The Queen's Rumored Father

"Um, female lead, what are your thoughts?" Xu Yuan wasn't one to mince words, so he went straight to the point.

Che Zhe was taken aback. Was it really that direct?

Zhang Lin was used to it.

Xu Yuan is a man who can be very sensible at times, and very greedy at others. But even when he is greedy, he still knows how to be sensible.

"This...you don't mean you want Xiaoxuan to try it, do you?" Chen Kewen asked, looking troubled.

Meng Xiaoxuan, Bai Suzhen?

This won't do!

We can't do anything reckless!

They have a good relationship, but there are strict rules regarding this role. For example... what should I say... it seems there's really nothing I can say.

Chen Kewen didn't know how to start the conversation.

"In my opinion, Xiaoxuan is a great remedy for your new drama!" Xu Yuan said, actively promoting her. "She has at least three huge advantages."

"First, Xiaoxuan is currently the top-tier celebrity in mainland China. With her joining the cast, the White Snake production team is destined to receive a lot of attention from the very beginning of filming. When it airs, it will naturally have a three to five percentage point lead in viewership ratings over other production teams."

If Xu Yuan is a man with three points of acting skill, then Meng Xiaoxuan is a woman with three points of viewership rating.

Since her debut, she has won every battle and never suffered a defeat.

The strong get stronger!

In this context, Meng Xiaoxuan, who has amassed countless fans, has an incredibly massive online following. Even if we broaden the scope to the entire country, she remains the number one online influencer, let alone the top influencer in mainland China.

Few directors can resist the allure of high viewership.

At the very least, besides viewership ratings, this also means a surge in sponsors.

With more sponsorship funds, many shooting methods that are not in a good enough budget can be used, and a lot of money can be spent. As long as the desired effect can be achieved, there will always be someone willing to pay.

This is the most satisfying thing for the director.

"Secondly, you can't find a suitable actress!" Xu Yuan said.

I clearly didn't understand what "cart tracks" meant.

But Zhang Lin immediately understood.

Chen Kewen had actually been considering this issue for a long time, and after Xu Yuan pointed it out, he became even more interested in Xu Yuan's explanation.

He hasn't come up with a good solution to this problem yet.

"Zhao Yazhi's version of the Legend of the White Snake is too classic. Not to mention now, even 30 to 50 years from now, it will still be the most perfect version of this love story between a human and a snake," Xu Yuan said. "Any smart actress wouldn't take this role. Bai Suzhen is Zhao Yazhi's destined role; no one in the world can play it better than her."

A role is one's calling, and there's no way to surpass it; this is a consensus in the entertainment industry.

Bai Suzhen to Zhao Yazhi.

Li Xunhuan and Erlang Shen are analogous to Jiao Enjun.

Chow Yun-fat is to Mark Gor and the God of Gamblers.

Wong Fei-hung to Jet Li.

Little Dragon Girl to Li Ruotong.

and many more!

Remaking this kind of role has two outcomes: at best, it's as if the film was never made, and nobody will remember you. At worst, you'll be nailed to the pillar of shame by the audience and whipped day after day.

For example, the adorable xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) received almost zero negative reviews before it was adapted into a TV series featuring Xiaolongnu (Little Dragon Girl). However, since the Condor Heroes series, the positive reviews have vanished, and it has taken almost ten years to completely shake off the xiaolongbao curse.

Therefore, smart actresses will not play Bai Suzhen.

Xiaoqing is better than Bai Suzhen!

"You simply can't find a suitable actress. In this situation, why not use a talented actress who already has a large following!"

When he uttered the words "powerful player," Xu Yuan blushed.

He was willing to risk everything for his daughter.

"Xiaoxuan's acting skills, if not top-notch, are definitely above average." Chen Kewen acknowledged this point, but it wasn't enough to impress him.

But with top-tier and popular actresses not coming, and second- and third-tier actresses unable to fill the role, Chen Kewen really had no other choice.

"And there's the most crucial point," Xu Yuandao said. "The Legend of the White Snake is a love story. Ya Zhi's version uses a concept more akin to the virtuous wife, which aligns with traditional Chinese aesthetics. But society has changed; there are other ways to portray Bai Suzhen's love."

"Using a young actress like Hsiao-hsuan to play Bai Suzhen completely subverts the public's image of Bai Suzhen. Even if she can't compare to Ya-chih's Bai Suzhen in the end, at least she can make the public remember a Bai Suzhen with a radical change."

"If you can't capture her gentleness, then capture her vitality. If you can't capture her virtue, then capture her boldness in loving and hating!"

"Is this what you wanted too?"

Xu Yuan elaborated on Meng Xiaoxuan's advantages from many aspects, which made Zhang Lin and Che Zhe both interested.

Indeed, since it's impossible to surpass it, why not try a different path and create a new style of White Snake?

Don't be stubborn, bro!

However, Chen Kewen stubbornly shook his head.

What Xu Yuan said makes sense.

But he still didn't feel quite right.

The idea of ​​modifying the Legend of the White Snake is excellent, and the current level of public awareness and acceptance is sufficient to allow such modifications to exist. Although they may cause controversy, they won't be one-sided. In certain small circles, they might even receive rave reviews.

There are precedents for this.

But Meng Xiaoxuan... is too young.

Everything went so smoothly!

She debuted as a pop star and rose to fame starting with her center position at this year's Spring Festival Gala, climbing the ladder of success ever since. In the music industry, she has repeatedly broken music sales records and recently won second place in the annual competition of the show "Singer".

Open any major music chart, and at least three of the top ten songs are hers!

In terms of television dramas, needless to say, Tanqi was nominated for Best Actress at the Baiyulan Awards, which caused quite a stir in the film and television industry!

The more popular and famous someone is, the less Chen Kewen dares to use them.

If Meng Xiaoxuan were to encounter any problems during filming, then the Legend of the White Snake would be ruined.

That blow was devastating.

The fantasy epic "Mang Huang Ji" is a bloody example of this.

Two popular A-list actors, who were poised to break into the super A-list, were caught in a "script reading in the dark" incident during filming, which devastated the production team.

Later, there were many obstacles, including in terms of publicity and distribution.

A fantasy drama series that was touted as having an investment of 300 million yuan at the time, only received a rating of 3.1 and had such low viewership that several satellite TV stations canceled it outright!

It's more cost-effective to buy it and not release it than to release it to them.

What kind of concept is this!

With the remains of those who came before him still in sight, and this being Chen Kewen's first time directing a film solo, he had high expectations for The Legend of the White Snake and dared not make any rash decisions.

"Fine, since you're so stubborn, I won't say anything more. Xiaoxuan could have been a scapegoat for you, but since you insist on taking the blame yourself, then I..."

"Take the blame?" Chen Kewen frowned.

He was very excited.

They were even a little angry.

However, any light, fleeting words that can instantly enrage someone only represent one possibility.

That's right!

Because it's real, it stings.

Chen Kewen is a renowned director trained by CTV. He had a major production to work on his first solo directorial project, which was quite a privilege.

But the rest of us can't see what's behind all this.

If the Legend of the White Snake doesn't have a happy ending, then Chen Kewen might...

The internal strife within CTV is a topic that cannot be described, but it's easy to imagine that it's not simple.

Chen Kewen has never mentioned this pressure to the outside world.

But Xu Yuan knew.

And they even dared to say it out loud.

"How do you shift the blame!" Chen Kewen's words were surprising, demonstrating a commendable attitude towards learning.

That old guy is quite the schemer!

At least, they know that they are standing under a crumbling wall!