Dominating Hollywood: Starting with Scarlett

Chapter 181 Changing History
"In fact, I accepted this drama for the reasons you mentioned." Zun Long was very direct and calm.

"So Mr. Zunlong thinks that by taking on TV dramas for the mainland market, he can gain everyone's recognition?" Tang De asked.

"Yes, TV dramas are the most widely watched and loved art form in mainland China. I feel that although this kind of drama is very challenging for me, I can give it a try."

Hearing Zun Long say this, Tang De almost laughed out loud.

What does it mean to be very challenging? Isn't this a euphemistic way of saying that the TV series script is too bad and you have to adapt to such a shoddy thing?

"With all due respect, Mr. Zun Long, don't you think you are wasting your artistic life?" Tang De looked at Chen Yubing and then at Zun Long.

"Well..." Faced with such a question, even Zun Long felt it was a bit harsh, but he did not lose his temper, but replied gently: "Maybe, but this is my choice."

"But what if your choice doesn't bring good results?" Tang De asked again.

"Then I will face it calmly, because this is my choice. I hope that my compatriots in mainland China can see me, and I also hope that I can gain their recognition. This is very important to me." Zunlong is very sincere and very True.

Tang De sighed: "Sorry, Mr. Zunlong, my tone just now was indeed a bit excessive, but in fact I just feel unfair because of your sincerity."

As a result, Zunlong turned down many invitations from big-name directors, lowered his status and starred in these shoddy TV series, and did not cause any splash.

These include Hollywood blockbusters such as "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "The Countess".

Therefore, the reason why he is willing to help Zunlong return to the mainland market is because it is a hot topic.

After hearing what Chen Yubing said, Zunlong also frowned.

This is a master of hype and the chairman of Superstar Pictures. He came to Guangzhou to start a business in 91. In 97, he invested in the filming of "Anti-Corruption Storm" and "Kangxi Private Interview", and later in many TV series and movies. In 01, he was named the top ten influential figures in the film and television industry.

He looked directly at Zun Long and said: "Deng Jianguo is not a good choice."

And in fact, he has never made any eye-catching works since 02, relying more on hype and scandals to maintain his popularity.

But by then it was too late.

At this time, he and Deng Jianguo had not officially signed a contract, so he did not see the man's face clearly and did not know that Deng Jianguo was deceiving him.

Look at the works he prepared for Zun Long, "Qianlong and the Fragrant Concubine" and "Kangxi Private Interview Part 5". Everyone knows that this series will have little influence and ratings after the fourth part, but Deng Jianguo is still shameless It shows that this is the TV series with the highest replay rate in China and is deeply loved by the Chinese people.

"Mr. Deng is our partner. He has arranged a lot of business for Zunlong. You cannot slander him." Chen Yubing explained.

But Tang De smiled even deeper: "I remember that Mr. Zun Long didn't like being interviewed by the media."

It was not until several years of cooperation with him that Zun Long gradually saw the man's shamelessness and greed. Later, he also expressed his dislike of Deng Jianguo in public.

In fact, the initiator of Zun Long's return to China for filming was Deng Jianguo.

The return of a big-name international Chinese star to the motherland is something worthy of hype.

But these achievements only represent that he has a good business sense and is very courageous. He doesn't care about art at all, and he doesn't care that his actions will harm the actor's career. He only cares about money and fame.

"Cooperator?" He smiled: "So what kind of pie did Deng Jianguo draw for Mr. Zun Long... Oh no, I mean what vision did he make for Mr. Zun Long?"

"He plans to arrange a lot of media interviews for me to let everyone know me, and arranges for me the most popular TV series and concerts in mainland China." Zun Long answered truthfully.

Zunlong does not like media interviews. Even if he accepts an interview, he will be prepared beforehand. Even so, he will be very nervous. This is because he does not want to leave a bad impression of himself in the eyes of everyone.

In addition, Zunlong has no knowledge of the mainland market and is not familiar with domestic entertainment, so it was naturally deceived.

So Tang De naturally couldn't let Chen Yubing beautify this person, he had to expose Deng Jianguo's pretense.

However, after returning to China, he accepted countless media interviews, completely curbed his sharpness, and began to learn to speak tactfully.

