Huayu Entertainment: Tianxian really wants to improve

Chapter 304 La La Land's Male and Female Protagonists
Silent films are dead, but musicals are far from dead.

The 03 Academy Award for Best Picture was won by the musical film Chicago.

Moreover, the Moulin Rouge, released a year before in Chicago, was also a phenomenal musical film. Nicole Kidman's red dress and her best performance at the peak of her beauty made her a legend in film history.

Hollywood actresses, seeing the artists dominating the awards season, are all envious of La La Land.

Unfortunately, Gu Bei's first requirement for the female lead was that she be young!
Then... Emma appeared before him, Emma Watson, the famous Hermione!

"This is the actress you think is most suitable for the female lead, Mia?"

Gu Bei looked at Emma Watson in the room, then turned to her and questioned Michael, president of Sony Classics, in a low voice.

"Young, beautiful, and famous—isn't she the perfect candidate?"

Michael counted Emma Watson's good points on his fingers.

Gu Bei was slightly stunned.

It seems... it really is!
Compared to the up-and-coming actresses born in 85 in Hollywood, Emma Watson, born in 90, already has considerable global fame thanks to her role as Hermione, making her the most suitable choice at this stage.

The original choice for the female lead in La La Land was actually Emma Watson, not Emma Stone.

Although Emma Watson's performance in Beauty and the Beast was terrible, the only thing worth slapping was her face.

But Emma Watson is only 18 years old now and has not yet become the future Miss Watson.

She is now,

She might even be a little better at acting than she is in the future.
In the acting profession, it's not a case of the older the better.

Gu Bei thought for a moment and decided to give her a chance: "Then let's give it a try!"

Who at his age doesn't have a Hermione complex?

"Hello, Miss Watson."

Gu Bei turned on the camera and started talking to Emma, ​​"Do you know much about musicals? Which musical is your favorite?"

"Singin' in the Rain!"

Emma said without hesitation.

Gu Bei heard this.

This is a standard, conventional answer.

When discussing musicals, it's impossible to ignore the film "Singin' in the Rain."

There are many scenes in The Artist that pay homage to Singin' in the Rain, especially the final dance between the male and female leads, which imitates the dance in Singin' in the Rain. La La Land also has many scenes that pay homage to Singin' in the Rain.

He casually asked, "So, which scene is your favorite?"

Emma said somewhat vaguely, "Of course, it's the scene of singing and dancing in the rain."

Gu Bei looked up at her.
Emma's slightly evasive eyes immediately revealed that she was lying.

This person has probably never even seen Singin' in the Rain!
He didn't delve into that point, but instead began giving audition questions: "You're an actor chasing your dreams in Hollywood, working as a barista while auditioning for roles..."

You've now landed a very small role, but it still makes you ecstatic.

This question is very simple.
Throughout Hollywood, regardless of whether they are big-name or small-name actors,

Ninety-nine out of a hundred actors can find similar memories.

Even Emma Watson had the experience of going through ten rounds of auditions before finally getting the role of Hermione. Unearthing such memories allows her to portray similar emotions.

however……

"Oh my god! I did it! I got the role!"

Emma Watson burst into the frame with a cheer, then, as if spotting someone she knew, a smug look appeared on her face. "Daniel, I told you I could get this role, and now I have!"

Eighteen-year-old Emma is indeed at the most youthful and beautiful age.

Her expression, like she'd just succeeded in her audition, was incredibly cute, and very much like Hermione.

Especially that line, "I told you," it's as if Hermione herself stepped out of the book and said that line to the camera.

"Ms. Watson, thank you so much for coming!"

Gu Bei had no intention of continuing.

This isn't the Mia he needed; she's far from the ideal woman.

After persuading the reluctant Emma Watson to leave, Gu Bei continued with the auditions. He attached great importance to La La Land and had the highest expectations for it.

Musicals are the most typical symbol of the golden age.
It was also a powerful weapon for sound films to defeat silent films.

Even for those elderly Oscar judges, the era of silent films is too distant; on the contrary, the most glorious era of musicals was precisely when they were young and vigorous.

