The original youth theme, coupled with a little foreshadowing of infinite reincarnation of time, makes this script innovative and brilliant. But now a large part of the content has been changed into the love scenes between the male and female protagonists.
It's so melodramatic and it's become a completely common topic, which is very different from the previous scripts.
Although Ji Li had only visited a few places, he could predict that even if such a movie was released, it would be a huge flop.
Yu Fuya obviously didn't talk about this unexpected situation. They originally went for the quality of the script, and now that filming is about to start, the production crew actually did something this outrageous?
Yu Fuya said, "Don't worry, I will contact the producer right away."
Ji Li nodded, but there was no sign of relaxation between his brows.
Baozi guessed, "Brother Ji, was this new version of the script edited by Teacher Qin Li?"
"Impossible." Ji Li answered firmly.
"Since he chose to invest, Qin Li must have chosen the original script. He is such a busy person, he won't have the time to care about the deletion and modification of the script."
Lixing is the investor. To put it bluntly, it just spends money in the early stage and makes money in the later stage.
Most importantly, Ji Li didn't believe that Qin Li would deliberately have his part cut even though he knew he was playing the third male lead.
Baozi quickly changed his words, "Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong. If Teacher Qin Li knew about this, he would definitely side with you."
Ji Li rubbed his temples and felt inexplicably swollen.
Baozi didn't dare to disturb the bored Ji Li, and quietly opened the script in the mailbox.
When he saw the screenwriter's name on the homepage, he slapped his thigh and said, "Brother Ji, I think I know what's going on!"
Ji Li turned his gaze back, "What did you know?"
Baozi took a deep breath and pointed at the screenwriter's name on the script. "When I heard that the male lead had become Cai Yishu, I wanted to tell you."
"There have always been rumors that Cai Yishu is a star who adds scenes to his screenplay, and the exclusive screenwriter responsible for adding scenes for him is Wang Yongwei."
"I was skeptical about this matter at first, and was hesitant about whether to remind you."
Baozi tapped the phone screen and said, "Look, the real evidence is here!"
Ji Li asked, "Where did you hear that he added more scenes?"
"This Cai Yishu previously played the second male lead in a novel IP drama. After the broadcast, he had too many original scenes as the second male lead, and the length was at least more than half that in the book. This was even complained by the male lead's fans."
"When he was acting in the movie last year, he temporarily replaced other actors in the crew."
Baozi paused and continued, "Later, a veteran actor from the same group criticized in an interview that some young actors in their group were adding too many scenes, and the logic of the plot was lost."
Cai Yishu is backed by Jincheng Pictures, whose boss is very wealthy. Whenever one of its artists causes bad news, he will immediately spend money to suppress it.
“…The interview video was cut before it was broadcast. Although no names were mentioned, we all privately guessed it was Cai Yishu.”
Yu Fuya turned around from the front row and said, "I asked clearly that this screenwriter named Wang Yongwei was indeed introduced to the group by Cai Yishu. The previous original screenwriter is no longer involved in the film production."
"The producers told me that the script was changed because of creative needs. It is also common for other crews to make temporary changes to the script."
"If we have any ideas or opinions, we can discuss them with the current screenwriter after filming starts."
When Yu Fuya said the last word, anger was already in her eyes, "You said it in a high-sounding way. It's obvious that you think the third male lead is unimportant, and you want to take this opportunity to give Cai Yishu more roles as the first male lead."
Baozi frowned, "Brother Ji, Sister Yu, what should we do now? Are we still going to the opening ceremony the day after tomorrow?"
"Go." Ji Li answered without hesitation.
They had signed the filming contract long ago, and if they did not attend the opening ceremony at the last minute, it would be a unilateral breach of contract on their part.
"Let's follow the original plan and move forward. We can't lose our composure just because of an electronic script." A gleam of light flashed in Ji Li's eyes.
He was very clear about the roles and scenes he wanted.
It would be best if we could come up with a suitable version.
If that doesn't work, he wants to know how far the other party should go in making deletions, revisions, or additions. What can you do to a good script!
"Okay, I'll ask the company's legal department to prepare a breach of contract complaint based on this situation. We'll be prepared for both scenarios to avoid being sued by these villains first." Yu Fuya agreed.
Ji Li nodded, then remembered something and said, "You still have to find a way to help me contact the previous screenwriter. The sooner the better. I want to talk to him."
Baozi quickly agreed, "Brother Ji, I'll take care of this."
Yu Fuya glanced at the time and temporarily put aside these troubles. "It's time for dinner. I'll take you to eat first. No matter what, don't go hungry because of something like this."
