It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 145 Inviting the "Four Dan Actresses and Two Bing Actresses" (referring to actresses Gong Li and actress Zhang Manyu) to play supporting roles? (Seeking monthly votes)

The wrap party for "Taken" coincided with Liu Yifei's birthday party, generating plenty of buzz for the entertainment news the following day.

Early in the morning, all sorts of news headlines appeared:
"The celebration banquet coincided with the 18th birthday celebration of the movie's leading lady, Liu Yifei: Princess Sissi, who is loved by all!"

"After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui reappeared in front of the public to celebrate Liu Yifei's birthday."

Director Lü Rui said, "My leading lady has come of age," and recounted the debut experience of "Rui Girl" Liu Yifei since she was 17 years old...

Across the entire internet, nearly half of the media outlets are reporting on last night's birthday party.

Liu Yifei's popularity, which had already skyrocketed due to "Taken", has surged again!
Even the photo of her wearing a white dress and a diamond tiara last night was published on the front page of the print media.

The term "celestial beauty" is frequently mentioned by fans.

At the same time, the title of "Rui Girl" was officially attached to her, making many actresses and female stars in the Chinese entertainment industry envious.

In contrast, there's Huang Shengyi, the "Star Girl" who keeps pulling off outrageous moves.

Since she shot her sexy photo album, the existing conflict between her and Star Shine has been completely intensified!
However, before Xinghui could take action to block her, she instead launched a "victim-first" attack.

At a hastily convened press conference, she tearfully accused Star Overseas of numerous unreasonable acts of suppression and stated that she would unilaterally terminate her eight-year management contract regardless of the cost.

I don't care if I have to pay money to buy my freedom or leave the entertainment industry!

In an attempt to gain sympathy, she even disclosed the details of her contract with Star Overseas to the media.

Firstly, Star Overseas never considers her personal wishes when it comes to getting her roles and commercials. There are some roles and commercials that she clearly doesn't want to do, but the company forces her to do them.

Actually, this kind of situation exists in every entertainment company. As an actor, how can you expect to make money smoothly all the time?
But when unspoken rules are brought into the open, they naturally become oppression.

Secondly, Xinghui deliberately falsified accounts to embezzle her funds. For example, they would accept a film or television role for 50 yuan in external fees, but would only say internally that they received 10 yuan.

That's really going too far!
It's tolerable for artists to receive low commissions, but to engage in financial fraud is just bullying honest people.

Unfortunately, Stephen Chow already had a similar criminal record.

His stinginess is well-known in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. His ex-girlfriend broke up with him because he was too stingy.

When Huang Shengyi tearfully uttered these two points, the image of a "weak and pitiful person exploited by an evil boss" was immediately established.

The media present were outraged!

After the news was reported, netizens voiced their support and encouragement.

Star Overseas' public relations skills were already terrible, and Stephen Chow's interpersonal relationships were extremely poor. Not only did he not have many supporters in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, but many people also came out to kick him when he was down.

For example, that fat lady jumped out and shouted that she would help Huang Shengyi hire a lawyer to fight the lawsuit and bring down the bad boss...

But in reality, the root cause of Huang Shengyi's contract termination was simply that Xinghui had too few resources.

After her debut as a "Star Girl" (a term referring to actresses discovered by Stephen Chow), her career has been incredibly miserable!

She played a supporting role in "The World's Finest," and when she finally got a movie role, she could only co-star with a male lead like Song Zude, who was strangely handsome and had questionable character...

She felt that she had been fooled by Stephen Chow's famous name.

Although Star Overseas sounds impressive, it's actually just a small workshop that collaborates with Stephen Chow on film production.

Strictly speaking, everyone in the company except him is just a tool.

Including Huang Shengyi, the newest "Star Girl".

She felt like she was just a tool, a "juicing machine" that Xinghui used to make money!
If there's profit to be made, a little hardship and fatigue are nothing.

The key issue is that Star Overseas' film and television projects have extremely low output, and they rely entirely on external resources.

Stephen Chow himself has extremely poor relations with major film and television companies in Hong Kong, and he doesn't have many acquaintances in mainland China.

Based on this, Huang Shengyi's resources are simply terrible.

She and Liu Yifei rose to fame around the same time; one was a "Star Girl" and the other a "Rui Girl".

But look at other people's "Taken" and then look at your own co-star Song Zude.

Huang Shengyi, who was already feeling frustrated, could hardly hold back from exploding.

Besides, she had the confidence to back it up.

If Xinghui won't let her go, then let's sue them.

Liu Yifei has a famous director, Lü Rui, behind her, and her boyfriend, Yang Zi, is a capitalist with a net worth of billions. Who knows who will be more successful!

However, she soon realized the gap.

Liu Yifei's 18th birthday celebration and her role as a leading actress with 3 million yuan in box office revenue already made her extremely envious.

