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

Chapter 229 Question: Where have all the young artists in Hong Kong's film and television industry gone? (Seeking monthly votes)

We arrived at the filming location.

As soon as the car stopped, Lü Rui noticed through the window that the film crew had clearly made preparations to welcome him.

Yang Shoucheng, wearing black-rimmed glasses and leaning on an exquisitely designed cane, was chatting and laughing with Lu Yang.

On the side, Hu Jun, Ning Li, Wang Zhifei, Wang Shuohui, Lin Jiadong, Qin Pei, Zeng Jiang and many other actors stood in twos and threes, chatting idly.

As soon as the car door opened and Lü Rui stepped out, everyone rushed to greet him.

"Director Lü, welcome to the set of 'New World'..."

Yang Shoucheng came forward and gave Lü Rui a warm hug, speaking in an exceptionally enthusiastic tone.

Numerous cameras were pointed at the two of them, as if they were witnessing some "epoch-making scene."

In the distance, the faint reflections of flashlights indicated that many entertainment reporters and paparazzi were hiding there.

"Chairman Yang, this is quite a show," Lu Rui replied with a smile, his tone flat and revealing little emotion.

Yang Shoucheng's smile froze slightly. He vaguely sensed the teasing and slight displeasure in his tone, and inwardly realized something was wrong. He quickly explained:
"This is actually for outsiders to see, to let everyone know that our cooperation between Yinghuang and Ruishijie is very stable, so that there will be fewer troubles in the subsequent project progress."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui did not say anything more.

Let's just go with the flow for now, but we should try to avoid this situation in the future.

One should be low-key in life so that one can be high-profile in work; but if one does the opposite, one will stumble and fall.

At that moment, Lu Yang rushed over excitedly, shouting, "Brother Rui!"

If we were to ask who was the happiest about Lü Rui's visit to the set today, it would undoubtedly be him.

His happiness was pure; he was simply excited about Lü Rui's arrival, after all, Lü Rui was his powerful backer.

To put it simply, this means that the bride's family has come to visit.

Lu Rui hugged him and asked with a smile, "How are you? Is filming going smoothly lately? Are you settling in well in Hong Kong?"

Lu Yang nodded: "It went very smoothly. The food, drinks, and accommodation were all good. Chairman Yang made very thoughtful arrangements..."

Since filming began, he has never made a "help" call, and the producer sent by Ruishijie has not reported any major problems.

This means that there were definitely no major problems during filming.

This also made Lü Rui more accepting of Yang Shoucheng.

Yinghuang's influence in Hong Kong can indeed support the cooperation between the two parties, which will be of great help to his subsequent plans.

After exchanging brief pleasantries with the actors, Lü Rui followed Lu Yang into the filming location.

This is a temporarily rented office floor, mainly used for filming scenes such as gang meetings and elections for the chairman in "New World".

As he continued upwards, Lü Rui saw many other crew members from other film crews.

Clearly, besides "New World," other film and television crews are also shooting scenes here.

The only downside to Hong Kong is its small size; everything feels cramped and stifling.

Especially in film and television production, it is common for multiple crews to share a single location, which results in many films featuring repeated scenes.

Unlike the inland areas, the terrain is vast and the scenery is diverse.

This is why many Hong Kong films choose to film in the mainland after they have been approved for production.

In addition, preferential policies in mainland China have attracted many film crews.

Unfortunately, some people have ulterior motives and the wrong attitude. They go to the mainland to make money but still act like big shots. They'll be finished sooner or later!

In fact, Lu Rui had previously considered whether to buy a property in Hong Kong for fun.
He no longer needs to consider the amount of money when buying a house, so he has a place to stay in almost every first- and second-tier city in China.

I used to think staying in hotels was pretty good, both convenient and easy.

But now he finds that living at home is more comfortable, and the experience is completely different between the two.

But after getting a general idea of ​​Hong Kong's housing prices, Lü Rui realized that buying a house here was incredibly uneconomical.

Starting at a million, mansions of a thousand square feet...

Why would you buy something that's only the size of a pigeon coop?

It would be better to find a hilltop, buy a piece of land, build a villa, and hire a few Filipino maids.

After we get married and start a family, we can come and stay here occasionally.

It's a pity that Filipino maids can't be hired in mainland China, otherwise he would really like to hire a few to take back with him, to help with cleaning and cooking.

Compared to nannies in mainland China, he found that Filipino maids were really useful after he learned about them!

