Chapter 793: Getting Something for Nothing
August has passed before we knew it.
In addition to "Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils" and "Eight Hundred", several romance films were released on the Chinese Valentine's Day on the 25th.
"Wild Oats" starring Ma Sichun, Zhong Chuxi and Huang Jingyu, the Hollywood romance movie "Little Women" starring Emma Watson, and "I'll Wait for You at the End of Time" starring Li Hongqi, Li Yitong and Fan Wei.
[Buckwheat grows wildly] It’s over.
The box office on the first day of its release was 37.45 million, but then it dropped to 5.5 million on the second day due to poor word of mouth.
Audiences' evaluation of the film was that it was pretentious and incomprehensible, and director Xu Zhanxiong made almost all the mistakes that a new director would make.
From the film's visual presentation, it can be seen that he wanted to imitate the literary and artistic atmosphere of In the Mood for Love and many old movies, but in the end he created a low-end luxurious texture.
A first-class production team and first-class resources ultimately produced a third-rate answer.
The box office situation for "Little Women" was similar, basically a one-day trip to the theaters.
It’s not that the movie is so bad, it’s just that Chinese people nowadays have lost interest in Hollywood movies, and Hermione’s appeal in China is basically zero.
She was quite cute when she was young, but her popularity with the public has become worse and worse as she grew up.
Among the three movies, only "I'll Wait for You at the End of Time" achieved good box office results, with a box office of over 300 million in the first week.
However, the box office fell sharply after the Chinese Valentine's Day, and it was difficult for the final box office to break 500 million.
The filming of "The Crowd" has gradually entered the later stage. For the filming of the movie, Gu Wei specially called Lu Yang and Guo Fan to come over for two cameo appearances, playing themselves in the movie.
After filming during the day, four people including Rao Xiaozhi went out to eat together in the evening.
"Gu Wei, your film [Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Evils] has broken the 2.5 billion box office today, right?" Lu Yang asked as everyone was drinking and chatting at the dinner table.
Gu Wei opened his phone and took a look.
"2.536 billion~"
"Everyone thought the market would be bad after the epidemic, but who would have thought that your first domestically produced film would do so well at the box office," Guo Fan exclaimed.
"It's mainly because the film is well made. I've seen it, and it's really bold. Both the plot and the actors' performances are very exciting.
The film is of good quality, and coupled with Gu Wei's appeal, it's no surprise that it has achieved the current success."
Lu Yang spoke highly of [Zhou Chu's Elimination of the Three Evils], and after saying that he looked at Gu Wei.
“Is there any hope that the total box office will exceed 3 billion?”
Gu Wei hesitated for a moment: "It's quite bad. It's been out for more than 20 days and the current single-day box office performance has already dropped.
The movie got the key to postponement, but a box office of 100 million in the second month would be considered good.
I estimate it will be around 2.7 billion or 2.8 billion."
"The box office performance of "Eight Hundred" is also very good," said Guo Fan.
"Guan Hu is quite good, and has the support of many stars. The box office has already exceeded 1 billion yuan. I saw that Maoyan's box office forecast is 1.5 billion yuan.
It is said that Huayi invested 500 million in the production of "Eight Hundred", so there is no pressure to recoup the investment."
A few people chatted while eating and talked about their current work.
".I recently took on a costume drama for New Classics Media and iQiyi, and it's in the preparation stage."
"Senior brother, have you started filming a TV series?" Gu Weiqi asked.
Lu Yang debuted as a film director, and this is his first time directing a TV series in all these years.
"The script attracted me a lot. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Ma Boyong, called "The Wind Rises in Longxi", a costume spy film."
After saying that, he looked at Gu Wei.
"The roles haven't been decided yet, how about you play the leading role?"
"Me?" Gu Wei smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"After filming [The Crowd], I took on [Joy of Life 2], and then Bona's [The Battle at Lake Changjin]. That film took about half a year to shoot.
I recently ran into Mr. Hou from Noon Sunshine and took on another drama he was working on. My own company also has two TV series waiting for me to act in.”
"I understand. There's nothing we can do about it since you're so famous now." Lu Yang expressed his understanding.
In fact, all the popular stars in the entertainment industry are in this state. Gu Wei is relatively good. He doesn't overlap with other films and only produces three or four TV series a year at most.
For example, when Shuangzi was at the peak of her popularity, she was filming several dramas at the same time, and more than ten dramas a year. She did this purely to make money and didn't care how she performed at all.
Of course, she wins by quantity, while Gu Wei receives the top resources in the circle.
"Mr. Gu, you have to leave time for me. We agreed on this before," Guo Fan said with a smile.
He was referring to the sequel to "The Wandering Earth". It was originally planned that the second part would be a prequel, with Wu Jing taking the lead role, and the third part would be a sequel, starring Gu Wei as "Liu Qi".
