Huayu started as a substitute director

Chapter 742 Collective Credit Bankruptcy
Recently, the long-standing battle between major film and television capital players in the entertainment industry has shown signs of calm, ultimately ending with Principal's resounding victory.

But the entertainment industry continues to produce big scandals. First, Liu Kaiwei was photographed spending four hours alone in a room late at night with his co-star, actress Wang Ou.

He responded urgently: "You guys are so unreliable! Do you even know we're going over the script?! Can't we even have a peaceful script reading session?!"

However, this response is untenable, because the exposed video shows that the lights were turned off for a period of time.

This sparked strong criticism and ridicule from netizens: "How can you read a script with the lights off?" and "Is the script glow-in-the-dark?"

That's how the "script reading" meme came about.

Yang Mi was naturally at the center of public opinion, and she stated, "I believe in Kaiwei no matter what!"

Just as the "prehistoric girl" meme was sweeping across China and making many Olympic champions famous, badminton champion Lin Dan was exposed for his wife cheating on him during her pregnancy.

After the incident came to light, Lin Dan quickly posted an apology on Weibo: "As a man, I will not make any further excuses for myself, but my actions have hurt my family. I apologize to my family here. I'm sorry."

His wife immediately forgave him, saying he was a responsible man.

This turned the finger at the third party, who held a press conference a few days later, painfully claiming that she was not a mistress and that she had not spent a single penny of Lin Dan's money.

She also stated that she was a victim and that she, as a woman, should not be the sole scapegoat.

The family is living in harmony, while the mistress is crying her eyes out. The netizens who are criticizing her are a bit superfluous.

However, this incident caused Lin Dan's public image to collapse, and his commercial value as an endorser was significantly reduced. Once a sports figure becomes an idol, his scandals will be exposed to the spotlight.

So they stopped creating stars and just did their own thing.

Infidelity scandals continue to emerge in the entertainment industry, but Principal Alan Tam and Liu Yifei remain on good terms and there have been no major rumors.

"I can see that the principal is the most self-disciplined person in the entertainment industry."

"The most terrifying people are those who are self-disciplined!"

Although no major scandals have surfaced between the two, they continue to post short articles, though they don't generate much buzz.

Besides these things, Hendrik Willem Van Loon's receipt of the Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award suddenly went viral online, with images of him wearing a long gown and holding up the trophy being circulated all over the internet.

It quickly topped the trending search list and spread like wildfire on WeChat Moments, Douyin, and other platforms. Mainstream media also used terms such as "the first Chinese person" and "the pride of the Chinese people" to enhance national pride.

CCTV reported: "With more than 40 years of hard work, Hendrik Willem Van Loon has shown the world the craftsmanship of Chinese filmmakers!"

It caused a phenomenal response.

Actually, this is quite different from the real Oscars ceremony. This Council Awards is more like a private banquet, where a large group of filmmakers come to eat and drink.

Furthermore, there was no live television broadcast; it was a commemorative and encouraging event.

This award is not a lifetime achievement award, but rather an honorary award. However, because it is associated with the Oscars, some people translate it as a lifetime achievement award.

There is no competition; whoever is designated gets the job.

Anything associated with the Oscars instantly becomes several levels more prestigious.

Regardless, Hendrik Willem Van Loon winning this award serves as a calling card and a positive image for the public.

This wave of Van Loon has really made a fortune, but it's also thanks to his hard work.

The films released at the beginning of the Lunar New Year season in late November were mostly box office flops, with nothing particularly noteworthy. It wasn't until December that "Your Name" became a hit.

This is a Japanese animation. The success of this animated film is entirely due to its explosive growth in word-of-mouth, which attracted a large number of enthusiastic fans.

Countless viewers spontaneously recommended, interpreted, and shared their feelings on social media, creating a rare phenomenon of "nationwide recommendation."

Therefore, we can see that as long as the work is good, the audience will buy it regardless of its country of origin.

Also released at the same time was Bona Film Group's "Sword Master," which collapsed after only three days of release.

Lin Gengxin can't pull off the "Sword God" aura!
Other films, such as "Super Express" and "Suddenly Seventeen," which starred popular celebrities, did not perform well at the box office.

On the contrary, Hollywood's "Hacksaw Ridge" did well at the box office.

It wasn't until mid-December, when "The Great Wall" was released, that the entire film market really heated up; this was Wanda Cinema.

Also released on the same day was "The Wasted Times," produced by Huayi Brothers Media Corporation. It seems the two companies are at odds.

If they can't beat the principal, they can at least beat Huayi, a lackey. Wanda is suppressing Huayi, which was already crippled by Fang Hong and had no chance to fight back.

However, in his previous life, he had little ability to fight back at this time, and Huayi was already on the decline.

As for the nature of the grievances between the two sides, it's easy to understand: it was a conflict of interest between Yutu and Huayi when Yutu was just starting out.

When old and new forces meet, conflicts are inevitable.

So even without Fang Hong and Yu Tu, they would still fight each other to the death; there was no such thing as peaceful coexistence.

