help, Green Valley acquired the North American distribution rights for both films, "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Tropical Rainy Season".
Lu Yanhe told Schmidt Lowry, "Besides the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film, I also hope to work with them on public relations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay."
Schmidt Lowry said, "It depends on how well Raise the Red Lantern performs in the North American market. To be honest, it's relatively easy for this film to use the Situer Award to campaign for Best Foreign Language Film. If it wants to compete for other awards, it would need to spend at least ten million dollars on public relations to make it gain some buzz during awards season."
Public relations expenses are usually not covered by the distribution company alone. This is especially true for foreign language films—
Of course, if "Raise the Red Lantern" does indeed perform well during the North American awards season, Green Valley's long-term profits will also increase. However, that's a matter for later.
Schmidt Lowry also specifically reminded Lu Yanhe.
You can win more awards, but if you really want tangible results, you'll have to invest more money.
Lu Yanhe understood and nodded: "You'll be in charge of the North American distribution for the film 'Raise the Red Lantern,' and you're also very familiar with public relations during awards season. You can tell me based on your judgment whether it has a chance of winning these awards. If it does, I'll prepare what I need to prepare."
With Lu Yanhe's words in mind, Schmidt Lowry simply nodded.
"What about 'Tropical Rainy Season'?" he asked. "Based on this year's media reviews, your Best Actor award is easier to manage in terms of public relations. You can develop a public relations strategy based on the specific circumstances. But if you have other ideas, it will probably be more difficult than 'Raise the Red Lantern.' After all, 'Raise the Red Lantern' won the highest award at the Situation Film Festival. There are many people in the Academy who pay attention to the award-winning works of the Situation Film Festival all year round, which actually saves a lot of effort."
Lu Yanhe said, "It depends on what Director Huang Tianlin and his team think. I don't own the copyright to the movie 'Tropical Rainy Season.' I only acted in it, so I don't have the final say."
-
After Lu Yanhe finished speaking with Schmidt Lowry, he hurriedly boarded a plane back to China.
As soon as he got off the plane and came out through the VIP channel, he was greeted by a barrage of cameras and microphones.
Chen Ziyan had already gathered a large group of people to pick him up.
This scene was anticipated, so a large number of bodyguards were present to try and control the situation.
Lu Yanhe expressed his gratitude to everyone, but did not answer many questions. He gave a few simple answers before being rescued by Chen Ziyan, put into a nanny car, and left the airport.
As soon as the car drove away, Chen Ziyan let out a surprised scream in front of him.
Lu Yanhe was startled.
"Lu Yanhe, you are truly amazing! You are incredibly awesome now!" Chen Ziyan said. "With the highest award and Best Actor, there is no one who can compete with you anymore."
“Sister Ziyan, what you’re saying… I’ve never had anyone arm wrestle with me before,” Lu Yanhe said.
"Have you lost your memory? You've already forgotten how the Golden Tripod Award tricked you last year?"
“You mean this? I didn’t feel like he was arm wrestling with me. To be honest, from the beginning I knew he couldn’t beat me,” Lu Yanhe said. “He was wrong from the start.”
Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes.
"The problem is, if you're not strong enough, even if he's wrong, no one can stand up and say he's wrong. Over time, he'll be considered right."
Lu Yanhe: "Yeah, but I wasn't a newbie back then either. He actually thought I would just silently suffer this loss. Isn't he just crazy and overthinking things?"
Chen Ziyan: "...Okay, you're not wrong."
Chen Ziyan: "However, the situation has changed even more now. You should know that there are only three people in China who have won the Best Actor award at the Situ Film Festival, including you. One is Hu Zhikun, who has been retired from acting for seven or eight years, and the other is Chen Pinhe, who won the award several years ago."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“So, this award is of great significance to you,” Chen Ziyan said. “If you can also achieve something during the North American awards season, especially an Oscar nomination, then your achievements as an actor will represent a new milestone for a Chinese actor on the international stage.”
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"Sister Ziyan, be careful what you say. Some people will criticize you for being a Western worshipper, not valuing our own Chinese awards, and only thinking about winning foreign awards."
