Chapter 116 Cruelty [VIP]
Chapter Summary: This is the last time my resource has been disliked.
In the photos released by the paparazzi.
Mu Zhi was accompanied by several staff members, and there was no physical contact between her and Xu Kuan, so it would not lead to misunderstandings or speculation about a romantic relationship.
The first reaction of netizens was: Was this a meeting to discuss cooperation?
I quickly found out that director Xu Kuan was preparing a film project, adapted from the published novel "Escape from the Game" which is a novel in the infinite flow genre.
In January, it was rumored that the film was holding auditions for the male lead.
Xu Kuan, a new director with no established fanbase, was the subject of a discussion on a forum about making an infinite flow (a genre of Chinese fantasy films). The discussion only had a few dozen replies, with comments suggesting that the genre was difficult to film, the special effects would be expensive, and that he was unwilling to spend money on a well-known actor for the lead role, opting instead for a relatively unknown newcomer.
Is there anything worth discussing about this pancake? It's obviously destined to flop.
Now that Mu Zhi has crossed paths with director Xu Kuan, the film project has suddenly received a lot of attention.
Netizens have started digging into Mu Zhi's next project.
I discovered a magazine that Muzhi launched last week, and I was interviewed by the magazine and asked questions.
"Your film 'Back to 17' released last year and your TV series 'The Edge of the Blade' both achieved great success. Personally, do you prefer making TV series or movies?"
Mu Zhi replied, "I prefer the creative atmosphere of film, but when it comes to accepting roles, I mainly look at the script and the character."
"Could you reveal whether your next project will be a TV series or a movie?"
Mu Zhi answered that it was a movie.
So, is Mu Zhi's next role in a movie directed by Xu Kuan?
Next, casting information for "Escape from the Game" was revealed, with filming scheduled to begin on April 1st. With less than a month to go, it seems the cast was finalized some time ago.
If Mu Zhi plays the female lead in the movie, then who will be her male co-star? This is what netizens are most concerned about and curious about.
Just as people were about to dig into who the male lead was, an "insider" came out and revealed: "The male lead of 'Escape from the Game' is a newcomer signed with Lanxing Media, named Bian Wu."
The source claims that two other actors from Lanxing Media will have guest appearances, and that the newcomer landing the lead role was through company connections. This Bian Wu is Lanxing Media's next big talent, and Mu Zhi has already started mentoring newcomers.
As soon as this news broke, Mu Zhi and the film's resources were ridiculed relentlessly:
"The box office success of 'Back to 17' is due to the excellent marketing and distribution by Guangying Media, which benefited from the success of the 'Youth Quartet' series. In addition, the script was good and the actors' performances were solid. Director Xu Kuan is just average. I don't think he has the ability to make a name for himself with this infinite flow novel IP."
"I thought Mu Zhi's career would skyrocket after starring in a big-name director's film, but it turns out she's working with a new director again, and the male lead in their new movie is also a newcomer? Her resources are so unfair."
"This newcomer named Bian Wu has only had minor supporting roles before. This is his first time playing a lead role, and he's not even as good as Song Yuanliang. The male leads that Mu Zhi is paired with are getting worse and worse."
"Mu Zhi filmed a movie by a famous director and was second in line with Tai Feng. Logically speaking, her movie resources shouldn't be this bad. I seriously suspect that she has a problem with billing order. She wants to be in the top billing but no one can. Other male actors in the same company are unwilling to play supporting roles for her, so she can only put a newcomer in the top billing."
"Did the 1 billion yuan box office of 'Back to 17' make newcomer director Xu Kuan so arrogant that he lost his way? His new film project actually cast Mu Zhi and other newcomers as the male and female leads. These two have no market recognition and no ability to carry the box office. Is this film just a hobby? Don't ruin the IP!"
"I've been waiting for ages and no one's digging into the production team of this movie. Could it be some unknown, low-budget crew making a web movie? Thinking about it that way, it suddenly makes sense, lol."
"From leading lady in a big-name director's movie to working with unknown cast members and even playing supporting roles to newcomers, if I were a Mu Zhi fan, I would be completely disappointed and unfollow her now!"
......
Mu Zhi's fans who were mentioned: Ha, it's impossible for me to unfollow.
Compared to other actresses of the same generation, Mu Zhi at least has a bright future in the film industry.
The three works that have been broadcast/released so far can be described as a triple hit, which is incredibly exciting for a career-oriented fan like me. Plus, the movie directed by a renowned director and starring Mu Zhi hasn't been released yet, so the release of "Countdown" will definitely boost my idol's career.
