The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 339 The adventure fantasy film "Mojin: The Lost Legend" has two very attractive female leads!

……

In the movie "Mojin: The Lost Legend," almost all the main characters are from China.

Among the important supporting actors, only Nicolas Cage and Mackenzie Foy are of European or American descent.

Nicolas Cage signed a five-film contract with Lu Zhiyuan's YD Pictures... Lu Zhiyuan paid Nicolas Cage $100 million for each film!

If this salary were to be revealed, it would cause a huge uproar.

Because Nicolas Cage returned to his peak after filming "Art Students" with Lu Zhiyuan, his current asking price has reached $1000 million.

After the release of "Art Students", Nicolas Cage went out and took on two films for high prices. He was well aware that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would be nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor again by this time next year!
But it doesn’t matter.

What's there to be afraid of if you've made money?
A bad reputation and criticized acting skills are all trivial matters... Clinging to the coattails of boss Lu Zhiyuan will bring a quick recovery!

Most importantly, at YD Films, Nicolas Cage found his best frenemy, Xin Yukun.

When these two aren't working, they travel from south to north.

From Europe to East Asia, I've traveled all over half the globe.

Aside from Antarctica, where they are absent, they even ventured into Norway and Iceland within the Arctic Circle.

……

"Brother Yuan, how does it feel to have a daughter?"

Mr. Wang came up and gave Lu Zhiyuan a hug, then jokingly said something with a smile.

"Let me introduce you, this is my daughter, Xiaowen."

Surrounded by Mr. Wang was not a glamorous beauty, but a skinny little girl, probably sixteen or seventeen years old.

At first glance, she looks about 70-80% similar to Ouyang Nana.

"Xiao Wen, say hello."

Mr. Wang patted his daughter on the shoulder and smiled at Lu Zhiyuan, "You don't know, you're her idol. Her apartment in New York is covered with your photos!"

When Xiao Wang's daughter first met Lu Zhiyuan, she was so shy that she didn't know what to say. Her face turned red, and she didn't dare to look Lu Zhiyuan in the eye.

It seems she really is a fan of Lu Zhiyuan.

My first reaction upon seeing my crush was surprisingly a sense of inferiority.

"Call him Uncle Yuan."

Noticing that his daughter seemed to be struggling with how to address him, Mr. Wang laughed and joked, "Don't tell me you want to call him 'brother'?"

"Xiaowen, if you want to be a filmmaker in the future, learn from your Uncle Yuan. If you're lucky, your Uncle Yuan might take you on as his apprentice, and you'll become a film master in the future."

At first, Mr. Wang treated Lu Zhiyuan as his younger brother.

However, as Lu Zhiyuan's status has risen and he has continuously set historical records, even winning the Oscar for Best Director recently, he has been lauded both domestically and internationally.

Xiao Wang's attitude towards Lu Zhiyuan changed to one of admiration and respect.

Mr. Wang even suspected that Lu Zhiyuan was hiding in Los Angeles to avoid the endless praise he received domestically.

During this period, Mr. Wang attended several industry seminars.

As required above.

The topic of discussion was surprisingly how to learn from director Lu Zhiyuan's artistic concepts.
I'm seriously impressed!
Do we even need to discuss this?

Is it possible to discuss something like "no talent means no talent"?
Regardless, within the industry, Lu Zhiyuan has already been regarded as a master of his generation.

Even if Lu Zhiyuan were to die now, his historical status would remain unshaken; he is the number one figure in the Chinese arts and culture circle since the 21st century!
Moreover, it will be difficult for anyone to surpass him in the future.

Because his competitors are Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, and other undisputed masters.

When his contemporaries were also masters, Lu Zhiyuan's rise to power by stepping on these masters made him seem even more awesome.

“Xiaowen, there’s nothing good in New York. If you want to study film, I think you should come to Los Angeles.”

Mr. Wang is very worried that his daughter has gone astray in New York.

He wasn't worried at all before.

Because, if a daughter wants to go astray, how bad can she go? Most likely, she won't be able to surpass her own father's level.

As long as my daughter doesn't break the law, everything is fine.

But now, he feels that his daughter should spend more time with talented, elegant, and highly skilled people.

Instead of spending all his time hanging out with rich kids.

If you accidentally learn to use marijuana, you're really doomed.

In addition, Los Angeles is the home base of Hollywood.

If your daughter wants to enter the entertainment industry, she should visit Lu Zhiyuan more often.

As long as you cultivate a good relationship with Lu Zhiyuan, given his status and connections in Hollywood, he could easily give your daughter a helping hand and make her education many times easier.

In any case, I've been working with Lu Zhiyuan for so many years, and Lu Zhiyuan isn't the ugly-faced kind of person like Xiao Gangpao.

In this regard, Mr. Wang still has great faith in Lu Zhiyuan.

Kun is right. Becoming friends with Lu Zhiyuan is definitely the best thing I've ever done in all these years.

At least, Lu Zhiyuan never betrays his own people.

"New York is great, and Los Angeles is nice too. Let's not worry about the kids."

With Huayi Brothers around, is Xiaowen worried about not being able to make movies or become a film artist after graduation?

Lu Zhiyuan knew what Xiao Wang was thinking, and smiled as he offered a few words of flattery.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang was overjoyed: "Xiao Wen, your Uncle Yuan is right. With your father here, go and pursue your dreams."

The key is still to make money!
In the entertainment industry, who is the easiest person to make money by collaborating with?