“Let them say whatever they want,” Chen Ziyan said. “If they’re so capable, let them stop the national government from paying attention to those major international awards, like the Nobel Prize, the Turing Award, the Laureus World Sports Award, or even Chopin in the piano field. They should just stop competing. The fact is, no matter who wins the domestic awards, someone will win them every year. Even if there are biases or shady dealings in the international awards, their influence is undeniable. Unless you don’t intend to gain international recognition, you’ll still have to try to win them.”
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"To put it bluntly, even in the Olympics, where scores are clearly defined, there are still biased referees, prejudices, and shameless competition rules every year. So what? Does China just stop participating? Does it boycott the games?" Chen Ziyan said. "There's no way around it. If you're talking about matters of principle or bottom line, then of course we can't cross those lines. But before you become the one who sets the rules, unless you decide to play by your own rules, you have to abide by them."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"When I was filming 'Three Mountains,' people questioned whether I was willing to take a small role in order to become a movie star. But I did enter the film industry because of this movie."
"When I was filming 'The Mist,' people questioned why I would act in a Hollywood horror film. But it turned out that this film gave me my first commercially successful film that sold globally, and gave me some initial bargaining power in Hollywood."
"When I was filming 'Tropical Rainy Season,' people questioned me, asking why I would act in a low-budget Malaysian art film, especially as a supporting role. They suggested I should support domestic art films instead. Now, I've won Best Actor at the Situ Film Festival."
Chen Ziyan earnestly said to Lu Yanhe, "Everyone seems to always be quick to design a smooth road for others, and once others don't follow that road, they question or even belittle them, as if everyone is a philosopher and prophet of fate. But the truth is often that 99% of people can't even walk their own path well; they can only ever be idealistic maintainers of the status quo. Only 1% of people dare to step out of the old map and discover new continents."
“Yan He, you are the kind of person who can discover new continents, so I will stay by your side and walk with you. I don’t care about those nagging people at all, because those who really know what we are doing will know that our progress is not betrayal, but exploration.”
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
"Sister Ziyan, you've really gotten me all fired up," he said, laughing and crying at the same time. "But I don't have that kind of... I don't know how to say it, but actually I don't have such grand ideals and ambitions."
“Although you don’t have such grand ideals and ambitions, you are genuinely doing these things. For example, you have several projects about to start filming in Hollywood. In which film haven’t you used your own efforts to secure a major Chinese role? And you even specified that Chinese actors should play the part,” Chen Ziyan said. “To be honest, Yan He, if I hadn’t met you, if I hadn’t seen you actually accomplish all of this, even with my usual arrogance, I never imagined that a Chinese filmmaker could achieve this in Hollywood.”
Lu Yanhe: "The right time, the right place, and the right people."
“Indeed, but you seized this opportunity with all the right timing, location, and people, which is also your skill.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “That’s where your ability lies. With just one book, ‘The Mist,’ you were able to open up such a large market. No one else can do that.”
“It’s all about people helping each other. If it weren’t for director Muken’s wife being Sister Ruzhen, this Asian ghost might not have been set up as Asian, and I might not have been chosen to play the role.”
“Of course, nothing in this world can be done by a single person,” Chen Ziyan said. “However, that is not a reason why we cannot regard someone’s achievement as a success.”
She raised her hands and rubbed Lu Yanhe's face.
"So now, enjoy this wonderful moment! Best Actor!"
-
Upon returning to the set of "The Seventeenth Floor," Lu Yanhe was greeted by the sound of over a dozen cannon salutes as soon as he entered.
Cheers and applause rose and fell.
Lian Bei specially brought a bouquet of flowers to present.
"Congratulations!" He gave Lu Yanhe a warm hug with a big smile. "Awesome!"
Lu Yanhe said thank you.
He faced everyone, looked around, and bowed to express his gratitude.
Chen Bige said, "I've booked a place for you tonight. We'll have dinner first, then go sing karaoke to celebrate. I kept my word."
Lu Yanhe immediately said, "How can you only celebrate for me? Your starring role in 'Raise the Red Lantern' won the highest award at the Situation, so this is also a celebration for you!"
Chen Bige smiled.
“Then I’d rather win the Best Actress award at Citour, and you can write me another script next time,” she said.
