China Entertainment's whatever you want

Chapter 736 Casting
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The timing is quite special. The closer we get to National Day, the more we can feel the festive atmosphere that is different from previous years.

The collection of tribute films with strong main themes is the most notable feature of this year's National Day movie season.

The three movies that will be released on September 9, "My People, My Country", "The Captain" and "The Climbers" constitute the "three heroes" of the National Day holiday.

All three films have a lineup that can be called the "top configuration" of Chinese-language films.

[The Climbers] is directed by Hong Kong director Li Rengang, starring Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi, Zhang Yi, Jing Boran, Hu Ge, Wang Jingchun and others, and also invited Cheng Long to make a guest appearance.

[The Captain] is also directed by Hong Kong director Andrew Lau, starring Zhang Hanyu, Ou Hao, Du Jiang and others.

"My Motherland and I", which consists of seven short films, has an amazing list of directors. It is co-directed by seven well-known film directors including Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, and Wen Muye.

The actors include Gu Wei, Huang Bo, Zhang Yi, Wu Jing, Ge You, Song Jia and other artists who are both talented and popular with the audience.

They are all tribute films made for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, but there is still some competition and comparison behind the scenes.

The producer of "The Captain" is Bona.

Yu Dong has been deeply involved in the mainstream music track in recent years, and it is just a coincidence that "The Captain" is released during the National Day holiday this year.

The main controller of "The Climbers" is Shanghai Film Group, while "My People, My Country" is produced by China Film Group.

The two largest state-owned film groups in the country have been competing secretly for many years, just like the two cities of Beijing and Shanghai.

However, China Film Group is much stronger than Shanghai Film Group in terms of scale, influence, works and talents, and is the leader in the domestic film industry.

It can also be seen from the two tribute films this time that "The Climbers" is very powerful, with Wu Jing and Zhang Ziyi taking the leading roles.

But "My People, My Country" is a completely upgraded version of "The Founding of a Republic", with dozens of celebrities and seven well-known directors.

In terms of appeal alone, it crushes "The Climbers".

The premiere ceremony of "My Motherland and I" was quite grand. According to the seven classic historical moments, the plot trailers such as the eve of the event, the encounter, and the championship were played in sequence.

At the same time, the main creative crew of each plot took turns to appear on the stage of the ceremony.

The host Kang Hui interacted with the directors and leading actors of each crew, allowing the audience to learn about many behind-the-scenes stories of the movie "My Motherland and I", and introduced various plots into the movie "My Motherland and I" one after another.

Xue Xiaolu led the "Return" crew to appear on the stage.

Starring Gu Wei, Simon Yam, Kara Hui, Du Jiang, Zhu Yilong, Gao Yalin and others, the film focuses on the grand occasion of Hong Kong's return.

Hong Kong actors Simon Yam and Kara Hui also recounted their past experiences of witnessing Hong Kong's return to China on the spot, which was tear-jerking.

Kara Hui was so moved that she burst into tears on the stage and kept turning back to wipe away her tears.

Afterwards, Gu Wei sang "Pearl of the Orient" live as a representative of the "Return" crew.

When the line “Let the sea tide accompany me to bless you, please don’t forget that my face will never turn yellow” was sung, thunderous applause broke out at the scene!

"You sang really well, you are a professional indeed. When you sang [Pearl of the Orient], I couldn't help but secretly wipe away my tears."

After getting off the stage, Wu Jing walked over to Gu Wei.

"It's not that I sing well, it's that the song is well written. The emotions contained in it are so deep. This kind of classic will be passed down and will remain fresh for a long time."

Gu Wei sighed, then looked at Wu Jing with some surprise.

"I thought you couldn't come today?"

“Well, I have to show up at the premiere, but I can’t take care of the rest.

I have to stick with the Climbers."

Gu Wei nodded: "I understand. You are just a cameo here, but you are the main character over there."

Then he smiled and asked, "You should have seen the finished film of The Climbers, right? How is it? Do you have the confidence to compare it with Me, My Country?"

Wu Jing smiled bitterly and said, “How is that possible? The appeal of seven big directors and dozens of stars is far greater than those people in [The Climbers], not to mention you are here too.

And I always feel a little awkward when I watch the finished film, as if it didn’t turn out the way I imagined.”

"Uncomfortable? Could it be Zhang Ziyi?"

Wu Jing looked a little embarrassed.

“It’s not very good to say.

In fact, I had a feeling when I was shooting.

You know, in order to shoot this movie, I went to the snowy mountains to practice mountaineering for a month, and I feel that I am well prepared.

But during the actual filming, I always felt that director Li Rengang was a bit muddled. Many shots were almost given away, and the plot was not explained very thoroughly.

I am actually quite satisfied with the current effect of the film."

