Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

Wang Baoqiang lamented: "The most ironic thing is that 'Catch the Spy' completely failed. Top-notch team, veteran director, heavyweight subject matter, top-notch soundtrack, but in the end, a favor-based promotional statement caused resentment. In addition, the film itself had an old-fashioned narrative, a slow pace, and a lack of originality, resulting in a complete box office disaster and a collapse in word of mouth."

This film, which should have been a contender for the year's best, was ultimately completely abandoned by audiences, becoming the most typical example of a box office flop in this year's film industry downturn.

Gu Zhiyan had been listening quietly and thinking silently. Now he slowly spoke, his eyes clear and his vision exceptionally sharp: "This is the biggest problem in the industry right now. Many creators, distributors, and practitioners are still stuck in the old era of relying on personal connections, prestige, networks, and rhetoric to get box office revenue, but they haven't realized that the audience has been completely replaced."

In today's market, people don't care about face, seniority, or personal connections; they only care about content.

This year's harsh winter is plagued by external troubles such as the diversification of entertainment options, the large number of people compared to the existing ones, and the monotonous cinema model; and internal troubles such as the overabundance of IPs, perfunctory scripts, distorted publicity and distribution, and formulaic competition.

The flop of "Catch the Spy" and the lackluster performance of major films during the Dragon Boat Festival have already clearly shown the market's answer.

Gu Zhiyan paused for a moment before calmly summarizing: "The industry downturn is essentially a cycle of eliminating the bad. What gets eliminated are mass-produced fast-food works, formulaic industrial garbage, and distorted marketing that relies on personal relationships to manipulate the audience."

What remains are sincerity, craftsmanship, good stories, and creators who diligently refine their content.

When we made "The Swordsman," we didn't rely on popularity or hype; we relied on the solid strength of realistic martial arts to gain popularity. When we made "The Wandering Earth 3," we spent several years refining the production, details, and script, daring not to be perfunctory in the slightest.

The harsher the winter, the more we must respect our audience, our work, and the market.

Shen Teng wholeheartedly agreed, and said with a smile, "That's why when I filmed 'Welcome to Dragon Restaurant,' I was willing to be a little clumsy and work a little harder, and train my cooking skills, refine the details, and work on the atmosphere of everyday life beforehand, rather than fool the audience."

Nowadays, audiences don't care about nostalgia, connections, or the reputation of their predecessors.

In the future film market, the only passport will be sincerity.

Inside the private room, the group slowly clinked glasses.

The ever-flowing Huangpu River outside the window reflects the clarity and perseverance in the eyes of filmmakers.

The film industry in 2026 is facing a harsh winter: the data is cold, reality is cruel, and the elimination process is brutal.

But their casual conversation at that moment revealed the hope for the industry's revival.

The great waves wash away the sand, revealing the superficial and frivolous.

With the end of promotional campaigns based on personal connections and the failure of traffic-driven tactics, a new era for Chinese-language films, where content is king and craftsmanship is paramount, is slowly arriving after the winter.

As night deepened and the conversation came to an end, everyone said their goodbyes and dispersed. Gu Zhiyan rushed back to the hotel, where the older and younger women were still waiting for him.

……

After returning to Beijing from the Shanghai Film Festival, Gu Zhiyan took a short break for a few days before officially joining the crew to start filming "Joy of Life 3".

As the original actor who played Fan Xian throughout the first and second seasons, Gu Zhiyan has been deeply rooted in the character since the beginning of the series, and is the most fitting and deeply memorable synonym for Fan Xian in the hearts of the audience.

After several years, he lived up to everyone's expectations, and the original cast made a grand return, continuing to play the leading role of Fan Xian in the final chapter of the third season, bringing the entire series to a final close.

The highly anticipated press conference for the final season of "Joy of Life 3" was held as scheduled, with a star-studded lineup of familiar faces.

