Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 200, Section 198: Taking Turns at the Top

November slipped away quietly, and the calendar turned to the last month of 1998.

The lingering effects of the financial crisis that swept across Asia are still felt, and its chill has permeated all aspects of society.

News reports frequently feature stories of businesses going bankrupt and workers being laid off, creating an atmosphere of caution and unease.

However, in subtle contrast to the sluggishness of the real economy, the cultural consumption sector has shown a resilience akin to the "lipstick effect," and even a hint of upward momentum against the trend.

The promotional campaign for "The Pursuit of Happyness" had already been fully launched in nine markets by the end of November.

After nearly a year of continuous efforts and market cultivation by multiple film studios, "Jiudi"—a distribution and screening network centered on Beijing and Tianjin and jointly built with film companies in seven cities in Jiangsu Province—has formed a relatively mature operating mechanism, with stable film scheduling and a gradually growing audience trust.

Posters at cinema entrances, in the culture and entertainment sections of local newspapers, and increasingly common bus body advertisements... The poster for "The Pursuit of Happyness," which emphasizes warmth and inspiration—featuring Ge You as Chen Jianguo wearing a slightly bulky old cotton-padded coat, standing on a snow-covered street with an unwavering glimmer of hope in his eyes, tightly holding a child's small hand—is ubiquitous.

The promotional slogans are also very persuasive: "Following '30 Days,' Wang Sheng releases another masterpiece!", "Ge You bids farewell to comedy, portraying a laid-off worker's desperate comeback!", "This winter, let happiness knock on your door!"

Benefiting from the sensational box office success of "30 Days" (which grossed nearly 100 million yuan) and Wang Sheng's reputation as the "King of New Year's Films" and "Box Office Golden Touch," the market has high expectations for "The Pursuit of Happiness," which is also positioned for the New Year's season.

Cinemas have been very proactive in scheduling screenings, media attention has been maximized, and audience curiosity has been fully aroused.

Although many film studios released new films this year and gained a share of the "nine regions market", it seems that an invisible hand completely and cleanly stripped away what is considered the best time for Chinese filmmakers at this time, leaving it to "The Pursuit of Happyness".

This is not an administrative order, but a pure market choice.

It is the instinctive reaction of other players to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages when faced with the golden brand of "Wang Sheng + Beijing Film Studio + Forbidden City Film Industry", based on a realistic assessment of the quality of their own films and their market appeal.

No one wanted to collide head-on with this flagship equipped with heavy firepower.

As a result, a brief, almost vacuum-like window of opportunity appeared in the early stages of the Lunar New Year film season in 1998.

All the spotlight and all the market potential seemed to be waiting for "The Pursuit of Happyness" to arrive, waiting for it to climb and conquer.

……

December 2nd, Wednesday.

There are still two days until the movie's release.

At 9:30 a.m., the heating in the Enlight Media conference room in the main building of Beijing Film Studio was on full blast, a stark contrast to the cold outside.

The long conference table was full of people.

Director Lee Kuo-li sat in the main seat, facing the projection screen.

To his left and right were two screenwriter representatives from Formosa International Communication Co., Ltd., and the project team from Enlight Media, led by Cai Yinong and including two mainland screenwriters.

Wang Sheng sat by the window, wearing a dark gray cashmere sweater, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed posture, holding a script outline and episode synopsis of "The Legendary Twins" in his hand, listening quietly.

The meeting had been going on for over an hour, mainly consisting of in-depth discussions between the two screenwriters regarding the adaptation of the script for "The Legendary Twins".

The initial draft brought by Zhenglong International basically followed the main storyline of Gu Long's original work, but it also had a distinct 1990s Taiwanese drama style—the pacing was slightly slow, some plots were melodramatic, and the roles of female characters, especially Tie Xinlan and Su Ying, although increased compared to the original work, still largely served the growth and grudges of the male protagonist, lacking independent character arcs.

Li Guoli led the discussion. He is experienced and respects the essence of the original work while also deeply understanding the changing aesthetic tastes of mainland audiences.

"Lin Zhiyin's Hua Wuque and Su Youpeng's Xiao Yu'er are a good match in terms of temperament, and we agree on that."

Li Guoli tapped the table with his pen: "However, what we need to consider now is the huge television audience in mainland China. Today's young people prefer stories with a faster pace, more concentrated conflicts, and more vivid characters."

