National Tide 1980.

Ning Weimin's words were like a bomb dropped in the conference room. All the participants could not contain their excitement and were so excited that they "exploded".

No one could have imagined that faced with the obstacle of casting, Ning Weimin would take such a simple and crude approach to solve it.

Yes, the major entertainment agencies are reluctant to get involved in the dispute between Burning Series and Fog Productions because they are afraid that the future of their artists will be targeted. But what do those big-name stars who have already become famous have to fear?

Some celebrities even have many big shots as friends.

Just like Ken Takakura and Hibari Misora, they not only have backers in the political arena, but they were also close friends with the third-generation leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Kazuo Taoka.

Although Suho Ikuo also has close ties with Japan's largest violent organization, the Yamaguchi-gumi, he certainly cannot compare with these two in terms of friendship or status. There is a huge gap.

What's more, these famous actors have acting skills and popularity, and many of them have won major awards, so they are all capable.

  If it is really possible as Ning Weimin said, and each of the dozen or so main and secondary roles in the whole play can be selected based on the degree of fit, and the famous actors who best suit the characteristics of the role can be selected, how gorgeous will this play become!

This is an unprecedented feat since Japan had its own TV series.

Just like the movie "Crazy Rich Asians", I believe that as long as the news is released to the media, it will cause a sensation in the whole of Japan and bring unimaginable influence.

Not to mention the gimmick that the original author Seicho Matsumoto personally "designated the roles".

Moreover, as long as the drama is successfully completed and sent to TV stations for broadcast, the starting ratings will not be low, at least more than 25%.

I'm afraid that TBS TV station would also feel pressured by such a TV series with an unprecedented luxurious cast in Japan.

Even if Suho Ikuo is behind this, what can he do?

I'm afraid even TBS TV station would not dare not give it a prime time slot, otherwise it would be scolded to death by the Japanese people, and would offend all the famous actors who spoke in the drama.

In short, if we ignore the huge costs that come with it, this method does have countless benefits.

As a result, almost all the participants present "burned" after just a brief thought.

"President Ning, I am really impressed by your courage and determination. I admire your decision and will try my best to help you. However, I wonder if you have considered the schedule of these famous actors, which may be a problem..."

Ning Weimin certainly understood what he meant. Since he was a famous star, he would definitely not have to worry about finding a job.

It would be easy if we could just get one or two people together, but it would be more difficult if there were seven or eight or even more than ten people.

"It doesn't matter. Let's draw up a list first, and then we'll try to coordinate according to the best plan. Anyway, we have to talk about it, so we'll start with the most important characters. As long as the core characters, the villains in the play, are decided, such as the big boss President Hasegawa, the medical school director Hashida, the nightclub hostess Nami, and her financial backer and professional shareholder Takahashi Katsuo. The rest will be easy to talk about. Besides, don't forget that we are not a production crew affiliated with a TV station that needs to rush to finish within a month or two. Those crews sometimes even shoot and broadcast at the same time. We have more flexibility in time to coordinate. And we have ample funds. What we pursue now is the quality of the film. At worst, we'll just shoot whatever we can. I believe Director Nomura will also make good arrangements for the content."

These words immediately enlightened Akira Okamoto.

Yoshitaro Nomura was also very satisfied with Ning Weimin's attitude of not sparing money and time to make a high-quality drama, and he also nodded frequently.

However, Watanabe Mitsuru, who was in charge of finance, became anxious. What he was most afraid of hearing now was the words "Don't care about money."

If these big guys in the crew really don't care and spend money at will, won't he still have to bear the pressure of the accounts in the end?

So he interrupted almost in a pleading manner, "President Ning, I'm very sorry. Although you said so before, I still have to say something. If your plan is really implemented, the money spent is incalculable. The pay of big-name stars is high, and they don't like to play villains and supporting roles. If we put forward the schedule request and let them play supporting roles, God knows what price we have to offer to impress them. And the most taboo thing for the crew is waiting. With so many people, waiting for one more day is a day of consumption. So..."

However, he didn't expect that before he could finish his words, Matsumoto Keiko was already unhappy.

"Watanabe-kun, these matters are not within your authority, and we have already made sufficient considerations, so you don't need to say anything more. You just need to cash the check as required."

The rare serious tone really didn't give Watanabe Mitsuru any face, and he shut him up with just one sentence.

From this we can clearly see how superstitious Matsumoto Keiko is about Ning Weimin.

It can be said that although the current Mist Studio is an enterprise exclusively owned by Matsumoto Keiko, it is actually still Ning Weimin who is in charge.

Therefore, all the people present took Watanabe Mitsuru as a warning and secretly kept this observation in mind.

However, Ning Weimin understood very well Watanabe Mitsuru's worries and loyalty.

He really didn't want to embarrass this confidant.

So out of consideration, he patiently explained to Watanabe Mitsuru and played the role of the bad guy very well.

