Actor: Thank you.

In traditional English-speaking countries, the word JOE is generally used as a personal name.

Moreover, it is a very common name.

Equivalent to Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Wu, and Zhao Liu in China.

During World War II, the code name for American soldiers was "G.I."

It is an abbreviation for "Government Issue," which roughly means a special supply provided by the government.

Therefore, North American society at that time combined the two words and used them together, which led to the special term "GI Joe".

A direct translation would be "Soldier Joey".

It means "soldier".

After World War II, many manufacturers seized the opportunity and began producing various kinds of soldier toys.

Hasbro, arguably the most powerful toy company in the world today, launched its own "GI Joe" series of action figures in the 1960s.

Hasbro owns IPs such as Monopoly board game, Transformers, GI Joe, My Little Pony, and Star Wars.

Mr. Potato from Toy Story is also a famous toy from their family.

There's also Play-Doh.

Then you'll know how amazing this company is.

In the 21st century, the company devised a completely new development path: in-depth cooperation with Hollywood film and television companies.

Especially Disney and Lucasfilm.

They not only produce toys for these companies' IPs, but also dolls for the artists under these companies.

The toy characters of Britney Spears and others are all licensed to Hasbro.

Moreover, they are a genuine Fortune Global 500 company, just ranked low.

But further down the list, to make a fortune in the toy industry and become one of the top 500 companies, that's incredibly impressive.

When "GI Joe" was released, it coincided with the launch of Barbie dolls, which were incredibly popular in North America.

At that time, the market generally believed that posable doll toys were exclusively for girls.

Abbreviation: For women.

Boys usually play with fixed toy soldiers, the kind that are arranged to mimic a battlefield.

Hasbro saw a business opportunity in this.

If nobody else is going to do it, then I'll do it.

As a result, "GI Joe" became an instant hit upon its release, becoming Hasbro's best-selling male-oriented toy series before creating the "Transformers" IP.

In fact, the creation of Transformers was similar to that of G.I. Joe.

At that time, models of cars, airplanes, and other toys were very cheap, and they were all inexpensive toys like Hot Wheels.

The market generally believes that high-priced alloy toy cars will not attract many buyers.

Hasbro saw this and thought, "You guys aren't going to do it, huh? Fine, I'll do it!"
Before the reform and opening up, the level of toy manufacturing in North America was enough to fascinate and amaze the Chinese.

Actually, even the most high-end series are now being produced by other companies, since the domestic market is too small.

However, the price is very expensive.

Even China's first nuclear submarine was inspired by a model of the Lighthouse nuclear submarine produced by the North American model company Renwal, despite numerous difficulties.

Of course, Renwal was banned after this incident...

"GI Joe" was also inspired by these real war machines.

It created a unique worldview by using different military branches, character designs, and national backgrounds.

From the earliest roles such as "Hercules," "Pathfinder," and "Elusive Warrior," which included assault troops, scouts, and assassins, the game has been continuously expanded to include new characters.

It also created a confrontation between the multinational joint force GI Joe and the Cobra organization.

The design philosophy also evolved from the initial World War II mindset to the Cold War mindset, and then... it stopped evolving.

The Western world's war mentality has long remained at the Cold War level.

Anyway, this IP has spawned a bunch of animations and comics, and has also done crossovers with Marvel, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and even Hasbro's own Transformers.

In China, it was translated into the rather rustic and unimpressive name "Special Forces," which sounds like the title of a war drama.

So not many people know about it, and not many people buy the toys.

But it's quite popular in the North American market.

Especially now, with the collaboration with Paramount, the Transformers movies have become a huge hit!
It ranked fifth in the global box office in 2007. The four films ahead of it were all sequels to top-tier IPs, while it was the original.

Hasbro realized that the film and television industry was more profitable!

The key movie became a hit, which led to a rapid increase in toy sales, causing Hasbro's stock price to hit its daily limit.

Ultimately, the most profitable aspects are stock prices, market capitalization, and the financial markets.

As a result, Hasbro was not significantly affected by the 08 financial crisis.

Seeing that it could boost the stock price, they quickly approached Paramount to continue development.

So when Zhang Yuan heard "GI Joe," he immediately realized that the movie the other person was talking about must be "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

Zhang Yuan thought about it for a moment.

