Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 419 Admitting Defeat, Six Major Mainland Directors Assemble
"Too selfish!"

In front of the camera, Lu Xun, abandoning his usual tearful tone, quickly retorted to the media:
"Wu Chen hasn't even seen the film, so his comments are absolutely biased. I strongly oppose such remarks and hope that the audience can discern the truth."

Before he could finish speaking, and before the reporter next to him could continue asking questions, Lu Xun proactively added:

"Wu Chen has never directed a historical war film before, so he doesn't know how difficult it is to film this type of subject matter. The most difficult part is to express the author's perspective and emotional nuances within the war narrative while remaining true to history."
His view on "Nanjing! Nanjing!" is a misinterpretation.

Lu Xun, of course, would not sit idly by and wait for his fate; when interviewed by reporters, he hurriedly began to defend himself.

If we don't take action soon, there might not be many viewers left for "Nanjing! Nanjing!"

In contrast to Lu Xun's impulsive and reckless remarks, Qin Hong's "dialectical" approach resonated with many media outlets.

"We understand director Wu Chen's passion. There are indeed many controversial aspects to this film with its special subject matter. Everyone has their own interpretation of the relationship between 'human expression' and 'historical responsibility,' and the film supports that interpretation."

After giving the interview, the two quickly went back inside to discuss their next move.

Controlling public opinion, bribing media outlets to delete articles and suppress trending topics
This consistent practice is necessary and effective.

Qin Hong just felt a little tired.

Damn it, Lu Xun has offended so many people; there's no end to the mess he's made of. He couldn't help but say:
Let's keep a low profile for now.

Seeing this, Lu Xun could only nod.

Wu Chen didn't give Lu Xun any time to rest. Interview calls came in on his cell phone, specifically to Sina.com. When the reporter mentioned Lu Xun's comments, he smiled.
"I've never filmed a historical war movie before, but I'm currently working on a script for a historical project. Could you help me put in a good word for him, telling him not to make it if he can't handle it, or at least to have a competition?"

The Sina reporter on the other side was very excited.

"Director Wu, is there any more?"

"That's all. Let's see if they'll accept the challenge."

"No, Director Wu, I'm thinking about the subject matter. Which historical period are you planning to film? Is it the Nanjing period or something else?"

It must have been during the War of Resistance against Japan.

Wu Chen's brief words immediately put the entire Sina Entertainment department to a busy start.

[Wu Chen tells Lu Xun: If you can't make a film, then don't! A new film about the War of Resistance Against Japan is in preparation.]

Following "The Martian," Wu Chen is preparing a new film, aiming for a historical war epic!

[Wu Chen's new film's subject matter revealed: a historical war epic, targeting the War of Resistance against Japan!]

【.】

The reports came one after another, causing an uproar both inside and outside the industry.

Lu Xun was very frustrated. He had just said that Wu Chen had never filmed a historical war film, and then the other party came and even called out to him.

How can this be played?

He accepted the challenge. What if Wu Chen suddenly made a bet? If he lost, wouldn't he be truly finished?

Not fighting is, at best, cowardice.

Admit defeat.
Lu Xun was very clear-headed at this moment. He knew he couldn't be reckless now. If he did, Wu Chen might get him into a trap, and he would never be able to hold his head up again.

Netizens are buzzing with discussion as Lu Xun remains silent.

"What a disappointment. I thought Lu Xun would be tough, but as soon as Wu Cheng shouted, he retreated and wouldn't come out."

"Should we trust Wu Chen or Lu Xun?"

"Isn't that obvious? Of course we trust Wu Chen. Lu Xun is trustworthy, isn't he? We can see through 'Kekexili' already, so 'Nanjing! Nanjing!' is definitely problematic. I'm not watching it."

"On this point, trust Wu Chen. We'll know once the film is released. Judging from Wu Chen's current statements, this film will definitely be very controversial after its release."

Suddenly I'm curious about what kind of war epic Wu Chen is going to direct.

"."

Sina Entertainment is also very good at generating buzz, directly launching an interactive poll:

Which film about the War of Resistance Against Japan are you most looking forward to?

Wu Chen; Lu Xun;
Without a third option, Wu Chen's votes quickly rose to the top.

Actually, the people most interested in Wu Chen's new project are not netizens, but rather a group of production companies in the industry.

Shortly after the news was released by the media, a series of phone calls came in.

Shanghai Film Studio, Ningbo Film Studio, Enlight Media, Bona Film Group.
I specifically asked both those I had worked with and those I hadn't.

Huayi.

Wang Zhonglei, who was discussing with Feng Xiaogang when to announce the new film plan for "Aftershock," was also a little surprised when he heard the news.

"I never expected Wu Chen to be preparing to make a historical war film."

It's no wonder Wang Zhonglei was surprised, because many films of this type in recent years have been typical patriotic films.

Even their current project, "Aftershock," is a patriotic film, just with a different focus.

"I used to think Wu Chen might not be good at this type of film."

Feng Xiaogang was also quite curious, after all, Wu Chen was a thriller, and had made quite a few films, but none of them were related to this genre.

"Lu Xun is a coward, though. In this situation, he didn't dare to utter a single word."

While curious, Feng Xiaogang muttered something, which made Wang Zhonglei slightly purse his lips.

In his view, Lu Xun's reaction was normal.

