Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes?"

Dai Lu thought for a moment, then suddenly realized: "That new actress named Li Yitong, right?"

"Her popularity isn't that great either."

Although this actress has great resources, she played the female lead in Yu Wai's web series "Demon Girl" right after her debut, and later played Huang Rong in the new version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

In terms of debut resources, she is unmatched among actresses in the industry.

However, the two dramas had mediocre broadcast results, and their combined impact was not as great as Jiang Bai's "Rush to the Dead Summer".

"Isn't she an actress that Xu Yiruo is heavily promoting?" Dai Lu's face showed a look of disdain.

She personally dislikes people like Xu Yiruo and Yu Wai.

Because they were the ones who first started the trend of fierce competition for top billing and resources within the industry.

Moreover, these two are also very skilled at discrediting their peers and releasing smear articles.

"What do you think of Li Xin?" Dai Lu suggested an actress she liked.

"Xue Baochai's portrayal of Tian Xiao'e in 'White Deer Plain' was also outstanding."

"I feel that her temperament is quite suitable for Lin Beixing. She can play complex roles like Tian Xiao'e, so she can definitely handle Lin Beixing."

"Moreover, she is currently filming 'The Wolf,' which is expected to wrap up in mid-September, so her schedule is flexible."

"Isn't Li Yitong going to start filming in Hengdian in September?"

Jiang Bai really didn't know about this. He wasn't an encyclopedia of the entertainment industry, and he couldn't possibly remember when every actor joined the film crew.

Moreover, Li Xin is a person...

Jiang Bai thought about it and agreed that it was indeed quite suitable.

However, she later often played minor supporting roles, which led Jiang Bai to subconsciously pay less attention to her.

He seems to have forgotten that Lee Shin really did gain popularity through his acting skills between 2014 and 2018.

From Tian Xiao'e in "White Deer Plain" to Princess Yuan Chun in "Princess Agents", she has portrayed the complexity of the characters and the changes in their personalities.

However, after she played a supporting role in "Joy of Life", she gradually stopped being known for her acting skills.

"Li Xin..." Jiang Bai thought for a moment and commented without any politeness, "He looks a bit bitter, but he's quite suitable for Lin Beixing."

"His smile has a gentle yet resilient quality."

"Why don't we contact them all and give it a try?" Jiang Bai finally suggested. "Let's ask all three actresses we're considering and see who's willing to adjust their schedules to take the role. Then we can make a final decision."

Two of the three potential actors are expected to have scheduling conflicts.

Although the last one is also slightly delayed due to scheduling conflicts, it's only for half a month, so it's not impossible to adjust.

Jiang Bai most hopes to collaborate with Li Yitong or Zhang Jianing.

Although Li Yitong is considered to have a cold constitution and can't seem to become famous no matter what, she does bring good fortune to the male leads.

She can't make herself famous, but the male leads she's worked with in the last two years have all become very famous.

The male lead of "Demon Girl" is Han Sang. He's a BL (Boys' Love) actor, and he has indeed been paired with a top-tier celebrity on a limited-time basis.

The male lead of "Bloody Romance" is Qu Chuxiao. After this drama finished airing, "The Wandering Earth" came out.

Yang Xuwen, the male lead in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", is the worst, but he will have a series of highly acclaimed and stable exposure in "Tang Dynasty Ghost Stories".

Besides them, she also collaborated with male actors such as Deng Lun and Li Xian, all of whom were once top-tier celebrities for a limited time.

In terms of the number of top celebrities she has collaborated with, Li Yitong is second only to Zimei, and even surpasses Reba and Nazar, two beauties from Xinjiang.

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" wasn't originally a show that promoted the female lead.

If this drama is well-acted, it will greatly promote the male lead, just like the male lead in "Someday or One Day".

After all, Zhang Wansen's character is too good. He has been silently helping the female lead behind the scenes, and he secretly loves her, but he keeps his feelings within the bounds of propriety.

She is affectionate and gentle, mild-tempered, kind and optimistic, like a little sun that will never go out.

This is a completely enhanced version of Lu Zhiang.

After the show aired, the phrase "It's snowing in Zhang Wansen" became a viral hit on short video platforms.

