The struggles of a failed college entrance exam candidate in Hong Kong entertainment

Chapter 111 Following Brother Nan, eating four or five meals a day

Following Li Jiaxin's words, Su Nan was also speechless. He took a sip of tea or coffee and laughed, "Being a boss in a normal environment is indeed not that easy."

Did Andy Lau suffer a huge loss? He proactively offered to take on a role in an ATV drama series.

Aside from making a profit once with (The Return of the Condor Heroes), his company, SkyMovie, has been consistently losing money ever since.

Li Jiaxin came over to make coffee. "Brother Hua visited the set of (My Sassy Girl) yesterday. He said it was set in Jurassic Park and under the wrath of the city."

"Don't say (Ji Gong) was taken off the screens after only 1580 million in box office revenue."

"His (So Long, My Son) only had one week in theaters in August, with a box office of only 472 million, which was terrible. (Raging Fire) also had nearly 4 million in its fifth week."

"And Taiwan isn't buying it."

"He also used the (The Supreme Thirty-Six Strategies) project to collaborate with me again, and went to the film crew to ask me to help pass on a message."

The film "The Thirty-Six Strategies" was filmed a long time ago, but it was delayed to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Many scenes in "Forever and Ever" were taken from discarded film reels of "Days of Being Wild".

But after all, a lot of reshoots were done, and the combined salaries of the actors and director were quite substantial.

Su Nan was speechless. He remembered that in the mid-90s, around 95, Ahua borrowed tens of millions to plug the huge hole in the sky.

Just how bad is Tianmu? After all, Ah Hua wouldn't borrow money unless absolutely necessary.

Besides being a film producer, he also works for other companies and gets paid for his roles.

Originally, in 1993 and 1994, Andy Lau starred in about ten movies, only two of which were produced by Teamwork Motion Pictures.

Besides his acting fees, Andy Lau is also releasing albums and holding concerts like crazy!

In 93 and 94, they each had more than 20 concerts, and there was also GG income.

They managed to survive until 95 when they borrowed millions from outside to cover their losses!

He thought for a moment and nodded. "I'll have Qi Qiyi write a fashion business drama series. If the script is good enough, I'll let Ahua play a role."

"It just feels like he's just putting on a show casually, which is a bit of a waste of his popularity."

As for repaying Ah-Hua's kindness by supporting his dream of becoming a movie boss?

Actually, lending him some money to plug the hole and then paying off the debt slowly in the future would be fine.

Of course, they could hijack (Running Out of Time) and let Johnnie To direct it, since Ah-Wah has been a king of bad movies for many years.

Through tedious practice, he finally honed his acting skills to create a masterpiece that represents his career.

Adapted from the 1998 Hollywood film (The Ace vs Ace).

Now that they've snatched the role, Su Nan thinks Ahua needs to spend half a year honing her acting skills for this production alone.

Is Meng Jiahui 19 years old this year? Oh well, it's still Skyworth that's pushing this project forward.

After discussing this topic, Su Nan confirmed that Ah Xin had truly regained her spirits before watching her leave for work.

Let's leave it for now, anyway, it's still a long time before (Ace vs Ace) starts filming.

After Su Nan took another sip of tea, he suddenly felt interested and made a phone call to inquire about the situation.

Having learned that Louis Koo, also known as Koo Tim-lok, has been released from prison and graduated from TVB's fifth acting class, he sent Chik Kei-yee to poach him.

After filming (The Outlaws), Hung Ling-po recommended Li Ruo-tong to him.

Ah Tong has also signed with Skyworth; she's working hard to learn acting skills and gradually fill in the gaps in her skills.

With Li Ruotong already cast, and Louis Koo added to the mix, and Huang Rihua added to the cast as well? This ATV production of (The Return of the Condor Heroes) could be filmed on location in mainland China.

Similar to the futuristic bearded version, it mainly features the beautiful scenery of the mainland.

Huang Rihua plays the middle-aged Guo Jing, who will play Huang Rong? He Qing is a good choice. He Qing was chubby around 20 years old, and is now 29.

It is also the most charming period of one's life.

