Chapter 109: No Kiss Scenes, That's the Bottom Line!
"rob-b-hood, jointly produced by Huayi Brothers and Jackie Chan Emperor Entertainment Film Co., Ltd. with an investment of 130 million, began filming in Hong Kong yesterday."
"Director Benny Chan has brought together a fresh combination this time, pairing Jackie Chan with mainland actress Gao Yuanyuan, and British actress Zhang Tielin, who has mostly appeared in Qing Dynasty dramas."
"The film is expected to complete shooting by March next year and will be released during the National Day."
Yang Siwei saw this news and also sighed that her boss had foresight.
Emperor Entertainment was investing more and more in China.
And getting closer to Huayi Brothers, their side was indeed not Emperor Entertainment's only partner.
Li Chen also saw this news; rob-b-hood was probably Jackie Chan's last glory.
Big Brother Long's aesthetic has always been online; the 'Dragon Girls' he found were one more beautiful than the last.
Beauties are always favored; without Zhang Yadong, Big Brother Long popped up.
It was said that Gao Yuanyuan even played hard to get, claiming she didn't shoot commercial films.
But once she started, it would probably be unstoppable.
Li Chen would scan the charts whenever he was free, but this wasn't a sustainable method, as human effort is limited, and he would inevitably miss things.
For example, with ghost blows out the light, if he had been one or two months later, perhaps at Qidian, they would have gotten Tianxia Bachang with just a dinner and 100,000 yuan.
Instead of that, it was better to take the initiative and use a two-pronged approach.
On one hand, hold a high-profile signing ceremony for Lan Xiaolong, encouraging excellent writers and screenwriters to approach them.
On the other hand, have Wu Bin discuss cooperation with XX and Qidian.
Ideally, they could achieve a win-win situation, with both sides getting what they needed.
However, Li Chen also knew this might be a bit difficult.
After all, film and television adaptation rights were a major source of profit for such literary websites.
Although the author of red sorghum sold the copyright to Rongchen Film and Television, he insisted on writing the script himself, which Wu Bin naturally wouldn't refuse.
Li Chen asked Yang Siwei to give a copy of the original red sorghum to Zhou Xun and Zhu Yawen each, asking them to study it carefully.
In a quiet teahouse, Yang Siwei, Zhou Xun, and Zhu Yawen met.
Zhou Xun and Zhu Yawen were introduced to each other.
"Sister Xun," Zhu Yawen said sweetly.
"Most likely, Zhou Xun will be the first sister and big boss of their company, of course, with the exception of Yifei," Zhu Yawen thought to himself.
"Call me Brother Xun!" Zhou Xun said with a straight face.
"Alright, Brother Xun."
"That's more like it."
Yang Siwei smiled and took two books from her bag, handing them to the two.
The two took the red sorghum handed to them by Yang Siwei and looked at each other.
"Siwei, isn't this Director Yi Mou's famous work?" Zhu Yawen wondered.
Zhou Xun, however, was starting to catch on.
"Your boss wouldn't want to remake red sorghum, would he? And have us play Jiu'er and Yu Zhanao?"
Zhu Yawen was stunned, her eyes wide with surprise.
Yang Siwei smiled and said, "Sister Xun, you can't say that anymore. It should be 'our boss'!"
Zhou Xun nodded and smiled, "You're right, I'm used to it. So, is that really what our boss means?"
"Half right. It's not a remake of the movie, but a TV series. The script is already being worked on, and filming should be around April or May next year."
"The boss wants you two to thoroughly understand the original work, especially the character traits of Jiu'er and Yu Zhanao."
After hearing Yang Siwei, Zhu Yawen suddenly felt a bit nervous.
He was, after all, a newcomer, and this was challenging a classic.
Zhou Xun, on the other hand, was a little excited, like a chess player meeting a master, eager to try.
"Sister Xun, the boss said not to deliberately imitate Gong Li's Jiu'er."
"Instead, like playing Xiao Wei, portray a Jiu'er that you understand."
Zhou Xun smiled and said, "What else did Director Li say?"
