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

Chapter 205: Jumping out to "courte himself" after filming wrapped and the movie was released! (Seeking monthly votes)

Despite the uproar from the outside world, Lü Rui didn't pay much attention.

In particular, when Wu Yu was teased by Alan Horn, he actually enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

It would be better if the argument got even louder.

Does Wu Yu still want to go back to Hollywood?
Let’s have his spring and autumn dreams!
Meanwhile, the day after returning to China, the final filming of "Dying to Survive" began.

In the footage, Jiang Wu sells all the drugs he acquired from abroad at high prices to his fellow patients at prices far below cost.

He didn't know how much time he had left to live; he only wanted to do something meaningful before he passed away, to fulfill the wishes of his deceased brother, and to atone for the mistakes he made in his youth...

The name "Medicine God Club" quickly spread among patients, and Jiang Wu became the real "Medicine God" in everyone's hearts!
Until his behavior was once again noticed by the police.

Jiang Wen, his own brother, personally led a team to arrest him.

At the drug-selling site, Jiang Wen pinned Jiang Wu to the table, his face filled with struggle and pain.

The conflict between legal principles and emotional considerations tormented him, causing him immense pain...

Jiang Wu smiled, a smile that contained both relief and resentment at not being able to continue searching for medicine for his fellow patients.

As for making mistakes?

He didn't think he was wrong, never had!
As he was being taken away in the police car, the window was crowded with fellow patients who had come to see him off. Some held up signs that read "Medicine God," while others waved with tears in their eyes...

Jiang Wu watched this scene, laughing and crying at the same time, tears mixed with relief streaming down his face.

Jiang Wen gripped the steering wheel, subconsciously slowing down the car, his voice hoarse: "I'll take good care of Dad, you don't need to worry..."

April 27, in court.

Jiang Wu, dressed in detention clothes, sat in the defendant's dock with an IV drip attached to his arm.

The law found him guilty, but considering his critical condition and limited time left, he was ultimately sentenced to probation.

As he walked out of the courthouse, Liu Yifei, playing the daughter, quickly stepped forward to support him.

The father and daughter smiled at each other, and all the barriers and misunderstandings melted away in that moment...

This ending follows the open-ended structure of "Dallas Buyers Club," but with less of the heaviness of imprisonment and more of a realistic warmth.

At 5 p.m., Lü Rui raised a megaphone and shouted loudly at the gathered film crew:
"I hereby announce that filming for 'Dying to Survive' has officially wrapped!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

Everyone high-fived each other in celebration, marking the successful conclusion of more than two months of round-the-clock filming.

Immediately afterwards, the crew moved to a hotel to hold a wrap party.

"If I were to film it, I would set the ending at the moment when he returns from abroad, the Medicine God Club opens, and the male lead's character is completely elevated."

At the dinner table, Jiang Wen expressed his dissatisfaction with the ending set by Lü Rui, and kept complaining about it.

Lu Rui shrugged: "There's nothing we can do. This is what the judiciary and the Supreme People's Procuratorate require. That's just how things are in our country. The outcome has to show that his actions were wrong."

What will happen if I don't listen?

"Either the film won't pass censorship, or you'll have to bite the bullet and go to film festivals, only to end up like you, banned from directing."

Jiang Wen picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then remained silent.

No one knows better than him how frustrating it is for a director to be blacklisted.

Lu Rui has a bright future ahead of him; it's not worth it to do this.

……

The casting call for "Lust, Caution" took place in the capital city.

The news that filming for "Dying to Survive" had wrapped up had already spread across the internet and within the industry, and Li An naturally received the news as well.

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the script, a vague premonition creeping into his heart.

If nothing unexpected happens, the two films may clash in terms of release date or awards later on.

Yu Dong had previously mentioned to him that the post-production review of "Dying to Survive" would be extremely difficult, and repeated revisions would be inevitable, so it might not be able to be finally scheduled for release until next year.

At that time, post-production on "Lust, Caution" should have been completed, and preparations were underway for its screening at a film festival...

"Ugh."

Li An sighed helplessly, a trace of regret flashing through his mind.

If I had known that Lü Rui would achieve such success both domestically and internationally, I really shouldn't have been so concerned about saving face back then.

Now that the other party is at the height of their power, if you are not careful, your hard-earned work may become a stepping stone to highlight him.

But it's too late to say anything now.

He also possesses a tenacious spirit and is not a timid person.

At worst, we'll just have a head-on showdown, and the audience will judge the outcome!

Thinking of this, he shook his head and gestured to his assistant to call in the next auditionee.

The audition was scheduled for the evening because the character of Wang Jiazhi carries complex emotional tension.

Especially when it comes to intimate scenes, actors need to portray the nuances from confusion to struggle.

So he wanted to take advantage of the relatively quiet atmosphere of the night to observe whether the actors could break through their psychological barriers and accurately convey the state of the characters.

