Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 301: Gathering the Three Great Film Emperors and Actresses?

With Halloween just around the corner, Lionsgate's publicity department has released several official posters and promotional trailers for "Lurking".

Many movie fans then noticed that the thrilling and eerie poster for "Lurking" not only featured director James Wan's name but also prominently displayed the words "Screenwriter: Wu Chen".

The atmosphere in the niche horror film community in North America has become very lively.

"Holy shit! Wu is actually the screenwriter of 'Lurking'! This is a dream combination!"

"I love the 'Saw' series directed by James Wan himself; the ones that weren't directed by him are simply unwatchable."

"Wu Chen wrote the script for a horror movie himself? Wow, I like his thriller movies, I wonder how good his horror movies are."

"."

Meanwhile, in the conference room at Lionsgate headquarters, Wu Chen and James Wan had just finished a meeting with Lionsgate's publishing director and public relations team regarding the distribution strategy for "Lurking".

"The market response has been quite good. I have a feeling this movie won't be too bad. Shouldn't we put a sequel to 'Lurking' on the agenda?"

As Michael Burns walked, he couldn't help but ask.

In his view, as long as "Lurking" maintains this quality, even with a low distribution fee, Lionsgate can still earn a considerable amount of money just from distribution alone.

“Michael, no rush. Wen makes one horror movie a month. If we keep rushing like this, wouldn’t he have to make twelve movies a year?” Wu Chen replied with a smile.

James Wan couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

"Okay, it's time for dinner. We made a reservation at a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard; it's newly opened and the food is fantastic."

Michael Burns then stopped dwelling on the issue.

When the news reached China, netizens didn't react much because horror movies can't be shown in China, but many domestic production companies were extremely envious.

Wu Chen's Obsidian Pictures is now independently producing horror films; that's quite a rapid pace of development.

Moreover, horror films are typically high-return investments, often requiring only a few million US dollars to earn tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.

“We are different from Wu Chen. He is the project initiator and started to have a say after making a few movies. It is difficult for us to rely solely on investment. We will see if there are any good cooperation opportunities with Hollywood after the release of ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’.”

Wang Zhongjun felt powerless because Huayi Brothers was unable to participate in the core production of "The Forbidden Kingdom," while Wu Chen was indeed ahead of other companies in comparison.

“Hmm.” Although Wang Zhonglei felt a pang of jealousy, he also realized the difference between Wu Chen and Huayi. After all, the other party was an internationally renowned director who didn’t need to rely on outsiders for creative and directing aspects. He had both the money and the people, which was worlds apart from them.

"It's a pity that horror movies aren't suitable for the Chinese market." Han Sanping looked at the reports that had been reprinted from China and felt regretful.

Wu Chen's business in North America has come to a temporary end, and the filming of "Black Swan" is scheduled to begin in late October.

This timing not only gave Benjamin Milpier's choreography team ample preparation time, but also allowed Keira Knightley more time to prepare both physically and mentally.

The day after Wu Chen returned to China, Paramount stopped hiding it and officially announced the female lead for "Black Swan": Keira Knightley.

Major media outlets immediately released sensational headlines:
Keira Knightley confirmed to star in Wu Chen's new film "Black Swan," a ballet thriller set to begin filming in October!

Keira Knightley challenges herself: from Pirates of the Caribbean to the psychological thriller Black Swan!

Can Keira Knightley portray Swan Lake? Fans are divided!

Wu Chen received a call from Scarlett Johansson at home. Her voice carried a hint of disappointment: "I should have lost weight earlier."

Scarlett Johansson felt she might never have such a good opportunity again.

"It is indeed a great pity."

"Wu, are you short of actors for 'The Martian'? I finished filming 'The Other Boleyn Girl,' and next year is 'Now You See Me 2,' so I have plenty of time to spare."

"Oh?" Wu Chen's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. "I do need one, but it's a supporting role. 'The Martian' is a male-centric film, so it'll only be a two- or three-day scene."

"It's okay, I can help out with a cameo role."

Hearing this, Wu Chen smiled and said, "Okay!"

