Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 263 Yi'an Garden, A New Gu Long Drama, Yang and Huo Compete for the Lead Role
Zhejiang Province, Hengdian

In the past two years, with the rise of the mainland film and television market, film and television cities have become increasingly prosperous.

The combination of the film and television industry and the tourism industry has subtly established Hengdian as "China's Hollywood".

Based on this, Hengdian Group began to focus its attention on cinema chains and distribution industries.

Despite Wanda's current aggressive approach and Orange Sky and Golden Harvest's various collaborations, they are making quite a splash.

But in terms of the cinema market, Hengdian is the one quietly making a fortune.

Relying on the industrial chain synergy and cultural tourism ecosystem of Hengdian World Studios, as well as the capital, network and channels of Hengdian Group itself, Hengdian subsequently successfully opened up the cinema business, and is known for its stability, unique model and strong risk resistance.

Wanda and other cinema chains have all suffered various blows, but Hengdian has always been "indestructible" and has gradually become a cinema chain giant.

In previous years, Hengdian was mentioned in some intelligence reports. Although the coverage was brief, it still benefited Yan Li greatly.

However, he could not learn much from Hengdian's operations.

One problem is that he doesn't have a large enough film and television city to support and develop the business. The other is Hengdian Group, whose main business is not film and television. Its original and core business is electronics and electrical engineering, and it also has many other industrial layouts.

Hengdian Film and Television serves as a brand, an advertisement, and a source of corporate brand and influence for Hengdian Group. Regardless of whether it makes a profit or not, it receives internal funding.

For this reason, Yan Li has little to learn from Hengdian, and the possibility of cooperation is not high.

If Hengdian is only investing in cinema chains, Yan Li can take Yi'an to negotiate with Hengdian. Shares and resources are negotiable, and everyone can make money together.

However, Hengdian's goal is to achieve a complete industrial chain and brand influence, so it is impossible for them to cooperate with Yi'an unless Yan Li relinquishes control of Yi'an.

Therefore, after some time, Yan Li and Hengdian may also become competitors.

Shaking his head, Yan Li took a car to Yi'an Garden, the Hengdian World Studios, where he encountered fans who were visiting the set.

How did you know about this place?

Yan Li got out of the car and signed autographs for fans while asking them questions out of curiosity. The fans replied that Yi An Yuan was already very famous.

Unlike its initial stages, Yi'an Garden has been completed after several years of construction.

It occupies a considerable area and is fully functional, including office areas, hotel-style dormitories, a restaurant, dressing rooms, rehearsal halls, prop and equipment storage, and post-production studios.

As a result, many of Yi An's film crews in Hengdian have moved to Yi An Garden in the past two years, and many celebrities and actors also frequent the garden. Over time, it has become well-known to the outside world, and there are even dedicated fans who come to visit and take photos.

It's no secret that Yan Li came to Hengdian to participate in "Investiture of the Gods 2".

Besides the cast and crew of "The Legend of the Gods 2", Yi'an Garden is likely the place where she will appear, and some fans are waiting there.

There are also people waiting for Fan Xiaopang. Except for outdoor scenes, she has been getting her makeup done at Yi'an Garden during this period, and sometimes she even stays in Yi'an's dormitory.

As the top female writer of Yi'an Garden, Fan Xiaopang has a private dormitory in Yi'an Garden. Although it is not as good as a luxury hotel suite, the conditions are not bad either.

Fan Xiaopang's fans are relatively easy for Yan Li to recognize.

Some were very enthusiastic towards him, while others were indifferent or even disdainful. In addition, they liked to chat with him, which naturally revealed their true identities.

In the past, when Yan Li encountered this situation, his number of fans would basically be crushed by Fan Xiaopang's fans.

Today, whether it was due to an organized event or the immense popularity of "The Legend of Xue Rengui," the number of viewers was even tied, with Xue Rengui even slightly ahead.

"I'm in a meeting today, so I probably won't be coming out. Everyone, it's cold, so head home early. Bye."

