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

Chapter 187 The wicked will be punished by the wicked! A pleasant surprise or a shock? (Seeking monthly votes)

When it comes to the works of the Fifth Generation directors, they are absolutely renowned in the Chinese film industry!
Zhang Yimou's "Red Sorghum" and Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine" are both classic representative works from their early period.

Although Feng Xiaogang's creative style focuses more on urban comedies, judging from his seniority, status in the film industry, and the historical context of his artistic creation, he is generally classified as a fifth-generation director.

Their love stories are equally fascinating.

Feng Kuzi had been divorced once, while Chen Da Shiren had an ex-wife, a TV host girlfriend with whom he had lived for 5 years, and finally took over Teng Se Mo's lover.

In contrast, although Zhang Yimou is not high-profile in his personal life, his romantic history is no less extensive.

In 1978, he married his first wife, with whom he had a daughter, Zhang Mo.

In 1990, after divorcing his wife, he and Gong Li officially started dating, and then announced their breakup in 95.

Later, in 1999, when he was 49 years old, he met Chen Ting, who was 19 years old, and they began living together discreetly.

This shows that no matter how old a man is, he will choose a young and beautiful woman rather than an older single woman.

A girl won't stay eighteen forever, but there will always be girls who are eighteen...

Getting back to the main point, speaking of the cast of "Curse of the Golden Flower," this marks Zhang Yimou's first collaboration with Gong Li in 11 years since "Shanghai Triad."

During their eight-year-long passionate relationship, Gong Li considered herself Zhang Yimou's go-to leading lady.

Many classic films, such as "Ju Dou," "Raise the Red Lantern," "The Story of Qiu Ju," and "To Live," are the result of their passionate love.

Their collaboration successfully propelled Gong Li onto the international film scene!

The first international award won by a mainland Chinese actress, the Venice Film Festival Best Actress Award, was won by Zhang Yimou when he collaborated with Gong Li.

Although Zhang Yimou continued making films after their breakup, his achievements in art films declined considerably from his peak.

Gong Li also seemed to fall into a slump, and many of her subsequent works did not achieve great success.

In particular, the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" that she made last year attracted a lot of controversy and was criticized by Zhang Ziyi.

Rob Marshall commented on Zhang Ziyi, saying: "She will be the next target pursued by the whole world!"

Because of this sentence, Zhang Ziyi's name became an instant sensation!

Thus, Gong Li and Yang Ziqiong, who co-starred with her in "Memoirs of a Geisha," all became stepping stones for her.

Some media outlets even reported that Gong Li had the most scenes before filming began, but Zhang Ziyi became the lead actress as filming progressed, suggesting that Zhang may have approached the director to intervene…

Whether the matter is true or not is unknown, but it is an undeniable fact that Gong Li has entered a "slump".

However, today, New Pictures suddenly announced that Gong Li will be the female lead in "Curse of the Golden Flower" and will be collaborating with Zhang Yimou again.

The news instantly went viral across the internet!
Media reporters flocked to New Pictures Film Studio, all eager to uncover the inside story.

Zhang Yimou did not appear, but Zhang Weiping showed up and told the "insider" story: "You all don't know, but I know this best!"

When Zhang Yimou and Gong Li were deeply in love, he made a promise on the Great Wall that one day he would definitely let Gong Li play an empress.

Later, when Zhang Yimou was preparing for "Curse of the Golden Flower," he wanted to fulfill his promise from years ago with this film, which moved Gong Li and became the key reason why she agreed to star in it..."

After he said that, a news headline, "Zhang Yimou and Gong Li rekindle their old flame," quickly appeared on the front page of a major portal website, instantly sparking heated discussions across the internet!

"What?! Really?! These two are back together?!"

In the office, Shen Ao watched the news, exclaiming in surprise.

“How is that possible?” Lü Rui gave a direct analysis: “Zhang Yimou has a girlfriend, and Gong Li has been married for a long time. It’s 100% impossible for them to get together.”