The market is only so big; if you have it, others don't.

The earth is so big, we just want to make money and farm in peace, but others don't think so. They think you are challenging them and their hegemony.

You don't want to cause trouble, but trouble will find you.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue and conflict; it's impossible to leave that world.

Of course, after the release of the movie "The Great Wall", it was ridiculed by the whole society. A large number of jokes, parodies and negative topics appeared on platforms such as Weibo, Zhihu, Bilibili and Douyin.

For example, "Zhang Yimou falls from grace," "Jing Tian's universe," and "Is the five-colored armor the opening ceremony of the Olympics?"

Memes such as "the Taotie special effects look like a web game" and "why is Matt Damon coming to China to fight monsters" continue to gain traction.

Meanwhile, the Western savior archetype has also sparked cultural controversy, with some saying it's a pseudo-Chinese style, a bizarre Chinese phenomenon in the eyes of Westerners.

Just as Fang Hong said before, this movie is fundamentally flawed in its message; it lacks confidence in the idea that "the East needs the West to save it."

This is also the point that many film critics and netizens have criticized for this movie.

The reason why "Wolf Warrior 2" was so successful is that it made Chinese people feel happy and proud. That's the secret. There's not much else to say about it.

You say it's well-made and the acting is superb? That's not true.

Even mainstream media at home and abroad have taken turns criticizing it. Among them, People's Daily criticized it as "a thin story, hollow characters, and an Olympic opening ceremony with a large number of people."

Variety reported: "A chaotic monster disaster film, Chinese elements relegated to the background, script logic broken, sacrificing basic narrative principles for co-production."

The Hollywood Reporter reported: "Special effects overshadow the main content, with zero emotional resonance."

The most unfortunate person in this show is Jing Tian. People say she's like an AI, with stiff expressions and terrible acting skills. It's beyond words.

This girl was so badly scolded that she had a mental breakdown. She called Liu Tianxian to confide in her, and Liu Tianxian could only comfort her.

She said, "It's okay, it's okay. I've been through the same thing. I was scolded a lot before, for many years, but I still got through it."

"I...I tried so hard, I really tried my best to act," Jing Tian choked up on the phone.

"Sigh, I used to work really hard at acting, and I tried really hard to break through my limitations. The harder I tried, the more unfortunate I became. Just take it easy, don't care what others say, just be yourself," Liu Tianxian advised. "I've already told my parents that I won't be making movies anymore. I'll just do some TV dramas. I'm not cut out for it, and I don't want to improve. I just want a peaceful life," Jing Tian said, having lost all ambition.

That's normal, though. She wasn't very ambitious to begin with; she just came from a well-off family and was pushed along by others.

No matter how hard you try, it's useless; you might as well not try at all.

"Acting in TV dramas is great, you can still become famous. If it weren't for Fang Hong, I would also like to act in TV dramas. Actually, after all these years, I've come to realize that there's nothing wrong with filming TV dramas. You're doing what you love, you're acting." This is Liu Tianxian's inspirational quote.

Fang Hong couldn't help but glance at her as she made the call.

"The principal is a very good person, you should cherish him." Jing Tian also thought highly of the principal and felt that he was a person worth entrusting her with.

"Yes! I used to be very dedicated to making movies and to big-budget films and big directors, but I found that it's not just about big-budget films and big directors. They also need good scripts and good teams."

Moreover, once they achieve success, many of them have lost their original aspirations and only want to make money. Sometimes, smaller teams are more passionate.

So don't overthink it. As long as you're doing what you love and you're happy, that's all that matters.

Liu Tianxian spoke of her experiences over the years, as if she had seen through the ways of the world.

In fact, when she gets sentimental, she can be quite fond of giving advice and has a strong urge to confide in others.

“Yes! You’re right. Zhang Yimou made this movie for money. He wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for money.” Jing Tian understood what she meant.

Zhang Yimou wasn't really making this movie.

"So, you can't rely on others; you have to rely on yourself. If you want to stay popular, just be yourself and don't care what others say. Keep a calm mindset," Liu Tianxian comforted her.

"Thank you, Xianxian." Jing Tian felt much better after confiding in him.

The two talked on the phone for several hours, until the phone got very hot before they finally stopped.

Fang Hong was puzzled: "When did you come to realize that making movies and making TV series are actually the same? You didn't think that way before."

"I just figured it out, and I realized it while we were talking." Liu Tianxian stretched her arms and yawned.

"So you're just fooling others; you can't do it yourself," Fang Hong said.

“Who says I can’t do it? That’s how I think now. I feel that acting in movies and TV series are pretty much the same. They’re both acting, there’s no difference,” Liu Tianxian said.

"Then I'll ask you to stop acting in movies and only act in TV dramas. Do you agree?" Fang Hong leaned closer.

“I agree. I’ll take any role that suits me. I’m not picky.” Liu Tianxian shook her head, speaking very frankly.

"It seems your mindset has changed. You used to refuse any offers to act in TV dramas. You no longer care about status or achievements," Fang Hong sighed.

