Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 248 Casting, Cannes Quietly Updated
As night falls, lanterns sway gently in the evening breeze in the courtyard of a private kitchen in the southern part of Beijing.

Warm yellow light shone on the carved wooden table, where several exquisite dishes exuded fragrance, and the fish soup in the pot was still bubbling away.

"What, you two suddenly decided to invite me to dinner?"

Shu Chang chewed on a lamb bone, making a vague, teasing laugh.

Liu Yifei blushed slightly and couldn't help but kick Shu Chang.

She and Wu Chen have been staying in the editing room these days, leaving early and returning late every day, and have neglected Shu Chang. Now that they have finished editing "Black Peony", she thought she would make it up to Shu Chang.

"Sister! Be gentle! Kicking people is illegal!" Shu Chang cried out instantly, rubbing her calf in grievance while pretending to be pitiful. "Don't you know how delicate my skin is? One kick and it'll leave a bruise."

Liu Yifei immediately bared her teeth and threatened Shu Chang not to talk nonsense.

Wu Chen noticed their little interaction and couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something:
"By the way, Shu Chang, did you apply for the role of Xia Bing in 'Painted Skin'?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen immediately laughed and retorted, "Nonsense, I'm the producer of this movie. If I don't know, who does?"

"Changchang, why didn't you tell me?" Liu Yifei glared at her and immediately stared at her.

"It's not a big deal. What if people say I got in through connections? I feel like I can't fit into the group anymore; I always feel like I'm on the outside."

Shu Chang propped her head up, looking somewhat troubled.

Actually, she doesn't have many friends; it's just the same few people who come and go.

"Hmm?" Liu Yifei, after hearing Shu Chang's words, rested her head on her hand and pondered deeply. "It seems like I am too!"

Wu Chen couldn't help but chuckle, picked up a piece of tofu and threw it into his own bowl, saying nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? There's no need to deliberately try to fit into some circles. When the time comes, you'll naturally be accepted."

"Really? For example?" The two looked at him expectantly.

"For example, like square dancing?"

Wu Chen said subconsciously, and then unconsciously pulled away a little.

The two were stunned for a moment, and then Wu Chen saw Liu Yifei grinning, and couldn't help but give Wu Chen a slap.

"This is infuriating!"

However, the casting for "Painted Skin" has been underway recently, with Pang Hong, Lu Yang, and others sending audition invitations to potential actors.

The audition was held at Starry Night Pictures.

The news of the audition for "Painted Skin" caused a huge stir in Beijing's film and television industry.

This big-budget oriental fantasy film produced by Starry Night Pictures has whetted the industry's appetite since its inception.

China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group have even made it clear in the industry that their budgets are "100 million yuan." Although those in the industry know that the actual budgets may not be reported, a budget of 60 to 70 million yuan is almost a certainty.

With Wu Chen serving as producer, it is widely believed in the industry that whoever can land the male and female leads is practically guaranteed a spot in the top tier of box office success.

As a result, various actor studios began inquiring about Starry Night Pictures' list of invitees.

Various paparazzi and gossip forums were in chaos, with opinions varying widely and discussions reaching a fever pitch.

Why not choose me?

"Where did we go wrong?"

"Who exactly was invited? I think I'm suitable for that role."

Those actors who didn't receive an invitation are secretly gritting their teeth, feeling a mix of emotions.

Meanwhile, Hu Jing, who had received the invitation from the second female lead, was secretly delighted and was wondering whether she should call Mei Ting and Yuan Quan to share the good news and ask them about the situation.
He picked up his phone, but his finger hovered halfway over the key before stopping, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and his face stiffened.

Because both of them are currently in a bad mood.

Mei Ting just officially announced her divorce a few days ago, and this month she was still complaining to her about her ex-husband Yan Po.

Yuan Quan's situation wasn't much better. Xia Yu, who had been in a relationship with Gao Yuanyuan for many years, actually had a romantic encounter with her after they starred in "An Unexpected Encounter".

"Relationships are such a hassle!" Hu Jing complained, but in the end she didn't call. She just sent a message to ask if the two of them had received the invitation.

The messages were replied to shortly afterward, one quickly and one slowly, both indicating that they had received them.

Rumors spread quickly within the industry, and information about several key figures has already begun to emerge.