"Don't worry, I'll definitely make time for you, but the second part hasn't started shooting yet, so it's still a long way to go before you can ask me to shoot the third part."
"The script for the second part has been completed, and we are currently working on the set design and props. I expect to start filming next year."
Gu Wei touched his chin and said, "At least in the first half of next year, you won't be able to start filming. Wu Jing and I are on the set of "Changjin Lake" together, so I don't think he will be able to spare the time."
Guo Fan waved his hand: "Not so fast. The second part will be even more grand, with sufficient funds. There are many things to prepare, so it would be considered fast to start filming in the second half of next year.
Then he remembered something: "Oh, I actually have another project on hand, it's about evacuating overseas Chinese."
"Like [Wolf Warrior 2]?" Rao Xiaozhi asked.
“It’s different because it’s based on a real incident of the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Libya.
It tells the story of diplomats evacuating overseas Chinese. The military value is not that high, and it mainly highlights the difficulties and hardships of the evacuation.
Lu Yang was very interested: "This is a good subject. Main-theme movies are so popular now. If it turns out well, it will definitely do well at the box office!"
Guo Fan smiled bitterly, "I understand that, but right now all my energy is focused on the sequel to The Wandering Earth, so it's hard for me to split my attention to this project."
He looked at the people present and asked, "Who among you is interested in taking over this project?"
Gu Weixian shook his head: "I definitely can't do that. I don't even have the time to make a movie, let alone direct one myself."
Lu Yang also waved his hand: "I still have to prepare for the TV series I just took over, so I can't spare the time in the short term."
Guo Fan finally looked at Rao Xiaozhi.
"Director Rao, do you have plans for a new film after finishing this one?"
"Um, that's not the case. Do you have a script for this project?"
Guo Fan was a little embarrassed: "Um~ I'm still working on this, but if Director Rao can take over, the script work will be handed over to you."
Gu Wei laughed and said, "Good boy, it turns out that the project you mentioned, Director Guo, is just an idea. You don't even have a basic script, and you're trying to trick us into taking it on. It's pure empty talk!"
Rao Xiaozhi also complained: "No one is so deceiving as you. When we were filming The Wandering Earth, we at least had a script and blueprints, but now we just use an idea and start tricking others.
Lu Yang laughed and said, "Director Guo, this is just an idea at the beginning, and the rest depends on personal charm to organize the group, right?"
Facing the three people's questions, Guo Fan did not feel embarrassed at all and still had a smile on his face.
"How can you say I relied on deception? I already had the main plot of the movie in mind.
When civil unrest breaks out in a certain country and the embassy is short-staffed, a former diplomat is ordered to go to that country to assist in the evacuation of citizens.
Everything was going smoothly, but when the work was completed, they unexpectedly learned that a group of compatriots were trapped. So the diplomat went back into the war zone and used his experience and wisdom to successfully lead his compatriots on the journey home.
Look, how complete the story is! "
"Then what?"
"And what?"
Rao Xiaozhi said, "The main content of the story should be the various difficulties encountered by diplomats during the evacuation of overseas Chinese. What is this part about?"
"Well, if Director Rao takes over this project, it's entirely up to you how you want to shoot it. My team has collected a lot of relevant information before and will definitely be able to help." Guo Fan said with a smile.
Gu Wei and Lu Yang both laughed.
Rao Xiaozhi was somewhat helpless, but Guo Fan once again used his eloquence to move him.
At this point, Gu Wei also remembered that the project he was preparing seemed to be [A Thousand Miles Homeward Journey], so he also followed suit and gave a few words of advice.
"Since Mr. Gu has said so, I'll take over. However, I have to wait until I finish [The Tide] before I can start preparing."
"No problem. There's no rush for the film. Director Rao, if you need anything, just let me know. I'll send you all the relevant information I have later."
Lu Yang was also a little itchy at this time: "Can you give me a producer position? I can also go to the crew to help when I have time.
You’re right, if you need investment, I can invest some.”
"Me too. If Director Rao is directing it, I will definitely invest," said Gu Wei.
"No problem, I estimate that this movie will require at least 200 to 300 million in investment.
We'll decide the specific share later!" Guo Fan readily agreed.
Gu Wei was also very surprised that he took on another high-quality project after having a drink, but this is the role of the circle.
Lu Yang, Guo Fan and others are old acquaintances of Gu Wei. They are in the same circle and will think of each other first when there are projects.
There are many similar circles in the film and television industry. On a larger scale, there are the Beijing circle, the Shanghai circle, the Northwest circle, etc. On a smaller scale, there are small circles composed of a few friends who have similar status and get along well with each other.
