It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 1369 The Big Four and the Small Three Usher in a New Change... The New Big Four Pattern Takes Shape!

Breaking news! According to a report from the Chaoyang police, actor Li Moufeng has been detained on suspicion of soliciting prostitution.

"An investigation revealed that he had engaged in illegal activities at various locations on multiple occasions, and the case is currently under further investigation..."

"As public figures, celebrities should set an example, uphold the bottom line of morality and law, and not let popularity lead them astray."

"Industry insiders say that artists' illegal and unethical behavior not only damages their own careers, but may also cause incalculable losses to film and television projects, and call for stronger industry self-regulation."

"No celebrity has special privileges before the law, and any behavior that crosses the legal line will be severely punished!"

No one expected that, just as September was approaching, another top actor would have his career ruined!

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching every corner of the film and television industry.

The topic trended on Weibo one after another. Some people posted screenshots of the police report, while others dug up photos of Li Moufeng participating in charity events just a few days ago. The contrast only made it seem absurd.

A director of a brokerage firm raised a thought-provoking question in an industry group: "Why would he do such a thing? Among the four big and three small brokerage firms, he has the best public image."

She's got it all – TV dramas, variety shows, endorsements – and her commercial value ranked in the top three last year alone. She's got money and fame, so why would she need to do something like this?

This statement voiced the doubts of many people.

It should be noted that Li Moufeng's team has always been known for its "prudence" and handled several public opinion crises in previous years flawlessly. Who would have thought that they would stumble on something that crossed the legal line?

A producer who had worked with him sighed in the group chat: "We were still negotiating the contract renewal for the new drama with him last week. The contract was even drafted, but now it's all worthless. He's not just ruining himself, he's dragging the entire project team down with him!"

What's even more lamentable is that this person was a top celebrity!

The term "Big Four and Small Three" has been used for so many years, which means that it occupies the most top resources in the industry.

From leading roles in S+ level dramas to endorsing international brands, and taking the headlining position at major galas, fame and status have always been the "halo" surrounding top celebrities.

However, when faced with the red lines of the law, the halo built up by traffic, fame, and capital is completely vulnerable.

"This is it, he's completely finished. Although being detained for soliciting prostitution isn't a serious crime, it's a serious breach of ethics for a public figure."

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has long stipulated that artists who violate laws and regulations or act immorally are prohibited from participating in radio and television programs and online audiovisual programs; his performing career can basically be put to an end.

Wang Changtian called with great interest, ready to divide up his resources, and asked Chen Fei if he was interested.

One whale falls, and all things are born. Another top star's career collapses, which is definitely a blessing in disguise for other actors and artists in China.

It's worth noting that since Fan Bingbing's downfall, her resources have not yet been completely divided up.

The fall of a top male star is even more so!
His works have begun to be removed from the internet on a large scale, the production companies of dramas awaiting broadcast have held emergency meetings to discuss remedial measures, and the public relations teams of the brands he endorses have worked overnight to prepare termination statements.

The investors and partners who once surrounded him are now busy severing ties, as if trying to avoid a sudden storm.

Some people dug up his old interview where he said he wanted to be a "powerful actor," and found it ironic.

Amidst the glitz and allure of the film and television industry, some people forget the most basic principles.

No matter how high you stand, once you cross the line of law and morality, the fall will only be more devastating!
This sudden collapse not only ruined the future of a top star, but also served as a wake-up call for the entire industry.

One wrong step, and it becomes an eternal regret!
"Why were they suddenly arrested? Were they reported by the Chaoyang residents?"

The task of dividing up resources was naturally handled by subordinates; Chen Fei didn't need to follow up himself.

Although he is a top star, he is essentially just a male actor who has been promoted by capital.

What he's more curious about now is how this person was discovered?

Could it be like Huang Haibo and Wang Anquan before him? Was he betrayed by a competitor in the industry?

"Hahaha." Wang Changtian suddenly burst into laughter. "You'd never guess why he was arrested."

"Wasn't it reported?" Chen Fei asked, puzzled.

"No!" Wang Changtian explained with a laugh, "I heard that after he finished playing with her, he didn't even offer to see her off."

With no cars on the street late at night, the woman was speeding around on a shared bicycle when she was spotted by a police officer on patrol.

This investigation uncovered him, and that's how this happened.

"Wow! This is really dramatic." Chen Fei immediately laughed.

