Entertainment Rebirth Rhapsody

Chapter 453: There are always a few flies in this small world
Time always flies fast in the busy life. March passes in the blink of an eye and summer comes quietly.

On April 1, April Fools’ Day in the West, Scholar Publishing House put up a large red banner in the Chinese style on its official website:
Congratulations on "Room" having sold over 30 million copies worldwide and topping the North American and European book sales charts for 30 consecutive weeks!

This news was reprinted by media around the world, and also kicked off the global promotion of the movie "Room".

Various versions of posters and trailers instantly filled all promotional channels, and promotional slogans also emerged in an endless stream.

“When you walk out of the Room, you’ll see a different world!”

“There is no doubt that Hua Xiaqiu’s film is more exciting and touching than the novel!”

“This is the first collaboration between Mr. and Mrs. Hua Xiaqiu, and Hathaway’s passionate work as a first-time mother!”

"For the sake of mother and child, please believe this story!"

...

Interview videos of the protagonists Hathaway and Jacob Jr. were broadcast one after another on TV networks, attracting the attention and discussion of many fans of the original work.

"Annie, I heard that you prepared for this movie for more than a year and participated in the creation of the entire novel and the movie. Is that true?"

"Yes, when Qiu told me this story, I was deeply moved and burst into tears. I couldn't calm down for a long time. At that time, I had just become a mother, and there was only one thought in my mind: I want to play this great mother. I want to play this role with all my strength. It has nothing to do with other things. I just want to do it, and I must do it!"

"So, you gave a soul-stirring performance, and both Bruckheimer and Helen Mirren were amazed by your performance. What do you think of your performance in the film?"

"I am very grateful to Qiu for creating this role for me. Not only did I find everything about my mother in this role, but I also rediscovered the joy and satisfaction of being an actor. During the filming process, I fully realized the mission and pride of the profession of an actor. It is no exaggeration to say that this was a spiritual sublimation in my life. I saw more precious and priceless things, which are worth protecting for a lifetime!"

...

"Little Jacob, everyone says you are the most talented little actor. How do you think you performed in the movie?"

"Hmm~ I don't know, but Annie's mom and Qiu said that my performance was very good, and my dad also said that my performance was great!"

"Before filming began, you lived with them at the Qiu family for more than a month. How did it feel?"

"Grandpa Qiu and Grandma Qiu are very nice. I like them very much. Mother Annie has always liked me very much. And Bernier is the funniest little boy I have ever met. He loves to laugh and make trouble!"

...

The hot publicity of "Room" in countries around the world has brought the public's expectations for the movie to a new height, especially among the many female book fans. Elizabeth and Tate, mother and son, have once again set off a wave of discussion.

However, as the most central character of the movie, Shanhe, the director and author of the original novel, has never appeared.

Even the powerful reporters couldn't find his whereabouts. It was not until mid-April that Shanhe appeared in the public eye again.

After nearly two years of preparation, the film "Operation Mekong" is finally about to start shooting.

On April 10, Chuhe Film and Television, China Film Group and Golden Shield Film and Television jointly held a grand press conference for the start of filming at the Chuhe Studios.

After receiving the news, domestic and foreign media reporters packed the press conference site for "Operation Mekong".

Shanhe’s films have never been fond of holding press conferences for their launch, and have always started filming in a low-key manner. However, this time they did it in such a high-profile manner. Reporters all wanted to find out what was the difference between this movie and Shanhe’s previous works, and what it meant?
At the beginning of the press conference, the first person to speak was Xing Guowei, the producer representative of Golden Shield Films, who was dressed in police uniform. This gave the media reporters a very special signal.

"Operation Mekong is a project initiated by Golden Shield Films, jointly prepared and produced by Chuhe Films and China Film Group. It is a movie adapted from a real case. Three years ago, in the Golden Triangle waters of the Mekong River, two Chinese merchant ships were attacked by premeditated armed raids, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Chinese crew members. The Chinese police attached great importance to it. The Chinese people will not tolerate infringement and slander by others. After many efforts, the Chinese police organized a special task force to go to Southeast Asian countries to investigate and collect evidence. After nearly a year of investigation and pursuit, all the criminals who committed crimes and framed the Chinese crew members were arrested and successfully transferred to China to accept punishment from China. Operation Mekong is adapted from this case. Our police hope to show our determination to the people of the country through this movie: It is the duty of the Chinese police to safeguard the safety and innocence of the Chinese people. We must be fearless and go all out!"

