Huayu 2015, the Artist of Light and Shadow

Chapter 63, "Wolf Warrior 2: Libya"! True history is the most powerful form of persuasion!

"Brother Jing, stop scrolling on your phone, the meeting's starting."

Because Lu Yunzhou joined the production midway and brought a large amount of capital, the entire crew was watching to see what would happen next.

Lu Yunzhou was also decisive. After resting for one night, he launched a grand "power grab" the next day.

Because this movie has already been filming for more than two months, it can't be delayed any longer.

Lu Yunzhou himself will need to travel around promoting the "Crazy Racing" project.

Comparatively speaking, this racing project is the one that truly belongs to him.

Wolf Warrior 2 was simply his way of making up for a regret in his heart.

As for whether it will offend Wu Jing?

He doesn't rely on Wu Jing, so what is he afraid of?

Now it seems Wu Jing is afraid of offending him. He upset Lu Yunzhou, who then withdrew his 9000 million yuan investment, and the production crew went on strike.

Immediately afterwards, millions of his online fans flooded his Weibo account.

That would be a huge problem.

The film crew's temporary office.

This is a converted former abandoned factory building.

The conditions were indeed rudimentary.

Lu Yunzhou glanced at Wu Jing and took the seat of honor without hesitation.

Seeing this, everyone else turned to look at Wu Jing, thinking, "Wow, he seized power on the very first day, without any pretense. He's really domineering."

Wu Jing was also taken aback when he saw Lu Yunzhou take the seat of honor.

However, considering that Lu Yunzhou just officially announced his joining the crew this morning, the media index of "Wolf Warrior 2" has exploded, with at least several million people paying attention to their project.

As long as Lu Yunzhou is on set, any news he spreads will cause his fans and Wu Yifan's fans to push "Wolf Warrior 2" to the top of the trending searches.

For the project to succeed, Wu Jing was willing to be patient for a while.

Anyway, everyone knows that this project belongs to him.

"Today, I'm taking Director Wu's place to say a few words and let's review this project again. Because it concerns whether our film can be released overseas."

The entire project team was stunned when the words "going global" were uttered.

Can this movie even be shown overseas?

real or fake?

They had never thought of this before.

Because the production team knows best what the plot of this movie is like.

This stuff is all about nationalist sentiment, portraying all foreign powers as mindless clowns. How could something like this possibly be shown abroad?

"First of all, the script is very well written and emotionally engaging."

Lu Yunzhou first looked at screenwriter Dong, smiled and nodded at him, giving his approval.

A smile appeared on screenwriter Dong's face.

But then Lu Yunzhou said, "I stayed up all night last night reading the script for 'Wolf Warrior 2,' and it's really excellent. But I have a few minor suggestions."

Screenwriter Dong immediately took out his notebook to take notes, and looked at Lu Yunzhou in a pretentious manner: "Director Lu, please speak. If you have any opinions, I will revise them later."

"Poor old Dong."

The rest of the production crew who witnessed this scene observed a few minutes of silence for screenwriter Dong.

The new official took office three fires.

When a director arrives on set and wants to seize power, he'll definitely start by cutting into the script.

Who made the screenwriter the easiest to bully?

Because having a screenwriter revise the script is the simplest thing to do; at worst, you can just rewrite the script, which is only a few tens of thousands of words and won't take more than a few days.

To discard previously shot footage would cost an unimaginable amount of money, and the entire crew would likely be in an uproar.

Lu Yunzhou continued, "Old Dong, you adapted the script for 'Wolf Warrior 2' by combining the 2011 evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya and the 2015 evacuation of Chinese citizens from Yemen, right?"

"Yes."

Screenwriter Dong nodded seriously and immediately showered him with flattery: "Director Lu is really amazing, he could tell at a glance."

The others followed suit, showering him with compliments.

That's the power of money.

As soon as Lu Yunzhou arrived, the crew's meals last night were upgraded by two levels.

Audi also brought in three Q7s as a sponsorship for the film crew, to make it easier for them to run errands.

