Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 641: Full of Confidence During Filming in Xiamen
In early May, Cannes was a dazzling spectacle, as the grand feast of fame and fortune officially began.

On the red carpet, female stars from all walks of life vied for attention, once again generating countless topics for global media.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in China, the crew of "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" had completed all their filming in Shanghai and quietly headed south.

The media coverage quickly followed the production crew's pace.

[Wu Chen leads the crew of "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" to Xiamen for a romantic seaside trip!]

[Amidst the Cannes red carpet frenzy, Wu Chen's film crew quietly begins shooting in Xiamen!]

[Several veteran actors spotted on the set of "The Warmest Thirty Days of My Life" in Xiamen, including Fan Wei and Sarina!]

[Exclusive: It has been reported that award-winning actor Wang Zhiwen has been invited to join the cast of Wu Chen's new film, playing the role of his father!]

The addition of veteran actor Wang Zhiwen to the cast undoubtedly adds significant weight to this already highly anticipated film.

Egret Island, Gulangyu.

The film crew booked a century-old villa by the sea as the main filming location.

Outside the villa, reporters had already rushed over upon hearing the news, but they were all kept at a distance behind the police cordon.

As arranged by the production crew, Wang Zhiwen, who had just arrived, gave a brief interview to reporters.

“The script is fantastic,” Wang Zhiwen said, leaning against a pillar in the villa’s veranda, lighting a cigarette and gazing intently at the distant sea. “The father character in it feels like I’m playing myself.”

So when I received the invitation from Director Wu and Yifei, I only glanced at the character biographies before accepting without hesitation.

"Welcome, Professor Wang Zhiwen."

As soon as the interview ended, Wu Chen immediately stepped forward and warmly shook hands with Wang Zhiwen to welcome him.

To be honest, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei discussed the role of the father for a long time.

In the script, this father is the soul and cornerstone of the entire film; he is wise, witty, and possesses a worldly wisdom.

Every conversation between him and his son contained profound life philosophies.
The original version contains many classic scenes that are still talked about by countless movie fans.

The charm of this character lies not in physical resemblance, but in the unique "literary spirit" and the charm of his lines that emanate from within.

If the actors can't convey this feeling, the film will lose a lot of its appeal.

Therefore, after screening many veteran actors, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei finally set their sights on Wang Zhiwen.

Looking across the entire Chinese entertainment industry, no one else can handle the slightly neurotic, delicate, and profound fatherly love and philosophical lines with such ease and in such a unique style.

"Not at all, what I just told the reporters was the truth," Wang Zhiwen said with a smile, shaking hands with Wu Chen. "He got cancer from smoking, likes to stay in his study reading, and loves to talk to his son about all sorts of nonsensical philosophical principles..."

This character design—I'm not making up lies to the media; sometimes I even wonder if it's based on me.

"Hahaha"

Everyone chuckled.

The staff raised the cordon again, keeping reporters who tried to approach away.

As soon as Wang Zhiwen arrived, Wu Chen immediately arranged a major event—the father told his son Shen Shi'an that the men in their family all possessed the secret of time travel.

On a sunny afternoon in Gulangyu, sunlight filters through the branches of a giant banyan tree, casting dappled shadows in the study of an old villa.

The air was filled with the musty smell of old books and the salty, damp smell of the sea breeze, creating a unique scent that belonged to time.

This sense of freshness and comfort, emanating from within, is something that the steel jungle of Shanghai cannot provide, and it is precisely the essence of the second half of this film.

In the study, the father, played by Wang Zhiwen, is leisurely brewing himself a cup of Kung Fu tea.

"Action!"

Shen Shi'an, played by Wu Chen, pushes open the door and enters, his face showing a hint of frustration after attending an event.

"dad."

"Sit down." Wang Zhiwen didn't look up, but was focused on arranging his tea set. His voice was calm and unremarkable. "Come here, I have something to tell you."

He gestured for Wu Chen to sit opposite him, and then pushed a freshly brewed cup of Tieguanyin tea towards him.

"Listen carefully, what I'm about to say is going to be a little... weird."

Wang Zhiwen picked up his teacup, took a small sip, then raised his eyelids to look at his son, a mysterious smile on his lips. "The men in our family all have a secret. We... can travel through time."