"I still want achievements, and I really want to win awards and be recognized by others, but whether I can win or not is not up to me. I can only accept it. If I don't accept it, I'll just be wasting my time."

Liu Yifei added, "I'm thirty now. Whatever I act in is just a way to hone my acting skills and refine myself."

"You're right, that makes sense," Fang Hong sighed.

It seems that Liu Tianxian has become more insightful and open-minded than before, at least she's no longer fighting internally.

As for what kind of acting it is, it's all acting. Movies and TV series are pretty much the same. Movies can still be big productions, and with a good team, a TV series can be made like a movie.

Television dramas put relatively less pressure on actors because they only need to tell a good story.

Liu Yifei rarely gets criticized when she acts in TV dramas; she's mostly praised. Jing Tian is the same way; she just needs to tell a good story and fit the character.

The movie "See You Tomorrow" was released on December 23. As soon as it was released, it could be said that it lowered the bar for bad movies to an extreme degree.

At least "The Great Wall" has some visuals worth watching, but this movie is terrible in every way, from the plot and the visuals to the acting of these big-name actors.

In addition, more than 20 people gave low ratings on Douban, forcing Douban to shut down its rating system.

Then netizens went to platforms like Bilibili and Douyin to rant and rave, with their videos getting over a million views.

It even trended on social media, with netizens spontaneously organizing a "Bad Movie Lines Recitation Contest," expressing utter disappointment with Wong Kar-wai, Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Eason Chan.

The criticism that Tony Leung is greasy and pretentious, spouting platitudes and making faces, was ridiculed as "like a late-night TV shopping host," causing this artistic actor to fall from grace.

It can be said that he was both made and ruined by the King of Sunglasses!

The controversy was so great that it even gave rise to the "I like it" movement.

The reason was that Wong Kar-wai's movie received poor reviews, so he posted on Weibo: "I like it!"

As a result, 78 celebrities, including Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Kun, Angelababy, and Huang Xiaoming, publicly stated "I like it!"
These 78 are all actors with names and surnames.

Directors such as Peter Chan and Jeffrey Lau have published lengthy articles stating that it is an artistic exploration.

This is completely inconsistent with the audience's aesthetic, causing celebrities and netizens to be on opposite sides, and damaging the credibility of celebrities on a large scale.

To put it bluntly, they are "lying through their teeth!"

Wang Chuanjun, the only one who said it wasn't good-looking, became a huge hit, resonating with and gaining popularity among countless netizens.

It's rare to see an actor standing on their side, so naturally they're excited!
This has led to a loss of trust among netizens, who say that celebrities are deliberately promoting each other's bad movies, resulting in a collective bankruptcy of celebrity credibility. Wong Kar-wai has essentially ruined the entire film and television industry.

Later, no celebrities dared to take sides anymore. Liu Yifei was also going to post, but Fang Hong stopped her. Could she post it?
If you post it, you'll face a barrage of criticism, your credibility will be ruined, and your film career will be affected. You don't even know what the audience likes to watch, so what kind of movies can you make?
Another highly controversial film is "Railroad Tigers". The film features a character named "Little House" and has been accused of deceptive marketing, as the character was removed from the cast list.

Many viewers said they were tricked into coming.

The release of this film rendered the ban ineffective, with even state media criticizing it, saying, "Where is the bottom line in using a disgraced artist to play a hero?"

"Ban artists with bad records; no skirting the rules is allowed!"

This move sparked a massive boycott, with the film's production company, Yaolai, frantically deleting posts and suppressing trending topics.

This has sparked public outrage. The director even said, "This was filmed before the incident, and cutting it would cause a break in the storyline."

Netizens refuted this, saying, "One of the main actors' scenes in 'Monster Hunt' was completely cut and reshot, so why can't Xiao Fang do the same? That's just an excuse!"

All I can say is that Hendrik Willem Van Loon is amazing, nothing more to say, he just received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.

Anyone else in this situation would have faced the same fate of being pulled from the screens, but Hendrik Willem Van Loon's brand really managed to hold on.

It just goes to show that sometimes people really do treat others differently based on who they are!
This year's Lunar New Year film season has been plagued by scandals, with a flood of terrible movies that have drastically lowered the bar for the film industry, demonstrating a complete lack of morality and leading to the collective bankruptcy of credibility within the entire film and television sector!

That's how the film and television market works. Audiences have been holding back their anger for a long time. As soon as trust is lost, they pour their box office revenue into a new movie, which is unlikely to be that bad.

"Wolf Warrior 2" encountered this problem, and "Ne Zha 2" also encountered this problem. It can only be said that this is something the film and television market brought upon itself, and no one can be blamed.

If we don't do it this way, will the audience boycott us?

On December 31, the Macao Film Festival opened, and the scene was star-studded. Countless reporters with their cameras and microphones were aimed at Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian, who were standing on the steps.

"Principal, what do you think about the recent appearance of 'Little House' on the big screen?" the reporter asked, holding the microphone.

Aren't you a weightlifting champion? Aren't you going to get involved in this?

(End of this chapter)