"The story was adapted well, but it's too exaggerated."

Lu Yunzhou first affirmed the point, then began to nitpick very seriously: "If this were a fantasy war drama, it would definitely be a huge hit once it airs. But considering that this is a military film, I hope that the adaptation will be a little more realistic."

"In particular, it involves real historical events."

"We shouldn't link Libya and Yemen together; these two places are completely different."

After expressing his opinion, Lu Yunzhou looked at everyone seriously and asked, "I only have one question: would you all like to see this movie released in Europe and North America?"

Everyone looked around for a while, remaining silent, all staring at Wu Jing.

"Director Lu, do you have a way to get this movie released in Europe and America?"

Wu Jing certainly wants to become an international kung fu superstar. When he went to Hong Kong to make movies, wasn't he hoping to become the next Hendrik Willem Van Loon or Jet Li?

It's simply because Hong Kong filmmakers don't have high hopes for him.

He was not satisfied with his performance, so he spent a lot of money to make a movie called "Wolf Warrior", but it didn't even make a splash, which almost made him depressed.

Back in China, he filmed a special forces TV series, which became a huge hit as soon as it aired, restoring his confidence and making him particularly interested in military-themed works.

Over time, he felt like he had become Wolf Warrior, a true tough guy, and he was completely immersed in the role.

If this movie could be shown in Europe and America, allowing foreigners to see his tough-guy image, Wu Jing would certainly be very willing.

However, he also understood that this film would likely have difficulty passing the censorship of the European and American film markets.

Facing everyone's expectant gazes, Lu Yunzhou nodded slightly and said, "We just need to change the movie's name to 'Wolf Warrior 2: Libya'."

"Change the propaganda slogan, use the real 2011 Libyan evacuation incident as the basis for the story, adapt and create it, and then put the image of our special forces in this context. Finally, delete or gloss over anything that offends European and American countries."

"After doing all this, there is a high probability that our film will be released in Europe and America."

Everyone frowned, seemingly pondering the feasibility of the matter.

There is absolutely no problem with setting the story in Libya.

After all, half of the movie's plot is adapted from the 2011 evacuation of Chinese citizens from Libya.

The problem is, even if it's changed, will it still be able to be released in Europe and America?

Lu Yunzhou was already prepared and said at this moment, "My movie 'Crazy Racing' is currently in talks with Studio 8 in North America."

We've been in contact with the studio, and things are almost settled since our initial discussions. I'm going to New York for Fashion Week in a couple of days, and I'll finalize this there.

"And the owner of Studio8, Jeff Robinoff, was the former president of Warner Bros. and produced Argo, which has a very similar theme to our film."

Seeing that everyone still had some doubts on their faces, Lu Yunzhou had no choice but to reveal a little secret: "Fosun Group is Studio8..."

"As long as our film is of high quality, our largest shareholder has no reason to refuse."

Wow!

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately lit up with anticipation.

Fosun Group just invested 5000 million yuan in "Wolf Warrior 2" along with Lu Yunzhou, so they certainly wouldn't turn down money.

No wonder Lu Yunzhou was so arrogant, taking Wu Jing's seat right away.

It turns out they have powerful backers.

In an instant, everyone sat up straight.

Although Lu Yunzhou was still painting a rosy picture for them, they could already smell how delicious the pie was and how wonderful it would taste.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Argo is a very depressing political thriller with no exciting moments, but it is very well-known."

""

"This movie has laid a solid foundation for our public interest, as many people will be interested in the Libyan events of 2011."

"Our film is based on true history, which is more convincing and more likely to become a globally popular military blockbuster than fictional stories."

At this point, Lu Yunzhou looked at screenwriter Dong: "The Chinese government is omnipotent and the Chinese army is invincible—this is a very good theme, but I think it's not the right time yet."

"At least, this topic will only be accepted by the world when our country has a fleet of 10 aircraft carriers."

As it turns out, a few years later, Wu Jing and "Wolf Warrior 2" will suffer a huge backlash.