The filming location for "New World" was nothing special. Lu Rui took a quick look around and then found a seat to sit down, ready to see if Lu Yang's directing skills had improved.

The crew immediately began preparations for filming.

Yang Shoucheng didn't linger. After accompanying Lü Rui on the tour, he prepared to leave first.

However, before leaving, he brought up another matter: "Director Lü, there's a welcome banquet tonight. I'll have Wenxi pick you up then?"

“Okay.” Lü Rui didn’t refuse, but reminded him, “I don’t want to see those shady characters. I’m going back to the mainland first thing tomorrow morning, so please keep things simple, especially avoid having paparazzi following us…”

"I know."

Yang Shoucheng nodded and left, having already figured out Lü Rui's temperament.

Disliking red tape and being decisive and efficient are traits that suit young people well.

"Director Lü, I'll go buy you a cup of coffee."

After Yang Shoucheng left, Huo Wenxi also wisely made an excuse to turn around and leave.

The crew and actors on set got busy. Lü Rui sat in the director's chair, while Lu Yang stood obediently to his instructions on the filming details.

After discussing the technical issues, Lü Rui changed the subject: "Have you encountered any troubles in the past month or so?"

Lu Yang knew what he wanted to know and immediately nodded: "There are indeed a lot of troubles, mainly in terms of props, extras and venue coordination... The local gangs are really too impolite."

I originally estimated that the filming would take no more than a month and a half, but now it looks like it will take at least two months or more…

As Lü Rui listened, his expression gradually became strange.

He really didn't expect that group of people to be so boring.

They certainly wouldn't dare to openly obstruct filming, but they always cause trouble in small details, which is really petty.

"Just take care of yourself. Don't worry about these little details. Let Yinghuang handle it. Just film as planned. There's no need to rush. It would be great if it could be released early next year."

The next Hong Kong Film Awards will be held on April 15th next year.

As long as the movie is released at the beginning of the year, it will have the opportunity to participate in the selection, and the timing is just right.

One of the reasons Lui Rui made this movie was to disgust those people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle who didn't like him, so he had to register for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

"okay, I get it."

Lu Yang nodded and turned back to filming.

"Scene 9, Shot 4, First Action!"

Snapped!
The clapperboard rang out crisply.

Ning Li swaggered along, his expression arrogant and unrestrained, and shouted at Hu Jun, who was dressed in a suit and looked somewhat disgusted:

"Skinny old men, let's go together..."

……

Hong Kong Island's nightlife has always been known for its extravagance.

On the way to the welcome banquet that evening, Lu Rui looked out the car window and saw sexy and hot girls everywhere on the roadside, walking in high heels under the neon lights.

"Director Lü, would you like to experience Hong Kong's nightlife? I recommend you visit Lan Kwai Fong; it's the signature spot for Hong Kong's nightlife..."

Huo Wenxi spoke up at the right moment, once again transforming into a tour guide.

"Forget it." Lu Rui shook his head, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "There are eyes everywhere in this place, we have no freedom at all."

Although he is a public figure, it doesn't mean that he enjoys being stared at by countless cameras outside of work hours.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Huo Wenxi's face. She chuckled awkwardly twice and then remained silent.

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

When they arrived at the welcome banquet venue, it was indeed very quiet outside, with not a single entertainment reporter or paparazzi in sight, which clearly indicated that Yang Shoucheng had made arrangements in advance.

Upon entering the venue, Lü Rui immediately grasped the situation inside.

There were quite a few people, but most of them were familiar faces.

Apart from the staff under Yinghuang, most of the others are filmmakers who are active in mainland China year-round.

Today, Yinghuang is no longer like other Hong Kong companies that stick to the local market; instead, it has half of its business in the mainland market.

Therefore, the people he collaborated with were mostly actors, directors, and producers who were close to the mainland.

Of course, there will inevitably be a few "bugs" hiding in the crowd, but fortunately, their numbers are not large, and they will be exposed sooner or later.

Lu Rui sneered inwardly.

When that time comes, someone will naturally step forward and crush these restless fellows completely!

At the same time, his arrival also made him the most eye-catching focus of the event.

It's no exaggeration to say that at that moment, almost everyone in the room was focused on him.

Some were there to assess his abilities, some to consider potential collaborations, and others simply out of curiosity about this up-and-coming mainland director; a mix of emotions filled the air. Yang Shoucheng quickly approached, warmly leading him inside and introducing him to the people around him one by one:

"This is Zhang Jiahui, this is Liu Qingyun, and this is Liang Jiahui, Liu Dehua..."

