Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 128 Actors and Stars

When "Reign of Assassins" grossed over 100 million yuan, there were still some dissenting voices in the industry.

Some say this film was carried by Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau, and that Zhang Jun was just lucky to have landed a ready-made role.

Some people say that Zhang Jun does have some skills, but it's too early to say how great he is; we'll have to wait until he carries a film on his own before we can say anything.

Zhang Jun had heard these claims, but he hadn't taken them to heart.

He knew that's how this industry was: if you produce results, people say you're just a performer; if you bring in a new batch of actors, people say you don't know the industry.

Anyway, someone will always find an angle.

Before the release of "Bad Genius," similar questions lingered. Who is Yang Mi? Who is Wen Zhang? I'd never even heard of Jiang Yan or Wang Kai.

With just these few newcomers, what kind of splash can they make?

As a result, the splashes of water turned into waves, and the waves turned into tidal bores.

When "Bad Genius" grossed over 100 million, the doubts subsided by half. When it surpassed 200 million, the remaining half fell silent.

No one can say that Yang Mi, Wen Zhang, Jiang Yan, and Wang Kai are comparable to Zhang Ziyi and Andy Lau; they are a lineup that is more than one level below each other.

But what about the box office? Not only was it the same, it was even higher.

What else can be said? Zhang Jun is awesome.

In mid-August, the box office of "Bad Genius" officially exceeded 210 million yuan, and a celebration banquet was held in a hotel in Beijing.

It was called a celebration banquet, but it was really just a gathering of people in the industry to have a meal and congratulate each other.

Zhang Jun originally didn't want to make such a big fuss, but He Xuan said it had to be done, firstly to give the team an explanation, and secondly to save face for the investors.

Zhang Jun thought it made sense and agreed.

The celebration banquet was scheduled for 7 p.m., and Zhang Jun arrived at 6:30 p.m. But as soon as he entered, he realized something was wrong.

The hotel lobby was already packed with people, a sea of ​​faces. Zhang Jun glanced around briefly; he recognized only a few, but there were a lot of strangers.

He Xuan came up to him and whispered, "Zhang Jun is getting a little out of control."

Zhang Jun asked, "Who are these people?"

He Xuan said, "Most of them are from the investment circle, some are from film and television companies, and a few are just trying to ride the wave of popularity."

I don't know where they got the news from, but they all came anyway.

Zhang Jun nodded without saying anything.

Since they're here, we can't just kick them out.

At 7:00 AM sharp, the celebration banquet officially began.

Zhang Jun went on stage and said a few words, thanking the team, the actors, and the investors—a fairly standard response. The audience applauded, and the atmosphere was fairly harmonious.

But once Zhang Jun came down from the stage, the situation became uncontrollable.

A group of people surrounded Zhang Jun, trapping him in the middle.

"Director Zhang, this is Mr. Wang from XX Investment. Shall we talk?"

"Director Zhang, our company is very interested in your next film; budget is not an issue!"

"Director Zhang, could we speak privately for just five minutes?"

"Director Zhang, I have a project here, could you please take a look at the script?"

They were all talking at once, buzzing like a million mosquitoes.

Zhang Jun smiled and said "thank you," "I'll contact you later," and "we'll cooperate if there's a chance," but inside he was incredibly annoyed. All he wanted was to find a place to hide away and have some peace and quiet.

Fortunately, Ye Xiaoyi and He Xuan arrived just in time.

Ye Xiaoyi stepped in front of Zhang Jun and said with a smile, "Bosses, today is a celebration banquet. Please enjoy yourselves first, and we can discuss the cooperation another day."

Director Zhang still has to offer toasts later, so let him catch his breath now.

He Xuan chimed in, pushing people out as she spoke.

The two worked together seamlessly and managed to pull Zhang Jun out of the crowd.

Zhang Jun breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to them, and then quietly slipped into a corner.

There are already people in the corner.

Yang Mi sat there, holding a glass of juice, looking utterly dejected.

Zhang Jun walked over, sat down next to her, and said with a smile, "You've been hiding here too?"

When Yang Mi saw him, her eyes lit up, but then her face fell again: "Don't even mention it, a bunch of people were surrounding me just now, asking me all sorts of questions, I was almost going crazy."

Zhang Jun asked, "How does it feel to be famous?"

Yang Mi complained, "I'm so busy, really so busy. I have to film 'GG,' attend events, and read scripts. I'm working non-stop all day long, and I don't even have time to sleep."

Zhang Jun looked at her and smiled.

Although she complained, Yang Mi's expression didn't lie. Her eyes were shining, her smile was barely contained, and she exuded excitement.

Zhang Jun had seen this before; it was the same for actors who had just entered the industry and were experiencing fame for the first time.

It was truly tiring, but also truly joyful.

Zhang Jun put down his wine glass, looked at her, and suddenly asked, "I have a question for you."

Seeing his serious expression, Yang Mi also stopped smiling: "What's the problem?"

Zhang Jun asked, "Do you want to be a star, or an actor?"