That's because reality and movies are too disconnected.

But if everything is adapted based on facts, it can leave people speechless.

Adding some exciting elements to this fact makes for a natural and successful creative outcome, and most viewers won't find fault with it.

"Director Lu, adapting this story into a true story might not pass censorship."

Some people expressed different opinions.

If the film is adapted from a true story, a lot of promotional costs can be saved.

Chinese audiences are clearly more interested in real events, and the number of people going to the cinema to watch the movie will increase.

As for the exciting moments that Lu Yunzhou took away from the movie, they can be replaced with more meticulously crafted historical plot twists.

The level of discussion will obviously be higher.

"This is a topic that has been officially reported positively, promoting the theme of 'leaving no one behind,' so how could it not pass the review? Just don't make things up."

Lu Yunzhou retorted.

After the script is finished, Lu Yunzhou will contact General Manager Kang of China Film Group to ask if it's possible to get it done.

This is a major historical event, purely positive propaganda.

Moreover, it can be shown in Europe and America.

Regardless of box office performance, as long as the film is realistic and believable, and portrays the epic scale of historical changes, there's no reason for the authorities to reject it.

Because this is entirely about promoting the greatness, glory, and righteousness of the Chinese military to the outside world.

Instead of promoting the strength of the Chinese military while belittling other countries.

The same movie, the same plot, can take on a completely different feel simply by changing the theme.

"By the way, Screenwriter Dong, I'll give you a few more useful materials. Perhaps you can add them to your new script."

These materials were all painstakingly gathered by Lu Yunzhou in order to create the character he was portraying.

He was willing to share it with everyone to make the whole story seem more real and believable.

Seeing everyone silently watching him, Lu Yunzhou spoke up: "During the 2011 Libyan crisis, NATO launched Project Cyber ​​Dawn, carrying out cyberattacks against Libya throughout the entire process."

"In addition, the Americans helped the anti-government forces hijack the cellular wireless network of Gaddafi's faction and establish an independent communication system."

"The Gaddafi government shut down the entire Libyan internet, cutting off all communications. One of the biggest difficulties in evacuating Libyan citizens is the inability to contact them."

"In addition, the number of people evacuated in the original script was too small."

"You should write in the new script a complete account of the enormous efforts China made in evacuating its citizens."

"35860 compatriots and 2100 foreign citizens!"

"You absolutely must put those numbers at the end, prominently displayed on the screen. Don't fabricate something like, 'When you encounter trouble overseas, you have a powerful motherland behind you.' Passports don't even have that. Do you think this is the Qing Dynasty where nobody has a passport?"

The line of subtitles at the end of the film is what made "Wolf Warrior 2" the most ridiculed.

A movie, a movie that broke box office records, is doing all this fancy stuff. Many people have questioned it, but it has been ridiculed by countless others who mock them for being big-scale breeders with advanced remote breeding technology.

Considering that there are trolls everywhere on the internet, Lu Yunzhou couldn't help but suspect that those who swarmed in to make mindless mockery were definitely trolls.

Because the intelligence of Chinese people is not that low.

Those who allow emotions to completely dominate their minds, disregarding logic and truth, are inferior beings, not intelligent humans.

"When we make films, we're not doing something for a niche audience; we're targeting billions of people worldwide, including tens of millions of overseas Chinese."

"Any distortion or exaggeration of historical events will provoke a strong backlash. We must respect the facts and not fabricate stories for dramatic effect."

"If it causes a strong backlash—Director Wu, we are the two lead actors in the film, we'll be the first to be affected. You don't want to be pointed at and talked about for the rest of your life, do you?"

Everyone else was easy to persuade, but Lu Yunzhou's main goal was to convince Wu Jing that the movie was not as simple as he had imagined.

The massive success of "Wolf Warrior 2" has created a huge chain reaction that Wu Jing can't handle.

When making a film based on true events, it's best to base it on history.

Because of this, you can stand up straight and act uprightly, and no one will say anything strange about you.

However, if you fabricate stories, you will be caught in a media storm regardless of whether the movie is successful or not.