Lu Yanhe: "Write, write, write."
Chen Bige turned her head very seriously to find the camera: "Did you film it? He just promised that if I don't win the Best Actress award at Citour, he'll keep writing scripts for me! Who filmed it? Give me a copy of the video!"
The whole audience burst into laughter.
Lu Yanhe shrugged silently and shook his head.
Everyone was overjoyed.
Li Yuefeng looked at Lu Yanhe with great envy.
Jiang Jun patted him on the shoulder.
Li Yuefeng said, "I've made up my mind, Teacher Jiang."
"Hmm?" Jiang Jun looked at Li Yuefeng with some confusion.
“Although I don’t have the screenwriting talent of Yan He, I have money. Starting today, I’m going to spend money to buy scripts. As long as it’s a good script that suits me, I’m willing to buy it,” Li Yuefeng said solemnly. “I’ll find a company to film it myself.”
Jiang Jun was speechless for a moment, but then he felt that this might be a good solution, and it gave him some inspiration.
Although he is not as famous, commercially valuable, or as profitable as Li Yuefeng, he is still a top-tier actor. Why should he wait for scripts to be delivered to him? He can find stories on his own.
While the crew was joyfully celebrating Lu Yanhe's moment, everyone had their own thoughts.
They were all rolled up.
-
At the same time, Li Zhibai sat in front of Lin Suyang and said very seriously, "I am willing to continue to cooperate with Liu Manbo."
Lin Suyang said, "Liu Manbo has already made 'Nineteen Years of Crime Records' into that kind of thing."
“But the version we re-edited and released did receive much better reviews and media ratings, didn’t it?” Li Zhibai said. “Liu Manbo certainly lacked experience and didn’t know how to edit, but his on-set directing ability and his cinematography aesthetics were top-notch.”
Lin Suyang said, "The problem is, you don't lack projects with top-notch teams, Zhibai, so why do you insist on forming your own team to do this kind of project with an uncertain future?"
“Because you know what kind of projects come my way with. It’s not that I’m unwilling to film them, but I don’t want to keep making those kinds of films,” Li Zhibai said. “A villain like in ‘Nineteen Years’ is a role that only I can play. I don’t want to be the only one who hasn’t won an award. Yan Liang has already won several Best Supporting Actor awards! He’s even been nominated for a Golden Globe!”
Lin Suyang: "..."
He knew it.
Only Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang could get involved with Li Zhibai, that lazybones.
None of the three of them wanted to be left far behind by the other two.
Lin Suyang actually thought it was a good thing that Li Zhibai was willing to produce the film himself. However, Liu Manbo had already proven with "Nineteen Years" that she wasn't very capable, and he didn't understand why Li Zhibai was willing to give Liu Manbo a second chance.
Li Zhibai said, "I only have one Yanhe film to shoot this year, so I have plenty of time. Therefore, it is perfect for me to work on the 'Grass on the Fly' project."
Lin Suyang felt a headache coming on as soon as he heard the name.
Yes, "Flying on Grass" is a short ancient martial arts drama with twelve episodes. The script was written by Liu Manbo herself, and it's an original script. Lin Suyang read the script, and how should I put it? It's very stream-of-consciousness, even a bit literary, but it's not quite "plot-driven."
To be honest, Lin Suyang didn't think highly of the script.
However, Li Zhibai seemed determined to film this.
Lin Suyang asked, "When you made this drama, did you think it had the potential to win awards?"
He felt that this was the only explanation.
Li Zhibai shook his head: "What awards can this play win?"
"Then why did you answer it?"
"Because it's different from other dramas on the market, the image of the young swordsman Cao Shangfei is also a very rare image in martial arts films and television dramas," Li Zhibai said. "It suits me, I will play it, and I will create a martial arts image that belongs to me."
"A martial arts character with only mediocre skills and the pretentious, artsy airs of a literary figure?" Lin Suyang quipped.
Li Zhi nodded a hundred times.
"right."
Do you think audiences of martial arts dramas would accept such a character?
