China Entertainment's whatever you want

Chapter 678: Isn't the heroine miserable?
The release of "The Wandering Earth" has been confirmed, and the distributor will be jointly China Film Group and "Wei Ming Tian Xia", so there is no need to divide this piece of cake.

In the following days, the crew of "The Accidental Murderer" headed by Wen Muye returned to China.

The company gathered all the main creators of the "Dying to Survive" crew and held a lively celebration party.

Of course, the most important thing is to give everyone a red envelope of considerable weight.

The movie was a big hit, Wen Muye, Xiao Yang, Wang Chuanjun and others became famous, Gu Wei made a fortune, and everyone was happy.

After the celebration banquet, Wen Mu also devoted himself to the post-production of "Accidental Manslaughter". Gu Wei received Rao Xiaozhi who came back from the crew of "Sherlock on the Plains" in the office.

"Why did Director Rao think of going to a small crew to be a producer?"

"Xu Lei is my friend. It was his first time making a feature-length film and he was a little unsure about it, so he asked me for help.

It just so happened that I wasn't busy recently, so I went to lend a hand~" Director Rao blew on the tea in front of him and took a sip slowly.

"How do you feel about the movie?" Gu Wei asked curiously.

He had never heard of Xu Lei's name or the movie "Sherlock on the Plains". It should be a not very famous movie.

Rao Xiaozhi raised his head slightly and thought about it.

“Although Xu Lei is a new director, it is undeniable that he is very talented.

[Sherlock on the Plains] is a somewhat rustic and bizarre dark comedy film, telling the story of an old rural man Chaoying and his good friend Zhan Yi who transform into Sherlock on the plains and embark on a journey to hunt down a murderer.

Whether in terms of filming techniques or story content, it can be regarded as a fine film!"

After saying the compliments, Rao Xiaozhi couldn't help but shook his head.

"But there isn't a single famous actor in the film. Xu Lei recruited a group of amateurs who fit the roles in the plot to make the film. It will be hard for the film to achieve success at the box office in the future."

“Amateur actor?
Could it be that the main actors have never acted in a play before?" Gu Wei couldn't believe it.

Rao Xiaozhi smiled bitterly and said: “I didn’t expect at first that there are three main characters in the movie, all of them are rural old men, named “Chao Ying”, “Zhan Yi” and “Shu He” respectively.

Their names come from the real names of three "actors" in their 60s found by Xu Lei, Xu Chaoying, Zhang Zhanyi, and Su Shuhe.

The three of them are all villagers from the local village, and they have barely watched many movies, let alone acted in them."

"Interesting, I must watch the movie when it comes out." Gu Wei's interest was also piqued by Rao Xiaozhi's words.

"Have you read the script the company sent you?"

After chatting for a few sentences, Gu Wei started to get to the point.

"Yes, after receiving the script, I read it several times in the crew!" Rao Xiaozhi became serious when he said this.

"how do you feel?"

"Very good, the title of the movie is very appropriate, there is nothing important in life except life and death.

Stories about the funeral industry are relatively rare in domestic films, and the story of "Life Events" is both funny and tearful. By facing death squarely, it allows people to better cherish the present and better understand the meaning of life.

This meaning does not lie in monetary gain, but in the sincere feelings with family, friends, and people around you.

It’s a rare good story!”

Rao Xiaozhi said without hesitation and firmly.

Gu Wei smiled. "Life Events" is undoubtedly a good story, and a good story has great appeal to a director. He was not surprised by Rao Xiaozhi's reaction.

"So Director Rao is planning to take on this project?"

“I am confident that I can make this movie well!”

"Okay, that's settled then!" Gu Wei also believed that with Rao Xiaozhi's level and shooting style, he would not let down such a good story as "Major Events in Life".

After things were settled, Gu Wei and Rao Xiaozhi discussed the movie again.

[Life Events] will be another key project of [Wei Ming Tian Xia] after [Dying to Survive], and it will be starred by Gu Wei himself.

As the director of the film, Rao Xiaozhi had a lot to communicate with Gu Wei, the screenwriter and leading actor.

“I plan to shoot [Life Events] early next year, so I should have plenty of time for preparatory work.

Director Rao can go to Wuhan for film location selection. I think that city is more in line with the temperament of the film."

Listening to Gu Wei's instructions, Rao Xiaozhi nodded unconsciously.

"The rest are relatively easy to handle, but it may be difficult to find an actress who can play the role of the little girl "Wu Xiaowen" in the play."

Gu Wei frowned slightly.

The little actor in the original version of "Life Events" performed very well, but this version started filming more than two years in advance. For a child, the change in two years is very big. The original "Wu Xiaowen" is too young now and is probably not up to the role.