Yan Li signed his name, greeted everyone, and went inside. His assistant and security guards took some of the letters and gifts on his behalf.

Yan Li has mentioned the gift more than once, even on his blog and online forum.

If you want to see him, just say hello. If you're not busy, you can take a photo with him and get his autograph. Try not to give him any gifts.

He really doesn't have time to read letters or anything like that. He has no shortage of gifts or anything like that, and he can't even keep up with all the food. Most of the time, he shares his food with the people around him.

Doing so would feel like letting down the fans, so Yan Li suggested that it would be better not to send the gift.

Unfortunately, his words were useless; the fans were willing to give it to him, and he couldn't refuse.

After a few times, Yan Li gave up and decided to keep what he could, divide what he couldn't, and donate what he couldn't.

He learned this trick from Fan Xiaopang: selling gifts from fans can easily lose its original meaning, but donating them is different.

Charity and public welfare are ways to pass on the love of fans to those in need, and neither fans nor the general public will object to that.

Having entered the park, and having not been there for a while, Yan Li decided to take a stroll.

It was only shortly after the Lunar New Year, and all the flowers and plants in the park were bare. In one corner, several large dogs were kept.

Hengdian is a popular tourist destination, but it's also a mixed bag. Some of the equipment inside Yi'an Garden is actually quite valuable, and there are also various script materials available online. You still need to be careful.

There's not much to see outside; only after entering the office area can one truly appreciate the charm of Yi'an Garden.

The rehearsal hall is spacious and bright, with small-scale rehearsals for dramatic plays, as well as dedicated spaces for ensemble and action plays.

There are two dressing rooms, one large and one small, which can be fully utilized to meet the needs of a film crew.

The props and equipment warehouse was clean, and there was also a special exhibition area. It contained some of the iconic props from Yi'an's film and television productions. Yan Li saw the royal robes of King Zhou from "Investiture of the Gods".

The office area can accommodate hundreds of employees and includes multiple meeting rooms, reception rooms and offices.

The restaurant provides three meals a day, prepared by professional chefs. They may not be as good as those top chefs, but they are much better than the boxed meals provided by film crews.

The hotel-style dormitories offer decent quality rest and accommodation, providing strong support for the park's operation and the film crew's logistics.

Yan Li took a walk around and took a picture in the corridor. The corridor was decorated with stills and glorious moments related to Yi An, making it feel like a company history exhibition.

"I feel like this place is more like the headquarters than the headquarters in Beijing."

Yan Li couldn't help but joke that Yi'an Garden, being an internal company park and located in Hengdian World Studios, has a strong film and television atmosphere and company elements.

The Yi'an Company in Beijing, while having some related elements, is somewhat cluttered due to its numerous businesses and lacks the purity of Yi'an Garden.

Back in his office, Yan Li held a meeting with the team stationed there.

Currently, Yi An is only filming "The Investiture of the Gods 2" in Hengdian, but that doesn't mean she has no other work.

Fan Xiaopang's next period drama will most likely be filmed in Hengdian, and it is already in preparation. Also, "Painted Skin" has some scenes set here.

Yan Li's visit this time was not only for filming scenes in "The Investiture of the Gods 2", but also to supervise the location scouting for "Painted Skin".

This year, Yi An has had relatively fewer period dramas, especially in the first half of the year, with a greater focus on films and modern themes.

The main period dramas under my control are still under research, such as "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2" or a third Yi An Gu Long drama.

In Yan Li's opinion, apart from "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang", there are not many other Gu Long dramas suitable for film and television adaptation.

"Little Li Flying Dagger" and "The Legendary Twins" are both suitable, but they are both excellent works that preceded them, making them quite challenging.

"Xiao Shiyi Lang", "The Magic Blade", and "Meteor, Butterfly and Sword" are all acceptable, but they are less exciting in terms of story and less influential than the original works.

In addition, although the martial arts craze has been boiling over in the past two years, and the Phoenix and Eagle Battle last year was a huge hit, the more intense the craze, the more likely it is to decline.

