Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 334: A Major Problem with Casting

"Tian Tian, ​​why don't you give it a try? Senior Brother Wu Chen seems to have arrived, and he seems to have started the auditions with people from Universal."

Inside the 07 performance class classroom, Kan Qingzi peeked into the corridor, her voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

Jing Tian sat in his seat, took a sip of hot water from his thermos, and looked calm, unlike the others in the class who were eager to go and take a look, even if they didn't plan to audition.

“I can go with you to take a look.” She smiled and stood up, “but I don’t plan to go. Those roles aren’t really suitable for me.”

She didn't spell it out, but she had thought about it before. Lu Zheng even called Wu Chen on her behalf a few days ago, but the reply was straightforward: "It's not suitable."

At that moment, she knew she had no chance in "The Martian".

"I think so too. Which of the roles at the space agency would be suitable for us? It's just strange that there aren't any younger astronaut roles available. Otherwise, I think we could give it a try," Kan Qingzi muttered.

"Let's go join the fun and take a look." Zheng Shuang stood up. They were all from the same dormitory, so they were going together for the time being.

After getting ready, the group of girls followed the directions given over the loudspeaker and headed towards the main teaching building.

Today, the acting class simply suspended all classes, hoping to see if anyone could stumble upon a role.

The entrance to the main auditorium was under lockdown, but many people were still enjoying the spectacle. The wind blew against the edges of their school uniforms and coats, and a subtle restlessness was quietly growing among the crowd.

The male lead candidate room currently only has three people present: Zhang Hanyu, Andy Lau, and Duan Yihong.

The audition time in the morning is very short, so it's impossible for all eight of them to be called here and wait.

The three remained outwardly composed, but their hearts were in turmoil.

"I'm inexplicably a little nervous. They said Universal Pictures brought two casting directors with them, and people from Blumhouse, China Film Group, and Shanghai Film Group were also there."

Andy Lau, being older, started chatting first.

"I heard that Director Wu made the decision, but this setup is really intimidating."

"."

While none of the three were seasoned veterans, they were all quite experienced, and they still felt immense pressure during the audition, partly from their competitors and partly from the lineup in the audition room next door.

Wu Chen auditioned for the male lead role, while the auditions for the other supporting roles were handled by the casting director of the production team.

Actually, there aren't many roles left, because most of them are cameos, and the rest are supporting roles from the space agency. Moreover, some of these supporting roles, such as directors and deputy directors, are not a matter of competition, but rather that some people are just naturally suited to the role.

Outside, the casting director walked in: "Zhang Hanyu, get ready."

Zhang Hanyu nodded and calmly walked into the audition room.

The casting director handed over two clips, one of which was taken from one of the most crucial scenes in *The Martian*—the monologue after "the potato has survived":
The scene is set with the protagonist recording his mission log alone; he has just grown his first batch of potatoes on Mars.

A mixture of joy, exhaustion, and loneliness lingered in her voice as she spoke to the camera, yet her expression also contained self-deprecation, longing for Earth, and a resolute acceptance of the current situation.

"This material can only be memorized on the spot and must be returned immediately. It cannot be taken away; this is a confidentiality agreement."

Although only 2-3 pages of script were released, because it was a real script excerpt, it was necessary to prevent leaks. In fact, the script even had a unique number.

Auditions typically take only a few forms: performing a designated scene, improvisation/adaptation of a small scene, preparing a monologue/reading lines, or auditioning in front of a camera and styling audition.

However, most production teams will use the first and last two.

The first step is the most crucial part of selecting the main characters and key supporting roles.

After a long while, Zhang Hanyu stood still, facing the empty camera simulation point, remained silent for three seconds, and then slightly raised his head:
"Today, I successfully grew potatoes on Mars."

After he finished speaking, he paused, then smiled softly, but it wasn't a relaxed smile; rather, it conveyed a kind of forced joy after exhaustion.

“I didn’t believe it at first.” He looked at the camera and whispered, “After all, I’m not a farmer, I’m an engineer. I should be fixing things, performing surgery, and climbing towers. I shouldn’t be here using manure and water to force potatoes out of the cracks in the rocks.”

"But it came to life."

"At that moment, I suddenly felt that I was not trying to survive, but creating."

Zhang Hanyu's voice gradually lowered.

His gaze deepened, and his tone carried a sense of loneliness, yet was incredibly powerful.

"This is not hope, this is life itself."

Then he winked at the "camera" and said sarcastically, "But who would have thought that I survived on feces? It's kind of romantic, isn't it?"

It must be said that all three actors performed very well in the morning, each with their own unique style.

Some were more composed and restrained, while others were slightly more "acting," but overall they were all of a very high standard.

After each person finished performing, there was a discussion in the audience, with everyone exchanging opinions.

Before noon, news of the casting for the male lead in "The Martian" had quickly gone viral across major media platforms. Sina Entertainment's homepage updated its headline rapidly, and major platforms such as Sohu Entertainment also pushed out breaking news, creating a surge of excitement in Beijing.