"If that doesn't work, then we can hold an open audition. There are many young actors of the right age in the industry, so there will always be someone suitable."

September 9th, Huairou Film and Television Base in Beijing.

The opening ceremony of the costume love drama "Eastern Palace", produced by "Wei Ming Tian Xia" and directed by Li Muge, was held here.

The filming locations of this drama are mainly divided into four places: Dunhuang with its desert scenery, Bashang Grassland, Hengdian World Studios and Huairou Film and Television Base.

According to the shooting plan, the crew will start filming in Huairou, and after finishing the scenes here, they will go to Dunhuang and Bashang, and finally wrap up in Hengdian.

Gu Wei's new film started shooting near Beijing, which naturally attracted many media reporters.

In the morning, under the leadership of Gu Wei and Li Muge, the crew burned incense and worshipped gods to complete the start-up process, and then entered the media interview session.

"This is my second collaboration with Director Li Muge. Director Li is an excellent director, and I am looking forward to creating some different sparks this time."

“Ziyi is a very good actor who has appeared in many film and television works before, and many of his roles have left a deep impression on the audience.

Whether in terms of image, temperament or acting skills, she is the most suitable candidate for the role of "Qu Xiaofeng."

As the absolute core figure in the crew, Gu Wei is naturally the focus of media attention.

He was already very familiar with this kind of interview. He could answer questions fluently, praising everyone from the director to the leading actress and other major actors, and no one could find any fault with them.

Meng Ziyi was a little excited.

She has filmed many dramas over the years since she entered the industry, and has played the leading female role before, but this is the first time she has played the leading female role with Gu Wei. Her long-cherished wish has finally come true, and her whole mood is different from before.

“.I am very happy to be able to work with my senior brother on a film.

In fact, we have collaborated many times before, from being the heroine in his MV, to playing the school beauty who liked him in "Love O2O", to playing his ex-girlfriend in "You Are My Glory".

It’s not easy, this time I finally get to play his real girlfriend. It seems like I’m making progress.”

As Meng Ziyi spoke, she turned around and glanced at Gu Wei beside her. She made everyone laugh.

After the opening ceremony, the crew officially started filming.

The morning passed quickly. Because the filming had just started, the progress was not fast. However, everyone was gradually adapting to the rhythm of the new filming through the shooting of a few shots.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten that you played so many small supporting roles in my plays." Gu Wei was chatting with Meng Ziyi during lunch.

"Since I signed with the company when I was in school, I have always been your favorite supporting actress. From Sister Nazha to Sister Reba, it has really not been easy for me over the years." Meng Ziyi gave him a resentful look.

"Ahem." Gu Wei thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. It seemed that Meng Ziyi had been playing supporting roles in his various dramas for so many years, and most of the time, she played characters who loved him but could not get him.

"I'm just honing your acting skills. It's not necessarily a good thing to play the leading female role right away.

Besides, not all people in the industry are like this. They play supporting roles first, and then try to play the leading role after they have a certain degree of fame and their acting skills have matured.
You are very popular now, and you will definitely be a big hit after our drama is aired, and it will be a hot hit with a solid foundation."

To be honest, Gu Wei simply forgot about Meng Ziyi. If Yang Liwen hadn't mentioned her to him all the time, he wouldn't have remembered to film "The East Palace" to promote her.

"I know that my current fame is all thanks to your cultivation, boss."

Although she felt that the opportunity to play the leading role came a little late, Meng Ziyi also knew that her current fame was all thanks to signing with Gu Wei, which gave her one opportunity after another to appear in hit dramas.

Among her classmates at the Beijing Film Academy, she is undoubtedly the most famous one now.

"Brother, I've read the script of [Eastern Palace] many times. Isn't the heroine I play a little too miserable in this love drama?"

The two of them ate and talked, and Meng Ziyi asked Gu Wei about the doubts in his heart.

[Eastern Palace] This drama is adapted from Fei Wo Sicun's novel of the same name. It tells the story of the unrequited love and tragic love between Li Chengyin, the fifth prince of Feng Dynasty, and Qu Xiaofeng, the ninth princess of Western Zhou Dynasty.

However, unlike traditional romance dramas where the hero and heroine end up together happily, "Eastern Palace" is a BE drama. After falling in love, the two turn against each other and in the end the heroine even dies in front of the two armies. It can be said to be a truly tragic ending.

"Have you read the original novel?"

"Yes, I read the original novel after receiving the script. I found that a lot of parts of our script have been changed."

Gu Wei nodded.

“Adaptation is essential for a novel to be adapted into a film or TV series, as long as the general outline of the story and the appeal remain unchanged.

Just like "The East Palace", the heroine is a bit miserable, but it is precisely because of this that it is attractive and the audience likes to watch it.