First of all, this movie is a standard Hollywood blockbuster, and the special effects are of high quality.

It's not a bad movie, it's just a matter of opinion.

You could say his plot is boring, and it's all about the special effects and fight scenes.

Ultimately, the film did quite well at the box office.

Moreover, there is a significant audience in the white world, especially in North America, and starring in such an act would solidify his position in Hollywood.

When Zhang Yuan heard that it was "Special Forces" and that the other party said the role matched his image, he knew what role they wanted him to audition for.

White Ghost!
A special forces soldier with a ninja background.

Skilled in using samurai swords, longbows, throwing knives, and other concealed weapons.

After Bruce Lee became a global sensation, the addition of his skill in using nunchucks was also introduced.

In the eyes of white people, whether you are Chinese or Japanese, you are all yellow-skinned, so it's all the same. Just mix up the stereotypes and it's fine.

The story of the sworn brothers, Ghost and Snake Eyes, is well-known throughout the entire "GI Joe" series.

This has made the character quite popular among dozens of G.I.E.L.D. dolls.

How high is it?
In Marvel's X-Men, there is a weapon number 13 named Ghost.

It was designed to hunt down sentinels.

It's that Sentinel who looks like Marvel's Superman.

That character was the inspiration.

Furthermore, the Genji character in Overwatch is also based on the character of Storm Shadow.

The fame of White Ghost in North America is comparable to that of Li Yunlong in China...

The character he portrayed in "Rush Hour 3" was also a samurai swordsman, a highly skilled fighter, and a morally ambiguous figure.

After Harvey's sales pitch, the other party became interested, watched a clip from "Rush Hour 3," and felt it was suitable, which led to the current invitation.

As the saying goes, one step fast leads to another fast step, and one step slow leads to another slow step.

Those who have works and those who don't will definitely receive different treatment.

He needs to have works to have this opportunity.

Zhang Yuan thought that Chen Long still had to take him out to play, and he would find an opportunity to repay him.

Although Zhang Yuan's expression didn't change much after hearing the audition invitation, he was quite excited inside.

Because of filming this movie, you can not only appear in Hollywood blockbusters.

Moreover, this character wasn't specifically designed for Chinese people, so it doesn't feel out of place.

Unlike many Hollywood blockbusters in later years that cram in a Chinese celebrity to appeal to the domestic market, which just looks strange.

Another point is that this film can earn more than just a salary.

After filming, Hasbro will use his image to create new comics and toys. He will receive a share of the royalties from the sales of these products!
Hollywood is the world's number one in developing this related industry; China can't compare at all.

Therefore, this role can also bring long-term benefits, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of US dollars a year in personal image usage copyright fees.

It's a profitable deal that can also boost popularity!

Zhang Yuan was conflicted. He had no problem participating, but that meant facing a formidable opponent.

That's Lee Byung-hun.

In terms of fighting skills and looks, I'm just as good as him.

In terms of acting skills, this person is quite good.

Moreover, he has the support of KBS and Daewoo Group in South Korea.

What's amazing about this guy, besides his professional skills, is his shamelessness.

It was the kind of thing that required absolutely nothing, plus incredibly good luck.

When he debuted, the youngest son of the boss of Daewoo Group had just died in a car accident a few years earlier.

Lee Byung-hun and this man's youngest son look somewhat alike. The old man got excited as soon as he saw him, and the man immediately knelt down, hugged his leg, and called him "Dad."

Thanks to this connection, he had a smooth career in the South Korean entertainment industry, and was not affected at all by the constant scandals.

Therefore, defeating him is no easy feat.

Zhang Yuan chuckled to himself.

Since I started out, who among the people I've had to deal with has been simple?

It's no big deal!
If this life doesn't end up in my hands, then so be it.

Even if you, Lee Byung-hun, are down on your luck and have a terrible time when you're in front of me.

It is better to choose a day than to hit it.

After the other party made the audition request, he agreed on the spot and went with them to Paramount's studio.

This character is supposed to have nudity.

Often goes shirtless.

Both Ghost and Snake Eyes, these arch-enemies, are fully covered when they fight.

However, Snake Eyes is a character with a similar autistic personality, never taking off his helmet or clothes from beginning to end.

White Ghost is an egomaniac who's always ready to strip naked.

Zhang Yuan provided two outfit designs.