Of course it's Lu Zhiyuan!

"Brother A Yuan, let's go. Old Cao and President Kang have been waiting over there for a long time."

Xiao Wang pulled Lu Zhiyuan along to meet with General Manager Kang from China Film Group and General Manager Cao from New Classics Media.

Lu Zhiyuan handed over the domestic distribution rights for the film "Mojin: The Lost Legend" to China Film Group, presenting President Kang with a significant achievement.

After all, while Starlight Entertainment and Wanda Group contributed the majority of the funding for "The Great Wall," China Film Group also contributed a portion of the money.

With such a large project, everyone is afraid of losing money.

Although Lu Zhiyuan's achievements are remarkable, from a business perspective, a qualified businessman must also be aware of risks.

An investment of 2.5 million US dollars, close to 15 billion RMB, would be severely damaged even for Wanda if it were to be lost.

After all, this isn't stock valuation; it's real cash flow!
"Mr. Lu, it's been a long time."

Mr. Cao, the general manager of New Classics Media, hugged Lu Zhiyuan and whispered, "Mr. Lu, Tencent wants to acquire our company and is offering 200 billion."

Mr. Cao was so excited that he didn't know how to express his true thoughts.

He hasn't done anything all these years.

The biggest thing he did was sell some of the company's shares to Jing Tian and some to Lu Zhiyuan.

Then, he would spend all his time in the company drinking tea and bragging.

In just a few years, the company's valuation soared from 30 billion to 200 billion.

He sold his company shares and got so much money that he couldn't spend it all in ten lifetimes!

"Mr. Cao, I have no objection if you want to sell. In the TV series industry, platformization is the trend. Even if you don't sell, Tencent will buy other production companies."

Lu Zhiyuan was also telling Cao the truth.

Their collaboration over the years has been quite pleasant.

It's only natural for Mr. Cao to want to cash out at a high price and retire directly.

200 billion!
Mr. Cao himself owns more than 50% of the shares in New Classics Media, and has received 100 billion yuan in cash, enough to live comfortably for ten lifetimes.

What else is he after?
Unlike Lu Zhiyuan, who aspired to be the best in history and had a grand dream that constantly drove him to strive.

For someone of Mr. Cao's age, receiving 100 billion yuan means he can enjoy the rest of his life.

After all, Mr. Cao started his business to make money.

Now it's like fulfilling a dream.

"Mr. Lu, it's good that you agree."

Hearing Lu Zhiyuan say this, President Cao breathed a sigh of relief.

Tencent's desire to acquire shares in New Classics Media stems from its desire to collaborate with Lu Zhiyuan.

Tencent's preferred condition is that Mr. Cao transfers his shares to them while retaining Lu Zhiyuan's shares.

In that case, the partners would be Tencent and Lu Zhiyuan.

This cooperation model is very similar to the cooperation model between Netflix and Lu Zhiyuan.

Look at Netflix's stock price now?
It's already soared to $400 billion!

The domestic TV drama market, while not as large as that in Europe and America, is still quite good.

Moreover, Tencent will most likely launch its own original drama series model in the future. This model can be replicated in many ways, but it requires a master with the highest artistic taste to oversee the content.

Lu Zhiyuan is the most suitable candidate in China.

Of course, a director of Lu Zhiyuan's caliber would never help Tencent make an idol web series, but he could easily become the executive producer, send a junior colleague to sit in the crew, flip through the accounts, and give some pointers on camera language.

Those people in the film crew, don't they have to behave themselves?

"Mr. Cao, I have no objection to you selling your shares. However, I suggest that you retain a position as an independent director in the new company."

New Classics Media, after all, is a company founded by Mr. Cao.

He sold his company and retired easily.

But the company still needs someone to manage it.

If the person in charge at Tencent is an outsider, that would be quite troublesome.

"Mr. Lu, you've thought this through very well. I'll discuss this with Tencent."

Mr. Cao thought that made sense.

Having taken 100 billion, I can't just retire right away, can I?
You have to find something to do.

Being an independent director is nice; the life is leisurely, there isn't much work, but the position is very high.

After talking with President Cao, President Kang from China Film Group came over, shook Lu Zhiyuan's hands, and said with concern, "A Yuan, you've had a tough time these past few days. There's no need to rush with the movie 'The Great Wall,' you can take your time filming it."

President Kang was more than happy that Lu Zhiyuan would finish filming "The Great Wall" by tomorrow, so that he could report back to his superiors.

But as a leader, you certainly can't say it like that.

Lu Zhiyuan just had a daughter. After so many years of hard work, he probably wants to enjoy the warmth of family.

President Kang's move is called a strategic retreat.

He also knew that Lu Zhiyuan would not stop moving forward.

Because he's just a few movies away from surpassing Spielberg.

If Lu Zhiyuan can become the number one in history before he turns 30, he will definitely be an unprecedented and unparalleled figure!

Even if someone surpasses him in box office performance in the future... as long as you compare him with his competitors from the same period, no one will care about the inflationary data.

gOat, with its data reaching unprecedented levels, can be considered the best in history?
Look at how many box office champions Lu Zhiyuan has won!
Apart from "The Coffin in the Mountain," every film by Lu Zhiyuan has won the monthly box office champion in China, and even the global annual box office champion.

What kind of super genius is this?
"Mr. Kang, thank you for your concern. I will try my best to make the film more detailed, but don't worry, 'The Great Wall' will definitely be released next summer."

