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

Chapter 247 What gets bigger when you squeeze it? (Seeking monthly votes)
"It is understood that director Chen Kaige has reached a cooperation agreement with Mr. Mei Baojiu, son of Mei Lanfang, China Film Group, and Yinghuang, and officially confirmed that they will join hands to create the biographical film 'Mei Lanfang'!"

When interviewed by reporters, Mr. Mei Baojiu stated that he had provided Chen Kaige with his father's records, photos, videos, and other materials free of charge for reference.

"My only wish is to capture Mr. Mei Lanfang's humanistic spirit and artistic essence, and truly embody the soul of the Mei School in the film..."

"Following 'Farewell My Concubine,' director Kai will once again take on the challenge of a biographical film. Let's wait and see."

...

The cinema market entered a slow period in November.

"A Battle of Wits" will not be released until the latter half of the month, which is still a long way from the Lunar New Year film season.

As a result, all the film projects that were in the planning and preparation stages immediately became the focus of media attention.

Previously, Lu Chuan revealed that the investment in "Nanjing! Nanjing!" reached as high as 200 million yuan!
Later, Chen Kaige's team revealed that they would start preparations for the film "Mei Lanfang".

The industry was buzzing with excitement.

As is well known, Chen Kaige's breakthrough film, "Farewell My Concubine," is a biographical film.

This film earned him the first Palme d'Or in the history of Chinese-language cinema!

Now, another biographical film, "Mei Lanfang," has been released, clearly aiming for awards.

Is Director Chen trying to wash away the failure of "The Promise"?

Lu Rui looked at Gu Changwei, who was serving as the director of photography on Pacific Rim.

Old Gu was once the cinematographer for "Farewell My Concubine" and had a close relationship with Chen Kaige.

"That's probably true. 'The Promise' had a huge impact on him. It's very difficult for him to secure large investments now, so competing for awards is definitely a good option," Gu Changwei analyzed.

"He didn't ask you to be his photographer?"

"No, he contacted Zhao Xiaoshi."

"Oh? They actually invited this person over?"

Zhao Xiaoshi also graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, but only from the photography department's continuing education program, so she can't be considered a professionally trained actress.

Even so, its abilities are still incredibly impressive!
His representative photographic works include "Widow Village", "Devils on the Doorstep", and "The Sun Also Rises". He has a particularly close relationship with Jiang Wen.

"The main problem is that I don't have time." Gu Changwei shrugged. "Once I've helped you get this project sorted out, I plan to go back to directing."

Lu Rui asked curiously, "Are you still aiming for the prize?"

"Let's go for it, let's give it our all this time and see if we can make a big splash."

"Continue to cast Zhang Jingchu as the female lead?"

"Cough cough cough!" Gu Changwei almost choked and quickly shook his head, "No, this time I'll use my wife, the real first wife."

Lu Rui looked at him with a complicated expression.

If they're even using the term "legitimate first wife," doesn't that mean there are also those who aren't legitimate?
...

I don't know if they're trying to grab attention or just ride the wave of popularity.

While "Mei Lanfang" was being heavily marketed, Feng Xiaogang couldn't wait to hold a press conference to announce the cast of "Assembly".

"Next, I will collaborate with Zhang Hanyu, Deng Chao, Tang Yan, Liao Fan, Wang Baoqiang, Hu Jun, and others to create a thought-provoking, top-tier war-themed masterpiece..."

Feng Xiaogang is a master of boasting, and his slogans are deafening!

But when the reporter mentioned "The Banquet", his face immediately darkened.

At the crucial moment, it was Wang Zhonglei who announced that Huayi would sign Deng Chao, which diverted the attention of the reporters present.

This also means that among the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses), Huayi Brothers already has Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, and Zhou Xun, and has also reached a strategic cooperation with Zhao Yanzi.

Meanwhile, the list of this year's four most popular young male stars has been released.

They are: Chen Kun, Deng Chao, Huang Xiaoming, and Liu Ye.

There is another version that says Huang Xiaoming, Tong Dawei, Yin Xiaotian, and Nie Yuan.

However, as of now, the first version still enjoys the highest level of acceptance.

The main reason is that the four people from the first version are now all in the production teams of "high-quality" film and television projects and are currently very popular.