The first person to walk in was Huo Siyan.

She wore a white shirt, deliberately unbuttoning the top two buttons to reveal her deep, alluring cleavage, and confidently introduced herself in the center of the room: "Director Li, hello, I'm actress Huo Siyan..."

Li nodded and calmly stated the audition requirements: "Please act out a scene where Wang Jiazhi and Mr. Yi are 'deeply' in bed."

It should be accompanied by concrete actions, while emphasizing her inner turmoil, her dedication to the mission, and the bewilderment of a young girl experiencing first love.

"Ok."

Huo Siyan took a deep breath, took off her shoes, lay down on the bed, and began to get into the mood.

She lowered her eyes slightly, and when she looked up, there was a deliberately mustered courage in her eyes, but she hurriedly looked away the moment their eyes met. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a series of barely concealed gasps.

For a moment, a voice that stirred the blood echoed in the audition room.

“Suppress your emotions!” Li An reminded him.

Huo Siyan didn't reply, deliberately reducing the range of her movements, but the "proactive" look in her eyes still seemed too outgoing, lacking a bit of restraint.

At that moment, she seemed to be constantly murmuring, "I want...I want...I want more!"

A few minutes later, the performance ended.

Huo Siyan bowed and left.

Li An watched her retreating figure, frowned, and picked up a pen to draw an X next to the name "Huo Siyan".

He thought to himself, "This won't do. It's too flashy; it looks like I just came from a nightclub..."

Wang Jiazhi is a female college student who has just begun to understand love, and she retains a scholarly reserve in her bones.

Even if you force yourself to take initiative for a task, it should be a tentative exploration hidden beneath clumsiness, rather than such an overt outward display.

Trying too hard actually misses the core of the character's confusion and struggle.

He didn't want the film to be seen as an "adult film" after it was made; he wanted to make an art film!

"Hello Director Li, I am Yang Mi, and my representative work is... The Return of the Condor Heroes."

After Huo Siyan left, Yang Mi pushed open the door and walked in, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness from her first time on set, her hands gently clasped in front of her.

Upon hearing the words "The Return of the Condor Heroes," Li An's eyes lit up.

Liu Yifei, whom he had previously admired, had also acted in this drama. Since this girl was from the same production, they might have even collaborated before, and she might have some of the martial arts drama feel that he was familiar with.

Although this girl is not as pretty as Liu Yifei, and her face is a bit square, she is a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, so she should have some acting talent.

"...When portraying Wang Jiazhi and Mr. Yi alone, the focus is on the externalization of her inner thoughts, showing her nervousness, tentativeness, and bewilderment."

Li simply repeated the requirements once, then raised his hand to indicate that they could begin.

Yang Mi walked to the designated bed and sat down. She didn't move immediately. First, she closed her eyes and recalled the details of the audition scene.

When she opened her eyes again, she was already trying to get into character.

She turned slightly to the side, her fingers lightly resting on the edge of the bed, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the sheets, as if gathering the courage to approach.

Compared to Huo Siyan's outgoing personality, she was noticeably more restrained, but this "restraint" still concealed a hint of stiffness and awkwardness.

After all, it's not a real film set, and there are still some concerns about showing private emotions in front of a stranger director.

During breaks in the performance, her thoughts couldn't help but drift away:
If he were to truly place himself in Wang Jiazhi's era, he felt he probably wouldn't choose to actively approach Mr. Yi; he would rather find an honest man to marry and live a stable life.

If you have to feign friendship with a strange man just to organize a mission, then you're really letting down your future partner.

"What should my husband do if it really comes to that?"

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she forcibly suppressed it, but a hint of wandering still flickered in her eyes.

"Stop." Li An's voice suddenly rang out.

Yang Mi snapped back to reality, quickly stood up from the bedside, and hurriedly straightened her clothes.

"Go back and wait for news." Li An's tone was unreadable.

"Okay, thank you, Director Li." Yang Mi bowed and thanked him before quickly leaving the room.

Watching her leave, Li An picked up his pen, paused next to the name "Yang Mi," and finally drew a circle around it.

Yang Mi's restraint in trying to get close to the character yet not letting go did capture some of Wang Jiazhi's clumsiness and struggle when she first started the mission. She's somewhat similar, so perhaps we can give her another audition to hone her skills.

The audition continued until after midnight, and the footsteps in the corridor gradually thinned out.

Li An looked through the list in his hand; there were still more than a dozen names circled on it. He nodded in satisfaction.

Sure enough, the actors in the capital were generally of high quality, and there were quite a few promising talents to choose from. He was particularly interested in one of them named Tang Wei.

Although in terms of acting skills and youthful innocence, Tang Wei is far inferior to Liu Yifei, who already has mature works.