The real blockbusters are usually released in mid-June!

Because, whether in Europe, North America, or China... most high school seniors graduate at the end of May or the beginning of June!
After graduating from high school, students have nothing to do at home all day. If a blockbuster movie were to be released, it would attract the attention of countless people.

2015年，《侏罗纪世界》在中国的上映时间是6月10号，而在北美的上映时间是6月12号。

The timing is quite strange.

A Hollywood movie actually chose to premiere in China, while its home base in North America had to be delayed by two days?

This is so unscientific.

The reason for this is that most of China's college entrance examinations end on June 8th, with some provinces extending it by one day to June 9th!

But regardless, on June 10th, China's college entrance examination ended!

So, when students who had just finished the college entrance exam encountered "Jurassic World," wouldn't they go crazy buying tickets?

Thus, the strange phenomenon of a Chinese premiere followed by a delay in North America occurred.

After all, Hollywood movies are made to make money.

They will naturally make reasonable choices about which time slots will earn them more money.

……

Lu Zhiyuan spent some time greeting some of his domestic partners and discussing upcoming collaborative projects.

He knew very well that as long as the movie made money, everyone would be respectful and fawning towards him.

Because this is a world woven with interests.

If his movie flops... Lu Zhiyuan could even see how quickly these people's expressions would change in an instant.

……

"Boss, everything is ready."

Just then, James ran into the Hilton Hotel and whispered a few words to Lu Zhiyuan.

There were just too many guests.

If the cinema wasn't prepared, James wouldn't dare let guests go to the cinema for the preview screening.

James was quite adept at these hospitality duties.

He enjoys this feeling of fulfillment.

Each guest represents at least $1000 million, and he feels compelled to smile whenever he sees them.

"Now that everything is arranged, let's notify everyone to attend our preview screening. The sooner it ends, the sooner I can go home."

With filming complete, the remaining work is up to the distributors.

There's very little Lu Zhiyuan can do.

Why not go home and get some rest, and enjoy this rare holiday?

"Boss, I'll try my best to get you home early. But I have a feeling it won't end too soon. Our company's partners will be digging for this gold mine like crazy."

"Mojin: The Lost Legend" is completely different from "Godzilla".

The latter is a Japanese IP, and Lu Zhiyuan had absolutely no motivation to help the other party develop it.

However, all the IPs of "Mojin: The Lost Legend" are in the hands of people like Lu Zhiyuan.

Whether it's James, CEO Wang, New Classics Media, or even Wanda and Starlight Media.

They're just waiting for the movie to be released so they can join forces and aggressively develop the related IP, turning it into a classic like "Real Steel" and making money for decades.

Hollywood's copyright derivative model has been something they've been watching with envy for years. Now that they have the chance, who wouldn't want to take a big bite?

"Remember, I don't care who wants to dig this gold mine, we only provide shovels."

Lu Zhiyuan created the IP in order to license it to other more professional companies and then extract 10% to 15% of the copyright tax.

The better the other party develops the copyright, the more he earns.

Moreover, he doesn't even need to exert much effort or face any risks. This is the true way to experience a blockbuster movie.

"Boss, you are so wise that I can only look up to you in awe."

James made a compliment to Lu Zhiyuan.

To put it bluntly, who wouldn't want to earn this kind of easy and simple money like Lu Zhiyuan?
But the prerequisite is that you must have the talent and ability!

There are only a handful of people in the world who can make money so easily.

……

Old rules.

James booked a Super 3D IMAX theater at the nearby Universal Studios, welcoming hundreds of partners to watch Lu Zhiyuan's masterpiece.

It's only a few hundred meters from the Hilton Hotel to Universal Studios.

The weather was great today, and many big shots chose to walk.

"Director Lu, I've read the Random House translation of the novel *Ghost Blows Out the Light*. I think it's very unique as a novel. But I'm not sure if North American audiences will be interested in this genre?"

On his way to Universal Studios, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos specifically sought out Lu Zhiyuan.

The two chatted about the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light" and their idea of ​​adapting it into a spin-off series.

If Lu Zhiyuan's movies become a hit, there will definitely be people interested in spin-off series.

The key question is, how interested are North American audiences in this spin-off series?
The number of people interested in this subject matter determines how much Netflix will invest in this spin-off series.

This is a very real problem.

Every company needs to assess the risks of its projects.

According to Ted Sarandos, Netflix would be at a higher risk if it were to take on the Ghost Blows Out the Light project.

He himself found the novel completely confusing when he read it.

The Chinese have really gone to great lengths to play these games.

The quest for tomb raiding has even led to the development of a school of thought, and there are several ancient families with a history of nearly 2000 years.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, warlords formed tomb-robbing armies to raise military funds.

Ted Sarandos could understand this behavior.

What he couldn't understand was how the skills and knowledge of these four tomb raiders could have been passed down for 2000 years.

Grave robbing is not something to be proud of.

If he were a tomb raider, he would never pass on his skills to his son. Instead, he would wait until he had saved enough money to have his son become a doctor, a lawyer, or at the very least, a landowner with a large farm and hundreds of slaves.

How could I possibly become a tomb raider?

How could someone be so despondent?

“Ted, you’re absolutely right. If I were a tomb raider, once I’ve saved enough money, I would send my son to school, to take the imperial examinations, and to become an official. How could I possibly stay in the tomb raiding business forever?”

Ted Sarandos's question will become the question of audiences worldwide.

This is the biggest limitation of folk novels.

