Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 536 can also boost the tourism industry.
Matsunaga Hideki, well, that is, Mr. Matsunaga who lives in Kyoto.

As a professor at Kyoto University, Matsunaga Hideki's family has a long history and a uniquely Kyoto-style mansion.

Matsunaga Hideki had made his voice heard during the preparation of Nara Film Studio and when Taniguchi made his move in Okinawa.

Matsunaga Hideki claims to be a descendant of Matsunaga Hisahide.

Whether he is or not is unimportant, anyway, he claims to be.

At that moment, Matsunaga Hideki was sightseeing in Nara with his wife.

"We've finally arrived! This must be it!"

Dressed in hiking gear and holding a trekking pole, Matsunaga Hideki looked at the wall in front of him.

Yes, that's exactly the kind of city it is!
I never imagined the newspaper advertisement was true; Kadokawa really did build a city just for making a movie!

Of course, Matsunaga Hideki thought this castle was obviously lacking and did not conform to historical design. For example, it only had a main keep without outer fortifications, and the design between the main keep was exaggerated, which did not conform to the characteristics of defensive fortifications.

but.

Making a movie!
Matsunaga Hideki wasn't crazy enough to connect the virtual and the real world.

"They actually built a city!"

Matsunaga Hideki waved his cane and stepped forward.

Filming has now ended, and the only person left here is an elderly security guard hired by the local government of Yamato-Koriyama City.

The old security guard was momentarily taken aback when faced with Matsunaga Hideki and his wife.

"Excuse me, what do you two do for a living...?"

"Just a tourist passing by."

Matsunaga Hideki started rummaging through his wallet.

He came along because his wife was coming; he was willing to spend any amount of money as long as his wife was happy.

This is probably a characteristic of people from the Kansai region.

They are generally easily swayed.

However, the old security guard was dumbfounded by what he heard.

Oh, no!

This is a film set, what are tourists here for?

I've never heard of any tourists coming here!

He quickly apologized while making a phone call to report the matter.

It was a very small matter, but it was reported through the layers of government and eventually reached the mayor of Yamato-Koriyama City.

The newly appointed mayor was dumbfounded.

There is such a thing!

They were filming a movie here, and tourists actually came to visit!
We absolutely must receive tourists! Without receiving tourists, how can Yamato-Koriyama City achieve its impressive GDP growth?

The order was passed down through the layers of management, and by the time it reached the old security guard, half an hour had passed.

The old security guard was dumbfounded after hearing just a few words.

The person in front of us, Matsunaga Hideki, is a professor at Kyoto University and holds a prestigious position, so soon a special person who participated in the construction of the castle will come to guide us.

Of course, we still need to pay for tickets, to get off to a good start!

The Japanese also believe in a good start!
Matsunaga Hideki was initially a little annoyed, after all, he had waited for more than half an hour to get a reply.

But when the tour guide appeared in front of him, Matsunaga Hideki's mood instantly brightened.

That's great! You can visit a filming location, see all the mechanisms and designs from the movie, observe them live, and even have a guide explain everything!

And each person only had to pay 3,800 yen for a ticket!

The visit was great!

Our tour guide was a local from Yamato-Koriyama City, a worker who had participated in the construction of the castle and also played a minor role as a demon soldier. He spoke fluently and knowledgeably about the subject.

"This city gate was used to film the scene where Inukai Genpachi died in battle. To create that effect, special stones made of foam were used and lowered down from above. That shot was filmed more than twenty times. Actor Ryudo Daigo even bled because he was hit on the head by the corner of a prop."

"Yes, this pool is where Inuzuka Shino and her lover died together. Her lover's body was stolen and turned into a puppet. Inuzuka Shino was the most heartbroken. In that case, she died a worthy death. The scene where the two rolled into the pool was filmed live, but the underwater scenes used special techniques and some computer special effects. I don't know the specifics."

"And here."

The tour guide spoke eloquently, and Matsunaga Hideki nodded repeatedly, feeling that the ticket price was worthwhile.

When he returned to the hotel to rest in the evening, Matsunaga Hideki wrote a travelogue and prepared to send it back to Kyoto for reporting.

This place is really fun! I recommend all tourists come and see it! You can even see movie-making techniques; it's definitely worth the ticket price!

……

……

According to news reports from Nara.

A week after the movie's release, hundreds of tourists flocked to Nara to visit the filming locations and see the castle.

A hundred tourists isn't a lot, and each person's ticket only costs 3,800 yen, but it still made headlines in the local media for a while.

Who would have thought that making a movie would generate such revenue! It even attracts tourists!
Yamato-Koriyama City must be feeling the best. They did nothing and got a tourist attraction for free. Before and after the castle was built, before and after filming, they also earned a lot of GDP.

Ikoma City regrets it the most.

These were originally their tourist attractions!

Tokyo, Ginza, Chicken Original Flavor Restaurant.

The crew drank heavily to celebrate the victory. "Although Mr. Kinji Fukasaku isn't here today, we'll still raise a glass to the director!"

