Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

Mid-January 1983.

Hong Kong, this city, is forever filled with a dizzying magical realism.

During the day, the headlines were dominated by shocking scandals such as "Suspect Dies Suddenly at Queen Mary Hospital" and "Police Rising Star Yau Kang-ao Suspected of Torture and Extraction of Confessions." Countless citizens vehemently denounced the police force's corruption and incompetence in tea restaurants, while Legislative Council members, like sharks smelling blood, relentlessly pressured the Governor's House, demanding a thorough investigation into police power.

However, by evening, or by flipping through the entertainment section of the newspaper, the scene suddenly changed, transforming into a carnival feast that could set all of Asia ablaze.

……

Kowloon, Regent Hotel, InterContinental Grand Ballroom.

Today, the place is decorated with a sea of ​​red carpets, flowers, and spotlights, making it look like the Oscars ceremony.

A huge, gold-embossed banner hung in the center of the stage, bearing a line of striking characters:

[Golden Harvest's groundbreaking production – Back to the Future: Global Launch Press Conference]

The banquet hall was packed. Not only were all the entertainment reporters and paparazzi from Hong Kong present, but even the Hong Kong correspondents of Time Magazine and The New York Times, as well as representatives from film companies in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, were all scrambling to get in and see what was going on.

Because Golden Harvest Pictures mysteriously stated: "This will be a film that rewrites the history of Asian cinema and makes Hollywood tremble."

At 10:00 AM sharp, the press conference officially began, accompanied by a stirring and grand symphony.

Amidst a barrage of dazzling camera flashes, Michael Mak, general manager of Golden Harvest Pictures and known as a "film mogul," walked at the front, looking radiant in a well-tailored grey suit.

Following behind him was the film's creative team.

Walking on the left was a thin man with a signature goatee, black-rimmed glasses, and a whimsical, imaginative look in his eyes. He was none other than the brilliant director Tsui Hark, who had slammed his fist on the table and volunteered after reading the script. Since Golden Princess was acquired by Lu Chen, Cinema City, as a satellite company of Golden Princess, naturally signed a continued cooperation agreement with Golden Harvest, and Tsui Hark, under Cinema City, naturally also deepened his collaboration with Golden Harvest.

Behind the two are the film's highly anticipated male and female leads.

The male lead is Li Xiaojun, a rising star who recently gained immense popularity across Asia for his role as "Li Xiaoyao" in the ATV fantasy drama "Chinese Paladin 1" and came to Hong Kong from mainland China to pursue his career. At this moment, he has shed the naivety of his period drama look and is wearing the trendiest denim jacket of that era, carrying an electric guitar prop that matches the movie's protagonist. His handsome face is brimming with youthful vigor and confidence.

Meanwhile, the female lead who appeared at the same time was Qiu Di, the actress who played Ma Xiaoling, who had just conquered all the men in Hong Kong with her 42-inch long legs.

Today, Qiu Di was clearly dressed with great care. She wore a fitted, puffy dress specially made by the film crew, with a strong 1950s retro style. Her makeup was exquisite, and she looked radiant. In particular, her captivating peach blossom eyes possessed both the innocence of a young girl and a touch of the charm and composure of a big star.

The moment these four people appeared, the sound of camera shutters clicking was deafening!

"Mr. Mak! Why did Golden Harvest choose a science fiction theme for its first film after acquiring Golden Princess Cinemas? As we all know, science fiction films have always been a Achilles' heel of Hong Kong cinema!"

"Director Tsui! I heard you turned down a big production from Cinema City for this film, is that true?"

"Miss Qiudi! Rumor has it that you were handpicked by Boss Lu for the lead role, is that true?"

The reporters bombarded him with questions like a machine gun.

Mai Dangxiong walked to the microphone, pressed his hands down slightly, signaling for silence. His face, which had a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), was now filled with absolute confidence and arrogance.

"Dear friends from the media, I know you have many questions. Regarding 'Back to the Future,' I only have two things to announce today."

