China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 979 Afraid of burdening the beauty with too much affection, the Trilogy of Investiture of the Gods begins.
He once whipped a famous horse while drunk, fearing that too much affection would burden a beautiful woman.

After hanging up with Princess Sweetie, Zhou Yutang reflected deeply for a few seconds before quickly stopping himself from thinking about it further.

There is no use in thinking too much.

There's always a way out; some things are best left to fate.

If the beginning of this year belonged to "Operation Red Sea", then after the Spring Festival holiday, it will undoubtedly be the era of "Sweet Princess".

All the top actresses like Liu Shuang, Tang Mi, and Beijiang Shuangshu have to step aside.

Jiang Dong poured a lot of publicity resources into "How Long Will I Love U," which swept through the world like a hurricane.

It quickly grabbed headlines across major media outlets and sparked heated discussions among netizens.

This is just the first installment of March.

Sweet Princess has another major blockbuster coming up, the sequel to the top Hollywood IP "Pacific Rim" film series, which is scheduled for a simultaneous global release in late March.

The first film grossed $4.11 million worldwide, featuring a visual spectacle of giant mechs and monsters, and constructing a cyberpunk future with industrial ruins and neon lights.

It spurred a revival of monster movies and mecha themes, causing quite a stir at the time.

The imported blockbuster "Pacific Rim: Uprising" is coming in strong and should not be underestimated.

Speaking of,
Guillermo del Toro, the director of the first film, was Zhou Yutang's old rival.

The two films first clashed in the main competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, with "Joker" overwhelmingly defeating "The Shape of Water" to win the Golden Lion.

Next, Zhou Yutang won the Best Director award at the 75th Golden Globe Awards.

The upcoming Oscars in March will be the third major battle between the two.

Su Chao's subsequent marketing and promotion will be handled by his own professional team.

It's currently generating a lot of buzz, but with the guidance and promotion from a professional team, it will undoubtedly reach a whole new level.

Once things were settled in Jinling, Zhou Yutang, along with his secretary, boarded the Jiangdong Private Jet and flew directly to Xiamen.

The two places are only 900 kilometers apart, and the flight time is only a little over an hour. Zhou Yutang watched "The Thunder" with great interest for a while.

This hit drama at the beginning of the year, from its broadcast to its finale, achieved a finale rating of over 3% and a total viewership of over 50 billion, firmly securing its position as the top drama of the year.

Even Douban, which is known for its strict standards for its own users, gave it a score of 8.2 from over 20 users, only a few points lower than when it premiered, making it a huge hit.

The leaders of the Six Doors (a government agency) personally called, and official media outlets took turns speaking out, giving full positive affirmation.

Seeing that Jiangdong was the first to try something new and was raking in the profits, this wave successfully ignited the domestic crime drama market, and various video platforms were the first to get restless.

"Kiwi's anti-drug drama 'Being a Hero' has already been approved, Youku has also put together a project called 'The Drug Hunter,' and Tencent Video is also making moves. Boss, there's another one called 'Operation Ice Hunter,' this is just too much!"

Chen Duling muttered to herself, her indignant expression quite endearing.

Seeing Zhou Yutang shake his head and chuckle, the secretary couldn't help but ask, "Boss, aren't you angry?"

"It does not matter."

Zhou Yutang chuckled: "China is good at involution. With everyone rushing into this field, it will eventually produce some high-quality works, which is a good thing for the audience."

Everyone's thinking was actually very simple: since they couldn't grasp the market trends, they could make money by following Governor Zhou.

For this,

Zhou Yutang was already used to it

As an industry leader, they certainly have that kind of vision.

Jiangdong Entertainment aims to lead the trend of the times, not to dominate the market and then let all others wither away.

This was a crushing defeat on a matter of mindset. Chen Duling was still processing the facts when Zhou Yutang received a call from Xue Xiaolu after a long time, and was slightly surprised: "Teacher Xue?"

"Yu Tang, it's me."

Xue Xiaolu's voice sounded somewhat hesitant: "There's something I want to tell you."

"Yes, Teacher Xue, please go ahead."

"That's right, the film contract for 'The Whistleblower' has been signed with Jingxi Culture."

Listening to Xue Xiaolu's detailed explanation, Zhou Yutang nodded slightly and smiled softly: "Teacher Xue, I wish you all the best."

"Thank you."

Zhou Yutang kept the call on speakerphone the entire time, and his secretary listened intently to get a good grasp of the gist of it.

Seeing that Zhou Yutang's expression remained unchanged, she couldn't help but poke his elbow with her pen and ask, "Boss, someone's trying to poach Teacher Xue, how can you tolerate that?"

"Calm down."

Zhou Yutang said dismissively, "It's just a project. It's not like we'll never see each other again. There will be opportunities to cooperate again."

Xue Xiaolu brought him into the industry back then, teaching him step by step on the set of "Someday or One Day". They also had a pleasant collaboration on several projects afterward.

But reality isn't a game; everyone operates according to a pre-set program.

Everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and everyone has their own ideas.