"Although this is a martial arts drama, it's not just for traditional martial arts drama audiences," Li Zhibai said firmly. "What is Liu Manbo good at? She's good at creating atmosphere through cinematography. What is she not good at? She's not good at storytelling or pacing. What kind of story is 'Grasshopper'? It's about a young swordsman nicknamed Grasshopper who lost his family in his youth and went into hiding, hiding from his enemies while secretly plotting revenge."
Lin Suyang nodded.
"so what?"
"Think about it: a young man in the martial arts world, all alone, with terrible skills, lacking the magnanimity and open-mindedness of a chivalrous hero, and harboring deep-seated hatred in his heart—"
Li Zhibai said, "In addition, there's my handsome face that, with just a little touch-up, has a very broken look."
Lin Suyang: "..."
"I'm not talking about all of history, just in the last ten years, have there been any figures like me?"
"In the last ten years, I haven't seen a protagonist with this kind of character design."
“That’s why I wanted to play this role,” Li Zhibai said. “Only a role like this can allow people to truly see me. There are no references, no comparisons, only me, and they can only see me.”
Lin Suyang was taken aback.
Li Zhibai: "Only Liu Manbo could bring out a Li Zhibai who isn't actually Li Zhibai. Like in 'Nineteen Years,' no one said I acted badly, except that I paled in comparison to Jiang Jun. But do other directors offer me roles outside of romantic comedies and idol dramas? Even if they do, can they do a better job than Liu Manbo?"
Lin Suyang's attitude softened.
"He captured your sinister and arrogant side very well."
Li Zhibai: "Because he is also very narcissistic."
Lin Suyang: "..."
Li Zhibai: "He's not really bad, he's just not well-rounded, but he's extremely confident and thinks he can film anything well."
Lin Suyang: "...What if he makes the same old mistakes in the drama 'Flying Grass'?"
“He won’t have the right to finalize the cut,” Li Zhibai said. “It will be stipulated in the contract.”
Lin Suyang: "Will he accept?"
“He will,” Li Zhibai said with a smile. “Go and negotiate; there’s nothing that can’t be resolved.”
Lin Suyang: "...You—"
Li Zhibai: "Brother Su Yang, you don't want Zhou Ping'an to get Yan Liang as the Best Actor for free, while you don't have the Best Actor award, do you?"
Lin Suyang: "You've really improved; you've even learned to strike at the snake's vital point."
Li Zhibai: "So, have I convinced you?"
"I hope he won't let you down with this second chance."
-
Lu Yanhe never expected that Li Zhibai would be preparing to cooperate with Liu Manbo for the second time so quickly.
In the group chat, Yan Liang asked Li Zhibai: "Don't you have any other roles coming your way?"
Li Zhibai: Yes, but they are still the same scripts. I don't want to act in them, but it's not that I won't act in them at all. I'll just act in one or two a year. If it's all the same, I might as well not act at all.
Yan Liang said: However, Liu Manbo's previous film, "Nineteen Years," did not receive very good reviews.
Li Zhibai: I found it quite pleasant to work with him. I think we get along very well, and he just needs more experience.
Lu Yanhe: I read the first two episodes of the script for "Grass on the Grass". If we only look at the script, I might not be very optimistic about it. However, when combined with Liu Manbo's directing style, I think it fits quite well and I feel that it will be a very stylized work.
Li Zhibai: That's what I think.
Lu Yanhe: It's very likely that there will be a lot of controversy after it airs.
Li Zhibai: I expected it.
Lu Yanhe: Have you thought it through? If a drama doesn't do well, it will just fade away quietly. But I feel that this drama will be a hot topic no matter how well or poorly it airs.
Li Zhibai: Just like "Nineteen Years"? Although many people criticized it, the criticism also generated buzz and attracted viewers, so many people became aware that I had a drama that was heavily criticized.
Lu Yanhe: More or less.
Li Zhibai: That's fine too. Anyway, I don't want to be confined to acting in idol romantic comedies.
Lu Yanhe: Actually, after the broadcast of "Chinese Paladin", everyone can see another side of you.
Li Zhibai: That's still a youthful and passionate style, essentially the same. I also want to act in plays like "The Gold Rush" or "The Silent River".
Lu Yanhe: Okay, I understand what you mean.