Yang Siwei remembered what her boss said and couldn't help but smile, "Sister Xun, are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Go on, it's definitely not going to be anything nice, I'm mentally prepared."
She had never gotten a good word from Li Chen!
"Alright, the boss said, while Zhou Xun still has a girlish charm, playing Jiu'er isn't out of place."
"In a few more years, trying to portray the girlish charm of a 19-year-old Jiu'er would be too difficult for Zhou Xun and the makeup artist!" Yang Siwei imitated Li Chen's tone perfectly.
Zhu Yawen stifled a laugh.
Zhou Xun was so angry her breathing was erratic, while Yang Siwei's shoulders shook with laughter.
Miss Liu's demeanor today was somewhat hesitant, which greatly puzzled Li Chen.
He reached out and pulled the girl into his arms. The faint scent of her hair was intoxicating, but she was wearing a bit too much in this cold winter, making it inconvenient.
"What's wrong? Something up?" Li Chen whispered in the girl's ear.
Miss Liu pushed her boyfriend away and hesitated, "You're not allowed to get angry if I tell you!"
Li Chen sat up. Miss Liu's expression made his heart skip a beat.
What could make his usually open and generous girlfriend so hesitant, and also make him angry!
"I won't get angry, tell me."
Miss Liu then said, "Wang Leehom's agent and people from Sony found Red Star House. They want to invite me to be the female lead in Wang Leehom's new song 'Flower Field Mistake' MV."
Li Chen frowned, what a wolf's ambition!
"Auntie agreed?"
"Not yet, Mom is a bit hesitant, but the company thinks filming it won't harm me, and since we didn't sign with Sony before, Mom also feels a bit indebted to them."
Li Chen snorted coldly, "What indebtedness? There was no contract between the two parties! Your current status doesn't require you to be a female lead in any MV!"
"You're my girlfriend. You go into someone else's MV and flirt with someone else. I'm not that magnanimous."
Li Chen knew about this 'Flower Field Mistake.' Although there was no kiss scene, once there was a first time, there would be a second.
If Li Chen remembered correctly, Wang Leehom would later have a movie called 'Love in the City,' and it even specifically added a kiss scene.
This was a long-planned scheme! Step by step!
Miss Liu could probably guess Li Chen's attitude, which was why she was so hesitant.
Seeing Li Chen's change in color, she was quite happy, clearly he was jealous!
"Then don't go, why are you so anxious!" Miss Liu gently held Li Chen's hand and said softly.
Li Chen let out a soft breath and said seriously, "Yifei, since we're on this topic, I'll make my stance clear to you."
"Just say it, why are you suddenly so serious."
Heh, now she thought he was too serious! Women are indeed fickle creatures.
"I only have two requirements for you taking on outside projects. First, no kiss scenes, that's the bottom line!"
"Second, as I said before, I need to review the script. Your and Auntie's taste in scripts is exactly the same!"
Miss Liu angrily punched Li Chen, retorting, "I've never picked a good one, okay? My agent always picks for me!"
Li Chen took the opportunity to grab Miss Liu's hands, leaned over, and directly blocked her mouth.
"Mmm..."
A fierce, long kiss, until both were a little out of breath, then Li Chen released the girl.
"Why did you bite me again!" Miss Liu's eyes could well up with water, and she pouted, her lips a little numb, as she said angrily.
"Punishment for wanting to film that stupid MV," Li Chen said with a smile.
"You don't let me film kiss scenes, but you take every opportunity to bully me, Director Li, how shameless you are!" Miss Liu said haughtily, her eyebrows practically reaching the sky.
"Miss Liu, I must remind you that as a qualified girlfriend, you have duties to fulfill!"
"And as your boyfriend, I also have rights to enjoy, and you must cooperate!"
"Now, please continue to fulfill your duties!"
"Dream on!" Miss Liu laughed and ran away.
After sending Miss Liu home, Li Chen's mind was preoccupied.
Damn it, there must be at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people in the industry who want to film a kiss scene with Miss Liu.
He had to pay attention and nip the bud in the cradle!
Otherwise, weren't there enough examples of falling in love on set?