Ji Li smiled at her and nodded obediently.
Yu Fuya said, "What do you want to eat?"
Baozi answered first, "Barbecue! Brother Ji told me yesterday that he wanted to eat barbecue!"
Ji Li raised his eyebrows and chuckled, then made eye contact with Yu Fuya.
The latter understood and laughed out loud, "I see it's you who wants to eat barbecue! Meat buns."
…
Two days later, Shuoyang Town.
The main background of the film takes place in a small town in the south, so the crew found a filming location in the neighboring province, a small ancient town surrounded by mountains and rivers, with a good environment and not particularly commercialized.
The opening ceremony was held in the temple at the end of the town.
When Ji Li arrived with his team, all the main actors except Cai Yishu had already arrived.
Wei Lai from the same company saw Yu Fuya behind him and walked up to her and called out politely, "Sister Yu, hello."
After saying that, he took the initiative to greet Ji Li in a friendly manner, without any airs of a company's 'senior' at all.
His agent just stared blankly at the side, but didn't dare to say anything because it was a public occasion.
——This idiot, it’s fine if he doesn’t care about the role ranking, but why is he taking the initiative to greet the newcomers now? It won’t be long before even the position of the company’s top supporter will be snatched away by the other party!
Ji Li glanced at the other party's unhappy agent and responded with a smile, "Brother Wei, hello, I'm glad to work with you this time."
He had heard Baozi mention Wei Lai.
During the past two years when Super Film was in a period of transition, half of the company's best resources were invested in Wei Lai.
But when it comes to talent and destiny, no one can predict it for sure. Even with so many resources invested, the other party is still lukewarm.
Because of an injury sustained while filming at the beginning of the year, Wei Lai rested for four or five months, and his popularity plummeted. This time when he made his comeback, he actually played a supporting role to Cai Yishu, who debuted a year later than him. No wonder his agent was so angry.
Yu Fuya looked around and said coldly, "Why hasn't Cai Yishu come yet? Didn't the crew say it would start at 2pm?"
Wei Lai's manager replied, "Sister Yu, Cai Yishu said some fans are coming, so they temporarily decided to do the opening look, so the show will be postponed to half an hour later."
Yu Fuya raised her eyebrows, and her eyes immediately showed a hint of disgust.
Because of the script deletions, her impression of Cai Yishu fell to the bottom before she even met him in person.
It is said that the start-up ceremony pays attention to an auspicious day, but the crew postponed it just for his makeup and hair, which shows how much they care about this male lead.
Baozi ran back and said, "Brother Ji, Sister Yu, the crew has arranged a lounge for us. Shall we go sit down first?"
"good."
Both sides walked towards the lounge.
"Alai, can you please act a little more like a senior in front of the newcomer? He is accompanied by Yu Fuya, and it is obvious that he will be the person that the company will promote in the future."
Wei Lai's agent waited until Ji Li and Yu Fuya were far away before whispering, "He's trying to steal your job, and you're still politely greeting him?"
Wei Lai shrugged his shoulders, with a look of indifference on his face, "What else can I do if I don't say hello? Give him a cold face? Do I deserve it?"
"You..." The agent felt bad for him when he heard this.
"Sister Lisa, you know my situation. Even if Ji Li hadn't shown up, the company would have promoted other newcomers instead. I was lucky to have been able to get good resources for the first three years, which is enough."
"I just feel sorry for you and the other people in the team. If other stars could get so many resources, they would have become top stars long ago."
Not only can you earn more, but your team will also benefit from it.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How have you let us down? You have cooperated well with the work you are supposed to cooperate with, and you have not been careless in the performance you are supposed to perform. We just lack the luck to become popular."
Lisa encouraged him, "This movie's second-best performance is still a real achievement, so try to act well."
Wei Lai smiled and squeezed Lisa's shoulder in a flattering manner.
"Sister, you are not allowed to cause trouble for Ji Li because of me. He is my junior in the same company after all. We must not have internal conflicts in our own company."
Lisa glanced at him with a helpless look, "I know, he has Sister Yu over there, what can I do if I dare him to take it?"
After getting her response, Wei Lai nodded with relief.
He is not the kind of person who likes to cause trouble, and he would rather live in peace one day at a time.
…
Half an hour later, the opening ceremony finally went smoothly.
Cai Yishu dressed up and finally appeared in front of everyone. His fans were standing outside the venue, and the flash cameras kept flashing from the moment he came on stage.
For publicity purposes, the crew specially invited several media reporters. Upon seeing this, everyone took out their professional equipment to capture this scene.