A mainland screenwriter chimed in, “Yes, Director Li. We believe that the growth and grudges of the ‘Twin Heroes’ are the main storyline, but the development of female characters must be strengthened. Tie Xinlan cannot simply be a weak and fragile symbol wavering between two men. She comes from a martial arts family, has her own chivalry and principles, and her pain and choices should resonate more with contemporary women.”

Another mainland screenwriter added: "And then there's Su Ying. This character is outstanding. She has superb medical skills, is extremely intelligent, and has an eccentric yet affectionate personality. Her scenes could be bolder, and we could even design some plot points where she can drive the story forward and save the protagonist at crucial moments, rather than just being a 'tool' who comes out to clean up the mess at the end."

At first, Zhenglong's screenwriters were somewhat insistent, but in the face of the market data, audience analysis, and cooperation terms (Zhenglong strongly promoted Lin Su) presented by Li Guoli and Cai Yinong, they gradually changed their attitude.

After all, nobody wants to go against the market or against money.

The discussion atmosphere went from being slightly reserved at the beginning, to heated exchanges, and then to gradually reaching a consensus, becoming enthusiastic and efficient.

Wang Sheng mostly listened, but occasionally he would interject with a concise sentence or two at key points, which often hit the nail on the head and made the discussion clearer.

For example, when the two sides disagreed on how to portray the scenes in "Valley of Villains," Wang Sheng put down the materials in his hand and said calmly, "The scenes in Valley of Villains should highlight the 'truth within evil,' rather than simply seeking novelty. Those villains can be hateful, but not detestable; they should even have a touch of pathos and amusement. This is the essence of Gu Long's style, and it's what attracts young audiences."

In one sentence, the tone of the adaptation was set.

As the meeting drew to a close, the main directions for the adaptation, the strengthening of character development, and the adjustment of the pacing had been basically clarified.

The new script will be revised within a month by a joint team of screenwriters from both sides, based on the existing first draft. The goal is to create a martial arts drama that retains the charm of Gu Long's martial arts novels, caters to the tastes of contemporary audiences, and features more well-developed and three-dimensional female characters.

Li Guoli gave a concluding speech, then looked at Wang Sheng, who had remained silent, and asked, "Mr. Wang, what do you think of this direction?"

All eyes were on Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng closed the folder in his hand, gently placed it on the table, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "Hmm, not bad. Let's proceed with this approach. Polish the document as soon as possible and get the project approved."

That simple sentence made everyone present secretly breathe a sigh of relief, especially the two screenwriters from Zhenglong International, whose faces showed expressions of relief.

To them, Wang Sheng's "not bad" was no less than an imperial edict.

Cai Yinong immediately took over the conversation and began to assign tasks and arrange the next work progress and time nodes for the screenwriting team.

After the matter was discussed, the atmosphere in the meeting room became much more relaxed.

Everyone started packing up their things, preparing to adjourn the meeting.

Cai Yinong seemed to suddenly remember something, walked to Wang Sheng's side, and asked in a low voice, "President Wang, the direction of the script has been decided, so what are your thoughts on the casting of the female lead Tie Xinlan and the second female lead Su Ying?"

Wang Sheng said almost without hesitation, as if the answer had been lingering in his mind for a long time: "The female lead is Tie Xinlan, played by Fan Xiaopang. The second female lead is Su Ying, played by Gao Yuanyuan."

His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the gradually quieting conference room.

Cai Yinong was slightly taken aback.

Fan Xiaopang and Gao Yuanyuan are both trainees under the company, with good potential, and they even participated in "Beijing Bicycle," marking their first experience on screen. However, entrusting such an important project as "The Legendary Twins" with the lead and second lead roles to these two newcomers who haven't officially debuted yet, and whose fame and acting skills are far inferior to Cecilia Cheung's…

Moreover, she originally thought that with Cecilia Cheung's current popularity and her bright yet somewhat heroic appearance, both Tie Xinlan and Su Ying seemed to be excellent choices.

Even if she doesn't play the lead role, a cameo appearance in an important character can greatly enhance the series.

However, Wang Sheng didn't mention Cecilia Cheung at all.

Cai Yinong's gaze quickly swept over Wang Sheng's calm and expressionless face. Countless thoughts raced through her mind, but in the end, she didn't ask any more questions. She simply nodded and replied crisply, "Okay, Mr. Wang. I understand. I will arrange the contact and contract matters as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)