Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 140 Dribbling into the goal
"Okay, let's talk in detail when I get back to the capital."

After hanging up the phone, Mr. Li from Huanya smiled and told everyone, "It's done."

"You and she have known each other for a long time?" Lu Jiang asked curiously.

"We've known each other for two months. Wang Fei introduced us."

Mr. Li then explained the "connection" between Gao Yuanyuan and this project.

In 2001, Gao Yuanyuan looked innocent, but her network of connections was already considerable.

Gao Yuanyuan is already quite famous in the mainland advertising industry, and has starred in at least three films.

In other words, she doesn't have any famous roles right now, and she herself is quite laid-back; otherwise, she would have much more fame than she has now.

On top of that, she also has a top-tier best friend, Wang Fei.

Wang Fei's connections in Hong Kong's entertainment circle go without saying.

Therefore, Gao Yuanyuan had an advantage over most mainland actresses in getting roles in dramas like "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," which were spearheaded by Hong Kong and Taiwan capital.

There had been rumors that Lu Jiang would star in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", and Gao Yuanyuan even volunteered herself, so now her wish has finally come true.

"He has quite a wide network of connections."

Lu Jiang smiled and sighed.

However, Mr. Li from Huanya misunderstood and immediately explained, "Don't worry, Mr. Lu, we are serious about casting. We will carefully consider acting skills, experience, and image. To be honest, Wang Yan was our first choice, not Gao Yuanyuan. If you really don't like her, Mr. Lu, we can change her."

"No need for that, let's leave it as is."

Lu Jiang didn't dwell on Zhou Zhiruo's issue any longer, and then proceeded to discuss the other candidates.

The issue of Yang Xiao was also specifically mentioned.

Putting aside the French kiss and such, Yang Xiao in the original work is not only handsome but also has an extraordinary temperament. In his early years, he and Fan Yao were known as the "Two Immortals of Xiaoyao". He held the power of the Ming Cult for many years, which made him even more charming as a mature man.

When Zhang Wuji first met Yang Xiao, it was described as follows:
Zhang Wuji had heard Ji Xiaofu recount their ill-fated relationship. Now, seeing Yang Xiao's handsome and dashing appearance, even though he was a bit older, he was still a charming and elegant man. Compared to the still-childish Sixth Uncle Yin Liting, he was probably more likely to make women fall for him. Ji Xiaofu was forced to lose her virginity and eventually fell in love with him, so she couldn't be blamed.

Therefore, Yang Xiao's image should at least be handsome and elegant, with a touch of vicissitude, rather than someone like Zhang Tielin, who directly became "Ji Xiaofu's father".

Fortunately, Zhang Guoli and his trio are only confirmed to join the cast. However, apart from Zhang Guoli's intention to play Chen Kun, the roles of the other two are not yet confirmed, so there is still room for maneuver.

When discussing specific roles, no one felt that Zhang Tielin was suitable for Yang Xiao. If a main character was needed to match him, the White-browed Eagle King would be a better fit.

The White-browed Eagle King is a ruthless and domineering figure, and Zhang Tielin is perfectly capable of embodying that domineering presence.

Lu Jiang didn't offer any opinion, but instead insisted on finalizing the actor for Yang Xiao first, just to secure the role.

Once the stakes are secured and the major investors have their say, Zhang Tielin's displeasure is irrelevant.

Next is casting. Yang Xiao was between 25 and 30 years old when he first met Ji Xiaofu. 30 years later, Fan Yao, another of the Two Immortals of Xiaoyao, had aged, but Yang Xiao had the secret to staying young and didn't look that old, so finding someone younger wasn't a big problem.

After discussion and communication, it was finally decided that Jiao Meinan would play the role.

In this way, Yang Buhui's appearance will also improve, and Lu Jiang will take the opportunity to promote his own artist Dong Xuan, perfect.

Of course, with Jiao Meinan's arrival, the others will feel a lot of pressure, since his period costume is outstanding and he can easily steal the spotlight.

If this had happened a year ago, Lu Jiang would have been a little nervous, but now that his physique has been strengthened and he has lost weight, his appearance has improved a lot, especially his eyes, which are bright and clear, making his overall image and temperament much better. I believe that in the play, if he doesn't surpass Jiao Meinan, he will at least be on par with her.

After Yang Xiao made the decision, the group chatted for a while longer before ending the conversation.

Next, the "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" production team will enter the final preparation stage, and will start filming after Lu Jiang's "The World's Number One" finishes filming.

The filming of "The World's Number One" is currently in a highly efficient phase.

Even so, it is estimated that it will take about four and a half months to complete, which is one and a half months longer than the original version.

The reason is also very simple.

Firstly, Lu Jiang isn't a fast-paced director like Wong Jing, who has a mature team, so the filming schedule can't be as insane as his.

Secondly, the lead actors don't act completely naked; they also have to attend promotional events during the filming process, which is an issue that popular stars can't avoid.

Finally, the new version is quite different from the original.

In addition to the characters introduced earlier, Cheng Shifei's scenes have also been significantly cut.

The original Cheng Shifei can be considered the protagonist.

There are many comedic scenes, and within those comedic scenes, there are many regional references, such as the Cantonese joke "A little bird flies, flies, flies".

Southerners can understand it, but northerners mostly just feel embarrassed.

Lu Jiang simply deleted it to make the plot more universal.

In addition, although Zhang Jin's appearance is not as cold as it is in later years, he is still in his comfort zone when playing the innocent and naive side of a child, just like when he was "Tong Xin".

