China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 995 The Master of Balance Shows Off His Skills, The Ultimate Unveiling of the Magic Thief Crime Universe

For any film project that is being screened in Jiangdong, it is a standard procedure for the main creators to participate in roadshows.

Engaging with the audience face-to-face allows for the transmission of the film's core message and ideas, facilitating the generation of buzz.

Of course, more importantly, it allows for immediate observation of audience reactions in order to adjust subsequent promotional strategies.

During the promotional tour in Shanghai, an audience member asked Jin Yukun a question: "Director Kun, 'Wrath of Silence' is a very good movie. It has been showing for three days and has grossed over 100 million yuan. How are you feeling right now?"

"To be honest, I'm flattered."

Jin Yukun's face was filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he genuinely smiled and said, "The idea for this story came before 'The Coffin in the Mountain.' When I first took out this script, I wasn't really confident. It abandons the intricate narrative structure and sheds the mind-bending label, making it completely different from 'The Coffin in the Mountain.'"

"Then why did you insist on making this film?" an audience member asked curiously.

"At the time, my previous co-production project wasn't very successful, and I was a bit lacking in confidence. So I went to consult Mr. Zhou, and after he reviewed it, he gave me a lot of affirmation."

Jin Yukun sincerely said, "I still remember what President Zhou said: 'The most important thing is to tell a complete story to the audience in a down-to-earth manner.'"

"What were your original expectations for the box office?"

"As for box office revenue, I certainly don't dare to have too high expectations. I'll just make sure we don't lose money."

Jin Yukun gave a simple, honest smile: "Looking at it now, it seems like the surprise is quite big. I was also surprised by the high box office. I'm grateful for the audience's affirmation. This shows that experiencing something heavy in the cinema is meaningful. Our Chinese film market is actually a very tolerant market. As long as you do your job with your heart, you will be rewarded."

Versailles is here!

Many media personnel at the scene twitched their expressions.

After three days of release, the total box office reached 1.18 million yuan.

It certainly wasn't a huge hit, but compared to other films with heavy, realistic themes, it was quite impressive.

Many netizens are jokingly saying that this year is the Year of the Earth (坤年).

This refers to Cai Xukun from "Idol Producer" who became an overnight sensation, and coincidentally, Jin Yukun's name also contains the character "Kun".

After this battle, with two works in hand, "The Coffin in the Mountain" and "Wrath of Silence", Jin Yukun, even though he is still some distance from the three great generals of Jiangdong, has undoubtedly gained industry recognition for his reputation and brand.

Another young director bearing the label of the Jiangdong faction has risen to prominence!

Director Kun was riding high, and Governor Zhou was indulging in Hong Kong's glamour and nightly revelry, while his secretary was rather resentful:
"Boss, Sister Lu and I have been shopping for two days, and we've bought almost everything we needed."

Whenever Zhou Yutang goes on a business trip, he never forgets to buy some local specialties wholesale.

Raising fish also requires costs; you have to feed them from time to time.

The jade ring that Liu Shishi secretly posted on Douyin on the 10th of this month, which received widespread praise from netizens, was the work of the Grand Commander.

Hong Kong's economy is booming and it is known as a shopping paradise. Chen Duling turned into a personal shopper and went on a shopping spree in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui for several days in a row.

These are the nuclear weapons in Aquaman's possession. He may not give them away right now, but he can't be without them.

The main point is to be prepared.

Unlike ordinary girls, Chen Duling prefers to stay at home rather than go shopping outside, and she is currently complaining about it.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yutang was video chatting with Liu Yifei. Liu Yifei, who was on the other end, didn't hear clearly and asked in confusion, "Little Zhou, what are you mumbling about?"

As expected of a female academic star, her mind worked incredibly fast. Chen Duling leaned over and immediately changed her tune: "Sorry, Sister Yifei, it's nothing. It's just that President Zhou specially bought you a gift; he searched for it for a long time."

"What gift?"

Liu Tianxian indeed became interested.

He said he didn't want you to know yet.

Chen Duling made a gesture as if she were zipping up her mouth.

"So mysterious."

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "Never mind him, just tell me!"

She appears to be without makeup right now, and it seems she hasn't washed her face yet.

Wearing a pink cat ear headband, she truly looked like a lotus emerging from clear water.

Those familiar with her should know that Liu Yifei herself is not very photogenic.

Even through the screen, Chen Duling felt as if she had been struck by an overwhelming display of beauty.

"I saw a dress in the store last time that really suited your style, so I bought it. You should try it on later."

Zhou Yutang spoke nonsense without batting an eye, and Chen Duling rolled her eyes inwardly.

