It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 890: Where there is policy, there is counter-policy!

In a blink of an eye, No. 8 has arrived as promised.

At this point, the Spring Festival period has officially come to an end, simply because "The Mermaid", which created a very impressive box office result, officially came to an end yesterday.

Media reports began to flood the screen early in the morning:

"The comedy film "The Mermaid", co-produced by China Film, Feiyue Film, Guangguang, Xinghui and other film and television companies, directed by Zhou Xingchi, and starring Deng Chao, Zhao Liying, Zhang Yuqi and others, officially came to an end today."

"Due to the extension of the key, The Mermaid was released for a total of 60 days, with a total box office of 34.12 billion RMB, ranking No. 2 in the box office history of Chinese-language films!"

"China Film Group, Feiyue Films, Enlight Media, and Star Shine jointly issued a statement that they will hold a celebration dinner for the movie "The Mermaid" in Beijing at 7pm tomorrow night... There will be important news to be announced at that time!"

As the hot searches on the Internet continued to emerge, a lot of discussions suddenly emerged in the industry:
"Zhou Xingchi is really awesome this time, he has directly become a director with a box office of over 30 billion. After going to the mainland, he has skyrocketed! He is much better than when he was in Hong Kong."

"The Mermaid is just a film he directed. I can't even imagine how high the box office would be if he directed and acted in it again? 40 billion plus?"

"Chen Fei, Zhou Xingchi, Guo Fan, there are already three directors in China with box office revenue of over 3 billion yuan. Who will be the fourth?"

"Let's wait and see..."

Before this, no one had thought that there would be a movie in China that could reach the box office level of 30 billion.

You know, this is an even more impressive result than many Hollywood blockbusters!

Now, there are already three movies with a box office of over 30 billion. Judging from the current market development prospects, I believe that there will be more and more in the future...

By then, let alone 30 billion+, I'm afraid even domestic films with a box office of 40 billion+ or even 50 billion+ may appear.

I just don’t know when such a grand event will take place?
However, when many filmmakers and investors in the mainland were focusing on the box office performance of "The Mermaid", Enlight Pictures was in a daze.

A group of senior executives, including Jiang Zhiqiang, were originally looking forward to the arrival of a new day when the box office of "My Agent Grandpa" would usher in a surge.

After all, with the Pan Asia Cinema Chain, it is equivalent to adding nearly a thousand cinemas with a screening scale.

But what they never expected was that the movie box office not only did not skyrocket, but instead dropped by another 300 million, so that yesterday's daily new box office directly fell below the 1000 million mark!
Jiang Zhiqiang was completely stunned when he heard the results reported by his assistant.

"What's going on? How come the box office is decreasing instead of increasing? Is there something wrong with the data aggregation? Didn't you calculate it a few more times?"

As Jiang Zhiqiang questioned, all the executives of Emperor Entertainment Group turned their attention to the assistant.

In an instant, the female assistant felt more stressed and her voice began to tremble: "Jiang... Director Jiang, there is nothing wrong with the data summary. This is the real box office results."

"Are you kidding me?" Jiang Zhiqiang frowned and asked in a deep voice, "We added another theater to show the film yesterday. How could the box office performance be so bad?"

The female assistant whispered, "Boss Jiang, I'm not kidding. The main reason is that Pan Asia Cinema Line only gave 1.0% of the screening time, and the screening time is between 3 and 5 in the middle of the night, so no one goes to watch it.

According to the data, My Spy Grandpa only sold 250 million box office tickets at Pan Asia Cinema Line throughout the day yesterday.

Only 1.0% of the screenings?
The show time is between 3am and 5am?
Only 250 million box office sales in the whole day?
After hearing these words, Jiang Zhiqiang's face instantly turned red, his breathing began to become rapid, and his body even began to tremble with anger, as if he was having an epileptic and asthma attack at the same time.

He never expected that Pan Asia Cinemas would use such a disgusting way to deal with the policies issued by the bureau.

