Actor: Thank you.

After listening to Chen Kun's words, Zhang Yuan felt as if the timeline was working against him.

Pang Hong approached Chen Kun and asked if he wanted to act in "Painted Skin 2"...

OK!

Lao Tzu is determined to fight against Heaven, Earth, and Man; the joy of it is endless!

But then I remembered that Kun received a call yesterday and called me today to "report back".

What does this mean?
This means that Kun Kun has already trained himself.

With his arrogant and haughty personality, he wouldn't even bother to say hello if he were to replace someone else.

They even thought it was their own skill.

But when it comes to him, he probably agonizes over it all night, thinking it over and over, and regardless of whether there's any follow-up, he still wants to be informed.

Otherwise, if he finds out through other channels, who knows what he might do.

"So what do you think?" he asked with a smile.

"I dare not think about it..." Kun Kun replied cautiously.

It makes sense to contact him, since he was the one they contacted at the very beginning of the first movie.

Moreover, he has a good relationship with both Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei, so there's no need for adjustment when they cooperate.

"It's okay. The casting process is open, fair, and just. Anyone can participate, so don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Chen Kun swallowed hard. "Are you sure?"
Open, fair, and just?

How come I didn't know you were associated with those three words?
"But you have to be careful not to be taken advantage of."

"Pang Hong is a tough guy, he's cunning."

"I advise you to wait and see," Zhang Yuan kindly advised.

"I understand, I understand, I'll go refuse right away."

Zhang Yuan: …

What did I say?

It's like I'm threatening you.

"What I mean is that you should keep a low profile, observe the situation first, and don't rush into making a decision."

"You really think so?"

"I'm not lying to you, I have no problem with him contacting you."

He genuinely had no objections.

I acted in this movie just to make money to support other businesses that need money.

If they really won't allow it, then it's better not to perform at all.

Kun Kun felt that his luck had been exceptionally good lately!

Zhang Yuan gave him such a big endorsement deal.

She caught the eye of director Jiang Wen again.

They also received an invitation to make a sequel to a hugely popular work.

Why am I so lucky?!

If an ordinary person has this feeling at this point, then they are basically not far from being in big trouble.

When things reach their lowest point, they begin to improve; and vice versa.

How did the article speak when it appeared on the TV show?

"It's going so well, so incredibly well!"

Then it went down to the point where no such person could be found.

This is what is meant by "When the sky is arrogant, it will rain; when people are arrogant, disaster will follow."

Zhang Yuan was unaware of Kun Ge's thoughts; he was preoccupied with his own problems.

"I can choose not to act, but you can't replace me!"

"You're still doing this to me."

"First, I tested the waters online, and then I found Chen Kun, whom I had taken down in the first part."

"This is putting immense pressure on me!"

"You're trying to force me to give in."

Zhang Yuan was so angry he laughed.

I fought my way from Paris to Bahrain, and from Mexico to Los Angeles.

I even fought against the Eight-Nation Alliance!

I've already dealt with European and North American tycoons, so why would I be afraid of a mere deputy director of the Ningbo Film Studio?

You must fight back!

We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom, letting the other side handle things as they please.

Otherwise, if people treat you like a pushover, you'll never get your money back.

So after finishing the reshoots for "Fast & Furious 4" in Los Angeles, he abandoned his plan to go home and wait for the Lunar New Year, and instead flew to Hong Kong.

doing what?
Looking for Chen Jiashang!

That is, the director of "Painted Skin".

You can put pressure on me, and I can put pressure on you too!

He arranged to meet Chen Jiashang at a hotel to discuss the film.

"Director Chen, it's been a long time. Please have a seat."

The old man remained the same as always, dressed in casual clothes and not saying much.

"Hello, what brings you here today?"

People who don't talk much are often quite direct.

"Director Chen, the collaboration on 'Painted Skin' was a great success, and everyone is beaming with pride."

"Pang Hong is planning a new project recently. Do you have any ideas?"

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, the old man snorted coldly.

There's clearly something going on.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

"Everyone is indeed happy that the film made so much money."