Four leading actresses and two leading actors now have in-depth collaborations with Huayi Brothers, which is unique among the many companies in the industry involved in talent agency business!

In an instant, Huayi seemed to have regained its former glory!
On the other hand, Wang Jinghua, who left Huayi and joined Orange Sky, is under immense pressure!

She also wanted to recruit new talent, but Orange Sky lacked film and television resources, and she couldn't come up with any good projects to attract people.

Therefore, using unverified information to "deceive" people has become her current modus operandi.

The first person she set her sights on was none other than her former subordinate, Fan Bingbing.

The news that Fan Bingbing is leaving Huayi Brothers is no longer a secret in the industry, and neither side has really tried to hide it.

Hua Yi couldn't hide it anymore, so Fan Bingbing simply stopped trying.

When asked by reporters, she neither nodded in agreement nor denied it, essentially tacitly acknowledging the matter.

However, there are many different opinions within the industry regarding who her next partner is, and there is no definite answer.

To many, this is naturally a signal that the seller is waiting for a higher price to sell.

"Bingbing, I won't say anything more. Just come and work with me. I can't promise anything else, but don't worry about resources, there will definitely be plenty, especially for movies."

Let me give you a sneak peek: Mr. Wu from Orange Sky Entertainment has reached a cooperation agreement with Golden Harvest, a long-established film and television company in Hong Kong, and will be acquiring Golden Harvest entirely.

By then, Orange Sky will have all the necessary film and television production teams and cinemas in Hong Kong. You won't have to worry about anything or lack anything after you come here..."

Inside the private room, Fan Bingbing, who was taking small bites of food, twitched her brow slightly.

If she had heard Wang Jinghua's words before reaching a cooperation agreement with Lü Rui, she would definitely have chosen Orange Sky.

But now, she has a better option, so Orange Sky is no longer within her consideration.

In terms of film resources, who can compare to Ruishijie right now?

Even regarding the cinema chain, she knew that Lü Rui was making plans, but there was no concrete progress yet.

Previously, Ruishijie had a significant weakness in the TV drama field.

But after reading the outline of the script for "My Love from the Star" a few days ago, she was already in a state of high excitement!

The female lead is the most popular female celebrity of our time, and is hailed as a born actress.

Her personality traits include boldness, frankness, and a strong sense of love and hate; she is adorable but not dull, assertive but not domineering, and charming but not pretentious; she appears arrogant and conceited on the surface, but is actually kind and warm-hearted at heart...

This role was practically tailor-made for her!

Especially when she learned from Gu Man that the script originated from Lü Rui's inspiration, she suddenly understood!

It turns out that although Lü Rui seemed to keep his distance from her on the surface, he actually understood her very well!
This seemingly cold but actually warm-hearted man gave her such a big surprise without saying a word, which was truly touching.

"I'm sorry, Sister Hua," Fan Bingbing put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "I can't go to Orange Sky with you."

"Why?" Wang Jinghua was puzzled. Wasn't what she offered enough?

"Because I already have other options."

"Who?"

"Smart Vision".

Wang Jinghua was taken aback, somewhat surprised: "Doesn't Ruishijie not do artist management?"

Fan Bingbing explained simply, "I plan to start my own company, and Director Lü will be one of the shareholders."

"Okay, well... good luck."

At this point, there's really no need to continue.

No matter how hard Wang Jinghua tried, she couldn't find any advantage over Ruishijie.

At this moment, her heart was filled with emotion!
How did that boy grow up to be so successful in just a few years?
Isn't this rise too fast?
After the two parted ways, Fan Bingbing went straight to Ruishijie to continue working on her new script.

Having left Huayi Brothers, you have to achieve something, right? Otherwise, how can you compete with other leading actresses?
Her only thought now is to show Wang Zhonglei that she can live a carefree and comfortable life even without Huayi!

However, what she didn't know was that Gu Man had already brought a partially completed version of the "My Love from the Star" script to the "Pacific Rim" film crew.

Lu Rui was fairly satisfied after reading it; the plot was largely consistent with his memory.

After Liu Yifei leaned over and read the script, she said with great interest, "I think I could play this role too?"

Lu Rui reached out and pressed her head back down: "You're not good enough, you don't have the domineering presence you need."

"..."