But the unrefined scholarly air about her, and the naivety hidden in her eyes, perfectly captured the purity and innocence of a female college student.

After closing the list, Li rubbed his throbbing temples and breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight's harvest was definitely worth the all-nighter...

……

On the 28th, a grand premiere event for "Sunny Sisters" was held in the capital.

As the film's producer, Lü Rui appeared at the event in a black suit.

As soon as he stepped out of the car and onto the red carpet, his gaze was drawn to the scene at the entrance of the venue.

A dozen or so actresses with different styles lined up in a row: Liu Yifei's elegance, Jing Tian's radiance, Fan Bingbing's poise, Tang Yan's sweetness, Jiang Xin's boldness, and Shu Chang's gentleness... forming a particularly eye-catching scene.

No one can resist appreciating beautiful people and things, and Lü Rui is no exception.

Although he didn't act like a lecherous man like other men, a genuine appreciation still appeared in his eyes.

Unfortunately, this admiration didn't last long, as reporters from the media on both sides of the red carpet immediately surrounded him, shoving microphones in his face.

"Director Lü, filming for 'Dying to Survive' has just wrapped up. Do you have any new filming plans for the future?"

"Let's do the post-production first," Lü Rui said succinctly.

"We want to ask about the new movie! Have you considered starting production on 'Pacific Rim' immediately?" the reporter pressed.

"Secret."

Lu Rui raised an eyebrow and uttered two words.

The reporters were instantly speechless: Damn! This is such a perfunctory response!

No sooner had one media outlet "retreated" than another immediately followed: "Director Lü, while you were filming in Hollywood, Zhang Yimou's 'Curse of the Golden Flower' had already wrapped up filming. Were you aware of this?"

"know."

Lü Rui nodded slightly, his expression becoming more complicated.

The filming of this movie by Zhang Yimou was fraught with twists and turns, much more troublesome than "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers".

I heard that Chow Yun-fat wanted to quit the film several times due to issues with his salary and treatment, and had several arguments with Zhang Weiping on set. In the end, it was only after Zhang Yimou personally comforted him that he was allowed to stay.

Not to mention the rumors that extras were paid only 1 yuan and that there were strikes on set, which had already been circulating widely in the industry, making it a constant source of turmoil.

"Zhang Weiping said in a recent interview that 'Curse of the Golden Flower' will be released in theaters worldwide at the end of the year and will break the box office record of your 'Taken'. He said everyone should wait and see. What do you think?"

"I am looking forward."

Lu Rui's lips curled up slightly, almost unable to suppress his laughter.

If "The Promise" is "a bloodbath caused by a steamed bun", then "Curse of the Golden Flower" is probably "a farce made up of countless steamed buns".

He really needs to keep an eye on this wave of anticipation and then go see it when it's released.

He was constantly questioned as he walked, and it took some effort for Lü Rui to escape the reporters' encirclement and reach the autograph wall to sign his name.

"Director Lü, it's been a long time."

A pleasant female voice suddenly rang in my ears.

Lu Rui turned his head and saw that Jing Tian had somehow gotten close to him.

Liu Yifei, Fan Bingbing, and others were surrounded by reporters and fans, and were unable to leave for the time being.

Most of the others weren't very familiar with Lü Rui and were too embarrassed to step forward, which gave Jing Tian an opportunity.

"Long time no see," Lü Rui replied, adding, "I wish your new album great success."

To coincide with the promotion of Jing Tian's new film, Starlight Entertainment also launched her new album "Who Are You" to the market, with a huge marketing effort.

Lu Rui watched it when he had some free time, and Ning Hao's filming skills were indeed solid; the MV visuals were pleasing to the eye.

However, the quality of the songs is really not good.

Lu Rui even suspected that Zhang Yadong, that old bastard, probably took the money but didn't do any work, and then ran away after getting his share of the benefits.

"Thank you, Director Lü!" Jing Tian smiled, her eyes crinkling, and turned to take an album from her assistant. "This is a collector's edition; here's one for you."

"Okay, thank you, I will treasure it." Lü Rui accepted the disc and expressed his gratitude.

After a brief chat, he noticed that Liu Yifei, who was not far away, was frequently looking in his direction, her big eyes holding a hint of barely perceptible "attention." He smiled, said goodbye to Jing Tian, ​​and turned to walk into the venue.

Seeing him leave, Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief, looked away, and continued to interact with fans and the media.

However, what she didn't notice was that a malicious gaze was fixed on her from within the crowd...

……

Those attending the premiere today are either familiar industry friends or long-term partners of Vision.

Wang Changtian, Dong Ping, Wang Zhonglei, and others were all present.

When I first met Lü Rui, everyone greeted me with smiles and pleasantries, but the conversation always veered towards Pacific Rim.

Those in the industry know that Lü Rui is a well-known "quick shooter," unlike Jiang Wen, whose filming is so slow it's frustrating.

