Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 742: Big Business of Wolf Warrior Sequel

Coincidentally, at Xingchen Film and Television Company, Wu Jing was discussing "Wolf Warrior 2" with Gu Wei.

“Now I have a vague idea that if the story is set in China, there are too many restrictions. We cannot shoot large-scale scenes, and even if we shoot them, they will not be allowed to be released.

I want to move the background of the second part to a foreign country so that the scene can be bigger...

After much thought, I think the setting can be in Africa, where there are wars, pro-China forces, and room for story development, which is more suitable..."

In the office, Wu Jing talked freely about his ideas for writing the script for Wolf Warrior 2.

Gu Wei understood as he listened. This was the prototype of the original Wolf Warrior 2. He just glanced at Wu Jing and said, "Are you really planning to start the sequel right away?"

"Wolf Warrior 2" in another time and space can have a box office of 56 billion yuan. The release date is a critical factor, so Gu Wei does not want the sequel to be released too early. It will be troublesome if an accident occurs in the middle. Moreover, the "Wolf Warrior" series is likely to have only two films, and the second one should be well prepared.

Fortunately, Wu Jing was not the kind of person who could not wait, and continued: "No, I must take a break. Xiaonan and I have only been married for half a year, and the child is still young. She has been worried about me before. I plan to accompany her for a while, and then we will talk about it later."

Hearing this, Gu Wei smiled and said, "You want to be a good family man for a while, but it's right to take a break and take good care of your old injuries, otherwise you will be on crutches and in a wheelchair in two years!"

"Haha, if you don't get hurt while filming a fight scene, that's just fooling people, they're just minor problems."

"Be more cautious and don't show off. I heard that every time Xie Nan visits the set, she wears a mask and sunglasses and stands far away, for fear that you will recognize her and affect the filming. She also doesn't dare to watch your dangerous scenes up close!"

"Women are just timid and can't stand seeing dangerous scenes!" Wu Jing waved his hand indifferently, obviously not taking it to heart.

Seeing this, Song Ge next to him also advised: "Your health is more important. You are no longer the action star you used to be. If you have to take those particularly dangerous shots again, think about your wife and children."

“Yes, I have a wife and children. If not for myself, I have to think about them.” Wu Jing was silent for a while after hearing this. He thought silently in his heart, and then continued: “Yes, then “Wolf Warrior 2” will wait for a year or so before starting. To be honest, being a director is really exhausting. Otherwise, Director Gu will direct the next one, and I can still be the lead actor!”

"You." Gu Wei pointed at Wu Jing and smiled. "Even if I wanted to direct, I don't have the time. Look at how much work I have on hand. I can't arrange it at all."

"That's right." Wu Jing immediately thought of Gu Wei's future projects. Not to mention the new movie for now, there is also the art film with Matt Damon. I heard that he also reached a cooperation with Stephen Chow some time ago. There are also Hollywood blockbusters to be prepared overseas. He is indeed too busy.

“But don’t worry, you will continue to direct and star in Wolf Warrior, and the company will be responsible for investing the money. You can come to me if you have any questions about the script.” Gu Wei thought about it and said so.

"I understand, Director. You have the final say in this matter. I will follow you anyway." Wu Jing also expressed his opinion.

"That's right. The company's development prospects are getting better and better. Let's work together to make it bigger and stronger." Song Ge also interjected.

In fact, what Gu Wei said just now was not aimless nonsense, because too many people have been trying to win over this "1.8 billion director" recently. What Gu Wei meant was that the "Wolf Warrior" brand still belongs to Wu Jing, and Xingchen Film and Television Company only needs to participate in the investment.

Wu Jing told Gu Wei that the sequel to "Wolf Warrior" would definitely be led by Xingchen Films.

Some things don't need to be said in detail, just the meaning is enough. But some things should be said in advance to avoid future conflicts. After all, there are countless cases of falling out due to interests in the entertainment industry.

"When will the "SPL" be released?" Gu Wei suddenly asked after talking about business. Moreover, this movie is different from the original time and space, and the shooting time has been advanced.

"I'm not sure about the details. The director and producers are still looking for a release date." Wu Jing was only responsible for acting and had no say in the specific matters.

"Okay, the company can help you with promotion and distribution when the time comes, so don't worry about the screening rate." Gu Wei replied casually and didn't take it to heart.

"Then I'll talk to the producer and see what they think." After Wu Jing replied, he seemed to be hesitant to speak, as if there was something he couldn't say.

Gu Wei saw the other person's expression and immediately understood that something was wrong. "What's wrong? Just say it if you have something to say."