"Chang Chen and Huang Xiaoming are suspected of receiving offers for the male lead role in 'Painted Skin'."

The female lead for "Painted Skin" is currently unknown.

"According to reliable sources, the competition for the second female lead in 'Painted Skin' is fierce, with actresses from the Central Academy of Drama and Beijing Film Academy vying for the role."

"."

Wu Chen glanced at the list of second female leads invited by Lu Yang, Pang Hong, and others, and couldn't help but smile. In addition to the three from the Central Academy of Drama, Yan Danchen from the Beijing Film Academy and others were also added.

"You're quite good at balancing things," Wu Chen said with a smile, patting Lu Yang on the shoulder.

In fact, he didn't think Yan Danchen was suitable because she was too beautiful.

If Zhou Xun was chosen as the female lead, and such a beautiful second female lead was also chosen, where would Wang Sheng's inner turmoil come from?

However, Yan Danchen's addition has somewhat salvaged the reputation of the Beijing Film Academy, preventing the entire cast of actors from the Central Academy of Drama from auditioning for a single role.

However, to Wu Chen's surprise, Pang Honglu and the others had included Yang Mi in Xia Bing's group.

"They're fairly well-known and their age is suitable, so I'm thinking of having more people try out for the role."

"Hmm." Wu Chen nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

The characters in "Painted Skin" caused quite a stir in the industry, because compared to other production companies, Starry Night Pictures really gave them a lot of opportunities.

But Zhao Wei sat on the sofa in her studio, clutching several audition-related reports, a hint of resentment in her eyes.

She had always wanted to turn her career around with a commercial film and shed the "box office poison" label, but Starry Night Pictures didn't even offer her an audition opportunity.

In terms of acting skills and fame, what did she lose to these people?
Fan Binbin was also very annoyed. Ever since she learned about the role of a vixen, she had put in a lot of effort. There shouldn't have been anyone in the industry competing with her for the role, but in the end, she didn't receive an invitation.

At the end of the month, auditions for "Painted Skin" officially began.

At 10 a.m., the Huixin Building was already packed with paparazzi and gossip reporters.

"Huang Xiaoming and Zhou Xun have gone inside!"

"Yuan Quan is here too? She looks terrible. I dare say that Xia Yu and Gao Yuanyuan's affair is most likely true."

"I just saw Hu Jing, and it looked like she was chatting with Mei Ting!"

"."

Various opinions arose one after another; the audition hadn't even started yet, but the gossip had already begun.

Inside the reception room of Xingchen Pictures, Yang Mi sat absentmindedly in a corner, holding a glass of warm water. She hadn't dared to announce her role as the lead, only a supporting one. She was overjoyed when she received the invitation, but when she saw Shu Chang there, her heart sank.

There are only two people who could make her lack confidence and are around the same age.

Besides Liu Yifei, there's also Shu Chang. These two are much more famous than her, and they're both far ahead of her in the industry for their age group.

It just so happens that Shu Chang is Liu Yifei's best friend. If the rumors are true... Yang Mi couldn't help but grab her pants with her left hand, lifting up the creases.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the audition room was heavy.

Wu Chen, sitting in the main seat, looked focused, while Pang Hong, Lu Yang, the casting director, and others lined up beside him.

The first to audition was the male lead. Chang Chen's acting was indeed quite good. The others exchanged glances and nodded slightly. Huang Xiaoming came in next.

"Let's try this emotional scene."

The casting director pointed to a passage in the audition script. Huang Xiaoming took a deep breath and prepared for a few minutes before starting the audition with the casting director.

Unfortunately, his very first sentence sounded somewhat superficial.

"It seems like we used too much force," Lu Yang whispered to Wu Chen.

Huang Xiaoming himself could feel it; his mentality was becoming increasingly unstable, leading to a worse performance. In the end, Wu Chen smiled helplessly and interrupted him.

"stop!"

Huang Xiaoming froze, his hand hanging in mid-air.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"Why can't I find the feeling?" Huang Xiaoming thought helplessly.

Even though I'm well-prepared, I just can't seem to get into the right frame of mind when acting alongside supporting actors and directors.

Although he had two chances to audition, he felt that doing it again would be pointless.

Just as the casting director was about to ask Huang Xiaoming to do it again, Wu Chen looked out the door and said, "Call Zhou Xun over and let's do a scene together."