Li Zhibai: Moreover, my next two films are both yours, one is "Buried Alive" and the other is "You Are the Apple of My Eye". Both scripts are very good. In addition, there is "Chinese Paladin". It is the time when I have enough confidence to splurge. Even if "Grass on the Grass" fails, it will be fine.
Indeed, Li Zhibai also has a lot of "stock".
He willfully accepted a role he wanted to play, and even if he failed again, it wouldn't matter.
Lu Yanhe asked Yan Liang: "Yan Liang, now that you've finished filming 'Friends,' what are you going to film next? Has it been decided?"
Yan Liang: It's settled. I'll be joining the cast of "The Intern" soon. The feedback on that short drama from the Jump Theater was pretty good, right? So we decided to develop it into a full-length series.
Lu Yanhe suddenly remembered: They've started filming so soon.
Yan Liang: Yes, because after filming "The Intern", I will be joining the crew to film the second part of "The Gold Rush" in the second half of the year, so time is tight and we rushed to set up the crew.
Lu Yanhe: Then try to reserve your schedule for next year. I have an action movie that I'm planning to cast you as the lead. I hope it can be a Sino-US co-production, developed together, and released globally simultaneously, but I don't know if it will work out, so it's not finalized yet. Try to stick to action training when you have free time this year.
Yan Liang: Good! They've finally arrived!
Lu Yanhe: Yes.
Yan Liang: May I ask what kind of action movie it is?
Lu Yanhe: Actually, strictly speaking, it's not an action film, and it's not known for its fight scenes. However, the male lead has to look like a tough guy, and he has to be a young, handsome, and very rugged tough guy. The script is called "Speed of Life and Death." I won't tell you the plot for now, but in short, it's an adrenaline-pumping movie. If it's successfully made and released globally, you'll become an overnight sensation worldwide.
Yan Liang: ? ? ?
Li Zhibai: ? ? ?
Li Zhibai: Why didn't you cast me?
Lu Yanhe: Take off your clothes and look in the full-length mirror. If you're so capable, give me eight-pack abs within a year.
Li Zhibai: Day.
Yan Liang: I won't take on any other films next year, I'll just wait for your movie!
Lu Yanhe: No, that won't do. Anyway, I'm giving you the role in this movie. I'll wait for your availability, but everything depends on how smoothly things go. If things don't go smoothly, it's uncertain whether we can even start filming next year. Don't waste your time.
Yan Liang: Okay.
Yan Liang: Is there anything I need to prepare in advance?
Lu Yanhe: You can watch more Hollywood action movies, but don't imitate those tough-guy male protagonists over forty. Speed is not that style. It has a stronger youthful hormone vibe, but it's real. It's not a youth action movie disguised as an action movie.
Yan Liang: Okay.
Lu Yanhe: Then, it would be best to learn how to drive a bus or a large vehicle, including close combat, and so on.
Yan Liang: No problem.
Lu Yanhe: I will push forward with the rest.
Yan Liang: I've finally landed the male lead role in a script written by Lu Yanhe!
Li Zhibai: I suddenly remembered that you wrote a movie script for the two of us before, called "Dumb and Dumber".
Lu Yanhe: It's not suitable for you anymore; plans can't keep up with changes.
Li Zhibai: When will "Chinese Paladin" air?
Lu Yanhe: We are trying to broadcast it this summer, to catch the students' summer vacation. If we can't catch up in post-production, then we'll have to wait until next summer.
Li Zhibai: Doing post-production in half a year might really be too much of a challenge.
Lu Yanhe: Yes, if we really can't make it in time, then so be it. There's no need to make shoddy work just to get it done ahead of schedule.
Li Zhibai: So you're rich and powerful, willing to postpone the broadcast for a year for such a small difference in quality.
Lu Yanhe: Because I know very well that this drama will succeed if it wins over students. If it doesn't win over students, it may still be a hit, but it will definitely not create a wave.
The biggest audience for this show is middle school and high school students.
When Lu Yanhe said this, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang believed him without a doubt.
In their minds, no one could compare to Lu Yanhe when it came to grasping and judging the market.
-
At the subsequent Red River Awards, Lu Yanhe was unable to attend due to filming commitments. "Friends" won the Best Screenplay Award again, and Chen Siqi accepted the award on his behalf, expressing her gratitude.