He knew perfectly well that this was another marketing tactic by Zhang Weiping.

This guy never hesitates to use any means necessary when it comes to publicity.

When they invited Chow Yun-fat to star in the film, they demanded a staggering 4000 million yuan fee.

After confirming Jay Chou's role, they deliberately leaked news that Qin Junjie was vying for the role, causing a war of words to break out between the two sides' fans online.

Now that Gong Li has been confirmed to star, she's once again using the "rekindled romance" trope to her advantage—that's quite a shrewd tactic.

It's not surprising when you think about it. After all, he's the kind of person who can write vulgar diaries like "Me and Bale in a Bed Scene," so what's this little thing compared to that?
There's still a lot of fun to come.

However, although this kind of marketing is disgusting, it is surprisingly effective.

The name "Curse of the Golden Flower" spread across the entire internet in just one morning, becoming a hot topic of discussion among many netizens.

Zhang Weiping has clearly achieved his goal.

But before he could even feel happy, the people who were tormenting him arrived.

As the saying goes: Evil people will be punished by other evil people.

He was happily scrolling through the news when his assistant suddenly pushed the door open and came in to report, "Mr. Zhang, Chow Yun-fat has made a new request. He wants the production team to provide him with a luxury RV, saying it will be convenient for his wife to rest when she visits the set."

Luxury RV?

Zhang Weiping was taken aback, his brows furrowing instantly: "Why? He's never heard of needing a motorhome when he was filming in Hollywood!"

The assistant sighed helplessly, "He said he wouldn't come to act if he wasn't given a role."

"grass!"

Zhang Weiping couldn't help but slam his hand on the table, cursing Chow Yun-fat under his breath for "acting like a big shot" and "being a scoundrel."

But in order to ensure the smooth filming of the movie, and for the sake of subsequent box office revenue and profits, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and accept it.

"Rent it! Rent it according to his requirements! Tell him this is a one-time exception..."

"Okay, Mr. Zhang."

The assistant acknowledged and left, leaving Zhang Weiping sitting in the chair, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

……

In the afternoon, the auditions for "Dying to Survive" officially began in the Ruishijie audition room.

In order to quickly find the right rhythm and get into work mode as soon as possible, Lü Rui decided to start by trying out supporting roles.

Even for supporting roles, the waiting area was packed with actors vying for them, demonstrating the project's appeal.

The role of "Lu Shouyi" alone attracted a host of popular young actors, including Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Tong Dawei, Xia Yu, and Ren Quan.

Although it's just a supporting role, this is an award-contending film directed by Lü Rui. Even just showing my face or playing a small role is an opportunity to connect with a top director.

Connections within the industry are built through such collaborations.

Many directors prefer to use familiar actors when starting a new film, so no one wants to miss this opportunity to "show their face".

The auditions proceeded in sequence.

However, when it was Huang Xiaoming's turn, he bypassed the script and started talking about something unrelated: "Director Lü, I am especially grateful to you for taking care of my ex-girlfriend Qin Lan during the promotion of 'Crossing the Guandong'."

She specifically asked me to pass on a message today, saying that she'd like to invite you to dinner when you have time, to properly thank you.

Lu Rui raised an eyebrow, instantly seizing on the words "ex-girlfriend," and subconsciously asked, "You broke up?"

Huang Xiaoming smiled calmly and said in a relaxed tone, "Yes, neither of us wanted our relationship to affect our careers, and we also spent most of our time apart, so we broke up peacefully without any conflict."

"Oh, okay."

Lu Rui instantly understood.

Even a peaceful breakup is still a breakup. From now on, Qin Lan will no longer need his special "care".

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly: The leader's emotional intelligence is really high. He not only subtly distanced himself from Qin Lan, but also avoided making the scene awkward. He is much better than many artists who can only deal with each other in a rigid manner.