Especially after Jiangdong grew bigger, the company's senior executives and the directors who had achieved impressive results faced all sorts of temptations from the outside world.

Teacher Xue has already established his own studio, and the revenue sharing from the "Finding Mr. Right" film series alone is enough to achieve financial freedom.

Like Zhang Yimou, they also signed a cooperation agreement, which was noted in the supplementary terms.

During the contract period, Jiangdong Entertainment has the priority investment right for Xue Xiaolu's film projects.

This project is also Xue Xiaolu's transformation project.

Chen Xi, the head of Soochow Pictures, held a meeting with the company's marketing department to discuss the matter. They determined that it was not a high priority before releasing it.

This situation is like a male god not taking a liking to a 7-point pretty sheep, but after she enters the market, a group of boisterous sheep are drooling over her.

Xue Xiaolu is, after all, the top female director in the film and television industry. Zhang Yimou was hooked up with Shuangqiangjiang of Huanxi Media, and her new film was also acquired by Song Ge of Feiyangyang of Jingxi Culture with generous terms.

This world never revolves around any one person.

Zhou Yutang never thought that his imposing figure would cause heroes from all sides to bow down in reverence.

The world of martial arts is vast and full of hidden talents. This Brother Song was once a favorite of Wang Jianlin of Wanda Group. After leaving to start his own business, he has been very successful, and his abilities are beyond doubt.

He stirred up a storm in the industry and could be considered a local tyrant.

"Following Zhang Yimou, Jingxi Culture recently announced that it will join forces with director Xue Xiaolu to create her suspenseful crime film 'The Whistleblower'!"

"A transformative work by the first female director in the film industry, a storm is coming to the Chinese film scene!"

"Jiangdong has lost a great general, and Governor Zhou has lost another arm!"

"."

Previously, when Huanxi Media and Zhang Yimou's studio officially announced the "One Second" project.

There have been many rumors in the industry about the possible breakup between Governor Zhou and the Imperial Advisor.

Later, Jiangdong officials and Zhang Yimou's studio jointly issued an official announcement. Now, Jingxi Culture has pulled this stunt, which has immediately stirred up some scheming people in the industry.

By partnering with a renowned director, one can engage in capital-based operations, which can be far more profitable than simply making movies.

This tactic originated with Boss Jia and was further developed and perfected by Governor Zhou.

There is no shortage of intelligent people in the world, such as Brother Song, the mastermind behind Jingxi Culture, who has the support of a mysterious bigwig.

After announcing Xue Xiaolu's directorial debut, "The Whistleblower," he immediately followed up with another major announcement.
"Jingxi Culture, in conjunction with Alibaba Pictures, held its annual press conference, and made a stunning announcement for the first time that the global Chinese actor audition for the 'Fengshen Trilogy' has successfully concluded!"

Director Wu Ershan stated frankly that the "Fengshen Trilogy" is dedicated to creating a mythological universe belonging to the Celestial Empire. There are no popular stars; all actors will be newcomers. Before filming begins, the actors will enter the Fengshen Training Camp for more than six months of intensive training!

"."

Social media is flooded with news of what Brother Song has been up to. The general public is overwhelmingly praising Wuershan for promoting and giving important roles to new actors. "The film and television industry these days is all about popularity. Aside from Zhang Yimou, only he knows how to use newcomers, and now there's Wuershan too."

"Our domestic entertainment industry is really getting better and better."

"Support Jingxi Culture, a company with a conscience!"

"Well done, Director Wu! Cheer up! I think 'Investiture of the Gods' is perfectly fine!"

"."

The grass bends whichever way the wind blows.

The unanimous praise online, coupled with Wuershan's earnest words at the press conference, instantly garnered cheers and applause.

"Investiture of the Gods" was already a super IP featuring Chinese immortals and gods that naturally attracted attention. With the added boost from capital, it has led people to exclaim that another entertainment industry giant is about to rise strongly.

One of Chen Duling's main daily tasks is to compile and organize information for Zhou Yutang.

She maintains a relatively keen awareness of the entire industry, especially the possibility that the "Fengshen" series might clash with the mythological universe series that Jiangdong is preparing to develop.

"It seems there are quite a few actors from ethnic minorities."

As the plane was about to land, Chen Duling rubbed her slender white wrists and glanced at the list she had prepared.

There are many big-name actors like Fei Xiang, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Xia Yu, and Yuan Quan, but they are all supporting actors in the entire "Fengshen Trilogy" produced by Wuershan.

The true protagonists include King Wu, Ji Fa, and others.

It seems that most of them are amateur actors from ethnic minorities.

"Are they carrying their sedan chairs?"

Driven by curiosity, the secretary logged into Zhou Yutang's account and opened the background check function of the Jiangdong database.

The permissions in Jiangdong's database are divided into several levels, and the permissions that the company's departments can use are not at the same level as those that Governor Zhou can use.

Logging into her own boss's account to gossip always reveals some novel and interesting things, causing Chen Duling's pupils to dilate in shock.
"Welcome, Mr. Zhou, to the film crew!"

"Welcome, welcome, warm welcome!"

