Chapter 557 Sincerity is the ultimate weapon
There are many female stars under Gu Wei's company, but only Nazha and Zhang Tianai can be called first-line stars.
Gu Wei has put a lot of effort and resources into these two ex-girlfriends.
Fortunately, both of them are quite competitive. To be more precise, they have good foundations and their own characteristics. Nazha is beautiful and relies on her face to conquer the world. Although her acting skills are not so good, she can still shine when she encounters a role that suits her style.
Zhang Tianai made her debut in [The Princess Weiyoung]. She has a strong temperament and can play both the top and the bottom. Although she always looks weak next to Gu Wei, she is a heroic and majestic sister on the screen.
Unlike Nazha who is an idol with high traffic, the company positioned Zhang Tianai as a movie star.
Ever since "Go Princess Go" became popular, Gu Wei has arranged a series of film resources for her.
She played the leading lady in the hit comedy "The Richest Tomato", the heroic "Ding Baiying" in "The Sword Identity 2", "Yao Ji" in "Passing By Your World", the female doctor in the soon-to-be-released "Wolf Warrior 2", and the recently completed "Operation Red Sea".
Any female star in the domestic entertainment industry would be envious of Zhang Tianai's film resources.
According to Gu Wei's estimation, after the release of "Operation Red Sea", the total box office of the movie starring Zhang Tianai as the leading actress will exceed 10 billion, making her the first "10 billion actress" in the domestic entertainment industry.
In the original time and space, she had to wait until 2022 when Ma Li's "The Professional" was released, and she would be one step ahead of Zhou Dongyu and Bai Baihe to become the first "10 billion actress" in China, but now it is obvious that this title will be taken by Zhang Tianai first.
Judging from film resources, Zhang Tianai is undoubtedly the most popular one in Gu Wei's company.
The summer season is one of the best time periods in the country. Students are on vacation and everyone has free time, so many movies with certain box office expectations choose to be released during this period.
However, as July began this year, the domestic film market seemed a bit depressed.
July 1st is the Party Founding Day, which is also the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. Bona Film Group's film "When Will the Moon Rise", which is based on the true deeds of the famous "Dongjiang Column" in Hong Kong's history, was officially released.
The reputations of "Transformers 5" and "Reverse Time Rescue" have collapsed, and there is currently no follow-up. The industry has high expectations for this war drama directed by the famous director Xu Anhua and starring well-known movie stars such as Zhou Xun, Eddie Peng, and Wallace Huo.
Bona has reaped the benefits of mainstream films in recent years. Films like "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" and "Operation Mekong" have made Bona a lot of money.
"When Will the Moon Rise" is an anti-Japanese drama, and logically it should also be a mainstream movie, so Yu Dong also has high expectations for this film.
In fact, Bona invited Gu Wei when the film project was launched last year. At that time, "Operation Mekong" had just been completed, and Bona and Gu Wei were in their honeymoon period.
Yu Dong was very sincere. Although Xu Anhua wanted to find a male actor from Hong Kong or Taiwan to be the male lead, she also agreed with Yu Dong's idea for the sake of box office.
Unfortunately, Gu Wei had no impression of this film, and he had no interest in working with Zhou Xun. Moreover, his schedule was fully booked at the time, as he was about to shoot "Wolf Warrior 2" with Wu Jing, so he politely declined Yu Dong.
So the pie fell on the shoulders of Eddie Peng, who was favored by many Hong Kong and Taiwan directors.
On July 1st, the holiday followed by Saturday, "When Will the Moon Rise" was released nationwide. Thanks to the promotion of "Bona Film Group" and the influence of stars such as Zhou Xun and Eddie Peng, it took 19% of the national film market share that day. Unfortunately, the box office was only 19.24 million yuan.
Xu Anhua is a famous director of Hong Kong art films who has made "A Simple Life" and "The Golden Era". In this "When Will the Moon Rise", he invited a number of big stars to join. Even the supporting roles are played by powerful actors such as Guo Tao, Huang Zhizhong, Jiang Wenli, and Liang Jiahui. Unfortunately, the narrative is confusing and the rhythm is sloppy, and the audience's enthusiasm for watching the movie is not high.
