Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 303 Old Guo's Script

How to describe Lao Guo's script? Just like Lao Guo's crosstalk, there is a main storyline with countless small stories interspersed throughout.

Nineteen generations of ancestors.

The name is good. The main storyline is about a young man who is struggling in real life, who accidentally sees a family genealogy and begins to manipulate his own genes.

It's interspersed with various jokes, but the jokes themselves are just so-so, very classic Guo-style humor.

If it were a crosstalk performance, Guo Jingming and Yu Minhong would definitely be able to make people laugh, but the main character is Yue Yunpeng, so it can only be said that Chen Shouzhi would not film this kind of script.

“You can film it. Your fans, who have built up over the years, should go see it,” Chen Shou said.

"So you're saying we can give it a try, right?" Lao Guo asked.

"Hmm, you can give it a try." That was all Chen Shou could do to encourage Lao Guo. Let him try it out, even if he loses money, it will only be a small loss. Besides, it would probably require a lot of favors and a bunch of people to play the part.

Chen Shouzhe will invest some more later, but it definitely won't be Shouzhe Film Industry; it will probably be Yang Mi's company that invests.

After reading the script, I found some books to read in Lao Guo's study. Lao Guo's study has a lot of good things in it, but of course, it doesn't have as many expensive things as Chen Shouzhe's. Over the years, Chen Shouzhe has also bought some trinkets and some antiques from abroad.

After reading for a while and taking a nap, Chen Shouzhe finally left the Rose Garden for the company around 3 p.m.

"Why did you take so long?" Zhong Lifan saw him return and came to his office to have tea with him.

She knew Chen Shouzhe was going to Golden Shield, and he definitely wouldn't call him over unless there was a reason. Last time, during the operation in northern Myanmar, Golden Shield took the initiative to propose cooperation, and it was possible that it would be the same this time.

Chen Shou went out in the morning and didn't return until the afternoon. They talked for quite a long time; it's rare to see him go out and talk for so long.

"No, I went to the Rose Garden and took a nap at my godfather's house," Chen Shouzhe said.

"Oh." Zhong Lifan nodded, not thinking much of it. She didn't know Yan Danchen lived in the Rose Garden, and asked, "What did you discuss at Golden Shield?"

As the head manager of the film company, she needed to know what Chen Shouzhe was planning. In fact, even if she didn't ask, Chen Shouzhe would tell her.

"It's not Golden Shield, it's Haiyi that wants to collaborate with us through Golden Shield to shoot a patriotic film about the navy."

"The Navy's main theme?"

Zhong Lifan's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this. The main theme was a great project; it could make money, win awards, and even help build connections.

The release of "Yunnan Insect Valley" was made possible by the fact that two of Chen Shouzhe's patriotic films were listed on the screen; otherwise, how could he have withstood the pressure?

In some ways, patriotic films are like get-out-of-jail-free cards. Look at the films of Chen Da Shi Ren and Long Tai Zi. Long Tai Zi was banned but was still able to be released. Chen Da Shi Ren didn't have any get-out-of-jail-free cards, but he had strong connections and a powerful background. He won the only Palme d'Or in China, and that's his confidence.

Chen Shou is no less impressive. He is a world-renowned director who has won an Academy Award and has two patriotic films that are registered with the August First Film Studio and the Golden Shield Film Studio. Naturally, he can also enjoy certain privileges.

This year he has two films that require these privileges. Yunnan Insect Valley is just the first one. If he were to direct The Energy of Urshan, it would require a powerful production company behind him.

Even if the producers are internet giants like Tencent, obtaining these privileges is not easy.

Only those who contribute to the film and television industry are acceptable; otherwise, where does Jiang Zhiqiang's confidence in stealing box office revenue come from?
He contributed significantly to the investment in mainland films and played a crucial role in their development, so the authorities only issued a warning and did not impose any punishment on him.

It was only through Chen Shou's unilateral alliance with many production companies to boycott them that they succeeded, effectively shutting down their theater chains. Their company continues to produce and invest in films, though less aggressively. Therefore, the ultimate form of unspoken rule is never about bribery, but rather about personal connections.

The more mainstream the narrative, the more benefits Chen Shouzhe will receive. He can be listed in official documents, and even the propaganda apparatus needs him and will protect him secretly. As long as he doesn't violate any bottom-line principles, he can make a good living in China.

“Yes, a naval-themed patriotic film,” Chen Shou nodded.

"I'll notify the scriptwriting department to discuss the script. We should try our best to secure the project, no matter what." Zhong Lifan stood up hurriedly.

"Sister Zhong, Sister Zhong!" Chen Shou hurriedly called out.

"Is there anything else?"

"No need to call the scriptwriting department. I have the script ready, and I've already submitted it. We should be able to see the results before May," Chen Shouzhe said.

"Huh? You have a script? What a coincidence!" Zhong Lifan exclaimed.

“Perfect timing. I recently wrote a script about the navy, and it should be approved if nothing unexpected happens,” Chen Shou said with a smile.

Zhong Lifan sat back down. She was quite confident in Chen Shouzhe's script; it should pass the censorship without any problem, and they could just wait for the project to be approved for filming.

"Won't that clash with Journey to the West?" Zhong Lifan asked.

"My plan is to start filming Journey to the West in June and try to finish it within three months. If the script comes in, the project will be approved in June, and preparations will begin in June. With three months, filming can start in September or October, and we will try to complete the filming before the Chinese New Year," Chen Shou said.

"So, these are the only two movies you're confirmed to be filming this year?" Zhong Lifan wrote it down.

"It's confirmed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be these two films," Chen Shou nodded.

“Okay, once the script passes their review, I’ll start preparations immediately. That’s good news. By the way, what about the investment?” Zhong Lifan asked.

"Let's wait and see, and talk about it after the approval."

Zhong Lifan nodded. It wasn't time to pop the champagne yet, and she understood that what was needed now was secrecy.

The film "Yunnan Insect Valley" is still showing in theaters, but Shouzhao Film Company has not promoted it or released any promotional materials. The actors are also keeping a low profile, and Wuershan is even preparing for a "Journey to the West" project.

In fact, they were all quietly paying attention to the film's box office performance, hoping that the film would do well.

They've been keeping a low profile, but the theaters are putting in a lot of effort to promote it in order to make money. April's release schedule is usually pretty average, and now that a big-budget production has finally come in, how could they possibly let it go? They won't miss out on the opportunity while the film studio isn't promoting it.

They promoted the film online under the slogan of "the last Ghost Blows Out the Light" and controlled comments, making the entire internet aware of its release.

The third film allowed fans to know that this might be the last time they would see the Ghost Blows Out the Light series on the big screen, and coupled with the positive reviews of the first two films, the box office performance of the third film was maintained.

The second day grossed 1.67 million, the third day, the 31st, which happened to be a Saturday, grossed 2.55 million, and the fourth day, the 1st, Sunday, grossed 3.33 million. In the first four days of its release, it grossed 8.92 million, shocking everyone in the industry.

A movie that achieved nearly 9 million yuan in box office revenue in just four days without any prior promotion.

Many companies are glad they ruined this big IP; otherwise, they would have been able to keep mining this gold mine while holding onto the film industry, and they would have felt even more bitter.

(End of this chapter)