Wu Chen was stunned, thinking his father was joking. Wang Zhiwen, however, ignored his reaction and continued speaking, his mastery of dialogue on full display. His pace was slow, yet his delivery possessed a unique and convincing rhythm:
"Of course, it's not the kind of time travel you can do at will. You can only go back to your own past, to the places you remember. You can't go back to the future, nor can you change history..."

You can only change your own life.

He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, looked into Wu Chen's eyes, and said, word by word:

"The method is simple. Find a dark, secluded place, like a closet."
Clench your fist, and then think about the moment you want to return to... that's all.

Seeing his son's still incredulous expression, Wang Zhiwen smiled, leaned back in his chair, and said in a more relaxed tone, "Go ahead and give it a try."

Go back to last night and say something to the girl you didn't have a chance to say hello to.

Just treat it as...a game.

This scene was indeed a piece of cake for Wang Zhiwen.

He perfectly portrayed the complex emotions of a father telling his son a shocking secret—a emotions that were both serious and slightly teasing, mysterious and full of love.

……

Meanwhile, Ning Hao, far away in Beijing, was still having a headache over his film, "No Man's Land".

In the studio, Xing Aina watched Ning Hao frown as he repeatedly revised and deleted from his notebook, seemingly unable to make up his mind for several days in a row.
"Finish the post-production of 'The Golden Era' first."

There's no rush with "No Man's Land." Wait until Director Wu returns from Xiamen, then the two of you can sit down and discuss it properly. That's much faster than you blindly stumbling around like this now.

"……Too!"

Ning Hao rubbed his bloodshot eyes, snapping back to reality. He had almost forgotten about the important matter of "The Great Robbery".

Xing Aina breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that Ning Hao would be so engrossed in "No Man's Land" that he wouldn't be able to get out and would delay his new movie.

News from Cannes continues to cause a stir online.

Fan Binbin's stunning "crane" dress dominated the fashion pages of major media outlets.

It has to be said that when it comes to creating buzz on the red carpet, Fan Binbin is second to none in the industry.

Zhang Ziyi and Li Binbin were clearly outshone in terms of attire this time.

Fortunately, Gong Li was also present this year, so the related reports didn't dominate the spotlight for Fan Binbin alone.

Meanwhile, the domestic film market welcomed two prehistoric Hollywood behemoths – Fast & Furious 5 and Thor.

Unlike the lackluster performance of the two domestic "blockbusters" "Guan Yun Chang" and "The Warring States" in April, these two films, especially the former, demonstrated terrifying box office dominance as soon as they were released.

"Fast & Furious 5" easily surpassed 3000 million yuan at the box office on its opening day, and even rose against the trend on the second day. Its reputation and box office soared all the way, making it the only show in the entire May film market.

Meanwhile, there's also new information about Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War".

Christian Bale, the lead actor, has finished filming all his scenes for the film, and Zhang Yimou held a grand celebration banquet to mark the occasion.

Before leaving China, Bell made a special phone call to Wu Chen.

“Oh, man! My scenes in Jinling are all finished, Wu, and we haven’t even been able to have a meal together yet…” On the other end of the phone, Bell’s tone was full of regret.

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen chuckled in disbelief.
"Sorry, sorry. Something else just came up. It's okay, you'll need to come when you're promoting your movie at the end of the year, and I'll definitely make it up to you then."

"OK, OK, it's a deal!"

Bale had no objection to this. Indeed, as Wu Chen said, the release date for "The Flowers of War" has been set for the December holiday season.

Just then, a message quietly appeared on the homepage of major financial websites.

This didn't cause much of a stir in the film and television industry, because it was a matter for the internet industry.

"Shanda Literature has officially gone to the US, submitting its IPO application to the SEC, with plans to raise $200 million..."

Chen Tianqiao called soon after, specifically to discuss the matter with Wu Chen.

"Then I wish Chairman Chen a successful trip and a triumphant return."

"Haha, it's listed on the stock exchange! We're all happy for it!"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Tianqiao's laughter sounded very happy, and he seemed very confident about his trip to the United States.

(End of this chapter)