Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 512, Section 510: Havoc in Heaven

January 29, 2004, the eighth day of the first month of the Jia Shen year in the lunar calendar.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year in Beijing has not completely dissipated; the streets and alleys still retain the sulfurous smell of firecracker debris and the bright red imprints of lanterns and couplets. However, the city's pulse has already returned to its usual strong rhythm. People from all walks of life are gradually ending their holidays and throwing themselves into the busy work of the new year.

Jingxin Building, the headquarters of Shengying Media Group.

The towering glass curtain wall reflected a cold light under the winter sun, and the interior of the building was already a scene of orderly and busy activity.

The employees were neatly dressed and full of energy. Their New Year's greetings to each other were brief but warm, and they quickly threw themselves into their backlog of work or new projects.

On the first workday after the New Year, the air seemed to be filled with a more composed and confident atmosphere than in previous years.

The first major agenda item after resuming work was not the financial report meeting of listed companies, nor the review of the progress of cinema expansion, but a project that carries the dreams and regrets of countless Chinese filmmakers—"Havoc in Heaven".

In fact, throughout the long history of Chinese cinema, many have coveted this most dazzling jewel in the crown of classical mythology.

Less than ten years ago, in 1996, director Zhang Jianya ambitiously launched "Havoc in Heaven," China's first fantasy film to attempt large-scale computer special effects.

On that occasion, the investor, Beijing Zhuda Computer Animation Company, spent a whopping 100 million RMB, intending to use then-cutting-edge digital technology to make the Monkey King truly ride the clouds and wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

The vision is grand, and the exploration is courageous.

It is said that the script even changed the ending of the original story, allowing Sun Wukong to eventually return to Flower Fruit Mountain, thus strengthening his rebellious spirit.

However, the ideal is full, but the reality is very skinny.

At that time, China's film industry was weak, its special effects technology was still in its infancy, and, more importantly, the support from the capital market was far less solid than it is today.

Ultimately, due to the investor's broken capital chain (rumored to be dragged down by a real estate project being carried out at the same time), this project, which had cost 2500 million yuan, was helplessly shelved in 1997, leaving only some concept drawings and scattered shooting footage, becoming a heavy sigh in the history of Chinese films, a famous "unfinished project".

Technology, capital, market, industrial system... a series of interconnected shortcomings strangled that prematurely conceived ambition.

……

Inside a small meeting room of Shengying Media.

Besides Wang Sheng and Xu Ke, the president in charge of content production at Shengying Media, the art director and technical director of Shengying Visual Effects, and the two core screenwriters brought by Xu Ke were also present.

Without much small talk, the meeting got straight to the point.

Xu Ke was clearly well-prepared. He walked to the projection screen, opened the PowerPoint presentation, which displayed the concept art for the logo of "Havoc in Heaven." He cleared his throat, his eyes gleaming, and began to explain the story outline conceived by the screenwriting team.

“Chairman Wang, colleagues,” Xu Ke’s voice carried his unique magnetism, “Our concept is based on the core plot of the fourth to seventh chapters of the original Journey to the West, but we will not be bound by the original text. What we want to present is a ‘Havoc in Heaven’ that is more epic, more dramatic, and more in line with the aesthetic needs of modern audiences.”

He switched to the PowerPoint presentation, and the screen displayed a structural diagram.

The story is mainly divided into three acts:

Act One, 'Ascension to Sainthood at Flower Fruit Mountain, Borrowing Treasure from the Dragon Palace'. We will use highly imaginative shots to showcase Sun Wukong's miraculous ability to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, bursting forth from the stone, and his joy in becoming king of Flower Fruit Mountain and living carefree with his monkey troop. The focus will be on the scene of 'Borrowing Treasure from the Dragon Palace,' where we will design an unprecedented underwater spectacle to demonstrate the power and spirituality of the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel), the magic staff that stabilizes the sea, the key symbol of Sun Wukong's acquisition of power.

