Extracting skills from movies

A new week begins.

Du Sheng bid farewell to his leisure time and devoted himself to his work projects.

The highly anticipated movie "The Departed" is about to enter the shooting stage after a long period of planning and preparation.

New York was chosen as one of the filming locations for this film.

Before the official shooting begins, Warner Bros. plans to organize a script seminar and a meet-and-greet with the main creative staff.

As an investor and leading actor, Du Sheng naturally has to participate in these activities.

After returning to the Lighthouse Country, he first reunited with his team members.

Among them is Lydia, one of the ever-busy Hearst sisters.

She is currently the Deputy General Manager of TVING Video and Miracle Pictures.

In addition to assisting Amanda and Li Yixin, he also takes care of Du Sheng's business here.

In addition, there is Hades, the agent on the Hollywood side.

As well as Ma Yaowei, Zhang Haolong and others who accompanied them.

We had lunch together to celebrate the official launch of the new project.

Du Sheng raised his glass and shook it towards everyone, saying with a smile:
"I'm joining the crew of The Departed this time, and I guess there will be a lot of things to do. I'm sorry to bother you all."

Different from the filming methods in Hong Kong and mainland China, the Hollywood filming team has a very detailed division of labor and the shooting cycle is usually longer.

During the filming process, if there are problems such as weather changes affecting the shooting of outdoor scenes or the actors are in poor condition, the filming will be suspended.

In addition, personal safety is also an issue.

"Brother Sheng, you are too polite. This is what we should do, otherwise it would be a waste of time."

Ma Yaowei and others responded with a smile and clinked glasses with Du Sheng.

Halfway through the meal, Hades reminded Du Sheng:

“In a production you build yourself, you can take the lead, but on The Departed, it might be different.

Matt Damon probably thinks you stole his role, and he might have some ulterior motives.

Leonardo is not an easy person to deal with. He has more scandals and gossips than you.

And there is one person who needs special attention.”

Du Sheng smiled slightly and understood what Hades meant.

After all, the other party works in Hollywood and has seen all kinds of filth.

Although the competition between male actors here may not be as fierce as that between female actors, overt and covert fighting is inevitable.

Especially when it comes to role issues.

Hades emphasized:
"The villain should be played by Jack Nicholson. This old guy is notoriously difficult to work with."

Du Sheng nodded and said:

"I heard that not long ago, because a car blocked his way, he smashed the car window with a brick on the spot."

Jack Nicholson has won two Oscars for Best Actor and is definitely a well-known figure in Hollywood.

Similar to Du Sheng, this person also used to be an extra and a stunt double, and fighting was a common occurrence for him.

Although he is now over 60 years old, he is still well-known in the industry for his hot temper.

At present, the main actors of the crew have been confirmed, and Jack Nicholson will play the villain.

Hades and The Departed have negotiated Du Sheng's remuneration.

200 million US dollars, included in the investment.

Although the pay was not high, in other aspects, Du Sheng enjoyed the treatment of an absolute protagonist.

Zhang Haolong asked curiously:
"I heard that he dated more than 3000 women in Hollywood?"

Hades answered briefly:
"Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty and Leo are all famous playboys in Hollywood, and this title is not for nothing."

Zhang Haolong couldn't help but sigh:
"I really don't know if I can still work hard every day at my age."

Ma Yaowei laughed and joked:
"Although there are many open-minded female actors in Hollywood, there are still some basic rules when it comes to having sex."

Du Sheng shook his head and smiled, saying:

"You haven't even gained a firm foothold yet, so don't think about good things yet."

Ma Yaowei understood as soon as he heard it, and it would probably be busy again here.

Since you should stop thinking about good things, you should be careful about being thought of by others.

He has been through a lot with Du Sheng and is quite experienced in dealing with such issues.

Lydia told him what she had learned and reminded him:

"Martin Scorsese is obsessed with winning the Oscar for Best Director, and he would regard any factor that might prevent him from winning the award as a thorn in his side.

So on the set, no matter what happens, it’s best not to affect the filming process.”

As she spoke, she handed over a document and continued:
"In addition to Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio also has a say in the crew.

He privately recognizes your talent, and establishing a good working relationship with him will benefit both of you."

Du Sheng nodded and said:

"anything else."

"Although the heroine of this film doesn't have many scenes, it is a Scorsese masterpiece after all, and it still attracted many Hollywood B-list actresses."

Hades said:
"Blake Lively, whom we recommended, was nominated for the 7th Teen Actress Award this year for her role in the movie 'Summer of Jeans,' but she may not be a big name and did not make it to the final audition."