On Sunday, July 2nd, the box office of "When Will the Moon Rise" was 14.32 million, and on Monday, July 3rd, it dropped to 6.74 million.
This movie is doomed to be a box office flop, and the total box office revenue is probably not enough to cover the salaries of stars like Zhou Xun.
The summer season started off with a dud, the market was somewhat sluggish, and the total national box office on July 3rd was less than 100 million yuan per day.
The premiere ceremony of "Take My Brother Away" ended, and the movie was officially released nationwide on July 6.
Thanks to the efforts of China Film Group and the fact that there are currently no blockbuster movies on the market, "Take My Brother Away", a fantasy campus film directed by a new director and without any star actors, took up 21% of the box office on the first day of its release, with a box office of 24.36 million.
It may not seem like much, and it cannot be compared with those blockbusters that make hundreds of millions or even two or three hundred million yuan on their premiere, but it was already the national box office champion that day.
The total cost of this movie is only 20 million. According to the current box office, it is very easy to make a profit, and it will make some money more or less.
[The adaptation is well received. The first half of the movie is joyful, and the second half is sensational. Zhao Jinmai's line "You left me behind" at the end is so touching and heartwarming.]
[This film is great, it reflects the current situation of every family. Today's children are spoiled by their parents to be impolite, selfish, and not grateful. This film just teaches children these things.
My daughter cried after watching it, she was deeply moved! 】
[I have watched it twice and still think it is worth watching. The acting skills of the two main actors support the whole film, especially Peng Yuchang's changing performance is surprising (it is worth being recognized as a potential stock that will become popular).
Despite the small scale, the story is well-written, and both the tears and laughter can touch many people, especially Zhao Jinmai's last line is really touching (thanks to the good actors)!
It was not only up to par but even exceeded expectations. The performances of the young actors were all outstanding. I was hesitant to watch it because I wasn't familiar with them, but I fell in love with it within the first five minutes. Peng Yuchang and Zhao Jinmai's performances were truly amazing!
【.】
Although [Take My Brother Away] does not have any big stars, it has been a box office hit thanks to its large proportion of filming and good reputation.
On Friday, the second day of its release, the box office continued to rise steadily, closing at 28.67 million.
In the next two days of the first weekend, the box office soared to 30 million, achieving a good result of over 100 million in the first week.
According to the current trend, it will not be a problem for this movie's final box office to exceed 200 million and surpass "Reverse Time Rescue".
To be honest, Gu Wei was also surprised that [Take My Brother Away] had achieved such a great result.
But it's normal if you think about it carefully. Since the beginning of this year's summer season, the domestic film market has been sluggish, and there are almost no films worth watching.
In addition, students are on vacation now, and the main audience is younger, so fantasy campus films like "Take My Brother Away" naturally have a certain market.
"Mai Mai, have you read the news? The movie box office has been doing well these past two days, and the audience has given your acting skills high praise."
On the flight from Beijing to Qingdao, Gu Wei was chatting with Zhao Jinmai.
Originally, Zhao Jinmai's parents wanted to send her over when she joined the filming crew, but when they heard that Gu Wei was taking her with him, they felt at ease to hand their daughter over to him.
Zhao Jinmai's parents are both teachers, teaching in a key middle school.
They are very open-minded and have always been very supportive of their daughter's acting career.
When Gu Wei was first casting for "Detective Chinatown 1", it was Zhao Jinmai's parents who took her to the audition. Later, they met several times during the filming of "Go Brother, Go Brother!" and Gu Wei left a very good impression on them.
"It's OK. I don't think the acting is that great either. It's mainly because the director did a good job of directing me."
On the private plane, the two sat side by side in comfortable seats. Gu Wei was browsing his mobile phone, while Zhao Jinmai was reading the script of "The Wandering Earth", and occasionally glanced at Gu Wei beside her.
This was the first time she had been so close to Gu Wei for such a long time.
