Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 570 Provocative Provocation
No one expected that "Mirage" and "Cold War 2" would be the leading films in July.

Nine days after its release, "Mirage" finally surpassed "Cold War 2" at the box office.

Both films have surpassed 4 million yuan, with the former currently grossing 4.21 million yuan and "Cold War 2" accumulating 4.18 million yuan in revenue.

However, half a month into the summer movie season, neither of the two leading films has even grossed 5 million yuan, let alone a blockbuster like last year's "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" that grossed 10 billion yuan.

However, the market is generally optimistic, believing that "Skiptrace" and "League of Gods" in the second half of the month may completely ignite the summer movie season.

Especially "League of Gods," a mythological epic, based on the popular "Investiture of the Gods" theme, and featuring an all-star cast, is sure to be a box office hit.

The movie "The Lost Tomb" will be released in early August, starring two young actors, Jing Boran and Lu Han. With the success of "Mojin: The Lost Legend" and the guarantee of 1 billion yuan from Century Dragon, many market analysts believe that "The Lost Tomb" may be able to create the box office miracle of "Mojin: The Lost Legend" during last year's Lunar New Year season.

On Tuesday, the Changchun Film Festival officially announced the festival's charter and jury list through its website and Weibo account.

The Golden Deer Award has 14 judges, with Han Sanping as the chairman.

The final judging panel of Golden Deer Ventures consists of five members, chaired by Li Qiutang, with the other four being actor Yuan Quan, screenwriter Huang Ke, Taiwanese editor Chen Bowen, and producer Zhang Miao.

The panel of judges for the venture capital conference has been widely recognized. All five judges are seasoned professionals with many years of experience in the industry, and it is believed that they have a high level of understanding of both the market and artistic standards.

Li Qiutang's team went to great lengths to assemble this final judging panel. Being a venture capital judge is no easy task. This year's inaugural Golden Deer Venture Capital Awards is expected to select more than 4 projects for the final judging. The five judges have to listen to all the roadshows and give their comments within four and a half days. They also need to help connect projects with potential partners when necessary. It is no less demanding than being a judge in the competition.

Li Qiutang's emphasis on Golden Deer Ventures goes without saying. After the Changchun Film Festival released the list of judges, Li Qiutang forwarded the Weibo post and said that she would fulfill her duties as a judge and work with the other judges to select the best projects and the most outstanding newcomers.

Li Qiutang also mysteriously revealed on Weibo: "It is said that the rewards for venture capital this year are very generous."

As for how generous the reward would be, Li Qiutang chose to keep it a secret.

The venture capital conference is mainly aimed at industry professionals; ordinary attendees won't be interested in it.

The newly established Golden Deer Film Project is likely to be the most prestigious film project pitching event in mainland China in the second half of this year. Many mainland creators, on the other hand, cannot participate in the Golden Horse Film Project Pitching event held across the Taiwan Strait.

Li Qiutang went to see Yuan Quan early today, not to discuss the venture capital judge position, but to discuss acting opportunities.

Li Qiang still hasn't handed him the final draft of "The Butterfly Lovers" script, but Li Qiutang has already started preparations based on the final draft.

He is very fond of Yuan Quan, who plays the female lead, Zhu Xiaoyan.

In casting for "The Butterfly Lovers," Li Qiutang almost abandoned the logic of commercial films. Commercial films will appropriately consider the actor's appeal and often make compromises in casting. But for Li Qiutang's first art film, he only wanted the actors he felt were the best and could best perform the effects he wanted.

Yuan Quan invited Li Qiutang to the clubhouse in his residential community, where the two chatted over afternoon tea.

The story of "The Butterfly Lovers" is not complicated: a young couple struggling in a big city suspect each other of cheating, but neither of them can find any evidence. They argue and make up, and then argue again. Their past love, happiness, and passion are worn down by the daily grind and their mutual suspicion and quarrels. In the end, they can neither make up nor divorce, so they just make do and continue living together.

It wasn't until Li Qiutang sat opposite Yuan Quan that he suddenly realized that his story was about Yuan Quan and Xia Yu!
Yuan Quan and Teng Wenji, Xia Yu and Gao Yuanyuan.

The two also broke up for a while before getting back together.

Damn it, Li Qiutang cursed herself inwardly. Wasn't this just rubbing salt into someone's wound? Before coming here, she only thought that Yuan Quan had a good image and acting skills, and was suitable for Zhu Xiaoyan. She didn't fully consider her personal experience. What if Yuan Quan turned against her after reading the script?
How can I explain that I didn't do it on purpose?
No matter how you explain it, Yuan Quan wouldn't believe it.

Writing such a story is one thing, but to give it to the person in question and ask them to act in it is nothing short of blatant mockery.
Sure enough, Yuan Quan's expression changed as he looked at the script. Li Qiutang guessed that Yuan Quan was probably gritting his teeth. Li Qiutang had prepared a lot to say to Yuan Quan before coming, but now he couldn't utter a single word. He wanted to run away.

Yuan Quan must have projected her own experiences onto the situation, and she did indeed feel that Li Qiutang was provoking her—this is understandable, anyone would think that way.

She put down the script, let out a sigh of relief, picked up the glass on the table, and took a sip of water.

Li Qiutang was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to speak or remain silent. He knew Yuan Quan had misunderstood, so he had to say, "This was my oversight, but believe me, I really didn't mean it. I'll take the script back, and you can pretend I was never here."

I have to back down; I admit I didn't think this through.

Yuan Quan laughed and said, "I haven't said anything yet, why are you taking it back?"

"Aren't you angry?"

“A little,” Yuan Quan said, “but how often do these things happen? If I were angry, I would have died of anger long ago.”

Yuan Quan then said, "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

The two had no grudges against each other. Xia Yu had even worked with Li Qiutang before and had spoken highly of her afterward. Li Qiutang wouldn't bother to use a script to humiliate her; Yuan Quan wasn't that stupid.

"The story is simple, but it expresses profound meaning. The confusion and uncertainty of life, and the barriers to communication and understanding, are very similar to..."

Li Qiutang understood what Yuan Quan meant: "Yang Dechang?" Who would say they resemble Yang Dechang?

"Yes, Edward Yang."

"I can't compare to Edward Yang. I'm just learning from him and doing my own thing."

Compared to Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang's selection of subjects was more raw and unconventional, and Li Qiutang does not deny that she was deeply influenced by Edward Yang.

He does wish he could be as willful as Hou Hsiao-hsien and turn his back on the audience, but he can't do it yet.

Yuan Quan was eager to try this story, so he asked Li Qiutang when he planned to film it, so that she could prepare.

Li Qiutang estimated: "It will be around October or November."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Quan was troubled and said, "What a pity. I accepted a role in a drama in October, 'The First Half of My Life,' which will take several months to film."

Yuan Quan will not take on multiple roles simultaneously, and Li Qiutang will not allow her to do so either.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiutang was also a little discouraged. The actor she had her eye on was unavailable, which was tantamount to letting a cooked duck fly away.

Yuan Quan couldn't film it himself, but recommended another friend: "You can try Zhou Xun, she can act too."

"Okay, I'll give it a try." Li Qiutang finished her coffee and said goodbye.

It's been a long time since I've heard from Zhou Xun, and I wonder if she has any free time.

(End of this chapter)