Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 600: Premiere Tickets in High Demand

Zhang Chen didn't have a deep impression of "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," only remembering that it was Tsui Hark's comeback film.

Tsui Hark became popular again in mainland China because of this film.

This movie made money, otherwise they wouldn't have made so many sequels.

However, this doesn't mean the show is particularly excellent; the plot is also riddled with flaws.

The most obvious point is that if Di Renjie hadn't stopped them, the Dali Temple would have arrested and interrogated Sha Tuo long ago. In the end, after going around in circles, it was still Sha Tuo. It's quite ironic.
Moreover, Zhang Chen dislikes the actor playing the male lead, Di Renjie, who is Andy Lau.

Andy Lau is a very shrewd and successful person; his reputation has never been ruined in his life, but his acting skills are really lacking.

Most obviously, he plays himself no matter who he plays.

Acting is something that can be very simple at times, and very complex at others.

The highest level is undoubtedly Leung Ka-fai, the versatile actor who can play any role and play them all well.

The next tier consists of actors who excel in a certain type of role, playing themselves no matter who they are.

Director Chen is always Director Chen, no matter who he plays, but he has a strong personal style.

The same applies to Francis Ng.

Their strong personal style can enhance the character.

But what is Andy Lau's personal style? Does he smile?
Putting everything else aside, Li Lianhua's portrayal of Shangguan Wan'er and Deng Chao's portrayal of Pei Donglai were both more outstanding than Di Renjie's.

Huayi Brothers claims that this film is a co-production between mainland China and Hong Kong, but the main creative team is still predominantly from Hong Kong.

Deng Chao plays a supporting role, while Li Binbin has more screen time and is considered one of the female leads.

The rest of the characters, including Wu Zetian and Di Renjie, as well as the director, were all from a Hong Kong team.

To put it bluntly, among mainland film and television companies, only Zhang Chen dares to use an all-mainland cast; other companies don't.

They still blindly believe in the so-called box office appeal of Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors.

However, this cannot be rushed. Thanks to Zhang Chen's efforts, this situation has improved a lot.

As for the other characters, they were actually quite good.

From a cinematic perspective, Liu Jialing's portrayal of Wu Zetian was quite good, capturing the majestic and domineering presence of the most powerful woman in the land.

Of course, it would work too if it were Fan Xiaopang, but the style would be different; it would be the more alluring kind.

Since both sides decided to ease tensions, Zhang Chen sent someone with a message: the costumes, props, and sets must be faithful to the Tang Dynasty style, not Japanese style.

In the original version, Huayi Brothers was definitely tricked.

When viewers questioned the production, the crew came out to explain that they were recreating the most authentic Tang Dynasty makeup.

Tang Dynasty my ass~
Even just looking at Wu Zetian's eyebrows reveals a strong Japanese influence.

Cultural infiltration is truly ubiquitous.

The scariest thing isn't the blatant theft by the Koreans.

Everyone knows it was theft. No matter how loudly the Koreans shout, everyone knows who's right and who's wrong.

But the Japanese played a truly ingenious trick, akin to a substitution.

The same tactic was used in later toxic teaching materials, subtly confusing people until the truth became obscured over time.

This is true ruthlessness; it digs you out of your roots!
In fact, this kind of cultural infiltration is very common in current period dramas. The crabapple blossoms mentioned repeatedly in "The Promise" are actually cherry blossoms on the screen, and the armor is also Japanese-style armor.

If this happened right under their noses, Zhang Chen would definitely yell at them. But they just showed kindness, and it would make Zhang Chen seem ungrateful, so I'm saying this in advance: be careful, or you might get yelled at later.
……

China Film Group and several producers of "Gravity" gathered to discuss the premiere.

"Is everything alright with the venue?"

Han Sanping spoke first.

"No problem, the venue has been approved. This isn't our first time holding a premiere at the Great Hall of the People; we know the rules."

That's right, Star Entertainment is preparing a grand premiere for "Gravity".

Even though he's not a famous director, we should make an even bigger splash and create a lot of buzz.

The slogan they used was "China's first space science fiction blockbuster".

The venue was chosen to be the Great Hall of the People.

Although the Great Hall of the People is officially open to the public, not just any movie can have its premiere there.

So far, all the films that have held their premieres there have been blockbusters: Zhang Yimou's "Hero," Jackie Chan's "The Myth," Zhang Chen's "2012," and Hollywood's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"...

The premiere of "Gravity" was also held at the Great Hall of the People. Guo Fan's status is definitely not enough, but it doesn't matter, because he has the backing of Star Entertainment.
The top-ranked private film and television company in China, and also the first space science fiction film in China!
Is it really the first space science fiction movie in China?

of course not.