It must be said that apart from the male lead, the other characters in "The Martian" really have very little screen time, almost like cameos.

Thinking of this, Wu Chen's eyes lit up. Since Scarlett Johansson was already making a cameo appearance, why not invite more people to do cameos? Wu Chen then told Liu Yifei about this idea.

The latter was curled up on the sofa flipping through a fashion magazine when he heard this, and immediately jumped up, his eyes sparkling: "Junior brother, call me, call me, I want to have a cameo too!"

Wu Chen was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Why can't I?" Liu Yifei pouted, her words carrying a hint of coquettishness. "I'm a Cannes Best Actress, after all. I won't embarrass you."

"It's not impossible."

"So who are you planning to cast for a cameo role?" Liu Yifei asked curiously, "An actor you've worked with before?"

"Chadwick Boseman and Christian Bale?" Wu Chen immediately thought of the male leads he directed in "Get Out" and "Buried".

These two would be perfect for a cameo role.

One is rising rapidly and is the face of the new generation of black actors, while the other is a Batman who won the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actor award for "Buried".

"Then, with this arrangement, all you're missing is Venice, right?" Liu Yifei paused for a moment, blinking her eyes as she looked at Wu Chen, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Gong Li

The two almost thought of the same thing in unison. After all, if Christian Bale were to make a cameo appearance, it would be impossible not to gather the Best Actor and Best Actress winners from the three major film festivals.

"Junior brother, won't your choice put too much pressure on the male lead?" Liu Yifei couldn't help but say with a smile.

“A little pressure in a one-man show isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Wu Chen smiled, but he still needed to ask Christian Bale for his opinion first.

Hong Kong, Queen's Road, Nolan is filming "The Dark Knight" here.

As night deepened, the streetlights on both sides of the street cast a layer of orange-yellow light, illuminating the police cars and the temporarily closed roads.

"Cut!" Director Nolan's voice finally rang out, and the entire block instantly came alive as crew members busied themselves removing props and ending today's filming.

Christian Bale was walking off the set with Nolan, still wearing his Batman suit.

Christian, what are your plans for next year?

"Next year? My agency got me a role in Terminator Salvation." Christian Bale felt like he'd missed something and pressed on, "Christopher, do you have any new movie plans?"

“I do have an idea from many years ago, and I’m currently turning it into a script. We’ll see if the timing is right later.” Nolan patted Bell on the shoulder and then walked towards the props department.

Just then, the assistant rushed over with his phone and whispered something in Christian Bale's ear.

He picked up the phone, and Wu Chen's voice came through: "Hey, Christian, I heard you're filming in Hong Kong."

"Yes, Christopher's 'The Dark Knight,' Wu, let me tell you, I feel like I'm in fantastic shape for this movie."

People in Europe and America don't really like being humble; instead, they especially like praising themselves. Wu Chen smiled, not surprised at all.

I need your help.

"Oh!" Christian Bale, upon hearing that Wu Chen wanted him to have a cameo role, immediately replied, "Wu, approximately when? How many days will it take? I have a film to shoot next year."

"Your role will only take three days at most, but with your acting skills, one day is enough," Wu Chen said with a smile.

"Remember to include my name on the poster."

Christian Bale readily agreed; the cameo role, which could be arranged in a day or two and would only take a few minutes, met the time requirements for a cameo.

Hollywood actors generally wouldn't refuse a cameo appearance like this, which doesn't waste their time and is a friendly favor. In particular, Wu Chen had worked with him before and helped him win the Best Actor award at the Berlin Film Festival.

"Of course, but I need to talk to you about the cameo appearances on the future posters. How many people will be making cameo appearances?"

Wu Chen made it clear that even though he and Bale have a good relationship, Bale still has a management team behind him, and a few minutes of guest appearance can involve a lot of things.

Christian Bale was taken aback when he heard that Wu Chen planned to gather the best actors and actresses from the three major film festivals. He then couldn't help but exclaim, "Wu, you should cast me as the male lead. This is so enviable. I look forward to meeting you on set."

"."

(End of this chapter)