Liu Yifei was speechless for a moment.

Why do I suddenly want to grab a stick?

"Let's proceed according to this framework."

Lu Rui first sent Gu Man away, then looked at Xiao Liu, who was pouting and looking sullen, and said, "I have a better role here. Let Fan Bingbing play that one. It's not a good match for you."

Better?
Liu Yifei's eyes lit up: "What? Can I play that kind of sexy role? I want to switch tracks."

Little girls always like to act like adults.

Sexy?

Lu Rui looked at her with a complicated expression.

Especially her chubby face, which, no matter how you look at it, doesn't seem to have anything to do with "sexy". "Don't underestimate me."

Liu Yifei put her hands on her hips, straightened her upper body, and deliberately made a forward-shrugging motion.

Lu Rui looked closely...

It's definitely much bigger than before!
But it's only a step away from being flat and smooth; there's still a long way to go before it becomes "sexy."

"It's better to wait."

Lu Rui didn't want her to go down the sexy route; she's fine as she is now.

However, Liu Yifei had clearly misunderstood.

After a moment of surprise, she looked down at herself and thought that Lü Rui thought she wasn't sexy enough.

So, she glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then leaned forward and whispered, "Senior, why don't you pinch it? The book says that it can make you grow faster."

"puff--"

Lu Rui spat out the tea he had just drunk.

He turned his head and looked at her in shock.

Squeeze it?
Did she really say that?
"I don't mind," Liu Yifei said with an unusually serious expression.

"What are you reading recently?"

Lü Rui astutely grasped the key point.

She said she learned it from books?

Okay, then, which publishing house publishes a respectable book that teaches people how to make something bigger by squeezing it?
You should know that he has been frantically browsing through all kinds of published books on the market recently, and he also managed to get Hou Hongliang to acquire the film and television adaptation rights for Liu Diangong's latest novel, "The Three-Body Problem".

He didn't even spare the female-oriented content.

Despite having read countless books, he had never seen a book like the one Liu Yifei described.

Has this girl gone astray?
"It's just..." Liu Yifei was about to share with him, but she suddenly realized something was wrong.

That was something she secretly saw under the covers that made her blush; how could she possibly say it out loud?

"It's nothing, I... I suddenly remembered that I still have a line I haven't memorized. Bye-bye, senior, you're busy..."

Liu Yifei hurriedly turned around and was about to run away.

Lu Rui shook his head helplessly and reminded him, "Don't watch those unhealthy things; they're bad for your health."

"I don't!"

Liu Yifei blushed to the roots of her ears, not daring to turn her head, and her footsteps quickened even more.

Lu Rui looked away, not paying much attention to these things.

It's just reading borderline literature, right? That's perfectly normal.

Ask yourself, who wouldn't be curious about this kind of thing when they were young?
Before his rebirth, he had a 1TB USB drive filled with seeds of youthful hormones.

That was his life's treasure trove, accumulated over most of his life, but sadly, it's all gone now...

After a break, filming resumed.

"Liu Yifei, when you act opposite Chen Baoguo, the core of the scene should revolve around emotions. First, there's the reluctance to part, because you know that once he leaves, he might never come back..."

Lü Rui patiently explained the play.

Although there was a slight awkward moment earlier, once she started working seriously, Liu Yifei was exceptionally attentive and respectful to the director.

She did almost everything Lü Rui told her to do, and her main trait was obedience.

The other actors were no exception.

Everyone was focused on making a good film and hoped to use this opportunity to expand into the international market.

However, many people don't realize that the international market is not an easy place to navigate.

Even someone as talented as Zhang Ziyi would be back now, auditioning for the role of "Meng Xiaodong" in "Mei Lanfang".
The same goes for Gong Li.

She plays the lead role in "Miami Vice," which was released on the 3rd, and the investor is Universal Pictures, one of the Big Six studios.

Even so, the overseas box office was a complete flop, and the performance in the mainland market was not very good either.

If it weren't for "Curse of the Golden Flower" supporting her career, she might have had to take a break from the industry for a while.

Time flies, and it's already mid-November. Another new drama from Ruishijie, "My Chief and My Regiment," has officially announced that filming has wrapped up.

Thanks to the preventative measures Lü Rui had taken in advance, the filming process went exceptionally smoothly, with almost no injuries reported.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the entire crew had returned safely.