The subsequent announcements from Kerui Vision brought tears to her eyes!

"Produced exclusively by Ruishijie, starring Ge You and Liu Tao, with Fu Biao and Jiang Wen making guest appearances, Shen Ao's directorial debut comedy, 'Remote Control,' is officially scheduled for release on October 1st."

"Following 'Hitch,' director Zhao Peng's second youth/comedy film, 'Sunny Sisters,' has been officially launched!"
The script, written and produced by director Lü Rui, tells the story of housewife Ren Nami who, in order to help her former best friend Xia Chunhua, who is suffering from a terminal illness, fulfill her dream of reuniting with the members of her "Sunny" sisterhood from high school.

"The casting requirements for 'Sunny Sisters' have been announced: 14 main female roles for actresses of middle age and younger, 1 female villain, and 1 handsome male role aged 20-25..."

"The lead role of 'Young Ren Nami' in 'Sunny Sisters' has been cast, with Liu Yifei playing the part."

There are no secrets in the entertainment industry.

At the birthday party, the news that Liu Yifei had unpacked a "script" gift had already spread throughout the industry.

With so many people present, how could anyone possibly hide?
At first, everyone was very curious about what kind of script Lü Rui had given her.
Now that the "Sunny Sisters" project has been announced, Liu Yifei has been chosen as the lead actress... Anyone with eyes can see that this is a gift that Lü Rui prepared for her!
Or rather, it's simply tailor-made!
"Sunny Sisters" – just from the title, you can tell it's a female-centric story.

Plus, she's the female lead, so it's obvious this is a ploy to promote her.
For a time, not to mention the internet, the entire film and television industry was in an uproar that was hard to contain!
"So they've given us another female lead role???"

Huang Shengyi, who was enjoying life in Yangzi's villa, jumped up from the sofa the moment he saw the news.

She's been with Star Shine for almost a year, but hasn't even landed a leading role.

But Liu Yifei is already preparing to take on the second one!

What the hell is this difference?

Overwhelmed with envy, she became even more determined to leave Star Glory.

If Stephen Chow continues to drag this out, she might end up like one of his leading ladies, disappearing without a trace.
Just think how popular Li Hui was back then!

Lu Xiangxiang, the second female lead in "Shaolin Soccer" and "Young Justice Bao 2", has now completely disappeared from the public eye due to a lack of resources.

Huang Shengyi was absolutely certain that Li Hui's present was her future.

Spurred on by Liu Yifei's film resources, she became even more restless.

Yang Zi has been helping her with the arrangements, but she herself hasn't been idle either.

Song Zude repeatedly stated that he could help her speak out in support and form an alliance.

Although that guy wasn't good-looking and his character wasn't great, he still had some connections in the media circle. Huang Shengyi thought that perhaps he could ask him for a hand.

……

The official announcement of the "Sunny Sisters" project attracted a large number of media outlets who crowded outside the Ruishijie store.

Lü Rui was too lazy to deal with these people, so he simply sent Zhao Peng out to give an interview.

He knew that these reporters wouldn't act until they saw something, so he specifically asked the administration to prepare red envelopes and instructed Zhao Peng to leak some information.

"The film's investment starts at 3000 million yuan, with no upper limit, mainly depending on the casting..."

This was the information that Lü Rui had instructed him to disclose, and Zhao Peng told him the truth.

However, she then thought about how to generate some buzz for the project, so she added, "Of the 14 leading actresses for the China Youth Daily, besides Liu Yifei, I also plan to invite the 'Four Dan Actresses and Two Bing Actresses,' Gong Li, Zhang Manyu, and Zhang Baizhi to audition..."

Reporters from Sina, NetEase, and Baidu were completely bewildered: "???"

After regaining their senses, everyone's first reaction was disbelief!

But then, considering the premise of "3000 million in cost, with no upper limit," coupled with Ruishijie's strong financial backing, it inexplicably felt that it might be credible.

If they can make a film like "Taken" with a budget of 1 million yuan, why can't they get the "Four Dan Actresses and Two Bing Actresses" to work?

Besides, the salaries of top-tier actors aren't particularly expensive these days, so Ruishijie can definitely afford to pay that amount!
So, after receiving the bribes, the reporters returned to their offices and immediately began to publicize the story extensively:
Shocking! Four actresses and two actresses (referring to actresses Bing and Dan) have decided to star in "Sunny Sisters," portraying a story of deep sisterly affection!

"With an investment of over 100 million yuan, 'Sunny Sisters' will be comparable to Hollywood blockbusters."

"Best actress joins the cast, creating an all-star movie lineup!"

When these news items appeared online, they immediately alarmed a group of investors.

"Are you really going to make this big?" Han Sanping called excitedly, already prepared to spend money.