Unfortunately, high emotional intelligence doesn't equate to good acting skills.

The character of Lü Shouyi requires forbearance, vulnerability, and the struggles of a lowly person, but Huang Xiaoming completely lacks these qualities.

His performances always carry an inescapable sense of "refinement," which is really unsuitable for this role.

After the audition, Huang Xiaoming was a little disappointed, but he didn't show it. Before leaving, he even said with a smile, "Director Lü, if things go well, I might even become your junior."

Lu Rui was very surprised and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Zhao Yanzi and I are taking the entrance exam for the Master of Fine Arts program in Directing at Beijing Film Academy. We've already passed the first round of the general exams, and now we're just waiting for the professional interviews."

"Oh, haha, congratulations then."

Lu Rui's expression didn't change much, but when Huang Xiaoming turned to leave, he gave Shen Ao a wink.

Shen Ao immediately understood and quietly left the audition room to check the information.

The auditions continued.

Deng Chao, Tong Dawei, Xia Yu and others came in one after another, but they were all eliminated because their appearance or acting skills did not meet the requirements.

Deng Chao's performance was too extroverted, lacking the "quiet" quality of Lü Shouyi; Tong Dawei's temperament was too mild, unable to support the character's despair in the later stages; Xia Yu was too sharp, inconsistent with the timidity of a small person.

None of them could hide their regret.

In comparison, Tong Dawei seemed quite carefree, since he had already been confirmed to play the male lead in "Apple" and was only here to audition to try and get more opportunities.

After the others left, Shen Ao strode in: "Brother Rui, I found it."

Lu Rui turned to look at him: "Tell me, what's going on?"

"The Beijing Film Academy has opened a new Master of Fine Arts program in directing this year, and the first batch of applicants did include Zhao Yanzi, Huang Xiaoming, and several other artists in the industry."

The mentor team includes Tian Zhuangzhuang... and it seems they've applied to Professor Tian's research area..."

Shen Ao was still describing everything in great detail, but Lü Rui's brows had already furrowed.

As far as I can remember, Zhao Yanzi did indeed get into the Beijing Film Academy's Master of Fine Arts program, and later, like Xu Jinglei, she transitioned into directing.

It's worth mentioning that some of the films she made did quite well at the box office.

However, the thought that this woman might become his "junior" made Lü Rui feel uneasy.

He hated Zhao Yanzi from every angle, both physically and mentally, and didn't want to have anything to do with her at all!
Both being members of the "Four Dan Actresses", Zhang Ziyi's ambition is written all over her face, but her cunning is lacking.

Xu Jinglei wants it all; she relies on men to pave her way while also trying to establish herself as an "independent and talented woman." Zhou Xun, on the other hand, is single-mindedly focused on climbing the ladder, wanting to win at everything she does, and also wants to have a say in the production crew.

Zhao Yanzi, on the surface, looks as innocent as Xiao Yanzi from "Princess Pearl," but in reality, she hides her ambition and scheming very deeply!
You can tell from the boyfriends she chooses that they are either rich or powerful. She calculates every step very carefully, but always pretends to be "uninterested in fame and fortune".

Poor Huang Xiaoming confessed his love many times, but all his efforts were in vain.

This woman is no pushover; once you're hooked, she's like a stubborn leech that you can't shake off.

Lu Rui silently kept this in mind, determined to find an opportunity to interfere.

It would be best to kick Zhao Yanzi out of this assessment, or at least prevent her from joining Tian Zhuangzhuang's school, so that we don't run into each other all the time.

……

The auditions are still ongoing.

Ren Quan and several other young actors were also eliminated one after another.

For some reason, Lü Rui always felt that Ren Quan's temperament had a bit of an overly effeminate "girlishness".

The more you get to know him, the more obvious it becomes; he doesn't fit the rough and resilient nature of a lower-class man like Lü Shouyi at all.

