Entertainment: Who still wants to fall in love when there are cheats?

Chapter 250 An Awesome Reporter

With the New Year over, filming for the movie "The Holy Grail War" is about to begin.

Because much of the work had already been completed before the Lunar New Year, the crew immediately set off after the holiday and flew directly to Hong Kong.

The Hollywood actors had already been booked, so after Li Boda and the crew arrived in Hong Kong, they all flew there as well. (I'm not familiar with the situation in Hollywood, so I don't know many of the stars, especially after Puff Daddy, I've become even less interested in following it, so I've simply skipped over casting.)
As for the actors, needless to say, Li Boda will play Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo.

Fan Bingbing plays Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

Zhao Zilong and Li Boda sought out He Rundong.

The remaining four heroic spirits.

Emilia Clarke plays King Arthur, Artoria, and also plays Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Because it's a TV series, although she has some fame, her salary isn't high, only two million US dollars.

Legendary Pictures cast Keanu Reeves as Liberty Bosh instead of John Wilkes Booth.

To be honest, when Li Boda first heard Keanu Reeves, his first reaction was, "Don't use him, he's too expensive!"

After all, Keanu Reeves' performance in "The Matrix" series was absolutely phenomenal. Back in 2003, his salary was already $15 million; now, in 2014, who knows how much higher it must be.

However, people from Legendary Pictures told Li Boda that Keanu Reeves' salary was not high, only one million US dollars!

When Li Boda heard that his salary was only one million US dollars, he was stunned. How could it be so low?
Later, Li Boda learned from Legendary Pictures that although Keanu Reeves was a huge star after "The Matrix," that was in 03. His subsequent films didn't maintain that level of success, so his salary kept decreasing, and now it's down to between one and two million US dollars. (His salary for "John Wick," his first film in 14, was also between one and two million US dollars, according to the author's research.)
Upon hearing the salary, Li Boda had no hesitation; it was the one. Moreover, Li Boda felt that the name John was particularly suitable for Keanu Reeves, as if it were tailor-made for him.

As for the actor who plays the role of Washington, the one recommended by Lionsgate, Li Boda was also surprised – it was Trump!
A billionaire who made it onto the Forbes list is now acting in a movie.

Well, Trump actually acted in movies and TV series quite a long time ago, so he can be considered a professional actor.

As for why he was recommended to play the role of Washington, the first president of the United States, it's because he wants to run for president of the United States next year. So when he heard that there was a presidential role available, he came here specifically to play it. As for the salary, it was naturally not high, only one million US dollars.

As for the final Gilgamesh, he was played by Chris Evans.

Because of his roles in "Captain America" ​​and "The Avengers," his salary was higher than others, but it was still only six million US dollars, which was within Li Boda's acceptable range.

However, although the individual salaries of these people are not high, the total amount they receive is not small.

So, among the remaining foreign actors, Li Boda only chose Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who played Harry Potter. The reason for choosing him was that after filming the Harry Potter series in 12, most of the movies he made afterward were not very good and lacked box office appeal, so his salary was significantly reduced. However, even with the reduction, he still received a salary of ten million US dollars.

Daniel Radcliffe plays the role of Gilgamesh's Master.

As for the Masters of the characters Washington and John Wilkes Booth, Li Boda found two actors who weren't very famous in Hollywood. Each of them only received a salary of $100,000, which was considered a bonus.

For the role of Artoria Pendragon's Master, Li Boda chose Andy Lau.

Zhao Zilong, the spearman, is played by Wen Yongshan.

The Berserker Minamoto no Yorimitsu's Master is Chen Weiting.

Finally, Li Boda played Su Shi's master. Of course, Li Boda chose one of his own people, Zhao Liying, to play the role. Her character was a foodie.

The salaries for these roles, including several Hollywood and British actors, totaled around twenty million US dollars.

As for Zhao Liying's salary, because she was one of their own, Li Boda directly gave her the maximum amount, 20 million US dollars.

Li Boda's salary remained unchanged at ten million US dollars. After all, Li Boda only starred in the first two installments of "Infinite Terror," and the film "Chu Xuan" didn't achieve particularly high box office numbers, so it's normal that his salary was slightly lower than Zhao Liying's. However, this only covers Li Boda's salary; his directorial and screenwriting fees are included in the film's box office revenue sharing.

As for Andy Lau, his salary wasn't low either, it was 20 million, but not in US dollars, it was in RMB. Converted to US dollars, that's about 3 million US dollars.

Fan Bingbing's salary was even lower, at 1.5 million US dollars.

Chen Weiting received a salary of 500,000 US dollars for her role in "Infinite Terror 1".

As for Janice Man, well, a mere $100,000 will suffice.

In addition, there are the salaries for supporting roles.

The actors in this "Holy Grail War" film received a staggering $55 million in salaries.

