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

Chapter 1376 "The Room Next Door" - Two Film Queens Hold the Show!
"I plan to release the movie during the Spring Festival."

In the conference room of Tencent Penguin Pictures, when Lu Chuan told everyone about his plans for the release date of "Bureau 749", a heated discussion broke out.

"Director Lu, isn't this too risky?"

The head of the distribution department was the first to frown.

What is the Spring Festival film season?
Keep in mind that this is a battleground where many blockbusters like "The Wandering Earth 2" and "Man Jiang Hong" are vying for attention. If "749 Bureau" were to go head-to-head with these big IPs, it would probably struggle to even secure many screenings.

The production director nodded in agreement: "The competition during the Spring Festival season is too fierce. If problems arise, there won't be any way to salvage the situation."

The marketing manager sitting next to me opened the data report, looked at it for a while, and then said:

"In recent years, the top two films in the Spring Festival box office distribution have basically taken more than 60% of the market share, leaving the remaining films to fight for scraps."

Compared to top-tier projects with pre-sales exceeding 100 million yuan, "Bureau 749" has absolutely no advantage; it's more likely to become cannon fodder!

"The key issue is also the subject matter," a vice president added with a frown. "749 Bureau tells the story of a young person with superpowers, which is geared towards a younger audience. The main audience for the Spring Festival film season is families, with parents bringing elderly people and children. They may not be interested in this kind of thing."

"When others choose family-friendly comedies and patriotic blockbusters, our subject matter will easily be marginalized."

The last speaker was the head of the legal department, who spoke more cautiously: "The publicity costs for the Spring Festival film season are 30% higher than usual. Just buying trending topics and placing ads will require an additional budget of at least 50 million yuan."

"But we've already overspent in the early stages. If we throw more money in, and the box office doesn't meet expectations, the pressure to recoup our investment will be too great, and it'll be difficult to explain to the shareholders."

The discussions in the meeting room grew louder, with almost everyone expressing their opposition.

The Spring Festival film season looks tempting, but it's also the most competitive. For a non-top-tier IP project like "Bureau 749," venturing into it is like walking a tightrope.

Lu Chuan tapped her fingers lightly on the table, without responding immediately.

He knew these doubts were all valid, but the idea of ​​"taking a gamble" was growing wildly in his mind like weeds!

If he wins, he will definitely become famous overnight!
Even if they lose, isn't Wang Junkai there to carry the team?
"Take a moment to calm down." The voice of Sun Zhonghuai, president of Tencent Pictures, suddenly rang out.

After everyone quieted down, he looked at Lu Chuan and asked curiously, "I'd like to hear your opinion. Why are you so confident in getting 'Bureau 749' into the Spring Festival slot?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with a resolute determination, as if she were making a desperate gamble:

"Mr. Sun, look, next year's Spring Festival film season will definitely see 'The Wandering Earth 2' as the top science fiction film. Once it's released, the whole internet will be talking about science fiction and hardcore special effects. We can definitely ride this wave of popularity."

He picked up the promotional materials on the table and pointed to one of the pages: "Although 'Bureau 749' is a fantasy adventure, it has teenagers with superpowers and supernatural phenomena, so it's related to science fiction."

When the time comes, we can release a press release saying, "The Spring Festival sci-fi lineup isn't just 'The Wandering Earth 2,' '749 Bureau' will take you to see another kind of surrealism," and then link it to topics like "a big year for sci-fi" and "the rise of domestic special effects." Isn't that the same principle as "Man Jiang Hong" piggybacking on "The Lone Moon"? Leveraging existing momentum is always easier than pushing it ourselves.

Seeing that Sun Zhonghuai did not interrupt, he continued, "Moreover, the quality of our movie is not bad either. Wang Junkai's youthful charm fits the character perfectly, and the special effects team is a top Hollywood team."

And those scenes of superpowered battles are definitely worth the ticket price. Plus, the story is about 'forgotten teenagers saving the world,' a premise I did surveyed that's very novel, and young people love that kind of thing."