The actress who played Huang Rong in the original 1995 TVB version (The Return of the Condor Heroes) was also good, but compared to the charm of a beautiful woman in her 30s, she was not bad.

He Qing's charm and allure at her age are truly extraordinary.

Hong Xin could play Guo Fu; she was a convincing actress even in her youth, judging solely by her looks.

Who will be the director or producer for the upgraded version of (The Return of the Condor Heroes)? The original gold-medal producer, Lee Tin-sing, is still at TVB and hasn't switched jobs.

But there are also talented people in ATV, such as Wu Jinyuan, who is currently working 996 at ATV. He is the director of "Vampire Expert 2" and "My Date with a Vampire 2".

He will continue to direct TV dramas such as (Scarlet Heart), (Chinese Paladin), and (Beauty's Rival in Palace).

They're definitely not at their peak yet.

However, if you want to create a top-rated TV series, you can wait for Li Ruotong and Gu Tianle to grow and develop, so there is plenty of time.

Even TVB's version of a waterfall, which used plastic sheeting to imitate a waterfall, made Ah Tung's version a childhood memory for countless people.

If Li Tiansheng isn't available, find a deputy director from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and combine him with Wu Jinyuan.

Capturing beautiful landscapes makes for excellent introductory videos.

With that in mind, Su Nan made a phone call and instructed his secretary to buy the film and television adaptation rights to Jin Yong's work.

(The Return of the Condor Heroes) has been sold so many times, it's cheap.

"This guy Louis Koo was in prison in 1990 and was only released last year. He even worked as a karaoke backup singer's prince."

"His ability to portray Yang Guo well is partly due to his natural acting style."

Louis Koo also dropped out of school early and entered society. Like Pao Fai, he also experienced the coldness of human relationships while in prison, which gave him a sense of rebellion and evil.

He was on the same wavelength as Yang Guo at least halfway.

The project to build the mainland is a huge undertaking, including the construction of several film studios.

So, in this upgraded version (The Return of the Condor Heroes), which role is Andy Lau suitable for? A role that's too small would be a waste.

He was still thinking when there was a knock on the door. Ah Hong came in and smiled, "Ah Xin went to work again? Why isn't she here?"

"Is talking about love for only a few hours each day considered a different kind of temptation?"

Su Nan was speechless for a moment, then smiled and said, "Ah Zhi is going to immerse herself in the role of the female lead (Back to 20), do you want to take on the role of director at ATV as well?"

"I plan to film a version of (The Return of the Condor Heroes) on location in mainland China, as a way to promote newcomers."

"The idea originated from Andy Lau suggesting that he could act in an ATV drama, but after thinking it over, Felix Wong's portrayal of Guo Jing was still considered more classic."

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"If it's a good fit, you should go to the mainland to select actors and try casting He Qing as Huang Rong."

"Li Mochou also needs a stunning beauty in period costume, try Zhou Haimei."

Not only Guo Jing, but also Huang Rihua's Qiao Feng in the 96 version (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils) is a childhood memory.

Zhou Haimei is slated to play Zhou Zhiruo in the TV series "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" next year, a villainous role.

The future version of Zhou Zhiruo, even the one featuring the beautiful and elegant Zhou, is modeled after the younger version.

Ah Hong laughed, "Great! Coming home as a high-ranking executive at ATV feels like a promotion."

"Should we co-produce with CCTV? Or should we fund the project and only use the mainland's behind-the-scenes and on-screen teams?"

Su Nan laughed and said, "If it can be broadcast on CCTV, then we'll co-produce it; if it's not on CCTV, then Skyworth will produce it independently."

He remembers the Jin Yong martial arts films from the mid-to-late 90s.

It was also rebroadcast multiple times in mainland China, with various TV stations scrambling to buy the rights, leading to massive audiences flocking to the streets.

Just like the TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "Justice Bao", the viewership ratings they achieved were simply legendary.

Big production, big project, I don't mind waiting a bit longer to see Louis Koo and Ah Tung's acting skills.

This mainland version of the theme song (Return to the Homeland) is also a childhood favorite for countless people.

Chen Hong asked excitedly, "Did they buy the copyright? I'm really interested. If I go back and discuss cooperation, wouldn't that make me look like a leader at Shanghai TV station?"

