Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 277 Films Have No Borders, But Filmmakers Do
Click!
The flash went off, capturing Xu Ming and Scarlett getting out of the car.

The latter casually linked arms with Xu Ming, smiling at the surroundings as she said, "These paparazzi are everywhere, you'll get used to it."

“It’s the same all over the world. If you’ve ever met Hong Kong paparazzi, you’ll find they’re even more outrageous,” Xu Ming said.

"I almost forgot, you're a celebrity in your own country too."

As Scarlett spoke, she squeezed Xu Ming's arm without any restraint.

While murdering countless films.

The paparazzi taking the photos were filled with envy.

"Damn rich people, we can only see Black Widow in the movie theater, while they probably watch it in bed."

"Hehe, it's not necessarily just Black Widow. I heard from the bottom of the heart that Xu specially commissioned a Catwoman outfit."

"Wow, good taste. This guy seems to own a Chinese website. If only he had the spirit of internet sharing, he could share some photos on social media so we can feast our eyes."

"Dream on, but I think Durant could consider buying a cup of bathwater from him."

The two chuckled in perfect unison.

Unfortunately, Xu Ming couldn't hear, otherwise he would have told the two to wait a few more years, because there was indeed a tech elite with this spirit of sharing, who would later become the richest man in the world.

Upon entering the banquet hall, one could see that it was filled with local celebrities from Los Angeles.

Many celebrities from the arts and sports worlds were present, including even a prisoner.

Scarlett's appearance attracted a lot of attention, and those eyes then shifted to Xu Ming beside her.

Clearly, China Capital is the main character at today's banquet.

Xu Ming, who was accompanied by Scarlett Johansson, a rising Hollywood star, was naturally regarded as a member of China Capital.

"Hey, Xu, over here."

The person waving is Christian Bale.

He was one of the few people Xu Ming knew at the banquet.

The other party's circle is clearly composed of Hollywood figures.

"This is director Christopher Nolan, this is Anne Hathaway, and this is Tom Hardy," Bell introduced.

Xu Ming shook hands with each of them; he was familiar with each one.

The creative team behind "Batman 3".

Its presence here is likely for scheduling the film's release next month.

After all, Wanda has become the world's largest cinema operator after acquiring AMC Theatres, and the film crew also values ​​the Chinese film market.

Nolan nodded to Xu Ming and then stopped paying attention, continuing to discuss the new film plans with Hathaway.

"Trust me, you don't need to train anymore for this shoot..."

"I trained for four months for the Catwoman role in Batman, and in the end you cut a lot of my scenes. Do you still think I believe you?"

Hathaway had absolutely no faith in Nolan when she thought about her four months of rigorous training.

"Or should I switch to someone else?"

"I believe you."

Hathaway promptly slid down to her knees.

For actors, Nolan's new films don't require them to consider genre, budget, or even anything else.

Just agree without thinking.

The opponent's past achievements have established their absolute authority in the film industry.

"Is there a role that would suit me?" Bell interjected.

He's in an awkward position right now; his acting is recognized within the industry, but his box office success relies more on the Batman series.

However, this is the limitation of superhero movies. In the eyes of many, the key factor for their box office success is not the movie itself, but the 'Batman' IP, and secondly, the director Nolan.

This is why he chose to star in Zhang Guoshi's "The Flowers of War".

At the same time, there aren't many projects and salaries that are suitable for someone of his status.

“The script is still being written, but the male lead doesn’t quite match your image, so…” Nolan shrugged.

“Okay, a suitable role for Xu is fine too. Besides being an actor, he is also a great screenwriter.”

Bell spared no effort in recommending Xu Ming.

It's something I say on a whim, and it can earn me a favor, so why not?

Most importantly, Xu Ming had previously hinted that he was a loyal fan of his, otherwise why would he have tailored the movie "American Hustle" specifically for him?
Helping others might bring you benefits in the future.

There's no need to worry about competition; the ceiling for Asian actors in Hollywood is too low.

There is only one Jackie Chan in the world, and even Jackie Chan now serves more as a symbol.

Xu Ming's heart skipped a beat for a moment, then returned to calm.

He had a pretty good idea of ​​what Nolan's new movie was; it was nothing more than Interstellar, hailed as a 'science fiction masterpiece' with a 9.4 rating on Douban.