"Hello, Director Lü. Hello, Director Shen."

At that moment, Zhang Yi pushed open the door and walked in.

He was the last actor to audition today, and also the least famous and lowest-ranking, but Lü Rui had exceptionally high expectations for him.

At the wrap party for "Soldiers Sortie" a while ago, he specifically asked Zhang Yi for his phone number, hoping to get him to try out for the role of Lü Shouyi.

"Begin your performance." Lü Rui crossed his arms, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

"Ok."

Zhang Yi nodded, gathered his emotions, and quickly got into the zone.

“When I first got sick, my wife was only six months pregnant. She felt like dying every day… Now that we have medicine and money, if my son had been born earlier, I think I could be a grandfather by now…”

As he recited his lines, the timidity and resentment in his eyes, the cautiousness in his speech, and even the slight trembling of his fingertips, all brought to life the character of Lü Shouyi, a small man who "fears illness but has no choice but to face it."

Lu Rui's eyes lit up, but he quickly frowned slightly.

Although Zhang Yi acted well, he was not without flaws.

For example, his physique was quite different from what the role required.

So, after the audition, Lü Rui stared at his figure and asked, "How much do you weigh now?"

"Around 140." Zhang Yi scratched his head a little embarrassedly, "I didn't pay much attention when I wasn't filming, so my weight rebounded."

After filming "Soldiers Sortie," he took a break for a while and didn't control his diet, which made him look much stronger, making him seem less frail than a typical cancer patient.

"If I asked you to lose weight, to at least below 110 pounds, or even thinner, could you do it?"

Lü Rui spoke with unusual seriousness.

How could someone who has suffered from cancer for many years and has liver failure have such a robust physique?

The most basic requirement is that the actor must fit the role; otherwise, no matter how good the acting is, it's useless.

"Sure!" Zhang Yi agreed without hesitation, his eyes shining.

In his view, losing weight is nothing as long as he can get the role.

It's common for actors to adjust their weight for a role.

Some people are willing to damage their bodies for the sake of results... Losing about 30 pounds is nothing to him.

Since he chose to enter the film and television industry, he just wanted to be a pure actor, and it was only natural for him to dedicate himself to the roles.

"That's fine then." Lu Rui nodded in satisfaction. "Go ahead and sign a letter of intent with the staff first. I need to see the results of your weight loss. Let's make it clear in advance: if you don't lose weight before filming starts, I'll find someone else."

"Okay, Director Lü! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Zhang Yi thanked them repeatedly with excitement and quickly followed the staff to the next office.

After he left, Shen Ao suddenly interjected, "Brother Rui, when I was browsing the news online, I saw that some production teams would specifically market the fact that actors lose weight for their roles. Should we do that too?"

“Not for now.” Lu Rui shook his head, his tone carrying a warning, “Remember, no matter what, the movie plot is the core.”

Promoting actors' weight loss should at most be a minor element added to the plot; it should never be the sole focus. That's putting the cart before the horse and will only make the audience think we have nothing to brag about, ruining our public image.

"Okay, I've got it!"

Shen Ao nodded emphatically, taking those words to heart.

The auditions continued...

When it came to the role of "Peng Hao," Lü Rui immediately cast Wang Baoqiang.

The main reason I was attracted to him was his unadorned innocence.

Xu Sanduo in "Soldiers Sortie" had a stubborn streak, while Peng Hao needed a reckless drive. Lü Rui felt that he could portray this "roughness" perfectly matched the stubbornness of the character's lower-class character.

In the following days, several supporting roles were also finalized.

The landlord wasn't originally someone they were looking for, but Ning Hao, having nothing better to do, came over to join in the fun. Lü Rui spotted him immediately and conscripted him.

"You have this 'mercenary' air about you, you'd be perfect for playing a landlord chasing rent, why don't you show your face?"

Ning Hao was a little confused, but he didn't refuse and agreed on the spot.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wen was downstairs doing post-production work on "The Sun Also Rises".