Films based on folk novels often face significant cultural barriers.

Aside from the fact that the location of the folk custom is very relatable, even if it's in a neighboring country, there isn't much of a sense of immersion.

"Ted, it's true that we can't widely publicize the fact that we're robbing tombs."

"But if we look at it from another angle, this is a treasure hunt, exploring the mystery of immortality. What do you think?"

Treasure hunting and immortality transcend cultural barriers.

Which country in the world has never dreamed of finding treasure and getting rich, or of breaking free from the shackles of life and achieving immortality?
This is humanity's most primal desire.

"Director Lu, you're right. This is a treasure hunt where the protagonists try to peek into the ancient emperors' research on the art of immortality through various tombs."

Ted Sarandos understood: Lu Zhiyuan wasn't making a tomb raiding novel, but an adventure movie similar to "Indiana Jones".

That's right!
Lowering the cultural threshold and catering to audiences worldwide.

Treasure hunting equals adventure.

Immortality is synonymous with fantasy.

So, is this a fantasy adventure movie similar to "The Lord of the Rings"?

This is great!
"Director Lu, thank you so much for clearing up my doubts!"

Ted Sarandos is planning to go back and acquire the rights to adapt the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light"... no, it should be the film "Mojin: The Lost Legend" into a spin-off series.

In Europe and America, very few people read the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light".

But at least 1 million people will go see Lu Zhiyuan's movie "Mojin: The Lost Legend".

……

Inside Universal Studios.

As the film's director, Lu Zhiyuan would typically sit in the very center of the first row so that everyone could see him.

After all, he came to the screening to discuss business, not to watch a movie.

He'd watched his own movies so many times, through countless edits, that he was sick of them.

Lu Zhiyuan sat in the very center of the first row, while on his left and right sides were his former girlfriend Dilraba and the movie's leading lady.

However, Dilraba didn't come today.

Hanikezi took the seat to Lu Zhiyuan's right without hesitation.

After glancing at it, Nazha, the female lead, frowned and said, "Honey, this is Baoqiang's seat. Move over a bit."

"Let's talk about it when Brother Baoqiang arrives."

Hanikezi readily agreed verbally, but didn't budge an inch.

Nazha originally wanted to get up and pull Hanikezi to her side. The second female lead should sit with the female lead. What kind of behavior is it to sit next to the director?

But just then, the main force outside came in.

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at Hanikezi, said nothing, and sat down next to Hanikezi.

The others sat down in order.

The film's creative team, along with the investors, were all seated in the first row.

The other partners found seats and sat down.

Because people don't come here to watch the movie, but to find out if it will be a huge hit.
Aside from theater managers and distributors from various countries... James reserved the best positions for these people.

Because these people are genuinely here to watch the movie!

The quality of a film directly determines how many screenings theater managers and distributors will allocate to it.
"Teacher, do you think I have a strange smell today?"

As soon as Lu Zhiyuan sat down, Hanikezi imitated Reba, took Lu Zhiyuan's arm, and asked with a smile.

"Honey, I have a bit of a cold today."

How could Lu Zhiyuan describe the fact that his beloved apprentice was wearing perfume, and such an alluring one at that?
It can only mean that you can't smell it.

"Teacher, the name of this perfume is Guilty, which translates to 'Guilty Love.' When you hear that, do you think of a beautiful, forbidden love?"

When Hanikezi saw Lu Zhiyuan pretending to be dead, he stopped pretending.

She whispered clearly in Lu Zhiyuan's ear the name of the perfume and the meaning behind it.

"Teacher, Artemis was found guilty. She was in love with Orion, the son of Poseidon, but she was framed and accidentally shot Orion to death. However, she raised Orion to the constellation Orion, so that he would shine in the sky forever!"

"You can see Orion as soon as you look up."

In Lu Zhiyuan's mind, Hanikezi has always been a cute little fool.

But at this moment, Hanikezi's artistic flair made him somewhat silent.

At that moment, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but turn his head and carefully examine Hanikezi several times.

The two sentences Hanikezi just said are completely unrelated.

However, with the addition of this perfume called "Sinful Love," he seemed to understand what Hanikezi was saying.

What a sin!
"Honey, you did nothing wrong, it's my fault."

This poison is truly ruthless; it has turned my beloved apprentice into this love-obsessed person he is today.

Lu Zhiyuan didn't know how to help Hanikezi detoxify.

It was only natural for him to promote his apprentice, and as Hanikezi's fame grew, her romantic mind directly targeted Lu Zhiyuan!

There's no solution!
Unless Lu Zhiyuan abandons Hanikezi and puts her on hiatus, her romantic tendencies will gradually improve over time.

Just like Liu Yifei.

Lu Zhiyuan has been ignoring her for a long time. Liu Yifei keeps failing, and now her feelings for him are fading. She even laughs at him!
But Hanikezi is not Liu Yifei after all. She is one of the female protagonists of the "Real Steel" series. How could Lu Zhiyuan give her up?

"Teacher, I'm glad you understand my feelings. I'm not in a hurry. I'm only 19 years old. I'll wait for you patiently."

Hanikezi held Lu Zhiyuan's arm tightly.

In the darkness, no one can see it anyway.

Lu Zhiyuan already has three female confidantes. According to the agreement in an ancient book, he only has one more female confidante left.

She must win!

Hanikezi calculated who his opponents were.
Liu Shishi, cross that out first.

Both are dance students, but Liu Shishi isn't as good as me, nor is she as young. She's not as famous, and she doesn't earn as much.