"But some people are slow to receive their bonuses, and no matter how much money they make, they don't get any red envelopes."

Oh, it's because they didn't pay enough.

According to Chen Jiashang, the director was not happy about paying the final payment and the promised bonus.

The red envelope contained 10 yuan.

You sold over 3 million worth!

Giving only 10 yuan is a bit humiliating.

Pang Hong is a bit like Zhang Weiping; both are boastful and greedy, and they like to pocket money.

"Director Chen, if it were me, I could achieve this kind of box office success. I would give at least a few million in bonuses to make everyone happy."

“I know…” Chen Jiashang nodded at him.

Everyone knows that Zhang Yuan is generous and quick to give out bonuses; he has a good reputation for it.

Jack Ma often speaks incoherently, but there's one thing he said that was quite good.

There are only two reasons why employees leave: they are not paid enough, or they feel wronged.

Chen Jiashang now belongs to both categories.

The fact that he was dragging his feet on paying the money was only one aspect; on the other hand, Pang Hong was starting to look down on him!

After the huge success of "Painted Skin," the old man got cocky.

I also approached Chen Jiashang and showed him a so-called sequel outline.

The writing was terrible, and Director Chen was not satisfied, saying that he could write the script himself.

But the other party insisted that things had to be done their way.

Pang Hong believes that the success of "Painted Skin" is entirely due to his own hard work and dedication.

This is like having neither the fate of Director Chen nor the illness of Director Chen.

The two of them immediately started to dislike each other.

Pang Hong was not only domineering towards him, but also towards the Hong Kong capital brought by Donnie Yen in the first film.

Now that he's rich and famous, he looks down on others.

They are looking for larger capital partnerships.

“He treats you like this not only, but also me.” Zhang Yuan feigned helplessness.

He revealed that the other party was not giving him his share of the profits from the previous film and was even forcing him to sign a contract.

"Wow, he's really not up to par, what a disaster!" Chen Jiashang chimed in.

He wasn't stupid; he gradually began to understand.

"So what do you think now? Will you act in the second movie or not?" Director Chen asked.

"It depends on what they say."

"I don't think even if we make a sequel, it might not be as successful."

"Since neither of us is paying attention to us now, we might as well find a way out ourselves."

Chen Jiashang's business is doing quite well; he has a lot of work.

I have several movie scripts in hand, and I'm also going to film a TV series version of "The Myth of Qin".

However, although he was dissatisfied with Pang Hong, he also felt that the supernatural theme of "Painted Skin" had potential.

Because that's how the film and television industry works: once a theme becomes popular, similar works can enjoy the benefits for several years.

Director Chen also wants to start from scratch and make another film while the hype is still going strong.

The two discussed it back and forth and felt that there was a possibility of cooperation.

Zhang Yuan suggested that they simply sever ties with Pang Hong, register the film under the name of Cross-Strait Film Company, and let him direct one of their films.

We have money and connections; we can still eat even without Pang Hong.

While it wouldn't be accurate to say they hit it off immediately, the other party was certainly very interested.

They were already dissatisfied, and now someone else has come along who's providing both manpower and money—perfect timing!

The two talked and ate for a long time.

Zhang Yuan knew that Chen Jiashang was actually ambitious.

Because he wrote and directed the later film "Painted Skin".

That movie also made a lot of money, just not as much as "Painted Skin".

The main reason lies with the actors. The husband-and-wife team of Deng Chao and Sun Li has only so-so box office appeal, far inferior to Xiao Yanzi and Zhou Xun before the scandal broke. Zhang Yuan just wanted to get the film under his own name.

At the same time, he deliberately had his own people and paparazzi leak his whereabouts, and they photographed his "secret meeting" with Chen Jiashang.

Just as he had planned, the next day's newspaper published news of his long talk with Director Chen.

Fans who were already anticipating a sequel to "Painted Skin" were quite excited.

The original male lead and the director were chatting together, they were definitely discussing the filming of a sequel!

The news quickly reached producer Pang Hong.

Snapped!
The old man tossed the newspaper aside.

First he got angry, then he felt annoyed and rubbed his temples hard.

He's really something lately!