Then, in April, Lu Yanhe's filming of the third season of "The Seventeen Floors" came to an end.
Lian Bei finally came to find Lu Yanhe.
For the sake of "Jiang Yan".
He finally made a decision: instead of directing the spin-off series of "The Seventeen Floors" starring Chen Pinhe, he would choose "Jiang Yan".
Lian Bei invited Lu Yanhe to be the producer of "Jiang Yan" and assembled the cast that Lu Yanhe had mentioned before for the drama.
Lu Yanhe suddenly felt a headache coming on.
He previously said that Yan Liang was suitable for the male lead role in "Jiang Yan," but Yan Liang's schedule is so tight right now, it's really hard to say whether it can be arranged.
However, what I said before, I must keep.
After communicating with Lian Bei, Lu Yanhe signed a producer contract with Lian Bei's production company.
Lu Yanhe began contacting various actors for "Jiang Yan".
Of course, the first person Lu Yanhe contacted was Yan Liang.
“I know you already have several projects to film and your schedule is very tight, but I still came to ask if you want to act in it,” Lu Yanhe said. “If you don’t want to act in it, I will look for someone else.”
Yan Liang was very surprised.
Because this drama was not written by Lu Yanhe.
He asked, "Did Director Lian Bei send you to ask me this?"
“Oh, no, I meant that you were the first choice for the male lead in this drama,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ve read the novel, so I told him about the actors I thought were most suitable, and he asked me to be the producer and to compile all the actors I thought were suitable.”
Yan Liang smiled.
Whom did you tell him about?
"Liu Zi, Wan Xin, Li Yuefeng or Liu Zefan, Wang Jing or Yan Lingyu," Lu Yanhe said, naming these names.
Yan Liang showed a hint of surprise.
"Such a strong lineup?"
“Hmm,” Lu Yanhe said, “So he was tempted.”
"Can you invite them all over?" Yan Liang asked.
“I’ll do my best, but your role is the most important, so I had to ask you,” Lu Yanhe said. “But when I told him, I forgot that your schedule was very tight, and this drama is required to start filming next year due to copyright issues.”
"My schedule is open next year, except for 'Speed,' which you mentioned," Yan Liang said. "If it's possible to film it next year, I can take the role."
"Really?"
“Really,” Yan Liang said. “Since it’s a project you personally approved, with a backup director and such a strong cast, why would I refuse?”
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's great that you're willing to take this job. However, this means you won't have a day off this year, and you might not have one next year either." Lu Yanhe felt a little guilty.
Yan Liang: "Don't you know me? I'd rather be busy than idle. Only work gives me a sense of security."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
“Okay,” he said. “Thank you.”
As a result, starting with Yan Liang, Lu Yanhe contacted everyone else, and apart from Li Yuefeng complaining that "I'm being asked to play a supporting role again," everyone else readily agreed to act.
They didn't care at all whether it was a main character or a supporting character.
So he told Lian Bei the news, so that Lian Bei's production company could formally submit scripts and go through contracts with the various actors' teams.
At this point, Lu Yanhe hadn't even finished filming yet.
Lian Bei was shocked.
In the entertainment industry, especially in the production field, if you ask what the most difficult part is, almost any producer will tell you that casting is the most difficult part.
Especially when it comes to getting your favorite actors, it's incredibly difficult. In the entertainment industry, the actors you like are often also liked by others; actors that everyone likes are rare resources. When they want to take on a role, they have to consider many things: the character's personality, the production team, the show's prospects, and so on.
Who would give an answer so quickly?
Even though Lian Bei already knew Lu Yanhe's abilities, he was still shocked by this speed.
-
Jiang Lan was very troubled and depressed.
Lian Bei's refusal to continue directing the spin-off series of "The Seventeen Floors" has reduced the project's prospects.
It would be one thing if it were any other project, but it just so happens to be "The Seventeenth Floor".
This is the only pillar that Beijing TV has left, and it's also Jiang Lan's biggest trump card. They have very ambitious plans for the "Seventeen Floors" project: after the series ends, they will release two movies and two spin-off series to continue the value and popularity of this IP.
