Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 129 New Script Submitted for Review

There were quite a few people present. Out of respect for China Film Group, Chen Shouzhe did not go on stage with the main cast and crew, but left it to Wuershan to handle.

However, his not going on stage doesn't mean the reporters will let him off the hook; they will definitely ask him questions.

After the movie ended, I thought the movie would be bad because of the change of director, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. The color rendering was more intense than Chen Shouzhe's, which was a different style and surprised many people who had seen the first Painted Skin movie.

Chen Shouzhe sat in the first row, along with several other producers who were also sitting in the first row watching the people on stage.

"I'd like to ask Director Chen, why did you entrust the sequel to Wuershan?" a reporter asked.

Chen Shouzhe had already anticipated that there would be problems for him, and the staff member next to him handed him the microphone.

“There are two aspects. First, I don’t have time to direct. In the future, the company will focus on cultivating directors other than me. Second, Director Wu Ershan is excellent enough. As everyone has seen, the second film was excellent. So I handed over Painted Skin to Director Wu Ershan,” Chen Shouzhe said.

"My second question is for Director Chen: will you continue filming the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio series? We already have Painted Skin and A Chinese Ghost Story, are there any other series of movies featuring gods, demons, and monsters?" the reporter continued.

"The Painted Skin series is basically over. As for A Chinese Ghost Story, it depends on the market. If the market is good, there will definitely be a sequel. As for whether there will be a sequel after Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it will probably have to wait. Director Wuershan already has work scheduled." Chen Shou smiled.

The reporter wanted to say something more, but had already asked two questions, so there was no way to continue. They needed to give other reporters a chance.

However, many film company personnel present looked at Chen Shouzhe. Did Wuershan have work arrangements? What kind of work arrangements could a director like him have? In other words, Shouzhe Film Industry had another project.

Everyone present was shrewd. The fact that Painted Skin 2 proved that Wuershan's directing ability was not a problem, and with the influence of the Painted Skin IP, the box office would not be too bad. In this way, Chen Shouzhe had successfully launched a new director.

So Wuershan's next film was much simpler, which is why many new directors are willing to join Shouzhe Pictures. They can take on IP projects, quickly gain fame, and even if they leave Chen Shouzhe, it proves that they have the ability.

If Painted Skin 2 is successful, Wuershan will become a famous commercial film director, and he will never lack investment for any film he directs in the future.

"I'd like to ask Director Chen, what are Director Wuershan's next projects?" A reporter next to him took the microphone and continued with the previous question.

"This needs to be kept secret until later. It's not the right time yet. We'll have to wait until Painted Skin 2 is no longer showing," Chen Shou nodded.

After answering the three questions, Chen Shou sat back down.

Wang Changtian, who was standing next to him, leaned over and whispered, "What kind of project is it?"

"You are interested in?"

"Yes, I have."

"We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Mr. La, who was standing next to him, also wanted to ask, but his identity was rather special, so he thought better of it. If there really was a project, not many companies could compete with China Film Group.

Ye Ning also wanted to ask, since he hadn't resigned yet and was still working for Wanda, but he wanted to take Chen Shouzhe's project to Huayi.

I can't just do nothing.

Unfortunately, Chen Shouzhe completely ignored him, even though he had hinted at it many times.

After the premiere, a lot of fans came outside, mostly there for Dilraba.

This is Dilraba's first appearance on the big screen. Before joining the Running Man show, she had already filmed Painted Skin.

Many people are looking forward to her performance, which is expected to generate some buzz for the film.

Chen Shouzhe and the other members of the production team stayed behind to treat everyone to a meal. The main creators were about to start promoting the show, and it would be very busy, so treating everyone to a meal was a must.

"Aunt Xun, I'll leave the rest to you." Chen Shou said.

Hearing Chen Shou call her that again, Zhou Xun rolled her eyes, and Chen Kun and the others next to her laughed.

"Shut your mouth and eat your food properly," Zhou Xun said irritably.

Chen Shou smiled and whispered to Reba next to him, "Are you getting used to it?"

"Yes, there's plenty." Reba nodded softly. In front of Chen Shouzhe, she always acted like a submissive wife.

The others kept their eyes to themselves, except for Zhou Xun, who kept glancing back and forth between the two of them with interest, her eyes filled with ambiguity.

“You are destined to walk this path, and fashion resources are more suitable for you,” Chen Shouzhe said.

"But I..."

“The path of an actor is difficult, and it’s even harder to climb up step by step. With your current success through variety shows and the added boost from Painted Skin, you’re guaranteed to reach the top tier, at the latest by next year,” Chen Shou said.

When Chen Shouzhe said that Reba would become a top-tier star, all the actors present were envious. There are only so many top-tier stars, and each of them has worked their way up over the years. Only they themselves know the hardships they have endured.

Reba became an overnight sensation after appearing on a variety show, rising from an unknown actress to a second-tier star. Now, Chen Shou is trying to push her to become a first-tier actress.

Perhaps this highlights the importance of choosing the right people to work with, and it also explains why so many female celebrities are willing to work with renowned directors.