Unlike before, not all TV dramas and movies have a happy ending now. Flaws and regrets are more likely to leave a deep impression on the audience."

Meng Ziyi nodded thoughtfully. She could understand what Gu Wei said, but when she thought about the previous dramas Gu Wei filmed with others, all of them were about sweet love affairs, but hers was about a love-hate relationship. She still felt a little unbalanced.

Gu Wei briefly explained the situation to Meng Ziyi and ignored her reaction.

[Eastern Palace] This film is indeed different from all the TV series he has filmed before.

In terms of the male protagonist, Gu Wei has previously played some upright characters, whether it was a campus male god, a domineering president or an aerospace engineer. Although their professional personalities and images were different, the core was generally similar.

But "Eastern Palace" is different. From the perspective of the heroine, Li Chengyin can be said to be a complete villain.

At the beginning of the original novel, the heroine Qu Xiaofeng is the ninth princess of Xizhou, of noble status, and is the object of marriage for Feng Dynasty.

But the heroine was unwilling to marry, so she went to her master Gu Jian and asked him to take her away from the marriage. However, she did not meet Gu Jian at the agreed place, but met an injured tea merchant Gu Xiaowu instead.

The kind-hearted heroine saved him, and the two fell in love with each other after several entanglements. After the hero helped the heroine's grandfather defeat another enemy, he was recognized by the heroine's family and decided to marry the heroine to him.

As a result, at the time of the wedding, the army of Feng Dynasty came to attack, and the originally trusted male protagonist rebelled in the battle and turned into Li Chengyin, the fifth prince of Feng Dynasty.

As a result, the Danchi tribe, to which the heroine's grandfather belonged, was defeated.

Li Chengyin led his men to attack the Danchi King's tent and chopped off the Chi King's head. All this was seen by the heroine. Only then did she realize that everything before was the hero's plan.

Get close to her, use her, and ultimately aim to wipe out Danchi.

The heroine's relatives died tragically and she was betrayed by her lover, and her world collapsed from then on. This was also the beginning of their love-hate relationship.

From Feng Chao's perspective, Li Chengyin did nothing wrong, but from Qu Xiaofeng's perspective, he was a complete devil.

Although the hero took advantage of the heroine's feelings, he actually fell in love with her during their time together.

But Li Chengyin is not the kind of person who can give up his rights for love. He wants to get Qu Xiaofeng's love more than he wants to get the country.

This point of conflict is also the reason why the relationship between the two eventually ended in tragedy.

This is the first time that Gu Wei plays this type of leading actor, and also the first time he appears in a TV series with a tragic ending. For him, filming "Eastern Palace" was a very different experience.

As for whether the TV series with a tragic ending will become popular after it is broadcast, he is not worried at all.

With Gu Wei's current fame and popularity, even if he stars in a mediocre TV series, with his own traffic and the traffic from major platforms, it can at least become a hit.

Just like some of the TV series that Yang Mi and Zhao Liying will broadcast in the future, although the quality is average, they can still make the TV series popular thanks to their huge popularity.

What’s more, “The East Palace” is not a drama of ordinary quality.

The original version of "Eastern Palace" has a Douban score of 7.8, which is higher than the popular shows "The Journey of Flower", "Princess Agents" and "Eternal Love" in recent years.

Moreover, the male and female protagonists of the original version were two unknown 18th-tier actors who had no popularity at all. Under such circumstances, the performance of "Eastern Palace" was still good and it won a large number of loyal fans.

Now that Gu Wei and Meng Ziyi have taken over, it would be unacceptable for the TV series not to become a hit.

The news of the start of filming of "Eastern Palace" quickly spread on the Internet after it was revealed by the media.

The crew’s official Weibo account also released makeup photos of several main creators.

Li Chengyin, played by Gu Wei, is still handsome as always, and he exudes a noble air in his princely attire.

Meng Ziyi's red dress was extremely eye-catching, and her looks made her look like a peerless beauty.

[Brother's makeup photos are still so handsome, also in ancient costumes. When he was filming "Nirvana in Fire", his Mei Changsu had that kind of sickly temperament. Now the fifth prince has a different feeling. His acting skills are YYDS!]

[Meng Ziyi is so beautiful. When I watched "Flowers and Youth" before, I always thought she was a funny girl. I didn't expect that she is also a peerless beauty after dressing up.]

[What Meng Ziyi said at the opening ceremony was really right. She had always played the role of pursuing Gu Wei before, and this time she can finally play a real lover! ]

[A true lover, the kind who would kill her entire family? In the original novel of "Eastern Palace", the heroine is too miserable, and Li Chengyin is a scumbag! ]

[Li Chengyin’s character is really not that good, but it’s different if my brother plays it. The filter is too heavy. Even if he plays a real villain in another drama, I will like it! ]

(End of this chapter)