"Watanabe-kun, as the Financial Supervisory Committee, I understand that you are a little worried about financial expenditures. But please believe that given our current situation, these financial expenditures are absolutely necessary. And we also have certain measures to solve the problems you raised."

"For example, we can first choose stars from Shochiku Entertainment. I believe that from the perspective of multi-faceted cooperation, Shochiku will be happy to cooperate with us, right? President Sakomoto is a decent man and will not ask us, an ally, for a high price. We can also consider stars from Toho Entertainment, not only because we are both production studios, but also because we have not asked them for breach of contract compensation. If we are still willing to continue using their stars, Toho will probably remember this favor and know how to repay it."

"In this case, once the main roles are confirmed, the other roles will be easy to deal with. Because when we announce the main roles again, it will definitely shock the entire Japanese entertainment industry. Think about it, will no one be willing to play the other roles? As long as we don't skimp on the remuneration, I'm afraid it won't be us who beg those stars to participate in this drama, but those stars who don't have the opportunity to participate in this drama will feel regretful, or even embarrassed."

"Besides that, another biggest benefit of hiring these big-name stars is the stability of the crew. Not only will they have to pay a huge amount of compensation for breach of contract, but their personal reputation will also suffer even greater losses. No one will quit the crew easily anymore. This time, even for the smallest role, we have to sign the contract more strictly. We can't let those people take advantage of the opportunity to interfere with our filming and ruin our film."

What Ning Weimin said was indeed clear and logical.

In this case, Watanabe Mitsuru didn't know what to say anymore, and even felt a little impressed by his careful consideration.

Then, things really got on track. No one at the meeting expressed doubts about the plan anymore. Instead, they all actively brainstormed, began to seriously discuss the roles, and put forward their own candidates.

Director Yoshitaro Nomura spoke first, "Let's first decide on the biggest villain, President Hasegawa. Although this role does not run throughout the entire season and is mainly in the second half, the style requirements are very high and it can be said to be quite important. Well, I personally think it should be an older male with a gloomy temperament and a magnetic voice. If we consider Shochiku or Toho, how about Toho's Keishi Kobayashi?"

The Keiju Kobayashi he mentioned was a film actor of the same generation as Toshiro Mifune, who was active in the Showa and Heisei eras.

His representative works include "The Battle of the Sea of ​​Japan", "Hakkoda Mountains", "Kaidan Snow Girl", etc.

He has appeared in hundreds of movies so far. Although he mostly plays supporting roles as he gets older, he is still a golden supporting actor.

He has won Best Actor three times and Best Supporting Actor once.

However, even with such qualifications, Shinobu Hashimoto still raised objections.

"His acting skills are very mature, but he has played too many roles and seems to have no personality..."

Yoshitaro Nomura didn't mind. He knew that Shinobu Hashimoto was just speaking the truth, so he patiently expressed his opinion.

"Yes, usually, a good actor needs a strong personality, but there is a drawback. That will limit the roles he can play. Kobayashi Keishi looks very ordinary, but he can play any role. You also admit that his acting skills are excellent. I believe he can play this kind of role well."

Shinobu Hashimoto thought about it and seemed to hesitate. Perhaps she also wanted to give the director some face, so she directly rejected the first candidate.

"I'm temporarily convinced by you, so let's list him as a candidate."

Then he turned to Matsumoto Seicho and said, "Mr. Matsumoto, you are the original author. Since President Ning advocated that your candidate should be the main candidate in this production meeting, why don't you also propose one? Maybe it can help us to stimulate our thinking."

Matsumoto Seicho laughed loudly and said bluntly, "Well, if you let me speak, I will. The candidate I have my eyes on is Mikuni Rentaro."

As soon as this name was uttered, everyone immediately became excited, not for any other reason, but because this was a big name in Japanese film acting.

Mikuni Rentaro is also a famous actor active in the Showa period. His major works include "Blood Dead Line", "Red Fate", "Hakkoda Mountain", etc.

In particular, he has a rich acting career experience. He first worked at Shochiku, then went to Toho, and later to Nikkatsu, winning numerous awards.

Now he is basically no longer an actor, but has become a famous director.

Coincidentally, his film "Shinran White Road" won the Special Jury Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

While in France, Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko also chatted with the director and famous actor at an official dinner.

More importantly, his political stance is anti-war and pro-China, and he is the leading actor on the Japanese side of the Sino-Japanese co-produced film "A Game of Chess That Has Not Been Finished".

So this time Ning Weimin responded first, "This candidate is good. I think he can be the first candidate. Of course, you can continue to nominate. We need to prepare at least three candidates in case of any inconvenience."

The assistant director also made a suggestion, "I think this President Hasegawa is a sinister and domineering person. It would be best if he has a sense of vicissitudes of life and can be intimidating without being angry. If I were to say, just based on his image, he always reminds me of director Akira Kurosawa."

As a result, there was a burst of laughter at the scene.

No one expected that he would recommend this great director.