Including filming costs, special effects, and post-production promotion, the total investment reached a staggering $120 million.

The total investment was $120 million.

Therefore, even if this "Holy Grail War" were made in Hollywood, it would definitely be a big-budget production.

Among domestic directors, only Li Boda has such a large-scale production. The investors have no objections at all. They even think that the investment is not high enough. If Li Boda is willing, they can even add more investment.

However, in Li Boda's view, an investment of 120 million US dollars is more than enough.

After all, adding more costs would simply mean choosing more expensive actors.

In Li Boda's opinion, the current cast is more than enough.

……

When Li Boda and his entourage arrived in Hong Kong, countless reporters, media outlets, and even some bosses and celebrities from the entertainment industry immediately appeared, showing great enthusiasm.

Just like Yang Shoucheng, the boss of Yinghuang, he directly invited Li Boda to a party, and even told Li Boda that no matter which actress Li Boda took a fancy to, she would be sent to him that night.

To be honest, Li Boda didn't want to do this kind of thing either, but he was just too enthusiastic, really too enthusiastic.

It wasn't just bosses like Albert Yeung; the actresses in Hong Kong were also incredibly enthusiastic. Li Boda couldn't let them down, so that very night, three actresses went into his room.

cough cough.

These are all minor matters, not worth mentioning. The important thing is still filming.

Once everyone arrived in Hong Kong, the opening ceremony for the Holy Grail War officially began.

Previously, whether Li Boda was filming in mainland China, Hollywood, or Japan, he always held such an opening ceremony. Moreover, the larger the crew, the more grand the opening ceremony was.

However, compared to the opening ceremony of the Holy Grail War, the previous opening ceremonies seemed a bit too formalistic.

It wasn't as solemn or serious.

The actors from mainland China, Hollywood, and the UK, including Li Boda, were alright, but the local Hong Kong actors and supporting actors truly gave people a very solemn and respectful feeling.

Devotion, yes, that's it!
As a result, Li Boda and his companions, without even realizing it, also began to become devout.

Then came the Q&A session with reporters.

To be honest, Li Boda had encountered some sharp-tongued reporters before, but compared to these Hong Kong reporters, he felt that the reporters he had met before were completely harmless.

The questions these reporters asked were incredibly sharp.

Besides movies, they also ask all sorts of questions, the more tricky and unanswerable the better.

Some reporters even directly asked Li Boda why he chose Wen Yongshan instead of Rong Zuer or Cai Shaofen from Hong Kong when selecting Hong Kong actresses, suggesting it was because Wen Yongshan was better in bed and made him feel more comfortable.

Hearing this question again, Li Boda was completely bewildered.

A reporter even asked Li Boda if he had ever experienced the "techniques" of his Hong Kong girlfriends, and who was better at it. What should have been a proper press conference turned into an embarrassing situation for Li Boda.

……

"Liying, when we're filming later, you—uh, never mind, just play yourself." Li Boda originally wanted to give Zhao Liying some advice, but considering Zhao Liying's personality and habits, and thinking about the film they were going to shoot next, Li Boda didn't say anything more.

Zhao Liying chuckled, looking particularly happy.

"Exon!"

The scene was officially filmed. Zhao Liying was walking down the street with a backpack on her back and her eyes shining. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she ran to a roadside stall.

"It smells so good, boss! What is this? Is it delicious?" Zhao Liying stared intently at the food on the food stall with her big eyes, and her mouth was already watering as she spoke.

"This is stinky sausage, of course it's delicious, beautiful lady. Let me tell you, I've been making this for twenty years..."

"Boss, give me one, quick, give me one!"

The boss quickly prepared a plate of stinky sausage for Zhao Liying. Holding the sausage, Zhao Liying eagerly picked up her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. After taking a bite, Zhao Liying's already large eyes suddenly became even rounder, her eyes filled with undisguised delight.

In no time at all, Zhao Liying had devoured half of the stinky intestines.

"Cut! That's enough, Liying, put it down, put it down! There are still many scenes where you have to eat, don't eat too much, otherwise we won't be able to film the rest." After Li Boda yelled "Cut," he saw Zhao Liying still putting food into her mouth and quickly called out.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liying reluctantly put down the stinky sausage in her hand: "Director, this is quite delicious, hahaha."

Even if it's delicious, you should know when to stop.

Next, Zhao Liying embarked on a journey of insatiable eating, stuffing all sorts of delicious food into her mouth.

The camera kept filming various foods, and it was even using a filter mode, trying to capture the color, aroma, and taste of the food.

Then the camera was pointed at Zhao Liying, filming her mouth as she ate.

The photos look amazing!
As a result, everyone in the crew, watching Zhao Liying film, unconsciously started to feel hungry and craving food, and then their mouths watered uncontrollably.