These are all well-known figures in the Hong Kong film and television industry, and Lu Rui has previously collaborated with several of them.

"Welcome, Director Lü! It's an honor to have you here!" Liu Dehua extended his hand first.

Although he has the hooked nose that is a hallmark of villains in movies and TV dramas, he has a rather refined and easygoing temperament.

As Lü Rui shook hands with him, something suddenly came to mind.

After Ruishijie snatched the investment from "Crazy Stone", he did not expect that Liu Dehua's "Asian New Star Director" plan would still be successfully carried out.

The results were quite impressive. He not only discovered many new talents, but also earned a reputation for mentoring younger generations throughout the industry.

Liu Dehua is clearly in a good mood lately.

After all, before this, he was a celebrity who "became poorer the more he invested".

This was something that made him feel quite frustrated.

It's truly tragic that all the money earned from making movies was lost due to investments.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Lü Rui noticed something quite interesting.

Almost all the people present were middle-aged actors and artists, whose fame dates back to the 80s, and they were all familiar faces.

In contrast, among the newcomers, besides Nicholas Tse, there's only the nonchalant Edison Chen; there's no one else.

"Chairman Yang, why don't we see many young actors here?"

Lu Rui asked casually, but he didn't expect that he would directly hit Yang Shoucheng's sore spot.

"Sigh!" He sighed heavily and shook his head helplessly, "Jackie Chan's son didn't come, and there's Wu Yanzu, but as for the others, there really isn't anyone else..."

This is the current state of Hong Kong's film and television industry.

The older generation is focused on how to make money, while the younger generation lacks resources and opportunities, making it impossible for them to stand out.

In the vast Yinghuang Group, the only newcomer who can hold his own these days is Nicholas Tse.

Edison Chen is already the most talented and gifted young artist in all of Hong Kong.

It's really quite tragic to talk about.

It's no wonder that Yinghuang is so focused on developing in mainland China, even going so far as to collaborate with Jiang Wen, the "overspending gurus".

Yang Shoucheng was truly at his wit's end.

The Hong Kong entertainment industry is severely fragmented internally; if it doesn't seek breakthroughs externally, it will inevitably be eliminated by the market sooner or later.

Otherwise, who would be willing to leave their hometown and start over in an unfamiliar inland market?
People were still arriving at the banquet hall.

Lu Rui unexpectedly saw a figure that surprised him.

Kung Fu Dan!
This guy was on a roll for a while, seemingly poised to surpass Jackie Chan and crush Li Lianjie.

Especially when his previous films were box office hits, he was full of vigor and arrogance.

But now, with the box office failure and critical acclaim of "Dragon Tiger Gate" plummeting, his upward momentum has instantly stalled.

What surprised Lü Rui even more was that Zhen Zidan was accompanied by his mother, which confirmed the rumors about him being a "mama's boy".

"Chairman Lü, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Mai Baochan, a former world martial arts champion, and currently the president of the American Tai Chi Association..."

When distinguished guests arrive, Yang Shoucheng naturally cannot refuse to help with introductions and introductions.

When he mentioned Mai Baochan, his tone was filled with respect.

The main reason is that Mai Baochan has a very high seniority in the martial arts and action choreography world, even surpassing Hong Kong's top bigwig, Yuan Heping.

This led to her becoming the object of everyone's flattery as soon as she arrived.

The rule of seniority and seniority is indispensable everywhere.

However, Lu Rui doesn't need to fawn over anyone; treating him as an equal is enough, since he's not involved in Hong Kong entertainment circles anyway.

“Ms. Mai.” He nodded politely.

"Director Lü is truly a young hero, achieving so much at such a young age," Mai Baochan replied with a smile.

"You flatter me."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mai Baochan pulled Zhen Zidan aside and began to introduce her beloved son:

"Director Lü, Zidan has admired you for a long time. Now that she knows you've come to Hong Kong, she insisted on coming over to say hello and ask how you are."

"Director Lü," Zhen Zidan said warmly, extending both hands.

"Mr. Zhen..." It's really hard to figure out seniority, so let's just stick to our own seniority.

The two shook hands, and that was it.

However, to Lü Rui's surprise, after only a few words, Zhen Zidan suddenly changed the subject: "I've already signed up for the audition for 'Pacific Rim,' and I hope Director Lü can give me some guidance then..."