With a box office of over 600 million US dollars, it was the only non-remake, non-sequel, and non-reboot adaptation among the top ten highest-grossing films worldwide in 2014, and it completely propelled Nolan to god-like status.

The reason he could remain calm despite such a masterpiece is quite simple.

No matter how excited he is, they're not going to let him play the lead role.

"Compared to director Nolan, I'm still a student when it comes to screenwriting. I've watched your 'Inception' ten times over," Xu Ming said with a faint smile.

Nolan raised an eyebrow, feeling that the Chinese man in front of him was too flamboyant.

He was already tired of hearing similar compliments.

"This movie is also one of my favorites. If I remember correctly, Hardy, you were in it too."

Bell chimed in, "By the way, did Cobb return to reality in the end? Did the spinning top stop? It wasn't shown in the movie at the end."

“I think they went back,” Xu Ming said.

"why?"

Bale glanced at Xu Ming with surprise. He brought up the topic hoping that director Nolan would help reveal the secret so he could act as a teacher.

Unexpectedly, the latter responded, and with such certainty.

Hathaway looked at Xu Ming curiously, while Hardy curled his lip.

As one of the characters he played, he didn't even know the answer to this question, and just thought that Xu Ming was trying to attract attention.

"In fact, in my opinion, there is another thing besides whether the spinning top has stopped or not, to determine whether Cobb has returned to reality."

Xu Ming paused for a moment, noticing that Nolan, who hadn't seemed to care before, had unconsciously straightened up a little, clearly intrigued.

"what?"

This time it was Hathaway's turn to be the straight man, and she was genuinely interested.

"ring."

Xu Ming's answer surprised everyone, but it made Nolan's eyes narrow.

"At the beginning of the movie, when they go to Lingbo to wake Saito, there's a close-up of his hand, and Cobb is wearing a ring. He also has a ring during Mission One, when they steal Saito's dream from the second layer. After Mission One fails and they return to reality, the ring disappears while they're on the bullet train..."

Xu Ming spoke fluently and confidently, accurately pointing out the presence or absence of the ring in every scene and segment.

His familiarity with the film corresponds to his previous statement that he had watched it ten times.

Even to everyone else, it seemed this guy had probably watched it more than ten times; they themselves wouldn't have noticed such a small detail even after watching it ten times. Nolan's initial indifference towards Xu Ming gradually turned into appreciation.

It's hard for anyone not to feel good about their true fans, especially since Xu Ming is a person of considerable status.

"In all the dream scenes, Cobb wore a ring on his hand, but in all the real-life scenes, the ring disappeared."

I'd venture a guess: the ring is the symbol that determines whether Cobb is in a dream, and since he wasn't wearing the ring when he returned home at the end of the film, it suggests he had returned to reality.

Xu Ming sensed the shocked yet admiring gazes of Bell and the others, as well as Nolan's appreciative look.

I silently express my gratitude to the Zhihu user named 'Zhimu'.

As a former film editing blogger, Nolan's works are naturally unavoidable. In his previous life, he searched the entire internet for relevant information to explain the film "Inception".

If you want to be prominent in public, you must first suffer in private.

The efforts I made in my past life have unexpectedly come in handy now.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Nolan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "You're the first person to discover this hidden clue."

The playwright Chekhov had a theory called "Chekhov's Gun".

If there's a gun hanging in the first act, it has to fire in the third act.

While actual screenwriting isn't this rigorous, the underlying message is correct: if an element appears in a story, it must play a role later on, otherwise it becomes a burden.

In online novels, this is like digging a hole; however, due to the length of online novels, authors often forget to fill in the hole they dug…

Clearly, the ring in Inception must have served a purpose.

Nolan's applause was also an affirmation of Xu Ming's guess.

"It was just a fluke. I just felt that, given your consistent filming style, you wouldn't just use a spinning top as a symbol." Xu Ming smiled.

His words not only revealed his familiarity with the other party, but also subtly suggested flattery.

This subtle compliment struck a chord with Nolan.

"Now I believe what Bell said, you really are a great screenwriter." Nolan smiled and patted Xu Ming's arm.

The person who can see through the plot of his film is certainly not an ordinary person.

Otherwise, how could he, as the director, appear more brilliant?
As a master of film, Nolan's every move was closely watched by everyone in the room.

When everyone saw the latter's attitude towards Xu Ming change 180 degrees in a very short time, they were quite astonished.