However, if the director is changed, even if the spin-off series stars Chen Pinhe and doesn't lack market attention, if the quality of the series itself is a disaster, it will still be a heavy blow.
The tragedy of Friends is still fresh in our minds, it hasn't been that long ago.
However, no matter how much Jiang Lan tried to persuade Lian Bei, he refused to produce a spin-off series. He proposed his own new project and very proactively told Jiang Lan, "I am willing to continue broadcasting this series on Beijing TV."
When Jiang Lan heard about the "Jiang Yan" project, she immediately realized that this IP was quite popular in the market and many people were eyeing the copyright. She hadn't noticed that it was Lianbei's company that was doing this.
However, despite all that, what is "Jiang Yan" compared to "The Seventeen Floors"?
Jiang Lan said, "Can't we do two projects at the same time?"
Lian Bei shook his head and said, "Jiang Tai, I have devoted nearly four or five years to the 'Seventeen Floors' series. I don't want to continue investing my time in this series. 'Jiang Yan' is a project I have been working on. If I don't continue, its copyright will expire."
Jiang Lan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "So, what are your plans for the drama 'Jiang Yan'?"
Lian Bei said, "I have invited Lu Yanhe to be the producer of this drama, and he has also helped me get all the main actors together."
"What?" Jiang Lan was taken aback. "Lu Yanhe has also joined this project?"
“Yes, but he only helps me with casting, he doesn’t do anything else,” Lian Bei said.
"Which actors did he... code for you?"
“Yan Liang, Liu Zi, Wan Xin, Li Yuefeng, Wang Jing.” Lian Bei kept looking at Jiang Lan’s face as he said these names.
Sure enough, Jiang Lan's expression changed slightly with each name she mentioned.
Just as Lian Bei had anticipated.
"..." Jiang Lan swallowed hard, realizing that she had underestimated this project. Once the information about this project was released, it would definitely cause a frenzy among other platforms.
The original work has a high reputation, the director's resume is full of blockbuster films, and the cast is top-notch...
Jiang Lan asked, "You haven't contacted other platforms for this drama yet, have you?"
“No.” Lian Bei shook his head. “Director Jiang, I know that when you decided to direct the ‘Seventeen Floors’ project, you were under a lot of pressure. After all, I had only directed one fantasy period drama before. Many top directors were willing to direct Chen Bige’s comeback project, but you went against the grain and used me. I remember that. So, I am still willing to work with you on my new project. I just don’t want to be tied to the ‘Seventeen Floors’ series.”
Jiang Lan nodded.
She really had nothing to say at that point.
Lian Bei has gone to such lengths; he has truly done everything he could.
-
"It was originally planned that you would appear in a scene in the third season of 'The Seventeen Floors,' but that fell through. Now, you're even going to work on 'Jiang Yan,' which Lu Yanhe is co-producing, instead of directing the spin-off series. I don't think this is a coincidence. Lu Yanhe is definitely doing this on purpose."
Zhang Yuezhen said to Chen Pinhe seriously.
Chen Pinhe also had a sullen face.
"Honey, did something happen between you and Lu Yanhe?" Zhang Yuezhen asked, scrutinizing Chen Pinhe's face.
Although Chen Pinhe was sitting in front of Zhang Yuezhen, his gaze was fixed on the table, and he did not make eye contact with Zhang Yuezhen.
He said, "What else could it be besides Doomsday?"
A hint of disappointment flashed across Zhang Yuezhen's eyes.
They still refuse to tell the truth.
Zhang Yuezhen: "We can't always give in. He's targeting you again and again. Don't forget he's a junior. Honey, we can't just let this go, can we?"
Chen Pinhe: "Forget it, we don't have any evidence that he was the one who interfered. Besides, even if he was, he's on a roll right now, having just won the top prize and Best Actor at the Situation. How can you control him? What can you do about him?"
Zhang Yuezhen decided to take another drastic measure, hoping to force Chen Pinhe to admit to the matter in front of her.
“Make things clear, and through some marketing accounts, let everyone know that he sees you as a thorn in his side and wants to replace you,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “What do you think?”
(End of this chapter)
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