He slammed his hand on the table at the end: "The Spring Festival film season is a dangerous place, but it is also a treasure trove. If we hide in the back, we can only break even at best."
But if we manage to break in, even just getting 10% of the box office would be hundreds of millions! Let's take a gamble; what if we succeed?

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds. Sun Zhonghuai looked at the burning desire in Lu Chuan's eyes and suddenly smiled: "Alright, since you're so confident, let's do it your way. Let's release it during the Spring Festival!"

Lu Chuan suddenly stood up, her face beaming with uncontrollable joy: "Thank you for your trust, President Sun! I promise..."

"Don't make any promises yet." Sun Zhonghuai raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable pressure. "Tencent Pictures has invested hundreds of millions of yuan, not for you to 'gamble' on. If you succeed, the credit is yours; if you fail, you know the consequences."

He knew perfectly well what tricks Lu Chuan had played in the project, the inflated publicity expenses, and the sponsorship kickbacks he had taken in private.

It's important to understand that Tencent's rise to prominence wasn't based on charity, but on its shrewdness. Do you really think these financial loopholes can be hidden from the public?

"I understand." Lu Chuan's smile froze for a moment, and she quickly replied.

"Good that you understand." Sun Zhonghuai unscrewed the lid of his teacup, took a sip of tea, and said in a tone devoid of emotion, "Go and make sure the follow-up work is done properly."

Lu Chuan bowed and scraped as she left, and the moment she closed the door, a confident smile appeared on her face.

He was only thinking about becoming famous overnight, but he didn't see Sun Zhonghuai in the conference room, his fingertips lightly tapping the table as he looked at the abnormal data on the financial statements, his eyes as cold as ice.

Some bets bring immense glory when you win, but if you lose, you have to pay the price yourself!
……

In the blink of an eye, October has passed, and November has arrived.

That morning, several trending topics made headlines in the entertainment news section!
"The 2022 National Day holiday film season has officially ended. 'Mozart in Outer Space,' 'Ordinary Heroes,' and 'Iron Will' have closed the year with box office earnings of 2.56 million, 2.22 million, and 1.16 million yuan respectively, marking a failure."

"The official Weibo account of 'The Lone Moon' announced an extension of its theatrical release, extending its run until December 1st; the film has grossed over 27 billion yuan in 30 days."

"Feiyue Films has released a notice that filming has wrapped up: 'The Long Way Home' directed by Kang Honglei and 'Sicario 2' directed by Shen Ao have both wrapped up filming."

"China Film Group has released a notice announcing the completion of filming for 'The Volunteer Army: Mighty Army Strikes Back,' directed by Chen Kaige."

"Thank You Doctor, starring Yang Mi, will premiere on multiple platforms in 3 days. Stay tuned."

Tencent Penguin Pictures, in conjunction with Lu Chuan Studio, has released a film release date announcement: the sci-fi film "749 Bureau," directed by Lu Chuan and starring Wang Junkai, Miao Miao, Zheng Kai, Ren Min, Li Chen, and others, will be released during the Spring Festival...

……

The National Day holiday film season has officially come to an end, and Shanghai Film Group is now completely deflated due to the box office failure of "Mozart from Outer Space".

"The Lone Moon" is still somewhat lacking in momentum, but with the key extension, breaking 30 billion is definitely a certainty.

The announcements of film completion by Feiyue Films and China Film Group have also given many in the industry a sense of impending conflict.

Both "The Journey Home" and "The Mighty Army Strikes Back" are patriotic films, and with filming nearing its end...

If nothing unexpected happens, they should all be aiming for the National Day holiday next year.

At that time, there will likely be a new wave of competition!
However, these are not currently the focus of netizens' discussions; at most, they are just being analyzed behind the scenes by people in the industry.

Everyone's attention is now focused on "Bureau 749".