It's worth noting that Nolan's nonchalant attitude when Xu Minggang approached made many people present secretly pleased.

They felt that even if the other party represented Chinese capital, they shouldn't expect to easily integrate into Hollywood.

Who would have thought that less than half an incense stick's time had passed before Nolan's expression changed.

Seeing the two chatting happily, some people inquired and soon the conversation between Xu Ming and Nolan spread to the ears of everyone else present.

What is the connection between the ring and reality?

No, what decent person watches a movie and has nothing better to do than pay attention to when or whether the male lead is wearing a ring?

That's quite a sophisticated way to flatter someone.

"You are more mature than a Chinese filmmaker when it comes to science fiction films."

Nolan sighed, then said, "I didn't mean any discrimination, you should understand."

The two of them had just had a long discussion about science fiction movies.

With his extensive film viewing experience from his previous life and his knowledge of Nolan's later works, Xu Ming was able to have a lively and engaging conversation with the other party.

Many aspects even inspired Nolan.

"Of course, we are indeed far behind Hollywood in this regard, but Chinese films are catching up, and I believe that one day we will be able to establish a similar film industry."

Xu Ming spoke firmly, saying that in his previous life, Guo Fan was able to create the "Wandering Earth" series all by himself, and with his support in this life, they would only go further.

"With filmmakers like you in China, that day won't be far off," Nolan said with a smile.

He felt as if he saw himself in Xu Ming.

Despite his Hollywood connections, as a Londoner, he has often mentored English filmmakers.

Both Bale and Tom were English, as was Cillian Murphy, the male lead in "Oppenheimer".

He firmly believes that movies have no borders, but filmmakers do.

Xu Ming's undisguised dedication to the development of Chinese cinema further endeared him to Xu Ming.

In this respect, the other party was different from other Chinese actors he had met.

"Lend your blessings."

Xu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Although Chinese science fiction films are still developing, our science fiction literature is not without foundation. I would like to solemnly recommend a Chinese science fiction writer to you, Liu Cixin."

His works won the Galaxy Award from 1999 to 2006, the highest award in Chinese science fiction.

At this time, Liu Cixin had not yet won the Hugo Award and was not yet well-known in the international arena.

If it can gain Nolan's approval, it may attract more international attention and increase the value of the IP.

Yes, Qiming has now acquired all the film and television adaptation rights to Liu Cixin's works.

The more famous the other party is, the more he will gain.

"Liu Cixin... I'll remember that name."

Nolan repeated the tongue-twisting name and nodded: "Are you interested in joining the screenwriting team for my new movie? This movie was originally spearheaded by Spielberg."

However, since DreamWorks moved from Paramount to Disney, it's been on hold, and I have to make many changes.

To be honest, Nolan's invitation was unexpected for Xu Ming.

He genuinely wanted to build a good relationship with the other party, but he didn't expect the results to be so outstanding.

I wanted to accept the invitation immediately.

That's Interstellar, a film that will be recorded in the history of science fiction films worldwide!
He hesitated for only a second before rejecting his previous thought.

If I remember correctly, the screenwriter of Interstellar was Jonathan Nolan, who is also Nolan's younger brother.

If I join the screenwriting team myself, I'll at most be responsible for some minor tasks.

Even though he was familiar with the plot of Interstellar, he didn't think he could replace Jonathan Nolan in Christopher Nolan's film crew.

In that case, there's not much point in him joining.

Thinking of this, Xu Ming shook his head amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd.

"I'm sorry, I may not have the time, but I can participate in the screenwriting work voluntarily. I will definitely do my best to help."

"If you still have any investment shares left in this project, you can also give them to me," Xu Ming said, neither humble nor arrogant.

The last sentence instantly brought everyone to their senses.

Yes, Xu Ming is not just a screenwriter; he is a representative of China Capital.

What they consider a valuable opportunity may not be important to others.

"I forgot you're not just a screenwriter. Perhaps I should consider adding a Chinese character in my future scripts," Nolan joked.

He didn't take Xu Ming's rejection seriously; Hollywood is never short of screenwriters, especially his screenwriting team.

Moreover, the other party's answer reminded him that he might need their help in the future, and that it wasn't just a one-way support from him.

This kind of mutually beneficial relationship is what makes it worthwhile for him to maintain.

(End of this chapter)