Mai Dangxiong cleared his throat, scanned the entire audience, then raised a finger, directly throwing out a nuclear bomb with the explosive power to devastate the entire entertainment industry:

"First, this is a trilogy of films. We have completed the script development for all three films to ensure a smooth transition between the plots."

"Secondly, in order to create this series, our initial production budget at Golden Harvest Pictures was..."

Mai Dangxiong paused, a chilling smile curving his lips:

"One hundred million... US dollars!"

boom--!!!

A deathly silence fell over the entire room. Then, a scream that nearly lifted the roof off erupted!

All the reporters thought they had misheard!

One hundred million... US dollars?! That's seven hundred and eighty million Hong Kong dollars!!

In this day and age, a Hong Kong film with an investment of five million Hong Kong dollars is considered a super production! Dragonway's films only cost ten million!

As expected of a major move after the acquisition, they surprised everyone right from the start!

"Mr. Mai! Are you kidding me? One hundred million US dollars?! How could the Hong Kong box office possibly break even?!" A senior reporter from the South China Morning Post stood up in shock, almost dropping his microphone.

"Who told you our market is only Hong Kong?" Mak sneered, retorting with extreme arrogance. "Our chairman has said that Golden Harvest's goal has never been to compete with others in Tsim Sha Tsui. Our goal is the stars and the sea! The global market!"

"In addition to the Chinese version, this film will also have a fully English-dubbed version, and will be released simultaneously in North America, Europe, Japan, and South Korea through our distribution channels in Europe and America! We want to earn money from audiences all over the world! We want to show those arrogant Hollywood devils what the Eastern film industry is all about!"

These words were spoken with resounding force and boundless pride! Many Chinese journalists at the scene were deeply moved, feeling an unprecedented sense of national pride welling up within them.

Of course, not all of the $100 million was spent on production; it also included post-production promotion and other expenses. Furthermore, Lu Chen owns his own props and extras companies, meaning a significant portion of the money ultimately ended up in his own pockets. More importantly, a considerable amount of illicit income could be added to this $100 million to launder money.

"But... what about the technology?" another more professional film critic questioned. "Director Tsui, even if Golden Harvest has money, sci-fi films rely on special effects. Hong Kong's special effects technology has been stuck at the stage of wire work and rudimentary explosions. Whether it's model making or special effects makeup, there's a huge gap between us and Europe and America. How can you guarantee that you can shoot scenes on the level of Hollywood's 'Star Wars'?"

Upon hearing this question, Tsui Hark, who had remained silent until now, took the microphone.

This genius director, known as "Old Freak Tsui," has an almost insane passion for technology shining in his eyes.

"Good question." Tsui Hark pushed up his glasses and revealed his signature quirky smile. "A month ago, I was just like you, thinking that Hong Kong couldn't make science fiction films. But when I walked into Purple Qi VFX, a subsidiary of Golden Harvest, and saw all those big machines they bought for tens of millions, I knew that times had changed."

Tsui Hark pointed to the large screen behind him.

On the screen, a short ten-second test clip begins to play.

In the video, an unidentified sports car speeds through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui. As its speed increases, two trails of burning flames appear out of thin air. Then, an incredibly realistic and textured blue-white electric current envelops the car, instantly distorting space, and the sports car vanishes into thin air!

The level of detail and lighting rendering in this special effects is comparable to that of Hollywood's top Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)!

"Wow--!!!"

Another gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.

"This is the power of the 'Purple Aura Special Effects'," Tsui Hark said with great pride. "The previous ATV productions of 'Chinese Paladin' and 'My Date with a Vampire' were just a small test of the Purple Aura Special Effects. This time, we will be using the first computer-controlled camera in all of Asia, and we have also invited the best special effects makeup artists and model studios to do the production."

"I, Tsui Hark, am putting my words on the table," Tsui Hark said arrogantly, patting his chest. "If this film's visuals are even a single frame worse than Hollywood's, I, Tsui Hark, will retire from directing!"