News editors are using all sorts of creative tactics to create eye-catching headlines:

[Exclusive Coverage: Universal Pictures Joins Forces with Wu Chen for Beijing Film Academy Auditions; Competition for the Lead Role in "The Martian" Heats Up.]

[A casting frenzy ensues: Blumhouse and Universal Pictures gather at the Beijing Film Academy, boasting a casting lineup comparable to an international film festival!]

【.】

As the controversy surrounding the Beijing Film Academy intensifies, major forums, blogs, and online communities are buzzing with activity. Even industry professionals located elsewhere are following the developments by posting comments on "Tianya Entertainment Gossip" and "Sina Forum Film and Television Section."

In the afternoon, the casting process continued, and the level of interest only increased.

The auditorium and the studio were used alternately, and several auditionees, including Hu Jun, took the stage one after another, but their uniform low-key silence fueled further speculation.

The three actors who auditioned in the morning remained tight-lipped afterward. This unusual "keep quiet" only made people more curious about who would stand out.

At this moment, Liu Yifei and Shu Chang came over to join in the fun, but unexpectedly they bumped into Jiang Wen and Zhou Yun.

Jiang Wen looked displeased, and Zhou Yun kept comforting him. When she looked up and saw Liu Yifei and Shu Chang, she was also a little surprised.

"Yifei, sing softly."

"Sister Zhou Yun, Director Jiang," Liu Yifei replied with a smile, "What brings you here?"

It's unlikely that Jiang Wen and Zhou Yun would be here under normal circumstances. After all, if Zhou Yun really wanted a role, Jiang Wen would definitely ask Wu Chen first if there were any suitable roles available.

"I'm here to discuss something with a screenwriter friend; he happens to be a screenwriting teacher at your school."

"Friends my ass! I asked him for a favor, and he kept grumbling like I was trying to kidnap him." Jiang Wen was furious.

Liu Yifei's eyes sparkled with curiosity, but Zhou Yun cleverly changed the subject: "Yifei, what brings you here?"

"Oh, Changchang and I were just planning to come and join in the fun. Are you leaving already?"

"."

The afternoon sunlight streamed obliquely through the glass windows of the Beijing Film Academy's studio, falling on the floor and set props, as if fine dust particles were floating in the air, shimmering in the beams of light.

The auditions started at 1:30 p.m., and Deng Chao, Liu Ye, Zhang Zhen and others all completed their auditions.

Hu Jun was on stage at that moment.

"I've calculated it. Even if all the oxygen is saved, I won't last sixty days and nights."

Hu Jun glanced down at the broken oxygen tube clutched in his hand, then looked up at the virtual camera, his eyes revealing a subtle weariness and resolve.
The casting directors nodded slightly.

Wu Chen's expression remained calm, but a bitter smile of helplessness quietly crept into his heart.

He had vaguely sensed something was amiss when the first two actors auditioned that afternoon, and now, watching Hu Jun's performance, he finally confirmed the problem.

And it was all his doing.

The problem is simple: it's not with the actors' acting skills, but with the guest actors who were already hired.

The male lead in this film is someone who has to carry the entire show on camera all by himself.

However, he had already invited five actors to make cameo appearances: Gong Li, Scarlett Johansson, Christian Bale, Chadwick Boseman, and Liu Yifei.

Each of these individuals has their own unique characteristics and naturally attracts attention; when the five of them come together, their presence is incredibly strong.

If the male lead's presence isn't strong enough, it will be difficult to completely overshadow the cameo roles of the five main characters. Forget about setting the pace; even smoothly transitioning from an ensemble scene to a solo performance will feel abrupt.
At this point, it was clear that the casting director from Universal Pictures had realized this, as he whispered something to David Lyndon after Hu Jun's performance.

The latter then spoke quietly with Jason Blum.

Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun exchanged a glance, vaguely realizing that there might be a problem with the casting.

“Wu, there might be a small problem.” Jason Blum thought for a moment, then moved closer to Wu Chen, intending to communicate with him.

Seeing this, Wu Chen asked calmly, "Is it because the male lead's presence isn't strong enough right now?"

"You noticed? Yes, I had a vague feeling about it, and what David just told me confirmed it. You chose five guest actors, and they are all very famous and special."

Jason Blum had to bring it up, because David Lyndon had wanted him to talk to Wu Chen first, since they were friends and it would be easier to communicate.

"Actually, this happens frequently in Hollywood as well. If a cameo is too strong and the lead actor can't handle it, the entire film's balance collapses, the atmosphere becomes unbalanced, and the audience loses empathy."

At this point, the two decided to lay it all out, and everyone joined in the discussion, making the atmosphere much more serious.

Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun were also at a loss. At first, they didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but after listening to the analysis of the others and looking at the list of audition invitations, they frowned slightly.
(End of this chapter)