Yan Li was not optimistic about the prospects of the martial arts drama market from the beginning, and is now even more cautious.

He had even considered ending his series of Gu Long dramas after filming "Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2".

However, this is just a thought.

Yan Li is, after all, a businessman, and he has to consider the profits. Although the martial arts drama market currently carries some risks, it hasn't reached the point of collapse yet. In particular, Yi An's Gu Long dramas are in high demand, and it would be foolish not to film them. Moreover, with Julian Cheung and Qiao Zhenyu each having a Gu Long drama, Deng Chao can't just fool people with modern dramas.

If the company wants Deng Chao to compete for the top spot, it won't work without investing heavily in resources.

So, although the next Gu Long drama hasn't been decided yet, it's highly likely that Deng Chao will star in it. If there are no other reasons, the company will be more inclined to film whichever one is more suitable for him.

Speaking of this, Yan Li suddenly remembered something: "Who was cast as the female lead in 'The Difficult Love of a Diamond Bachelor'?"

This drama was a project arranged by Yi An for Deng Chao. The director was Deng Chao's teacher, Tian Youliang, and there was also another director from Yi An.

The male lead is naturally Deng Chao, and the female lead, Yi An, was originally intended to be played by Sun Li.

Hairun's top female celebrity needs no introduction, and the couple has a natural understanding of each other. Moreover, their relationship is semi-public at this time, which can also be used for publicity.

But Sun Li declined.

One reason is her busy schedule, and the other is that Sun Li and Deng Chao had already collaborated on two dramas before, "Happiness and Flowers" and "Sweet Honey". It would be a bit too frequent for them to work together for the third time, especially since they were both in romantic scenes.

Viewers get tired of it and are easily distracted, which can also have a certain impact on their careers.

Therefore, many times, some actor couples will avoid acting in a certain film together. Of course, there are also those who don't care or even like acting together.

This depends on individual subjective wishes, but considering the current careers and frequency of cooperation between the two parties, Sun Li did not participate in "The Diamond Bachelor".

If Sun Li isn't going to act, then they'll find someone else, since she's the female lead and there are quite a few people watching.

Leaving aside the outside world, the women around Yi An, or rather Yan Li, have had no shortage of battles and competition for her.

The most enthusiastic were Wang Ou and Jiang Xin. Dong and Qin were not very interested in filming, and Fan Xiaopang looked down on them. These two were interested and wanted to climb the ladder, so of course they wouldn't let them go.

However, the director rejected both of them. He wanted a female college student who was pure and reserved, and the two of them didn't fit the image and temperament well.

Jiang Xin was forced to retreat, and Wang Ou, having no chance himself, instead recommended Yang Rong and Wu Jiani.

In particular, Yang Rong's gentle and quiet personality and image won the director's approval.

Meanwhile, through some unknown connection, Huo Siyan also set her sights on the role. Although she has changed her style in the past two years, she can still play the innocent and naive type.

Adding to their old grudges, Huo Siyan and Yang Rong became at odds, which was also a reason why Wang Ou was targeted during the promotion of "The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty".

Of course, besides Yang and Huo, there are some other candidates, but none of them are as suitable as these two in terms of closeness, fame, status, image, and temperament.

Yan Li didn't worry about this matter and let the production team decide for themselves. Now that I think about it, we haven't heard anything about it yet, so it probably hasn't been decided yet.

The efficiency is too slow!
However, it's understandable, as both of them have supporters behind them, and given their ambiguous relationship with Yan Li, those responsible wouldn't dare to make a decision lightly.

"I heard it's coming soon. After all, filming won't start for long, so we have no choice but to select it."

Although the person in charge at Hengdian World Studios wasn't involved in "The Bachelor," he was still a high-ranking official in the film and television department and was fairly well-informed.

Who are you planning to choose?

Yan Li asked curiously, and the latter didn't keep him in suspense: "I heard that they prefer Yang Rong."

Yan Li tapped the table; he wasn't too surprised by the result.

Yang Rong is quite famous. With the hit TV series "The Legend of Xue Rengui", she gained some exposure as the actress who played Liu Yinhuan.