"Hey, um, director, when will your movie start? Look at me..." Wu Jing scratched his head, the meaning was self-evident.

"Haha, I've reserved a role for you, but it won't be a big part. It's a bit like the storyline of The Expendables."

"The Expendables." Wu Jing's eyes lit up when he heard this. It sounded very interesting, and he immediately said, "The Expendables are good. They defend our country. Not bad. Thank you, director. Hahaha."

In the room, the three of them were joking and chatting happily.

At the end, Wu Jing suddenly mentioned Wen Zhang, intending to help ask if there was a role suitable for him in Gu Wei's new movie, even if it was just a cameo.

Gu Wei was silent for a while, "Who asked you to ask?" He knew that Wu Jing and Wen Zhang were not familiar with each other and their relationship had not reached this point.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from the director. My senior brother asked me to ask." Hearing Gu Wei's question, Wu Jing naturally told the truth.

"Li Lianjie?" Gu Wei understood instantly. Actually, it made sense when he thought about it. He was the only one in the domestic entertainment industry who cared so much about Wen Zhang. After all, he was his godson.

In fact, when it comes to the group of brothers in the film industry, the most famous ones are the Seven Little Fortunes.

Especially Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung, most of the films they collaborated on are rare classics.

As for Li Lianjie and Wu Jing, there is a big age gap between them, and their friendship as fellow students is relatively weak. They have not collaborated much in films, let alone classic films like "Trucks on Wheels" and "Project A".

However, the fact that Wu Jing was able to speak up for his senior brother proved that he was a nostalgic person, so Gu Wei did not find it offensive.

Ultimately it depends on the individual. If the two guys from Huayi recommended the candidates, Gu Wei would definitely reject them without hesitation. After all, no one is a saint, and most people cannot put aside their grudges and smile when they meet.

It was precisely because of Wu Jing's honesty that Gu Wei spoke after thinking for a while, "Show your face. If you want to play a role, that's fine too."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Jing's face instantly lit up with joy. To be honest, his relationship with Li Lianjie was not as close as he had imagined, but since the other party had asked his master for help, Wu Jing couldn't refuse directly. Who knew that Gu Wei agreed immediately? This was a situation that everyone was happy with.

Speaking of the Kung Fu Emperor, Gu Wei also felt a little emotional. Although they are both action superstars, the other party's physique cannot be compared with Cheng Long's. The elder brother can still fight at the age of forty, but I heard that the other party is now covered with injuries.

It was fate and time. When Li Lianjie was young, she went to Hong Kong and focused on making money to live the life of a capitalist. Unexpectedly, after working hard for many years, she had money but her health had collapsed.

Then, Gu Wei added, "Ask your senior brother what he thinks. If he doesn't want to, don't force it. He doesn't have many scenes."

Wu Jing also understood. After all, if the role was not important, Li Lianjie might not accept the invitation considering her own status.

"Okay, Senior Brother is too old to fight."

"Well, if he agrees, he can play a veteran."

...

At this time, Gu Wei's cell phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Mike calling.

"Gu, I'll be in the capital tomorrow. Is the time for the press conference okay?" Upon hearing this, Gu Wei knew that Warner had assigned him to be in charge of this project. He instantly felt a lot more relieved. No matter how capable Mike was, at least the other party didn't have so many troubles.

"No problem, you're welcome to come over, haha."

"Gu, I will be in charge of this project. I will stay in China for a while later..." Mike originally only wanted to attend the press conference and the opening ceremony, but Tsujihara assigned him the task. He wanted to spend more time with Gu Wei and get along with him through hard work.

Seeing that Gu Wei had something to discuss, Wu Jing and Song Ge stood up, nodded, and left the office one after another.

When Gu Wei heard that Mike planned to live in China permanently, he knew that he must have other things to do, otherwise, with Warner holding a 10% share of "The Battle of Nantianmen", there would be no need for him to do so.

After all, in terms of market share, Warner can only rank fourth or fifth, which is different from "The Great Wall" which was invested by Legend.

However, Gu Wei did not ask too many questions. If he asked too many questions, he might lose the initiative.

"No problem. The capital has many beautiful tourist attractions and delicious food. You can try them all in the future."

The two chatted for a while, and after the call was hung up, the assistant came in to report that Director Zhang and others had arrived.

Gu Wei nodded, put everything else aside, got up and went to the meeting room.

As soon as I entered the door, I found that there were a lot of people. In addition to Zhang Yimou and a vice president of China Film, there were representatives from Legendary, Universal and LeTV.

"Director Gu."

"Gu."