Gu Ming raised his glass, and everyone else immediately followed suit.

Everyone except Koizumi drank alcohol.

Koizumi doesn't drink alcohol because he has to drive.

Haruki Kadokawa sat casually to one side. Although he hadn't expected this to happen at first, he quickly realized what was going on and immediately began to promote the product.

After all, that city cost a lot of money! And it was all his money!

"While everyone's in high spirits, I have some good news to share, to make things even more exciting," said Haruki Kadokawa. "We've received the first-day ration revenue report for Satomi Hakkenden! According to statistics from various regions, the ration revenue for the first day was 510 million yen! The national first-week figures aren't out yet, but the first-week ration revenue for the Tokyo area is already in, at 800 million yen!"

Based on this calculation, after the film's run ends, the domestic distribution revenue will be around three billion.

The actual box office revenue was about double the allocated revenue, which is six billion!
Gu Ming quickly calculated in his mind and breathed a sigh of relief.

That’s great!

Because the original Japanese ration income for Satomi Hakkenden was around 2 billion yen, the exact figure is different.

Now, the ration income has increased by half.

Of course, the film's investment was also enormous, costing several hundred million yen, making it one of the more expensive films ever made in Japan.

Kadokawa Haruki put his arm around Tani Akira's shoulder, appearing increasingly intimate.

The success of a film can be attributed to many factors, but no matter how you look at it, Gu Ming's efforts are undeniable.

"What a pity, Brother Furuya, you're a man. If you were a woman, I would definitely marry you!"

Gu Ming pushed his hand away.

"Don't say such strange things. Put yourself in my shoes. It's a pity you're a man. If you were a woman, a mature woman in your forties, I might be willing to die for you."

Haruki Kadokawa chuckled: "You can do that now if you want."

"about……"

Gu Ming couldn't resist the urge to raise his wrist and punch Kadokawa Haruki.

"Let's leave the jokes aside. We agreed on a timeframe and five movies, and two have already been filmed. If we don't count the time for Satomi Hakkenden, we still have a year and a half left... I hope Furuya-kun hasn't forgotten yet."

Gu Ming nodded slightly.

Of course I didn't forget it.

He still owes Haruki Kadokawa approximately 3 billion yen.

However, Gu Ming was not worried at all.

Because the yen has already started to appreciate rapidly.

Although Satomi Hakkenden was a great success, this film was essentially a favor to repay. It was made by Haruki Kadokawa to promote his books, and it wasn't actually a film by Akira Tani. Therefore, this film is not included in this list.

In total, of the 3 billion yen in allocated revenue, Gu Ming would probably only receive 300 to 400 million yen. This includes film fees, performance fees, and the remuneration of various actors, extras, and assassins within the agency.

There was no profit sharing – because this wasn't his movie, he was just an actor.

As they chatted and laughed, Gu Ming held a small wine glass, and his thoughts gradually calmed down.

As for Jackie Chan, now that his godfather and Golden Harvest have agreed, they can start arranging a film for the two of them.

But when it comes to films featuring two actors, both of whom deliver outstanding performances, Gu Ming can only think of Infernal Affairs at the first opportunity.

It's obvious... Infernal Affairs isn't suitable for them.

Gu Ming couldn't even imagine himself standing on the rooftop talking to Cheng Long. "Sorry, I'm a police officer!"
What will it be like?

The reverse is also strange!
Moreover, although the movie Infernal Affairs was very famous, people later said that it was the last glory of Hong Kong cinema.

However, Infernal Affairs was not that popular overseas.

The American version of Infernal Affairs and the Korean version of New World actually became popular.

Ultimately, it's because the themes contained in Infernal Affairs are too profound and not suitable for overseas audiences to watch.

In particular, the psychological entanglement between the two factions, as depicted in Infernal Affairs, is reduced to just one word in the American version.

Fake!

The two sides are locked in a fierce battle!

Therefore, Infernal Affairs is definitely not an option.

"We need a suitable film. I don't have any ideas right now, but I need to see if I can get a suitable script!"

Gu Ming secretly noted it down.

As for his third film, it was of course a waste of resources. He used the remaining costumes, props, and the Demon King's Castle from Satomi Hakkenden to make Onimusha.

He plays Takeshi Kaneshiro!
No.

He plays Akechi Samanosuke!
Of course, Gu Ming cannot completely recreate the game content in the film, but he still plans to use the main storyline of the first three parts of the game, the protagonist Akechi Samanosuke, and the secondary character Yagyu Jubei, to lead to a subplot involving the modern era. Originally, this role was to be played by French actor Jean Reno, but now Gu Ming plans to test the waters and find Brother Biao to play it.

The Japanese really love Yuen Biao.

The plot of the new Onimusha can be saved for a sequel, or used later when other actors need to be promoted.

"But no matter what, I need to take a good rest for a while!"

Gu Ming stretched.

He's been running around doing promotions lately, it must be exhausting. He definitely needs to take a good rest!

(End of this chapter)