"I say, your choice is ridiculous. Director Akira Kurosawa has never participated in a movie performance."

"That's right. A famous director may not be a famous actor. How could he be invited to play such an important role?"

"I say, you are quite bold. If Director Kurosawa Akira hears such words, you will suffer..."

Everyone couldn't help but have different opinions, and they all accused the assistant director of recommending someone who was unreliable.

However, Ning Weimin didn't think so. He immediately stopped the commotion at the meeting. "No, no, don't deny it completely. It's impossible to let Director Akira Kurosawa play such an important villain. But this idea is good and it's feasible. How about we try to invite Director Akira Kurosawa to appear in this drama? It would be best if he plays the director himself, or a guest that the heroine has received in the nightclub. I have a say with Director Akira Kurosawa, but I feel embarrassed to be too stingy with the price. Do you think the director would be tempted by 5 million yen for such a scene and a few shots?"

After these words were spoken, no one was happy anymore. Instead, everyone took a deep breath, shocked by Ning Weimin's generous act of spending so much money.

I don’t know how many people have the same thought in their hearts, is there any need to ask?

Being a director is not a high-paying job, and the salary is much lower than that of the male and female leads of a play.

Especially director Akira Kurosawa, if he hadn't sold his personal studio not long ago and used the money to invest in stocks, he would probably be in debt and still have to pay off his debts.

  It's such a simple thing, and he can earn such a large sum of money in a day, how could he not be tempted?

As a result, many people's thinking was completely opened up because of Ning Weimin's idea.

Next, Ning Weimin set the tone for everyone. Everyone was no longer polite when recommending candidates for the role, and the price was really not considered.

But then again, the positive effects are visible and tangible, and don’t think that the cast only exists in verbal discussions for the time being.

But all the creators were extremely excited. Not to mention the two male actors, Ken Utsui and Tomokazu Miura, even the heroine Keiko Matsumoto herself felt an unprecedented excitement.

If she could really get together with these famous actors and act opposite them, she would have an urge to compete with them and prove her acting skills.

To put it bluntly, if all these people got together, the four major awards in the Japanese film industry would be meaningless.

Winning the Best Actor or Best Actress award once is the minimum basic requirement.

As a director, Yoshitaro Nomura is of course even more excited. Although he has been a director all his life, he never dreamed that he would direct such a TV series in which almost all the actors are famous actors.

Of course, because of this, he also feels the weight of his responsibility.

You have to know that these famous actors are almost all veteran actors, and if they are not careful, the supporting roles can suppress the main characters and make them lose their luster.

Therefore, how to make the rivalry between these famous actors achieve the right effect and prevent the low-key characters from overshadowing the originally outstanding characters will be the most serious problem he faces. Can he not take it seriously from the moment he chooses the role?

The only person who could remain calm at the scene was Matsumoto Seicho, although as usual he had the first chance to express his opinion for each character.

But every time he spoke, he only mentioned the names of the recommended candidates, but never participated in the actual discussion. He just looked down at the thing in front of him that was like a script.

This made the crew members both grateful and admired.

Many people couldn't help but admire it secretly in their hearts.

Look at Mr. Matsumoto, he truly has the demeanor of a master, neither pretentious nor arrogant.

What a sense of propriety, how low-key, and how humble you are.

No wonder he can always produce excellent works and become the first in the social reasoning school.

Actually, to be honest, it's a joke for these people at the scene to think like this.

Because it is not what they imagined at all, it is purely what they made up in their imagination.

You know, the reason why Matsumoto Seicho came to wade into this muddy water and stand up for Ning Weimin was not for nothing.

Ning Weimin also gave this master certain benefits.

Of course, it is definitely not cash or any valuable gold, silver or jewelry.

Ning Weimin is not that vulgar, and Matsumoto Seicho is not that materialistic.

To be honest, this gift was totally insignificant to Ning Weimin, but it was one that the master could not refuse.

Because what Ning Weimin used to reward Matsumoto Seicho was nothing else but the synopsis of a world-famous suspense drama he had seen in his previous life - "Squid Game".

He wrote it and offered it to Matsumoto Seicho as creative inspiration, but it turned out to be a work of art at a time when even the movie "Battle Royale" had not yet appeared.

The brilliance and setting of this story immediately fascinated this master of social reasoning and made him experience an unprecedented brainstorming experience.

So the two agreed that the novel written by Matsumoto Seicho based on this story line could be signed and published as his personal literary work, and all royalties would belong to him.

However, the distribution rights of this novel in the Chinese-speaking regions belong to Ning Weimin.

The film and television adaptation rights also belong to Mist Studios free of charge.

That’s why, even during the meeting, Matsumoto Seicho was too lazy to pay attention to other things.

He was now concentrating on studying the plot at hand.

I have to say, from this point of view, it can be seen that there is really no need for Watanabe Mitsuru to worry about his financial health.

Because Ning Weimin was able to invite a great god without spending a penny. Who else has this ability? (End of this chapter)