He thought he had been targeted by a competitor, but he never expected it to be like this. This guy was really unlucky.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fei silently did some calculations.

To date, the cast of "Gu Jian Qi Tan," which was released in 2014 and is considered the beginning of the era of internet traffic, has almost completely collapsed.

The "four big and three small" pattern, which has been maintained for many years, has been in constant turmoil in recent years.

When they first formed in 2016, those seven members occupied half of the entertainment industry, flourishing in film, music, and variety shows. Their fan wars could dominate the trending topics for an entire day.

However, starting in 2018, cracks gradually began to appear.

By 2020, the situation had become significantly more volatile.

After two of the "Big Four" executives got into trouble, resources were quickly shifted to the younger generation.

The youngest of the "Three Little Ones" still enjoys popularity, but has repeatedly encountered setbacks due to controversies surrounding his acting skills.

Now, by the end of 2022, the so-called "Big Four and Small Three" have long since become defunct in name only.

The popular celebrities of that era have either completely disappeared from the public eye or struggled to transform themselves and find a way out. Only a very few have managed to gain a foothold in the industry.

This change is very similar to a kind of metabolism.

No one can live off popularity forever; those who remain will ultimately have to rely on their work to make a name for themselves.

The heat of this matter did not last long. After going through a series of procedures, including legal trial and termination of endorsement, the heat finally settled on the Huabiao Awards canceling its award.

From this point on, he was officially blacklisted.

The original "Big Four" and "Little Three" have undergone various changes and have now transformed into the "New Big Four".

Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Cai Xukun, Yi Yangqianxi!
These four are the latest top four most popular young male celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry.

As for Wang Junkai and Wang Yuan, who were very popular back then, they have long since fallen behind in terms of both resources and status.

Even Yang Yang and Lu Han, the two members of the "Old Four", are now very low-key and rarely appear in public.

Celebrities are not like ordinary people; every little thing they do, even a casual remark, can be magnified infinitely. In this situation, if they don't adhere to the rules, their competitors might seize the opportunity to maliciously target them!
Sometimes being too popular isn't a good thing.

……

Before we knew it, it was July 15th.

After two months in theaters, "Parasite" successfully concluded its run with a box office of 15.33 billion yuan.

At the same time, the Dragon International Film Festival also officially announced the nomination list for the main competition of the fourth edition.

It goes without saying that this year will be a huge success for Parasite!
Chen Fei took Liu Yifei to attend Han Jianu and Wen Muye's engagement party.

Neither of them were the type to like to show off, so the banquet was kept very low-key.

Not to mention the media reporters, even many people in the industry didn't know that these two well-known young directors in China actually held a low-key engagement banquet in mid-September.

At the engagement ceremony, the crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall reflected the gleam of the red wine glasses.

Chen Fei, holding a wine glass, walked over to Han Sanping and asked with a smile, "The marriage is settled, has the wedding date been set? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping looked at the two people not far away who were toasting other guests, his eyes filled with a smile: "It's set for the beginning of next year, but the specific date hasn't been finalized yet."

The two were chatting when suddenly, Han Jianu came over at some point and said with a grin, "I'm thinking of having the wedding after the Oscars. If I win an award, I can have the trophy with me. How glamorous would that be?"

Wen Muye smiled and nodded, not saying much, but the tenderness in his eyes was undeniable.

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow, teasing her deliberately: "How about I add a little something extra? I'll help you bring back the Oscar for Best Picture next year as a congratulatory gift, how about that?"

"Really?" Han Jianu's eyes lit up, and she reached out to give him a high five. "A promise is a promise! If you're lying, you'll never have a seasoning packet in your instant noodles again!"

"Pfft..." Liu Yifei couldn't help but laugh out loud, and gently pushed Chen Fei, "Stop teasing her."

Chen Fei smiled and gave Han Jianu a high five: "Watch closely, I'll definitely get you an award."

Upon seeing this, Han Jianu raised an eyebrow and immediately patted her chest, guaranteeing, "You help me with the Oscars, and I'll help Yifei make her new movie. I guarantee to polish every detail flawlessly, making it absolutely worthy of Director Liu's debut."

Liu Yifei, who was next to her, smiled, picked up her juice and clinked it against hers: "Then I'll leave it to you, Producer Han."