They had no detailed new script, no actor contracts, and no shooting plan.

Based solely on the title "Painted Skin," this golden brand has allowed it to travel far and wide.

He moved between film and television giants such as Huayi Brothers, Enlight Media, and Orange Sky Entertainment.

I received courteous treatment wherever I went.

If this big IP were to be adapted into a sequel, which of the major companies wouldn't want to invest?

Before filming the first movie, nobody paid any attention to him, but now he's extremely successful, and this feeling makes him quite proud.

So you think Zhang Yuan is nothing special? How can he possibly stand up to several major companies by himself?

Everyone else treats me politely, but you dare to provoke me.

I've never seen such an arrogant person in my entire life.

Zhang Yuan: Hey, you've finally met me today!

Pang Hong now discovered that the enemy not only refused to surrender, but also dared to raise their guns and fight back.

The news of his meeting with Chen Jiashang immediately sparked the interest of many longtime fans.

Previously, online opinions on the change of actors in the sequel were split 30/70, with 70% of viewers opposing it.

Now there's even more opposition; everyone wants to see the original cast and crew, the authentic version.

Pang Hong never expected that he would pull Chen Jiashang into the effort.

Previously, if you didn't act, I would find someone else to act.

Now that you won't let me act, I'll find another film to act in.

Bow against bow, horse against horse.

They went back and forth, neither giving an inch!
He knew this was the other party's response.

The intention was to disrupt his tactics of using the internet to test audience reactions and apply pressure.

Pang Hong frowned; he didn't want the matter to end there.

If I were to "give in" at this point, wouldn't I, as a well-known producer, lose face?
Moreover, they were unable to gain an overwhelming voice in the filming of sequels.

He decided to hold on a little longer.

He then summoned his men.

"Chen Kun is quite popular lately."

"Jiang Wen has been cast in another drama, and he's also doing advertising. He's the one."

"Let's chat since we've arranged an audition."

"Find the media to expose it again, saying that our talks went very well."

"Let's steer the conversation towards the fact that Zhang Yuan and Chen Jiashang went their separate ways!"

"Negative news is still news, and being infamous is still fame. Let's hype it up first and see how it goes."

Within days, Zhang Yuan had a copy of an entertainment magazine from Hong Kong, and the cover photo was a still from the movie "Painted Skin," only torn in the middle.

Zhang Yuan and Chen Jiashang were on one side, while Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei were on the other.

News of the split within the production team then spread.

Meanwhile, Pang Hong also had people launch polls on forums and other online communities to let everyone choose who was more suitable to play Wang Sheng.

A photo of Chen Kun meeting with Pang Hong was also published inside the magazine.

“I told him to be careful not to be used as a tool.” Zhang Yuan threw down the magazine and shook his head helplessly.

"Next, Pang Hong will definitely spend money to buy the top spot on the voting list and then test everyone's reaction."

"It stimulates me at the same time."

You see, everyone thinks Chen Kun can replace you, and you're not that important...

"Alright, let's keep playing then." Zhang Yuan planned to celebrate the New Year first, and then get back to work with this old guy after the New Year.

He still has a lot of things to deal with.

I was "caught" as soon as I arrived in Hong Kong.

First, Jiang Zhiqiang pulled him aside to look at the script and discuss the project.

Yuen Woo-ping, also known as "Master Eight," has been working as a martial arts choreographer for years, traveling extensively. Recently, he wanted to make his own films again, so he approached Jiang Zhiqiang for investment.

Mr. Jiang tossed the script to him for a look.

"True Legend"...

"So, how about it? A kung fu movie, a big production, and even directed by Master Eight himself. Are you interested?"

"If you're interested, we can consider casting you as the lead."

Zhang Yuan's expression was difficult to keep up.

Isn't this the movie where Jay Chou played the White-Haired Martial God?

This movie is so-so, far inferior to "Fearless" from a few years ago.

Even Zhao Wenzhuo is no match for Li Lianjie.

"Huo Yuanjia" recouped its costs by selling overseas rights thanks to Li Lianjie's fame.

If I were to do it myself... the risk would still be too high.