Moreover, she is 9 years younger than Liu Shishi, which means she completely covers Liu Shishi!

Next…

Zhang Ruonan, just cross that out.

She's not a dance student, so there's nothing to worry about.

Finally, only Nazha was left... Damn it, Nazha is so beautiful, has a great figure, listens to the teacher very well, and has a particularly silly smile.

The teacher praised her several times, saying that her smile had a beauty that came from brainstem deficiency.

It's very unique!
Hanikezi knew Lu Zhiyuan very well; the highest praise he could give someone was "unique."

Clearly, in Lu Zhiyuan's mind, Nazha is the most beautiful one.

"Honey, watch the movie carefully. I filmed you very well in this movie. Don't get distracted and miss these wonderful scenes."

Lu Zhiyuan pulled his hand out of Hanikezi's arms.

So many people are watching.

If the lights on the screen suddenly come on and shine on him, and someone happens to be paying attention to him... he has absolutely no way to explain himself.

As a renowned director, Lu Zhiyuan still values ​​his personal privacy.

"Teacher, when do we go back to Yanjing after the preview screening?"

Only after returning to Yanjing can Hanikezi proceed to the next step.

If they were in Los Angeles, she would always feel embarrassed to flirt with Lu Zhiyuan in front of Dilraba and Gao Yuanyuan.

"I won't go back for now."

The movie is already finished filming, what would Lu Zhiyuan do back there? He should at least stay in Los Angeles and let Dilraba and Gao Yuanyuan finish their maternity leave. He can go back to China to promote the movie around July when the release date is set.

Just as Hanikezi was about to say something, she received a text message from Zhang Ruonan: "Hani, are you sitting in my seat? Get out of my way!"

At the last premiere of "Godzilla: Monarch", Zhang Ruonan sat next to Lu Zhiyuan, in the same seat as Hanikezi.

Hanikezi snorted coldly, typed rapidly with both hands, and replied through gritted teeth: "What do you mean, 'your seat'? I've been sitting next to the teacher since I was 14! We made a promise to take care of each other and never be separated for life."

Zhang Ruonan chuckled: "Honey, I've taken screenshots of our chat history! I've already sent them to Sister Tian Tian, ​​Sister Reba, and Sister Yuan Yuan. Good luck to you."

Zhang Ruonan, the little green tea b*tch!

Hanikezi immediately retracted the above sentence and quickly mocked Zhang Ruonan a few times... Dead octopus, catfish spirit, toad trying to eat swan meat.

The teacher is mine.

Before you arrived, my teacher, Sister Dilraba, Sister Tian Tian, ​​and I had already caused a sensation around the world.

"Honey, turn off your phone. The movie's starting! What are you all chatting about?"

Lu Zhiyuan coughed softly.

"Teacher, I'm sorry."

Hanikezi immediately transformed from a fierce and aggressive persona into an adorable one, giving Lu Zhiyuan a sweet smile before shoving her phone back into her pocket.

Then, to Nazha's utter shock, she slowly reached out and took Lu Zhiyuan's arm.

"Is this okay?"

Naza thought for a moment, then prepared to reach out and put her arm around Lu Zhiyuan's other arm.

But Lu Zhiyuan just turned his head and glanced at her silently... Naza seemed frozen, as if her soul was suffocating.

In the end, she still didn't have the courage.

Because she felt she would really be scolded. She didn't have Hanikezi's confidence!
Wait a little longer!
Once "Mojin: The Lost Legend" is officially released, and I become a global sensation... I'll become Lu Zhiyuan's little darling.

Lu Zhiyuan is always very forgiving of the leading actresses who can help him achieve high box office results.

Although Nazha is quite silly, she can also be very shrewd at times.

She knew very well that a woman couldn't conquer a career-oriented man like Lu Zhiyuan with her beauty.

……

The lights in the movie theater slowly dimmed.

The chatter in the movie theater gradually quieted down.

Everyone put on 3D glasses, adjusted their seats, and began to stare at the big screen.

After the iconic logos of several production companies flashed by, the movie finally began.

……

"Wow!"

The opening ceremony was a huge event, making everyone sit up straight and stare wide-eyed!
……

This is a huge palace.

Enormous and magnificent, as if cast in gold, it lies buried deep underground, unseen by the sun or moon for thousands of years.

A Caravaggio-esque cellar-like light, appearing and disappearing, shone in through a small hole a few tens of centimeters in diameter.

This is a typical robbery hole!

Below the tunnel, dust floated in the light.

"So this is where it was. I've been looking for it for ages."

The character Wang Kaixuan, played by Wang Baoqiang, had a cloth covering his face to block out the dust. Now, he took off the cloth and exhaled a deep breath of stale air.

The light suddenly dimmed in the next second.

Because a dark cloud drifted across the sky, obscuring everything and instantly creating a tense atmosphere throughout the film.

Next, inside the underground space.

"Clang clang..."

A heavy, metallic tremor sounded behind them.

The camera immediately switched to that angle.

It turned out that not far behind where they landed was a huge cliff.

The wind is blowing on the cliff.

"what is that?"

At this moment, Nazha squinted her eyes.

The next second, the camera slowly zoomed in. At first, it was a little blurry, but gradually, after the focus was locked, all the viewers took a deep breath.

Because it was a huge coffin.

The coffin appeared to be made of gold, with many terrifying patterns on its surface, resembling the howling and struggling of ghosts and gods.