A man's mouth, a liar.

But you know what, Liu Yifei really falls for this.

With just a few words, she was coaxed into smiling. It seemed that Zhou Yutang had a meeting with Ye Ning, and Liu Yifei reluctantly hung up the phone. Shu Chang, who was next to her, couldn't stand it anymore and teased, "Liu Qianqian, can you please consider my feelings? Is it really okay to show off your love in public like this?"

"Okay."

"Good my foot!"

Shu Chang clung to Liu Yifei's arm and pestered her, "Beautiful, gentle, and understanding Princess Sissi, could you ask your family's richest man to help me make money?"

The internet is now flooded with reports about Zhou Dudu, the newly crowned richest man in China.

People then noticed that, unknowingly, Zhou Yutang had led Jiangdong Entertainment to build a prosperous dynasty!

Jack Ma used to be known as the nation's dad, but now, regardless of gender, everyone calls Zhou Yutang "husband."
"You're such a little money-grubber."

Liu Yifei nodded helplessly at Shu Chang's forehead.

"Who would turn down money?"

Shu Chang uttered a simple yet profound saying: "I can't have half of the nation's husband."

"You can have whatever you want."

"Really? Oh dear, I know I was wrong."

The two best friends had a heartwarming and playful fight, which ended with Shu Chang being forcefully suppressed by Liu Tianxian.

The idea that bringing good fortune is just a joke.

Even if Zhou Yutang gave him a chance, Shu Chang knew he was not qualified to sit at the table.

Let's see who the business partners of the Grand Commander of Jiangdong are.

Mingjie's CEO, Tian Ming, is said to have an unfathomable background, along with industry giants such as Wanda, Tencent, and Enlight Media.

If you stomp your feet, the entire Chinese entertainment industry will experience a minor earthquake.

However, Shu Chang knew a secret: her best friend Liu Yifei had been given some Bilibili stock through Zhou Yutang's connections.

It's definitely not the kind of thing that can be easily cashed out, but relative to Bilibili's market value, it's already an extremely astonishing figure!

It's more than what Liu Yifei earned in ten years of hard work in the entertainment industry!

His basic skills as a master of impartiality are consistently excellent; he never shows favoritism.

Since the top female star is a minor shareholder of Starry Sky Games, Tian Xian will naturally be taken care of as well.

Shu Chang, being quite shrewd, clung tightly to her best friend's coattails. She actually bought a considerable amount of Bilibili stock, and riding the wave of the IPO, she's made a small fortune these past few days.

After the Grand Commander's grand tour of Hong Kong, he set off back to Beijing. Guo Fan, one of the three great generals under his command in Jiangdong, took over the reins and started the next installment of the Detective Chinatown crime universe in North America.

"Detective Chinatown 2 begins filming in New York, with Lu Han and Wang Baoqiang, the Detective Chinatown duo, shining in Times Square!"

"The latest installment in the Heist universe, featuring cameo appearances by Hollywood stars Joaquin Phoenix and Ethan Hawke!"

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Lu Han, the top of the four kings of the entertainment industry, lost some fans and endorsements after his relationship was exposed recently.

But with Jiangdong as his backing, his base remains incredibly solid.

It's no exaggeration to say that...
One Detective Chinatown series alone is enough for him to live off for a lifetime!

The movie had barely started filming when Lu Han made a grand appearance in the Washington Post and was named one of the most famous stars in China under Governor Zhou.

"Boss, working here is really tough."

Guo Fan had already familiarized himself with the filming process in North America with Zhou Yutang on the set of "Joker".

Bob also had a producer sent by Natalie, the head of film and television projects under him, to help with the coordination.

But when it came to Guo Fan's turn to do it himself, he still complained endlessly.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

After entrusting several overseas projects to Ye Ning, Zhou Yutang smiled and said on the flight back to Beijing, "We must overcome difficulties, take it slow, and not rush."

The sequel to Detective Chinatown continues the style of exotic detective stories combined with comedy.

Except for some indoor scenes that were filmed on set in China, most of the filming took place on location in America.

Everyone says America is free every day, but actually the US has stricter controls on film and television production than China.

Especially in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, you need to apply for a filming permit several months in advance.

In addition to Manhattan's Chinatown, "Detective Chinatown 2" was also filmed at landmarks such as the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, and Times Square.

This involved a series of complex approval processes, as well as various associations and legal regulations.

After much coordination, it has finally come to fruition, which is why "Detective Chinatown 2" has only officially started production now.

