Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

Chapter 93 The more beautiful women the better (Please subscribe)

"If you're capable."

Zou Wenhuai said with a smile, "I have no objection to taking care of the leftists and Lisheng Cinemas while we're at it; I only support it."

Zhang Shuai'an really gave it serious consideration. Left-wing cinemas also faced a shortage of films. It wasn't that they couldn't negotiate, but it would take some time and skill.

As for Lisheng Cinemas, that's actually easier to discuss.

The owner, Raymond Lui, has already realized the problem of restricted film sources and is reorganizing all his cinemas, which will soon be converted into Golden Princess Cinemas. At the same time, he has entered the film production field and established Cinema City Film Company, which is directly under the cinema chain.

Currently, these major cinema chains are maintaining a state of mutual respect and operating independently within their respective circles.

Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest had a large number of films, and theaters couldn't fit them all in, resulting in overproduction and wasted money. In the end, they didn't make much money either.

Other cinema chains are also facing difficulties in maintaining their theaters due to a lack of film sources, and are seeking breakthroughs.

These business owners weren't unaware of the problem, but they were constrained by the limitations of the times and their own identities, so they couldn't easily break the deadlock, lest it trigger an immeasurable chain reaction.

Zhang Shuai'an is different; he has a broader perspective on the future, which is also an advantage.

Then, he finalized the agreement with Chow Wen-huai. After the New Year's Day holiday in 1980, preparations for "Chasing Girls" would begin, and filming would start in mid-to-late January. They would take a few days off during the Lunar New Year, and film for another month after the holiday to finish the project.

The pace of film production in Hong Kong during that era was extremely fast. Shaw Brothers, in particular, worked non-stop, sometimes producing a film in less than a month.

The situation is slightly better at Golden Harvest. Aside from Jackie Chan, who prefers meticulous production, the average shooting time is only 2-3 minutes.

About a month.

At Cinema City, shooting a comedy takes about a month, while even the action blockbuster "Aces Go Places" only took a little over three months from filming to release.

"What about the director for 'Chasing Girls'?" Chow Wen-huai then asked a question he hadn't mentioned before: "Do you have a suitable candidate in mind? If not, I recommend John Ng; he's pretty good at making comedies."

At present, John Woo is positioned as a comedy director at Golden Harvest, because his film "Money Crazy" performed very well at the box office, surpassing the performance of his other films of different genres.

Zhang Shuai'an stated directly, "No need, I want to direct this film myself."

"You directed and acted in this yourself?" The people around were somewhat surprised.

It's not that I doubt Zhang Shuai'an's abilities, but I feel that he's not even 2000 years old yet, but he already has such great ambitions.

Zhang Shuai'an looked calmly at the others: "I've rehearsed this story countless times in my mind. I can film it myself without relying on anyone else."

"Becoming a director at the age of 19 is extremely rare in the entire Hong Kong film industry."

Cai Yongchang had a faint smile on his face: "Although Sanmao became a martial arts instructor at the age of 18, he was not appreciated by Zou Sheng until he was 25 years old, when he made his directorial debut with 'Sande Monk and Rice Pounder Liu'."

"Ah Long also waited until he was 24 years old before he directed and starred in 'The Fearless Fist'."

He asked, somewhat puzzled, "You're only 19, why are you in such a hurry?"

"One should become famous as early as possible." Zhang Shuai'an didn't offer any specific explanation, but looked at Zou Wenhuai and said with a smile, "I wonder if Mr. Zou can be any bolder and create another record for the youngest director in history."

"Yes, why not!" Zou Wenhuai didn't hesitate at all and said directly, "I've already offered you a three million yuan salary, why would I be afraid of you becoming a director?"

"I have always loved supporting newcomers. No matter who it is, as long as they are bold and talented, I will give them a chance to prove themselves."

"If you succeed, you will naturally rise to prominence."

"If you fail, then just stick to making films for Golden Harvest. Or maybe if you persevere for another ten or eight years, you'll get a second chance."

These words carried a hint of threat, but were more of a well-intentioned reminder.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zou, I know what I'm doing."

Despite the skeptical looks from the crowd, Zhang Shuai'an remained calm and said, "I never do anything I'm not sure I can do."

"That would be best," Zou Wenhuai replied with a smile.

Because Golden Harvest paid Zhang Shuai-an's salary and subsequently invested in the film, "Chasing Girls" can be considered a Golden Harvest production. The guaranteed minimum fee is naturally not worth mentioning, and the treatment is the same as that of Jackie Chan and Hung Ching-po's films, which are all revenue-sharing.

After finishing their conversation, Zhang Shuai'an left Jiahe and returned to his residence.

A short while later, He Jiatong returned and asked him, "Brother An, Auntie asked if we're going to visit her for New Year's Day?"

Zhang Shuai'an replied, "You can go back. I need to continue writing the manuscript and the filming plan for the next movie. I really don't have time to go over."

"I know," He Jiatong nodded.

Zhang Shuai'an returned to his room, where he needed to quickly finalize the character design for "Chasing Girls".

This movie has two male leads: one is the male lead Roberto, and the other is the handsome god after he becomes handsome.