Huang Xiaoming was taken aback, but then realized that this was a preferential treatment given by Wu Chen, and his eyes were full of gratitude.

"Director, is it my turn?" Zhou Xun pushed open the door and came in with a relaxed smile on her face.

"Let's try it together. The male and female leads can act out a scene together and see how it goes."

Wu Chen spoke up, and Pang Hong and Lu Yang naturally had no objections. However, in their opinion, Huang Xiaoming was not as good as Zhang Zhen.

However, both of them were stunned during the second round of auditions.

Zhou Xun's performance was excellent, exceeding their expectations, but Huang Xiaoming was just as good, steadily carrying on Zhou Xun's role. It was a world of difference compared to his performance in the first round of auditions.

Lu Yang, who had originally intended to remove Huang Xiaoming from the list, thought about it again and crossed out the "X" instead.

"Huang Xiaoming's adjustments are quite good," Pang Hong exclaimed softly.

"There should be no doubt about the female lead; Zhou Xun is indeed a perfect fit."

"The male protagonist's words."

Wu Chen listened to their conversation without saying a word.

After the audition, Huang Xiaoming breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Sister Xun!"

"Wow, Xiaoming, I feel like your acting skills have improved!" Zhou Xun patted Huang Xiaoming on the shoulder, somewhat puzzled.

"I've been preparing for a long time, but I didn't perform well just now. Fortunately, Director Wu gave me a chance," Huang Xiaoming said sincerely.

"Tsk tsk, having connections is really great."

Hearing Zhou Xun's teasing, Huang Xiaoming didn't refute it, after all, it was indeed a case of trying to establish a connection.

At this point, the battle for the second female lead's role suddenly became somewhat one-sided.

“Now that your man has a new love, act out this emotional scene from the script.” As soon as the casting director finished speaking, Yuan Quan got into character.

Wu Chen and the others were stunned as they sat on it.

"Director Wu, she seems to be getting into character."

"This isn't just getting into character, this is perfect immersion."

"I thought Mei Ting might be more receptive since she's divorced, but it turns out there's someone even more intense."

"."

The group whispered among themselves, but they immediately decided that Yuan Quan would play the second female lead.

There's no other reason than that no one understands Pei-Rong's emotional state better than her at this moment.

When Wu Chen came out, Hu Jing immediately went up to greet him.

"Director Wu!"

"Sister Jing, it's a pity. Your acting skills are quite good, but you're too beautiful. You're really not suitable for the second female lead." Wu Chen smiled and told Hu Jing, the actress who had worked with him in the first movie, the result directly.

Anyway, the results will come out after today.

Hu Jing was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, never expecting that her appearance would cause such a misunderstanding.

As for the subsequent auditions, Wu Chen only participated in Xia Bing's. In terms of current fame and acting skills, Shu Chang is far superior to Yang Mi and there is no possibility that she will lose.

As for Pang Yong, there was no need for him to audition. With Wu Chen in the cast, there was no need for Donnie Yen. The production team ultimately chose Zhao Wenzhuo, who excitedly stated that his schedule was full and there were no problems.

The audition for "Painted Skin" ended that afternoon, and rumors were flying everywhere, with all sorts of versions circulating.

"This is probably none of my business."

That evening, Yang Mi secretly looked at various versions of the report, feeling somewhat bitter, because she had a feeling on the spot that the spot would probably not be given to her.

Besides, Shu Chang is Liu Yifei's best friend, so theoretically, such a good thing shouldn't be her turn.

As expected, Starry Night Pictures announced the confirmed cast of "Painted Skin" that very evening: Zhou Xun, Huang Xiaoming, Yuan Quan, Zhao Wenzhuo, and Shu Chang.
The actors' fans are very excited, after all, the film has a high level of prestige.

The next day, Pang Hong led Xiang Zhuo and the others to Ningxia to prepare for "Painted Skin".

The filming date is tentatively set for June, and there's still a lot of preparation work to be done in Ningxia.
On the first day of May, before the Parisian sun had fully risen, the Cannes Film Festival website quietly updated its homepage.

Two more names have appeared on the otherwise clean page.

[Triangle, directed by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnnie To – featured in the main competition!]

[Black Peony, Director: Wu Chen – Main Competition Unit!]

(End of this chapter)