He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "This... This is simply too much!"

Inside the office, other executives stood up at the same time, cursing angrily.

"Is this looking down on our film? They only gave it 1.0% of the screening time. How is this different from banning it?"

"It's too much of a bully! It's really too much of a bully!"

"I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to challenge him to a duel!"

"Let's go, let's go now. I'm going to report this. This is simply disrupting the market. Their behavior is illegal. The General Administration must fine them! This kind of shameless behavior is strictly prohibited..."

"If that's the case, then the solution we've been thinking about for so long... owing favors to people, asking for connections everywhere, and spending money on bribes... won't it all become a joke?"

There was constant cursing in the office. As the group of people were talking, they turned their attention to Jiang Zhiqiang, hoping that he could come up with some advice.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiqiang, who is already 63 years old, feels physically and mentally exhausted, with a strong sense of powerlessness all over his body.

After pondering for a long time, he stood up by holding on to the armrests on both sides of the chair and said, "Tomorrow night, there will be a celebration banquet for The Mermaid. I think Director Chen will definitely be there. I will fly to the capital again and try to have a good chat with him.

If it really doesn't work, then I'll go to the General Administration again. No matter what... even if it means risking my reputation, I have to get the film schedule back to normal."

For a moment, the office was silent.

Seeing Jiang Zhiqiang staggering out of the office and preparing to catch a plane, a group of executives looked at each other in silence for a moment.

……

Shengkai Films, inside the audition room.

After finishing an audition, Chen Kai looked at the news reports about "The Mermaid" on the Internet and couldn't help feeling a little envious.

Looking back over the years, apart from the famous and profitable "Farewell My Concubine", many of my other films, including "The Promise", "The Orphan of Zhao" and "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain", seem to have never been truly successful.

Whether in terms of box office or awards, he has not enjoyed the admiration and praise in the circle for a long time since "Farewell My Concubine".

Seeing that there have been several movies in China with a box office of over 30 billion yuan, it would be a lie for him to say that he was not envious.

He had previously held extremely high expectations for "The Taoist Goes Down the Mountain", but he never expected that the film ultimately failed to allow ordinary audiences to comprehend its true advanced spiritual core.

So much so that he now has to devote all his energy into "Legend of the Demon Cat", hoping to use this movie to look forward to a box office of 30 billion+.

At this moment, the door of the audition room was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and Chen Hong walked in.

Brother Chen Kai calmly turned off his phone screen and asked calmly, "Have they all been sent away?"

"Yes." Chen Hong nodded and put an invitation on the table: "This is from China Film Group. I hope you can attend the celebration dinner for The Mermaid tomorrow night."

"Well, I see."

Brother Chen Kai didn't pay too much attention to this, but brought the topic back to the audition: "When you have time, contact Jiaxing and tell them that Yang Mi didn't pass the audition."

"Okay." Chen Hong nodded slightly, without any fluctuation in expression.

"Also, next time you start a new project, if you see Yang Mi's resume, throw it directly into the trash can and don't waste my time."

"Row."

Chen Hong was not surprised because Yang Mi's previous audition was so bad. She seemed absent-minded, as if she came here on purpose to get things done perfunctorily.

She has heard recently that this popular first-line actress has already got more than 10 acting offers, and has to shoot 4 to 5 films a year. She is really working so hard!

This kind of actor is not suitable for participating in big-budget films directed by big directors, because no top director will tolerate her taking on other roles at will.

Anyway, Brother Chen Kai has put her on the blacklist of people who will never cooperate.

"By the way, please inform Chang Jihong that you should choose Huang Xuan, the man she recommended, as the male lead. His image and temperament are very suitable for the role of 'Bai Juyi'."

Huang Xuan?

Hearing this name, Chen Hong's expression became inexplicably complicated.

Jiang Wenli called her specially last night, hoping that she could help look after Huang Xuan.