Baozi stood on the periphery and couldn't help but mutter, "Is it necessary? When the official shooting starts, we have to change into simple school uniforms again. Among the five leading actors, his team is the most exaggerated."
When he saw Ji Li, his expression quickly changed to that of a fangirl. "Our brother Ji is so good. He looks photogenic even without makeup. He looks handsome no matter how you look at him."
Yu Fuya agreed and boasted in a low voice, "Not to mention Ji Li, even Wei Lai looks better than him. The artists of our Chaoying Culture are still qualified in terms of appearance."
Chaoying has always believed in the saying 'Beauty lies in the bones, not in the skin', so the bone structure of its artists is extremely outstanding.
The opening ceremony went smoothly.
During the final group photo, Ji Li was arranged by the stage management to be on the outermost layer of the actors.
Yu Fuya felt a little uncomfortable when she saw this scene. "I should not indulge him too much in choosing scripts in the future. How do the people in this crew do things?"
She was just about to step forward and try to get a better position for Ji Li when a sarcastic voice rang out.
"Isn't it a good arrangement? You get the right role for the right role. Are you going to give up our Cai Cai's C position to you?"
Yu Fuya turned sideways and stared at the person sharply, "Excuse me, who are you?"
"Hello Ms. Yu, I am Cai Yishu's agent, You Meng."
The man was wearing a black windbreaker and had neat shoulder-length hair. He looked similar in temperament to Yu Fuya.
Baozi leaned close to Yu Fuya and whispered, "Sister Yu, during the time you retired from the entertainment industry, people in the industry have been claiming that this person is the second you, and I heard that she has an ambiguous relationship with Zhu Xusheng."
Yu Fuya curled her lips subtly and extended her hand generously, "Hello, Ms. You."
You Meng's eyes drifted downwards, and she completely ignored the past.
"Ms. Yu, this industry emphasizes the survival of the fittest. Three years is enough to eliminate a large number of rookies."
You Meng paused and added lightly, "Oh, and there is also an old bird."
The irony in the words was obvious.
Yu Fuya clenched her right hand into a fist. She glanced at the fans and reporters outside and withdrew her hand without moving.
If it were in private, she would have grabbed the woman's hair and started a fight.
However, as Ji Li's manager, she absolutely cannot cause trouble for her artist in public.
You Meng saw her forbearing actions, and a hint of arrogance appeared on his face.
What is the legendary agent in the entertainment industry? In her opinion, this is just the method used.
Also, I really don’t know how Yu Fuya seduced Xusheng back then? She looks just average.
Yu Fuya was too lazy to fight with such a self-righteous woman. Seeing that the photo session was over, she quickly walked to Ji Li's side.
"Hello, Director Guo, I'm Ji Li from Chaoying Culture. I want to talk to you about the script." Ji Li seized the opportunity and moved closer to director Guo Minsheng.
Guo Minsheng looked him over and asked, "What are you talking about? The show hasn't even started filming yet? You think there's something wrong."
"Director Guo, that's not what you say." Yu Fuya walked to Ji Li and directly fought back.
"We went for the script in the first place, but now it's been changed into a mess. As a director, you wouldn't be unaware of this, right?"
Yu Fuya's eyes were sharp, and she had already shown her negotiation spirit.
"We, Ji Li, are the first actors to sign the contract. It is clearly written in the contract that the crew has the obligation to protect our interests as the third male lead."
"Now the total number of scenes is less than 20..." Yu Fuya handed the script back to the director and sneered, "We have every right to quit the show!"
Ji Li naturally didn't want to get to the point of "quitting the show", but this was a deliberate bargaining chip used by Yu Fuya, so he could only stare at the director's reaction in silence.
As expected, Guo Minsheng's expression suddenly tensed up, and his eyes drifted away for a moment, "How can you talk about quitting on the first day of filming? If there is a problem with the script, we can discuss it again."
After working in the director circle for so many years, he finally got a chance to shoot a big-budget movie. He didn't want anything to go wrong on the first day.
"How about this, I'll call the screenwriter over, and you two can go into the lounge and have a good chat?" Guo Minsheng was shirking his responsibility invisibly. The screenwriter was responsible for the script, and he was only responsible for filming.
Ji Li has been filming for so many years and has worked with and met countless directors.
Now, looking at Guo Minsheng's condition, I feel disappointed again -
It's obvious at first glance that he's a director with little leadership ability and who's used to taking advantage of troubled waters. The difference between him and the top directors is obvious to the naked eye.
Ji Li didn't want to waste time, so he could only suppress his emotions and said, "Okay."
…
Five minutes later, in the directors' lounge.