The first domestic space science fiction film should be Zhang Chen's "Moon," but that doesn't matter; that was a short science fiction film, while this is a big-budget science fiction film—they don't conflict.
"Third Master, what do you think about inviting leaders from China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation to our premiere?"

Filming space movies involves a lot of professional knowledge, and of course, requires guidance from professionals.

The consulting firm for "Gravity" is China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) played a crucial role in this filming.

Space science fiction, especially about space stations, is definitely hard science fiction, and there can't be the slightest mistake.

If any obvious errors appear in the film, unfriendly countries will definitely point them out and use them as a laughing stock.

We absolutely cannot make such a basic mistake, which is why the script for "Gravity" was meticulously prepared. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) personally participated in discussions of all the details, and they also provided many suggestions for the design of the spacecraft and space station...

"Well, let's invite them. Whether they come or not is their business; whether we invite them or not is a matter of attitude. I'll give them a call later, so it shows we value their invitation."

Domestically, unlike abroad, companies like China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation generally don't cooperate with film production.

They are a national-level high-precision scientific research institution; it's a waste of their talent to cooperate with you in making a movie.

Xingchen Entertainment initially faced numerous difficulties in contacting China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), but it was only after Han Sanping reached out to higher authorities that communication became smoother.

In short, this film can greatly enhance the country's international image.

This is enough.

We are informed of our outstanding achievements in the aerospace industry, and although we announce them to the world each time, not many people care about them.

Promoting through movies is undoubtedly a good approach.

In the past two days, invitations to the premiere have started to be sent out, and some recipients are deliberately showing off their invitations on Weibo.

It's the world of fame and fortune; isn't that what everyone's fighting for?

What you have, I have too, so what's so special about it?

Only what I have and you don't can be called a rare resource, or even a scarce resource.

Originally, this was just a subconscious act of showing off, but somehow, it took on a different meaning.

As more and more people post pictures of their invitations, receiving an invitation seems to have established a certain correlation with one's status within the industry.

The prestige of an invitation to the premiere of "Gravity" has been steadily increasing. Eventually, it came to imply that 'not receiving an invitation means you're not a true A-lister.'

Suddenly, more and more people were showing off their invitations, and even more were asking for them.

Star Entertainment hadn't anticipated this, but they didn't stop it because they were the beneficiaries.

The more attention the invitation to "Gravity" receives, the more attention the film receives.

As the date drew closer, some celebrities who hadn't received invitations started to panic.

If I didn't receive an invitation, doesn't that mean I'm not a true first-tier city?
How can that work?
A person's status is directly linked to things like endorsement fees.

Three men can make a tiger.
If you don't have an invitation, the sponsors will genuinely consider whether you're a top-tier celebrity and whether it's worth continuing the partnership.

Being called a fake first-tier city or falling out of first-tier status is a very serious matter.

Many people have started using their own methods to collect invitations.

While high-priced acquisitions are one method within the industry, more often it's done through agents, acquaintances, friends, and connections within Star Entertainment—whoever has those connections can get an invitation.
……

Upon receiving the news, Wang Zhonglei from Huayi Brothers strode into his brother's office and went straight to the point: "Brother, do we have an invitation?"

Wang Zhongjun was practicing calligraphy when he heard this. He glanced at his younger brother speechlessly, quite speechless.

Always so reckless~
Wang Zhonglei sensed his brother's displeasure, and awkwardly smiled apologetically, trying to make amends: "I was just too impatient~"

After finishing the last stroke, Wang Zhongjun put the brush back on the shelf and said, "Yes, Dong Jianqiang gave us 20 spots."

Now that they've decided to mend their relationship with Star Entertainment, they should let the public know, and the simplest way to do that is to attend the premiere.

As long as Huayi Brothers attends Star Entertainment's premiere, they don't need to say anything; the headlines of major entertainment sections will automatically report on it.

……

Beijing Film Academy, Auditorium Building
The bell rang, the teacher announced the end of get out of class, and the atmosphere in the classroom of the 07 Acting Department immediately relaxed.

After the teacher left, several students gathered around.

"Jing Tian, ​​you're already famous, why are you still coming back to class?"

The girl who spoke was named Zheng Shuang, and Kan Qingzi was also there. They were both Jing Tian's classmates.

Jing Tian seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and replied, "Becoming famous is one thing, but acting skills are still very important. I've realized my acting still needs improvement, and since I have some free time, of course I'm coming back for lessons!"