The heroine is a psychiatrist who has complex emotional entanglements and rivalry with Colin, played by Du Sheng.

Her position in the film is similar to that in "Infernal Affairs". She drives the development of the plot to a certain extent and plays a relatively key role.

Hades had met Blake, a pretty young girl, and was also aware of her relationship with Du Sheng.

In theory, it is not difficult for the investor to get someone to audition.

Besides, Blake Lively debuted as a child star and barely made it into the second tier.
If we take into account his background as a performing arts family, everyone would have to give him some face.

It’s just a pity that Warner also wants to use its own people this time.

Vera Farmiga, recommended by the other party, is also between the second and third tier, which tilts the balance of competition.

Du Sheng raised his eyebrows and asked:
"But I heard from Blake that she has already got the role. Is there some misunderstanding here?"

The day before yesterday, Blake called to thank him happily, and said that he had prepared two sets of "Sandman" performance costumes and planned to repay him well.

This girl wouldn't joke about something like this.

"I know the reason. It's probably related to Leonardo."

Lydia and Blake Lively are also good sisters, and have worked privately with Du Sheng several times.

So I pay more attention to this aspect.

At this point, she said to Du Sheng with a half-smile:

"Can you guess what it is?"

Upon hearing this kind of gossip, Zhang Haolong and others looked over.

Du Sheng shrugged and said casually:

"Could it be that the playboy Leonardo has taken a fancy to Blake?"

Leonardo's fickleness is probably known all over the world.

The ones announced so far include Bridget, Christine, Helena, Amber, Björn...

There is also her current boyfriend Gisele Bundchen. The two have been breaking up and getting back together in recent years, but he is considered the one with the longest relationship.

If we count those who are unknown or pure overnight, no one would be surprised if we multiply the number by ten.

Du Sheng felt deeply ashamed about this.

Even a little bit ashamed of myself.

As for liking Blake.

This is not surprising.

After all, this girl has a pretty good look and figure among white actors.

Lydia laughed and said:
“You guessed it right.

Gisele is probably breaking up with Leonardo again, and the latter is upset and likes to change his target.

The one in your family might be in danger."

Du Sheng just smiled and didn't show any worry at all.

In the previous life, this girl was indeed one of Leonardo's ex-girlfriends.

It seems to be two years later?

But now, this is not called interception.

To be frank, Blake is almost his shape. Leonardo is a top star in Hollywood, so he wouldn't want to play parallel bars with himself.

After the meal, everyone went about their own business.

Du Sheng took Ma Yaowei and Zhang Haolong and walked towards the parking lot.

He planned to go to Hollywood first to see how Amanda's acquisition of Digital Domain special effects company was progressing.

During this period, as the heat of the showdown with Tyson gradually cooled, entertainment news about Du Sheng in North America also became rare.

Only a few paparazzi would follow and take pictures occasionally.

And they are basically reporters from the boxing circle, they won't follow you all the way.

When the vehicle drove into the parking lot, a man suddenly came forward.

Zhang Haolong watched him vigilantly.

The man said politely:

"Mr. Du, my boss hopes to meet with you."

Du Sheng observed the other person carefully, confirmed that he had never seen him before, and asked:
"May I ask who your boss is?"

“Harvey Weinstein.”

The man replied.

At this time, a luxury car drove up, and then the door slowly opened, revealing Harvey's face.

Du Sheng nodded slightly to Zhang Haolong and got into the luxury car.

Zhang Haolong understood Du Sheng’s meaning, took out his mobile phone to find Lydia’s contact information, ready to find her when necessary.

After all, the guns and artillery here are self-made, so it is never too cautious.

In the car, Du Sheng and Harvey nodded and greeted each other, then sat opposite each other.

He has now broken through the seventh level of "Dragon Elephant" and is also blessed with the "Eternal Life Secret", so he is not afraid of tricks or poisons.

Even if the other party suddenly pulled out a gun, he was confident that he could counterattack and kill him.

Harvey smiled and said:
"I have heard of your great name for a long time, and today I finally get to see your true appearance."

Du Sheng responded:
"I have also heard a lot about Mr. Weinstein, but seeing him in person is worse than hearing about him."

Because of Matt Damon's request for help, Harvey had been looking for an opportunity to talk to Du Sheng in detail.
But because Du Shengcai came from the East, the matter has been shelved until now.

"You have opened up new doors in North America through music, boxing, and movies, and have accumulated a lot of popularity."

Harvey did not contact Du Sheng for no reason, but because he saw the commercial value he showed:
"If you still want to develop in Hollywood, it just so happens that my company, Dimension Pictures, has a new film project.