But she didn't expect that before she could even open her mouth to help plead for him, Brother Chen Kai had already taken a fancy to this actor.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Hong reminded him, "Old Chen, there may be some connection between Huang Xuan and Jiang Wenli and Gu Changwei. Do you think this will affect the filming of our movie?"

Jiang Wenli? Gu Changwei?
Brother Chen Kai was slightly stunned, and a lot of bullshit suddenly emerged in his mind.

In fact, these things are not a big problem for the entertainment industry. After all, there are too many couples in this circle who are "in appearance but not in spirit".

However, Huang Xuan is involved with a top director and his wife in the industry, so it is indeed a bit troublesome.

After thinking for a moment, Brother Chen Kai said, "Aren't you familiar with Jiang Wenli? How about you get some information from her?"

"In fact, she already talked to me on the phone last night..."

Chen Hong picked out the key points and repeated what Jiang Wenli said on the phone last night, hoping that she could help Huang Xuan. After listening, Brother Chen Kai made a final conclusion: "Okay, it's him. Since Jiang Wenli has personally said hello, I think Gu Changwei should not have any objections."

"Okay, I'll contact Chang Jihong right away."

"Well, the actor recommended by the Central Academy of Drama can also be confirmed."

"Liu Haoran?"

"Yes, that's him. Let him play the role of 'White Dragon'."

"Okay, I see."

……

In the afternoon, after finishing the morning's filming, Chen Fei immediately received a call from Huo Qigang.

"Hahaha, your idea is really great, why didn't I think of it before? Give Edko Films a 1.0% screening rate, and move the screenings to midnight. This not only complies with the bureau's documents, but also forms an alternative ban. It's simply the best of both worlds, haha!"

Chen Fei smiled softly: "This is called the policy from above, the countermeasures from below. We are just doing things within the rules. Who can find fault with it?"

"I heard that Jiang Zhiqiang appeared at the airport again. I guess he is going to fly to the mainland again."

"Just let him come if he wants. Even a powerful dragon cannot defeat a local snake, not to mention that he is just a loach now."

"Haha, that's true."

After briefly discussing the subsequent operations and arrangements, Chen Fei asked Huo Qigang about the promotion and marketing of "Chasing the Dragon".

After all, there are only more than 20 days left until the May Day period, and competitors in the same period are now actively promoting their films.

"The promotion and marketing went smoothly, and the pre-sale of the box office officially started three days ago. So far, the number of movie tickets sold alone has reached 5126 million. I am very confident that the first-day box office will reach more than 8000 million..."

More than half an hour passed during this chat.

The break was wasted, so after hanging up the phone, Chen Fei went straight back to the crew and started adjusting the camera.

After the afternoon shoot, the crew will have two days of rest and move to the next filming location.

During this period, it was time for Chen Fei to return to the capital to attend the celebration banquet of "The Mermaid".

The time soon came to 2 o'clock in the afternoon. All the actors and staff were in place and officially started the afternoon shooting.

On the set, as the melodious music slowly sounded, under the soft lighting, Chen Fei and Liu Yifei gently embraced each other, as if two planets were slowly rotating in the universe.

Their steps were smooth and graceful, like ripples on the lake caused by the breeze.

As time went by, the tempo of the music gradually quickened, and the two began to spin on a perfect axis...

In the camera, Liu Yifei's long skirt is like a blooming flower, lightly drawing graceful arcs, while Chen Fei supports herself steadily. The tacit understanding and harmony between the two have reached an extreme.

Thanks to a series of high-intensity and negative-distance practices, including last night, the duet between the two has already reached an unprecedented level.

Looking around, every eye contact and every physical touch was just right, so that the nearly one-minute long shot was passed perfectly in one take.

"Crack! That part just now was great!"

Shen'ao was shouting excitedly behind the monitor, as if he had seen a very amazing shot.

Fade Chen turned to the monitor, checked it carefully, and nodded slightly: "Okay, it passed, prepare to shoot the next shot."

After giving the instructions, he returned to Liu Yifei and whispered the key points of the next scene to ensure that no details were missed.