Act Two: 'Heavenly Conferment and Peach Banquet'. Sun Wukong is recruited into the imperial court and appointed as 'Keeper of the Heavenly Horses'. After discovering the humiliation, he rebels against Heaven and proclaims himself 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven'.

In our first encounter with the heavenly soldiers and generals, we must put on a spectacular show, demonstrating Sun Wukong's unruly nature and extraordinary abilities.

This is followed by a second round of appeasement, with Sun Wukong taking over the management of the Peach Orchard. The highlight, the "Peach Feast," will be an extravagant spectacle, showcasing the magnificence and hypocrisy of Heaven, setting the stage for Sun Wukong's subsequent rampage. Stealing peaches, pilfering imperial wine, consuming elixirs… these scenes will be tightly woven together, emphasizing the thrill of defying order.

Act Three: 'Battle against the Heavenly Court, Refining the True Body in the Eight Trigrams Furnace'.

This is the climax of the entire film. We will design a series of increasingly intense battles between the Heavenly Court masters and Sun Wukong, including the Giant Spirit God, Nezha, the Four Heavenly Kings, and so on. Each battle will have a unique visual spectacle and fighting style.

The final, epic battle against Erlang Shen Yang Jian will be an ultimate contest of strength, magic, and transformation. The visually stunning climax will be the forging of his Fiery Eyes in the Eight Trigrams Furnace after his capture, and his rampage in the Lingxiao Palace after breaking free.

Xu Ke spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing constantly, clearly quite pleased with the framework he was using.

"In terms of theme, we emphasize Sun Wukong's spirit of resistance and his struggle against freedom and an unjust fate."

Therefore, for the ending, we referenced some ideas from the unfinished version in 96, intending to let Sun Wukong 'win' to some extent. He smashed up the Lingxiao Palace, made the Jade Emperor look foolish, and then returned to Flower Fruit Mountain in style to continue living freely with his monkey subjects, rather than being suppressed as in the original story.

We believe this better reflects heroism and the liberation of humanity.

He paused, then looked at Wang Sheng: "Of course, this is just the skeleton of the story."

For the flesh and blood parts, we designed a lot of details.

For example, Sun Wukong's character would be more fully developed, not only showing his mischievousness and rebelliousness, but also his concern for 'title' and his loyalty to his companions.

The celestial beings of Heaven will not be stereotypical villains. The Jade Emperor's political maneuvering, Laozi's indifference, and the mediocrity of the celestial officials will all be portrayed, creating a more realistic and satirical depiction of the Heavenly Court.

After Xu Ke finished speaking, the conference room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng slowly flipped through the detailed story outline and some concept sketches in his hand, his fingers tapping lightly on the pages, his face revealing little emotion.

After a moment of silence, he raised his head, looked at Xu Ke, and spoke in a calm tone that carried an undeniable weight:
"Director Xu, the framework is very complete, and the imagination is also very rich. It's clear that you and your team have put in a lot of effort." (A combination of praise and criticism.)

“However,” Wang Sheng’s tone shifted, his gaze sharpening, “there are a few fundamental issues that I believe need to be reconsidered.”

He picked up the outline and went through it point by point:

"First, the ending. Having Sun Wukong return safely to Flower Fruit Mountain after destroying the Lingxiao Palace seems to enhance the rebellious spirit, but in reality, it weakens the tragic power and sense of destiny in the story."

One of the most profound core themes of Journey to the West is precisely the failure of the individual's rebellion against the order, and the long journey of seeking "conversion and redemption" after the failure.

The five hundred years of suppression under the Five Elements Mountain was not the end of the story, but the beginning of true growth.

If we remove this 'frustration,' Sun Wukong's image will lose its depth and the logical connection to the subsequent journey to the West will be severed.

Audiences need to see an all-powerful Monkey King, but even more so, they need to see the starting point of the Victorious Fighting Buddha who, after experiencing hardships, finally recognizes reality and finds a new goal.

