Chapter 659 Substitution
In the lounge, Gu Wei chatted a lot with Xu Yuezhen and Zeng Guoxiang.
In the crew of "Better Days", as long as the three of them can reach a consensus, the decision cannot be changed.
"If Zhou Dongyu is replaced, who will play the female lead?"
Due to Gu Wei's insistence, Zeng Guoxiang had no choice but to compromise.
Although he was reluctant, he was powerless.
Compared with Gu Wei, Zhou Dongyu seems less important.
Of course, if you insist on protecting Zhou Dongyu, it is not impossible. As Gu Wei said, you can just break up and the other party withdraw from the "Better Days" project.
But this is obviously impossible. Even Xu Yuezhen, who is in the same company as him, would not agree.
With Gu Wei's current fame and status, joining their project is a godsend. It can be predicted from the start of filming that the movie will eventually make money.
This is not speculation, but a fact recognized by everyone in the circle, a "truth" that has been proven through one blockbuster movie after another.
At the beginning, Mr. Jiang of [Etone Films] didn't believe in evil, and as a result, [Monster Hunt 2] suffered a major setback. It was obviously a super popular IP, but after the second part failed to gain good reputation, the third part became a distant prospect.
Although the film and television industry has a certain artistry in it, to put it bluntly, everyone is here to make money.
No one will refuse Gu Wei, who can bring real money to everyone, just like no one can refuse the RMB.
"How about Ma Sichun? Her acting skills are also very good. She should have no problem playing the role of "Chen Nian"."
After Director Zeng asked the question, Gu Wei didn't say anything. Instead, Producer Xu next to him gave a suggestion.
They had just worked with Ma Sichun on their previous movie "Soul Mate", and now that Zhou Dongyu is no longer able to perform, the first person she thought of was Ma Sichun.
Gu Wei also thought this was a good suggestion, but Zeng Guoxiang thought about it and shook his head.
"Ma Sichun's acting is fine, but we need a leading lady who can join the crew right away and has the right image in every aspect.
If we ask Ma Sichun to play the role, we will have to wait at least a month before filming can begin."
Zeng Guoxiang looked at the two people's puzzled expressions and explained:
"I met Ma Sichun once during the filming of the movie, and she was a little fatter than when she was filming "Soulmate".
She is 4 years older than Zhou Dongyu and looks more mature. Her current figure doesn't seem suitable for her to play a high school student who is bullied in school.
If I could lose 20 pounds, I could consider it, but it's obviously too late now."
Gu Wei immediately understood what he said.
When casting for Alec Su's "The Left Ear", screenwriter Rao Xueman told Ma Sichun that if she could lose 15 kilograms within a month, she would get the role.
As a result, before filming, Ma Sichun lost 25 kilograms of weight. Even so, she still looked a little plump in the movie.
Ma Sichun has a relatively large frame and is prone to obesity. He will gain weight if he is not careful. Gu Wei, who has worked with him, is well aware of this.
"It's really hard to find a female artist in her 20s who has the best acting skills and is somewhat famous.
The most important thing is that all aspects are suitable and there is time to devote to filming immediately."
Having said this, Xu Yuezhen and Zeng Guoxiang couldn't help but look at Gu Wei.
This means that if you want to change the female lead, then you are responsible for finding the replacement.
Gu Wei touched his chin, feeling a little troubled.
There are many female artists in our company, but almost none of them can really play this role.
The female stars under his management are all so beautiful that they have no problem playing vase roles in idol dramas or movies, but it is a bit difficult for them to play roles like Chen Nian that require depth and acting skills.
Take someone like Nazha for example. If you let her play a high school student who is bullied in school, she can completely ruin the movie, and even Gu Wei can't save it.
The room fell into silence for a moment, and no one spoke.
"I have a candidate!" Gu Wei suddenly thought of the same person, who was very suitable in terms of appearance, age and acting skills.
"When I was filming Detective Chinatown, I worked with a young actor named Zhang Zifeng.
Her acting skills are very good, so she should have no problem playing the role of "Chen Nian".
She is just 17 years old this year and is in high school, which is exactly the same as the heroine in our film."
After Gu Wei said "Zhang Zifeng", Producer Xu and Director Zeng also reacted immediately.
"This young actor's acting is really good. I was deeply impressed by his role in Detective Chinatown 1.
I just don't know if she has any time now, and if she can join the crew right away?"
"It should be no problem. I met her once last month while recording a variety show.
During the chat, I learned that she has no plans to join any group recently."
"Okay, please tell her to join the crew for an audition as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow. If all goes well, we can quickly confirm the cast and start filming as normal."
After finally finding a suitable one, Zeng Guoxiang immediately made the decision and hoped to finalize it as soon as possible.
In fact, he was also a little unhappy at this time.
