Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 446 Starting the Project, A Flash of Inspiration

In late May, Beijing was transitioning from late spring to early summer, with the heat of summer quietly rising.

If Shanda Literature is a big tree, then the copyrights in its copyright library are the heavy and tempting fruits.

Whether it's the former or the latter, as long as Starry Night Pictures manages to secure a foothold, it will have the resources to weather any future turmoil or crisis.

Of course, the strategic cooperation with Shanda was not as simple as it seemed, but the film and television adaptation of IPs was an irresistible temptation for Shanda.

The Dassault Falcon 2000EX business jet flew steadily through the clouds, with an unobstructed view of the azure sky and swirling sea of ​​clouds outside the porthole.

Xiong Xiaoge leaned back in the soft chair, looking quite relaxed. She even opened a bottle of champagne and poured herself a glass of water.
"Mr. Xiong, did it go smoothly?"

Wu Chen picked up his cup, swirled it casually, and smiled at the other person.

After he finished speaking, the other party discussed the online game with Chen Tianqiao, but Wu Chen was unaware of the specific outcome.

"It's alright, but it feels like President Chen has changed compared to previous years."

Xiong Xiaoge's sharp eyes narrowed slightly. "His spirits were noticeably lower, but overall the talks went quite well."

"Then congratulations, Mr. Xiong."

"Not at all, congratulations to Director Wu as well, and I look forward to the day when you and Shanda Literature reach a cooperation agreement."

"."

The two clinked glasses and smiled at each other.

Time flies, and June has arrived before we know it.

News that Inception was about to begin filming in London, England, had spread from Hollywood to mainland China.

Because the filming would take a long time, Liu Xiaoli was a little worried and planned to go with them.

"Mom, I can actually do it all by myself."

Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli packed their luggage with smiles.

"You're so impulsive and I don't trust you. Besides, Wu Chen can't always stay there with you. I'll go instead."

Liu Xiaoli gently tapped Liu Yifei's head, and Liu Yifei immediately covered her head with both hands, "Ouch, that hurt! Oh no, I'm going to become stupid!"

Seeing Liu Yifei's expression, Liu Xiaoli finally couldn't help but laugh:
"Hurry up, you're trying to help, don't make things worse."

"Oh!"

The following day, the sun shone brightly in Beijing, and a warm breeze blew. The airport waiting hall was bustling with activity, announcements were constantly being made, and people dragging their luggage came and went in an endless stream.

As they were about to board their flight to London, Liu Yifei, dressed in a crisp white dress, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses that covered half her face, walked enthusiastically at the front.

However, being caught by reporters was inevitable.

As the group walked, the reporters continued to press them for answers.

"Ifi, are you joining the production team?"

"Yes," Liu Yifei nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations on the successful filming! Can you tell us how long the filming will take?"

Liu Yifei playfully raised her index finger: "Well, that's a secret."

The reporter smiled helplessly and turned to Wu Chen: "Director Wu, I heard that you are also one of the investors in 'Inception'. Does this mean that you are more inclined to cooperate with Warner Bros. in the future?"

Wu Chen smiled and shook his head: "It was just a coincidence."

Within hours, media reports were everywhere:

[Wu Chen accompanies Liu Yifei to England; filming for "Inception" is about to begin!]

Wu Chen personally denied any bias towards the collaboration with Warner, stating only that "the investment was purely coincidental!"

The news caused a stir in the industry.

For the vast majority of actors and companies, such top-tier global resources are simply beyond their reach.

"The gap is getting bigger and bigger..." Yang Mi sighed helplessly as she sat in the car on her way to promote "Chinese Paladin 3" on Hunan TV, looking at the news on her phone.

Hu Ge was right next to her. He glanced at the screen and sighed, but didn't say anything more.

Cardington Studios, a large film studio on the outskirts of London, is a converted airship hangar.

A sturdy and magnificent gray steel frame structure supports the entire space, which is brightly lit and filled with the faint smell of paint and props.

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was also filmed here.

Now, this place once again welcomes Nolan's new masterpiece, Inception.

After putting their luggage away, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei went straight to the film set.

Inside the studio, Nolan was standing in front of the camera, observing the revolving and zero-gravity corridors that had been set up. Upon seeing Wu Chen and his group, a warm smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Crystal, Wu, you've arrived!"

Leonardo DiCaprio, who was standing nearby, also walked over with a smile, extended his hand to Wu Chen, and introduced himself: "Wu, Leonardo."

Marion Cotillard and Liu Yifei were relatively familiar with each other. She pulled Liu Yifei aside and whispered to her. The two chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

That evening, the entire production team gathered at a restaurant in central London for their first formal dinner together.

The following morning, the launch press conference for "Inception" was held in London.

Nolan is a Londoner, and when his own people film a blockbuster on their own turf, the London media are all very respectful; almost everyone who can come will show up.

The press conference venue was packed with media, with flashbulbs going off constantly.

Nolan stood before the group of reporters, looking radiant:
"I believe this will be a very classic sci-fi film. As for the specific content, you will never guess."

Nolan was excited when filming began for "Inception," but as usual, he didn't reveal a single word about the script.

The media couldn't get any information from him no matter how they asked, so they turned to other matters: "I heard that Wu was involved in this script, is that true?"

Wu Chen wasn't originally with the main cast; he wasn't acting, he was just accompanying them. However, Nolan specifically called Wu Chen over and put his arm around Wu Chen's shoulder.

"Of course, Wu provided a very ingenious idea. You will definitely be amazed when the movie is released, but please don't criticize him then."

Nolan enjoys playing riddles with the media.

The room erupted in laughter.

The media were also excited and started trying to get information out of Wu Chen:
"Wu, what kind of script do you think this is?"

Wu Chen responded with a serious expression:
"A script of genius; you can't even imagine what Christopher wrote in it. Believe me, once the film is finished, you'll all be criticizing him too."

As soon as he said that, Leonardo and Marion burst out laughing, and Liu Yifei covered her mouth, trying her best not to laugh too loudly.

British media outlets collectively complained and jeered: "Wu, you've been corrupted by Nolan. You weren't like this when you came here to promote your work last time."

The entire creative team is well aware of Nolan's tight-lipped approach to the script.

Leonardo, however, confidently took over the conversation:
"Working with Christopher is something I've always looked forward to. The script is fantastic, and believe me, I won't make the wrong choice."

"Looking forward to it, feeling happy. Who should I thank? Of course, I should thank Wu Chen, my mom, and director Nolan," Liu Yifei replied, then quickly added, "And my alma mater, the Beijing Film Academy!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen couldn't help but glance at her. He saw Liu Yifei stick out her tongue and secretly wink at him while the media's attention was diverted, looking charming and adorable.

"How did you come up with that? You even included the school?"

"I'm incredibly clever!" Liu Yifei said playfully. "Don't you think Teacher Wang and the others will be especially happy?"

Wu Chen chuckled and nodded: "That's for sure, just wait and see, there will be plenty of praise calls."

Within hours, domestic media outlets received the news.

Wu Chen and Nolan's confidential remarks were both laughable and absurd, but the teachers in the acting department of Beijing Film Academy had no interest in that at all.

Because one report's headline stood out:

[Interview at the start of filming for "Inception": Liu Yifei expresses gratitude to the Beijing Film Academy!]

(End of this chapter)