The half-open door was pushed open, and Cai Yishu walked in with a group of people, wearing a pair of exaggerated brown sunglasses on his nose.
He looked around and saw Ji Li and Yu Fuya sitting on long wooden chairs. A hint of sarcasm flashed across his lips, but he didn't say hello.
"Director, I heard you were looking for screenwriter Wang? He was discussing the plot with me, so I came over to take a look."
Seeing this, Guo Minsheng, who was sitting on the sofa, quickly stood up and said, "Shi Shao, why don't you sit here with me?"
"How can I have the nerve to snatch the director's seat?" Cai Yishu smiled and found a seat opposite Ji Li, leaning back lazily.
Screenwriter Wang Yongwei and agent You Meng sat down next to him.
The three of them never looked at Ji Li and Yu Fuya in the eye from beginning to end, showing their arrogance and contempt to the fullest.
Ji Li's eyes dimmed and he made a small movement with his fingers to signal Yu Fuya to stay calm.
Wang Yongwei put on airs, his voice slightly raised, "Director Guo, I heard someone has objections to the script."
Guo Minsheng hesitated and looked at Ji Li, "This..."
Ji Li replied, "Writer Wang, I said that."
He looked at the screenwriter and said bluntly, "You cut the number of scenes for the third male lead from 34 to only 12. There are no highlights at all, which makes the characterization of the character superficial."
"As a screenwriter, you never consulted me and my team from the beginning to the end." He handed the new script back to Wang Yongwei's desk, "Please give me a reasonable explanation."
The young man's question was neither arrogant nor humble, and his sudden change in sharp aura was very different from his gentle appearance.
Wang Yongwei was two seconds slower and said, "I can tell from the looks of it that you're an inexperienced new actor. Is this your first time filming a movie? Let me tell you, it's common for scripts to be edited before filming begins."
"Some actors are almost done filming and still receive script pages at short notice."
Wang Yongwei flipped through the script on the table and said perfunctorily, "I'll revise and delete it before filming starts. It's better than you shooting it and then having to reshoot it."
Yu Fuya couldn't sit still anymore and sneered, "This is Ji Li's first time making a movie, but I've led more actors and worked with more film crews than you have, and I've never seen such a method of deletion and modification."
She paused and added bluntly, "I've never seen a screenwriter like you."
"...You!" Wang Yongwei choked and his expression suddenly became ugly.
He has been in the screenwriter circle for nearly ten years, and his previous works have always been criticized and not favored by capital.
It was not until two years ago that Jincheng Pictures approached him and asked him to be the exclusive screenwriter for Cai Yishu. To put it bluntly, it means writing appropriate scripts and adding more scenes for the other party in the crew.
The other party is currently the main supporter of Jincheng Company. Although he will be criticized for "adding drama" after the release of film and television works, his popularity is also steadily increasing under the company's marketing operations.
Wang Yongwei not only takes money to do the work, but can also get a credit as a co-screenwriter when the work is released. All his friends envy him for having both fame and fortune.
In fact, Wang Yongwei took his original script to a film and television company some time ago, but was still belittled by the other party.
Yu Fuya saw the essence through the phenomenon and pierced through the hypocritical shell of his reputation with just one sentence.
When Cai Yishu saw that the screenwriter had no reaction, he immediately gave his agent a subtle look.
The latter understood and laughed with a hint of sarcasm, "Miss Yu, that's not what you said. Who were the people you brought with you in the past? What kind of people are you bringing with you now?"
In the past, Yu Fuya has led best actor and actress awards, or at least talented young actors and popular actresses.
Now, Ji Li is just a small celebrity with just over a million fans on Weibo, and has only been on the hot search list three or four times at best.
Compared with Cai Yishu's tens of millions of Weibo fans, it's totally insignificant.
"He's just the third male lead. What's wrong with cutting some of his scenes? Our Cai Cai is the male lead of the movie. He will have to shoulder the box office responsibility from now on. Even if there are highlights, they should be his."
"In the original script, the male lead only had a dozen more scenes than the third male lead. If this gets out, people will think you are just extras."
Yu Fuya wanted to rush up and tear the woman's mouth apart.
Add more actors?
It's really shameless to throw dirty water at will.
Ji Li suppressed his anger and asked word by word, "So, this script can't be changed back?"
Cai Yishu chuckled and finally took off his sunglasses slowly, "I forgot to tell you that before coming here, I discussed the script with Teacher Wang again."
He met Ji Li's eyes and smiled gently, "You don't have eleven scenes left. There are only nine left."
Two years after his debut, this is his first time playing the leading male role in a movie, and he must not let other male characters steal the limelight!
