A writer has arrived in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Chapter 98 Two Movies

On the last day of the script reading, Su Liu was already confirming the setup of the equipment on set. With Chen Si overseeing every aspect of the production, each department was finally performing its duties efficiently, and everything seemed to be running smoothly.

He can now finally sit in the center, just as he had imagined, and make the crew run like a well-oiled machine.

At this moment, Li Fei from Shanghai Film Studio suddenly rushed over to our door.

Upon seeing the entire crew, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Oh, Mr. Su, you and Mr. Chen did a great job this time. I've only ever seen a production team like this with a few big directors."

"It's all thanks to Sister Chen, I don't have that ability."

Su Liu led her around for a while, then they arrived at the reception room. He cut straight to the point, "Mr. Li, what brings you here to see me?"

"That's right."

Li Fei put down his bag, his expression turning serious. "When I was reviewing the group's projects for this year, I found that apart from a co-production called 'One Step Away,' there weren't many good projects. This year can be described as the most barren year for the group in recent years. Moreover, we haven't even worked on one of the hottest themes in the market these past two years."

"What?"

"A youth romance film."

Li Fei's tone was somewhat worried. "Last year, we only co-released Zhao Yanzi's 'So Young,' and later we had 'Tiny Times' and 'American Dreams in China,' all of which were huge hits. I checked, and there are at least two more youth films to be released this year, and the market expectations are very good."

"But what you're talking about are either novel adaptations or have IP attributes and a built-in fan base. Ordinary movies aren't that simple."

"That's right, but you also have a built-in fan base."

"What?"

"Wenxiu told me you're writing a youth romance novel, right?"

Su Liu was taken aback, then smiled helplessly and pushed a glass of warm water towards him. "That explains why you came in such a hurry today. Mr. Li, I haven't finished writing this novel yet."

"What I mean is..."

'

Just as Li Fei was about to continue his persuasion, Su Liu suddenly said, as if he had just remembered something, "I do have two other drafts."

Upon hearing this, Li Fei's unfinished words caught in his throat, and his eyes instantly brightened.

"Come, come, tell me quickly."

"It's a romance film and a coming-of-age film."

"Great!" Li Fei slapped his thigh excitedly. "As long as a romance film is released during a good period, the box office is sure to be good, and youth films are a hot genre in the market these past two years."

Fusu Culture just received investment from CMC Capital Partners, and this money can't be left idle. Li Fei's arrival today is just in time.

"This time I'll just provide the outline, then find a reliable screenwriter to fill in the plot, and then find two reliable directors."

Both films began pre-production simultaneously. Once "Unnatural" wrapped filming, Dilraba and Xiaotong would join the cast.

Li Fei pondered for a moment and then asked, "Tell me a brief summary of these two stories."

"Okay." So, Su Liu began to tell the story, "A small-town girl, in order to make a living, became the caregiver of a rich second-generation young man who was disabled in a car accident. The optimistic girl gradually healed the young man's gloom, and the two fell in love as they spent time together."

Li Fei's expression was ambiguous; she actually felt that the story lacked some exciting moments.

With "So Young" as a template, everyone started to imitate it.

It needs to be a tragic love story, full of life-and-death struggles, constant misunderstandings and missed opportunities, to torment the audience's emotions.

Only love stories like this can be box office hits.

"It sounds like a pretty ordinary healing story," she said.

"The idea isn't important; what matters is the presentation." Su Liu said calmly, "You must think that in the end, the two of them will heal each other and live happily ever after, right?"

"Since you say that, then perhaps...?"

"Unable to accept a life devoid of dignity and a sense of control, the young man ultimately insisted on going to Switzerland to undergo euthanasia, leaving behind an estate to help the girl leave the small town to pursue a broader life."

After listening, Li Fei paused for a moment before confirming, "You're going to kill off the male protagonist, so this is a tragic love story?"

"How is it?"

"Let's finish the script first, then take a look." Li Fei's tone was devoid of emotion. "What about the other youth film?"

"This one is amazing; it's a road movie."

"A road movie? A teen road movie?"

To be honest, Li Fei was a little confused. It wasn't because the president of Shanghai Film Investment was inexperienced, but because the market always seeks successful examples. What about youth road movies? They'd never been made in China before.

"Lost in Thailand?" she asked doubtfully.

"No," Su Liu took a sip of water to moisten his lips, "The story is about a fourteen-year-old boy who is inconspicuous in school and meets a strange student who has transferred from Inner Mongolia. The two of them drive a stolen second-hand Alto away from Yanjing and begin a aimless road trip on the way to the Western Regions."

"They walked through cornfields and abandoned factories, encountered Reba, a wandering girl from the Western Regions, and various strange strangers, escaping their broken families and lonely school life through accidents and collisions."

"This brief adventure ended in a car accident. The student from Inner Mongolia disappeared into the distance, while the protagonist awakened himself amidst judgment and trauma, learning to face the real and brutal world with greater equanimity."

After listening, Li Fei pondered for a long time.

In the end, she reiterated, "Let's finish the script first and see how it goes."

"Mr. Li, you don't think these two movies have a good chance of success?"

"When we invest in film and television, we ultimately have to follow market rules when evaluating a project."

Li Fei shifted his posture, crossing his legs. "Essentially, we really dislike 'new things.' Mr. Su, those two stories of yours... one features the male protagonist undergoing euthanasia, the other a youth road movie—there's absolutely no precedent for either in China. You need to understand, the market craves proven security, not risk."

"I understand." Su Liu said understandingly. "If Shanghai Film Group doesn't want to participate, I can look for other partners."

"No, no, no," Li Fei quickly said, "What are you saying? Let's finish the script first, then we can discuss it."

"Mr. Li, do you have any suitable candidates for screenwriter?"

"How about entrusting the screenwriting of this road movie to Shu Huan? He was involved in the screenwriting of last year's 'Lost in Thailand'."

Su Liu immediately understood that Li Fei wanted to make this film a comedy road movie like "Lost in Thailand".

But this completely contradicted Su Liu's idea, so at this moment, it was his turn to say, "Let him write a version first, and see."

As for that romance film, let's just leave that to the atomic bomb.

"Mr. Su, do these two notebooks have names?"

"Of course, the romance film is called 'Me Before You,' and as for the road movie..."

"

The original German version of this film is called *Chik*, a transliteration of a Russian title. Now that the protagonist has been changed to a transfer student from Inner Mongolia, well...

"Let's use the Mongolian transliteration of my name, Ike, for now. We can change it later if it doesn't suit us."

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