The literary era since 1979

There was a constant stream of people coming and going at the film festival.

As the protagonist of this film festival, Ching-xia Lin has received much attention from the audience, guests and media. She is the focus wherever she goes. At this moment, under the arrangement of the organizer, the American Film Institute, she is accepting a personal interview on the stage, reviewing every bit of her acting career.

Although Bai Ruoxue was only acting as her translator temporarily, she had been a translator for dialects before and was experienced and skilled in the job.

Fang Yan and Mike were not sitting in the audience. They were acting as guides, taking Steven Spielberg, Cameron and others through the various exhibition areas of the art center. Wherever they went, photos of Lin Qingxia's film works were hung on the walls on both sides.

For example, "Outside the Window", "New Shushan Swordsman", "Police Story", "Die Hard"...

However, the focus of everyone's discussion was not these, but the work plan for the new year.

Cameron said bluntly that after filming "Alien 2", he will prepare to start his third film "The Abyss", which he will write and direct.

Fangyan asked: "It sounds like a science fiction movie?"

Cameron was very excited, "Yes, it is a science fiction movie, and it is a science fiction movie with an underwater theme!"

When Fangyan thought about Cameron's future films such as "Titanic", "Avatar: Down Under", and "Avatar: The Way of Water", he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He didn't expect that a truck driver would like to shoot stories about the ocean so much!

Mike thought differently. As an avid science fiction fan, he couldn't wait to ask:
"Is it an underwater adventure story like Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?"

"I may disappoint you."

Cameron shook his head and briefly described the plot framework of "The Abyss".

There are indeed submarines like "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", but the core of the story is not an underwater travel adventure like the Nautilus submarine, but a submarine was hit by an unidentified object and sank into a bottomless abyss, and a rescue team was ordered to save the submarine members.

"Saving the submariner, huh?"

Fangyan joked.

"Ha ha!"

Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and others smiled knowingly and immediately thought of his movie "Saving Private Ryan".

Cameron was also amused and said that although there would be a lot of descriptions of mysterious underwater creatures and fighting scenes in "The Abyss", it would not focus on defeating alien creatures like "Alien", but would instead film the story of the relationship between the male and female protagonists in such a sci-fi background.

"what?"

Mike was stunned at first, then his face was full of disappointment.

Dialects are also difficult to understand, just like a director who makes vulgar films suddenly wants to make something artistic. Isn’t he afraid of being “allergic to elegance”?

"I came up with this idea after reading your series of science fiction novels."

Cameron said that he was temporarily tired of making hard science fiction such as "Terminator" and "Alien 2", so he wanted to try soft science fiction themes such as "The Ring" and "Artificial Intelligence" that involve humanity, thoughts and emotions.

“Then why not just shoot The Three-Body Problem or The Matrix?”

Mike muttered.

"With the current level of film industry and special effects, it is impossible to perfectly present the grand scenes and science fiction elements of The Three-Body Problem."

Cameron's eyes flashed with an intriguing light, "As for The Matrix, that's something Steven should consider."

Fangyan and Mike looked at each other, totally unable to understand what The Matrix had to do with Steven Spielberg.

Cameron smiled and said, "You want to say it, or should I?"

"Let me do it."

Steven Spielberg explained that including Lucas, all the directors who were good at and loved to shoot science fiction were attracted by Fangyan's science fiction novels such as "The Three-Body Problem" and "The Matrix", and they had fierce discussions and fights over them, almost tearing each other apart. Fangyan was amused and confused, thinking that they had secretly divided up the adaptation rights of his science fiction novels.

"The results of it?"

"In the end, I got The Matrix, and Lucas and Cameron got The Three-Body Problem."

Steven Spielberg sighed, still feeling a little upset.

Fangyan rolled his eyes. You did this and kept me, the person involved, in the dark? Am I not the person involved? Am I a human being?
Cameron, Steven Spielberg and others apologized repeatedly, saying that after watching Kubrick's "Artificial Intelligence", they naturally did not want to be left behind.

Seeing that they looked like they wanted to make progress so badly, Fangyan did not criticize them too harshly.

Considering that we are close relatives and friends, we have to pay extra for this!

Steven Spielberg was also very straightforward and vowed to offer conditions for "The Matrix" that would satisfy Fangyan.

Fang Yan smiled contentedly, "When are you going to film The Matrix?"

Steven Spielberg said that he will be producing "Back to the Future 2" next and cannot spare the time for the time being.

"With a 'Back to the Future 2' and a 'The Abyss', movie fans around the world, especially science fiction fans, are in for a treat."

Fangyan looked at him left and then at Cameron right.

Mike's tone was filled with anticipation, "So after Back to the Future 2, are you going to start filming The Matrix?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a little longer."

Steven Spielberg tells it like it is.

When Fangyan asked the question, the answer he got was exactly the same as the one Cameron gave.

With the current movie special effects and industrial level, it is difficult to perfectly shoot the sci-fi scenes of "The Matrix"!

"Fang, what do you think?"

Steven Spielberg asked rhetorically.

"Your consideration is not unreasonable."

Fangyan nodded.

"So I plan to shoot a sci-fi movie with technological experiments before The Matrix," said Steven Spielberg. "Use the most advanced special effects technology in Hollywood, such as motion capture and CGI (computer-generated imagery) technology..."

Fang Yan asked curiously, "Can you tell me what kind of science fiction story it is?"

"Of course, no problem, and it's a coincidence."

Steven Spielberg said that he gained a lot from the World Science Fiction Convention held in Chengdu last year. He not only saw Chinese science and technology such as cloned fish and artemisinin, but also appreciated the works of other top domestic science fiction writers besides dialect writers, which opened up new ideas.

"Could it be that a Chinese writer gave you inspiration?"

Fangyan originally thought it was Liu Cixin, but unexpectedly it was Ye Yonglie.

The novel that Steven Spielberg chose was called "Wonder on the World's Highest Peak". When it was published, it became very popular and was even adapted into a comic book. It tells the story of how scientists hatched dinosaur eggs wrapped in resin on Mount Everest.

"The most interesting thing about this novel is that DNA is extracted from calcified fossils, and then cloning technology is used to revive dinosaurs!" Steven Spielberg said excitedly, "This idea is really great, what do you think?" (End of this chapter)