For example, Gu Wei, Wu Jing, Guo Fan, Chen Teng, Ma Li, Allen and other comedians from Happy Twist, and the iron triangle of Xu Zheng, Ning Hao and Huang Bo.
After drinking, I returned to the hotel room and Reba came to greet me as soon as I entered.
"Haven't you rested yet?"
Gu Wei had told her in advance about the dinner party in the evening, but he didn't expect Reba to be waiting for him.
"Waiting for you"
Reba wore a black silk nightgown and looked very cool.
It was a suspender top, revealing her tender shoulders and a large area of snow-white skin. The lace hem only reached the thighs, and her two round, white, long legs were stretched out, making people want to touch them.
She hugged Gu Wei's arm, and a unique fragrance of girls came from her.
After entering the room, Gu Wei sat on the sofa and Reba sat on his lap.
"Aren't you sleepy so late?"
Gu Wei placed his big hands on the other person's white and smooth thighs.
“It’s okay~
Oh, I have good news for you~"
"What?"
Reba's body was soft, and Gu Wei's attention was all on her. He held her in his arms with a little force and kissed her white neck.
"I knew you didn't care. Today the Hundred Flowers Awards announced this year's nominees, and you were nominated for Best Actor." Reba's breathing was a little rapid.
“This, I had anticipated.
"Better Days" has already won the Hong Kong Film Awards, so it's not uncommon for it to be nominated for the Hundred Flowers Awards."
“Do you think you can win a prize?”
"Nine out of ten times."
"So confident?" Reba was a little surprised.
Gu Wei smiled and said, “I am speaking the truth.
Before, I thought I had little chance of being nominated for the Magnolia Awards because "Joy of Life" was more popular than profound, and the Magnolia Awards consider the actors' acting skills and the subject matter of the TV series more.
The Hundred Flowers Awards are different. The full name of the Hundred Flowers Awards is the Popular Film Awards. They place more emphasis on the popularity of the actors and the work among the audience. In this regard, I don't know who I can lose to.
"Hehe~ You are really not modest.
Why did you drink so much with a few directors last night? "
"Not a lot, just chatting while eating and drinking."
Speaking of this, Gu Wei remembered something.
"I just had a few too many drinks. It seems Rao Xiaozhi was in the worst condition at the end. Maybe tomorrow's filming will be delayed."
"Is Director Guo Fan filming a sequel to 'The Wandering Earth'?" Reba asked curiously.
She met Guo Fan on the set today, but since they didn't have any scenes together, they didn't have much communication.
[The Wandering Earth] As the first domestic science fiction masterpiece recognized by everyone, it will also have its own place in the history of Chinese cinema. Therefore, Guo Fan has a very high status in the film industry and can be said to be a god.
"Yes, it's in the works, but I estimate it will take at least a year for filming to begin."
"Are you still the lead actor?"
Gu Wei shook his head: "The second part is the prequel, telling the story before "The Wandering Earth", and "Liu Peiqiang" played by Wu Jing is the male lead.
There are currently two sequels to this film series, and I am the male lead in the third one.
The chronological order is probably [Flow 2 - Start of Wandering], [Flow 1 - Escape from Jupiter], [Flow 3 - Goodbye to the Solar System]."
"Is that so?"
Reba thought for a moment, then put her slender arms around Gu Wei's neck, looked at him with her beautiful eyes, and asked in a sweet voice, "Are there any roles I can play in the last two films?"
[The Wandering Earth] is definitely a top resource in the circle, and even a small supporting role can attract a lot of attention.
What’s more, Reba has never had many film resources, so she can only rely on Gu Wei in this regard.
"Well, the third part only has a framework at the moment, and the script isn't finished yet. The second part has already been written, but I'm not sure what role is right for you."
Gu Wei thought about it and decided that the heroine of "The Wandering Earth 2" must be Zhang Tianai. She had made a cameo appearance as the wife of "Liu Peiqiang" in the first film, and happened to play the young "Han Duoduo" in the second film.
As for other female characters, she will either play the female staff member "Hao Xiaoxi" of the United Government, or the female villain who destroys the space elevator.
"There is one, but her role isn't too big, but she's almost the second or third female lead. I'll go back and tell Guo Fan I'll let you play the role."
Gu Wei plans to recommend Reba to play a female staff member of the United Government, and leave the female villain to Clara.
"Really?" Reba looked surprised. She just asked casually, but she didn't expect Gu Wei to really arrange a role for her.
"Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"
Reba hugged Gu Wei excitedly, her excitement beyond words.
"Don't be too happy too soon. I just said that filming will not start until the second half of next year at the earliest. We don't know how long it will take until the movie is released."
"Then just wait. It's worth waiting no matter how long it takes for such a good opportunity."
(End of this chapter)
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