Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 202 Schedule Conflict
After Cao Yang's "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" unexpectedly won the Venice Grand Prix, Huayi and Columbia Pictures (Asia) began to panic.

Even more panicked than them was the director of the film they invested in, Lu Chuan.

Coincidentally, Lu Chuan’s new movie "Kekexili" has also been scheduled to be released on October 1st.

At that time, this decision was made jointly by Huayi, Columbia and director Lu Chuan.

The domestic film market is not doing well nowadays, and there are only a few good schedules, and the best are the summer vacation and New Year's Day schedules.

The summer vacation schedule includes Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers". Because "Hero" was a huge hit last year, neither Lu Chuan nor Huayi had the courage to touch Zhang Yimou.

But what about the Lunar New Year holiday?
Huayi's trump card movies have basically been locked in the Lunar New Year period in recent years, and this year's "A World Without Thieves" has also been scheduled for the Lunar New Year period long ago.

What's more, this year's Lunar New Year movie also includes Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu", which is also invested by Huayi, Columbia Pictures (Asia) and China Film.

Even if Huayi and Columbia allow Lu Chuan to schedule the film during the Lunar New Year holiday, would he dare to try to survive in the cracks?

So after much thought, we all unanimously decided to go during the National Day holiday.

Although Cao Yang's "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" has been scheduled for release early, this is Cao Yang's first commercial film after all. Who knows what he can achieve.

What's more, Lu Chuan's movie "Kekexili" is an art film, which does not seem to conflict with Cao Yang's commercial films. If Cao Yang fails, maybe he can compete with Cao Yang in box office.

What gives them such confidence, of course, is the box office of Lu Chuan’s previous film “Looking for the Gun”.

In 02, Lu Chuan's debut film "Looking for a Gun" earned 900 million at the domestic box office, and Columbia also bought the overseas copyright for a high price of 150 million US dollars.

Although Jiang Wen was responsible for this, everyone at that time believed that Lu Chuan must have made an indispensable contribution.

Many people also believe that he is another potential academic director emerging in China after Cao Yang.

He has great potential to become a great director.

This is also the reason why Huayi and Columbia attach importance to Luchuan.

This year's National Day schedule includes not only Cao Yang, but also Wang Jiawei and his film "2046", which he has been shooting for more than four years. They also announced early on that it will be released during the National Day and will premiere on September 9.

However, "2046" went to Cannes with full confidence, and then gained nothing.

Since "2046" did not win any awards at Cannes, Lu Chuan and Huayi are really not afraid of Wang Jiawei.

Looking at Wang Jiawei's box office performance in the past decade, almost every one of his films failed.

From the more distant "Chungking Express" and "Ashes of Time" to the more recent "Happy Together" and "In the Mood for Love", none of these films had box office revenues exceeding 10 million in China.

Who is Lu Chuan? He is a "genius" who earned 900 million at the box office for his first movie. He certainly doesn't take Wang Jiawei seriously.

In fact, the reason why Huayi and Columbia are so confident in challenging Cao Yang is because of another thing.

Huayi and Columbia watched Lu Chuan's "Kekexili" and thought it was well made. Lu Chuan also expressed his confidence that if domestic directors want to win the three major European awards this year, they have to look to him, Lu Chuan.

Venice Film Festival, here I come!

Venice Film Festival says, don’t come…

Lu Chuan signed up for the main competition unit with full confidence. When the Venice Film Festival announced the list of candidates entering the main competition unit, everyone looked and wondered, where is Lu Chuan?
At that time, he was very high-profile and confident in front of the media. His emotions also infected the media, making them feel that "Kekexili" was absolutely qualified to be shortlisted for the main competition unit of Venice.

It seems that there might be another great literary and artistic director rising in China...

Then something embarrassing happened to Huayi and Columbia. Hoh Xil, which they thought was a very good art film, didn't even make it to the main competition unit of Venice.

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox", which they thought was a commercial film, actually won the Best Director and Best Technical Contribution Awards!

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" has transformed into an experimental film with the attributes of an art film!

This makes it a direct competitor to "Kekexili". What should we do?
Gear shift period?
Temporary withdrawal?

Huayi and Columbia have spent all the money on publicity and promotion, and the film is only ten days away from being released. If it is withdrawn, not only will the money spent on publicity and promotion be wasted, but the audience will also be fooled. It is a bit unrealistic to withdraw the film at short notice.

Lu Chuan gritted his teeth and decided to go for it, but he had to change his strategy.

Isn’t it Cao Yang?

He is not invincible. Besides, how can an experimental film be successful so easily?

If I can suppress Cao Yang's "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" at the box office, who the hell dares to say that I'm not a great director?
Beat a fight, bike change bike!
Won the club's young model...

Mr. Wang from Huayi will definitely make all the arrangements.

He gave an interview before the film was released.

“…In fact, not only kitsch is commercial, personalization can also have commercial tendencies, and in our era, those commercialized things are often personal, just with different high-end and low-end.

"Kekexili" is not an art film. This film is about life and survival. It is worth watching and it is commercial enough.

How to combine commerciality and artistry? This is a long process of exploration, just like Van Gogh, who spent his entire life in pain and struggle to find his ideal...”

Lu Chuan’s remarks are very interesting.

There are two meanings here.

One is that "Kekexili" is not an art film, but a sufficiently commercial film (this is what he really said in real life).

It’s so funny that Cao Yang’s “Nine-Tailed Demon Fox” promotes itself as an experimental art film!

In order to boost box office, Lu Chuan said that his "Kekexili" is a commercial film!
Reality is so magical.

Lu Chuan’s second meaning was to veiledly criticize Cao Yang, saying that Van Gogh spent his entire life seeking a combination of commerciality and artistry, so who do you think you are, Cao Yang, to dare to seek a balance between commercialization and artistry?
Then, Lu Chuan's interview was reported, and Xiao Gangpao was unhappy.

My film "A World Without Thieves" has always claimed that it has achieved a balance between commercialization and artistry, and the media also accused it of being influenced by Cao Yang.

I get angry when I think of this little steel cannon.

Damn Lu Chuan, you look down on Cao Yang who won the Venice Best Director Award, then what am I? Now you are bullying even a fucking little director!
Spray him!

“Some people cannot strike a balance between commercialization and artistry, and insist on saying that their films are commercial films. I don’t understand how you, an academic director, have the nerve to say this.

The reason you can't achieve balance is because of your ability, it doesn't mean that others can't do it.

Even if we can't do it, so what? Cao Yang's grandson... Well, Director Cao Yang and I at least dared to try. Someone has to be a pioneer.

People who are complacent and don't dare to try are really despised! "

(End of this chapter)