After all, some of his forthright statements were considered by the mainland media to be immodest, arrogant, and disrespectful.

Chinese people pay attention to mellowness when doing things, and they want to break off the slightest edge, especially now that the "animal husbandry" abroad is particularly developed, and a large number of shepherd dogs in China are barking every day.

On the one hand, they believe that everything abroad is good, on the other hand, they believe that Chinese people should keep a low profile and behave in a low-key manner. Therefore, when they see Zun Long, an outspoken alien, they feel as if they have offended their own masters. A kind of verbal and written criticism.

Presumably Zunlong must have been very depressed when he saw these reports, and then he changed his temper.

"I really don't like interviews from reporters, but I think if I want everyone to get to know me, the media cannot avoid it."

"Indeed, but does Mr. Zunlong know why the domestic media has such a bad attitude towards you?"

"Do you know? Tang, you are also an American." Zun Long was a little confused.

Tang De immediately changed from English to Chinese: "What do you think, Mr. Zunlong, I am a mixed race, and my father knows the country very well."

This is a lie, but it doesn't matter, Zunlong can't summon his father from the graveyard to ask.

"You can speak Chinese! You are so fluent! And you are very authentic." Zunlong immediately felt closer when he heard this, and he also switched to Chinese. His Mandarin is very good, and he must have specially practiced it.

"Yes, although I am not in this country, I know it very well." Tang De explained: "This is a very huge market with potential. I think that in the next ten years or so, Hollywood films will enter in large quantities. Mainland China has become the absolute core for people to watch movies.”

"Absolute core?" Zun Long raised his eyebrows, seeming to sense what Tang De meant.

"Yes, in fact, I think it is very good that you want to gain recognition from the mainland people, but your efforts are in the wrong place."

Tang De spoke eloquently: "You should have felt that the mainland market is very unwelcoming to you. Those media are scolding you for being a big name, and those reporters are digging into your past and your emotions. Let's put it this way, what do you think about them? He is not an actor, but an abstract symbol that can be used to deconstruct entertainment. They just want to get topics and traffic from you, but they are not willing to speak a word of justice for you. "

These words spoken in Chinese suddenly penetrated Zunlong's heart. He had read a lot of newspapers during this period, and the evaluation of himself was indeed like this.

In particular, he was said to be a big star, and when "Farewell My Concubine" approached him, it was mainly because of several reasons that he was not chosen.

First, because we didn’t know which country Zunlong was filming in when we started filming, we had to book air tickets for him in multiple countries at the same time, and also buy air tickets for his dog. Second, when he is filming, his dog must go in and out with him and cannot leave him for 24 hours.

Third, he had a weird temper when he was a big star, and the crew failed to meet his demands in life and eventually resigned.

But this is completely unfounded. Zunlong has always been more dramatic than the sky. He has no ostentation or many assistants, and he has lowered his worth for this drama.

But even so, he still got bad words.

Zunlong is a person who is indifferent to fame and unwilling to waste time explaining, so he has never made any public statement.

It can only be said that the Internet was not developed at this time, and media reports were the source of all information. This news blinded many people.

It wasn't until the rise of the Internet that everyone saw the ugly faces of those so-called famous directors through various information, and then thought of Zunlong's humble life, then they realized what kind of men China had missed.

Tang De saw that Zunlong's expression was a little relaxed and continued: "To be honest, you shouldn't return to the country like this, because you will only encounter hostility when you come back."

"Why?" Zunlong asked immediately after hearing the word "hostility".

"Because the entertainment industry in the mainland does not welcome you." Tang De shrugged: "Do you know what you mean to these people? To put it bluntly, you are a goal that they can never achieve in this life, and your achievements are something they will never achieve. Not able but very eager.”

"That's why they want to oppose you. They are jealous of you, and it's because you touched their cake and harmed their interests."

"That's ridiculous, Mr. Tang De, I think you are alarmist." Chen Yubing interrupted Tang De.

But Zunlong interrupted his agent: "Let him continue talking."

"Okay." Tang De spread his hands: "It's actually easy to figure out, isn't it? You are a Hollywood superstar, and you have been nominated for an Oscar. In fact, if it were not for the exclusion of Chinese and discrimination against yellow people, you should have won that award. When people like you come to the mainland entertainment industry, they are like a dragon entering the territory of a loach."