He didn't want to find himself with a green hat one day, although Miss Liu wasn't that kind of person, it was always right to be prepared.
Zhang Yimou's new film, full city of golden armor, has already been approved.
It seemed that riding alone for thousands of miles had already driven Zhang Dapao a bit crazy.
Zhang Weiping claimed that this big production was expected to invest 340 million.
Confirmed actors included Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, who had just finished filming 'Miami Vice,' and Taiwan's little heavenly king Jay Chou.
For a time, everyone in the industry began inquiring about other roles in this film.
On the other side, the casting for the thieves was also bustling.
Outsiders didn't know the inside story, but Fan Bingbing clearly understood that the female lead, under 22 with a martial arts foundation, was tailor-made for Liu Yifei!
Fan Bingbing suddenly felt a sense of powerless exhaustion.
She had desperately filmed several movies, yet they were not as prestigious as one movie that someone else could easily get!
Having been in the entertainment industry, she finally understood that every company was the same; there was no such thing as fairness.
If Huayi Brothers hadn't wanted to keep her, crazy stone and battle of wits wouldn't have been hers!
But within Huayi Brothers, she was still fighting a losing battle; Li Bingbing was Huayi Brothers' direct descendant.
And there was also Zhou Xun, who was very likely about to join Huayi Brothers, which would make her situation even more difficult.
Even if she joined Rongchen Film and Television in the future, Liu Yifei would always be above her!
The best resources would always be what Liu Yifei had left over!
The more Fan Bingbing thought about it, the more her head hurt. Why couldn't her boyfriend help at all? And he was so chauvinistic, he didn't even know how to coax her after an argument!
On the first day of New Year's Day, the internet was already filled with news about Rongchen Film and Television and related news.
"painted skin earns 295 million at the box office, becoming the first in film history!"
"Zhou Xun becomes the first Chinese image ambassador for the luxury brand Chanel."
"Rongchen Film and Television holds a high-profile signing ceremony in Beijing for screenwriter Lan Xiaolong and Kang Honglei, the director of 'The Burning Years of Passion.'"
"It is reported that Rongchen Film and Television will cooperate with August First Film Studio to invest in its first TV series, soldiers sortie, which is adapted from Lan Xiaolong's play 'Erna Assault.'"
"According to industry insiders, this script, adapted from a play, had been rejected by multiple film and television companies within the previous two years!"
"Yang Siwei, Rongchen Film and Television's publicity director, responded to this newspaper's reporter that this was indeed true."
"And laughed, saying that Rongchen Film and Television is willing to invest, only related to the script. As long as the script is truly good, no matter how many times it's rejected, Rongchen Film and Television will be there to back it up in the end! We welcome excellent screenwriters and writers from home and abroad to submit to Rongchen Film and Television."
Film and television companies in the industry that had rejected Kang Honglei all mocked Rongchen Film and Television for losing money to gain a reputation.
How could a military drama like this, without a single female actress or a romantic storyline, attract an audience?
"Li Chen, are you alright? Did you really invest?" Hou Hongliang's voice on the phone was utterly disbelieving.
He had rejected it, but Li Chen had taken on this bomb!
"Yes, I invested!"
"You! You really don't care about money!" Besides saying that, Hou Hongliang didn't know what else to say.
"Alright, you don't need to worry. This kind of serious drama is just to support the development of military culture."
"Alright, anyway, you're the big boss, and it's already invested, so what else can I say? By the way, one-third of the post-production for crossing the guandong is complete. Do you want to come and see it?"
"Okay, after the holiday, I'll come over and take a look."
After hanging up the phone, Li Chen was also a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Zhou Xun to become Chanel's image ambassador.
No wonder she said on the phone that if they didn't sign her soon, it would be too late.
He estimated that Huayi Brothers must be even more anxious now.
Zhou Xun posted a blog entry.
"It's an honor to become Chanel's image ambassador. Also, I want to thank Director Li. If it weren't for the old master seeing painted skin, he wouldn't have chosen me!"
Many friends left comments below.
"Sister Xun, how are you going to thank my boss then? Just saying thank you doesn't show any sincerity."
