Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 603 A Natural Nemesis, A Showdown?
After the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, various industries resumed work one after another, and the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival gradually dissipated.

News of the premiere of "Love is Not Blind" has already been brewing in the industry.

As Starry Night Pictures' first production of the year, its level of attention within the industry is self-evident.

Huayi Brothers took the lead by holding a press conference to launch Feng Xiaogang's new film project, officially announcing that they would be making a film adapted from Liu Zhenyun's novel "Remembering 1942".

At the press conference, Feng Xiaogang spoke eloquently in front of numerous media cameras, making no secret of his anticipation for the film.

"This will be the movie I've wanted to make for over ten years but haven't been able to."

I hadn't been able to finish it before for various reasons, and it became a knot in my heart that I couldn't get over.

The project has already started production, and we need six to seven months of preparation time. We hope to officially begin filming this October. This is the project I've been most looking forward to as a director!

Having tasted success with "Aftershock," he planned to pull off another big hit with historical disaster films.

"This will be a deeply moving history of the national spirit!" Feng Xiaogang said emphatically.

The media were also very excited, and a reporter immediately asked a question:
"Director Feng, what's the name of this movie?"

“1942!” Feng Xiaogang answered confidently.

The name immediately caught the attention of the media reporters present.

This name... doesn't it sound so similar to Wu Chen's Golden Bear-winning film, "1939"?
They are all named after the year.

"Director Feng, was the title of your film '1942' inspired by Director Wu Chen's '1939'? Or are you learning from Director Wu's naming style?"

Upon hearing this question, Feng Xiaogang's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

He thought of the scene last year when "Aftershock" grossed over 600 million yuan and he "thanked" Wu Chen, and he felt extremely aggrieved.

Now look what's happened! He finally got to launch his masterpiece, which he had been preparing for over a decade, and these damn reporters are actually comparing it to "1939," making it seem like he's just trying to ride on Wu Chen's coattails!
Another reporter was even more direct:

"Director Feng, '1939' tells the story of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army during the War of Resistance Against Japan, while '1942' is about the Great Famine. Although the two films have similar historical backgrounds, their themes are completely different."

Are you worried that using such a similar title might confuse audiences, or make them think you're trying to 'compete' with director Wu Chen in some way?

"Wu Chen's film '1939' was a huge success in Berlin and received three Oscar nominations. You named your new film '1942.' Is this also an attempt to compete with Wu Chen in terms of awards?"

The troublemaking media bombarded him with questions, each one seemingly gentle but actually sharp, all revolving around Wu Chen and the book "1939".

Feng Xiaogang's smile gradually faded.
An unnamed anger suddenly surged up.

"Hey, are you guys out of your minds?"

Feng Xiaogang finally couldn't hold back any longer. He pointed at the reporter who asked the question and raised his voice.

What I make and what I name my movies is none of anyone else's business.
Liu Zhenyun has been writing the novel "Remembering 1942" for almost twenty years, and I have been preparing for this movie for more than ten years!

Where was Wu Chen back then? He probably hadn't even gone to film school yet, right? What, just because I used '1942' makes me look like I'm copying him? Does that mean every film with a year in its title will have to pay him royalties?

He grew angrier and angrier, almost spitting out words: "Besides, what does 'benchmarking' mean? What does 'competing' mean?"

Feng Xiaogang's scathing attack left the reporters stunned, but then their eyes lit up with excitement.

Big news! Feng Xiaogang launches a scathing attack on Wu Chen!

What a sensational headline!
Wang Zhonglei, sitting in the audience, thought to himself, "This is bad."

He knew Feng Xiaogang's temper all too well; he was a typical "firecracker," easily provoked.

If he continues to hurl insults like this, tomorrow's headline will be "Feng Xiaogang subtly criticizes Wu Chen for monopolizing year naming rights." At that point, he will not only offend Wu Chen but also be bombarded with criticism from netizens, and it will take a lot of public relations fees to smooth things over.

He quickly strode onto the stage, took the microphone from the host, and tried to smooth things over with a forced smile. "Dear media friends, please calm down, please calm down."

Director Feng is a man of strong emotions, and he has a deep affection for this film, which he has been preparing for many years. That's why he was a little emotional just now. Please bear with him.

He patted Feng Xiaogang on the back, signaling him to calm down, and then addressed the audience:

"The question about the title is actually quite simple."

Our film is adapted from Liu Zhenyun's famous novel "Remembering 1942", hence the title "1942". It is faithful to the original work and there is no question of one imitating the other.

Feng Xiaogang finally came to his senses, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Damn it, I almost fell for those damn reporters' tricks!
He took a deep breath, his expression softening considerably, picked up the microphone again, and showered Wu Chen with praise:
“Zhong Lei is right. I did get a little excited just now.”

The main reason is that I have a very deep emotional connection to this film. As for director Wu Chen, he is an extremely talented director. I also watched "1939," and it was very well made, exceptionally well.

However, while Feng Xiaogang said this aloud, he was secretly cursing in his heart:
Damn it, could Wu Chen really be his natural nemesis?

He's everywhere!
As soon as the press conference ended, a flood of eye-catching reports appeared.

"Feng Xiaogang's new film '1942' launched, sparking controversy due to its title being the same as Wu Chen's '1939'"

"Feng Xiaogang lost his temper at a press conference, suspected of being unhappy about being compared to Wu Chen."

"From '1939' to '1942', have Chinese blockbusters entered the era of 'year-based naming'?"

"."

Wu Chen saw these news reports in Xingchen's office and was both amused and exasperated.

Feng Xiaogang seems to be involved with something lately; he seems to be able to link everything he does to himself.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wen saw these reports at home and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, this Feng Xiaogang is really something!" He laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Zhou Yun, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but smile: "According to the report, it seems that Director Feng almost couldn't hold back."

“Him!” Jiang Wen laughed enough, shook his head, picked up his phone, and dialed Wu Chen directly, teasing him a bit.

"This is not my fault. He acted rashly and was easily fooled by someone."

Wu Chen smiled and shook his head, then suddenly remembered something. "Alright, let's get down to business. You're back, right? So, how about the premiere at my company on the 9th?"

"Sure, you know what, those two films released during the Spring Festival were really bad, and Gong Li's film was a terrible choice," Jiang Wen complained.

Just after I finished talking with Jiang Wen, Ding Yan knocked on the door.

Zhu Jiaxin has completely relinquished control of the work in mainland China, and Ding Yan is now in charge. The latter reported on the current situation of the special effects company.

Will the Warring States period series finally come to a complete end this month?

"Sure, the project was actually finished at the end of last year. The main purpose of coming back is to check for problems."

"Ok!"

Wu Chen nodded. In any case, the money for "Warring States" had been received, so they should naturally do their job well.

Before long, Lu Zheng received the news and was extremely excited.

This long-awaited domestic war epic for Jing Tian is finally ready to be released.
(End of this chapter)