Jing Tian's statement was half true and half false. She did feel her acting skills were increasingly inadequate the more she acted, but to say she returned to school to study diligently wouldn't be accurate.
She came back today to enjoy the envious looks from her classmates.

As the ancients said, "To return home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night."
At this moment, Kan Qingzi added, "By the way, everyone's posting their premiere invitations for 'Gravity' online every night. Sweetie, you're so close to Director Zhang, you must have received one too, right?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian put on an innocent expression: "You mean this?"

As she spoke, she took out an invitation.

"Ah~"

The girls screamed, "Let me see! Let me see!"

The invitation was passed around among the people, each one looking at it as if it were a precious treasure.

"This is the invitation! It's exactly the same as the ones online!"

"The online invitations are like this: no name, just a seat number."

The girls shared what they knew, clearly seeing the real thing for the first time, exclaiming excitedly, their faces filled with envy.

The crowd chattered around Jing Tian for a while before finally dispersing.

After all, no matter how good the invitation is, it won't become theirs. It's okay to be excited for now, but we still need to hurry to the cafeteria, or there won't be any food left.

Jing Tian garnered a wave of envy, jealousy, and resentment, and walked contentedly towards the school gate.

She never eats in the school cafeteria.

On their way to the cafeteria, Zheng Shuang and Kan Qingzi whispered to each other, "I'm so envious of her, she got an invitation!"

"They are different from us."

Kan Qingzi was envious, but she also knew the gap between them. Jing Tian was their classmate, but their family backgrounds were completely different. She had already acted in works before she even entered the Beijing Film Academy.

Zheng Shuang, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly asked, "Do you think she has any extra invitations?"

Kan Qingzi was taken aback, and said uncertainly, "There should be... I think, I haven't heard of only sending one invitation."

"Then I'll call her and see if she can spare some of the extras for us."

Kan Qingzi was taken aback: "What are you thinking? Are you that familiar with them?"

Although Jing Tian was classmates with them, she actually didn't come to the Beijing Film Academy very often.

This person is the same type as Liu Tianxian; they come to the Beijing Film Academy just to get a diploma. They have their own network of connections, unlike them, who have to rely on the connections at the Beijing Film Academy to get ahead.

"Just in case, it won't hurt to make a phone call and ask."

Zheng Shuang's personality was noticeably more assertive, and she immediately dialed Jing Tian's number.

"Zheng Shuang?"

The call was answered quickly. Jing Tian was still wondering why someone was calling so soon after they had just parted ways. Was something wrong?
Instead of getting straight to the point, Zheng Shuang said, "Sweetie, are you still at school? It's been so long since we ate together, we miss you so much~"

Jing Tian on the other end of the phone was stunned and almost blurted out, "We've had dinner together before?"

But since they were classmates: "Ah, uh, oh, I... just arrived at the school gate~"

Zheng Shuang immediately seized the opportunity: "Then you wait for us. Kan Qingzi and I will come to the school gate to find you. Do you like hot pot? There's a pretty good Shancheng Hot Pot restaurant nearby~"

Jing Tian was stunned, but she couldn't refuse, so she had to agree. At the same time, she said to the driver by the roadside, "Wait a moment, two of my classmates might be coming over."

Before long, Zheng Shuang and Kan Qingzi arrived. Just as they were about to speak, Jing Tian opened the car door: "Get in, I know a good hot pot restaurant, let's go together~"

It's just a meal; how could Miss Jing let two poor students treat her?

The group soon arrived at the hot pot restaurant that Jing Tian had mentioned, and the luxurious decor left Zheng Shuang and Kan Qingzi speechless.

How much does a meal cost here?

"Don't worry, this meal is on me. Come to think of it, I've never treated you guys to a meal before~" Da Tiantian has lived a privileged life since childhood and is very generous in her actions.

Just by looking at the storefront, Zheng Shuang knew she couldn't afford it, so of course she agreed.

The three of them started eating and chatted casually, rambling on about this and that, until they finally got to the point.

Zheng Shuang: "Sweetie, can you take us to the premiere of 'Gravity'? We've never been to a premiere before, and we'd like to see what it's like!"

Upon hearing this, Jing Tian nodded without hesitation: "Sure, I happen to have some extra invitations. But don't mention the others, I don't have many invitations, and I can't possibly give one to everyone."

"Oh, don't worry, we won't say anything."

Neither of them expected Jing Tian to agree so readily.

Many big stars would kill for an invitation, yet Jing Tian sent them one without batting an eye.

(End of this chapter)