There might be directors in the industry who dare to go head-to-head with Wu Chen, but Lu Xun is definitely not among them; the difference between the two is worlds apart. "Wu Chen has essentially announced his new film plans, so let's do the same. This Friday."

Wang Zhonglei made the decision immediately, to which Feng Xiaogang nodded silently.

Meanwhile, in a photography studio in Huairou.

The camera lights illuminated the ground with a bright white glow, and the crew members came and went in a bustling atmosphere.

Han Sanping, with his hand on his back, hadn't directed a film in many years, and he had thoroughly enjoyed the experience these past few days.

After his assistant whispered something in his ear, his expression suddenly changed. He quickly told Huang Jianxin to give instructions first, and then picked up his phone to call Wu Chen.

"Chairman Han, I thought you would call sooner."

Wu Chen heard the bustling sounds of the film crew coming from behind him on the phone and immediately understood.

"I've been in Huairou these past few days, very busy, so the news hasn't been as timely. Don't tell me that the collaboration team has already been finalized shortly after the news about your new film was released?"

Han Sanping said with a chuckle.

Wu Chen had told Zhou Xingchi about this project the day he arrived, and he was quite reassured about it.

"No, but for this project I need to interview many veterans who fought in the War of Resistance against Japan. This needs to be prepared in advance, so the August First Film Studio needs to take action first."

Wu Chen directly brought up the topic.

The preliminary work is very important. People are not easy to find, and you need to communicate with them one by one, so it's important to start early.

"Okay, I'll set a time." Han Sanping nodded upon hearing this.

These days, Lu Xun has been keeping a very low profile. You can only occasionally see a few reports in "Nanjing! Nanjing!" He doesn't come out or show his face.

It's clear they want to use time as a buffer.

But soon a new hot topic emerged: Huayi Brothers held a press conference to officially announce Feng Xiaogang's new film, "Aftershock".

"The initial plan is to release the film on the anniversary of the Tangshan '7.28' earthquake next year, which means it will be released during the summer season. This time, we will have to temporarily skip the Lunar New Year season!"

"The investment will be between 1.5 million and 2 million RMB, and this will be the most difficult filming and production of all my works."

Feng Xiaogang's plan caused quite a stir.

Suddenly, it became apparent within the industry that several prominent directors seemed to already have plans.

Zhang Yimou's new film has been in preparation, while Chen Kaige has taken on the role in "The Orphan of Zhao".

Wu Chen had just announced that he would be taking on the challenge of making a historical war film, and now Feng Xiaogang has officially announced "Aftershock".

Therefore, the industry naturally turned its attention to Ning Hao, who had not yet made a statement.

As the third director in mainland China to break the 300 million yuan mark, Ning Hao naturally attracts a lot of attention.

Ning Hao did not disappoint, directly releasing information to the media through his studio.

"Director Ning Hao will launch his new film 'No Man's Land,' a road crime film, and pre-production will begin immediately."

These words immediately ignited the excitement of a group of movie fans.

Even Jiang Wen couldn't sit still anymore and announced loudly, "The script is still being polished, and we plan to start filming this year."

At this point, Zhang Yimou, Wu Chen, Chen Kaige, Feng Xiaogang, Ning Hao, and Jiang Wen each had their own plans, giving the industry the feeling that spring was coming.

This is an extremely rare signal for the entire industry—because it means that the market is truly expanding.

Of course, this is an excellent opportunity for many actors in the industry. With so many projects in preparation, the chances of them appearing in these projects have greatly increased.

Many media outlets have published special columns reporting on this: "Six major mainland directors gather, is the Chinese film industry ushering in a blockbuster cycle?"

"Spring has arrived for Chinese-language films."

Just as industry news was emerging one after another and the buzz was at its peak, a piece of news that truly thrilled movie fans quietly went online on March 1st.

Universal Pictures, in conjunction with YouTube and numerous other media platforms, released the film globally simultaneously.
The first global trailer for The Martian.

The domestic publicity and distribution were handled by China Film Group, and with their support, the news quickly spread throughout the industry.

The entire trailer, lasting only one minute and eight seconds, struck domestic audiences like a speck of dust during a period when film news was in full swing.
A deep, resonant male voice rang out from the black screen:

"I thought I was going to die in the storm that day."

The screen suddenly lit up as a bright orange sandstorm roared in.

Mars, silent and vast.

The spacesuit is embroidered with five prominent Chinese characters: China National Space Administration.

The scene changes rapidly. Jiang Wen, who plays the astronaut, slowly walks down the steps of the Martian capsule. The camera zooms in from behind to a medium shot, showing him standing alone in the barren Martian landscape. Only the silence of the swirling sand and wind remains between heaven and earth, and his figure casts a long shadow on the ground.

"They thought I was dead. I know they won't come back. Is there still hope?"

This was followed by a rapid montage, in which Christian Bale, Gong Li, Liu Yifei, Scarlett Johansson, and Boseman quickly appeared.

Suddenly the scene darkens, the sound rises, and in slow motion, dust flies, and a green sprout emerges from the soil.

A potato sprout that sprouted on Mars.

Then a voice, seemingly traveling from a distant radio wave, rang out, and the scene quickly cut to two space agencies in different locations:
"The signal has been received in the capital. He is still alive."

"Take him home"

"."

(End of this chapter)