There was an endless stream of greetings. Gu Wei raised his hand and pressed it downwards, motioning everyone to sit down and talk.

No one knew when Song Ge arrived. He sat down next to Gu Wei and gave him a look to ask what was going on.

Gu Wei curled his lips, not quite sure what he meant, and asked him to be patient.

Seeing that everyone was gathered, Zhang Yimou, who was the first on the left, spoke up, "Director Gu, we are here for two things today.

The first is about the adaptation of the script, and the second is about the special effects.”

"Special effects." Gu Wei raised his eyebrows, while Song Ge showed joy on his face, as if he had guessed something.

"Yes, we are considering entrusting the special effects of "The Great Wall" to Xingchen Film and Television Company, but this requires your strength to be recognized by us." Zhang Yimou nodded.

The vice presidents of Legendary and Universal nearby also had blank expressions on their faces. It was obvious that the matter had been discussed internally long ago.

The assistant brought coffee, and Gu Wei took this opportunity to organize his thoughts, which was obviously beyond his expectations.

He took a sip of coffee and said, "Director Zhang, everyone, as far as I know, Legendary and Universal are both famous Hollywood companies. Why would you consider entrusting the special effects to us?"

Upon hearing this, the two vice presidents' mouths twitched slightly. Legendary and Universal were originally strongly opposed to Zhang Yimou's proposal. Later, the other party used his identity as a director and convinced the two companies with various reasons.

That's why we are gathered here today to discuss this matter.

Zhang Yimou's reason is very realistic:
First, Xingchen Film and Television Company has the ability to complete the special effects production of such a blockbuster. "The Wandering Earth" is an example.

Second, save money.

That’s right, it’s about saving money. Domestic special effects companies are headed by Star Pictures, but even so, Star Pictures’ charges for special effects are still much lower than those of big Hollywood companies.

Take "The Great Wall" for example. The cost announced to the outside world is 1.5 million US dollars. If it is handed over to Legendary and Universal to be responsible for the special effects, it is estimated that the cost will be nearly million US dollars. After all, the other party's labor costs are very high.

But if we hand it over to Xingchen Film and Television Company, we will get at least a 70% to 80% discount, and the money saved can be used for so many purposes.

For example, by inviting more superstars to make guest appearances, the scale of publicity and promotion can be expanded, or even the quality of special effects can be improved with the same amount of money.

It is precisely because of these considerations that Zhang Yimou proposed to hand over the special effects to Star Pictures. As for the opposition from Legendary and Universal, it was simply because it affected their respective interests.

But Zhang Yimou talked about the box office issue again, saying that everyone's ultimate goal was to achieve super high box office. Later, even China Film, LeTV and Universal Pictures agreed with this idea.

Seeing this, Chuanqi had no choice but to give in, but he still suggested to first see the strength of Xingchen Film and Television Company.

Zhang Yimou would not talk about these considerations. "The main consideration is that the film will be shot in China. Choosing Xingchen Films allows us to produce special effects while filming, which is more convenient."

Gu Wei didn't believe what Zhang Yimou said at all. Now the Internet is so developed, it is equally convenient to travel at home and abroad.

However, since his family members were bringing in business, Gu Wei naturally wouldn't refuse.

So everyone split into two groups. Gu Wei and Zhang Yimou came to the screenwriting department and gathered twenty or thirty screenwriters to discuss how to revise the script.

Song Ge took a group of vice presidents from Universal and Legendary to visit the special effects department to flex their muscles.

There are naturally many reports from the outside world about the "The Great Wall" team entering Xingchen Film and Television Company.

But many people don’t understand what’s going on. After all, the casting is over, right?
"Are they going to hand over the special effects to Xingchen Films?" This thought popped into the mind of a reporter who was waiting there.

"Tsk, how is that possible? They are a big Hollywood company and they have their own special effects team." Some people simply didn't believe it.

"What else can we do if we don't discuss cooperation? It's impossible to add investors temporarily." This problem has troubled many people in the industry, and many people are asking for inside information.

For example, Li Binbin and Han Dongjun, who got the roles, both contacted Liu Yifei.

But the young lady, who had just woken up and was still in a daze, had no idea what was going on!
"Yifei, is there any new cooperation?" Li Binbin was quite concerned about this issue.

"Ah, I don't know. I haven't heard Gu Wei say anything. I'll ask him when he comes back." Miss Liu said, hugging her pillow, staring at the ceiling with lifeless eyes.

"Okay, thank you Yifei."

Meanwhile, in the company, Gu Wei was brainstorming with the screenwriters, having no idea that the outside world was slowly starting to boil over.

.........

(End of this chapter)