"If you gain popularity and recognition, how should those in the entertainment industry deal with themselves? They are used to living in secluded situations and have been the kings of the country. Winning an international award can last them a lifetime, but As for you, those awards are like children playing house under your light.”

"This will make the public realize that it's not the Chinese who can't win awards, it's the mainland actors who can't do it and can't break out. By then, do you think they can still make money in bed?"

Zunlong frowned.

"This is why they are trying so hard to slander you. Your achievements are too high and you are like a god. They have to use black material to stigmatize you and then change you from a god to a human being so that they can be in the same place. At a high level, I’ll tell you what to do.”

The more Tang De said, the more Zunlong felt the same, because this was his experience during this period and the source of his pain.

"So what do I do?"

When he heard Zun Long ask this question, Tang De knew that things had changed.

The original history, flapping by the wings of his butterfly, began to undergo new changes.

So Tang De raised the corners of his lips: "What you need to do is not to play with the loaches in the quagmire. You need to make them respect you and need you."

"I don't understand." Zun Long looked at Tang De sincerely: "Do you have an idea?"

"I think Mr. Tang De, you should leave first. It's already Zun Long's rest time." Chen Yubing stood up and separated the two people's eyes forcefully: "Zun Long, we have already negotiated with Mr. Deng Jianguo. A person must pay attention to credibility. Although Tang De is right, as long as we insist on clarifying things to the media, the people will recognize you."

Zunlong pondered.

Tang De stood up when he saw this: "It's okay, Mr. Zunlong, you can think about it carefully, I will visit you again."

After saying that, he turned and left.

But Tang De didn't really leave. He waited in the fire escape and looked at Zun Long's room through the glass from time to time.

After waiting for about an hour, Chen Yubing walked out and entered the room opposite.

Tang De also immediately walked out of the fire escape, came to the door of Zun Long's room, knocked lightly a few times, and then stuffed a card into the room through the crack in the door.

Afterwards, he went back to his room, washed his hair and changed his clothes.

Then he sat on the sofa and started waiting.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

After Tang La pulled away, Zunlong was standing at the door wearing knitted pajamas.

"Please come in, Mr. Zunlong."

"Tang De, I want to know what I should do?" Zun Long got straight to the point. The more he thought about Tang De's words, the more reasonable he felt. Even Chen Yubing tried to persuade him back and forth for a long time, but he couldn't dispel his idea.

So after he got Tang De's house number, he immediately came over.

"First of all, Mr. Zunlong, it is impossible for you to gain recognition by taking the path of TV dramas." Tang De cut off Zunlong's simple thoughts as soon as he opened his mouth: "Because what TV drama actors need is down-to-earth and colloquial. To put it simply, he must have enough life energy to be remembered by everyone. But as for you, you have been living in the United States and are out of touch with the domestic public. You cannot perform that kind of pyrotechnics unless you do it. If you are willing to live here for a few years and fully understand the customs and customs of the country, then I believe you will be able to perform a wonderful enough role. "

"The second is to take the movie route, which is more in line with your identity and the easiest to gain public recognition."

Tang De said with a smile: "Since the separate distribution of foreign films in 94, the number of imported films has increased every year, and the audience for domestic films has also continued to grow, and the level of discussion has also increased year after year. So if you want To enhance your recognition among domestic audiences, it is actually very simple, just shoot more commercial films, and when they are introduced, the audience will naturally see you.”

"And when they see a Chinese person in a commercial film, they will naturally get to know you. It's like falling in love. You can't get real recognition by just trying to please the other person. What you have to do is Let everyone know that there are Chinese people working hard in Hollywood and being very successful, then the people will spontaneously discuss you and recognize you. And once you say something about loving the motherland when you win the award, they will feel that you are bringing glory to the country. ”

Tang De stretched out his hand: "This is the best recognition, Mr. Zunlong, the audience is not a fool. No matter how many bad dramas you act in, they will not be as effective as a good movie."

"But I have shot many movies before, but very few people in China know about it."

"That's because you have been disconnected from the mainland for too long. You need to connect with the mainland and find a partner." Tang De held out two fingers: "This is about the second step."

(End of this chapter)