However, some fans are indeed finding it hard to accept the new drama opportunities that Mu Zhi has been rumored to be involved in.
The director Wan Zhou, whom I worked with two films before, and the renowned director Hong Yan, whom I worked with in the last film, how did their resources suddenly plummet from heaven to earth? Working with director Xu Kuan again is acceptable, but the male lead is played by a newcomer from the company, which is just too cruel.
Are idols unable to get better film opportunities?
Or is it, as the whistleblower claims, that the idol is there to bring in new talent for the company?
Some fans stepped forward to post messages of comfort:
"Mu Zhi's new drama hasn't been officially announced yet, so don't panic and let the haters lead you astray."
"Regarding accepting roles, Zhibao has responded in previous interviews and a recent magazine interview. She accepts roles based on the script and the character. Everyone trusts Zhibao's decision. She is definitely more professional than us fans when it comes to choosing scripts and accepting roles."
"The investment in 'Escape from the Game' must be quite large. Judging from the promotional tours that Zhibao and Director Xu have been doing, they really appreciate the director. I checked and found out that our newcomer Bian Wu got into the acting major with the highest score and also won first place in his graduation play. He's a top student. I'm not exaggerating when I say he's a newcomer, but he's not as bad as the haters say."
"Let me state my opinion: if Zhibao really takes on this movie, I will support her. Rather than working with big-name directors and playing supporting roles or tool characters, I hope that Zhibao and the character she plays can become the biggest selling point of the entire movie. If the movie is a hit, she will gradually become an actress with box office appeal."
......
Soothing can be effective.
However, a small number of fans still do not want Mu Zhi to collaborate with newcomers in the company, feeling that it is too low-class and lacks sophistication to work with newcomers.
In particular, rumors circulated before the Lunar New Year that Mu Zhi's film project had been snatched away by Liu Rui, a Best Actress from the same company. Could this be related to that, forcing the idol to settle for this "Infinite Flow" film instead?
They believe Mu Zhi deserves better film resources.
Fans flooded the studio and agent's Weibo accounts with questions and warnings, urging them not to exploit Mu Zhi in order to promote new talent for the company, but to properly plan Mu Zhi's acting career...
The movie hasn't started filming yet. Usually, once filming begins, they choose to keep a low profile and can't release a lot of information, such as the film's production team, cast, and post-production special effects team. These details will only be revealed one by one when the promotional phase begins.
Most of the online revelations are selective and driven by specific purposes, using this time lag to spread rumors and manipulate public opinion.
Minmin exclaimed after seeing this, "Sister Zhizhi, I think you have a knack for causing chaos and bloodshed."
Every time the resources for a new drama are revealed, it sparks heated discussions.
The resources available to a project along the way are like Schrödinger's cat—some are heavily criticized before release, but become valuable resources after successful release.
Mu Zhi: "......" It was pretty much the same in the original world, I'm used to it.
I imagine director Xu Kuan must be quite frustrated too.
His first youth film as a director grossed 1 billion yuan, but he did not become a star director overnight.
My second movie is currently in pre-production and will start filming next month. It's not only not well-received, but it's also being criticized as a film with no production team or resources.
At this stage, neither the cast nor the production company can clarify anything regarding the online discussions. In fact, the post-production of "Escape from the Game" is quite important, and it's hard to say how well the film will ultimately turn out.
Mu Zhi liked the movie script and the character, and had a private meeting with the director to discuss and exchange ideas. She trusted the director and the entire crew.
For two months before filming began, we were making various preparations for the role and waiting for filming to start.
Minmin: "Sister Zhizhi, this is definitely the last time your resources will be trampled on."
There's a high probability that I'll be working with director Hong Yan again in the film after that.
When the news breaks, all the current criticisms of Mu Zhi, such as "having terrible resources," "only being able to work with newcomers in the company," and "not having a good future in the film industry," will be proven wrong.
Actually, Minmin saw fans mentioning that the movie "Twins" was snatched away.
I couldn't help but think: if what Mu Zhi was revealed to be today was a suspense film called "Twins" with director Dou, in which she plays two roles, it would be a movie with a strong female lead.
I guess the resources won't be criticized, and the fans won't have any objections.
The movie "Twins" started filming at the end of February. I wonder if the two movies will be released at the same time? If so, they will inevitably be compared.
Thinking of Liu Rui, Minmin mentioned: "The suspense web series starring Teacher Liu finished airing on the Green Apple platform a few days ago, and the viewership and reviews were not very good."
He tried to replicate the success of actor Tai Feng, but failed.
Mu Zhi has been busy with her own things lately and hasn't paid attention, so she didn't react much when she heard about it.
