Zhang Yimou, not yet the later Zhang Yimou, has already earned a reputation in the industry.
After all, the numerous awards won for "Red Sorghum" were enough to solidify his position as a renowned director.
Of all the great directors in China, Zhao Chen's favorite is still Zhang Yimou.
From an artistic point of view, Zhang Yimou still has some talent.
Later, in order to boost box office revenue, Zhang Yimou also bowed to capital.
His films were inconsistent, some good and some bad. In particular, one of his later films, which was made under the guise of a comedy, turned out to be a mess. He even hired a group of Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form) actors to film it, which almost ruined his reputation.
Fortunately, the quality of Zhang Yimou's subsequent works has improved, but very few of them have achieved the widespread recognition and box office success of "Hero".
The film *Hero* grossed 250 million yuan at the box office in its previous life. It also earned nearly 60 million US dollars internationally, totaling over 700 million yuan.
That's 700 million from 2000, and that's accurate; its value is even greater than 3 billion in 2024.
After all, 700 million at this point can accomplish a lot, and even secure some new opportunities.
Of course, this amount of money wasn't particularly large for Zhao Chen; it was something he could easily afford to squander.
Even so, why wouldn't you take the 700 million if you can make it for free?
Therefore, Zhao Chen directly signed Zhang Yimou to his company this time.
In his previous life, Zhang Yimou collaborated with Zhang Weiping to create many classic works, including the representative work "Hero".
However, Zhang Weiping is a very snobbish businessman. Zhang Yimou wanted to talk about art, but Zhang Weiping only cared about the box office.
Later, several bad films produced by Zhang Yimou were not unrelated to Zhang Weiping. Script investment and messy interpersonal relationships hampered many of Zhang Yimou's methods.
In the end, in order to survive in the market and to obtain high box office returns and more investment opportunities in the future, Zhang Yimou had to make compromises.
This is perhaps a skill that every director needs to learn, because they don't have that much money to make movies and they need investors.
This time, Zhao Chen gave Zhang Yimou not only investment, but also a photography team that would allow the script to be approved as a project.
Zhang Yimou was naturally quite excited, especially after seeing the script called "Hero" that Zhao Chen had given him. He immediately knew that this was another work that could prove his worth.
This is his first martial arts film, so he has to get off to a great start.
Otherwise, it would be unworthy of a great director.
So after thinking all this through, Zhang Yimou couldn't wait to contact Zhao Chen.
But Zhao Chen has been extremely busy lately; everyone knows this guy is no ordinary person.
Although Zhang Yimou was in a hurry, he couldn't tell Zhao Chen directly, nor did he dare to easily approach this big boss.
He waited for Zhao Chen to come to the company before he went to see him, finally getting the chance to meet and talk to Zhao Chen alone.
In other words, Zhang Yimou is a great director, and no one dares to compete with him, so he was the first.
"Mr. Zhao, hello, hello. I am Zhang Yimou. I'd like to talk to you about our upcoming film."
“I have read the script you gave me before, and I really like it. I have also contacted the people who will be filming it.”
Zhao Chen couldn't help but smile at this point: "Alright, since Director Zhang has made such thorough preparations, let's start filming anytime."
"I will put my best effort into this film. You can rest assured about the investment; I can afford it."
"Invite whatever heavyweight actors you want, make the best of everything, and provide all the necessary support. Just tell Fan Xiaopang here if you have any requirements."
"You can handle the rest yourself."
"I will give you the greatest freedom, but my requirement is that you must make a good movie, not just do a perfunctory job."
Upon hearing Zhao Chen's words, Zhang Yimou almost burst into laughter.
He knew that this kind of young master was a man of his word, and that he could definitely accomplish what he said.
With Zhao Chen's promise, he could proceed with his actions without worry.
When Zhang Yimou took action, the entire Crystal Entertainment company was in an uproar.
With Zhao Chen providing ample funding and Zhang Yimou, a top-tier director, as the subsequent content provider, this film is practically guaranteed to be a success.
As everyone knows, this will likely lead to very intense competition.
Many people want to join this movie; they want to have a role no matter what.
However, there are only so many important roles, and it's a martial arts film, so the fight scenes and various action sequences require careful study and practice, which not just any actor can do well.
But that doesn't stop these people from being enthusiastic about Zhang Yimou.
Of course, smart people at this point would basically know that besides Zhang Yimou, Zhao Chen was also a crucial link.
But not many people can speak directly with Zhao Chen, so finding Zhao Chen's woman is undoubtedly an opportunity.
In fact, Fan Xiaopang and Li Shuangbing did not want to participate in the filming of this work, as they both knew that it would be an unforgettable and beautiful chapter in the history of Eastern cinema.
But there are only two most important female roles, and they both went. Who will play whom?
The most important thing is to see Zhao Chen's attitude.
If Zhao Chen doesn't want them to go, they will give up the idea no matter how much they want to.
Now, this is no joke, and they know it very well.
Everything they have now is thanks to Zhao Chen, even though they also aspire to become the most outstanding female celebrities and artists.
But so what if those celebrities become famous? They still have to bow and scrape before them.
Simply because they are Zhao Chen's women.
Therefore, recognizing one's own position is the most important thing. Since you've become Zhao Chen's woman, you definitely have to give up something.
One cannot have everything; greed is insatiable.
For them, achieving their current status and position is already quite difficult and remarkable.
Therefore, at this moment they all clearly understood one thing: they had to cling to Zhao Chen's coattails and not let their good husband have any dissatisfaction.
However, Zhao Chen could easily see through their thoughts.
So after dealing with some things, Zhao Chen smiled and said to them:
"The movie 'Hero' is not suitable for you, don't even think about it."
"I will give you new works then, so that you can all leave behind your best and most famous roles in the future."
"I can give you power and status, and I can give you glamour and glamour as well."
"But you know how to do it yourselves."
Upon hearing Zhao Chen's words, Fan Xiaopang and Li Shuangbing exchanged a knowing smile. It seemed they would also be inviting the Empress Shen Qingyue over tonight...
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