There's a reason why Yuan Hepin hasn't acted in recent years; as a director, his thinking is actually outdated.

They keep shooting the same old themes.

In fact, the years following the Olympics were the peak of the remake craze in Hong Kong's film industry.

"True Legend", "A Chinese Ghost Story", "Fist of Fury".

They've really gotten old; they're still doing the same things from 20 years ago, and these shows, which were filmed 20 years ago, were actually filmed 40 years ago.

Anyway, every two zodiac cycles are a cycle, just like when Wong Jing made "Chasing the Dragon" and "From Vegas to Macau" later, it's just a new take on the same formula as "Lee Rock" and "God of Gamblers".

It seems this movie lost money at the box office... but Jiang Zhiqiang has overseas channels, so I don't know if he made a profit from selling the copyright.

Eighth Master doesn't have much potential in the future, so it's not worth investing at a loss.

The old man was a master at action choreography, but he was really mediocre at directing films himself.

The key issue is that this production requires a budget of 8000 million to 1 million yuan, which will severely impact cash flow.

"I probably won't be available anytime soon."

"The filming for Huayi's scenes will begin after the Lunar New Year."

"China Film Group will also be making a film after 'Bodyguards and Assassins'."

"There's also a Hollywood project we're in talks about."

"You're so busy." Jiang Zhiqiang patted his thigh a few times.

A popular young actor is different; he has plenty of roles to play.

And they are all leading men in big-budget productions.

Zhang Yuan used this as an excuse, and after reading the script, he said he wasn't particularly interested.

There is no intention to invest.

Jiang Zhiqiang didn't care. He had contacted several companies, and Shanghai Film Studio and Huayi Brothers were both interested.

That would be even better; let them go ahead and vote.

As for Shanghai Film Group and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, I wish them good luck.

Mr. Jiang didn't hold a grudge and started talking about another movie, asking if he was interested.

"The new film by the renowned director Zhang Yimou, which you are familiar with."

"It's a Hollywood script, adapted from Blood Simple."

"The script is now finished, and it is planned to be Director Zhang's first blockbuster after the Olympics."

Zhang Yuan's expression was even more strained than when he saw "True Legend".

Isn't this just like "A Simple Noodle Story"?

He suspected that Boss Jiang had come today just to feed him shit.

Your investment acumen is truly impressive...

They'll probably have to give back all the money they made from "Lust, Caution" a few years ago.

Moreover, for this very film, Zhang Weiping didn't give Zhang Yimou a single penny of the promised 1500 million yuan box office revenue share.

Zhang Weiping was the main investor in this film, and Jiang Zhiqiang was the secondary investor.

He has collaborated with Zhang Yimou many times and trusts him.

Yes, it's Yuan Heping and Zhang Yimou, both top-notch directors, the cream of the crop.

It looks so promising that I always feel my investment will be successful.

But actually, the problems with "True Legend" and "A Simple Noodle Story" are very similar.

Yuen Woo-ping is remaking old films, and so is Zhang Yimou.

He first learned about Blood Simple at Cannes in 85, the year the film was released.

He happened to see it and was deeply moved, so he kept it to himself.

After so many years of remakes, the subject matter and content have become outdated.

Zhang Yimou has enormous artistic ambitions; he wants to try all styles and themes.

But when Zhang Weiping started causing trouble, randomly casting actors and arbitrarily changing the script, things completely fell apart.

Zhang Yimou has made countless films in his life, but "A Simple Noodle Story" and "The Great Wall" are rare exceptions—films that even he himself wanted to curse halfway through making.

Zhang Yuan thought about it for a moment and realized that this might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

He put aside the matter of Zhang Yimou for the time being and turned to ask Jiang Zhiqiang.

"Mr. Jiang."

"Stop using 'General' all the time, it sounds too unfamiliar."

"Jiang Sheng, you have many film and publicity channels both domestically and internationally, right?"

"I wouldn't dare say a lot, but there are some," Mr. Jiang replied confidently.

"Well, I happen to have something I'd like to ask for your help with," Zhang Yuan said with a sly look in his eyes... (End of Chapter)