Although Zhao Jinmai is only 15 years old this year, girls mature early, and many of her crazy fans are about her age.
There is no doubt that Gu Wei is her idol.
"Don't be so modest. As far as I know, you've been acting for 10 years, so your acting career is longer than mine."
"Hehe. I have been interested in acting for a long time, and my parents were willing to cultivate me. Later, by chance, I filmed many dramas," Zhao Jinmai smiled innocently.
"You have a good image and talent, so it's obvious that you're meant for this job.
He has excellent acting skills at such a young age, so it’s only natural that he will become a big star when he grows up.”
When Gu Wei was filming "Detective Chinatown 1", he used another child star Zhang Zifeng. Compared with Zhao Jinmai, she has better acting talent and is more spiritual, but unfortunately her appearance is a little different.
Zhao Jinmai is a typical beauty with delicate features and a slim figure. She will be a great beauty in the future.
In the entertainment industry, appearance is really important for an artist.
If you are not handsome or pretty enough, you won’t be able to act in some dramas, and if you do, you will be ridiculed by the audience.
Later, why are there so many ugly men and ordinary women in ancient costumes who are not good-looking but insist on playing the roles of handsome men and beautiful women? The audience is not blind and of course they will not buy it.
"Being an actor since childhood is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Many child stars can't shake off the label of child star. When they grow up, they can't get out of the roles they played as children and gradually retire from the industry."
"You think a lot at such a young age." Gu Wei turned his head and looked at Zhao Jinmai in surprise.
"Then what do you think is the most well-known drama of yours in recent years?"
".【A short separation】?" Zhao Jinmai was not very sure.
Thinking about all the TV series and movies I have filmed, it seems that "A Little Separation" which was launched last year is the most popular.
Gu Wei shook his head, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
“I think it’s Balala the Fairies.”
"Oh, Brother Wei, please don't mention Balala, okay?" Zhao Jinmai was a little embarrassed and annoyed.
She was still young when she filmed "Balala the Fairies" and thought it was very interesting at the time. However, as she got older in the past two years, she felt very ashamed when she watched herself in the drama.
"Let's not talk about it." Gu Wei was teasing her on purpose.
"Before I left, your parents told me that you would be going to high school next year.
You've been filming for the past two years, haven't you let your studies get in the way? "
"It's okay. My grades have always been good, and I haven't fallen behind in my studies even while filming on the set." Zhao Jinmai looked confident.
"Yo, you're still a primary school bully!
It’s been over half a year since we finished filming “Take My Brother Away”, which is enough time for you to concentrate on studying at school for a while.”
"What? After finishing the movie last year, I joined the crew of a TV series [My! Physical Education Teacher]. I didn't stay in school for a few days in total. If it weren't for my good grades, my parents would have dragged me back long ago." Zhao Jinmai curled her lips.
“[My PE teacher]?
Let’s talk about Zhang Jiayi’s play. I’ve heard of this play. Mai Mai, you will definitely play the role of a daughter again. I feel that you can’t escape the title of “National Daughter”.
This title originally belonged to Guan Xiaotong, but Guan Xiaotong has grown up now and has started filming romance movies, so calling her "National Daughter" is no longer appropriate.
Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Zifeng are just right now.
"Just call me that. I'll be grown up in two years anyway, and I can only play the role of a little girl in these two years." Zhao Jinmai said and glanced at Gu Wei secretly.
"This profile is so perfect, worthy of being my idol."
She is a little tired of playing other people's girls after playing them for so long. In two years, when she grows up a little, she will be able to film the idol drama she has been dreaming of.
It would be even more perfect if I could act with my idol.
Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai chatted all the way, and the plane landed in Qindao in more than an hour.
After leaving the airport, the car from the "The Wandering Earth" crew was waiting outside to pick us up.
Unlike before, with Gu Wei joining, Guo Fan has made a big upgrade.
When he first started preparing for "The Wandering Earth", he wanted to make every penny count, and in terms of personnel, he had to do the work of several people alone.