Lu Zhiyuan, who plays Hu Bayi, holds a torch in his hand, the flame flickering uneasily in the wind.

He carefully took the torch over and placed it on a cliff face, securing it in place.

The flickering light of the torches shone down and fell upon the coffin.

Only then did the audience see clearly the patterns on the coffin. In addition to the ferocious ghosts and roars, it was also covered with complex and clearly directional star maps, making it look very ancient and mysterious.

And between these star charts are special threads.

Judging from these visual labels, the person buried here was likely a nobleman from an ancient country that worshipped the stars.

"Old Hu, what kind of material is this coffin made of? Is there any special significance to it?"

Wang Baoqiang plays Wang Kaixuan, who is specifically responsible for providing the straight man and helping the audience raise their questions.

At that moment, he asked the same question that the audience wanted to know.

Lu Zhiyuan did not answer. A hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes. After securing himself with a rope, he slowly climbed onto the coffin using the suspension chains.

He gently tapped on the coffin.

"It's neither wood nor stone, and it's icy to the touch. A very peculiar material. I've never seen anything like it before."

The character played by Lu Zhiyuan groped around the coffin, seemingly checking the mechanism and the key to opening it.

"How about it?"

Wang Baoqiang asked with great anticipation, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes, making the audience realize that they had come here to search for treasure.

Such a magnificent coffin clearly indicates that the tomb's occupant was either very wealthy or of high status.

Moreover, without any dialogue, all the viewers could see that they could make a fortune simply by taking this coffin out.

Because the patterns on the coffin were simply too beautiful.

"Before opening it, who knows what's inside?"

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at Wang Baoqiang sideways, then stretched out his hand to Wang Baoqiang: "Give it to me."

"what?"

Wang Baoqiang simply pretended to be stupid.

The camera pans to Wang Baoqiang's back, where there is a gold ornament, which he clearly stole on the street.

"A candle. What did you think it was?"

Lu Zhiyuan's tone was somewhat mocking.

He clearly knew what Wang Baoqiang had taken, but as a good brother, he was unwilling to say more.

"It's already prepared for you. Here you go."

Upon hearing that it was a candle, Wang Baoqiang visibly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took a candle out of his backpack and tossed it over.

But because of the large movement, the necklace he had tucked behind his back suddenly slipped down.

The atmosphere became incredibly awkward.

Lu Zhiyuan pretended not to see it, took the candle, and started working.

Naza, standing to the side, pretended to be a cool and aloof beauty. She glanced at Wang Baoqiang, then turned her head away, wary of her surroundings.

Wang Baoqiang stretched out one foot and silently hooked the necklace back with his toe.

……

"Haha."

"interesting!"

"Assistant Wang is still the same as before, a conspicuous bag."

In the movie "Godzilla: Monarch", Wang Baoqiang plays the assistant Wang, who is particularly flamboyant.

In the movie "Mojin: The Lost Legend", Wang Baoqiang continued to maintain the image of "Uncle Da".

Seeing such familiar characters helps viewers quickly immerse themselves in the film's plot.

They had a strange feeling, as if they saw Dr. Li and Assistant Wang, after dealing with the Hellbeast, going treasure hunting again...

In addition, in "Art Students", Li Wen and his assistant Wang disappeared without a trace after committing a huge crime.

The audience still misses them.

Seeing these two appear in the underground palace... viewers who have seen "Art Students" and "Godzilla" will naturally feel a great sense of identification.

That's the advantage of being on-screen partners.

Once the image is fixed, no matter what movie it appears in, as long as the image doesn't change, it will allow the audience to quickly immerse themselves in the movie's plot.

Even cultural barriers will decrease.

Hearing the laughter of some spectators behind him, Lu Zhiyuan knew that his experiment must have been successful.

He personally entered the game, using his reputation as a renowned director to elevate himself to superstardom, and then used himself as a fulcrum to inspire more Chinese-language actors.

One leads another.

After "Upgrade" became a hit, Dilraba became his fulcrum.

In "Real Steel," Dilraba brought out the talents of Hanikezi, Sun Honglei, and Duan Yihong.

In "Pacific Rim," Dilraba and Hanikezi brought Liu Shishi to the forefront.

"Perseus" capitalized on the huge popularity of these familiar faces, and Lu Zhiyuan chose to elevate the theme and visual effects. As expected, the box office exploded.

In "Art Students," Lu Zhiyuan got involved himself, and with Dilraba Dilmurat leading the way, he, Gao Yuanyuan, and Wang Baoqiang all gained wider recognition.

In "Godzilla: Monarch," Lu Zhiyuan and Wang Baoqiang, along with Tom Hiddleston and Keiko Kitagawa, brought Zhang Ruonan to life.

In "Mojin: The Lost Legend," Lu Zhiyuan, Wang Baoqiang, and Hanikezi are preparing to take Gulnazar with them.

This mentoring approach allows viewers to experience familiar content while also feeling a sense of novelty.

Numerous film and television companies have proven the effectiveness of this approach.

However, unlike Lu Zhiyuan, they cannot ensure that all their films are above average, or even that several films reach the excellent level.

……

"Wow!"

"what is this?"

"Looks like an Egyptian pharaoh?"

"No, no, this isn't an Egyptian pharaoh. It looks more like the mummy of a Middle Eastern queen or princess!"

For foreigners, Chinese tombs are very mysterious.

Most of them only knew about Egyptian pharaohs or mummies.

