How can I get my hands on this script?
While helping Shao Guangji gather the documents, Shang Yechu quickly scanned all the document covers. The script for "The Heavenly Emperor" wasn't among them. This was normal; Shao Guangji wouldn't be carrying something so important around.
Let's rephrase the question: How do we get a role in this script?
"The Heavenly Emperor" was spearheaded by Shao Guangji, with the central government giving it the green light, preventing capital from getting involved, and basically all the roles were filled by internally selected actors.
Hope is slim.
Even so, she still wanted to participate.
Shang Yechu closed her eyes.
In her previous life, she had a small role in "The Heavenly Emperor"—a comedian who lost his job due to the rapid development of technology and jumped off a tall building in order to make the audience laugh again.
The short three-day filming period left an extremely deep impression on Shang Yechu. She had never experienced such magnificent scenery, sophisticated technology, and rational order on any other film set since.
Xiao Feng was right; Shao Guangji was indeed a good director. Even after experiencing the hands-off director Zheng Bohan, the solid director Yi Tianzhao, the talented director Gu Wenhua, and the tyrannical director Xu Hanwen, Shang Yechu still fondly remembered the three days she worked under Shao Guangji.
"The Heavenly Emperor" is a milestone in Chinese science fiction cinema and a symbol of the industrialization of Chinese film. Its creation marked the beginning of a new era for Chinese cinema, a feat worthy of being included in a textbook chapter.
No matter how many films have surpassed its box office success since, none have been able to shake the status of "The Heavenly King." The actor who starred in and invested in "The Heavenly King" became a leading figure in the film industry, an unbeatable box office legend. The supporting actors also experienced a meteoric rise in their careers, achieving a significant leap in their resources within the film industry.
The script and world-building for "The Heavenly Emperor" had already been completed, and the lead actor had been internally decided. The chosen lead actor was Kang Wuling, a middle-aged actor. However, Shang Yechu knew that in about two months, Kang Wuling would become a disgraced artist due to his extramarital affair and be replaced by Shao Guangji. At that time, the lead actor would be absent.
Becoming the lead actor in "The Heavenly Emperor" is undoubtedly a pipe dream. The protagonist of the original novel is an old man. The film, for market reasons, changed him to a middle-aged man. But regardless, it has nothing to do with Shang Yechu. Even if Shang Yechu has extraordinary connections, he can't undergo a sex change and then alter his age to forty or fifty.
Even important roles are hard to land. The main characters in *The Heavenly Emperor* are mostly male, and Shang Yechu can't very well cross-dress. She was doing so well as a leading lady, and suddenly she's switching to playing a leading man—there's no precedent for this anywhere in the world.
The only role that truly suited Shang Yechu was that of a mother in the script. That mother was gentle, wise, and resolute, ultimately sacrificing herself to save her child. When "The Heavenly Emperor" was released, it garnered a large audience's tears and left a deep impression. Even the clumsy Shang Yechu was deeply moved by her, because she was also the mother she idealized.
Although the mother's role is small, in the film industry, billing order isn't based on the amount of screen time, but rather on the actor's status. Given Shang Yechu's current position, if she could get the role, she could easily secure a second lead or a special appearance.
A landmark female lead or special appearance in Chinese cinema—
A few words rolled through Shang Yechu's mind, creating ripples that spread endlessly. Shang Yechu swallowed greedily. What a pity! If only she could remove the word "woman," or change "special" to "leading," how wonderful that would be…
Forget it, you can't get fat in one bite. Shang Yechu shook her head, dismissing the unrealistic thought. Being able to catch the train of the times is already good enough; she can't be the conductor every time.
Even the role of a mother is not easily attained.
The original novel of "The Heavenly Emperor" is extremely cold and cruel, and this mother character doesn't even exist. This mother figure was an original creation by Shao Guangji in the script, added to the film to increase its warmth.
This means that even if Shang Yechu thoroughly studied the original novel of "The Heavenly Emperor," she wouldn't be able to grasp even a trace of the character's essence. Although she watched the movie "The Heavenly Emperor" five times, images, unlike text, cannot be memorized. Shang Yechu could only remember the general plot, but couldn't replicate the performance requirements.
Filming for "The Heavenly Emperor" will begin at the end of this year. Shao Guangji is very low-key; so far, casting has been conducted quietly—meaning he's contacting people directly through his network. Casting will be made public two months later, at which point only some minor, insignificant roles will remain unfilled.
Shang Yechu scratched the ends of her hair in frustration. For the past two years, she had been trying to get in touch with Shao Guangji. However, the "Beijing circle" to which Shao Guangji belonged and the "Hengshui circle" to which Shang Yechu belonged had always been at odds, constantly in a state of antagonistic competition. Hengshui and the capital were thousands of miles apart, and Shao Guangji was elusive, making physical contact impossible.
Furthermore, given Shao Guangji's status, ordinary minor artists simply couldn't connect with him. Becoming a big star required him to work tirelessly on filming—which ironically meant he lost the time to cultivate relationships within the Beijing entertainment circle.
Shang Yechu once probed Shi Shan to see if he knew Shao Guangji, but received a denial: Shao Guangji disliked Zhan Kexiang, and consequently, Shi Shan, as Zhan Kexiang's student, had little interaction with him.
As for the original author, Ai Xiaodong, he's completely disappeared, spending his days traveling and enjoying nature. No one can find him anywhere!
Shang Yechu walked around barefoot for a few minutes, then sat back down and turned on her phone.
I intended to contact Ji Juntao directly, but when I opened WeChat, I remembered something else and quickly opened Weibo.
Today's trending topics are quite lively. Seeing the top trending topic, Shang Yechu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
#PUA by the crew of Tianban TV series#.
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