"It's just to generate some buzz for now." Lü Rui was both amused and exasperated. This guy was obsessed with big-budget productions, he was practically delusional. "No way!" Han Sanping exclaimed urgently, "Just go for this scale! You can invite any award-winning actress, the 'Four Dan Actresses and Two Bing Actresses,' I'll cover the investment if it's not enough!"

Lü Rui: "..."

It took him a long time to finally calm Han Sanping down.

But no sooner had he hung up the phone than Wang Zhonglei showed up at his door, and the first thing he asked was, "Want some double ice cream? If you do, just say the word, and I'll pack it up and send it over to you!"

"???"

"As long as Huayi can participate in the investment, the old rules apply: you can just give a token amount for the actors' salaries, or you can refuse!"

"Mr. Wang, don't rush, the project proposal isn't finished yet."

After much persuasion, Lü Rui finally managed to see him out of the company gate.

Turning around, Liu Xiaoli called again: "Director Lü? The media is all over Hongxingwu, asking if we're going to create an all-star lineup. How should we cooperate?"

"Neither admitting nor denying."

"it is good."

Liu Xiaoli understood immediately, hung up the phone, and gave a vague answer on behalf of her daughter:

"It's an honor for Sisi to act in the new film from Ruishijie and play the lead role. We will do our best to portray this character well. While our co-stars are excellent, we will strive not to disappoint our fans..."

This ambiguous response did not reduce the heat; on the contrary, it fueled it even more!

In the Rui Vision app, after hanging up the phone, Lü Rui looked at Zhao Peng's slightly flustered appearance and couldn't help but laugh: "What? You've already bragged about it, but you can't handle it yourself?"

Zhao Peng scratched his head somewhat awkwardly: "I didn't expect it to generate so much buzz. The media and netizens seem to be really looking forward to me bringing the 'Four Dan and Two Bing' actresses into one film crew."

"Then just pull them along, invite them over for auditions, that's all!" Who wouldn't want to see actresses fight? Lü Rui thought so too.

"How is that possible? They're such big stars, why would they play supporting roles?"

"That settles it then?" Lu Rui shrugged, completely unperturbed. "It's not that we didn't invite them, it's that they didn't come. What does that have to do with us? We're also disappointed, but we have to respect other people's choices, right?"

Zhao Peng wasn't stupid; he was just momentarily overwhelmed by the overwhelming public attention.

After realizing what was happening, he suddenly understood!
For a commercial film to be a box office success, quality is fundamental, but promotion is also crucial.

The more extensive the publicity, the higher the level of attention from netizens, and naturally, the more people will go to the cinema.

Currently, "Sunny Sisters" has become the focus of heated discussion across the internet as soon as it was announced, and this wave of popularity is a great thing for the movie!
However, at this moment, Lü Rui added, "Popularity is fine, but don't follow Zhang Jizhong's example and parade people around like that. It won't do you any good."

“I understand!” Zhao Peng nodded emphatically.

He realized this too; he could send audition invitations to actresses like the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), Gong Li, Zhang Baizhi, and Zhang Manyu.

If you're willing to come, then participate in the audition.

If they don't want to come, then let's not talk about it anymore.

It's that simple.

If they pass the audition, they are indeed willing to act...

"Then sign the contract! Let them perform!" Lu Rui set the tone immediately. "If you can get all these people here, I'd spend 200 million, let alone 100 million!"

He was very confident.

I'm afraid they won't come; if they do, I'll take them all!
If they could really assemble a lineup of big names, with that kind of hype and buzz, they wouldn't have to worry about finding investors even for a massive investment project of 2 million, 3 million, or 4 million.

Putting everything else aside, just the advertisements and sponsors alone are enough to break down the doorstep of Ruishijie!

Even if domestic cinemas can't recoup their costs, there are still Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. By selling the copyrights all over the world, there are plenty of ways to break even.

Lü Rui has great confidence in this film.

According to media reports, after the release of the Korean version of "Sunny", the film ultimately grossed nearly 500 billion won at the box office with a low budget of 15 billion won!

For that reason alone, it's worth the gamble!
"Alright! Brother Rui, I understand what you mean." After realizing this, Zhao Peng immediately prepared to go and make a big splash.

But just as he was about to leave, he remembered something and asked, "Huang Shengyi's agent called and said she wants to audition. Should we give her a chance?"

Lu Rui asked instinctively, "Starlight?!"

“No.” Zhao Peng shook his head. “It’s Yang Zi, the one who drives a Hummer limousine and calls herself the president.”

During this period, as the conflict between Huang Shengyi and Xinghui intensified, Yang Zi's fame also rose accordingly.

Claiming to be Huang Shengyi's manager, he became an internet sensation with the statement, "It's not a question of whether I offended Stephen Chow, it's that he offended me!"
This guy is really good at presenting himself.

He clearly came to the entertainment industry to make money, but claimed that he left Juli because he was "too successful to be a threat to the master," and even said that he was "suitable to conquer the world, but not suitable to maintain it."

