Who says Beijing Film Academy has no great directors? (2002)

Depp was stunned; this was the first time in his 19-year career that he had been blackmailed by a director.

Chen Yan, he... he wants to get something for free! ? ?

Depp just raised his salary to $1000 million, and now Chen Yan doesn't want to give him a single penny? Is that right? Is that right?

Depp's mind started racing instantly.

"Both films? Are they just guest appearances?"

"No, no, no, because 'Burying Alive' can be filmed in just one month, so we hope you can lower your price. But for 'Alice in Wonderland,' in order not to lower your market price, we hope you can make a cameo appearance."

Chen Yan smiled slightly, exuding an extremely evil aura, which made Depp, who was opposite him, shudder.

What does it mean to want to make a cameo appearance in order not to lower one's market price?

Is this what they mean by "I don't want to disrupt market prices, so I'm not going to pay"? It's not like we're done playing if I don't pay!

Depp's smile was forced. "Chen, I need to discuss this with my colleagues."

Chen Yan stood up. "I hope you understand. Because 'Alice in Wonderland' is going to start filming next year, and I have a lot of things to do, I can only wait for you until November at the latest."

Depp agreed.

Chen Yan knew that Depp was 100% going to lose this time, so his team would probably know the news in advance. When that time came, it would be time for him to decide whether or not to let Chen Yan take advantage of him for free.

Chen Yan wasn't prepared to put all his eggs in one basket, so he interviewed another candidate.

Crispin Glover, best known for works such as "Primal Fear" and "American History X," exudes both a scholarly air and occasional neurotic outbursts, making him a complete artistic madman.

The offer was only a quarter of Depp's, at $2.5 million.

Chen Yan said he would be notified of the results by November at the latest, and he agreed.

Unexpectedly, less than a week later, Depp replied, agreeing to the plan, but demanding a higher share of the profits, ideally reinvesting his salary back into the film as an investment.

He seemed to see through the fact that this great director from the East was somewhat short of funds.

Chen Yan readily agreed. He hadn't originally planned to make this film a large-scale production; in fact, Depp himself was the most expensive actor in the entire film.

Even though the filming and production of this movie were compressed into a month, Depp's asking price was still so high that Chen Yan was speechless—$300 million.

Depp and his agent earnestly begged Chen Yan not to, absolutely not to, disclose Depp's salary to the outside world, otherwise it would have a devastating impact on Depp's market value.

This is a crucial time for the Oscar campaign for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," and Depp's team doesn't want any mistakes.

Chen Yan made repeated assurances and even offered to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding his salary before Depp and his agent were finally reassured.

The next day, Depp quietly joined the crew of "Buried". The staff and the set were very simple. Chen Yan took on multiple roles and managed to set up the set.

When Depp went down, he even seemed to be facing certain death.

Startled, Chen Yan quickly reassured him: "Depp, don't worry. Although the other conditions on set are very basic, I've arranged for an emergency doctor to be on standby for you."

Please prioritize your own safety. If you feel unwell at all, please make a stop gesture on camera immediately, okay?

Chen Yan was worried that Depp was too dedicated. This actor, who was so professional that he was almost mad, moved into the hotel closet a few days before filming began.

His agent joked that he was always afraid of seeing Depp's corpse the next day.

"Don't worry, director, I will do my best to perform well in this script!" Johnny Depp replied with unwavering determination.

Chen Yan was so angry that she kept scratching her hair. Did this foreigner miss the point?

Chen Yan lowered his voice and replied with a hint of seriousness, "No, Depp, you don't seem to understand what I mean. Nothing is more important than your life, okay?"

It's important to understand that actors can experience all sorts of things when they're filming underground for extended periods with heightened emotions. Chen Yan didn't want any international incidents to happen on set, and then he wouldn't be able to return home.

Depp finally realized that the Chinese director genuinely cared about him, and replied with a smile, "Okay, okay! Director, relax~"

"Action!"

Depp opened his eyes, his pupils contracted slightly, then widened. His mouth and hands were bound with strips of cloth. After a few brief seconds, Depp began to look around nervously, letting out a hoarse cry for help.

This was the second time Chen Yan had filmed something so smooth and effortless. The first time was when he was filming Qin Yi and You Panchang, but their shots were more of a tranquil and natural expression that flowed naturally from their life experiences.

Depp is a natural actor. He's screaming and kicking on camera, tearing the cloth strips off his hands and mouth with a nail, and then fumbling for his phone to dial 911. His voice is trembling.

The person on the phone coldly asked, "Did you climb into your own coffin?"

Depp completely lost his temper and began to shout and hurl insults.

An atmosphere of extreme fear permeated every staff member in the theater, because Chen Yan wasn't the only one watching; an emergency doctor was standing behind him.

Chen Yan couldn't be sure if Depp's emotions were reaching a breaking point every minute, so Chen Yan gave the doctor the right to stop at any time.

The faint light from the lighter reflected on Depp's face, where beads of sweat had already covered his forehead and cheeks.

When Depp called his wife at home and the call went unanswered, his face showed regret and fear. When he left a message for his wife about his current situation, his lips were trembling slightly. He was in so much pain that he couldn't speak.

He then called the company, only to find that no one cared about his situation. He was about to die, but HR was still stalling. He let out an angry growl.

"Miss! I'm going to die here, you understand?!"

When his phone lost signal, he punched the wall of the coffin, which grazed a prop nail inside the coffin, leaving a smear of blood on Depp's hand.

Chen Yan clenched his fist, but did not call a stop.

When Depp made several phone calls to no one who could help him out of his predicament, he became enraged and violently pounded on the narrow coffin, his movements resembling convulsions.

"Stop!" came the doctor's voice from behind.

Chen Yan quickly ordered a halt. When Depp came out, his face was flushed, but he still had a hint of displeasure on his face.

"Chen, I'm fine, I can continue!" Depp's fingers were trembling slightly; he even seemed to enjoy being trapped in the coffin.

He even wanted to shout, "FU*K! This is so awesome! It's even better than sailing the ocean!" He no longer regretted taking on this role with its pitifully low pay.

He began to feel fortunate. If he, as an actor, had to refuse even a script like this, then he wouldn't deserve to be an actor!

He simply had the doctor treat his wound briefly, chatted with the doctor for a bit, and said that he was feeling great.

Then, full of energy, she stood in front of Chen Yan and said, "I'm all rested! Chen, let's continue!"