Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

"The youth fantasy film, 'Back to Youth,' co-produced by China Film Group and Xuancheng Film & Television, begins filming today."

"Wang Xuan, the former Berlin Film Festival Best Actor winner, is now a new director. Can he successfully transition into directing?"

"Best actor Ge You and sketch comedy queen Song Dandan join forces..."

"..."

The media reports sparked a small-scale discussion.

Some people say that Wang Xuan is neglecting his proper profession, giving up a good acting career to become a director.

Some people even called on the Beijing Film Academy, saying that it's rare for the acting department to produce a Best Actor, and that they shouldn't let him go astray.

The news report brought Wang Xuan a lot of encouraging messages, with Xiao Tian being the first, fastest, and most heartwarming to send them.

Seeing how good she was at comforting people, Wang Xuan gave up the idea of ​​comforting her.

"Anaconda" only grossed a few hundred thousand yuan in its first three days of release and was pulled from theaters early.

I suppose she doesn't care.

Lu Zhen is an excellent nanny, very responsible. But as an agent, her judgment is questionable; she's never had a single good eye.

None of the films we've invested in have received universal acclaim.

Yang Mi and Liu Shishi only found out about Wang Xuan becoming a director after seeing the news, and they naturally offered their congratulations and encouragement.

The most attention-grabbing event in the industry was the premiere of "The Forbidden Kingdom" held at Chaoyang Park.

The choice to hold the press conference outdoors was made for the large number of fans, media, and guests.

After all, this is the first Sino-US co-production, and a large number of foreign actors and filmmakers will be present.

At the premiere, Wang, the CEO of Huayi Brothers, made a bold statement, saying that if the film's box office reaches 50 million US dollars, a sequel will be made.

From an outsider's perspective, given the star power of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, achieving this box office figure globally shouldn't be difficult.

During breaks, the crew of "Back to Youth" were discussing the movie "The Forbidden Kingdom".

The most enviable one is undoubtedly Liu Yifei.

He's had top-tier resources since his debut, and now he's collaborating with two top Chinese actors, about to make his way to Hollywood.

I heard that a talent agency in Hollywood is in contact with her team.

"Not only is she from a wealthy family, but she's also so beautiful. How are ordinary people like us supposed to live?"

Chai Biyun drooled with envy. Some people are born into privilege, while others are born to be slaves their whole lives.

"You are you, don't drag us into this."

Shuangzi secretly rolled her eyes. She might not be as good as others, but she was very confident in her looks.

Noticing Wang Xuan approaching, her expression instantly changed, and she said in a clear, crisp voice:

"Brother Wang Xuan, did my acting go well?"

"Hmm, not bad. You just need to play yourself as a rebellious teenage girl."

"Ah~ I won't. I always listen to my parents at home and I'm not rebellious at all."

Shuangzi blinked, looking like a well-behaved girl.

For a moment, Wang Xuan was a little confused.

Just now, we let Shuangzi unleash her true nature and perform the unrestrained spirit of a rock band, and she did a great job.

Why do you have such a different attitude now?

"Director, I'm rebellious, I'm too rebellious. I'll play the role in a different one if you want."

Chai Biyun couldn't stand Shuangzi's work as a salesperson, so she decided to sabotage her.

Shuangzi hurriedly said, "Brother Wang Xuan, don't switch me, I can learn it."

Wang Xuan was very annoyed. He repeatedly insisted that people on set address him as "Director".

The other classmates quickly adapted and changed how they addressed him, but Shuangzi still called him "Big Brother," which became an exception on set.

"Just give a good performance. The production team has limited funds, so they generally won't recast or reshoot scenes."

Wang Xuan gave the two instructions, which also made his attitude clear.

···

Filming continues.

With its urban setting, set design wasn't too complicated, the actors' performances were adequate, and filming progressed quickly.

The younger version of the female protagonist is pursued by three men of different ages and types, leading to a series of hilarious and absurd situations.

It has to be said that Jia Lin has a strong comedic talent, high emotional intelligence, quick wit, and can always provide laughs outside the script.

The highlight of this drama is her.

But when it comes to truly shining, it has to be Song Dandan and Ge You.

In the scene, Li Dahai was stunned the first time he saw the younger version of Shen Mengjun. His eyes widened and he stared intently, as if trying to confirm if it was real.

Just those three seconds of facial expression change—no wonder he's a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor.

The final scenes featuring Ge You and Song Dandan.

Faced with a choice between her youthful health and family ties, Shen Mengjun resolutely chose to save her grandson.

When Shen Mengjun reverts to her older self, Li Dahai still stays by her side, nagging as the two sit together in the audience, watching their granddaughter's rock performance.

It's worth mentioning that the most expensive expense for this production was the copyright of the songs.

The movie will use about 15 songs, 10 of which are rock songs, both Chinese and foreign.

"Cut! That's a wrap. Congratulations to both of you on finishing filming."

Wang Xuan presented the prepared flowers. Ge You's scenes were to be filmed in one session, and to accommodate Song Dandan, their scenes were arranged to be filmed together.

"The director did a good job; I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together again," Ge You said with a smile.

This child is so young yet possesses such abilities; he is destined for great things in the future.

Generally speaking, a director's prime age is over forty.

Wang Xuan is too young, yet he has his own ideas.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will have a place in the future of Chinese film and television.

"Please don't refuse when I invite you," Wang Xuan said.

"Haha, of course not."

"Director Wang, thank you for your help. Just contact me anytime during the film's promotion."

"Okay, Teacher Dandan."

After seeing the two off, filming continued.

···

In the film market, "Buried" did not complete its theatrical run and was pulled from theaters ahead of schedule.

It grossed 637 million at the box office.

After deducting 5% for the film special fund and 3.3% for business tax, the remaining 91.7% is the box office revenue, of which cinemas take 52% and distributors take 10%.

The remaining 29.7% belongs to the production company.

Wang Xuan calculated that with a box office of 637 million, Xuancheng Films would receive 189 million, earning a profit of 2 times.

No wonder independent directors in China all prefer to make art films and buy copyrights from overseas.

After deducting various revenue sharing fees, the box office revenue needs to reach three times the production cost in order to make a profit.

The Forbidden Kingdom, co-produced by Huayi Brothers and Lionsgate, premiered in North America six days earlier than in China.

It received good reviews and performed well at the box office.

When the news reached China, Huayi Brothers was overjoyed and increased its promotional funding for the film.

Moviegoers are eagerly anticipating the film's release in the country.

Even the cinema chains couldn't sit still. Xinyinglian Cinema Chain bought out the box office revenue of cinemas under its jurisdiction in the capital for 2300 million yuan.

This pioneering move of exclusive theatrical releases shocked the industry with the influence of the two kung fu kings.

Liu Yifei, who reaped the most benefits, received another offer from William Morris to sign a management contract.

This sparked a heated discussion in the domestic media, as the last person to be signed was Zhang Ziyi.

If Liu Yifei agrees, she will be another Chinese actress to go to Hollywood.

Many female celebrities in the industry are very envious, even the top actresses. Although they have achieved more in terms of awards, Liu Yifei's popularity is clearly more recognized in the international market.