Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 329 The Last Major Event Before the New Year

The freezing cold that followed the snowfall in Beijing had just begun to subside.

However, an explosive news story, even more exciting than the weather, has taken mainland netizens by storm.

The four Oscar nominations for "Black Peony," which were still generating buzz, were just beginning to spread among universities and critics; meanwhile, "CJ7," which was showing in theaters, was enjoying box office success.
But now all of that has been overshadowed by this sudden, scandalous news.

Fortunately, this incident didn't break out just a few days before the Lunar New Year; otherwise, it might have even slightly affected the Spring Festival Gala.

At that moment, Liu Yifei received a call from Li Qin. After listening for a while and exchanging a few words with Li Qin, she handed the phone to Wu Chen.

"confirmed?"

"It's settled, Director. I want to give it a try. Director Li Shaohong has contacted me several times recently, wanting me to play Xue Baochai, saying I'm very suitable."

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen was momentarily speechless, yet a strange sense of absurdity arose within him.

Li Shaohong's casting choices were truly baffling to him and to everyone else.

Li Qin has long, narrow eyes with slightly drooping corners, a slender figure, and a pitiful look when she cries, with an innocent expression on her face. She has a delicate and gentle demeanor. Instead of playing Lin Daiyu, they actually cast her as Xue Baochai.

That kind of dignified, composed, and dignified presence is completely unsuitable for Li Qin's current temperament.

However, since he was the director of "Dream of the Red Chamber," his sudden suggestion was really annoying, especially since he and Li Shaohong weren't that close.

"Okay, I see."

Wu Chen nodded, hung up the phone, picked up his own phone, looked down and scrolled through his contacts before dialing Han Sanping.

For him, it was just a matter of a single sentence.

The latter, though both amused and exasperated, knew that the reputation of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in the industry had plummeted in the past two years.

"Oh, right, Mr. Han, don't forget about the Oscars at the end of next month."

For leaders of state-owned enterprises at the level of Han Sanping, traveling abroad must go through the "approval process for official overseas visits" in advance, which covers multiple aspects such as content, schedule, and external liaison background.

Of course, this time it was because "Black Peony" was nominated and needed to go to accept the award, so it was only natural for Han Sanping, as one of the main producers, to attend, so it was just a formality.

"I won't forget it, I've already submitted the application."

When Han Sanping heard Wu Chen mention the Oscars, he became particularly excited. "Best Foreign Language Film, how confident are you? How much will Paramount contribute?"

"Paramount only has two films vying for Oscars this year. Since 'Black Peony' has been nominated, they will put a lot of effort into public relations. They have already paid the money they were supposed to. Moreover, a successful public relations campaign would be entirely beneficial to them, as they also have 'Black Swan' in their film library."

Whether it will be successful is hard to say; hopefully, it won't be a wasted trip.

Wu Chen wasn't sure either, mainly because the Oscar selection process has always been complex.

The judging panel consists of thousands of people from various subcategories. No matter how extensive the external sources or how dense the industry signals, no one can guarantee the final result.

"If all else fails, we'll just add more money to our public relations efforts and get Paramount to put in more effort."

Han Sanping spoke with an air of utter defiance.

A great opportunity is right in front of us. At worst, the movie will earn less money. Besides, if we win the awards, theoretically we can definitely make back the money we've spent.

Wu Chen chuckled, "For our budget, this is about right."

Public relations funds are very important, after all, they are used for media advertising, offline screenings, endorsements in industry publications, promotional posters, and so on.

However, relying solely on money is definitely not enough. On the one hand, AMPAS has strict rules against vote-buying and bribery, and giving out votes publicly carries risks.

On the other hand, money can backfire, and overly aggressive public relations can lead to resentment.

There are too many examples in history, such as last year's "Dream Girl".

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping had no choice but to drop the matter and then brought up the topic of "The Martian," saying, "The project is progressing very quickly. You've seen the email, haven't you? We need to hurry up with casting."

"I saw it. Universal also sent an email. I've been thinking about it, and I'll come back after the New Year to cast the actors, before the Oscars."

Seeing that Wu Chen had made up his mind, Han Sanping couldn't help but ask, "Where do you plan to hold the casting?"

