Huayu: Are you even sitting up straight? You're going to be the director?

Chapter 107 Boiling Point! Fan Bingbing Takes Center Stage!

Dante Lam spotted a big, thick leg and wanted to hug it tightly.

Before reading the script, Dante Lam thought this was a good opportunity for him to enter the mainland market.

After reading the script, Dante Lam knew that this was not just an opportunity, but a ladder to the top of mainland Chinese directors.

So what if someone is an assistant director? An assistant director is still a director!
Don't underestimate the importance of leaders!

Therefore, he never talks about whether he has confidence or not.

Even if it costs him his life, he will make this movie a success and make it his masterpiece.

Dante Lam's attitude was very direct; he decided on the spot to leave the Hong Kong entertainment circle and embrace his ancestors.

His words were clear and unequivocal, directly stating that he wanted to become a member of China Film Group and a member of Cao Zhong's faction.

Cao Zhong was quite happy about Dante Lam's involvement, as he knew very well that Lam was a highly capable director of patriotic films with a total box office exceeding 10 billion yuan.

Han Sanpin, however, had some doubts, wondering if Cao Zhong had acted too hastily.

This guy is a well-known figure in the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and he even won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director before. How could he kneel down so quickly?
After Dante Lam left, Han Sanpin asked Cao Zhong:

"You really think highly of him? This guy doesn't have the presence of Chen Kexin and John Woo, does that mean he's incompetent?"

Cao Zhong stabbed Han Sanpin, "You call it having ability when you take down MGM's John Woo?"

Han Sanpin felt uncomfortable being blocked.

He was looked down upon by the eagle!
……

Cao Zhong chose Dante Lam out of necessity, seeking a commercial film director willing to work tirelessly.

He did want to choose Guo Fan, but Guo Fan certainly doesn't have the ability of Dante Lam right now.

Choosing Tsui Hark clearly means Cao Zhong can't completely suppress him. Besides, this guy is prone to making a scene whenever things don't go his way.

Dante Lam's previous box office success of 10 billion was purely due to relentless hard work.

Although there have been failures, the main problem with the failure of "Operation Jiaolong" was not with Dante Lam.
Previously, Bona Film Group thrived on a formula of "mainstream ideology + heavy industry."

However, more and more new films have become formulaic and formulaic, thinking that high-cost heavy industry can bring high returns. They simply pile up nuclear submarines and ignore script innovation. Not only do they lack the appeal, core and emotional resonance of the past, but they also morally blackmail the audience. In the end, they lost a lot of money. It can only be said that Bona suffered the consequences of its own actions.

How can one type of product possibly sustain itself for ten years?

Even the Fast and Furious franchise has new plots every year. How much more so patriotic films? If you have a story to tell, that's fine, but if you fabricate it, you'll become a target and a loophole in the eyes of those who hate the country. You deserve to die.

After finalizing the casting with Dante Lam, Cao Zhong felt relieved and no longer worried about directing.

As for the photographer, Cao Zhong found Zhao Xiaoding through Wang Hongwei's introduction.

One of Zhang Yimou's go-to cinematographers, he served as assistant cinematographer for films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower, and even handled many of the cinematography himself, so there were no technical issues with his work.

The National Day holiday has just ended, and the film crew has been fully assembled.

Cao Zhong began casting, while the crew went to Nanjing to help with set construction and prop preparations before filming began.

……

The main characters in "We Live in Nanjing" include the male lead Bai Yang, the female lead Ban Xia, and the important radio trio.
That is, Bai Yang's father, Bai Zhen, and his two friends.

One is named Wang Ning, and the other is named Zhao Bowen.
Bai Zhen is a staff member of the radio monitoring station, Zhao Bowen is a professor in the Department of Physics at Nanjing University, and Wang Ning is the head of the NJ City Radio Management Committee Office.

There is also a female character named Lian Qiao, who is an important supporting character.

According to the storyline, before the apocalypse, Lian Qiao was one of the soldiers carrying out the apocalypse rescue plan.

After the apocalypse, Lianqiao was the teacher who raised the baby Banxia until she was three years old. Because of her accidental death, Banxia became the last person in the apocalypse.

Cao Zhong actually had someone in mind for the role of Bai Yang long ago, and he took on the role himself.