In order to better present the essence of the dance, he even called the choreographer over, and the three of them sat together and had a more heated discussion.

The choreographer will fine-tune and correct some dance moves according to Chen Fei's requirements to ensure that the entire dance shooting process is smoother and more contagious.

Soon, the filming started again, and Chen Fei and Liu Yifei immersed themselves in the world of dance again.

Although the presentation of dance scenes in front of the camera is relatively simpler than real dance performances, the two of them maintain a mentality of pursuing perfection in every movement.

In fact, a shot of about one minute is already considered a very long shot in film shooting, but even so, they still gave it their all, and every move was full of passion and vitality.

At the same time, outside the Feiyue Film and Television Group building, a "homeless man" with an untidy beard and long hair that even covered his ears was rushing straight towards the company's gate.

The two security guards at the door were quick-witted and quickly stepped forward to stop the "homeless man".

"Hey! What are you doing? Don't you know where this place is? Why are you just barging in?"

Hearing the security guard's roar, the "homeless man" stopped subconsciously and was stunned for a long time before he reacted.

"I'm not a bum!"

"You're not? You're kidding me..." One of the young security guards was about to curse when he saw the homeless man in front of him lift up the hair that was covering his face, revealing a bearded, pale and thin face underneath.

Seeing that familiar face, the old security guard at the side was stunned: "Guo... Director Guo?! Why are you like this? Were you robbed?"

"You were the one who was robbed. I just came out of seclusion. Do you understand?"

Guo Fan rolled his eyes, walked around the two people in front of him, and went straight into the company.

The young security guard watched Guo Fan enter the company and couldn't help but feel curious: "Lao Zhang? Who was that guy just now? Why did you call him Director Guo? Is he also a director? Why does he look like a homeless person?"

"You're talking about him!" The old security guard raised his eyebrows and introduced very proudly: "Do you know Gravity, the first science fiction movie in China to break 15 billion box office? He shot it!

You should also know about The Martian, the first science fiction movie in China to break 30 billion yuan in box office, right? He also shot that. "

"What the hell? Was that guy Guo Fan?" The security guard was stunned. "I'm his fan! But he didn't look like this before? How come he suddenly looks like a homeless man?"

"Didn't you hear clearly just now? That's why he became like this because of his 'retreat'."

"Retreat? What does retreat mean?"

The old security guard muttered a little uncertainly, "The retreat the big director mentioned should be writing a script, right?"

Upon hearing this, the young security guard immediately became excited: "Doesn't that mean that there will be another top science fiction movie in China?"

"Of course!" The old security guard pointed at the Feiyue Film and Television sign above his head and said loudly, "Haven't you heard that saying? We at Feiyue Film and Television only make high-quality products!"

……

Film Bureau, inside the large conference room.

On the stage, the leader of the Air Force Political Department was chattering about his beautiful vision for "Sky Hunter", and from time to time he would utter words such as "high quality", "high box office", and "high reputation".

In the audience, Tong Gang, Zhang Hong, La Peikang and others were listening silently, and from time to time they would lower their heads and pretend to take notes.

It was not until the leader on the stage said, "This main-theme movie "Sky Hunter" led by the Air Force Political Department will be directed and acted by Li Chen himself" that everyone finally couldn't sit still!

A newcomer actually wants to get involved in such a large-scale mainstream movie. Is this a joke?

What if it fails? Who will take the blame?

Tong Gang raised his head suddenly and subconsciously wanted to say something.

But when he saw the leader of the Air Force Political Department patting Li Chen on the shoulder, the words that came to his mind were immediately suppressed by him.

Obviously, the job has already been decided, so there is no point in him saying anything now.

"Ugh!"

Sighing silently, Tong Gang secretly decided that he would not get involved in this matter and just make sure that everything went smoothly.

As for the rest, let the Air Force Political Department handle it on their own.

Let them bear the consequences of success or failure in the end.

……

(ps: Second update, please vote for me!!!)
(End of this chapter)