Fame and fortune are a double-edged sword.

It can elevate you to the highest peak, but it can also turn around and plunge you into hell.

Seeing everyone's silence, Lu Yunzhou smiled and said, "If everyone agrees with my opinion, I will personally cast another 3000."

10,000 yuan was allocated to improve the overall living conditions of the film crew.

Lu Yunzhou's goal was not to teach people a lesson; he simply wanted to bring everyone into his camp and reach a consensus with him.

He didn't want the production team to split up.

Because once the project starts to split, the probability of its success becomes infinitely low.

At this moment, everyone remained silent and looked at Wu Jing.

Because Lu Yunzhou invested another 3000 million, he became the main controller of the project, and Lu Yunzhou also promised to try his best to send the film overseas.

They would be very happy if they could win an award overseas.

Don't say that just because they make patriotic films they don't want to win awards or gain box office revenue overseas—who would complain about not winning enough awards?

Who would complain about low box office revenue?

"Director Lu, if you keep filming like this, how much do you think the box office will be?"

This is the question that Wu Jing cares about most.

He invested a lot of money and didn't want to see the project lose money.

Moreover, the way Lu Yunzhou is making the film is leaning towards an art film, and it might end up like Feng Xiaogang's "1942," which is critically acclaimed but not commercially successful.

Lu Yunzhou has gone off to become a top celebrity, and he's really in trouble.

Lu Yunzhou thought for a moment and said, "At least 30 billion, I'm confident!"

"30 billion? Are you sure?"

Upon hearing this number, Wu Jing almost jumped up.

If Lu Yunzhou can guarantee that this movie will reach 30 billion at the box office, what is he still arguing about?

If the budget is 3 billion, the production company will recoup around 10 billion. Wu Jing, the lead actor, director, and investor, will hold a 30% share, which would be 30 billion.

million!

He will become rich overnight.

Lu Yunzhou said confidently, "Trust me, it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Brother Jing?"

At that moment, everyone looked at Wu Jing with eager eyes.

They never expected Lu Yunzhou to be so arrogant, daring to say that the box office would reach 30 billion, which is equivalent to the box office ceiling for domestic films.

Wu Jing didn't dare to exaggerate that number.

"Okay, I'll do it with you!"

Wu Jing slammed his fist on the table and decided to step back and let Lu Yunzhou take over as the project's main controller.

Put all the pressure on Lu Yunzhou.

In that instant, he could feel that everyone's gaze had changed, stunned by the empty promises Lu Yunzhou had made.

He knew in his heart that if he stood up and said he disagreed, others would become alienated from him.

He's essentially blocking everyone else from making money.

Even if you're the eldest brother, you can't stop your brothers from making money. If the eldest brother tries to stop his brothers from making money, they'll probably kill him first.

At that moment, Wu Jing reached out his hand to Lu Yunzhou.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Lu Yunzhou also reached out his hand to Wu Jing and shook it firmly.

Then, suddenly remembering something, Lu Yunzhou said to screenwriter Dong, "I'm a very good driver, so add a few more car chase scenes for me."

"Ha ha."

Everyone else laughed when they heard this.

The atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed at that moment.

Although things changed within the production team, no one suffered any losses and even gained a brighter future. Who wouldn't be happy?

Even Wu Jing didn't feel like he had suffered any loss.

After a new leader was elected, everyone else went back to work, and everyone seemed much more relaxed.

"Old Dong, could you stay for a moment?"

Suddenly, Lu Yunzhou spoke.

At this moment, the others thought that screenwriter Dong would be scolded severely by Lu Yunzhou, so they all slipped away very quickly, giving screenwriter Dong a look that said "good luck."

Once everyone else was in the office, Lu Yunzhou poured Dong a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Old Dong, your acting was quite good. Just now, when I used you as an example, you portrayed that helpless, aggrieved, and indignant expression perfectly."

"Brother Chuan, everything is for our new business."

-

Actually, Lu Yunzhou had already discussed the things he wanted to say today with screenwriter Dong last night.