Xing Guowei's serious and dignified opening remarks not only made the Chinese reporters on the stage applaud, but also set the tone for the entire press conference.

"Director Xing, can you give us a detailed introduction to the preparations for Operation Mekong?"

"Operation Mekong is operated differently from previous Golden Shield Films works. We have worked with China Film Group and Chuhe Films to operate this film in a full commercial model. It would be more appropriate for Mr. Han from China Film Group and Mr. Yang from Chuhe Films to answer this question!"

Han Shanping then took over the topic.

"Hello everyone, Operation Mekong is another commercial exploration of a large investment by Chinese films. The project is expected to invest 600 million RMB. It will be written and directed by Shanhe, and jointly produced and distributed by Chuhe Film and China Film Group. The shooting and production cycle will take about a year, and it is expected to be released at the end of next year. We have great expectations for this film and hope it can explore a new path for Chinese-language police and gangster action movies!"

Afterwards, Yang Liu also made a speech on behalf of Chuhe Film and Television.

“…The project of Operation Mekong has extraordinary significance for Chuhe Films. This film is not only a review and improvement of the film industry system of Chuhe Films, but also will expand the types of film production of Chuhe Films. In addition to fantasy and science fiction productions, we will be involved in more action and military themes in the future. This is just the beginning!”

After several producers gave a general introduction to "Operation Mekong", the press conference entered the question-and-answer session. Shan He, who had not spoken until now, naturally became the focus of reporters' attention.

"Shanhe, can you tell me about your original intention in taking on Operation Mekong? Are there other factors involved in this project?"

Shanhe on the stage answered calmly and calmly.

"Haha... no need to beat around the bush. Yes, this project is a national mission for me. I am honored to be the director of this film. Filming a major event for the Chinese people has always been my dream. As a Chinese filmmaker, I am happy to take on this mission!"

"Shanhe, your works have always focused on integrating the tastes of Eastern and Western audiences, and have a strong international perspective. Will this time taking on a mainstream film cause some damage to your international influence?"

"I don't think so, and I don't care about other people's criticism. Everyone knows that I am a Chinese nationalist, and I have never concealed this fact. Operation Mekong is just the beginning. In the future, I will focus more on domestic film themes. From the perspective of commercial films, this is not a conflict. There is no shortage of similar examples in Hollywood movies!"

"Shanhe, do you think mainstream films can also be popular around the world? What are your box office expectations for Operation Mekong?"

"Why not? More than half of Hollywood movies have American themes, including the Marvel Universe that is now rampant around the world. The West has their movie heroes who can save the world, and we have ours too! Operation Mekong will be a film with enough commercial elements, and I have no worries about its commercial prospects!"

"Qiu, what is your box office expectation for Room? It is said that this is an Oscar-winning movie tailor-made for Hathaway. Is this rumor true?"

"This is the launch conference for Operation Mekong. We'll talk about the issues regarding The Room after the meeting!"

...

Reporters asked Shanhe questions one after another, and the questions were even more varied. Shanhe responded quite calmly, with almost no hiding. He didn't have many concerns now. As long as the questions did not involve politics, Shanhe answered very straightforwardly. Liu Ye watched the boss's self-assured performance and could not help but be overwhelmed by it. Look, this is a real awesome person, with confidence beyond words. You can feel the style and bearing of a citizen of a great country from him!
As a rising star who had just become famous throughout Asia for "Ghost Blows Out the Light", Liu Ye was ignored by reporters for half an hour. Only after the reporters finished bombarding Shanhe did they turn their attention to him.

"Liu Ye, this is your second collaboration with Shanhe. How much do you expect from this movie?"

"After filming 'Hot Girls', the boss has been taking good care of me. We have never lost contact. I am of course very excited to work with him again. Is there any doubt about his work? Just ask anyone and they will know that his movies start at 1 billion US dollars. I think this time will be no exception!"

"Liu Ye, can you tell me about the role you play in this film? How confident are you in your performance?"