"Don't mention it." Han Jianu tilted her head back and took a sip of wine. "After the engagement banquet ends today, let's submit the script for review. After filming wraps up, it'll be just in time for the Oscars. Let's have double the joy."

After thinking about it carefully, Chen Fei realized that it was indeed true.

At the latest by the end of the month, "The Room Next Door" should be approved, then filming should begin in the middle or late part of next month, and it should wrap up around the end of the year.

Once the post-production is done, it will coincide with the Oscars ceremony.

When they returned from abroad, it was time for their wedding ceremony; the timing was perfect.

...

Just after the engagement party ended, on September 19th, "New Gods: Yang Jian," a collaboration between Alibaba Pictures and Light Chaser Animation, officially came to a close.

During its 30-day run, the box office was only 5.15 million yuan.

Such a result is a complete waste of money compared to the initial production and marketing investment.

The media didn't give Alibaba Pictures any face at all, and gave it a huge boost in publicity.

“At midnight last night, ‘New Gods: Yang Jian,’ co-produced by Alibaba Pictures and Light Chaser Animation, officially ended its run. Its final box office was 5.15 million yuan. According to industry estimates, the total production and marketing costs of the film exceeded 3 million yuan. The box office revenue was far from enough to cover the costs, making it the biggest ‘Waterloo’ in the animated film market this year.”

Alibaba Pictures, which made a high-profile announcement three years ago that it was "betting on animated films", is now embroiled in controversy due to the failure of "New Gods: Yang Jian". According to data, the two works in the "New Gods" series have accumulated losses of more than 10 billion yuan, and the previously promised plan of "at least two animated blockbusters every year" has not been fulfilled.

"The box office failure of 'New Gods: Yang Jian' not only stemmed from the disconnect between the plot and market expectations, but also exposed the shortcomings of internet capital's involvement in the animation industry, prioritizing traffic over content and speed over quality..."

"Many animation companies have stated that they have not received any cooperation invitations from Alibaba Pictures recently, and the turnover of their animation departments is unusually frequent."

Despite the overwhelming media coverage and questions, Alibaba Pictures has remained silent.

The official Weibo account neither released a summary of the film's run after its theatrical run nor responded to rumors of losses, and it didn't even mention any future cooperation plans with Light Chaser Animation.

This almost "playing dead" attitude made people in the industry realize what was going on.

That internet giant that once proclaimed it would "rewrite the landscape of Chinese animation" is probably really going to completely withdraw from the animated film market.

Some insiders have even revealed that the group is already adjusting its strategy.

The animation department's budget was drastically cut, and many key personnel were transferred to the short video business line...

It wasn't until late September, when the summer movie season's hype was fading, that Fan Luyuan finally appeared and said, "Instead of wasting time in a long-cycle, high-risk field like animation, it's better to invest the money in businesses that can generate quick profits."

These words were like a needle, piercing the pie that capital had painted for the animation industry!
Looking at the dismal state of "New Gods: Yang Jian", everyone suddenly recalled the grand occasion three years ago when Alibaba Pictures booked out a theater for industry professionals to watch the film.

The brighter the lights were then, the deeper the silence is now.

The battleground for animated films has ultimately returned to the hands of directors who are willing to slow down and refine their work.

Some people even tried to poach talent from Feiyue Film & Television.

Li Yang, Jiaozi, and others were all their targets.

Without exception, all their generous offers were rejected.

Firstly, the conditions offered by Feiyue Films were no worse than those offered by headhunters poaching talent.

Secondly, if one truly wants to realize their dreams, the only way to have a chance of success is to stay with Feiyue Films.

Going outside could very well lead to a fate similar to that of Alibaba Pictures.

One wrong step, and you'll fall straight into the abyss!
Meanwhile, Wanda Pictures' "Hello, Brother" failed to gain traction due to its lack of popularity, excessive homogeneity, and mediocre quality.

When it was first released, it had a box office of over 30 million yuan on its opening day, but it didn't last long. By late September, the daily box office had dropped to just over 4 million yuan.

The National Day holiday is just around the corner, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, this movie is likely to "die" a very badly!
However, just before the National Day holiday, on September 27, "Tales of the Tang Dynasty" was launched on Youku.

Initially, many people didn't take this "web series" seriously.

After all, apart from Luo Jin, the rest of the main cast are just unknown actors.

But to everyone's surprise, this show showed extraordinary "dark horse" potential after just one episode...

(End of this chapter)