Chinese Entertainment: Directors Start with the Fairy Sister

On the 12th, the premiere of "The Promise" was held in Beijing.

Almost all prominent figures, such as directors, actors, producers, and film companies, who were not competing with other films at the same time, received invitations.

There are very few people in the industry who wouldn't give face to Chen Kaige and Han Sanping.

Even figures like Feng Xiaogang, who is currently filming a new movie, have promised to go, as reported by the media.

On the morning of the 12th, Han Sanping even made a special phone call to Zhao Yanxi to confirm the itinerary.

Although it was probably a routine inquiry, it gave Zhao Yanxi a feeling of being flattered. When did she become so important in Han Sanping's eyes?!

"Boss, are all these big directors this good at putting on a show for their premieres? Should we hold one next year?" Yang Siwei said, pointing to the "CPPCC Auditorium" on the invitation.

"Should we play 'Stone' or 'First Love'?" Zhao Yanxi glanced at it and said, "Which do you think is more appropriate?"

"Hehe, neither of these two films is quite suitable, but boss, aren't you planning to shoot a big production next year? I think that would be perfect!"

"Don't get your hopes up. If they film that next year, it'll definitely be too late."

Yang Siwei was referring to the script she had read in Zhao Yanxi's office, the script that Zhao Yanxi only realized was the script after seeing Chen Kexin—"Painted Skin".

Since Hong Kong directors want to make money in the mainland and prefer to use mainland actors in supporting roles, Zhao Yanxi should fight for the rights to these big-budget Hong Kong films.

In his memory, there haven't been many outstanding works from Hong Kong Island in recent years. One is "Painted Skin" in 08, and the other is "Ip Man" in the same year.

Then, more than a decade later, came the Cold War series.

Zhao Yanxi doesn't really have any plans for next year yet, but spending some time making a big production would be a good idea!

......

The origin of "The Promise" is indeed inextricably linked to "Hero".

Zhang Yimou's film "Hero" opened the grand curtain on commercial films in the new century, transforming him from an art-house film director into a major commercial film director.

Its reputation even surpasses that of the only Palme d'Or winner in the country!

Director Chen was naturally not convinced that Zhang Yimou could make "Hero" work, so he wanted to make a film that was equally good, or even more expensive and stronger, to prove himself.

Just then, Han Sanping had just taken over as vice chairman of China Film Group, and was focused on expanding and strengthening the company to secure his position.

It took two ambitious people coming together to create "The Promise," a film with an investment of 3.5 million yuan, starring six box office stars from China, Japan, and South Korea, and meticulously crafted by the director over three years.

Whether it's China Film Group, the production company, media reporters, or the entire film and television industry, everyone agrees that "The Promise" is bound to be a successful commercial blockbuster.

It has all the essential elements of a successful commercial film: a big director, stars, action, special effects, and more. Now it's just waiting to be released!

"The visuals are quite good. If you want to make a film like 'Painted Skin,' you could take inspiration from Chen Kaige's cinematography."

When Zhao Yanxi thought of this, she couldn't help but praise herself for her cleverness!

......

At 5 p.m., Zhao Yanxi and Yang Siwei arrived at the CPPCC Auditorium.

From afar, one could see nearly a hundred warriors dressed in red robes, wielding swords and spears, standing like loyal guards in the square outside the auditorium.

Along both sides of the hundreds-of-meters-long red carpet were dense crabapple groves, with white lanterns hanging in the groves, and two oversized banners bearing the name "Wuji" prominently displayed on either side of the auditorium entrance.

"Hiss, boss, why do I feel like there's something a little off about this?"

Zhao Yanxi was also a little trembling. She made "Paranormal Activity" herself, so Western-style horror didn't matter to her.

But the scene before my eyes: at five o'clock in the afternoon, yin and yang converge; the red carpet and white lanterns are like the road to the underworld; the "Wuji Gate" is like the gates of hell. This Chinese horror is truly terrifying.

"Look at this red carpet, and that 'Gate of Infinity'—doesn't it look like the road to the underworld, the gates of hell?!"

"Boss, don't scare me! I'm just big, I'm easily scared!"

"Just kidding, what are you afraid of? Don't forget, your boss also works part-time as a Taoist priest, so catching ghosts and exorcising demons is a piece of cake for him~"

...

"Director Zhao, this way please."

Following the hostess, Zhao Yanxi and her companion entered the auditorium.

Media reporters, celebrities, film and television executives, and theater managers—almost everyone was there.

Zhao Yanxi immediately spotted directors such as Feng Xiaogang, Gu Changwei, Wang Xiaoshuai, and Jiang Wen, as well as well-known artists such as Ge You, Shuang Bing, and Huang Xiaoming.

"Director Zhao, Director Yang~" Huo Wenxi from Yinghuang took the initiative to step forward and greet them.

"Hello, Ms. Huo."

As Zhao Yanxi greeted Huo Wenxi, Wang Zhonglei, Huang Xiaoming, and others in the distance also waved to express their greetings.