Logically speaking, once "Dying to Survive" finishes filming, it won't be long before preparations for "Pacific Rim" begin.

This idea actually aligns with Lü Rui's plan, but the key issue is that the script currently only has a rough outline and is not yet finished, so preparations cannot be immediately advanced.

Faced with everyone's probing, he could only laugh it off and say, "Don't worry, everyone. This is such a big project; everyone will definitely get a share..."

With an investment of $2 million, how could Ruishijie possibly swallow it all at once?

Upon hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Changtian had hoped to take the opportunity to discuss deeper cooperation, but the crowd was too large and distracting, and he couldn't find a suitable opportunity. He could only secretly decide to find another time to talk about it.

At 11:00 AM sharp, the premiere of "Sunny Sisters" officially began.

Zhao Peng brought all the actresses from the film onto the stage to share anecdotes from filming, such as who had the most takes and who loved eating snacks on set, which drew continuous laughter from the audience.

Sitting in the guest seats, Lü Rui vaguely noticed that Liu Yifei was quite close to Fan Bingbing, Jing Tian, ​​Shu Chang, and Jiang Xin, and their interactions were natural and intimate.

He only nodded to Tang Yan and Wang Ou, and they weren't particularly close.

As for Huo Siyan, the two barely interacted throughout the entire meeting.

It is clear who is close and who is distant.

After the interview session ended, the lights dimmed, and the film officially began to play.

The film tells the story of a small group called "Sunny" during their high school years, consisting of seven girls with very different personalities who call themselves the "Seven Princesses"...

25 years later, the girl from back then has entered middle age, caught up in family and work, but an unexpected reunion leads them to embark on a journey to find their youthful memories...

As the plot unfolds, Lü Rui can occasionally hear the whispers of the surrounding audience.

"Crying together, laughing together, and having fun together—even when we're old, we'll have our youth to cherish. This feeling is so touching!"

"I never expected Liu Yifei to have such a 'crazy' side. No wonder she always calls herself a 'loser,' she's so real, hahaha..."

"Xia Chunhua, played by Fan Bingbing, is simply my ideal type! She's so cool and righteous, I love her to death!"

"Hanazawa Rui... even the most handsome first love can't escape the fate of becoming a 'greasy middle-aged man' in the end?"

"Jing Tian is so beautiful. Her face is so innocent, with a contrast between a well-behaved girl and a rebellious one. She acts so naturally."

Two hours later, the end credits rolled, and the entire audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

That evening, numerous film reviews appeared online, almost all of them positive.

Although the plot has some minor flaws, the stunning editing, the heartfelt memories of youth, the outstanding performances of the actresses, and the smooth transition between the middle-aged and young generations have propelled the film to new heights of popularity.

Over the next two days, China Film Group, Enlight Media, and Ruishijie joined forces to push the hype to an even higher level!

On May Day, "Sunny Sisters" was officially released.

Thanks to China Film Group's scheduling, apart from a few niche art films, most other Hollywood imported commercial films were moved to the later dates during the May Day holiday, allowing "Sunny Sisters" to secure the highest number of screenings with an absolute advantage.

The reports from major media outlets were mostly positive:

"During the May Day Golden Week, 'Sunny Sisters' made a stunning debut, with seven sisters portraying the most touching youthful friendship."

"With consistently high attendance rates, another film with a box office exceeding 100 million yuan is about to be born. Let's wait and see!"

"With a budget of 3000 million yuan, director Zhao Peng declared: 'We will surpass 'A World Without Thieves,' chase 'Kung Fu Hustle,' and outperform 'The Promise'!"

Although the monopolistic screening schedule of "Sunny Sisters" has affected the interests of many people, and some have privately complained about the unfairness, no one dares to publicly speak out in the face of the momentum of Ruishijie and the domineering attitude of China Film Group.

But some people just can't see the situation clearly and insist on jumping out to "courte themselves to death".

As the May Day holiday came to an end, the box office figures for "Sunny Sisters" on its opening day were released: 2033 million yuan.

Although it didn't achieve the explosive opening of "The Promise," it's a sure thing that it will gross over 100 million.

But just as the film was reaching its box office peak, an unexpected incident occurred.

At that time, Liu Yifei was at the peak of her career!

With filming of "Dying to Survive" just finished, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" achieving both high ratings and critical acclaim, and "Sunny Sisters" starring her gaining momentum, everything is developing in a positive direction.

But suddenly a shocking piece of news broke online: Liu Yifei is a transgender person!

The news caused an instant uproar online, with related discussions erupting like oil splashing in a hot pan.

Lu Rui stared at the news on the computer screen, his brows furrowed, only one thought in his mind:
What kind of idiot would someone have to be to make up such an outrageous rumor?

(End of this chapter)