Bai Yang is an ordinary senior high school student, honest and not talkative, which perfectly matches his image.
Moreover, if Cao Zhong wanted to generate maximum buzz for the film's promotion, his personal starring role was undoubtedly the best choice.

Professor Zhao Bowen has his eye on Chen Daoming, considering him a key strategist and scientific advisor for the rescue plan. Cao Zhong believes Chen Daoming's image is very fitting.

I happen to have the resume that Wang Jinghua sent me earlier.

Cao Zhong made a phone call to inquire about Wang Jinghua and Chen Daoming's availability. After clarifying the time and the approximate role, Wang Jinghua readily agreed, without even needing to read the script.
No need to say anything more. A director with a budget of 400 million yuan personally invited him. Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to Cao Zhong.

Cao Zhong called Wang Zhiwen to inquire about Wang Ning's role.

Upon answering the phone and learning that the person on the other end was Cao Zhong, Wang Zhiwen quickly expressed his willingness to cooperate. Cao Zhong had considered the role of Bai Yang's father for a long time, rejecting several actors including Zhang Guoli, Li Youbin, Liu Peiqi, and You Yongzhi.

Cao Zhong suddenly thought of Wang Jinsong, so he contacted the NJ City Drama Troupe. Wang Jinsong didn't even ask what role he was playing and readily agreed.

Cao Zhong had actually considered Yang Mi for the role of Lian Qiao, but he gave up on the option because of the box office potential.

Regarding the female characters, "My Disqualified Daughter" will definitely be released first, and the popularity of Jing Tian depends on the results.

Therefore, one must be extremely careful when selecting forsythia.

I just happened to remember the resume Huang Xiaoming had handed me, and I thought of the dashing female soldier from the TV series "Sky Hunter" in my past life.

Fan Bingbing's popularity is indeed what this movie needs.

So Cao Zhong dialed Fan Bingbing's number.

"toot toot"

"Hello, who is this?" A questioning voice came from the other end of the phone, a very sweet voice.

"I am Cao Zhong," Cao Zhong said succinctly.

Fan Bingbing was stunned when she heard the answer.

"Director Cao... Director Cao."

"Huang Xiaoming gave me your phone number before. I think you are very suitable for a role in my new movie and I would like to invite you to act in it. But let me make it clear beforehand, you are the second female lead. You can consider it."

Cao Zhong likes to speak his mind; he doesn't need another role.
Not to brag, Cao Zhong wouldn't dare say he could just send whoever he wanted to play this role, but he was certain that at least 90% of the cast would want to come.

Only the big flower didn't want to.

Cao Zhong also didn't want to release the audition information.
Since this movie is to be kept secret, it must be kept secret to the very end.

Fan Bingbing hesitated for a moment: "Why can't I be the female lead?"

Cao Zhongdao said, "You're getting old."

On the other end of the phone, Fan Bingbing was so angry she laughed.

She's only 26, in the prime of her life, the most beautiful age for a woman, and the young man opposite her actually said she's too old?

Whether I'm old or not, why don't you try out the screen?

That's hilarious!

Fan Bingbing's face turned green, and she was so angry that her chest swelled up, but her words were very sincere.

"Which movie is it? Is it the movie that Mr. Yu from Bona Film Group mentioned?"

Cao Zhongdao: "Yes."

Fan Bingbing's breathing became heavy, and after a moment's hesitation, she said:

"I don't like being stepped on to get ahead; I only like riding on other people's heads. Can I be considered a guest star?"

Fan Bingbing was also very sincere; she didn't want Cao Zhong to misjudge her.

She didn't want to give up this opportunity to contact Cao Zhong, nor did she want to promote other female celebrities.

In a short time, Fan Bingbing believed she had come up with the best solution: a cameo appearance.

"It's up to you." Cao Zhong didn't care, he just wanted to ride on Fan Bingbing's popularity, he didn't care how she acted.

"I'll take this role."

Fan Bingbing gave an affirmative answer.

The next morning.

Chengying Pictures, China Film Group, and others jointly released Cao Zhongxin's film project, "We Live in Nanjing".
The main characters are listed in order: Jing Tian, ​​Chen Daoming, Fan Bingbing, Wang Zhiwen, and Wang Jinsong.
The male lead is Cao Zhong!
"Direct and act on your own?"

"And the title is really 'We Live in Nanjing'?!"

The news caused an uproar online!

The public outcry was immediate!
(End of this chapter)