Just as he came up for a break, he was caught red-handed by Lü Rui as soon as he entered the door: "Director Jiang, since you're already here, how about playing a policeman? Like Cao Bin's role."

"Me? Playing a policeman?" Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you play a policeman who lost his gun in ‘Looking for a Gun’ before? Playing a policeman again this time is a good fit for your major!” Lü Rui said with a smile, making up a reason.

Jiang Wen didn't refuse, but made a request: "I can act, but you have to change the character for me. This policeman is too annoying in the early stages, and I don't want to be criticized after the movie is released."

He had read the script before and knew that Cao Bin was on the side of "legal principles" in the early stages, so from the patient's perspective, he was actually half a villain.

"Okay, okay, no problem!"

Lu Rui casually agreed, but he had his own plans in mind.

First, lure people in; the character development can be refined later.

After that, none of the people who came to visit the set escaped Lü Rui's "poisonous hands".

Ren Zhonglun was brought in to play a pharmaceutical representative, and his appearance in a suit and tie perfectly suited the role.

Zhang Piming, chairman of Xi'an Film Studio, possessed an inherent sense of righteousness and was directly assigned the role of police chief.

Han Sanping was the only one who was very unhappy with the character of "Zhang Changlin, the fake drug dealer".

"Can't you give me a positive role?"

Lu Rui suppressed a laugh: "There's also a couples' hotel owner who offers free samples of Indian herbal oil. Want some?"

"No!" Han Sanping refused sternly.

Even a fake drug dealer is a "character" in a way. If he plays a hotel owner and has to mention "miracle oil," where will he put his face if this gets out?

Ren Zhonglun, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in: "You've been a director and an actor before, so why are you being so picky about a cameo role?"

"How about we switch roles? I'll play a pharmaceutical salesperson, and you sell fake medicine?" Han Sanping rolled his eyes at him.

"No change!" Ren Zhonglun immediately waved his hand. "My journey to and from the set is long, and I don't have time to waste on set."

Zhang Piming silently took two steps back, silently chanting in his heart: Don't see me, don't let anyone see me...

He was very satisfied with his role as bureau chief and didn't want to be replaced.

At this moment, Zhao Peng suddenly leaned forward and whispered, "President Han, Chairman Ren, your roles are both pretty good, but I'm the only one who's pitiful. Brother Rui wants me to do a striptease!"

His tone was full of resentment, yet he skillfully helped Han Sanping out of the predicament.

"Hahaha!" The group burst into laughter.

Han Sanping patted him on the shoulder: "Don't be sad. When your new film is released, I'll ask the distributor to give you more promotion."

Zhao Peng's eyes lit up: "That's great! Thank you, President Han!"

"Don't mention it, it's nothing."

The supporting roles have been cast one after another, but no one is willing to play the owner of the love hotel.

If Fu Biao were still alive, he could have played this role, but unfortunately he left us too soon...

In the end, Jiang Wen suggested, "I'll give Ge You a call. With makeup on, he looks like he has 'kidney deficiency,' so he'd be perfect for the role."

Before Lü Rui could speak, Jiang Wen had already dialed the number.

When Ge You heard that it was a cameo role for Lü Rui, he readily agreed without even asking about the character, saying, "Just call me when filming starts, I'll be there anytime."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Wen chuckled mischievously, "I'll give Lao Ge a surprise later."

Lu Rui couldn't help but smile: "This isn't a surprise, it's a complete shock!"

He could already picture Ge You arriving at the film set and, upon hearing the role he was to play, wailing that he'd been tricked.

"Hahahahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter again.

Two days later, the auditions entered their final stage, with auditions for several important supporting actresses and leading actors starting one after another.

In the morning, Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, and Huo Siyan arrived at Ruishijie almost one after the other.

Outside the audition room, the three met, their eyes met in the air, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward...

(End of this chapter)