With this pledge and that stunning sample footage, all doubts vanished instantly. In their place came unparalleled anticipation for the film.

Subsequently, the reporters' cameras and microphones were pointed at the two lead actors.

"Mr. Li Xiaojun, you came to Hong Kong from the mainland and in just one year you've jumped from television to playing the male lead in such a big-budget production. How do you feel now? Is there a lot of pressure?"

Facing the camera, Li Xiaojun was still a little nervous, but his eyes were extremely clear and firm.

"There's definitely pressure. But after reading the script, I was deeply moved by the protagonist Adi's indomitable spirit and courage to change his destiny." Li Xiaojun, holding the microphone, revealed his signature warm and slightly naive smile. "I will do my best to perform well in this sci-fi masterpiece that belongs to us Chinese. And with Director Xu and General Manager Mai behind the scenes, I'm confident!"

"Ms. Qiu Di! Ms. Qiu Di!" The reporters were clearly more interested in this sexy "long-legged goddess," and their questions were more pointed and gossipy. "In the movie, you'll be playing the male lead's mother when she was young, and you'll also have a 'misplaced romance' with him that transcends time. This is a huge challenge for your acting skills. Are you confident you can handle this role?"

Qiu Di looked exceptionally elegant today. Having been around Lu Chen for some time, she had long since shed her former northern girl air and now exuded the composure of a wealthy socialite.

She smiled slightly, flicked a curl of hair behind her ear, and exuded charm.

"Of course there are challenges. But I believe that in this world, there is nothing that Golden Harvest cannot achieve if it sets its mind to it." Qiu Di thought of the man standing behind her, a hint of admiration and pride flashing in her eyes. "The script is excellent, and the Hong Kong atmosphere of that era is also captivating. I will put in my utmost effort to prove to everyone that I am not only Ma Xiaoling, but also an actress who can go international."

The press conference lasted for a full two hours and ultimately turned into a perfect "muscle show".

It proclaimed to the world that with Lu Chen's capital injection, Hong Kong cinema was no longer a small workshop that relied solely on kung fu and comedy films, but had officially ushered in the era of "Oriental Hollywood" with heavy industrialization!

……

The following morning, as the printing press roared, the latest evening papers and entertainment weekly were delivered to every newsstand in Hong Kong.

Almost all the entertainment headlines were dominated by "Back to the Future"!

Oriental Daily News: "A 700 Million Dollar Bets! Golden Harvest Aims for Hollywood! Michael Mak Boasts of Making Money Worldwide—Is it Empty Talk or Reality?"

Ming Pao Weekly: "Old Monster Takes the Lead, Purple Aura Arrives from the East! A $100 Million Asian Sci-Fi Epic, Purple Aura Special Effects Technology Leads the World!"

Film Biweekly: "Li Xiaojun and Qiu Di team up to travel through time! A dialogue between Hong Kong in 1983 and 1953—will they win or lose? Find out when it's released."

In teahouses, on buses, and in the tea rooms of office buildings, citizens temporarily forgot the shadow of the police killing someone and began to discuss with great enthusiasm the movie that had become a hit throughout the city even before filming began.

"Hey, did you hear? That Boss Lu is really rich! He spent 100 million US dollars on a movie! How much money is that?"

"Pshaw, what do you know! Big investment brings big returns! If we Hong Kong people could make blockbusters like Star Wars, we wouldn't have to watch only foreign movies anymore!"

"Exactly! Li Xiaojun played Li Xiaoyao so well, he'll definitely be fine in this! And Qiu Di, wow, those legs, I'd buy a ticket just for her!"

An unprecedented sense of cultural confidence and urban pride has risen in the hearts of citizens during this special period.

Suddenly, everyone realized that in this turbulent and morally ambiguous era, at least there were still movies and Golden Harvest, which could bring them an extremely dazzling dream about the future.