After Mani Fok left, the others gathered around.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, Wang Zhonglei left first. Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Yanxi said with a smile, "Is Brother Xiaoming about to sign with Huayi Brothers?"

"That's the plan," Huang Xiaoming nodded. "Right now, Huayi Brothers is the only company in mainland China that can still offer some help to my career."

Zhao Yanxi nodded. The sale of Huayi's shares was indeed a crucial opportunity for Huang Xiaoming to leap from celebrity to investor.

Signing with Huayi Brothers at this time would be a great help to him.

"Yanxi, what about you? You've rested for so long, do you have any new plans? Are there any roles that would suit me?"

"You know what," Zhao Yanxi suddenly smiled, "I actually have a role that would be perfect for you."

"A big-budget production with an investment of over 100 million, and the male lead?! How about it?!"

"Great!" Huang Xiaoming's eyes lit up. "When will it be turned on?"

"Probably next June."

Zhao Yanxi thought for a moment, and seeing Huang Xiaoming's rather excited appearance, she said jokingly, "Brother Xiaoming, I can't guarantee that I will definitely choose you."

"Don't be angry if I don't choose you because you're not a good fit for the role after the audition!"

"Haha, how could that be? It's good enough to even have an audition opportunity," Huang Xiaoming laughed heartily. "It's a big production worth hundreds of millions. So many people want to audition but don't even have this chance."

"Alright then," Zhao Yanxi said with a smile, "Anyway, I think you're quite suitable, Brother Xiaoming..."

As they were talking, a loud shout suddenly erupted outside—"Tingfeng!"

"Zhang Dongjian!"

"Kashiwa-no-Kashiwa!"

Hearing the fans' excited voices, the people in the auditorium knew that the crew of "The Promise" had arrived.

As everyone spontaneously came out of the hall to greet them, they saw nearly a hundred white-robed warriors holding spears and wearing silver helmets and armor, and red-robed warriors in red helmets and armor, standing on either side of the "Gate of Infinity".

The two groups of warriors roared at each other and changed formations, like a military parade, before finally lining up on both sides of the red carpet, waiting for the people in the convoy at the head of the red carpet.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong walked over first, followed closely by Zhang Baizhi in a black low-cut evening gown. Xie Tingfeng, Liu Ye, Zhang Dongjian, and Sanada Hiroshi also stepped onto the red carpet, with screams from fans on both sides rising and falling in a high-pitched manner.

Upon entering the auditorium and taking their seats, each person had a word on the back of their chair.

Chen Kaige represents infatuation, Chen Hong represents betrayal, Liu Ye represents freedom, and Zhang Baizhi represents love...

Host Wang Han asked the group to explain the deeper meaning of these words in the film, and the others interpreted them based on the movie itself.

Only Chen Kaige was different: "Obsession! In this world, I'm most obsessed with two things: I'm obsessed with 'The Promise' that I filmed with Chen Hong; and I'm obsessed with Chen Hong!"

Immediately, applause erupted from the audience.

Zhao Yanxi was equally excited—she saw it, she finally saw the "legend" she had only seen online in her previous life.

Being able to witness this historic moment makes this trip worthwhile!

It wasn't until 7:30 that Han Sanping arrived late with some leaders, and the movie officially started.

"When we humans are young, we live with the gods..."

"Do you want to know what I'm wearing under this dress?"

......

The experience of watching it on a computer in my past life is quite different from watching it on a big screen in this life.

The scenes and visuals are indeed more beautiful than what you see on a computer, but the lines and costumes are really awkward and ridiculous!

Ironically, the industry colleagues around him were nodding and praising as they watched, saying, "Not bad, not bad!"

"This is what a big-budget fantasy film should look like."

"Fantastic! Brilliant!"

Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Yanxi could only think of one fable—"The Emperor's New Clothes".

China Film Group must have done their work; there will most likely be only praise here today, and no other comments.

The film ended amidst harmonious sounds. Chen Kaige led the main cast and crew onto the stage to recount the filming process, and Zhang Baizhi even shed tears when he spoke emotionally.

It must be admitted that at 25 years old, Zhang Baizhi's looks are among the best in the entertainment industry, where beauties abound.

Apart from a few well-known female celebrities such as Liu Yifei and Fan Bingbing, few others can rival her.

As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he attracted the attention of a large number of old perverts.

Aside from Zhao Yanxi, it's not that he didn't watch it, but rather that he's not a pervert; he's looking at the character "Qingcheng" through Zhang Baizhi's lens with a critical eye!

The media interviews that Zhao Yanxi was worried about did not happen.

By the time the main creators finished sharing their psychological journeys, it was almost 11 p.m., which affected the subsequent arrangements, so they had to go straight into the much-anticipated dinner.

As they were preparing to retreat, Han Sanping called Zhao Yanxi over.

"Director Zhao, I heard you have something big planned for next year?!"