Therefore,
Even now, artists are dominating the awards season.

Gu Bei will not let his guard down until the very last moment, and will only use artists as stepping stones to his fame.
And La La Land
That will be his trump card during next year's awards season!
under these circumstances,

Gu Bei's opinion on the actors in La La Land
The requirements for Mia, the female lead who is the focal point of the drama, are particularly high.

She needs to possess not only the youthful energy of a young person, but also the skillful acting ability of a middle-aged actress.

If you really can't find it among young people,
Gu Bei had no choice but to lift the age restriction.
After all, there are quite a few Hollywood actresses around thirty years old who possess both good looks and acting skills.

"Gentlemen, good afternoon. I'm Emma Stone, here to audition for the lead role of Mia in La La Land!"

A warm female voice startled Gu Bei from his thoughts.

“Another Emma!” Michael said with a laugh from the side.

"This person should be able to give us a different kind of surprise."

Gu Bei looked at Emma Stone.

Emma Stone looked at Gu Bei with surprise: "Director, have you heard of me?"

Gu Bei nodded: "Jesse mentioned you and your zombie movie to me when we were filming."

After exchanging pleasantries,

Gu Bei turned on the camera, and it was the same topic as before: the ecstatic joy of getting the role.

Compared to another Emma, ​​Emma Stone is still working in teen comedies and has a vivid memory of each role she played, resulting in much better performances.

Then, Gu Bei had Emma Stone demonstrate her dancing and singing skills, which are essential for musicals.

Do you really think she can do it?

Michael could tell that Gu Bei had a high opinion of Emma Stone.

In previous auditions, Ke Ren had never tried so many different things.

What did you think of her performance?

Gu Bei didn't answer, but instead asked a question.

"Very good, you have a kind of intelligence beyond your age."

Michael also had to admit that Emma Stone's acting was significantly more skillful and compelling than that of her peers.

Gu Bei interrupted Emma Stone's performance: "Do you have any vocal training?"

Emma Stone nodded immediately: "Yes, I've wanted to act since I was four. I originally wanted to be a comedian, but I became more interested in musicals and underwent several years of vocal training." After saying this, to make it more convincing,

She added, "My first performance was when I was eleven years old, in a musical."

Gu Bei nodded with satisfaction.

Compared to Emma Stone eight years later, she still looks a bit immature now, after all, her best opportunities right now are some teen comedies.

But as an Oscar-winning actress who has been nominated four times and won two out of ten years...

Emma Stone's acting talent is beyond doubt.

Being naive can actually be an advantage.
Gu Bei is free to do as he pleases.

Gu Bei pressed on, "This film requires at least three months of singing and dancing training."
From the end of Christmas until the end of filming,

"I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with your schedule for other projects. Is that acceptable?"

"I have no problem!"

Emma Stone understood Gu Bei's implication and immediately seized the opportunity to reply decisively.

"very good!"

Gu Bei nodded.

Communication with Emma Stone's agent went smoothly.

She didn't join a particularly powerful agency; she only worked with an agent, so there weren't any major problems.

The female lead's salary was $50.
This is the minimum salary stipulated by the Screen Actors Guild for lead actors in big-budget films.

And the male protagonist of La La Land,
Some troubles also arose.
Ryan Gosling, the original male lead, was actually quite good. Since The Notebook started, there hasn't been a role he wasn't suited for in the romance film genre.

Unfortunately, Ryan was unavailable.
He needs to film Blue Valentine's Day.

The film was originally scheduled to be shot this spring, but unfortunately, due to Heath Ledger's sudden death, the female lead was unable to participate in the filming as scheduled. In order to wait for her, the director postponed the filming to May next year, which clashed with the release schedule of La La Land.

Large-scale auditions are still necessary.

And we also need to consider how well she matches Emma.

The chemistry between a couple is a very subtle thing, but it also greatly affects the final product of a movie.

"Andrew, move closer to Emma!"

Gu Bei looked at Andrew and Emma in front of him and said with a smile.

Andrew remained silent, only glancing up at Emma beside him, as if seeking her opinion.