Moreover, the production cost of this film completely exceeded expectations. Due to various expenses, including insurance, union wages, and equipment rentals, the cost of filming in North America was almost five times that of filming "Detective Chinatown 1" in Thailand!
According to Chen Xi's report, the total cost of a comedy film, including the salaries of Lu, Wang, and the other actors, is estimated to be as high as 3.8 million yuan!
Including subsequent advertising costs, the total cost will be at least 5 million.

Apart from Jiangdong, no other domestic film company dares to make such a heavy bet on a comedy film.

According to the "three-one principle," a film needs to gross at least 1.5 billion yuan to guarantee that it will recoup its costs.

Even top domestic directors like Chen Shiren and Xiao Gangpao don't dare to guarantee that their films will gross over 1.5 billion yuan.

Despite the high cost, the groundwork laid by the Detective Chinatown series and the success of its predecessor, Soochow Pictures remains confident about Detective Chinatown 2.

Moreover, aside from box office revenue, a significant portion of the costs can be recovered through product placement, subsequent copyright acquisitions, and derivative products from various channels in Jiangdong.

The direct flight from Hong Kong to Beijing takes three and a half hours. Bored, Zhou Yutang chatted idly with his secretary about the plot of the sequel to Detective Chinatown.
"Boss, I feel like this crime design is a bit similar to a movie I've seen before."

"Double Vision".

Zhou Yutang casually replied.

It's the same old Chen Guofu. Back then, this film, which blended Taoist culture with horror, was a sensation and was hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese-language horror films.

This top talent in the Taiwan film and television industry chose to bring his talent to the mainland, and he was also hired by Huayi Brothers.

He orchestrated the release of "The Message," which broke out of the spy film genre and even helped Lianhua win the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress.

Later, he spearheaded the creation of the "Detective Dee" series, a style of Eastern fantasy aesthetics reminiscent of Tsui Hark's films, which became one of Huayi Brothers' underwear.

What's most impressive about Lao Chen is his foresight. He chose to join Huayi when it was gaining momentum and then gracefully withdrew at its peak, making perfect and steady moves at every juncture.

Now, Lao Chen has started his own company, dedicated to supporting new film and television projects.

When Zhou Yutang asked for help, Chen Guofu helped him obtain the copyright for "Double Vision".

It can be considered as giving ourselves a heads-up for the future.

However, while the crime design of "Detective Chinatown 2" is inspired by "Double Vision," the overall plot will definitely continue the tone of the detective crime universe.

In addition to the ever-present star duo of Lu Han and Wang Baoqiang, the cast also includes many new characters.

For example, Xiao Jinli plays the hacker genius Kiki, and Xiao Yang is also a key character in the plot.

Shen Teng from Happy Twist also makes a cameo appearance as Lu Guofu, the gang leader in Chinatown.

The remaining actors, including Qiao Bin, the "King of Bathhouses," and Wei Xiang from Mahua FunAge, also made cameo appearances in the film.

Of course, the most crucial character is the villainous boss, the white doctor.

Originally, Zhou Yutang's idea was to invite Mads Mikkelsen, the actor who played Hannibal, to play the role.

After careful consideration, I decided to give up on the idea.

It's not that Governor Zhou didn't have enough influence to invite Mads Mikkelsen, but many viewers in China also know him, which makes it easy for them to prejudge the killer's identity, undoubtedly reducing the watchability of the suspense film.

In the end, they decided on Adrien Brody.

This man is no ordinary person; at the age of 29, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "The Pianist," making him the youngest Best Actor winner in Oscar history.

In addition, he also has a César Award for Best Actor, making him a man of many honors!

However, in China, its popularity is relatively low. In addition, it invited newly crowned Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix and Ethan Hawke to make cameo appearances, which can be considered a smokescreen.

The villainous boss in the sequel is one of the top leaders of the Q organization, which has surfaced in the crime universe.

He was a man of profound wisdom and skillful in planning, capable of manipulating people at will.

Because his beloved Japanese wife passed away due to poor health, he was unable to accept the blow of reality and became somewhat cynical and eccentric.

He also accidentally came across the Five Elements Killing and Regeneration Secret Technique, which had flowed from China, through Japan, and wanted to revive his deceased wife.

He's known as the most affectionate person in North America.

"I understand!"

Chen Duling's eyes suddenly lit up: "The Q in this Q organization stands for Queen, and it was named after the doctor's wife!"

"Correct answer, but no reward."

Zhou Yutang's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled with a hint of approval: "Doctor, you're not the final boss of the series either."

"Isn't that it?"

Chen Duling was slightly taken aback: "Who is that?"

"You really want to know?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then think about it. I can't tell you for now."

(End of this chapter)