After the actress was replaced, all the previously filmed materials related to the heroine were invalidated. Although Gu Wei promised to bear this part of the loss, the reshoot still increased his workload.
Most importantly, he felt that his authority as a director was being violated.
After the three of them agreed, this small meeting within the crew was over.
After leaving the lounge, Xu Yuezhen patted Zeng Guoxiang's arm and comforted him:
"Gu Wei has achieved such great success at such a young age, so it's natural that he's full of youthful energy. You don't have to be angry with him.
Now that things have come to this, let’s proceed as planned.”
"Oh~" Zeng Guoxiang sighed.
"I'm not angry, I just feel that as a director, I'm making my own movie, and the heroine can't make the decision."
Xu Yuezhen smiled.
"If Gu Wei wants to change, then let him change. When he first wanted to join, we knew that he would be the only core of this movie, and everything else would become secondary."
“Although I know that Gu Wei will make [Better Days] a big hit and everyone will make money in the end, I don’t like this situation.
After this film is finished, I will definitely not work with him again. I still hope that my own crew can have the final say!"
After hearing what Zeng Guoxiang said, Xu Yuezhen shook his head slightly.
"It's good to say it now, but you won't think so when you actually make money."
"The real-time box office of [Time Travel Cohabitation] has exceeded 1 billion RMB today. The investment in that movie is similar to that of [Better Days].
If only our film could achieve such good results."
Zeng Guoxiang swallowed his saliva after hearing what she said. He could still solve simple math problems.
If "Better Days" can also have a box office of 1 billion, then the income of him and Xu Yuezhen's company will be more than 100 million.
No matter how noble he is, he cannot resist the temptation of "being close to people with his wealth".
Thinking about it this way, it's actually not that hard to tolerate Gu Wei's bad temper.
"By the way, who should we talk to Zhou Dongyu about this?"
"I'll go, this incident is all her fault. It's okay for her to be willful and talk without thinking, but this time she caused such a big mess. This result is all her own fault."
Zeng Guoxiang felt that if Zhou Dongyu hadn't been causing trouble, such a thing wouldn't have happened.
"Will Dong Yu have any objections?"
"What opinion could she have? Is she going to sue us for breach of contract? I was the one who helped her win the Golden Horse Award.
I just told Gu Wei that I wanted him to be cautious.
Now that things are settled, all she can do is pack up and leave."
After talking with Producer Xu and Director Zeng, Gu Wei called Zhang Zifeng.
"Brother Wei, are you telling the truth?"
"Of course, I can't lie to you.
But then again, you have to perform well. This role is not easy to play. Don’t come here for an audition and the director and producer don’t like it. That would be a slap in my face.”
"whee.
Don't worry, mine will be fine!"
Zhang Zifeng on the other end of the phone was full of confidence.
"The movie requires you to cut your hair and shave it into a buzz cut. Is that okay?"
".No problem, it's a movie, not to mention a buzz cut, even a bald head is fine!"
Zhang Zifeng hesitated for a moment and then agreed.
"Okay, I'll have someone send you an electronic version of the script. Take a good look at it. Book a flight now and try to get to the Shancheng crew tomorrow."
"So anxious?"
"Of course I'm anxious. The crew is spending my money. Every day of delay means another day of loss."
"Okay, I'll ask my agent to book the plane ticket right away."
After hanging up the phone with Gu Wei, Zhang Zifeng looked excited. She didn't expect that what she said to Gu Wei when recording "Longing for Life" a month ago would come true so soon.
"What's up? Why are you so happy?"
Zhang Zifeng's mother saw her become like this after answering a phone call, and she didn't know what good news had happened to her daughter.
"Mom, Brother Wei wants me to film a movie!"
Zhang Zifeng clenched his fists and smiled with his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Brother Wei?"
Mom didn't react for a moment.
"Gu Wei, I just recorded 'Longing for Life' with him last month."
"Oh~ You mean Director Gu?"
Zifeng's mother's most profound impression of Gu Wei was "Detective Chinatown". Her daughter was still young when filming that drama, and she followed the crew throughout the entire shoot.
"We haven't worked together for so many years, why did I suddenly think of you?"
"There were no suitable opportunities before. I mentioned it to him during a variety show last month, and I didn't expect that there would be a role suitable for me right away.
Um. This matter has a few twists and turns, but it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I get to work with Brother Wei again, which is awesome! "
Zhang Zifeng was obviously looking forward to working with them again after many years, and he couldn't stop smiling since he finished the phone call.
"I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I have to call my agent and ask her to book me a ticket to Feishan City on the nearest flight, preferably tonight."
"So anxious?"
"Of course, Brother Wei is waiting for me to come to the rescue."
As the saying goes, some are happy while others are sad. Zhang Zifeng received good news unexpectedly. He didn't do anything, but the opportunity came to him. It was truly a blessing in disguise.