Director Sun Hao and screenwriter Wang Juan were on the main creative team. The entire core cast from the first and second seasons, including Chen Daoming, Wu Gang, Li Qing, Tian Yu, Guo Qilin, Song Yi, and Chen Yao, returned together, along with new additions such as Hu Jun. The top-notch team gathered together, making for a grand and solemn occasion.

As the absolute core character throughout all three seasons, Gu Zhiyan, dressed in a simple and clean black suit, stood tall and composed, firmly in the center position of the main cast.

During the press conference interviews, countless cameras were focused on him.

When asked by the media about his feelings about "sticking with Fan Xian for three seasons", Gu Zhiyan answered sincerely, his words humble yet firm: "Fan Xian has been with me for many years, and with the audience for many years as well. In the first two seasons, he was young and spirited, stormed the court, and broke through predicaments, carrying a spirit that was not afraid of losing."

The third season is the final chapter. He is no longer an innocent boy. He carries the truth, responsibility, and consequences on his shoulders and must face the power struggle and the fateful showdown.

I'm so glad I was able to follow this character from the first season to the last, accompanying him through his entire life. I will do my best to deliver the most satisfying ending.

His speech was gentle yet powerful, fully demonstrating the actor's utmost reverence for the role and his long-standing bond with it.

The moment the launch event ended, the internet exploded with buzz, with multiple hashtags quickly dominating the top of the trending searches and trending topics.

Fan Xian played Gu Zhiyan in all three seasons.

The entire cast of "Joy of Life 3: The Final Chapter" remains the same.

[The most satisfying ending for Fan Xian]

The entire internet is overwhelmingly positive, with no controversy over the replacement of the actor. Fans, casual viewers, and moviegoers are all celebrating, and the show's popularity is far ahead of the rest of the internet.

"I feel so relieved! I've been following this series from season one to season three, and thankfully Fan Xian has always been Gu Zhiyan! No one can replace him as Fan Xian."

"He perfectly brought Fan Xian to life, capturing the youthful roguishness, the gentle compassion, the clarity of mind in the court, and the unwavering commitment to his original aspirations. The three seasons running consecutively make for the most perfect closed loop."

"Others play characters, but Gu Zhiyan plays Fan Xian himself. We've finally reached the final chapter!"

"Nowadays, all the sequels are ruined by changing the cast, but only Joy of Life has the whole original cast returning, which is so conscientious."

"Gu Zhiyan's acting range is amazing. I just finished watching his martial arts and sci-fi blockbusters, and then he seamlessly transitioned to the political intrigue Fan Xian. His versatility is truly unmatched."

"The biggest reason why 'Joy of Life' can become a national-level evergreen IP is the high degree of binding between the actors and the characters, and the extreme continuity of the original cast. Gu Zhiyan spent three seasons to cultivate a character and witness the character's growth and transformation. This kind of long-term and immersive performance cannot be replicated by assembly line actors. In the midst of the film and television winter of 2026, the return of the entire original cast is a rare and sincere work."

In addition, netizens are also eagerly anticipating the high-energy plot of the third season, based on the storyline.

"Looking forward to Chen Pingping's iconic scene, the grandmaster battle at Mount Dong, and Fan Xian confronting Emperor Qing!"

"I'm most looking forward to Gu Zhiyan's portrayal of the mature Fan Xian, who is restrained, tragic, and clear-headed in the later stages. The final chapter must be a masterpiece!"

The press conference concluded successfully, and the online frenzy continues to grow.

After the excitement of the press conference faded, Gu Zhiyan quickly focused on getting back into character on set.

In the 2026 film and television winter, when the entire industry was in a slump, bad movies were rampant, and traffic stars were leaving, Gu Zhiyan always made steady progress.

With top-tier sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth 3" and critically acclaimed martial arts masterpiece "The Legend of the Swordsman," they are now returning to the final season of the national top IP "Joy of Life 3," using craftsmanship to combat superficiality and high-quality works to weather the winter.