If it were them, they would be willing to do it too. Moreover, the resources Chen Shouzhe can provide are definitely more than this. Many actors have gone international because of his films. Chen Shouzhe also has very strong resources abroad, which is the key point.

Dilraba couldn't suppress her smile; it seemed that the rewards she received for her hard work were enough to make countless people envious and jealous.

Dilraba even learned privately that many of the actresses in her company had expressed their willingness to offer themselves to Yang Mi. After all, if Dilraba could succeed, so could they.

Who wouldn't want to be in the spotlight? Besides, being Chen Shouzhe's woman isn't shameful; on the contrary, it's prestigious.

The premiere is over, and the movie won't be released until June 1st. Although it's supposed to be a summer movie season, June 1st is definitely not a good date. Who would take their kids to see a horror movie on Children's Day?

With the overwhelming publicity these past few days, many people know that the sequel to Painted Skin is out. However, with a different director, many are worried that it will lose its original flavor.

Many preview screenings were held, and the online reviews were all good. However, Chen Shouzhe kept a close eye on Huayi, just to see if they would let Tao Le and the others join the company.

Internet news updates very quickly; yesterday's news will soon be replaced by today's news, but that doesn't mean the person involved has forgotten about it.

There's a lot of cyberbullying going on online these days. Chen Shou has arranged for people to keep an eye on this matter; it's not his style to take a beating without fighting back.

Painted Skin was released on June 1st, and the theaters were quite accommodating, giving it a lot of screenings. Unfortunately, the revenue sharing ratio still couldn't be negotiated, so it had to stick to the previous arrangement, which only applies to him.

After all, the theaters didn't dare to gamble; who knew if anyone other than Chen Shouzhe could fight?

4366 million.

The box office results for the first day show that Painted Skin 2 was a success.

Those in the industry immediately understood that the film was a success and would make money.

Many people called Chen Shouzhe to congratulate him, and the production companies were especially happy.

They faced pressure to follow the director's lead, and Wuershan finally withstood the pressure and achieved a good box office result. As long as they can maintain their performance, surpassing the first film is not a problem.

The first film grossed 600 million yuan for some reason, so the second film would be considered a success if it grossed more than 600 million yuan.

Moreover, the situation from the first movie won't happen again; Chen Shouzhe is not someone to be trifled with now.

The second day saw a further increase to 4729 million, defying the decline. However, this wasn't a particularly good release date; the best release dates are in July and August.

However, Painted Skin did revitalize the summer movie season, and there were also other films released.

Actually, movies are released every day, but the vast majority of them are lost to obscurity.

Last year, a lot of capital poured into the film and television industry because of The Martian, but how many of them will survive, and what's meant to be lost will be lost.

After all, good projects don't lack investment or outsiders.

Alibaba's big move this year is to team up with Wong Kar-wai in Hong Kong to produce a blockbuster film with unlimited investment.

I don't know what they were thinking, but Chen Shouzhe and other industry insiders scoffed at it.

"Let's announce it to the public, it'll create some excitement," Chen Shou said to Zhong Lifan inside the company.

“No problem, how do we choose our partner this time?” Zhong Lifan asked.

“Keep Wanda and the light,” Chen Shouzhe said.

"What about China Film Group?" Zhong Lifan asked Chen Shouzhe in surprise.

“China Film Group…their role is diminishing. They can't offer as many screenings or distribution opportunities as Enlight Media and Wanda Media, but we can't exclude them.” Chen Shou said, somewhat troubled.

He, Enlight Media, and Wanda Media all didn't want China Film Group to get involved because it's a state-owned enterprise that often only takes without giving back.

When Chen Shou was a director, he originally received extra bonuses. However, due to the state-owned enterprise nature of China Film Group, the company was unable to pay them back. So, he was the one who made money for China Film Group all along, while the company could only provide him with very little.

They were slow to pay, and delayed payments several times. Chen Shouzhe had lost patience with them.

It's understandable that a small investment in "A Chinese Ghost Story" could be kept to oneself, but it's unreasonable for a project to suddenly exclude China Film Group.

“Even if we have to let go, we should do it slowly. It’s not good to cut them apart all at once,” Zhong Lifan said.

"Let's submit the script for review first. I think I'll have to go see it, since that stagnant pool isn't very friendly to me," Chen Shou sneered.

Zhong Lifan smiled upon hearing this. This kind of subject matter was already sensitive, and Chen Shou had also offended someone, so it was no wonder that it was blocked.

She had also read the script. Although there were no problems, she wanted to avoid being targeted by those people who might cause trouble. In the end, she would have to bring out the stagnant water, which would put the higher-ups in a difficult position.

"I'll submit it for review first, and we'll see if it gets approved later," Zhong Lifan nodded.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Zhong," Chen Shou said.

As Zhong Lifan was about to leave, she suddenly turned back and asked, "Are you really going to go that far?"

"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't," Chen Shou said, waving his hand.

"It's best to clean things up properly. They're not easy to mess with. We can't just kill them off all at once, or they'll bite us again."

(End of this chapter)