Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 322 Promotion of "The Telephone" (44)

In the backstage dressing room, Yang Mi and Liu Shishi were chatting...

Shi Shi originally planned to finish filming "The Legend of Mu Mansion" and then go to the set of "Bad Genius" to accompany Shen Yan...

Plans can’t keep up with changes!
How could Cai Yinong possibly let her go?
He personally went to Lijiang and persuaded her to join the cast of "Ballad of the Desert," where she played Qin Xiang...

Yes, the second female lead!
Shi Shi was reluctant, but she couldn't resist Cai Yinong's pleading...

She'll be filming this movie for at least three months!

"You should have just refused. Why should I let you play a supporting role?"

Shi Shi defended herself: "I'm not exactly a supporting character, I have quite a lot of screen time."

"So you were planning to rest?"

"Hmm..." Shi Shi nodded: "I originally planned to rest for two months... I haven't really rested since last July!"

"Old Cai is really a bit of a swindler!" Yang Mi thought for a moment and then asked her, "What did Shen Yan say?"

He said...it's okay, I'll make more money while I'm young!

Yang Mi nodded seriously: "...That sounds like something he would say! So he didn't visit the set?"

"He doesn't have time to visit the set..." Shi Shi said casually, "He turned down a ton of events..."

What events did I promote?

Shen Yan walked in and happened to hear this...

"Brother Yan!"

Guo Shubo and Wang Zhi immediately stood up...

Shen Yan smiled and waved: "You're here!"

Then he asked, "Are you nervous?"

"A little..."

"There's nothing to be nervous about. You've all seen the finished product. What did you think?"

Guo Shubo glanced at Wang Zhi, and the two said in unison, "...Not bad!"

“Yeah, if you feel it’s pretty good, then the movie itself is probably fine. The rest depends on the marketing and distribution.” Patting them on the shoulder, Shen Yan added, “Based on my experience, I think it should easily break 100 million at the box office.”

Yang Siwei, standing behind him, said, "If Brother Yan says the box office will break 100 million, then it's definitely going to break 100 million!"

Yang Mi suddenly said, "I thought it could be compared to 'Our Times'!"

"...That's a teen campus film, it has a wide audience. You should know that many of our viewers don't like horror films! Besides, you've seen a lot of comments online saying that we're destined to be a bad movie!"

This is true...

After all, "The Telephone" is labeled as 'horror' and 'thriller'...

Once a domestic film is associated with these two, it will still be released in theaters.

Describing it as a guaranteed bad movie wouldn't be too far off!

Guo Shubo interjected, "But everyone who watched the film at the theater that day said it was good..."

"In that setting, even if it were 'The Promise,' everyone would praise it!" After thinking for a moment, Shen Yan added, "Let me tell you, the longer you stay in this industry, the less you'll hear the real voices... You'll be surrounded by people flattering you! For them, saying some compliments is easy... But you must never believe them..."

"Do you have anyone around you who criticizes you?"

Shen Yan chuckled: "I'm different. I'm not from a professional acting background, and I mainly make commercial films, so not many experts and professors have high hopes for me. They really do criticize me... I usually read the reviews online!"

"There are too many online trolls who are directly spreading rumors and smearing us!"

"Yes, how do you distinguish between slander and genuine advice?"

"It doesn't matter, I'll read them all... I'll accept suggestions that seem useful, and ignore those that aren't..."

Shi Shi interjected, "It seems you haven't been reviewing movies lately?" "On the one hand, there really haven't been any noteworthy movies lately; on the other hand, if I told the truth, many people wouldn't be able to stand it!"

Yang Mi asked, "So, you're telling the truth all the time?"

"…certainly!"

"Then you should evaluate my acting skills, and tell the truth!"

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment... No, sister, are you serious?
"Are you sure you want me to tell you?"

"Go ahead and say it, I can handle it!"

Shen Yan glanced at her, then said, "I sense you don't really like the scripts you're currently accepting, so you're treating them with a very perfunctory attitude... That's wrong... Acting is an art..."

Liu Shishi noticed that Yang Mi's expression was a little off, and decisively interrupted him: "Stop talking!"

"Oh…"

Shen Yan smiled and said, "So, to be honest, it's hard to hear... Let's go, the press conference is about to start!"

……

"The script was written last year... At the time, I was thinking of taking a small risk and aiming for big returns in three genres: either horror, comedy, or something else... So, I wrote two scripts..."

Shen Yan first explained the inspiration behind the script for "The Telephone," and then a reporter raised their hand: "Didn't you say there were three types? Why did you only write about two?"

"There's also a blue film! I'm not like Li An, who can make a movie about fighting fungi and get away with it!"

"So, did 'Lust, Caution' get a fungal injection?"

"...I don't know, I was just making it up, don't report it randomly..." At this point, Shen Yan asked Liu Shishi next to him, "Where was I?"

"Two scripts!"

"Yes, 'The Telephone' is a horror movie script... After I finished writing it, I showed it to Shishi, and she liked it. Then I contacted Yang Mi... I must mention that when I gave her the script for 'The Telephone,' 'Mysterious Island' hadn't been released yet!"

A reporter asked, "Have you watched 'Far Cry'?"

"No..." Shen Yan shook his head: "But I saw the stills...they are indeed very surprising!"

"Cough cough," Yang Mi couldn't help but cough...

"It's nothing, they're just complimenting your figure!"

"…Thank you!"

A reporter wearing glasses stood up: "So, who is the female lead in this film?"

"This is a dual female lead setup...and my script doesn't allow for changes...so, it's a real shame we didn't get to see a scene like Liu Shishi tearing Yang Mi apart..."

Wow… the explicit implications of "Special Identity"…

Then, a reporter immediately asked Yang Mi, "Yang Mi, are you on Zhao Wenzhuo's side?"

Um… when this first happened, Yang Mi gave an interview and clearly stated, “I’m only saying what I saw. Zhao Wenzhuo is a very good actor. I don’t believe Zhao Wenzhuo is acting like a diva. I’m on Zhao Wenzhuo’s side…”

"...I'm only saying what I saw, but Zhao Wenzhuo is definitely not the type to act like a big shot!"

Shen Yan laughed: "I know Donnie Yen isn't a domineering actor... I've worked with the Donnie Yen Stunt Team before, and they're very responsible. Their action and set design are professional... and they're not arrogant at all; they cooperate with our directing and production teams' ideas..."

"So what do you think constitutes a 'drama tyrant'?"

“I’m the real tyrant on set. I decide the script, I decide the director, and I even call the shots for the main actors…” At this point, Shen Yan waved his hand: “Let’s not talk about this anymore… I’ll say it again, I won’t comment without knowing the whole story!”

"Did you choose directors Guo Shubo and Wang Zhi?"

"Yes, I've seen their short films, and they're a perfect fit for the narrative style of 'Telephone,' so I sent them an invitation! They accepted..."

What are your criteria for choosing a director?

"...You need to be more realistic in terms of personality, don't think you're amazing right away... Ang Lee only became amazing with three films, 'Pushing Hands,' 'The Wedding Banquet,' and 'Eat Drink Man Woman'! Not every director is Zhang Yimou, who won the Golden Bear Award with his debut film!"

(End of this chapter)