The ending must return to the original story—being suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain. However, we can portray this suppression as a tragic ending with a glimmer of hope, rather than simply a punishment.

Xu Ke frowned slightly, seemingly wanting to refute, but seeing Wang Sheng's determined eyes, he held back and gestured for Wang Sheng to continue.

"Second, the theme. Overemphasizing resistance and freedom can make the story 'thin'."

In my opinion, the deeper theme of "Havoc in Heaven" is the clash of rules and the cost of growing up.

Sun Wukong represents a primitive, unrestrained 'instinct' and 'power', while the Heavenly Court represents a rigid 'order' that maintains the balance of the three realms.

A clash between the two is inevitable.

Sun Wukong's rampage was both a rebellion against an unjust order and a process in which he attempted to challenge and even redefine the rules through his power.

But his failure shows that pure power cannot overturn the established, vast order.

This precisely leads to the underlying logic that he needs to "cultivate" himself and rely on the new "rules" of the pilgrimage to achieve a higher goal.

We want the audience to experience this layer of philosophical reflection beyond the exhilarating fight scenes.

Wang Sheng paused, letting everyone digest the information, before pointing to the third point.

"Third, the characters' motivations and logic."

Sun Wukong's actions of stealing peaches, pilfering elixirs, and disrupting the grand banquet cannot be attributed solely to his mischievousness or amusement.

We need to strengthen his motivation chain. For example, his dissatisfaction with the empty title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" (discovering that he was not invited to the Peach Banquet), his resentment towards the Heavenly Court's false promises (the incident of being the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses), and a complex psychology of "Since you don't treat me as one of your own, then I will make you remember me in my own way."

His actions should be the result of a gradual progression of emotions and logic, rather than simple recklessness.

Similarly, the Heavenly Court's response, from initial appeasement and surrender to later military suppression, required a clearer decision-making logic, revealing both its arrogance and helplessness as a ruling institution.

Fourth, the positioning of visual style.

Wang Sheng looked at the two directors of Shengying Visual, "We can't just pursue 'showy skills.' All special effects must serve the story and the characters."

The Heavenly Court should be magnificent and grand, yet imbued with coldness and order, forming a stark contrast to the vibrant, free, and wild nature of Flower Fruit Mountain. Sun Wukong's magic and fighting should emphasize agility, change, and power, distinguishing them from the stylized and imposing nature of Heavenly Court magic.

Especially the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Heavenly Manifestation, these are key elements showcasing our special effects capabilities. They must be designed to be both imaginative and conform to physical logic and aesthetic principles.

He closed the outline, leaned forward, and glanced at everyone present.

"My opinion is that the script needs to be reworked. The core remains the same, it is still a story that the audience is familiar with, but the internal texture and structure need to be reshaped according to the points I just mentioned."

Wang Sheng looked at Xu Ke one last time, his tone softening, but still firm:

"Director Xu, I know this overturned many of your previous ideas."

But what we're trying to make isn't a simple action movie, nor is it a simple repetition of the failures of our predecessors.

What we need to make is a film like "Havoc in Heaven" that can stand the test of time, truly represent the highest level of the Chinese film industry in this era, and touch the hearts of contemporary audiences.

This is difficult, but it is precisely because it is difficult that it is worth it for you and me, and for Shengying, to give it our all.

Xu Ke remained silent for a long time, looking at the outline he had carefully prepared on the projection screen.

Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded heavily. Instead of feeling frustrated by the rejection, his eyes were filled with even stronger fighting spirit.

"Chairman Wang, I understand."

Xu Ke's voice was steady and powerful. "The problem you pointed out is spot on. My team and I were a bit stuck in our old ways of thinking. Give me a month, no, three weeks! I'll take the screenwriting team and, following your ideas, restructure the plot, deepen the themes and characters, and come up with a new outline!"

(End of this chapter)