"It's far behind CCTV, but its influence isn't that different from local TV stations, is it?"

Su Nan laughed and said, "You can also take this opportunity to talk about the broadcasting rights for (Romance of the Three Kingdoms). ATV will sign a single contract, and it's okay if it's a little more expensive."

In 95, ATV introduced CCTV's "Three Kingdoms" and did a lot of editing and Cantonese dubbing, etc.

Before each episode airs, experts are consulted to analyze the Three Kingdoms period, resulting in an average viewership rating of 40%.

It's even more ruthless than The Great Era and Giants.

Ah Hong nodded repeatedly, then asked curiously, "You only own 20% of the shares, isn't it a waste of your effort to put in so much work?"

"Should we try acquiring some more?"

Su Nan naturally felt he was at a slight loss, but Shark-Brother was willing to sell him shares so he could enter the market.

They were drawn to his ability to boost ratings, combining Lam Ching-ying's (Zombie Master) version of The Return of the Condor Heroes with Chik Kei-yee's Heaven and Earth series.

Once this is done, plus the fact that every installment of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a major TVB anniversary drama, it will be a huge success.

Adding the upgraded Miss Asia pageant is basically enough.

Only after the ratings rise can we talk about buying more, such as buying another 10% from the Lin family.

When some cases are about to break out, I will take over all of Lin's shares and become the head of the company again.

Chen Hong is capable of coordinating project directions, so becoming the vice chairman of ATV shouldn't be a problem for her in the future.

Time flies, and it's August 24th, the Qixi Festival.

Su Nan led a team to the set of (My Sassy Girl). It can only be said that the progress is going well. Li Jiaxin, the leading lady, has filmed nearly half of the scenes.

Ah Xin has been working hard lately, eating four or five meals a day while hanging out with Brother Nan.

But her acting skills are also improving step by step.

Watching her continue performing in the filming area, Su Nan laughed and said, "You still need more practice. To be a leading lady, you just need to pass the test within three months."

Old Hong nodded happily, "Brother Nan, I've been treating the film crew like a vacation lately."

"I can also continue to work on my muscles for the crime drama. The script is finished, even if filming here wraps up in October."

"The Outlaws 2 can also prepare everything in advance, and there will be no problem with its release during the Lunar New Year holiday."

The original plot of (The Outlaws 2) is that the South Korean One-Punch Man, along with his boss, goes to Vietnam to catch thieves and solve cases.

They failed to catch the ruthless gangsters who specialized in kidnapping and extorting South Koreans in Vietnam, and the gangsters even returned to South Korea for a showdown with the police.

This character is optimized to be a super-powerful villain from Hong Kong Island who goes to Taiwan to kidnap people from Hong Kong who travel or do business there for extortion.

Hong Lingbao and Yuan Hua went on a business trip together, but because they lacked law enforcement authority, they ended up smashing a bunch of people.

The opposing side will return to Hong Kong and continue the decisive battle on Hong Kong Island.

This installment may not be as well-received as the first one, but it's still worth watching because it's exciting.

Even if filming starts at the end of October, for a classic action film? Sanmao is confident that filming will be completed within a month.

Lunar New Year's Eve is February 9th, 1994, which is plenty of time!

At this stage, the videotapes of (Criminal Crime 1) have just begun to hit various places, and a few months of settling down will make it more conducive to the release of the second film.

Old Hong's business is booming again, with more and more RMB settlements being made in mainland China.

Didn't they just treat the (My Sassy Girl) film crew like a vacation? Gao Lihong, Zhang Manyu, and Wang Zuxian even frequently came to the set to give Li Jiaxin acting advice.

These three might take turns demonstrating how a play should be performed.

Let Li Jiaxin learn slowly.

Old Hong lit a cigarette and laughed, "After filming is finished, it wouldn't be too undeserving for Ah Xin to be nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards or the Golden Horse Awards."

"But is Ah Chi really using (Back to 20) to win awards? Will it clash with (Leaving Macau) next year?"

Su Nan shook his head. "I'm not sure. Nicolas Cage's (leaving Las Vegas) has already made it into the main competition at the Venice Film Festival."