"The role I play in the drama is an undercover anti-drug police officer. I am very confident in the role because the boss has given us actors sufficient preparation. Honglei and I have trained in the special police base for two months. We have fully experienced the dedication and persistence of the front-line police officers, and also felt the weight behind this persistence. We are all deeply touched. I will do my best to play this role well to express my respect and admiration for the hero!"

...

Sun Honglei is the most famous actor in the play besides Liu Ye, and is also one of the main targets of reporters' questions.

"Sun Honglei, can you tell me how you got this role? How do you feel about being the protagonist of a Shanhe work?"

"Playing in a Shanhe movie is an opportunity that all actors dream of, and I am no exception. When I received the audition notice, I was very excited, but I didn't have enough confidence in myself at the time. I got ahead by playing villains, and playing a SWAT captain is a huge challenge for me. But Shanhe gave me this opportunity, and I will not let him down, nor will I embarrass the hero in the play. I believe I can play this role well!"

...

The press conference lasted nearly two hours. The next day, major media around the world reported on Shanhe’s new movie. Not only were they limited to film entertainment, but they also gave multi-faceted interpretations of Shanhe’s answers.

Domestic media naturally praised it highly. The Dazhong Daily quoted one of Shanhe’s answers as the title of its report:
"China has its own hero!"

The "Massive Public Security News", "Huaxia Police" and "Lijian" all reported the news of the start of filming of "Operation Mekong" on their front pages.

Various entertainment media also made headlines with the news of the start of filming of "Operation Mekong".

"Six hundred million RMB to create the first domestic police and gangster theme production!"

"Shanhe has taken on the national mission to promote the heroes of China!"

"Chinese-language films hit a new high in investment, with Operation Mekong investing over 600 million!"

...

The Western media's coverage of Shanhe's new work was full of doubts and pessimism.
The Hollywood Observer headline reads:
"Hua Xia Qiu participated in government propaganda and lost his persistence as an artist, which may usher in the Waterloo of his directorial career!

The Times also reported the news of the start of Operation Mekong with a disappointed tone.
"…After we witnessed the rise of a peerless genius, we may also witness his fall again. Hua Xia Qiu could have been even greater, but he made a wrong choice. This is a lamentable beginning!"

Because Sunward declined the invitation to the Cannes Film Festival, the French media became more critical of Sunward.

"Hua Xia Qiu has been blinded by his past success. He is no longer the universally elegant artist. He has become a propaganda tool for the government. His talent will be drowned in his arrogance!"

...

Not only in newspapers and magazines, but also on the Internet, many Western cultural trolls have directed their criticism at Shanhe, questioning his statements and choices based on their own values.

This was the peak period of publicity for "The Room", and some radical Western netizens even shouted the slogan "Boycott Shanhe", casting a shadow on the originally promising prospects for the release of "The Room".

"Operation Mekong" became famous in Western society in another way.

Shanhe looked at the doubts and criticisms from various Western mainstream media, smiled crookedly, and disdained it. He knew you would do this, and couldn't help but think of a poem by Chairman Mao:

In this small world, a few flies hit the wall.

Buzzing, a few screams, a few sobs.

The ants are attracted by the locust tree and exaggerate the country, but it is not easy for the earthworm to shake the tree.

The west wind is blowing, leaves are falling in Chang'an, and arrows are flying.

Many things are always urgent;
The world is changing and time is pressing.

ten thousand years is too long, fight for now.

The four seas are churning, clouds and water are angry, and the five continents are shaking with wind and thunder.

We must wipe out all harmful insects and be invincible!

You bunch of buzzing flies can still stop the pace of the times. But I have been reborn. Ten years later, even if you turn into vicious dogs, you will not be able to stop the rise of China. The great man said it well!

We must wipe out all harmful insects and be invincible!

"Ahui, there's no need to collect these messy things. Let's just do our own thing and let them buzz around!"

"Boss, Mr. Bruckheimer just called. He's a little worried that this trend of public opinion will affect the box office of Room!"

"Don't worry about it! If the box office is lower, then it's lower. I'm not a tool for them to make money!"

"Boss, do you need us to initiate crisis public relations?"

"No need. This is not a crisis. The real crisis has not yet arrived. Just get used to it! Sooner or later, we will have to face the fallout and suppression from Western society. There is no need to indulge them!"

"I understand!"

(End of this chapter)