Gu Wei thought for a moment and said, "There are only a few Hong Kong directors who can really make good mainstream films. Li Rengang's ability is obviously not as good as Lin Chaoxian's.

I have studied his previous films, and they are too commercial and full of craftsmanship.

I didn’t know why Shanghai Film Studio chose him to direct such an important film.”

“Forget it, don’t think about it. It has come to this point. Let’s just wait and see what the result will be after the movie is released.

Main-theme movies are selling well now, maybe they can achieve good results with the National Day holiday."

Listening to Wu Jing's self-comforting words, Gu Wei nodded slowly without commenting.

After the premiere of "My People, My Country", Gu Wei did not return to the crew immediately, but stayed in the Beijing company for one more day.

"How's the preparation for [Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils] going?" Gu Wei and Wen Mu were also chatting about the new movie in the office.

They met at the premiere last night, but it was not convenient for them to talk outside.

“I started preparing after I got the script. The filming team is still the same people who made “Dying to Survive”. The location has also been decided. The next step is to start casting.”

Wen Mu is also very concerned about the book "Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils".

A good script is very attractive to the director. After filming "The Accidental Murderer", he was planning to take a break, but after reading this script, he completely lost the idea of ​​taking a break.

“There aren’t many characters in [Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Evils]. Apart from the main character, the main characters are Aberdeen Xu Weiqiang, the Venerable Lin Luhe, Aberdeen’s stepdaughter Cheng Xiaomei, the policeman Chen Hui who arrested Chen Guilin, the doctor Zhang Guiqing, and the Venerable’s lover Xiao Xiangxiang.

Oh, yes, there is also the little brother who witnessed Chen Guilin’s revenge at the beginning.”

Gu Wei has read the script many times and is familiar with the characters.

“This film will be very exciting if it is well made, so we cannot be careless with the actors. I mean we must find actors who have good acting skills and fit the characters in the script.

Do you have any idea? "

"Honorable Lin Lu and I are planning to ask Zhang Songwen from our company to play the role. With his image and acting skills, there shouldn't be any problem in handling this role." Wen Mu also said first.

Gu Wei nodded.

Venerable Lin Lu is the number one wanted criminal on the wanted list.

He has committed more than 50 shootings and killed 6 police officers. He is extremely vicious.

But he hid himself very deeply, and even set up all kinds of illusions to confuse the outside world, and at one point Chen Guilin, who was chasing him, fell into a trap.

Lin Luhe is not only good at disguising his appearance, but he is also extremely hypocritical in his heart, and what he does is extremely hypocritical. Zhang Songwen's appearance is not fierce, and with his acting skills, it should be no problem for him to play this kind of character who looks gentle but is actually a devil in his heart.

"Cheng Xiaomei can use Zhou Ye, her age and image are more suitable. I worked with her in a play this year. Although her acting skills are relatively immature, she has strong plasticity."

[Zhou Chu Eliminates Three Evils] has only one protagonist, Chen Guilin, and Xiaomei can be said to be a female character with a relatively important role in the play.

If we don't choose someone from outside, the only suitable person in the company is Zhou Ye.

The others either don’t have the right age or image, or their acting skills are much worse.

"I plan to invite Wu Yue to play the role of the Venerable's lover Xiao Xiangxiang. She would be the best choice for the role. As for the role of the doctor, we can ask Teacher Chen Jin to play it."

Wu Yue is "Ling Ling" in "My First Half of Life", the role of the ex-husband's mistress.

He has been acting for more than 20 years and has played countless classic roles. He is an absolute talent for acting.

In the original time and space, she won the Magnolia Award for Best Actress for her role as County Mayor Ai in "County Party Committee Compound".

Teacher Chen Jin is the mother of the young master in "The Story of Minglan". Needless to say, she is an artist of the older generation who has already won the Grand Slam in the field of domestic TV dramas.

"The police can ask Wang Qianyuan, he has played many police roles and he is quite suitable."

Gu Wei and Wen Mu also talked to each other and quickly decided on most of the characters in the movie.

Later, he simply called Zhang Songwen and Zhou Ye over and gave them the script.

"Looking at the script, do you have any questions about your respective roles?"

"No problem!" said Zhang Songwen, who had finished reading the script.

"I-I'm fine too." Zhou Ye's voice clearly lacked confidence.

Gu Wei and Wen Mu also looked at each other.

"Xiaoye, try to act out a scene of Cheng Xiaomei, just the scene where she shaves Chen Guilin's beard."

"Okay, I'll try."

After Zhou Ye finished speaking, he read the script for a while, adjusted his mindset and started acting.

"It's OK. I'm a little nervous because it's my first time acting. It should be fine after some training during the later filming."

Wen Mu also gave a positive evaluation.

Gu Wei gave Zhou Ye a thumbs up, and she instantly became happy while holding the script.

"Mr. Gu, Director Wen, I'd like to ask, who among the Hong Kong people will play the role in our play?" Zhang Songwen, who had been watching from the side, asked.