However, at this moment, the tombs they saw in the movie did give them a sense of eeriness, like something out of Cthulhu in the East.

This kind of Chinese-style horror is even more suffocating and chilling than the bloody violence of foreign films.

Because this is a form of imagined horror.

When humans see certain elements, their brains are immediately activated, and a continuous stream of associations begins to form.

What you imagine can be 10 times more terrifying than what you see with your eyes!
This is determined by the way the human brain works.

Throughout human evolution, in the long past, nights were characterized by insufficient light and blurred vision.

Humans simply cannot see most things in the darkness.

In this situation, the human brain will fill in the gaps in the picture based on vague clues.

Now, the human world is filled with light sources, and even mobile phones have flashlight functions... However, the human brain's ability to fill in the gaps has not been lost.

Because in horror movies, these extrapolation abilities are constantly amplified!

"Hu Bayi, don't move. It's dangerous."

In this movie, under Lu Zhiyuan's character, Nazha maintains a cool and aloof image, rarely speaking a word.

Because Lu Zhiyuan was afraid that if Nazha spoke too many lines, it would expose her weakness in delivering lines.

Therefore, we designed many short and concise words for her.

At this moment, her brief lines perfectly complemented the tense, frozen atmosphere.

It created an incredibly tense and exciting experience for the audience.

Just by looking at the picture, you can tell that such an eerie corpse is lying in a coffin. Who doesn't know that this situation is very dangerous?
But everyone wanted to know: what was the identity of the corpse inside the coffin?
"Old Hu, don't listen to that woman's nonsense!"

Wang Baoqiang stepped forward, glared at Nazha with displeasure, and shouted, "What are we here for? Are we here for sightseeing?"

The audience felt that Wang Baoqiang was absolutely right!
Do we come to the movie theater to watch you guys act like cowards?

Dig open the coffin!

"Hu Bayi, danger! Don't move!"

Naza maintained her aloof demeanor, but a hint of concern flashed in her beautiful, pomegranate-like eyes.

This moment of gentleness contrasts sharply with the aloofness she displayed just moments before.

Lu Zhiyuan gave Nazha a look, a close-up shot.

The close-up of Nazha's eyes at this moment is simply exquisite.

Close-up shots of actresses aren't always appropriate. They need to be used to build up the storyline and atmosphere.

The reason for giving the female lead a close-up at this moment is to make the audience fall in love with her!

Viewers will find themselves naturally empathizing with Hu Bayi, realizing that a stunningly beautiful woman is caring about them.

This feeling of exhilaration is absolutely explosive!
It makes you wish you could take Lu Zhiyuan's place and act in a scene in the movie!
……

"The alien princess is so beautiful!"

"Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!"

"Oh no, I've fallen in love with this princess!"

Although Nazha has acted in two of Lu Zhiyuan's movies, she only appeared in minor roles, and the audience did not know her name.

Her most memorable role was the alien princess in Real Steel 3.

As soon as she appeared, the audience switched sides, hoping that humans would marry into the alien race that Nazha belonged to, and that everyone would work together to develop the planet.

Top-tier beauty can indeed bring world peace!
Many people have even fantasized about what it would be like to travel back to ancient times and become an emperor, with a beautiful woman like Gulnazar being sent to him for a political marriage.

Should I accept it? Or should I accept it? I'll definitely accept it.

……

On the screen.

The movie continues.

Lu Zhiyuan, who plays Hu Bayi, hesitated for a moment before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Stop arguing. Let the patriarch decide."

"According to the rules of our ancestors, we light a candle. If the candle goes out, we will not touch the contents of the coffin."

After Lu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he looked at the two of them.

Naza frowned slightly, glanced at Wang Baoqiang, and finally said, "I agree."

Wang Baoqiang snorted coldly and said arrogantly, "I have no objection. I, Fatty, just don't believe that the patriarch will let us leave empty-handed after entering this treasure mountain."

After the three members of the team made their decision.

The camera panned to a wide angle, showing Hu Bayi, played by Lu Zhiyuan, lighting a candle in a corner of the coffin.

Then, Hu Bayi checked his rope, pressed his face against the coffin, and landed on it.

At this moment, the camera focused on the mysterious female corpse inside the coffin, giving it a close-up.

Looking at this golden mask up close, it felt like looking at a deity, or perhaps a monster; in short, something felt very off.

This Chinese-style Cthulhu is really making me feel uncomfortable.

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew by, causing the chains on the coffin to sway slightly, and the candle standing in the corner almost went out.

This put the audience on the edge of their seats.

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at the candle, and in the end, the candle did not go out and stabilized.

The camera focused on Lu Zhiyuan, giving him a close-up.

At this moment, Lu Zhiyuan took a deep breath, stretched out his finger, slowly touched the golden mask, and gently pulled it open.

At that moment, the entire audience held their breath.

The immersion is incredibly strong.

Opening a coffin from a first-person perspective, digging up a corpse, and wanting to see the corpse's face... this is an immense psychological challenge.

Because, after the preceding build-up, everyone was terrified that the face beneath the golden mask would be terrifyingly grotesque.

They might even rush up and bite someone like a zombie.

If that's the case, they'll definitely scream in fright!

……

However, the next second, gasps of surprise erupted from the audience.

"Wow!"

"This face is so beautiful!"

"More beautiful than an alien princess!"

"who is she?"

"A bunch of people with face blindness... This is Artemis!"

……

The moment Lu Zhiyuan's hand touched the golden mask.