The foreign actors, in particular, were filled with curiosity and longing for what Zhao Liying ate. Almost every time Zhao Liying finished filming a scene where she was eating, they would follow her and order a portion of the food she ate during filming so they could eat it too.

……

Holding a bowl of stinky tofu, Zhao Liying stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, as if she had witnessed something unbelievable. Her eyes were filled with surprise and even fear as she realized she had mistakenly entered the arena where heroic spirits were fighting.

Even at this moment, Zhao Liying was still subconsciously using a skewer to stick a piece of stinky tofu into her mouth.

"Cut! Not bad, Liying, your acting is getting better and better."

……

Zhao Liying's clothes were torn in several places, and she was covered in blood. She looked disheveled, panicked, fearful, and even desperate. However, she was still holding a piece of food in her hand and did not let go of it.

Beneath Zhao Liying's feet was a seemingly mysterious magic circle.

The next moment, Zhao Liying seemed to be blinded by the bright light and subconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes.

"Tell me, are you my Masta?" Li Boda, dressed in a Taoist robe, stood in front of Zhao Liying and asked leisurely. However, after seeing the wounds and bloodstains on Zhao Liying's body, he frowned slightly, pinched his fingers, and a yellow talisman appeared at his fingertips. With a flick of his wrist, the talisman lit up and was thrown towards Zhao Liying.

Zhao Liying instinctively raised her hand to protect herself as soon as she lowered it.

"Card!"

……

"Is your cooking really that amazing? Can you really make so many delicious dishes?" Zhao Liying looked at Li Boda with shining eyes.

"Of course, don't you know that the famous Dongpo pork was my creation?" Li Boda said with a proud look.

"Of course I know, I've eaten a lot of Dongpo pork, it's so delicious, that soft and tender texture—gudong, as the inventor of Dongpo pork, isn't your Dongpo pork even more delicious?"

"Of course! I am a culinary master, and I can turn any ingredient into something magical in my hands. Dongpo pork is my specialty!"

“Then, I’ll leave my three meals a day to you.” Zhao Liying’s eyes lit up.

"No, I was summoned to participate in the Holy Grail War. You want me to be responsible for your three meals a day and to be your cook?"

"What's wrong with being a chef? I never wanted to participate in the Holy Grail War, nor did I ever think about the Holy Grail. I just love eating all kinds of delicious food. Su Shi, I command you with a spell to be in charge of my three meals a day from now on!"

"Huh? You, you really are really willful! You used up a command spell just like that?" Li Boda looked at Zhao Liying with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

……

After filming began, almost all of the scenes shot were for Zhao Liying. The reason why only her scenes were filmed was because Zhao Liying not only had to film "The Holy Grail War", but also "Infinite Terror 4" later.

In order to coordinate well and not delay the filming of "Infinite Terror 4", Li Boda had to pull out Zhao Liying's scenes and film them ahead of schedule.

Even so, before Zhao Liying's scenes were finished, filming for "Infinite Terror 4" had already begun.

However, just like with Li Boda's "The Holy Grail War," where Zhao Liying's scenes were deliberately filmed in advance, the "Infinite Terror 4" crew will concentrate Zhao Liying's scenes for later filming.

This way, the filming schedules of the two films can be staggered. After filming for "The Holy Grail War" is completed, Zhao Liying can go directly to the set of "Infinite Terror 4" to film.

That way, no one has to delay anyone else.

And the movie "Infinite Terror 4" is exactly what Li Boda had in mind.

Tsui Hark will continue to direct this film, but this will be his last time directing the "Infinite Terror" film series.

After all, Tsui Hark is really not young anymore. This year, he is already 64 years old. Directing the "Infinite Terror" film series is about the end of his career. If he continues to direct the "Infinite Terror" film series, he will inevitably feel the strain.

And most importantly, Tsui Hark also has his own movies he wants to make.

While "Infinite Terror 4" is incredibly impressive, both in terms of its storyline and special effects, that doesn't mean Tsui Hark didn't have his own ideas.

He came to direct the "Infinite Terror" film series because he wanted to learn from it.

Having directed two "Infinite Terror" films, he had learned everything he needed to. Next, naturally, he began to film what he wanted to film.

He also needs to give himself some time.

Xu Shanzheng, on the other hand, went to the set of "Infinite Terror 4" to serve as assistant director.

Xu Shanzheng went to the set to learn. As a mentor, he followed the set throughout the entire filming process and learned from the crew. Later, when "Infinite Terror 5" was being filmed, Xu Shanzheng took the opportunity to become the director.

Everything went according to Li Boda's plan.

Both Xu Ke and Xu Shanzheng were very happy to accept this arrangement.

Even Xu Shanzheng, like Li Boda and Xu Ke, also directed two films in the "Infinite Terror" series. With this experience, he began to make the films he wanted to make again.

(End of this chapter)