That morning, Chen Fei had just arrived at the company and turned on his computer to check the news when he saw that the entertainment news section was filled with heated discussions and insults, it was absolutely chaotic!
"Lu Chuan is up to something again? 'Bureau 749' sounds mysterious and interesting. Just because he said his inspiration came from his military experience, I'm really curious to see what he can make."

This comment was actually fairly fair, but the replies below were full of insults:
"Give me a break! What watch has Lu Chuan ever made? 'The Last Supper' completely distorted the story of the Feast at Hongmen, and the characters were all drastically altered. And now he's making science fiction? Who does he think he is? How many heads does he have?"

"Hehe, Taro was controversial when he made 'Nanjing Nanjing'. He claimed to be restoring history, but ended up with a plot that glorified the invaders. Kadokawa's portrayal of the character was ridiculous. It makes people question his stance. Now that '749 Bureau' is out, I wonder if he's going to pull some tricks again."

"Speaking of which, 'Kekexili' was accused of plagiarism back then, and Lu Taro never responded. Could he really be feeling guilty? He then made so many bad films in succession, and now he wants to make a comeback with '749 Bureau'? I think he's dreaming!"

As a barrage of mockery emerged, many echoed the sentiment, ranging from questioning plagiarism to criticizing the quality of his subsequent works, revealing all of Lu Chuan's scandals over the years.

Some radical netizens directly attacked: "Lu Chuan, you should stop making movies. Every movie you make is a rip-off for the audience. Please, leave the film market alone!" In this overwhelming field of criticism and curiosity, "749 Bureau" was drowned in a sea of ​​criticism even before its release.

Lu Chuan was once again thrust into the eye of the storm of public opinion, facing harsh scrutiny from the entire internet.

We're just waiting for the film to be released. If it's of good quality, that's fine, but if it's terrible, netizens will definitely show him what it means to be bombarded with criticism!

More than ten minutes later, Chen Fei's finger, which had been moving the mouse, stopped at the edge of the screen.

He casually clicked on the first trailer for "Bureau 749" that Tencent Video had just released.

In the scene, Wang Junkai is running through ruins wearing a ripped hoodie. The blue light effect when his superpowers are unleashed looks quite impressive, and coupled with his roar, he does indeed have the "youthful passion" that Lu Chuan mentioned.

Clearly, Tencent Video has already invested heavily in its promotional campaign.

Currently, the hashtag #SeeYouAt749BureauDuringSpringFestival# is trending at number one on Weibo's hot search list, and Wang Junkai's fans are controlling the comments section like crazy, creating a very large-scale movement at first glance.

"The higher you fly, the harder you fall."

Chen Fei pursed his lips and silently mourned for Lu Chuan and "Bureau 749" for a few seconds in advance.

He knew all too well how the movie would end.

The previous film, "749 Bureau," was released during the National Day holiday, avoiding fierce competition, but still only grossed less than 4 million yuan at the box office, with a Douban rating of 2.9. Viewers criticized it for "piling up special effects and having a chaotic plot."

Now, Lu Chuan is determined to jump into the fire pit of the Spring Festival film season.

With the hard science fiction of "The Wandering Earth 2" preceding it and the comedic foundation of "Man Jiang Hong" following it, "Bureau 749," a mediocre film, is unlikely to even be cannon fodder.

"His ambitions are considerable, but unfortunately his abilities can't keep up."

Chen Fei turned off the trailer and, recalling what Lu Chuan had done and said before, found it all laughable.

Making movies isn't about empty talk and boasting; it's about the logic in the script, the emotions in the shots, and the sincerity in the special effects.

Lu Chuan never truly understood any of these things.

...

Moving the mouse, Chen Fei opened the script document for "The Three-Body Problem," his gaze falling on the special effects shot of "cosmic flickering."

It was marked with the words "Revised 17 times, pending final confirmation".

Compared to other film and television companies' pursuit of quick profits, Feiyue Film and Television is gradually transforming itself, aiming for "slow and meticulous work."