The second male lead Wei Lai is a worthless person. As for Ji Li who has a little popularity, just delete his scenes and see how he can attract fans.
Even if we take a step back, as the legitimate male lead, who would say that he added extra scenes?
"Director Guo, it's almost time to shoot the first scene, right? I have to hurry and change my clothes and get into a new look. I'll have to excuse myself first." Cai Yishu still put on a lot of pretense in front of Guo Minsheng.
Guo Minsheng felt relieved by his polite tone and nodded.
He looked at Ji Li standing beside him, and with some confidence, he actually put on the airs of a director.
"Either you shoot or you leave. If you quit right before the shooting starts, whose reputation will be hurt if this gets out?"
After saying that, he followed Cai Yishu and others.
Yu Fuya kicked the stool fiercely and took two deep breaths. "What the hell is this crew? I've never been treated so humiliatingly since I entered the industry!"
Ji Li rubbed his swollen temple. Just as he was about to say something, Baozi sneaked in.
The latter saw the two people's identical annoyed expressions and said cautiously, "Brother Ji, I secretly brought the previous original screenwriter into the lounge. Do you want to meet him?"
When Ji Li heard this, a glimmer of light finally appeared in his eyes.
The three of them hurried back to their own lounge. The people in the room heard the noise and turned around vigilantly, clutching the script.
"Brother Ji, this is the original screenwriter Mu Wang." Ever since listening to Ji Li's instructions last time, Baozi secretly contacted the original screenwriter and author.
Ji Li nodded, "Hello, Teacher Mu, I am Ji Li, the actor who plays the third male lead."
"You don't need to call me teacher. Mu Wang is just my pen name."
The latter took off his cap and mask, revealing his young but haggard face, "My real name is Mu Sui'an."
As soon as these words came out, Ji Li and others were stunned at the same time.
Ji Li fell into the complex emotions in his eyes, and his breath was slightly choked. "The prototype of the third male character in the script is you?"
Mu Sui'an nodded bitterly.
The script "Time Lobbyist" was written when he was suffering from severe depression and wanted to heal himself.
When Ji Li heard this, he simply glanced at his family.
Yu Fuya and Baozi understood his look and left the lounge tacitly, leaving the two of them alone.
Mu Sui'an held the new version of the script in his hand, and his next words were tinged with tears. "Mr. Ji, can you help me? Our story is not like this. A Yu and Huai Zi are not like this at all!"
When Ji Li heard the nicknames he mentioned, he quickly realized that they should be the 'male lead' and 'second male lead' in the real world.
He took the initiative to pour a glass of warm water for the other party and said, "After reading the script before, I imagined that there would be a prototype character, but I didn't expect it would be your personal experience."
Mu Sui'an is only a few years older than Ji Li, but the youthful light in his eyes has long gone.
Ji Li gave him time to adapt and did not rush to ask questions.
After a long while, Mu Sui'an spoke with a pale face, "The producer told me that the film investment suddenly caught up, and said that an unknown and amateur screenwriter like me was not qualified, so I was directly kicked out of the production team."
After hearing this, Ji Li understood almost everything.
The producers took Mu Suian's excellent script, obtained investment from Lixing, and strengthened the cast.
They drove away Mu Suian, an excellent original screenwriter, and acquiesced to Cai Yishu, the leading male actor, bringing screenwriters into the crew, and turned good material into garbage.
It's really ridiculous.
"Mr. Ji, I know you are the first actor willing to sign the contract, please help me!"
Mu Sui'an is just a small screenwriter. It is almost impossible for him to defend his rights. The pleading in his eyes became more and more obvious. "In reality, the five of us have been separated. I really don't want this story to be ruined."
The perfect ending of infinite reincarnation written in the script was the psychological comfort he gave himself. The reason he agreed to make it into a movie was that he wanted to keep a memory of the good old days.
"I went to Wang Yongwei to argue, but they just mocked me and told me to die."
As a result, this group of people brought deeper despair. Mu Sui'an's insomnia became more and more severe in the past few days and he really couldn't stand it anymore.
To be honest, Ji Li originally planned to quit the show and leave, but now, he looked at the real 'Xiang Sui', looked at the other's red eyes, and a sour feeling in his heart instantly spread out.
As early as when he was studying the script, he had already put himself into the role.
Ji Li thought of the arrogant faces of Cai Yishu and others, and his eyes paused.
A few seconds later, he handed the unrecognizable script to Mu Sui'an and solemnly instructed, "Take this script to Hai City and find someone."
"Don't worry, I'll let him see you."
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