He was wearing only white pants, shirtless, and without shoes or socks, and was engaged in close combat.

The other set is a tactical outfit that covers the entire body except for the eyes.

Paramount's casting director nodded as he watched, clearly satisfied with his height, build, and appearance.

Especially when shirtless.

Zhang Yuan had just finished filming "Ip Man" not long ago. He had been filming action scenes before, so he hadn't lost his physique, which was quite a coincidence.

Now his body is muscular and very taut.

Videos and photos were taken for record-keeping.

Then they gave him an unsharpened samurai sword.

"How come?"

"There are no choreography or restrictions; just do what you're good at."

"Okay." Zhang Yuan nodded.

Then I weighed it and tested its weight and center of gravity.

Well, you guys gave me the freedom to do it.

The swordsmanship of the island nation, which originated from the Tang Dynasty sword, is not very aesthetically pleasing.

If you watch the action movies that the island nation made in its early years, you'll know that they were nothing more than large-scale slashing and hacking.

I hate these kinds of actions that require no skill.

I happened to have learned a lot of knife skills from Zhao Wenzhuo when I was filming "Painted Skin".

In terms of performance, and visual appeal, no one can compare to the Wuying-level.

The Wuying-level assessment criteria include a large number of scores for physical form and movements.

He gathered his katana at his waist and then focused his mind.

Just as the white foreigner was puzzled and didn't understand why he was not moving, he suddenly flicked his wrist and drew his knife with his other hand.

The speed of a backhand is much faster than a forehand, immediately creating a whooshing sound as it cuts through the air.

This is for making a movie, especially for foreigners, so you have to be handsome.

So he imitated the moves that Zhuo Ge performed on the Great Wall in later generations.

It's all about being fierce, powerful, and having an overwhelming momentum.

Spin, dance, never stop, and even take the opportunity to strike.

Foreigners were shocked when they saw him jump and spin 360 degrees in the air, and then land with a perfect backhand.

He involuntarily took a half step back.

Then he swung his arm, making the katana spin rapidly in the air, and then did a somersault.

It's impossible to kick a knife from a distance.

Zhuo Ge's kick knife move also incorporated "technology".

Even if you could do it, the success rate wouldn't be high.

It's also easy to kick it off-target, making a fool of yourself instead.

Your audition performance will be filmed, so you can't make any mistakes, or you'll look silly.

So he simply did a backflip, flicked his wrist, grabbed the spinning prop in the air, and then delivered a powerful backflip!
"Please excuse my poor performance!"

Then he finished his stance, clasped his hands, lowered his sword, and left the arena to rest.

After watching it, the foreigners all gaped open.

This was done by a person, not special effects?

Domestic audiences are better off; they've grown up watching Li Lianjie and Zhao Wenzhuo. Foreigners really haven't seen much of the world.

Zhang Yuan had already discovered this when filming "Rush Hour 3": foreigners have a path dependency on the industrialization of film and television.

For any action that is even slightly complex, they would try to solve it with mechanical props or special effects.

This is their weakness.

Clap clap clap... Harvey, the big fat guy, led the applause.

The rest of Paramount's staff joined in the applause.

“Very good, Zhang.”

"You did a great job just now."

Harvey stepped forward with a smile and praised him.

After having him try out a few lines to confirm that his basic acting and language skills were fine, we wrapped up and said goodbye.

Afterwards, the casting director will meet with the general director and the general producer to discuss the audition videos.

After leaving Paramount, Zhang Yuan planned how to land the role as he walked.

We must strive to seize the opportune moment, the advantageous location, and the support of the people.

Harvey patted him on the shoulder with a cheerful smile.

"Zhang, the referral fee we agreed on before."

"I understand. I'll give you 15% of the 30 film rights, which is $4.5."

"It will be transferred to your account soon." Zhang Yuan felt he still needed the other party's help, so he readily agreed.

“No, no, no, you’ve underestimated it.” But Harvey shook his head vigorously.

“Not only the copyright of ‘Airplane, Train, Car’, but also the salary for the role in ‘G.I. Joe’ that you have to give me a share of.”

"I was the one who introduced them."

"Without me bringing you to Paramount, you wouldn't have this audition opportunity," Harvey said shamelessly and confidently.

Zhang Yuan: !!!
To be honest, you old Jews really know how to make money... (End of Chapter)