The sun was shining brightly outside the window. Chen Fei picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, no longer paying any attention to Lu Chuan's "Bureau 749".

It's important to understand that success or failure in the film and television industry is never determined by controversy or hype; ultimately, it depends on the work itself.

If Lu Chuan is truly capable, she can turn things around through box office success, no matter how much criticism she receives.

But without the right tools, even if it's released during other periods, let alone the Spring Festival season, it will still flop.

There's only one thing he's really curious about right now.

What will Tencent Video do if "Bureau 749" flops at the box office?
Sun Zhonghuai has invested so much money, are you just going to watch it all go down the drain?
……

After finishing his workday, Chen Fei rushed home before dinner.

As he pushed open the door and walked in, he saw Liu Yifei holding her phone, excitedly talking about something.

He didn't go over to disturb them, went to the bathroom to wash his hands, and prepared to go eat first.

When he came out of the bathroom, wiping his hands, he saw that Liu Yifei had already hung up the phone, but was still standing there, her cheeks flushed like a ripe apple.

"Oh? What's making you so happy? Who were you chatting so excitedly with on the phone?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei rushed over, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek, saying excitedly, "I've found two female leads for 'The Room Next Door,' and you'll never guess who they are!"

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow, leaned against the entryway cabinet and pondered for a moment, but he really had no clue, so he could only shake his head: "I can't guess, don't keep me in suspense."

"Hehe, it's Gong Li and Zhang Manyu!" Liu Yifei revealed the answer directly, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Sister Gong Li agreed to play the reporter, and Sister Manyu also agreed to come back and play the female writer!"

"Good heavens!" Chen Fei was genuinely shocked, almost dropping the towel in his hand. "You invited these two here?"

Gong Li is a Venice Film Festival Best Actress winner, while Maggie Cheung is a double Best Actress winner at both Berlin and Cannes.

The former is doing somewhat better; although he has kept a low profile in recent years, he remains active in the film industry.

However, the latter has been retired from acting for many years, and his name is known but his face is never seen in the entertainment industry.

Let alone a collaboration, either of these two could easily shake the entire film and television industry if they were cast as the female lead on their own, let alone co-starring in the same movie.

Liu Yifei raised her head and said with great pride, "I spent almost a month working on it. First, I went to see Sister Gong Li and told her about the character in the script who is 'elegant on the surface but has a secret hidden inside.' After listening, she said, 'This woman is interesting,' and agreed on the spot."

Later, I asked someone to contact Sister Manyu again and sent her the translated English version of the script. It took her half a month to reply, saying, "I want to try breathing in front of the camera again."

Chen Fei found it increasingly unbelievable: "If this news were to be released, it would probably keep half of the entertainment industry up all night!"

Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Gong Li and Zhang Manyu are acting together is enough to make "The Room Next Door" an instant hit!
At the same time, the presence of two Best Actress winners greatly increases the chances of winning awards.

“Not only that.” Liu Yifei’s eyes sparkled. “They also said they wanted to be involved in the entire script polishing process. Sister Manyu even mentioned a few details about the female lead’s psychological changes, which were even more profound than I had thought.”

Looking at her excited expression, Chen Fei suddenly realized that her confidence as a director might lie in this.

It's not about traffic or capital, but about sincerity in telling the story and the courage to move those who came before.

"You're really something." He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone full of admiration. "That was a brilliant move. I'm already looking forward to the final product."

"Of course!" Liu Yifei raised her chin, like a child who had just received praise. "Once filming starts, I'll grant you set visit privileges so you can watch two top actresses act together on set!"

"OK."

Chen Fei nodded with a smile and pulled her towards the restaurant, but he was secretly making plans in his heart.

With these two leading figures in "The Room Next Door", it's absolutely guaranteed to be a success!

He's already starting to wonder how much of a stir it will cause once the cast is officially announced...

(End of this chapter)