"Tangtang, don't make it hard for Sister Xun. As long as she loses the bet with the boss, it's almost like selling herself to the boss."
"Brother Xun, although I don't know what bet you made, you can renege. Director Li probably can't do anything to you either."
At the beginning of the year, what was the hottest topic? It certainly wasn't sesame cakes.
It must be the 'moutou' that caused a bloody incident.
Yesterday was the last day of 2005, and news came from across the ocean.
The Promise finally began its preview screening at a cinema in Los Angeles.
One showing daily, for seven consecutive days.
Chen Kaige and his wife went to America to promote the Premiere of "The Promise."
Besides aiming for the Oscar, it probably also had the intention of avoiding the limelight.
But the couple never dreamed that even with both of them abroad, the legend of "The Promise" would continue in China.
The sudden appearance of "A Bloody Case Caused by a Steamed Bun" was a milestone in film history.
No one expected that a small short video would become completely viral, far surpassing its original, "The Promise"!
Countless viewers who had seen the film felt that this video expressed their feelings about "The Promise" and spoke for them.
Online, search and playback volumes soared!
Offline, people spread the word, telling each other!
Ultimately, this grassroots-produced video, less than 20 minutes long, swept across the entire internet like a virus within five days.
Almost everyone was discussing this video, and its search ranking rapidly climbed.
Audience dissatisfaction and criticism of "The Promise" thoroughly resounded across the entire internet.
Li Chen remembered that year, the download count for "moutou" broke ten million, and someone had calculated that the total number of internet users in the country that year was less than one hundred million.
This meant that at least one out of every ten internet users had seen "moutou"!
Chen Kaige, far away in Los Angeles, completely broke down!
He simply could not accept that his three years of hard work were not as appealing as "moutou," which was produced in just a few days.
"Shameless! Despicable!"
For Chen Kaige to utter these two words, it showed how deeply hurt he was.
Chen Hong's agent immediately retaliated, stating that they would resolve the matter through legal means.
The couple currently had no time to deal with domestic issues; their focus remained on the Oscar.
But this did not prevent the influence of "moutou" from continuing to expand in China.
It was rumored that Chen Kaige intended to sue the author of "moutou."
The media rushed to interview various directors in the industry for their opinions on the matter.
Zhang Yimou remained calm and collected, laughing, "If it were me, I would enjoy it with the people."
Look at Zhang Yimou; with those four words, 'enjoy it with the people,' he both disparaged Chen Kaige and elevated himself to an unparalleled position.
Li Chen remembered that only ancient emperors would utter the phrase 'enjoy it with the people.'
Lu Taro and Zeng Haha from Hong Kong also jumped in to criticize Chen Kaige.
Lu Taro: "Chen Kaige's anger is truly unwise, simply incredible."
"Freedom of speech is a symbol of a country's civilization and progress. No one should suppress freedom of speech."
"Excessive film promotion is becoming increasingly common, and in such a situation, suing a vulnerable member of the public is clearly inappropriate."
Hong Kong artist Zeng Haha also said: "Adapting movies is fun and should be encouraged."
Li Chen was naturally also a primary interview target. However, the media had been unable to reach him.
It wasn't until the celebration banquet for "painted skin" that Li Chen had nowhere to hide!
Countless media outlets pointed their microphones at him, the creator of box office records, another Golden Palm director.
Although he also believed Hu Ge was not wrong.
After all, CCTV's Bi Fujian had openly edited "a world without thieves" and "Kung Fu."
His work was certainly not as brilliant as "moutou," but no one criticized him.
However, at this moment, Li Chen could not criticize Chen Kaige; that would be too base, and he also had to consider the feelings of Han Sanping, who was beside him.
All the guests turned their gaze to Li Chen.
Yang Siwei, Zhou Xun, and Tang Yan huddled together, all with expressions of enjoying the show.
A media outlet had just asked Li Chen if the ending of "painted skin," where Xiao Wei did not die, hinted at a sequel, similar to "lost on journey."
Li Chen only replied with three words: "Not sure."
The media reporters eagerly pressed on with the crucial question about "moutou."