"As long as this movie wins a major award, operating the theaters won't be a big problem."

"Next year, we'll continue to aim for the Golden Globes and Oscars. The version starring Jia Hui and Xiao Xian is also waiting for the big awards."

Director Zhang Yimou returned in early July; the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony is on August 31st this year.

If they do well in the awards competition, Leung Ka-fai and Siu-yin could win the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor and Best Actress in 93!

Next year, she'll likely be nominated for the 94 Hong Kong Film Awards, which could very well clash with Rosamund Kwan's nomination.

Zhang Yimou and Nicolas's team also flew to Venice. In 91, Zhang only received a Golden Lion nomination for "The Red Lantern".

What they won was the Silver Lion Award, a warm-up before heading to the Oscars.

Just then, Li Jiaxin finished performing another scene.

Old Hong decisively called "cut" and prepared for the next take.

Ah Xin quickly walked over with a sweet smile, "Brother Nan, Brother Sanmao, I'm sorry to have made you laugh again, but I feel like I'm getting better and better."

"I estimate that filming will be completed in a little over two months. I will definitely work hard to become the company's mini money-printing machine in the future."

"By the way, has Min-jie's (Almost Lovers) sold over 30 copies in Taiwan?"

Seeing Su Nan nod, Ah Xin hurriedly flattered him again.

If she sells 30 copies in less than two months, and accumulates over 50 copies in a few more months, her position as a pop diva will be basically secure.

This album sold over 6 copies in Hong Kong Island.

Recently, in addition to collecting Cantonese songs, Vivian Chow has also been trying to squeeze out a few more new songs from Brother Nam.

Su Nan arranged a song for her called Twins' "Next Stop, Queen of Pop," which was the best-selling local singer in Hong Kong in 03.

After being given one song, Amin wanted more.

Fortunately, Su Nan has always wanted more; that's human nature.

He chatted casually and asked about Jackie Chan's recent situation. Jackie Chan was still filming "Cast Away" and, according to the plan, it would probably wrap up around the Spring Festival.

After discussing these matters, Lao Hong suddenly said, "By the way, Ah Wei relayed that Chow Yun-fat, also known as Brother Fat, is very interested in cooperating with Skyworth or Baoxiang."

"He's willing to take any discount on his fee, as long as there's an opportunity. If your new project needs his help, just ask."

The "Awei" he mentioned also refers to Zeng Zhiwei.

"Brother Fa has fully recovered from his injury?" Li Jiaxin asked in surprise.

If you look at Chow Yun-fat's work in 93, it's mainly because his wife was pregnant in 91, but the child was not born safely.

After filming (The Thief Who Came in from the Cold) in 92, the other party went into semi-retirement to recover from his injuries.

When Ah Fa came out of retirement and wanted to take on acting roles to make money, he looked around and found only two films: "Shaolin Popeye" and "God of Gamblers 2".

The Hong Kong entertainment industry has already collapsed and doesn't have many more chances left.

Su Nan thought for a moment and shook his head, "It's hard to say for now, let's wait and see."

Chow Yun-fat still has considerable appeal in Hong Kong's Ho Wan district, but in Skyworth's productions, Leung Ka-fai and Man Chi-leung can basically replace him.

The trend of reduced production among stars across Hong Kong Island began in this year.

John Woo's Hollywood debut (The Ultimate Target) has already been released in the United States, and its opening weekend performance was decent.

It followed a similar trajectory to the US release of (Extraction).

The US publicity mainly focuses on the hype surrounding Su Nan, the screenwriter and director, who has built a film and television group valued at $6 million in just three years.

Including his role as the screenwriter for the American version of (Dynasty Warriors), etc.

Jurassic Park was released in the US on June 11, but its dominance had already declined significantly. (Rage) was released on August 12 after continuous promotion.

$470 million in the first weekend and $1059 million in the second week, accumulating to $1529 million.

This result? This year, the US film starring a Chinese actor (Dragon Lee) grossed $3511 million.

Old Wu (The Ultimate Target) ultimately grossed $3200 million at the US box office!

(Rage) is a groundbreaking new genre, the gunfights are so exciting, and it has a great chance of breaking $3000 million!

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