However, the original "Zhang Wansen" had too many debuffs.

At the end of 2020, a woman claiming to be his girlfriend came forward and accused him of domestic violence, causing her injury and pregnancy, and of preventing her from calling the police.

However, two days later, after the public outcry had subsided, the girlfriend deleted all her revelations and changed her story, claiming that Qu Chuxiao had not laid a hand on her, that she was not pregnant, that they were not in a relationship, and that the photos of her injury were fabricated.

However, once the label of "domestic violence" is attached, it is difficult to clarify it afterward, as the public only believes the first piece of gossip.

Qu Chuxiao subsequently sued the woman, and it wasn't until 2022 that he won both trials, with the law confirming that he was the one who was falsely accused.

The woman subsequently apologized, deleted her posts, and pleaded guilty in court, leaving no room for reversal.

However, once he was falsely accused and labeled a domestic violence perpetrator for three or four years, Qu Chuxiao still lost most of his acting opportunities, and even winning the lawsuit couldn't erase the public's impression of him.

Even when the drama "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" was airing, there were still a lot of negative articles about his domestic violence circulating online, making it difficult for him to gain fans, and casual viewers simply dared not become fans.

In addition, his looks are just average, making it even harder for him to reap the benefits of a hit drama.

Jiang Bai felt that if he were to play the role, the fan-attracting effect would definitely be very good, and he might even be able to attract a lot of fans along with the female lead.

After the experience of the good-looking couple in "Rush to the Dead Summer", Jiang Bai has gained some experience in selling on-screen couples.

If CP is sold, it can indeed achieve a result where one plus one is greater than two.

Even if the female lead is cold, she can be warmed up. At most, the female lead's feelings will quickly cool down after the couple is broken up.

That would make it even easier for Jiang Bai to convert all the CP fans into solo fans.

He always wins, and he even wins twice!

"Alright." Dai Lu nodded, confirming Jiang Bai's idea, and then made the final decision: "Then the female lead will be chosen from these three."

"As for the other characters."

"Li Xian, who previously worked with us on the set of 'Rush to the Dead Summer,' is quite suitable for the role of Zhan Yu, the second male lead. Drama.com really appreciates him and sent him an audition invitation."

"As for the second female lead, Gao Ge, I'm more optimistic about Chen Duling."

"Gao Ge's character is that of a beautiful and academically gifted woman. When I hear this, I immediately think of Chen Duling."

"Coincidentally, after graduating from university, Chen Duling also chose to re-enter the entertainment industry, and she has taken on quite a few roles since the second half of last year."

"I'll try to get her to play the second female lead."

"As for the other minor roles, let's hold an open casting call and see if there are any good newcomers."

Tsk tsk tsk...

Jiang Bai was speechless when he heard about Dai Lu's casting arrangements.

This cast of characters is really impressive!

Current boyfriend + chosen working person, frequent savior, and most beautiful supporting actress Chen Duling.

However, Li Xian has only recently gained some fame because of "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming" and "River God".

Chen Duling had only recently re-entered the entertainment industry when the drama "Operation Proposal" aired, and people's impression of her was still that of "Little Ear".

It's reasonable to have these two promising young stars as his supporting actors.

Most importantly, none of them have collapsed in the future, so "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" won't be taken down from all the internet one day.

Jiang Bai himself invested in this drama, so as long as the drama is not taken down, the copyright can continue to generate revenue.

Unlike "Rush to the Dead Summer," which will eventually be taken down due to Zheng Shuang's situation, at least the show has already reaped all the benefits, so taking it down isn't a big loss.

"I think this casting is good, it's great," Jiang Bai said with a satisfied smile.

"That's all for now. You go ahead and focus on your work. I'll let you know once the production team has everything ready."

Dai Lu guessed and said, "If it's the director, he should be looking for people through Juku. Their connections are much bigger than our small studio's."

"Filming is expected to start in September, and if all goes well, it could air in January or February next year. Web series that we are cooperating with platforms will not have their schedules delayed."

"This way, we can catch the tail end of winter and create some buzz for 'Winter Sonata'!"