"Siwei, what do you think your boss will say?"
"How would I know? But I do know that as soon as my boss speaks, he'll be on the headlines the next day!"
"Hahaha, that's true!"
Miss Liu was truly warm-hearted, frowning and standing on the periphery with Liu Xiaoli, likely worried that Li Chen would once again make a provocative statement.
"Director Li, what would you do if someone parodied 'painted skin'?"
"That's right, Director Li, please tell us."
Han Sanping's face had already darkened, while Wang Changtian maintained his unchanging smile.
Li Chen said with a wry smile: "You really are persistent!"
"I certainly can't be as 'enjoying it with the people' as Director Zhang! Nor will I jump out and kick someone when they're down like some others, because 'painted skin's' box office is, after all, very good."
"Of course I'd be angry. Years of hard work leading to such a result, anyone would find that unacceptable."
"But suing is not necessary. Since things have come to this, suing won't salvage 'The Promise's' box office or reputation."
"I will continue to make movies seriously and use my works to reclaim the lost box office and reputation!"
The media reporters' eyes were already sparkling; they knew that as soon as Director Li spoke, there would definitely be something substantial.
This statement alone had at least three hot topics that could spark heated discussions.
First, subtly mocking Lu Chuan and Eric Tsang for kicking someone when they're down.
Second, implying that Chen Kaige was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Third, stating Rongchen Film and Television's attitude towards parody: let the work speak for itself!
Applause immediately erupted, and even Han Sanping joined in.
Li Chen and Miss Liu exchanged glances; Miss Liu smiled sweetly, seemingly very satisfied with Li Chen's answer.
Starting tomorrow, Miss Liu would be following the "The Condor Heroes" crew for promotions, as "The Condor Heroes" was set to be released in just over a month.
Li Chen's statement sparked heated discussions within the industry.
Tian Zhuangzhuang even called Li Chen specifically to praise him, saying he neither flattered nor disparaged.
Many people inside and outside the industry also stepped in to comment.
Xu Jinglei: Looking forward to a peaceful resolution.
Feng Xiaogang: Kaige's feelings are understandable, I support Kaige in suing!
Veteran film critic Duan Wei: Firmly support Chen Kaige suing Hu Ge. Li Chen is right, most people are "talking without feeling the pain," and few try to understand Chen Kaige's feelings.
Many cross-disciplinary university scholars also jumped out to support Li Chen's remarks and oppose Chen Kaige suing Hu Ge.
The most aggrieved was Lu Taro; he dared to challenge Chen Kaige, so how could he tolerate Li Chen, this younger junior, subtly mocking him?
He immediately fired shots from afar on his blog.
"It's clear who's talking without feeling the pain. Does winning the box office champion qualify you to dictate?"
How could Li Chen indulge him? He retorted on his blog as well.
"You should first deal with the 'cocosilili' lawsuit before talking about other people's lawsuits!"
"You finally won a Golden Horse Awards and a Golden Rooster Awards, don't let someone take it back before it's even warm!"
As soon as Li Chen's blog post was published, it immediately made the media and online spectators tremble with excitement.
The showdown between Chen Kaige and Hu Ge hadn't even concluded.
Here, Li Chen and Lu Chuan clashed again because of Chen Kaige's matter.
It was incredibly lively.
Unfortunately, Lu Chuan's combat effectiveness was too disappointing, and he quickly fell silent.
This greatly bored the spectators.
They all flocked to Lu Chuan's blog to stir up trouble.
"Don't be a coward, Director Lu, why did you go quiet? Could it be true that you plagiarized?"
"You call others box office champions, but you should win one first before you start talking trash."
It wasn't that Lu Chuan didn't want to retort, but he had been contacted by the school.
Li Chen also received many calls both instigating and mediating.
Jiang Wen: Haha, you should have just called him out! They all said I bullied him back then? But is there anyone like me, who is both an actor and a director, who bullies people?
Han Sanping: "Alright, that's enough."
"I have no problem, Han Dong, you don't need to tell me that."
"I'll also speak to Lu Chuan's side!"