Needless to say, the god of handsome men will definitely play the role himself; there's no question about that.

As for Roberto, he needs to carefully consider the choice of actor for this role.

First, he/she should be older, around thirty years old. Second, he/she cannot be handsome, or even have an average appearance; he/she must be ugly, and ugly in a distinctive way.

The original version of "Chasing Girls" also had two male leads: one was Robert, a returned overseas student played by Shek Tim, and the other was his mentally challenged cousin played by Tsang Chi-wai.

After a moment's consideration, Zhang Shuai'an decided that Shi Tian could be noted down first, while Zeng Zhiwei could be left out.

His second choice was Chan Pak-cheung, who was a first-rate actor for playing those kinds of scumbag and despicable characters, and could hold his own against Stephen Chow in comedy films.

Chan Pak-cheung was born in 1950 and is 29 years old this year. Given that he looks a bit older, he could easily play someone in their thirties.

In 1997, he also produced his own movie about chasing girls, called "Super Invincible Chasing Girls".

Then he thought of Ng Man-tat, but quickly crossed it off.

There are two reasons: First, "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" has already been broadcast, and Wu Mengda's portrayal of Hu Tiehua is quite outstanding. He is expected to become a big star soon, and his salary will definitely increase significantly.

Secondly, Wu Mengda became addicted to gambling after he became famous because of Hu Tiehua, so contacting him at that time would be too much of a hassle.

For now, I can only think of these two suitable candidates. Let's put them aside for now and discuss them with Jiahe after the New Year's Day holiday.

Next comes the most important part: the women in "Chasing Girls".

Beautiful women are pleasing to the eye, so naturally the more the better.

Zhang Shuai'an currently plans to book around nine, which is definitely too many for a 90-minute movie, but he must design with some leeway to make it easier to make cuts and revisions later.

First and foremost, there must be a childhood sweetheart, a character similar to the main heroine, to facilitate the film's ending and emotional climax.

Zhang Shuai'an had already decided on this role from the beginning: Chung Chor-hung.

Then there's a woman who's like the male lead's ideal woman; she has to be beautiful, even stunning, so beautiful that the audience will shout "Beautiful!" or "Wow!"

According to Zhang Shuai'an's own aesthetic standards, he would naturally choose someone like Rosamund Kwan. However, Rosamund Kwan is only 17 years old now; she is beautiful, but lacks a certain charm.

Zhang Shuai'an, considering the aesthetic preferences of audiences in this era, thought of one person: Di Bona.

Deborah Lee's daring nudity in "Hong Kong Emmanuelle" captivated countless male viewers back then.

She just got married this August and still has that married woman vibe, which makes many male viewers with Cao Cao-like tendencies even more eager to get their hands on her.

The profession can be set as actor, model, or other somewhat unattainable jobs.

The third type of character is the woman who is responsible for creating trouble and providing the setting for the finale.

Zhang Shuai'an thought there were two suitable options: one was a pretty girl involved in organized crime whose father was the head of a gang, which could create a lot of misunderstandings and plot twists.

Secondly, she is a spoiled and willful rich girl. Her father, as a wealthy man, can also make a fuss about his disdain for the poor son-in-law, the male protagonist.

The former character design is actually quite suitable for Wen Bixia, but she is only 13 years old now, and she doesn't want to be censored by the censors.

She herself was discovered by Lai Tai-wai and Man Chun in 1981, after she turned 15, and starred in "Pretty Girl".

Another character type seems tailor-made for Rosamund Kwan; her figure and demeanor perfectly embody the image of a wealthy young lady. She may not be arrogant or willful, but she certainly has a knack for causing trouble.

Then add a gentle, passionate, and fiery woman; then add a policewoman or a female doctor —

Zhang Shuai'an counted them one by one, and he had written about eleven different types of female characters, which he still needed to further develop.

After writing for who knows how long, Zhang Shuai'an got a little hungry.

I'm planning to go out and find a restaurant downstairs to eat.

As a result, upon entering the living room, one is greeted by the aroma of food, and a figure is busy in the kitchen.

He couldn't help but wonder when He Jiatong had learned to cook.

On the living room table was a note in He Jiatong's handwriting: "Brother An, I've gone to Aunt's house. I'll be back in a couple of days."

If He Jiatong isn't here, then who's in the kitchen?

Surely it can't be some kind of fairy godmother, right?

Whoever it was, they meant no harm, otherwise they wouldn't have been busy in the kitchen.

Zhang Shuai walked quietly towards the kitchen, passing through the rising steam, and came up behind the person in the kitchen, putting his arm around her slender waist.

The man suddenly turned around, and it was Chung Chor-hung.

Chung Chor-hung was startled and scolded him, "You scared me! How come you walk so quietly?"

Zhang Shuai'an laughed and said, "But it's you who trespassed on private property. I caught you this time."

"Who broke into my house?" Chung Chu-hung rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "It was Ah-Tung who gave me the key. She said you were lonely here all by yourself. I'm a kind-hearted person, and I felt sorry for you, so I came over. I'll go home after I finish cooking for you."

Zhang Shuai'an turned off the stove and carried her into the room, saying, "Why cook? Let's do something we love first."

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