Emma smiled and moved a little closer to him.

Although it was only the first time they met,
But the eye contact between the two
You can tell something unusual about it.

“Andrew, I think you could move a little closer and put your hand on Emma’s shoulder to see how it feels.”

Antonio has always been Gu Bei's capable assistant.

He developed a deep friendship with Andrew during his time with Whiplash and actively created opportunities for his friend.

"You guys are almost done!"

Emma warned.

Despite saying that, she still let Andrew put his arm around her shoulder, showing the camera their intimate interaction.

"not bad!"

Gu Bei looked at the two people who seemed like perfect partners.

It has to be said that Spider-Man is somewhat mysterious; the three generations have brought together three couples, and these two are still a source of regret for many!

After a pause, Gu Bei walked up to Andrew and said, "Garfield, I can't play the piano and dance for you this time. You'll need at least three months of singing and dancing training. Is your schedule okay?"

"what?"

Andrew was stunned for a moment, and after he came to his senses, he looked at Gu Bei blankly, as if he had not heard what Gu Bei had just said at all.

Gu Bei followed his gaze and looked at Emma, ​​who was tidying up her things in the corner.

Well, this guy is completely absorbed in women now, he can't even hear what I, the director, am saying!

Gu Bei patted him on the shoulder: "Don't blame me for not reminding you, Emma is a very career-oriented woman. If you want to pursue her, you must put your career development first!"

Andrew was somewhat skeptical: "Emma isn't that kind of girl."

"Don't misunderstand me. All I can tell you is that her ambition is written all over her eyes, and that's what drives her forward."

Gu Bei said lightly.

"And what about me? What did you see in my eyes?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Clear-sounding stupidity, just like a college student!"

After Gu Bei finished speaking, he turned and left the audition room.

Andrew was left standing there bewildered. Why would a college student, who is supposed to be smarter, be considered so naively stupid?
During the preparation of Philharmonic City in Gubei,

Awards season is still in full swing.

The artist suffered a complete defeat at the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Awards, but redeemed himself at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and then dominated the first phase of the awards season's critics' awards.

In the second phase of awards season, among the union awards nominations,
The artist continues to maintain its absolute leading position.
He was nominated for the most prestigious awards at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, namely Best Ensemble Cast and Best Actor.
He was also nominated for Best Director at the legendary Directors Guild Awards.

There are also the Producers Guild Awards, the Cinematographers Guild Awards, and the Writers Guild Awards.

Each has a corresponding major nomination.

After the Golden Globe Awards, the situation for the second half of the awards season is already quite clear.

This year's Golden Globe Awards, after being suspended for a year due to the writers' strike, returned to an in-person awards ceremony.

While the Golden Globes may not be the most accurate indicator of Oscar trends, they are certainly the most popular.

And this year's Golden Globe Award

It belongs to artists and slum millionaires.
Two films split the Golden Globe Awards.
They are also one of the only two favorites in the second half of the awards season.

The artist received six nominations and won three awards, including Best Film in a Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and Best Screenplay.

Slumdog Millionaire was nominated four times and won three awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Original Score.

Gu Bei lost to Danny Boyle again in the Best Director category.
However, it still has a slight edge in the Best Screenplay category.
As the two films belonged to two different categories, they did not directly compete for the Best Picture award.

Since winning the Golden Lion in Venice, the artist has maintained his popularity, but even now he still can't effectively suppress the millionaires in the slums, who have instead surpassed him.

Despite the same number of awards,
But the other party's gold content is still higher!
Gu Bei's only regret is not seeing Xavi at the Ballon d'Or.

As a seasoned veteran
Harvey has clearly seen the Reader's decline in this year's awards season.

The World War II theme garnered The Reader numerous nominations, but it pales in comparison to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which received five nominations and won zero. Only the acting awards offer any real competition.

Xavi's absence from the Ballon d'Or meant Gu Bei missed a chance to unleash a close-range attack.

But that's okay,
You're not coming to the Golden Globe Awards.

But surely Oscar Harvey can't be absent again, right?
(End of this chapter)