It is also adapted from the comic book Ghost Rider, and we hope you can play the leading role. "

Du Sheng searched in his mind and quickly found information related to Dimen Pictures.

It has produced the "Scary Movies" series and the "Bewitched" series, and mostly specializes in horror-themed films.

I guess your development has hit a bottleneck now, so you want to try to transform into a comic book?

As for why the other party said that it was also a comic adaptation?
The comic adaptation of "Wanted" that he is preparing is naturally no secret to such a person.

Is the invitation sincere?
Du Sheng couldn't be sure. He remembered clearly that this was the first time for both parties.

Thinking back to what Hades mentioned before, about the relationship between Matt Damon and Harvey...

As soon as I showed up, the other party came to me.

Is this a coincidence?
Seeing this, Harvey smiled and continued:
“What do you think?

I have seen your performances in Kill Bill 2 and SPL, and I have to say that your acting is excellent.

In addition to Dimension Pictures, my other production company also hopes to cooperate with you.

Don't doubt me, you should know that I still have some influence in Hollywood."

Of course Du Sheng knew it.

However, he had seen many revelations and scandals about Harvey in his previous life.

This person is good at enforcing hidden rules by means of threats, soft power, etc. in the name of discussing the script.

During his career, at least 80 female stars were molested by him.

As for whether there was a man, Du Sheng didn't know.

Besides, I have no shortage of films to shoot for the time being, so there is no need to rush into it.

Therefore, he did not respond immediately, but asked:
“Can you tell me the exact schedule for the shoot?”

Harvey's answer was very smooth:
“The project is still in the preparation stage and the specific shooting time has not yet been determined.”

There is a trick to this.

It is also his magic weapon that makes him invincible.

Once an actor signs a contract, the initiative is in his own hands.

Du Sheng's mind was working rapidly, recalling the news reports he had seen in his previous life.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have handled many shady things for Harvey on many occasions.

Not long ago, there was a rumor that Matt Damon's role was snatched away by him.

At this moment, Harvey, who had never met him before, suddenly offered an olive branch of cooperation, and the release date was not yet clear...

Du Sheng thought about something and said:

"I need to discuss this with my agent and I'll get back to you later."

Seeing that there was still room for discussion, Harvey added:
"No problem, I'll give you a reply within a week."

He also handed Du Sheng a script, indicating that the invitation to perform was not empty talk.

Du Sheng took the script, got out of the car and returned to his own car.

After Harvey's business car drove away, he asked Zhang Haolong:

"Is there anything else unusual around?"

Zhang Haolong said:
"No, the other party may have received a tip from the paparazzi and came here for a visit."

Du Sheng nodded, flipped through the script, and then called Hades.

Soon, Hades came down from upstairs.

The two parties sat down in a cafe and Du Sheng briefly recounted what had happened.

Hades asks:
"Are you not interested in this project?"

Du Sheng explained:
“It’s not a matter of interest, but I think there might be a trap.

Isn't it rumored that Matt Damon and Harvey have a special relationship? "

As the saying goes, every snake has its own way. For things like this, it’s better to find someone you are familiar with.

Hades has always been working with Sony and has nothing to do with Harvey.

Hades nodded in agreement and revealed more inside information:

“Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s success is largely due to the support of Harvey Weinstein.

It is widely rumored that these two are loyal supporters of Xavi. "

Du Sheng said decisively:

"Try to decline the offer politely, and then find out what Matt Damon and Harvey are up to."

As long as you stay around him for a long time, you will be more or less affected by "Heroes (Accessories/Blue)".

This is true even if the other person is white.

Therefore, there is no need to worry that this person will sell information or do things perfunctorily.

Hades is well aware of the heavy responsibility:
"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Before leaving, Du Sheng emphasized a few words to Hades again.

He was specifically asked to gather information about director Martin and Jack Nicholson.

"Don't worry, it's not to cause trouble, just to be on the safe side."

Hades also knows that in Hollywood, one can never be too cautious.

And he has full confidence in Du Sheng's judgment.

Du Sheng's memories of Harvey Weinstein are mostly about the scandals rather than his life trajectory.

Especially the complicated relationship between several female producers and Harvey.

Even first- and second-tier actresses like Jennifer Lawrence were rumored to have had to succumb to Harvey in order to get roles.

Although Du Sheng doesn't know how much truth there is behind it, it also reflects the ability represented by Harvey.

Especially now that you are in a foreign country, you have to be more cautious if you don’t want to fall into traps.

………(End of chapter)