There was no other way, because the crew was poor, and Guo Fan was very ambitious and wanted to shoot a truly magnificent scene, so he was very frugal wherever he could, even to the point of being stingy, just to spend the money wisely.
Even so, the crew always goes over budget.
However, after Gu Wei joined, he waved his hand and directly increased the filming cost from 200 million to 400 million.
There are many investors in the movie "Original Time and Space", including China Film, Wanda, Beijing Culture, Wu Jing's Dengfeng International and many small investors.
Guo Fan relied on his own mouth to raise funds and finally raised 320 million yuan for the filming of the movie.
The money was not given all at once. He first got the money from China Film Group, and then after shooting for a while, the money was not enough. Guo Fan then took some of the finished films and went around lobbying, and continued shooting after he collected some money.
Because the crew went over budget several times, Wanda even withdrew its investment midway. Fortunately, Wu Jing joined later and paid 60 million to fill the hole, which in turn attracted another 50 million in funds.
In short, although "The Wandering Earth" is a big-budget science fiction film with huge investment, the crew is actually very poor.
But now it’s different. With Gu Wei, a wealthy man with plenty of money, Guo Fan can finally experience the feeling of being rich and powerful.
Of course, I won’t be extravagant, but I will not be stingy with small things.
"Mr. Gu, you are finally here." Outside the studio of "The Wandering Earth" in Oriental Movie Metropolis, Guo Fan came out in person to greet Gu Wei.
"I'm sorry, Director Guo, I have too much to do over there. There's a new movie coming out in a few days, so I'll have to take some time off to promote it." Gu Wei said the ugly thing in advance with an apologetic look on his face.
"I understand. We can stagger the time and adjust the shooting order."
Guo Fan led Gu Wei in, introducing them as they walked.
"Our crew has rented eight studios in the industrial park, with a set area of nearly 100,000 square meters. The transport vehicles, underground cities, space stations, etc. are all real scenes.
We are currently in Studio 20, where we are mainly shooting the underground part of the movie."
Gu Wei looked in the direction Guo Fan pointed. The entire set was the same as the scene at the beginning of "The Wandering Earth" in his memory. The big tree, bookstore, snack bar, colorful lights, etc. were all real scenes.
"Director Guo, this prop you made is so finely." Several people walked to the innermost part of the studio. Zhao Jinmai looked at the protective suit placed aside, and curiously picked up the round helmet to look at it back and forth.
"Of course, I started preparing for this film when I was 15. It took more than two years. In addition to setting up a complete set of shooting locations, the props took the most time.
The protective suit you have is the "civilian version." We also have the "military version." Besides that, we also have exoskeleton armor and various high-tech props that will only appear in the future. Guo Fan spoke of this with great pride.
"I finally know where you spend your money.
The ancient saying "It takes ten years to sharpen a sword" is indeed true.
Director Guo is someone who really gets things done!"
Gu Wei knew that "The Wandering Earth" was well-made, and he was even more aware of Guo Fan's ability, but before coming here, he only trusted Guo Fan and invested in him without hesitation because he knew that "The Wandering Earth" would be a success in the end.
Now seeing these sets and props, and listening to Guo Fan's introduction, he knew that all of these things were soaked with Guo Fan's hard work. He tried his best to make a science fiction film that was unique to the Chinese people.
No wonder Wu Jing from the original time and space was moved by him. It is impossible to convince an actor and director whose box office revenue is 5 billion by just talking. Not only did he perform for free, but he also pocketed 60 million from his own pocket. Sincerity and dreams are always the killer skills.
Guo Fan is not someone who can fool people. He is truly working hard to realize his dreams bit by bit. No wonder he can impress so many people.
"My promise to you is still valid. I will shoot according to your ideas. No matter how many gaps there are in the future filming, I will fill them!"
Guo Fan smiled when he heard Gu Wei's words.
Although the current funds are more than enough to achieve the effect he wants, no director would complain about having too little money. If he comes up with an idea to achieve perfection, it is normal for the filming to go over budget.
(End of this chapter)
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