The dark clouds above the dome suddenly dispersed, and a strange light shone down from the crack, illuminating the face beneath the mask.

This beam of light was both sacred and eerie.

It formed a stark contrast with the surrounding dark space.

This is a surrealist cinematic language!

—Because, in this movie, Hanikezi's role is not the "Queen of Jingjue" in front of us, but Ding Sitian, Hu Bayi's inseparable comrade-in-arms.

In reality, what Hu Bayi saw was the Queen of Jingjue.

Therefore, achieving this sacred yet eerie state in terms of lighting effects, which perfectly match the atmosphere of the film, is extremely difficult.

Many people simply can't even think of it.

However, none of this posed a challenge for Lu Zhiyuan.

From the very beginning, the design of the tomb robber's tunnel, which allowed light to stream down from above, employed Caravaggio-style cellar lighting effects.

This is the perfect lighting effect for this atmosphere.

Under this lighting effect, a visual distortion will occur... making the viewer feel that the still objects are moving slightly.

That's why it has this eerie feel.

As for the sense of holiness... those golden masks, those expensive accessories, those intricate starry patterns, are all meant to create a sense of holiness.

……

The golden mask was slowly removed, revealing Hanikezi's delicate little face.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

It seemed to come back to life.

At this moment, the camera focused entirely on Lu Zhiyuan.

At first, Lu Zhiyuan's face showed a hint of nervousness, but then his pupils dilated instantly, revealing an expression of disbelief.

The camera cuts to Hanikezi's sleeping face.

She was as beautiful as ever, but her skin had an unnatural whiteness and a crystal-like texture, as if it had been frozen for a long time.

However, under Hu Bayi's gaze, Hanikezi's face was shrouded in a peculiar glow.

It has a kind of ethereal quality.

"Xiao Ding?"

[Hu Bayi] blurted out.

This gives the audience a hint that this is someone Hu Bayi knows.

The next second, Hanikezi opened her eyes and looked at Lu Zhiyuan with unwavering determination, as if she wanted to imprint Lu Zhiyuan's face in her mind for the rest of her life.

At the same time, the golden mask on Hanikezi's face slowly shattered, turning into golden sunlight that floated up and shattered again the instant it touched Lu Zhiyuan's hand.

This imagery is incredibly beautiful.

"Hu Bayi, forget me, and live a good life."

Hanikezi didn't speak, but just looked at Lu Zhiyuan, but Lu Zhiyuan experienced an auditory hallucination.

At the same time, the chains suddenly broke.

Hanikez fell from the coffin, and below him was an endless abyss!
"No!"

At that moment, he watched helplessly as Hanikezi slowly fell, wishing he could jump down with her.

"Old Hu, wake up! What are you doing?"

But at that moment, Lu Zhiyuan felt that he couldn't jump down no matter what, because Wang Baoqiang was holding him tightly.

Lu Zhiyuan also regained consciousness.

Suddenly, everything around them returned to normal, and inside the coffin was just a rotting corpse.

A strange, pale purple light, like a ribbon, drifted through the air.

He instantly realized something and regained his composure and rationality: "Hold your breath! The scent of the Corpse-Scented Devil's Flower will create hallucinations!"

Although it was an illusion, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but glance down again.

What did he seem to be expecting?
That glance left a lingering impression.

This allows the audience to feel his longing and sincere emotions for the character of Ding Sitian.

After all, he almost jumped!

……

Rumble!
The underground palace began to shake, and the entire underground space underwent tremendous changes.

The dust particles suspended in the air began to swirl continuously.

Deep within the underground palace, a low humming sound could even be heard, as if some ancient power was awakening.

"Quick, run! This place is about to collapse."

This movie is not "Real Steel". Hu Bayi and the others are all human beings with flesh and blood. They don't have the courage to resist that mysterious unknown force.

The three of them ran quickly, preparing to leave the underground palace.

During the run, Nazha, playing a cool and aloof character, kept staring at Lu Zhiyuan, as if she had something to say.

In the end, she couldn't help but ask, "Who is Xiao Ding?"

……

Haha!

A virtual battleground, I love watching it!

Two beautiful women are vying for the male lead's affections.

A beautiful woman accompanies the male protagonist through thick and thin, even going so far as to crawl into underground tunnels.

The other one, although dead and now a hallucination, still cares about the male protagonist and wants him to live on.

This kind of love is just too sweet!

……

Lu Zhiyuan's films often set the tone right from the beginning.

Everyone present, after watching the first 10 minutes, instantly lost all their previous worries.

This movie is a sure thing!
"Teenagers in their adolescence will definitely love this kind of movie!"

This film was clearly not made by Lu Zhiyuan for adults, but for teenagers around seventeen or eighteen years old.

If you do the math, aren't these seventeen or eighteen-year-olds the fans who were cultivated five or six years ago when "Real Steel" was released?

Seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys want to explore the world on adventure, and at the same time, they want to find love in the process.

Mojin: The Lost Legend has all these elements!

A movie like this is unlikely to flop, especially with Lu Zhiyuan's top-notch lighting and shadow effects, artistic aesthetics, and immersive 3D special effects.

This movie should gross at least $5 million!
"Old Cao, I heard you're about to become a billionaire. Why don't you host Brother Yuan's celebration banquet this time?"

Mr. Wang made a joke.

Among these people, Mr. Cao has the lowest net worth, but he has still entered the 10 billion club.

(End of this chapter)