On the other hand, Zhou Dongyu was shocked when he received the notice, and he was furious.
"Bang!"
She threw the fruit plate on the table to the ground, breaking it into pieces.
“Why would he let me go?
Are you crazy!
I didn't offend him, I just asked a few staff members to shave my head with me, and they took away my heroine!
I don’t accept it! "
Zhou Dongyu in the room had a ferocious look on his face and was shouting to vent his emotions.
"You'd better calm down.
This is a notification, not a discussion!" Zeng Guoxiang, standing aside, had a sullen face.
"How can I stay calm? I've filmed almost a third of the movie and they're going to replace my leading actress with someone else. Who can stay calm?
Why does he, Gu Wei, have the right to do that? "
"Just because his name is Gu Wei, because he is the investor and producer of this play, and because everyone has to make money from him."
"Then he can do whatever he wants?"
"That's right, just like you want the other crew members to shave their heads together, you don't care what they think, you just want them to do what you ask.
Likewise, Gu Wei won't care about your opinion when making this decision. He has the right to do so."
"How is that the same? I'm the leading actress, a "Mou Girl," and a Golden Horse Award winner. How could Gu Wei not care about me?"
Zhou Dongyu still couldn't accept this fact. Since her debut, she had been smooth sailing. With her extraordinary talent and the support of noble people along the way, she had reached the top of the entertainment industry at a young age. When had she ever suffered such grievances?
"Indeed, your identity is very powerful to others, but it is useless to Gu Wei.
He is no longer just an actor."
Zeng Guoxiang and Zhou Dongyu have always had a good relationship. Their previous collaboration was quite pleasant, and the other party also has a good relationship with his father. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are family members.
That's why he patiently persuaded Zhou Dongyu, hoping that she would be more sensible.
"I have signed the contract. If you replace me now, aren't you afraid that I will expose it and let everyone know that Gu Wei is a drama queen?"
Zhou Dongyu was still angry. She didn't understand the implicit meaning of Zeng Guoxiang's words and threatened him instead.
“Alas~
Dong Yu, let me give you a piece of advice. Although you are the one who has been wronged in this matter, it was caused by you after all.
If we don't shoot this drama, we can go shoot other dramas. Keeping the peace is the best way to deal with it.
Not only can you not disclose this, but if the media asks you about it later, you have to agree with the crew's explanation, saying that you voluntarily left the production after negotiation because the role was not suitable."
"Why?"
Zhou Dongyu widened her eyes and looked at Zeng Guoxiang in disbelief. She didn't expect that the director, with whom she had always had a very good relationship, would say such a thing.
“Just because you can’t defeat Gu Wei, it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say that you can.
To be precise, with his status and position, it would not be difficult for him to crush you to death.
You really made him angry this time.
Although it's not directed at him, everything you do makes Gu Wei feel that you are acting like a big shot.
He said that since your debut, you are the first artist to act like a big shot in his crew.
So you don’t have to complain.”
Speaking of this, Zhou Dongyu also felt a little guilty.
"Although Gu Wei is famous, he is not omnipotent in the entertainment industry."
Zeng Guoxiang took two steps forward and put his hand on Zhou Dongyu's shoulder.
"Do you believe what you said? Everyone in the industry knows how big Weiming Tianxia is now. Not to mention Gu Wei, Zhang Tianai under his company is more popular than you in the film industry. She is the first actress in the domestic entertainment industry to earn tens of billions of yuan.
Think about it carefully. If you really want to go against him, Gu Wei will say that he will ban you. Who would risk going against him to hire you?
Without works and exposure, it won’t be long before you become obsolete.”
After Zeng Guoxiang finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.
After a long time, Zhou Dongyu raised his head.
"what should I do?
I really didn’t mean it. If I had known that Gu Wei didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have asked someone else to shave my head.”
Zeng Guoxiang smiled and put his hand on her head.
"That's right, a man who knows the times is a hero, and the arm cannot twist the thigh.
Now that it has happened, there is no point in talking about it anymore.
All you need to do now is pack up and leave the crew. When you are free, I will prepare a banquet for you and you can apologize to Gu Wei in person so that he won't have any bad impression of you because of this incident."
"He kicked me out of the crew, and I still have to apologize to him?"
“Yes, this is reality.
There is no absolute right or wrong in this world. Whoever has money and power is right!
If you want to develop safely in the entertainment industry in the future, it is important to humble yourself and admit your mistakes.
Who made Gu Wei powerful now? If one day he loses power, you can kick him when he’s down, but before that, you need to bow your head.”
Seeing Zhou Dongyu silent, Zeng Guoxiang knew that he had achieved his purpose this time. He patted her shoulder gently, turned around and walked out of the room.
(End of this chapter)
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