In terms of appearance, apart from being a bit short, she is more than capable of playing a pure and innocent female college student.

She's also a good actress, and she's acted in plays. Director Tian Youliang is a stage director, so he definitely has an inclination in that area.

"Okay, you can call Tian Youliang and decide on her."

Yan Li approved the candidate, and the person in charge asked, "Is this your decision, or Director Tian's?"

That's a very clever question.

As the boss, Yan Li can certainly decide on a role, but sometimes he is inevitably affected by various factors.

At this point, to avoid trouble or for other reasons, someone needs to take the blame for him. Boss Yan Li "had no choice but to compromise," so that the trouble wouldn't affect Yan Li.

"It's considered that we booked it together."

Yan Li had played it safe, which allowed him to both claim credit and an award for Yang Rong, and also appease the Teddy Sisters, giving him the freedom to maneuver and win favor with both sides.

As for Tian Youliang, Yan Li invested in him and even let him choose his favorite male and female leads, so what's there to be afraid of taking a small blame?

As they were talking, there was a knock on the office door. When they let him in, they found Fan Xiaopang still in his costume.

"Finishing work so early?"

The person in charge tactfully left, and Yan Li poured Fan Xiaopang a glass of water, which the latter carefully wiped the sweat off his makeup.

"I heard you were coming during my lunch break, so I came to check it out. Goodness, there were so many people blocking the entrance, I almost couldn't get in."

"block?"

A window in the corner faced the park entrance. Yan Li went over and took a look. There were more fans than before who had been gathered at the entrance, probably because they had heard the news.

"Am I that popular?"

Yan Li was somewhat insecure. While "The Legend of Xue Rengui" was quite popular, it wasn't a massive hit, and he hadn't felt that so many people were blocking his way in the capital.

"This is Hengdian. Besides fans, there are also people who are eyeing the top."

Fan Xiaopang cruelly revealed the truth: "Be careful, maybe some extras will pretend to be your fans, then bump into you by chance, and then try to get close to you."

There are too many people in Hengdian who want to climb the social ladder, not to mention those who want to get close to a top figure like Yan Li, the benefits of which are terrifying. Many people will stop at nothing to achieve this.

Even if Yan Li is shrewd, he can't withstand too many schemes against him. Fan Xiaopang hopes he will be more vigilant and not fall into their trap.

"Hey, I thought I was really famous."

Yan Li suddenly realized that even though he had a system and wouldn't be fooled, he would probably have been smug for a while if Fan Xiaopang hadn't reminded him.

Well, to put it simply, having a bunch of fans surrounding you and praising you to the skies is a feeling that most people can't handle.

Although Yan Li has seen the world and his temperament is far beyond that of ordinary people, his nature is different and it does not mean that he can easily resist such adulation. There are quite a few big shots who have been idolized and praised to death.

Seeing that Yan Li seemed disappointed, Fan Xiaopang gently comforted him, saying that although there was something fishy going on, Yan Li still had quite a few true fans.

She had heard about the popularity of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" while filming on set, and Yan Li's image of riding a white horse and wielding a silver halberd even increased the value of white horses in Hengdian by several times.

Seeing her like this, Yan Li shook his head: "I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about what price they're willing to pay to climb to the top, and whether it's worth it."

Fan Xiaopang's expression changed, and he angrily stomped on Yan Li: "Fuck your grandpa."

Yan Li laughed heartily. He wasn't a pure entertainer; popularity and the number of fans were just a way to satisfy his vanity, and weren't that important.

"You'd better be polite to me. I have a lot of female fans watching me now. Be careful I don't get snatched away by someone else."

Yan Li teased Fan Xiaopang, who snorted and dragged him to the window near the park entrance, where he squatted down.

"Then let them keep an eye on it..."

-

P.S.: I'm in terrible condition. I'm still sleepy even after taking medication. I find it too much trouble to take time off work. Please be understanding. I'll write down all the minor issues and pay back the debt after I recover (0/45000).

(End of this chapter)