Yo?
Lu Rui suddenly realized!

So that's what they were after.

He smiled and asked curiously, "I wonder which role Mr. Zhen has taken a fancy to? Is it Professor Zhong Hongchang, who studies monsters? Or Liu Hongtao, the highest-ranking officer of the Defense Force?"

"I want to try out for the male lead." Zhen Zidan made no attempt to hide her ambition.

I brought my mother along today precisely to gain face and secure opportunities.

Lu Rui's smile froze instantly.

Audition for the male lead?

He clearly remembered that he had specifically noted in the audition requirements that the male lead's age could not exceed 30 years old.

But Zhen Zidan seems to be over 40 this year, right?
"At your age..."

Before Lü Rui could finish speaking, Zhen Zidan interrupted him, saying, "That's not a problem. I'm in my prime, and my action scenes are among the best in the industry. With some adjustments to my makeup and styling, I can definitely play the male lead."

His confidence stems mainly from the fact that, in Hong Kong, he is still considered a "young actor."

Lü Rui chuckled to himself.

He finally witnessed firsthand that people in Hong Kong truly possess a kind of inexplicable self-confidence.

If it weren't for the inappropriate setting and the fact that Mai Baochan was there, he would have loved to retort on the spot.

Have you no shame at all?
He's already in his forties, and even with all the resources he's been given, he still can't become famous. Now he wants to act young and play the role of a young male lead, which is just ridiculous.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered that when Zhen Zidan first debuted, she was following the path of Jackie Chan and Li Lianjie, but a series of bad moves led to her ruining her future, and later she continued to make outrageous moves.

Even a certain war of words between the Hong Kong and mainland film and television industries was started because of him.

Thinking of this, Lü Rui couldn't help but mutter to himself:

How dare someone like that play Ip Man?

"Huh? Ip Man?"

A thought suddenly struck him.

This project seems pretty good; it can be used to give Lu Yang more practice.

He remembered that when they had dinner together before, Lu Yang had said that he especially liked all kinds of martial arts and action scenes, and that his dream was to one day make an excellent action movie.

After filming for "New World" wraps up, I can talk to him and see if he's interested in trying out this project.

At the moment, Lü Rui really wasn't in the mood to chat with Zhen Zidan any longer, so he gave her a vague answer and made an excuse to go somewhere else.

Yang Shoucheng clearly hadn't expected that the mother and son would suddenly visit today, and that it was for "Pacific Rim".

He had put a lot of effort into organizing the event, but it almost benefited someone else, which made him very unhappy.

However, he was quite composed and did not cause trouble for Zhen Zidan for the time being. Instead, he introduced Nicholas Tse and Edison Chen to Lu Rui.

Even though both of them were trying their best to demonstrate their Mandarin proficiency, Lü Rui didn't hesitate to exclude them from his mind.

He would absolutely not give any of the main roles in the Pacific Rim project to Hong Kong actors.

Unless mainland artists collectively collapse and are completely blacklisted, it's absolutely not up to people from Hong Kong and Taiwan to get involved!
This is called: treating someone as they treat you.

After the banquet, Lü Rui did not linger and quietly returned to the mainland the following morning.

By this time, it was already August 1st.

There's nothing noteworthy happening in the theatrical market, but in the TV drama market, "Soldiers Sortie," produced by Ruishijie, is just coming to an end.

When military-themed dramas collide with the August 1st Army Day, an amazing chemical reaction instantly erupts!
On the night the final episode aired, both the television ratings and the number of viewers watching online on Tudou.com reached new highs!

Topics such as "Xu Sanduo" and "Never give up" have gone viral across the internet!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Huayi Brothers suddenly announced that "The Forbidden Kingdom" had been approved for production.

With an investment of up to $7000 million, a mystery top kung fu superstar in the cast, a Sino-foreign co-production, a top-tier production, and casting from all over Asia…

Along with this key information, what's even more noteworthy is that Wang Zhonglei also made a rather "high-profile" statement:
"Our original intention in preparing 'The Forbidden Kingdom' was not to make money at the box office or anything like that, but rather to express our patriotism and promote Chinese kung fu..."

Upon seeing this news, Lü Rui couldn't help but burst out laughing.

It was incredibly ironic that these words came from Huayi, a company that always prioritizes commercial interests.

Even he couldn't help but want to complain:
Isn't this "nostalgia card" playing a bit too deliberate?
(End of this chapter)