Huayu Entertainment Starts with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

"You mean he's willing to pay nine million for Shen Lian, the male lead in 'Brotherhood of Blades'?"

"Uh, more or less."

"What about Zhang Zhen?"

Jiang Yang's suggestion was quite unexpected.

Because the male lead for "Brotherhood of Blades" had already been cast, and the chosen actor was Zhang Zhen.

Why him?

Chang Chen is a second-generation star from Taiwan. He debuted at the age of 15 with "A Brighter Summer Day," a very high starting point.

His agency contract is with Wong Kar-wai, and he has close ties with the Hong Kong entertainment circle. After Zhang Jiazhen got involved in "Brotherhood of Blades", he was the first person recommended to Zhang Jiazhen.

Actually, after reading the script, Zhang Zhen most wanted to play the role of Ding Xiu.

But Zhou Yiwei beat him to it; the latter was an old friend of Lu Yang's first feature film, "Blind Cinema."

Furthermore, given Zhang Zhen's status, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to play a minor supporting role.

"Brotherhood of Blades" is not called "The Story of Ding Xiu".

In short, Zhang Zhenyi had already been cast as the male lead, Shen Lian.

Lu Yang stammered.

"Zhang Zhen is still my first choice, if..."

"What if he's also willing to pay nine million?"

The producer was so angry he laughed.

Actors usually accept the going rate for a role, but if they particularly like the script or have a good relationship with the production team, giving a discounted rate is not a big deal.

In more special cases, such as patriotic films, actors may even appear without receiving any payment.

but!

Paying out of one's own pocket to act is a major taboo.

I'm already showing the utmost sincerity by not taking a single penny; why would I add anything more?

There's no such rule!

Nine million isn't a small amount, but it's not a large amount either. Lu Yang and Wang Donghui might be able to afford it, so why don't they use their own money to contribute?

If others are unwilling to pay, at worst the film won't be made.

If you pay for it yourself and end up losing everything, you could really lose your family and be unable to make ends meet.

This is something we must be careful about.

That's why Jiang Yang's all-or-nothing move completely stunned Lu Yang.

The film "Brotherhood of Blades" faced financial difficulties. If they had simply approached Zhang Zhen to discuss a discount, he would likely have understood. But to ask him for nine million...

What about an auction?

He's quite cultured if he doesn't yell back on the spot!

"There's no point in talking like this. It's better to just tell him we've replaced him," Wang Donghui confirmed with Lu Yang.

"Can that kid handle it? How old is he?"

"Jiang Yang isn't the 'pretty boy' type; he could easily play a thirty-year-old with a beard."

"I mean experience. Can he carry a lead role?"

"He's not just an idol drama heartthrob; he's already played the second male lead in a Jackie Chan movie, it just hasn't been released yet. You didn't see it, but the way he wields a knife is really..."

Lu Yang even gave it a shout-out.

Wang Donghui understood, and he had made up his mind.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've been preparing for 'Brotherhood of Blades' for three years, and I can't even remember how many drafts I've revised. If I have to wait another three years, I don't know if I can make it to that time."

Lu Yang's reasons are also very practical.

The film and television industry is full of uncertainties, so we should seize the opportunity to start production as soon as possible.

The longer it's delayed, the more likely it is to turn yellow.

The first three years of filming "Brotherhood of Blades" were fraught with difficulties and setbacks, which tormented him greatly.

Now all we need to do is agree to Jiang Yang playing Shen Lian...

Power on!

Once Lu Yang had this idea, he felt that Jiang Yang was the most suitable person for him.

Zhang Zhen?

"He has the empty title of a great actor, but in reality, he has never won any major acting awards. After half a lifetime away, he is still an uncrowned king."

"Box office appeal is even more of a myth."

"As for the Bajiquan skills practiced for 'The Grandmaster,' this is 'Brotherhood of Blades,' and using fists and feet is ultimately a bit lacking."

"Besides, his thick Taiwanese accent is really distracting..."

Wang Donghui interrupted him.

"Okay, okay, that's fine. You didn't say that when you chose him."

You've set your sights on someone and think they're perfect in every way.

If you don't find someone you like, you feel that they are flawed in every way and full of shortcomings.

Lu Yang is making excuses for giving up on Zhang Zhen.

He wasn't trying to convince anyone; he was just trying to convince himself.

"In that case, I'll talk to him."

Jiang Yang didn't care how Lu Yang and the others rejected Zhang Zhen. Anyway, when he transferred nine million to the production team's account, the role of Shen Lian in "Brotherhood of Blades" was already in his pocket.

He invested money, which is equivalent to joining the group.

Moreover, the proportion is not low, accounting for 30%. I heard that the money has been raised here, and China Film Group is also very trustworthy, transferring their 15 million yuan.

Looking at the budget of 30 million in the account, Lu Yang was almost moved to tears.

It's not easy!

With the money in place, the rest is easy.

The main characters for "Brotherhood of Blades" were mostly cast in the early stages, except for Jiang Yang, who plays Shen Lian; the rest are the original cast.

Of the three brothers, the youngest, Jin Yichuan, is missing.

It was originally reserved for Jiang Yang, but now that he's Shen Lian, it's hard to find someone younger than him.

"How about Xie Miao?"

"Although he was born in 84, he has a baby face, so with makeup, he could play my younger brother without much trouble."

"Most importantly, they're really good at fighting!"

Xie Miao was at the peak of her popularity when she was a child star. After growing up, she has faded into obscurity. In recent years, she has not been listed as a lead actress in the cast of any of her dramas.

Being able to play the third brother in "Brotherhood of Blades" is already a blessing.

Lu Yang agreed to the casting after the audition.

Now, "Brotherhood of Blades" is only missing one character – the female lead, Zhou Miaotong.

Why hasn't the female lead been cast yet?

Because "Brotherhood of Blades" is a male-dominated film, the female lead's presence is not strong, and she doesn't have many scenes.

In this day and age, the top of the Chinese entertainment industry's female stars pyramid is still the renowned "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses, respectively), but they probably wouldn't be interested in a production of the caliber of "Brotherhood of Blades," and the production team couldn't afford their salaries.

The next tier is the most popular young actresses.

There is still a clear gap between them and their predecessors in terms of the depth of their works and the quality of their performances. However, they have the advantage of popularity and high topicality. Even if fans cannot afford to buy movie tickets, they can at least help promote the film.

Who's popular right now?

85 flowers!

The TV series became popular, but the actress didn't have much film experience, and her acting skills were so-so. The advantage was that she wasn't expensive.

Lu Yang doesn't actually have a specific preference; he's open to anyone, it just depends on availability and salary.

Jiang Yang knew that the original version of "Brotherhood of Blades" was written by Xia Jie.

Her performance was one of the most criticized aspects of the film, but then again, which of the actresses of similar caliber has better acting skills than her?

The eldest brother won't laugh at the second brother anymore.

The reason why Sister Xia got this opportunity is probably because her specialty in period dramas is the female warrior who wields weapons and fights.

Although the female lead in "Brotherhood of Blades" did not have any action scenes.

"Since there's nothing surprising about the acting, let's just pick one with strong box office appeal."

This is a novel idea.

Because the post-85 actresses are all popular figures, their main value lies in their online presence and public attention.

If Sister Blind weren't famous, who would criticize her?

But when it comes to box office appeal, Lu Yang couldn't think of anything at the moment. They had just started filming their movie and didn't have any real achievements yet.

Yes, at least in the last two years, the actresses born in the 85s who have been most successful at the box office are...

"Honey, are you interested in playing the female lead in a martial arts film?"