Hou Hongliang made a special trip to the production team to report on the work: "The next phase of 'My Chief and My Regiment' will be post-production, and it is expected to air on television in the first half of next year."

Besides "My Love from the Star," the writing team has already finalized three new scripts for the new project: "Going West," "My Brother is Called Shunliu," and "Lurking"...

Given the huge success of "Crossing the Guandong", Hou Hongliang began to explore similar themes, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Thus, he set his sights on "Going West," a novel that also tells the story of "the large-scale migration of people in the north" and has the significance of national sentiment and ethnic integration.

As for "My Brother is Called Shunliu", the author Zhu Sujin approached him seeking collaboration after reading "Soldiers Sortie".

There's no reason to refuse a high-quality project that's offered to you.

As for "Lurking," it was a project personally written by Jiang Wei, Lü Rui's teacher.

Many companies wanted to collaborate with him, but he didn't even hesitate and immediately approached Ruishijie.

When collaborating with outsiders, there's no guarantee that problems won't arise, or that some unexpected trouble might occur.

But when it comes to collaborating with my students' companies, there are absolutely no problems with funding, post-production, or promotion!
"I'm quite busy here, so I'll leave these projects to you to follow up on, especially 'Lurking.' Make sure to meet any requests my teacher has," Lü Rui solemnly instructed.

When he was filming his debut film, "Gone Girl", he was very grateful for Jiang Wei's help, who lent him the crew of "Don't Talk to Strangers".

Now that his mentor needs his help, he must repay him with the utmost gratitude!
"Don't worry, Mr. Lü, I know what to do," Hou Hongliang said confidently.

Seeing the booming development of the TV drama segment he was in charge of, he was full of enthusiasm.

He had been eyeing Zhou Yi's business for a long time, determined to acquire it and take Ruishijie's TV drama business to the next level.

Just after Hou Hongliang left, secretary Liang Lulu walked in from outside the film set, clutching several premiere invitations in her hand.

Starting from the end of November, the box office battle in the film market gradually entered a heated phase, with everyone going all out to make their films even more popular.

Films such as "A Battle of Wits", "Dragon and Tiger", and "The Knot" have all entered the fray.

"Chairman Lü, are you going to attend? If so, I'll arrange the itinerary in advance," Liang Lulu asked proactively.

"If no one goes, let... let Hongliang go." Lu Rui almost blurted out the words "socialite," but luckily he stopped himself in time.

It's not that he's too busy to find the time; it's just that he has other things to do.

On the 20th, Lü Rui handed over his work to Zhao Peng and Shen Ao again, and then returned to the company.

He didn't go to Ruishijie, but went straight to Ruiyue Animation.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a bustling scene inside.

Tian Xiaopeng, Xu Chengyi, Christopher Meledandri, along with heads of companies such as Blue Fox, Wingsound, Original Force, Ruosen, and Vision, as well as domestic and international teams, were all busy shuttling back and forth.

"Director Lü, you've arrived."

"Chairman Lü."

“Lv…”

Upon seeing Lü Rui enter, a continuous stream of greetings immediately rang out.

Tian Xiaopeng was the first to come over to greet him.

Lu Rui asked, "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, everything is ready."

"Then let's get started."

"it is good."

At 10 o'clock, many media reporters began to appear outside Ruiyue Animation.

When everyone walked in, they all looked confused.

I inexplicably received an invitation to a project launch conference held by Ruishijie, and it was even at Ruiyue Animation's place?
Do animated films really need project launch events? Is it really necessary?

But when everyone entered the conference room and saw that Lü Rui was also there, their expressions instantly became serious.

The animation itself isn't important, but Lü Rui is!
The project launch event, which he personally attended, was even more important!

Everyone took their seats one after another.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Lü Rui stood up, gestured to his assistant to turn on the projection screen, and solemnly introduced:

"The reason I've invited everyone here today is to announce something. Ruiyue Animation will be collaborating with several domestic animation companies and a Hollywood team to co-produce an animated film project with an investment of $1.3 million..."

boom! ! !
Before he could finish speaking, the entire conference room was already in an uproar!

Everyone who was sitting suddenly stood up like a taut spring...

(End of this chapter)