Directors Yan Fei and Peng Damo were clearly prepared, and the atmosphere immediately became lively as soon as Zhou Yutang arrived on set.

Are you trying to be awkward?

Zhou Yutang was somewhat amused and exasperated, and raised his hand to press down: "Why bother with all this?"

Only then did everyone stop.

Shen Teng rubbed his hands and said, "Oh my god, everyone is so excited! The addition of the Grand Commander of Jiangdong is a great honor. The whole play has instantly become much more sophisticated."

This guy is so engrossed in the play that he hasn't come out of it.

His speech, actions, and even his ideas had a comical flavor reminiscent of Wang Duoyu.

The crew members nodded in agreement, their expressions revealing a hint of excitement.

Some busybodies have compiled statistics showing that any film in which Governor Zhou makes a cameo appearance is invariably a box office hit.

Just look at "Brotherhood of Blades" and you'll know.

In an era where martial arts films are gradually declining, the movie managed to generate immense buzz by hyping up the popular pairing of Zhou Dudu and Liu Shishi, who are considered the nation's first love.

The series of films was a huge success, establishing itself as a classic of martial arts films in the minds of audiences. The same is true for the "Cold War" series, which was produced by An Lejiang.

Zhou Yutang only appeared in a few scenes, but he exuded sophistication. He's a frequent subject of male god-themed video clips on Bilibili and Douyin.

"Never Say Die," which dominated the Lunar New Year film season, grossed a total of 25.35 billion yuan, an incredible achievement for a comedy film.

The morale of everyone at Happy Twist is high, and they have great expectations for "Hello Mr. Billionaire," starring Shen Teng, one of the top actors.

Now that a powerful figure has arrived, I am naturally overjoyed.

In fact, the preparation for this film was full of twists and turns.

Directors Yan Fei and Peng Damo initially planned to continue the style of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" and create a comedy about "inheriting a huge fortune".

The title was already decided: "Capital Successor." When the script was handed to Zhou Yutang, it was discovered that it bore a striking resemblance to the 1985 Universal Pictures film "Brewster's Millions."

To avoid being accused of plagiarism later, Zhou Yutang used Bob's connections to buy the film and television adaptation rights from Universal.

The saying "Oranges grown north of the Huai River become trifoliate oranges" is a metaphor for the later adaptation of the story, which fully embodies the characteristics of the Celestial Empire and differs somewhat from the original.

Then there's Shen Teng's scheduling conflict. Now that Stephen Chow has switched to behind-the-scenes work, Shen Teng achieved legendary status with "Goodbye Mr. Loser," gaining immense popularity and practically becoming the number one comedian in China.

His schedule was almost booked until the year after next. The Mahua team originally wanted to promote Huang Cailun to the position, but the Grand Commander of Jiangdong vetoed it and appointed Shen Teng as the general instead.

It's not that Huang Cailun isn't good enough.

However, some roles, if played by different people, just don't feel the same.

The role of Wang Duoyu's grandfather was originally intended for a veteran actor from Taiwan, but the veteran actor slipped and fell while going downstairs.

After undergoing surgery for a comminuted fracture of the hip joint, I had to stay in the hospital for more than half a year.

Zhou Yutang then used the superpower of the Face Fruit to find the Northeast King to make a cameo appearance.

The King of Northeast readily agreed.

He is now also involved in media and has been looking to transition into film and television in recent years. He is currently seeking advice from the Grand Commander of Jiangdong.

Unfortunately, their meeting was short-lived. Zhou Yutang had just arrived at the film set when his scenes as the King of the Northeast were already completed ahead of schedule. However, they did manage to exchange a few words on the phone.

"Teacher Zhao, if you ever come to Jiangsu Province, I'll treat you to lion's head meatballs!"

"I'll remember that," the Northeast King said with a smile.

"sure."

The lion's head meatballs from Jiangsu Province are large and round, comparable to Indian roti.

With time running out and a public relations job to do next, Zhou Yutang's role in this drama is also quite simple.

He simply played himself as a celebrity, and was invited by Wang Duoyu, who suddenly became rich in the movie, to hold a small concert. All he had to do was show off.

In Shen Teng's words, Zhou Yutang's mere presence was enough to ignite the audience's emotions.

"Cut!"

At the filming location, the clamor of the crowd was finally cut off by a loud voice from behind the monitor.

"Mr. Zhou, are you here to take a look?"

Peng Damo poked his head out.

On the stage set, the huge artificial sunlight beam went out, stirring up a cloud of tiny dust particles that swirled in the air.

Zhou Yutang ripped off the bow tie on the white suit collar of the big star's character.

He's not used to carrying this thing.

He took the water offered to him by the secretary next to him, drank a sip, and sat down without hesitation in the chair specially prepared for him behind the monitor.

Then everyone can see the magnificent sight.

Directors Yan Fei and Peng Damo from Mahua FunAge stood on either side of Zhou Yutang behind him, like two powerful generals.

In a film crew, the director is usually at the top of the niche.

But since Zhou Yutang is here.

Then there will only be one sun.

(End of this chapter)