Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 655: First Phase Completed

The ground scenes of "The Wandering Earth" are almost finished filming, and the only cameo roles that can be filled are in the space scenes, so it would be too easy to squeeze Zhang Yixing in.

Li Qiutang didn't say how many scenes or lines his cameo as an astronaut would have, but Zhang Yixing had no reason to refuse, so he immediately agreed: "Thank you, director." Wasn't his purpose in coming here to become a familiar face?

"Just don't complain about having too few scenes."

"I'm already very satisfied that you let me act in this. I see all the protective suits and exoskeleton equipment in your crew, they're so cool! I'd even be willing to do odd jobs on set." Zhang Yixing was even a little flattered.

"Hehe, okay, leave your contact information and we'll let you know when filming starts."

I even got to add the director on WeChat, this trip was totally worth it!

After finishing the drinks brought by Zhang Yixing, the film crew resumed work.

From that day on, Li Qiutang gave the production team an order: until filming wrapped, the crew was not allowed to accept any other set visits.

"No one came to visit the set after that," the producer said. "We're not exactly a high-profile production team."

Li Qiutang was simply being presumptuous.

But this is good, Li Qiutang can now finish things up in peace.

Li Qiutang was busy wrapping up filming in Qingdao. In the external market, "Wolf Warrior 2" was a huge hit, with its box office reaching 54 billion yuan. The growth has slowed down, but the extension key for "Wolf Warrior 2" was issued as scheduled, and the film will continue to be shown.

Nolan became a legend in China after Interstellar, but his new film Dunkirk this year was also defeated by Wolf Warrior 2.

How many viewers in China would be interested in the Dunkirk evacuation?

Taking over the task of reigniting market fervor from "Wolf Warrior 2," the responsibility naturally fell to "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

The opening day box office of 1.33 million yuan met expectations.

Next week, "War for the Planet of the Apes" will be released, which should also do well. It's safe to say that the film market this summer has been incredibly prosperous, with cinemas enjoying a feast.

Spider-Man: Homecoming's opening weekend gross of 4.58 million yuan in China gave the September box office a good start.

It was after this weekend that a gossip blogger suddenly spread news about a movie.

"Liu Yifei is being considered for the female lead in the Sino-US co-production sci-fi blockbuster 'Gravity Reversal.' Liu Yifei has been frequently visiting a certain studio recently, where she is meeting with the Chinese team."

"The 'Gravity Reversal' project was initiated 15 years ago. It tells the story of how Earth suddenly loses its gravity, plunging the world into chaos, and how an American street thug and a young Chinese scientist work together to save the world. The film has confirmed the participation of Hollywood heavyweights Samuel L. Jackson and Travis Fimmel."

"Filming is expected to begin in Dublin next month, and Liu Yifei is currently working on final preparations with the Chinese team."

Ordinary viewers and fans who are unaware of the situation might think that Liu Yifei has gotten another big win and be happy for her.

However, some big fans could tell from these press releases that they were just using Liu Yifei to promote the film.

"No, we're not going."

"We already teased Yifei when the movie was first announced, and we denied it back then. Why are we doing it again now? Let me say it again, everything is based on the official announcements from the production team. Anything the production team doesn't officially announce is considered teasing."

“Yifei said in an interview last month that she has no plans to join any film crews this year. She is currently resting and will begin global promotion for Pacific Rim 2 next month. Instead of chasing after such unrealistic hype, we should look forward to the release of Pacific Rim 2 in two months.”

"With the current trend of Sino-US co-productions receding, using Yifei as a publicity stunt helps the Chinese team secure funding—a simple and effective tactic." While this may seem like mere speculation, it is a real film that is currently in development. Samuel L. Jackson and Travis Fimmel will indeed be joining the cast, and Mark Waters has already been confirmed as the director.

At the time, many actresses in China were vying for this role, but two years have passed and the production team has not made any official announcements. As a result, many actresses gave up when they realized they couldn't get the part.

The biggest pie right now is definitely Disney's "Mulan".

But then news suddenly broke out about "Gravity Reversal," and many actresses were tempted to pursue it.

Actors are so passive. Whether it's true or not, if the production team has news and you want it, you have to eagerly go and try to find out.

According to current information, the Chinese actress will play a physicist. This kind of scientist is actually very suitable for middle-aged actresses, while younger actresses might not be able to portray the role effectively.

So, two years later, it is said that several actresses born in the 70s have also entered the scene.

Liu Yifei herself knew about this movie. The Chinese company behind "Gravity Reversal" did indeed submit the script to her at the beginning of the project, but Liu Yifei's schedule was already full at the time, so she declined.

She doesn't care that they're bringing her up again, and her team doesn't plan to respond.

After she finished the second round of auditions for "Mulan," she stayed home, sleeping at one or two in the morning every day and not getting up until the afternoon.

This prompted Liu Xiaoli to say to her, "Luckily you got married early, otherwise, with your laziness, who would want you?"

Liu Yifei was shameless; these words went in one ear and out the other, but she still argued back: "Mom, how could Liu Yifei be unwanted?"

Liu Xiaoli wanted to find her something to do, and said, "Look at other people's daughters, who are like you, growing flowers and vegetables with their mothers every day."

After Liu Yifei finished filming "The Butterfly Lovers," she started learning these things from her mother at home. The more she learned, the more she liked it. Now she is even more enthusiastic about the yard than her mother. She is now counting down the days until the jujube trees in the yard will be ready to harvest.

Liu Yifei laughed and said, "When I'm busy, you say I'm never home; when I'm free and keep you company, you complain that I never go out."

"You should visit other people's studios when you have time." But Liu Xiaoli also knows that her daughter is not the type to actively socialize; "People always come to you."

The only time Liu Yifei went out recently was a few days ago after the Bazaar Charity Night when Yang Mi came to have a late-night snack with her—she herself did not attend this year's event.

"Hey, I saw online that Yang Mi and her husband have a bad relationship. Is that true?"

"A little bit." This kind of gossip is something you can't talk about with other people, but you can talk about it with your mother. Liu Yifei actually knows a bit about it. "Her husband hasn't been doing very well at work in the last two years. He feels that Mimi is always one step ahead of him, so he's a bit emotional."

"In addition, Mimi is busy with work, and the two of them rarely see each other, so their relationship has become a bit strained." However, Liu Yifei still hopes that her best friend's family life can be happy. "Mimi herself is trying to repair the relationship, but I didn't ask her too many questions about the specifics."

Liu Xiaoli nodded and said, "They can only be considered husband and wife if they're together." Then she quickly steered the conversation back to her own home, "Qiu Tang will be back soon, right?"

"About a week more, no more than 10 days." Liu Yifei was also counting down the days.

On Wednesday, Wu Mengda finished filming all his scenes after 102 days on set!
Li Qiutang admitted that at first he thought of Wu Mengda as just an ordinary actor, but after spending 102 days together, he really grew to like Wu Mengda. His spirit and attitude towards work were worth learning from.

As Wu Mengda turned to leave, holding the flowers celebrating the end of filming, Li Qiutang suddenly called out to him, "Uncle Da, take care of yourself. I'd like to work with you again in the future."

Wu Meng laughed and said, "Filming with you is too tiring. I'll think about it."

On Saturday, filming of all ground scenes for "The Wandering Earth" wrapped up after five months of shooting.

(End of this chapter)