"Not ready yet."

The casting for "The Martian" is sure to be a massive undertaking. As a Sino-US co-production with a budget of nearly $100 million, it has received support from several major companies in both countries. Even a minor role can generate buzz, let alone the fact that a lead role is also being cast.

Wu Chen thought for a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed Zhang Huijun.

Since the Beijing Film Academy has social practice courses linked to "The Martian," why not just hold them at their own school? This would save a lot of manpower.

Upon hearing Wu Chen's arrangement, Zhang Huijun did not hesitate at all:

"It's perfect to use the school. Your senior, Zhang Yi, often uses the school for casting. It's convenient. Everyone in the school knows people there, so it's easy to find someone!"

"Okay, thank you, Principal Zhang. I'll talk to the producers from China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, Universal Pictures, and Blumhouse Pictures later, and they'll coordinate the arrangements."

Zhang Huijun's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "People from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Pictures are coming too?"

"Yes, it involves casting the male lead, so they still need to come and take a look."

"to make!"

Zhang Huijun smiled very happily.

The main reason is that Wu Chen chose the perfect time.

The year after the Lunar New Year coincides with the national art college entrance examination season.

Setting the casting at the Beijing Film Academy during this period is tantamount to raising a flag at the heart of the national art exam storm, making it hard not to attract attention.

For a school, high-quality students are key to its continued development, and Wu Chen's move is the best advertisement for Beijing Film Academy.

February 1st, the 2th day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather warmed up, and the snow on the streets of Beijing had mostly melted.

Although netizens are still reeling from the "photo controversy" of a few days ago, their emotions have already calmed down.

After all, this kind of thing is just a matter of "a shiver," and once it's over, everyone sobers up and goes back to the lively atmosphere that should be there before the Spring Festival.

Discussions surrounding the four Oscar nominations for "Black Peony" continue, but just then, an anonymous post quietly appeared on an industry forum:

[Insider information: Casting for director Wu Chen's "The Martian" project will begin after the Lunar New Year, with the Beijing Film Academy serving as the first round of auditions]

The post was short, but like a pebble thrown into calm water, it was screenshotted and spread like wildfire within a few hours, and was forwarded to multiple agent QQ groups, production crew groups, and private BBS forums of Beijing Film Academy, Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Central Academy of Drama.

The industry was in an uproar.

"Really? Is this some kind of prank before the New Year?"

"It might be true. I heard that 'The Martian' has been in preparation for a while, and Wu Chen has some free time now."

"Wu Chen is going to be casting at the Beijing Film Academy? Does that mean newcomers have a chance?"

"."

Immediately, discussions erupted, with many people eager to verify the news. Rumors spread rapidly, and the level of speculation rivaled that of the Spring Festival Gala lineup.
If you get selected for this role, it will be just as good as Tang Wei's overnight fame, and you'll have a big name in Hollywood.

Actors from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are all eager to get started, keeping a close eye on any official announcements from Star Cinema, China Film Group, and Shanghai Film Group.

"That's strange. There's always a rumor that gets the news faster than we do," Han Sanping muttered to himself as he pushed open the conference room door and walked out alongside Ren Zhonglun and Wu Chen.

They just finished an online meeting with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Pictures, finalizing several key execution milestones, including audition locations, times, and even some role assignments.

The supporting roles on NASA's side have been handled by Universal, so now the main focus is on the domestic side.

"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Someone's always making a living off this. Let's not wait any longer and just announce it now, it's just in time for the New Year."

Ren Zhonglun smiled and had no opinion on the matter, as each step involved many people, and it was impossible to completely eliminate all such issues.

That evening at 6 PM, the three companies jointly released an official press release on their websites:

"The Martian" is a Sino-US co-production, directed by Wu Chen, and co-produced by Universal Pictures, China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, Blumhouse Pictures, Star Cinema Pictures, and Obsidian Pictures.

The project will hold its first round of auditions at the Beijing Film Academy after the Lunar New Year. The lead role and some other roles will be filled through a combination of invitations and open auditions. We sincerely invite talented actors to participate.

(End of this chapter)