Minmin said excitedly, "Sister Zhizhi, 'Countdown' is directed by a great director and has an art film theme. The male lead is also the Best Actor Tai Feng. It has a very high chance of winning an award!"
"If you win Best Actress for 'Countdown' when the movie is released, our company will have two Best Actress winners! You'll also be the first to win a Best Newcomer Award since signing with the company, and the first to win Best Actress!"
Minmin reminded me.
Mu Zhi remembered that she needed to find out when "Countdown" was expected to be released. The voice acting work was okay; she could take two days off and fly back to Beicheng to get it done.
Running a roadshow might take at least half a month.
If it conflicts with the movie she's currently filming, she'll be in a real bind and it will be a huge headache...
Two days later.
Mu Zhi undergoes a makeup test for the female lead in "Escape from the Game".
The character she plays in this movie is a cool and sassy young lady. She has the most different looks in the movie, with most of her clothes being black and white, featuring a cool, futuristic, fitted, and long-sleeved style.
For example, the outfit that Mu Zhi just put on was the one the female protagonist wore when she first entered the game.
Overall look: Wearing a black baseball cap, a white tank top under a black fitted short sports jacket, black trousers with cleats, and black fingerless leather gloves.
This outfit made Mu Zhi's arms and legs look long, and as she walked out with her hat brim pulled low, she looked both cool and mysterious.
After changing her clothes, Mu Zhi discussed her makeup with the director and makeup artist.
The original novel provides very little description of the female protagonist's appearance, using terms like "ice queen" and "cold red lips," indicating she wears heavy makeup.
After discussion, they decided against wearing heavy makeup.
Director Xu Kuan felt that Mu Zhi herself was beautiful enough, and the actress's makeup was clean, so the special effects in post-production would be relatively harmonious. The focus was on the special effects interface and the emotions conveyed by the actress's eyes.
Mu Zhi agreed, and that's how her makeup for her first appearance in the game was decided.
Then I tried on more than a dozen outfits in one go...
After Mu Zhi finished her makeup trial, it was Bian Wu's turn to change clothes and try on makeup while waiting on site.
Before leaving, Mu Zhi confirmed the martial arts training schedule for next week with Director Xu Kuan.
Since the Spring Festival holiday, Mu Zhi has been working out.
Martial arts training is part of the movie where her character has several fight scenes. Before joining the crew, she will train with the martial arts instructors and other stunt performers to learn the moves.
In the game, besides having maximum combat power and being skilled in action scenes, the character also has an archery skill. Mu Zhi has also signed up at the archery range and will be going to class tomorrow. This is to ensure she masters archery so she can immediately apply it flexibly during filming.
Director Xu Kuan knew that Mu Zhi had made a lot of preparations for the role recently, just like when she was filming "Back to 17", her preparations before joining the crew were very thorough and meticulous.
He said to Mu Zhi, "After the male lead was cast, Bian Wu came to my studio several times in the past month. The script was practically worn out from being read so many times, with lots of annotations. Whenever I had free time, he would talk to me about the character and the plot, showing the attitude a newcomer should have..."
The photos released by the paparazzi a couple of days ago were from the time when Mu Zhi and Xu Kuan met.
Director Xu Kuanyou explained to Mu Zhi in person the reason for choosing Bian Wu to play the male lead.
"The male lead is a top student, with high intelligence, a sharp mind, excellent at decryption, keen observation skills, a sunny and handsome appearance, a good physique, and the special skill of running fast—all of these match Bian Wu himself..."
They said they chose Bian Wu mainly because they felt he was a good fit for the role.
Including today at the makeup test, Xu Kuan mentioned to Mu Zhi Bian Wu's dedication to this film.
"Zhizhi, you are not fighting alone."
This was to boost Mu Zhi's confidence in "Escape from the Game".
Mu Zhi smiled knowingly and nodded: "Director Xu, don't worry, I have confidence in you and this movie."
Bian Wu was personally mentored by Ji Binghe, who had been mentioning Bian Wu's preparations for the role to Mu Zhi recently. The casting of the male lead was strongly promoted by the agent, and before filming began, she strictly supervised Bian Wu to ensure he was fully prepared for the role.
This film is quite important to Mu Zhi, Bian Wu, and even Lanxing Media.
Therefore, everyone attaches great importance to it.
Creating a good movie requires the entire crew to work together with one heart and one mind.
April 1st.
The film "Escape from the Game" held its opening ceremony at the Qingdao Film and Television Industrial Park.
[Author's Note]
Congratulations to Zhibao on joining the team! Applause! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 00:18:40 and 23:42:58 on August 11, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Jiu 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