Screenwriter Dong had already unconditionally sided with Lu Yunzhou.

In this era, the amount of information he could gather was limited, unlike Lu Yunzhou who knew how divided the reviews would be after the release of "Wolf Warrior 2".

However, screenwriter Dong didn't care about these things.

All he knew was that following Lu Yunzhou would definitely lead to a brighter future than following Wu Jing.

At this moment, screenwriter Dong began to fawn over Lu Yunzhou: "Brother Chuan, there are currently no movies about cyber hackers on the market. We're the first to do this, and I believe this movie will definitely be a hit."

"Don't worry, I will do my best to create that role for you."

Lu Yunzhou exudes unparalleled confidence, while Wu Jing is constantly frowning, calculating whether the movie will be a hit.

The two people give off completely different impressions.

Money makes you a big shot.

Being broke makes you a nobody.

People in the film and television industry are the most pragmatic.

"I don't want my character to be portrayed as a good person."

"I can't play a good guy."

"However, in order not to embarrass the Chinese military, well, let's set me up as a Wenzhou native with Italian nationality. This character once joined the French Foreign Mercenary Corps, offended a mysterious force, and therefore changed his identity and hid in Libya, where he opened a factory."

"Most importantly, he has to be handsome in a very charismatic way—well, you probably don't understand what handsome means. I'll design the specific entrance and camera language myself."

Lu Yunzhou glanced at screenwriter Dong.

The rich kid in the original Wolf Warrior 2 was like a super clown.

He doesn't want to play that kind of role.

Everyone has their own strengths, and Lu Yunzhou understands very well what it feels like to be handsome.

"Brother Chuan, give me three days, and I'll finish the outline for you to review." Screenwriter Dong had already pledged his loyalty and was just waiting for Lu Yunzhou to guide him.

"Thanks a lot."

Lu Yunzhou patted screenwriter Dong on the shoulder and tossed him three car keys: "Tomorrow, I have to leave to go to North America to discuss the distribution of 'Crazy Racing'."

"Yesterday afternoon, Audi sent three used Q7s as a sponsorship for our movie. I took a look, and they're in pretty good condition. You can choose one to drive."

Upon hearing this, screenwriter Dong's eyes immediately lit up: "Thank you, Brother Chuan. To be honest, I've never driven such a nice car before."

Although he earned a lot of money, he still had to support his family.

House prices are so high these days.

The child also needs to attend a prestigious school.

After calculating it this way, he doesn't have much money left that he can freely spend. He might look at luxury cars occasionally, but he feels it's unnecessary to actually buy one.

Unlike Lu Yunzhou, who received 2000 million yuan annually after signing a lifetime endorsement contract with Audi, which is like a pension.

Seeing screenwriter Dong excited like a child, Lu Yunzhou said with a smile, "Follow me, and you'll drive an Audi until you're sick of it."

really.

When you're out in the game, the most important thing is to choose the right leader.

"Brother Chuan, I'll definitely write a really cool character for you. It's a pity that Lao Wu's movie is already more than halfway done. Otherwise, I'd redesign a framework for you so you can steal all of Lao Wu's thunder."

Screenwriter Dong reciprocated by showering Lu Yunzhou with compliments.

Lu Yunzhou shook his head with a smile: "Don't say things like that. Director Wu is very dedicated. I admire him. I'm not sure I could handle carrying so many action scenes."

Screenwriter Dong discovered that Lu Yunzhou had taken away Wu Jing's directing power and control over the entire crew, but it seemed that he did not intend to take away Wu Jing's lead role and still wanted to treat Wu Jing like a beast of burden.

In an instant, he knew what to do.

They used Wu Jing to the extreme, making him film all the high-risk scenes.

As for the scenes where he shows off his coolness, leave those to Lu Yunzhou.

Lu Yunzhou can deceive young girls.

Wu Jing is over 40 years old. Even if he wanted to deceive a young girl, he would have the motivation, but his sister-in-law would definitely not agree!