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

Chapter 374 Preparations (44)

In the film market, "Painted Skin 2" is indeed exhilarating...

接连创造了华语片零点点映票房600万元、首日票房7000万元、单日票房9000万元、11天票房5亿元等多项纪录…

Yes, as of July 8th, "Painted Skin 2" has grossed over 500 million yuan!
It can be concluded that "Painted Skin 2" is bound to set a new box office record for Chinese-language films.

Meanwhile, "The Great Magician" was also released, and due to the controversy a while ago, it got nearly 10,000 screenings on its opening day, which is not much different from Chen Kaige's "Caught in the Web"...

Then, "Caught in the Web" grossed 1120 million yuan in a single day, while "The Great Wudang" only grossed 564 million yuan!
Actually, from today's perspective, "The Great Wudang" is not entirely without merit. At least the special effects of the magic in the cultivation scenes are quite good, but the story is still too far-fetched!

Purely the formula of Hong Kong films from the last century…

But it's not crazy enough, nor is it excessive enough...

This amplifies the problems with the film infinitely!

Initially, Mei Ya's target was over 500 million, but after its release, the target was changed to over 100 million. In the end, it didn't even reach 40 million!

Director Leung Pak-kin has completely withdrawn from the film industry.

Leung Pak-kin is no unknown figure either; he was previously an assistant director for John Woo, and he participated in films such as *A Better Tomorrow*, *The Killer*, and *Hard Boiled*.

Later, he independently directed "The Twins Effect II", "La Brassiere", "The Best of Us" and "Love on the Bed", which ranked among the top ten Chinese-language films in the Hong Kong box office for four consecutive years. Only then did he have the opportunity to direct "The Great Wudang"!
The production cost of "The Great Wudang" is said to be 80 million...

Of course, that's impossible, but 30 million is still more than enough!

Judging from the box office, it was a huge loss!
Zhao Wenzhuo has completely disappeared from the screen…

Actually, when Edko Films organized the filming of "True Legend," directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Edko as the male lead, Yuen Woo-ping felt that there were problems with two action scenes after the film was completed and they needed to be reshot.

Zhao said no, that's not how the contract was signed!
Yuen Woo-ping was furious!
Jiang Zhiqiang later apologized to Eighth Master and also terminated his contract with Zhao Wenzhuo...

Yuen Woo-ping, the world's number one action choreographer...

After this incident, Zhao Wenzhuo basically cut off his connections in the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and later he also had a public feud with Donnie Yen...

However, he didn't care at all—he said himself that he owns ten properties in Beijing, and even if he does nothing, he can live comfortably for the rest of his life just from the rent!
Oh, Shen Yan has returned to Beijing from Hengdian. In the following days, he, Guo Fan, Lu Yang, Rao Xiaozhi, and others met with Xu Xiaoping, Wang Qiang, and Yu Minhong...

We definitely need to gain their approval!

Yu Minhong was quite happy to learn that Huang Xiaoming would be playing him…

Oh, he didn't know Cheng Dongqing's appearance...

I don't really care about the movie itself...

Okay, he thought Shen Yan was there to solicit investment, so he wasn't very enthusiastic at first. It wasn't until Shen Yan said, "The film's funding is in place, about 60 million, which is enough for our filming needs..." that he asked some questions...

"A tribute to the previous generation of entrepreneurs... Many stories may be different from what you imagine... Film is an art form, and any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental."

"It's alright, you can continue filming without worry!"

Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!
……

"We'll go to New York for two weeks to film... I've already contacted the producer there..."

"Is she the producer of 'Finding Mr. Right'?"

"Yes, I even wrote a script for them called 'The Purge,' which will be released in September. We'll probably start filming around that time, so we can go see it together!"

Shen Yan invited the three of them to his home to discuss the filming of "American Dreams in China"...

This movie requires a lot of sets and props...

Because many of the storylines take place in the 80s, it is necessary to accurately recreate the atmosphere of that era.

Costumes, props, and sets all require meticulous design to ensure the audience can experience the atmosphere of that era… “To New York?”

"Yes, landmarks like Times Square, Columbia University, Fifth Avenue, and the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street are all set up for filming... David Fenkel has already made the arrangements... We don't need everyone to go..."

Lu Yang nodded: "...Okay, then I'll stay here and keep an eye on the set props..."

Rao Xiaozhi: "I'll stay too."

Guo Fan was about to speak when Shen Yan interrupted him: "Don't stay. If you stay, who will film the movie?"

"Huh? The three of us are the producers..."

Shen Yan said casually, "What's with all this talk about being a producer? We're all directors... At worst, the four of us can co-direct..."

"…no…"

"This movie is meant to be a classic, comparable to 'The Social Network.' Don't you want to join us?"

"...While we've joined, we're already producers..."

"Enough with the nonsense," Shen Yan waved his hand, "This movie will be released during the Spring Festival next year... We need to stick together!"

The three looked at each other, then nodded. Guo Fan asked, "What is the 'Human Purge Project'?"

"A gory horror film... The story is simple, a high-concept genre film. It's about a future where, due to overpopulation, the US government implements a plan that allows all criminal activity for 12 hours to reduce the human population to some extent. It's mainly a story of killing..."

Hearing Shen Yan say this, the others nodded: "Then it definitely can't be released in the country!"

"Yes, R-rated horror movies... Actually, the North American market has been dominated by blockbusters in recent years, and there is a demand for R-rated movies among audiences. So, I invested in an independent film company that specializes in making a few R-rated movies."

"Can it be done?"

“No problem,” Shen Yan explained. “The cost isn’t high, basically kept below $500 million. We make three to five films a year, and if one of them is profitable, it will boost the overall profitability… And even if we can’t make money from the box office, the revenue from merchandise will guarantee that we break even…”

In the years that followed, Netflix expanded rapidly, acquiring a plethora of movies and TV series…

They were all bought back at high prices!
Therefore, Brenhouse, which specializes in producing low-budget horror films, became famous...

He poured tea for the three of them and then asked, "Do you have any recommendations for actors?"

"Haven't we already made our choices?"

"The three male leads and Su Mei have been chosen, but the others haven't been decided yet... Liang Qin, Li Ping, and so on..."

Lu Yang said, "Finding a few actresses of suitable age shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Shen Yan nodded: "Then go find one... but don't go for anything fancy."

They all laughed: "With such a small role, which big star would want to come?"

“That’s not necessarily true,” Rao Xiaozhi said. “Zhao Yanzi said a while ago that she was willing to act in Brother Yan’s movie for free!”

"Just polite words." Shen Yan waved his hand: "She approached me about 'So Young,' but I didn't agree."

Shen Yan's courageous words warmed the hearts of Zhao Yanzi's team.

"When do we start filming?"

"The three of you go and make preparations first... We'll start filming around August 15th!"

Why wait until August?

"Of course! 'The Prisoner' is about to be released, I have to do some promotion!"

(End of this chapter)