Lu Chuan was truly fuming with internal injuries; it was bad enough that the school was biased.
Even Han Sanping was playing favorites! This was too much bullying!
"What? Is being a Golden Palm director so great? Even the school is biased towards him? Director Tian is also becoming more and more spineless as he gets older!"
"High box office means you can be arrogant! Relying on China Film Group Corporation to be so conceited!" Lu Chuan roared loudly at home, and the only ones suffering were the silent women behind him!
Lu Chuan played deaf and dumb; unable to do anything, netizens shifted their attention back to Chen Kaige.
Countless netizens complained that Chen Kaige was too petty; his movie was bad, and he wouldn't even let people criticize it?
The cruelest knife often comes from the closest person: "So petty that he can't even stomach a steamed bun!"
Facing the overwhelming online abuse and ridicule, Chen Kaige's feelings were unknown.
However, a movie called "search" seven or eight years later was probably his indictment of the online abuse he suffered that year!
"The Promise" was completely knocked off its pedestal from then on.
Even so, there were still many media outlets in China awkwardly praising "The Promise"!
"The Promise's place in film history is unmatched. A hundred years from now, who will remember the classics 'The Promise' and 'Hero'?"
"Labor Daily" even published an article titled "The Limits a Film Body Can Achieve: American Film Critics Praise 'The Promise'."
"The film's Premiere in America was even more popular than expected. Due to the film's Hu Ge success in China, coupled with the Golden Globe Award nomination, many viewers came to see it."
"Many people traveled specifically from New York, New Orleans, and other places, just to watch a showing of 'The Promise.'"
"After watching, the audience was reluctant to leave for a long time, deeply moved by the strong oriental cultural sentiment and the fate of the protagonists in the film."
Li Chen laughed when he saw it. The audience was reluctant to leave for a long time? They probably wanted their money back!
Unfortunately, "Labor Daily" was instantly slapped in the face by an article published in "Nanjing Daily" titled "'The Promise' Premieres Quietly in Exclusive American Cinemas."
Throughout January, "The Promise" and "moutou" were among the top few headlines in the entertainment section of portal websites.
"lost in thailand" had been gaining momentum since the end of last month.
With many eye-catching clips and jokes released in the preview, some had already predicted that "lost in thailand" might also gross over 100 million at the box office.
This was due to its appealing subject matter, the strong addition of Huang Bo from "crazy stone," and the foundation laid by the first "lost on journey."
Industry insiders had already predicted that the box office for "lost in thailand" would likely not be lower than "The Promise"!
In mid-month, "King Kong" made a strong debut, and "The Promise" was taken off screens amidst a wave of criticism, with its final box office settling at 165 million.
"painted skin" had a global box office of over 70 million US dollars; although it couldn't compare to "Hero," it was still impressive.
Now it remained to be seen whether "The Promise"'s overseas box office could turn the tide for Chen Kaige.
Unfortunately, Chen Kaige's tragedy had just begun.
On the 17th, the 63rd Golden Globe Award were announced at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel.
Li An won four major awards for "Brokeback Mountain," becoming the biggest winner of the night.
In the competition for Best Foreign Language Film, the two Chinese films, "Kung Fu" and "The Promise," which were considered "double insurance," both failed to win.
The Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, who was nominated for Best Actress for the first time at the Golden Globe Award, also ultimately missed out on the award.
The Golden Globe Award is considered the "first weathervane" for the Oscar, so Chen Kaige had already given up hope for the Oscar two months later!
With no chance at the Oscar, he could only pin his last hopes on the North American box office.
The couple quietly and discreetly returned to China, physically and mentally exhausted.
But blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone; before their plane even landed.
The Olympic Organizing Committee announced the teams participating in the second round of bidding for the Olympic opening ceremony's chief director.
Chen Kaige was not on the list, and the previous rumors that he was eliminated in the first round were indeed true.
Poor Director Chen was truly experiencing a continuous string of misfortunes.
The Premiere of "lost in thailand" was imminent, and Wang Changtian and Li Chen also invited many friends and media to support Xu Zheng.
Published early, I have something to do during the day and may not have time.