But he is not, after all, an actor like Roger Kwok who excels in comedy.

Therefore, Lu Jiang also appropriately deleted some comedic scenes and modified some character settings.

For example, someone who is usually not very serious or carefree, but after practicing the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, their whole body turns golden, and they also become very serious. Just like "childlike innocence," their innocent and pure nature instantly transforms into cold, ruthless, and invincible martial arts.

It only returns to normal after the effect of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill wears off. The setting that the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill can only be used five times is also the process of Cheng Shifei growing from an immature to a mature form. With each use, the character will become more and more mature.

Finally, his mother, Su Xin, tells him that the five-fold setting of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill is false. Cheng Shifei uses this to cooperate with the four secret agents to completely defeat Zhu Wushi, but Su Xin also passes away, which also implies that the immature Cheng Shifei has completely grown up.
The adaptation of Cheng Shifei's scenes resulted in the loss of nearly one and a half episodes of his screen time.

However, the young emperor's screen time has increased.

Deng Chao is, after all, an F3 member; we can't really make him a guest actor.

So, after going back and forth, removing the water and keeping the essence, the overall series is expected to reach about 36 episodes, one more than the original version.

The overall filming time has naturally increased considerably, and it is expected to wrap up around the Spring Festival.

After learning the approximate time, Jia Jingwen immediately smiled at Fan Binbin and said, "After the New Year, I'll be living with Lu Jiang for a few months. Are you jealous?"

Fan Binbin immediately retaliated with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, scratching the ground. Jia Jingwen giggled and begged for mercy.

Fan Binbin already knew about Jia Jingwen's relationship with Boss Wu from Lu Jiang, so in her eyes, Jia Jingwen posed no threat at all. Lu Jiang could never have any romantic feelings for her, and even if they did, it would only remain superficial.

In addition, the two had a good relationship back when they worked together on "Little Li Flying Dagger", so even though she and Lu Jiang have been constantly involved in rumors, their relationship is actually better than before.

Of course, the most crucial factor is the change in his status and position, which has made Fan Binbin more confident.

The current Fan Binbin is completely different from the one during the "Little Li Flying Dagger" era.

At that time, she was still labeled as a "maid".

Although Alyssa Chia wasn't very famous at the time, she was still a Taiwanese actress and a popular host with powerful connections, unlike Fan Binbin.

Now, with two phenomenal works starring Fan Binbin and the added boost from "My Fair Princess," she has become a goddess of Chinese pop culture.

In terms of status, there aren't many people above her anymore. A certain Yanzi is still above her, but that won't happen for long.

So now Fan Binbin can confidently say that, apart from Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, she, Fan Binbin, will be number one.

Therefore, she now adopts a more superior attitude towards Jia Jingwen.

To put it bluntly, in her eyes, Jia Jingwen was nothing more than a "concubine," at most giving Lu Jiang a moment of pleasure. Want to rise in rank? As long as she didn't make any mistakes, she had absolutely no chance!

Of course, we still need to be cautious. Jia Jingwen is clear-headed now, but the future is uncertain. In addition, Fan Binbin knows the charm of her man. What if he gets carried away after having his fun and even tries to use his ball to attack her? That would be bad.

So after seeing Jia Jingwen off, Fan Binbin pulled Dong Xuan aside for a private chat.

She first brought up the matter of Dong Xuan playing Yang Buhui: "Play Yang Buhui first, and after that you should become the lead actor."

Dong Xuan assumed that Fan Binbin had gotten it for her, and was extremely grateful.

Regardless of how well it turns out, projects like "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" are considered the most significant by the general public and industry insiders.

Even a supporting role is more important than the protagonist of other unknown projects.

What's more, after this is over, the lead actor I've been longing for will finally arrive.

So Dong Xuan naturally expressed her gratitude in various ways.

Fan Binbin readily accepted, then immediately asked, "You know what to do, right?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Xuan was startled, but quickly nodded and promised, "Don't worry, Sister Bingbing, I won't have any improper thoughts."

"I mean, you need to keep an eye on Director Lu for me, make sure those flashy, cheap women outside don't take advantage of him, especially Jia Jingwen!"

Dong Xuan asked in confusion, "Sister Bingbing, aren't you going to act?"

"There aren't any roles that suit me."

Fan Binbin spoke the truth.

Given her appearance, it's destined that she won't get many roles, especially in projects like "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" where the character settings are already well-known.

Furthermore, since they don't own the copyright to "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre," it's even more impossible for them to do so.

"I understand. As long as I'm on set, I'll keep a close eye on Director Lu!"

"Hmm." Fan Binbin nodded in satisfaction, but quickly looked at Dong Xuan and asked with interest, "You just said that you had ulterior motives?"

"Sister Bingbing~"

Dong Xuan was completely convinced, and Fan Binbin laughed and told her to leave.

But after everyone left, Fan Binbin thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring Dong Xuan along to share the burden.

After Lu Jiang started working out, his sexual performance improved significantly, which was quite unbearable.

Dong Xuan is beautiful and obedient.
No, no!

Fan Binbin immediately stopped this perverted idea.

She felt that given Lu Jiang's situation, there were countless women eager to marry him. If he were to open up this relationship, he would find one, then another, three, and countless others.

If they all dribble the ball into the goal
So even if Lu Jiang is allowed to steal food, I can turn a blind eye, but I absolutely cannot bring this kind of thing out into the open!

(End of this chapter)