"Mr. Gu and I want to find Sun Honglei, but the chances of him taking over are not high. The alternative is Du Mingyu." Wen Mu also said.

"I have a suitable candidate here. There is absolutely no problem for him to play the role of Aberdeen, and he will definitely accept the role as long as the pay is right." Zhang Songwen gave his advice.

"Which actor?" Gu Wei asked curiously.

"Wu Zhenyu, he is a professional villain, his image is suitable for his age, and his acting skills are no problem!"

"Wu Zhenyu is a good choice." Wen Mu also nodded. "But he is so famous and has won the Golden Horse Award and the Golden Image Award. Is he willing to come and play such a supporting villain?"

Zhang Songwen smiled.

"Some time ago, I recorded a Youku variety show called [Acting Class], where I was a mentor, and Wu Zhenyu happened to be one of the mentors.

We chat when we have nothing to do.

He said that it is particularly difficult for actors in Hong Kong Island to work now, with few opportunities to film and low pay.

If you want to make money, you have to come to the mainland.

Except for top stars like Andy Lau and Leung Chiu Wai, most of the veteran actors in Hong Kong are now living in poverty.

The focus of his career has now slowly shifted to the mainland. He has appeared on many variety shows and accepted various acting invitations.

As long as the pay is right, he doesn’t care too much about other things.”

"Then shall we invite Wu Zhenyu?" Wen Mu also looked at Gu Wei.

"Yes, he is indeed quite suitable~"

Gu Wei was not surprised at what Zhang Songwen said. He had come into contact with Wu Mengda as early as when he was filming "The Wandering Earth" and he was well aware of the current situation of most actors in Hong Kong Island.

As the Hong Kong film and television industry continues to shrink, artists there are having a harder and harder time. It is difficult to make money locally, so they can only move north to make a living.

All the roles were decided, and Wen Mu suddenly thought, "Who should I use as the gangster brother at the beginning of the movie?"

"Let Peng Yuchang make a guest appearance. He won't have many scenes anyway~" Gu Wei said after thinking for a while.

After the actors are decided, the rest of the matters will be handled by Wen Muye. He will communicate and discuss with Gu Wei at any time if there are any problems.

A few days later, the National Day holiday arrived.

The 70th anniversary military parade moved everyone, and the performance of the three tribute films in the film market also amazed everyone.

"My People, My Country" was released for three days and the cumulative box office exceeded 10 billion!
The film’s reputation is 8.2 points on Douban, 9.5 points on Tao Piaopiao, and 9.7 points on Maoyan.

Both box office and word of mouth lead the National Day box office!
"The Captain" also achieved a good box office result of 7.5 million in the first three days, second only to "My People, My Country".

The most important thing is that the word of mouth is also excellent, and the subsequent box office trend is very stable.

[The Climber] is slightly worse than the previous two.

On the first day, the film sold 1.68 million yuan at the box office thanks to the fame of Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi and others. However, the plot of the film was later questioned by many viewers and received constant negative reviews online.

In the next two days, the box office gradually decreased, reaching 1.3 million and 1.07 million respectively. The total box office for the first three days barely broke 4 million.

You should know that this is Wu Jing's first starring work after "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Wandering Earth".

Originally everyone had very high expectations for "The Climbers". Even if it can't reach the heights of those two films, it should at least make 20 to 30 billion. But it ended up with such an answer, and many viewers were disappointed.

Wu Jing is very popular now, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the number one middle-aged person in the domestic entertainment industry.

It can be said that he is the domestic actor with the greatest box office appeal besides Gu Wei.

All this is due to the exaggerated box office results of "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Wandering Earth".

Many people think that he is like Gu Wei, and whatever he shoots becomes a hit, and he has a strong box office appeal.

However, the unsatisfactory performance of "The Climber" now makes him feel a little bit like his myth has been shattered.

[It should be called "The Climbers" instead of "The Last Love on Mount Everest". It is really unnecessary to use the public communication channel to have a love affair while climbing Mount Everest. The first Chinese female climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest from the North Peak was also filmed as being in love.]

[The first half got negative points, the second half got zero points, the emotional scenes were written like idol dramas, and Wu Wujing's action scenes were written like superhero movies. This mixed texture completely confused me.]

[It's a mess of personal heroism and clichéd love lines. What are the roles of the head of the meteorological team and the female doctor? Their roles are not prominent and even a bit of a drag. The sound effects are a mess! ]

[Without Gu Wei as his partner, Wu Jing alone can't hold up the box office, far behind "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Wandering Earth"! ]

[I went to see the movie with great expectations, but was really disappointed. The theme was not prominent, and the actors were awkward. When I saw Wu Jing's confession scene while climbing the oil tank, my head was buzzing.]

(End of this chapter)