Now he's even more popular than Huang Shengyi!
"Ignore these two and tell them to get as far away as possible."

Netizens may have been fooled by Huang Shengyi's "weak, pitiful and helpless" image, but Lu Rui, combining various rumors from his previous life, clearly knows that she is not innocent!
Although Star Shine is a shady company, isn't she also a shrewd one?

The former manipulated accounts, the latter took on side jobs, was looking for something better while already having one, and distorted the truth...

Neither side is any good; to put it bluntly, it's a case of "dogs fighting each other!"
He didn't want these kinds of troubles to get into the film crew.

"Okay, Brother Rui, I understand."

Zhao Peng turned and left the office, intending to first throw the resume Yang Zi had brought into the shredder.

……

Time flies, and August is coming to an end in the blink of an eye.

Besides the contract termination controversy involving the "Star Girl" (actresses who rose to fame through Stephen Chow's films), the results of the second season of "Super Girl" also became a hot topic of discussion among the public.

Li Yuchun won the top prize with "My Heart Only Has You, Not Him" ​​and "Zombie".

Zhou Bichang won second place with "Relief" and "Love Me or Him".

Jane Zhang won third place with her renditions of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Loving You".

Lü Rui naturally wouldn't miss out on such a competition that involves everyone, and he watched several episodes as well.

He wasn't interested in Li Yuchun or Zhou Bichang, but he was quite curious about Zhang Liangying.

How did this girl, who wore blue eyeshadow, a dowdy T-shirt and jeans, but had an amazing high-pitched voice, later become a "succubus"?

Who exactly came up with the idea of ​​making her wear a fishtail skirt and gold-rimmed glasses?
At the same time, in addition to the Super Girl competition coming to an end, Seven Swords also officially concluded.

A massive investment of 1.4 million RMB ultimately yielded only 7763 million RMB in box office revenue, resulting in a loss rate as high as 75%!

Under the direction of Hsu Ke, a Golden Horse Award-winning director, the cast of "Seven Swords" is exceptionally strong.

During the pre-release promotion, he specifically mentioned that he had spent several years carefully polishing the script.

Unexpectedly, the carefully crafted plot became its biggest flaw, completely failing to make sense.

Even though the production team quickly launched several rounds of promotional activities to help, with big names from Hong Kong and Taiwan joining in, the results were still very poor.

Media outlets and film critics, having received bribes, lavishly praised the film for its "superb acting, stunning visuals, and meticulous production"...

However, most viewers said they didn't understand it, only remembering that there were a lot of celebrities, but nothing else stood out.

This film is a complete failure.

In contrast, Taken presents a completely different picture!
On the 31st, China Film Group announced the film's overall performance after one month of release.

"Director Lü Rui's latest action/suspense film, Taken, has grossed 3.35 million yuan in China, 5637 million Hong Kong dollars, and 1.76 million New Taiwan dollars in Taiwan in 30 days since its release."

The film grossed $442 million in Singapore, $276 million in Malaysia, 14 billion yen in Japan, and 27.6 billion won in South Korea…

In total, the film has grossed a staggering 6.15 million RMB! (Note: It has not yet been released in Europe or America.)

When this number was announced, all the domestic directors were stunned!
Envy, jealousy, hatred... a variety of emotions surged into my heart!
With a budget of 1 million, it has already grossed 6.15 million RMB in Europe and America before even being released. How much money is that?
Although the specific share of each production company is unclear, the amount of revenue that can be distributed is not difficult to estimate.

After deducting expenses for cinemas, taxes, etc., the figure is: 2.307 million!
After deducting 1 million in costs, the remaining amount is 1.307 million.

Ruishijie and Ruixing Pictures together account for 50% of the market share.

In other words, Lü Rui earned 6535 million yuan from this movie without spending a penny, solely through his efforts!
This is the revenue before the film was released in North America, before the copyright was sold, and before any advertising revenue sharing was received. If this part is included, doubling the revenue would be a piece of cake!
Last year, "The Prestige" grossed over 8000 million yuan, and this film, "Taken," is expected to gross 1.5 million yuan!
This is a huge windfall!
Just then, China Film Group Corporation simultaneously announced a piece of news:
"To thank the audience for their love and support of 'Taken,' the film's production company and distributor have reached a consensus to extend the film's release date for the second time, extending the screening period to September 30, 2005."

Thank you to everyone who witnessed this rescue journey with us. The theater lights are still on; we cordially invite you to relive this thrilling and heartwarming story of fatherly love, and to revisit the moving moment when a father risks everything to save his daughter!

The first key extension notice for a Chinese-language film has been officially issued!

The entire film and television industry was once again in an uproar!
At the same time, the long-awaited system notification sound rang in Lü Rui's ears...

(End of this chapter)