Yang Mi paused for a moment, then asked, "What's the difference?"

Zhang Jun said, "The difference is huge."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Actors focus on the work and the role. When accepting a role, they look at the script, the character, and the director."

After filming, I go home and think about the next role.

He doesn't appear on variety shows much, doesn't do much promotion, and when he does give interviews, it's all about acting.

For this kind of person, the audience remembers the character he played, not the person himself.

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Yang Mi listened and nodded.

Zhang Jun added, "Celebrities are different."

What celebrities need is popularity, buzz, and exposure. They need to maintain good relationships with the media, create topics, appear on variety shows, and walk the red carpet.

Endorsements have to be top-tier, appearances have to be packed, and you have to shine in public. As for your work and roles, they're not that important.

The audience remembers him as a person, not the roles he played.

He looked into Yang Mi's eyes: "Tell me, which path do you want to choose?"

Yang Mi fell silent; she knew what the standard answer was.

It's been a common saying in the industry that actors have a future, while being a star is just a fleeting moment of glory. Following the usual script, she should have said…

"I want to be an actor."

But the words stuck in her throat.

Because she knew in her heart that the path of becoming a celebrity was what she truly wanted.

She enjoys being in the spotlight, being in the limelight, and the satisfaction that endorsements and appearances bring.

She can't stay quietly at home and work on the script.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhang Jun didn't urge her, and just waited.

After a while, Yang Mi looked up at him, somewhat nervously: "If I tell the truth, will you be unhappy?"

'

Zhang Jun said, "Speak boldly, it's your business, I won't be unhappy."

Yang Mi took a deep breath and mustered her courage: "I think—it's better to be a celebrity."

After saying that, she stared at Zhang Jun's face, wanting to see his reaction.

Zhang Jun nodded, his expression unchanged: "Understood."

He took a piece of pastry from the table, took a bite, chewed it, swallowed it, and then said, "From now on, you should pay more attention and watch how Fan Pangbing does it."

This will benefit your future development.

Yang Mi was taken aback: "Fan Bingbing?"

Zhang Jun nodded: "She terminated her contract with Huayi Brothers and is currently preparing to open her own studio. I invested in it and own a portion of the shares; her studio will be affiliated with my new company."

Yang Mi blinked, a little confused.

Seeing her expression, Zhang Jun smiled and said, "What's wrong? Surprised?"

Yang Mi said, "A bit... With her star power, why would she want to be affiliated with your company?"

Zhang Jun said, "It's not a matter of whether she wants to or not. She needs resources, a platform, and someone to support her if she goes it alone."

I have projects, funding, and channels, which I can use to provide her with those resources.

Moreover—”

Zhang Jun didn't finish speaking, but Yang Mi was aware of his relationship with Fan Bingbing, and she nodded thoughtfully.

Zhang Jun added, "Observe her more, see how she deals with the media, how she accepts endorsements, and how she plans her own path."

Fan Bingbing's rise to her current position in the entertainment industry is not due to luck, but to her intelligence.

If you learn 70-80%, that will be enough.

Yang Mi agreed.

She couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think being an actor is worse than being a celebrity?"

Zhang Jun said, "What's wrong with that? It's a path you choose yourself, as long as you walk it well. Actors have their way of life, and stars have theirs; there's no high or low, noble or base."

He paused, then said, "Besides, do you think being a star is easy? You need brains, skill, and luck."

Many people dream of becoming stars, but in the end, they amount to nothing.

If you've chosen this path, it means you have the idea and the ambition, so do your best.

"It would be troublesome if we ended up stranded on both sides."

After listening, Yang Mi was silent for a while, and then smiled.

"Zhang Jun, you really are—"

The two chatted in a corner, while the banquet hall remained lively.

After dealing with several groups of investors, Ye Xiaoyi took a moment to come and take a look.

"Are you two hiding here slacking off?" she said with a smile.

Zhang Jun said, "It's too noisy outside, I need some peace and quiet."

Ye Xiaoyi sat down next to him, glanced at Yang Mi, then at Zhang Jun, and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Zhang Jun said, "Let's talk about her future path."

Ye Xiaoyi laughed and said, "Then you'd better plan carefully. You've nurtured her from the ground up, so don't waste her potential."

Zhang Jun said, "She has her own ideas; I don't need to plan for her."

Ye Xiaoyi looked at Yang Mi, a hint of curiosity in her eyes: "Really? What are your thoughts?"

Yang Mi was a little embarrassed, but still said, "I want to—go down the path of becoming a star."

Ye Xiaoyi smiled and said, "That's good. It's good to have ideas. In this industry, the worst thing is to have no ideas and just take things one step at a time."

She paused, then added, "But the path to stardom isn't easy. The competition is fierce, and there are many people watching. You have to be mentally prepared."

Yang Mi nodded: "I know."

The three chatted for a while, and then He Xuan came over again.

"Zhang Jun, it's time to go out for a walk."

She urged, "There are a few important investors we need to speak to."

Zhang Jun sighed, stood up, and went to attend to social obligations.

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