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

Chapter 97 Can Li Jiaxin play my sassy girlfriend?

In January 1993, Xu Ke first proposed the (Green and White Snake) project, following the trend of (The Legend of the White Snake).

At the time, they weren't even sure what they were going to film. Would it be the same as a TV series? Then why would viewers who had already watched TV go to the cinema?

When the main storyline is drastically changed, how should it be filmed?

From April until mid-June, Lao Xu took the lead in finalizing the adaptation model for the novel (Green Snake).

Last month, they also started work on creating a super physical model of the Green and White Snake Demon in mainland China.

It has now been confirmed that Joey Wong will play the White Snake, Zhang Min the Green Snake, and Jet Li the Fahai.

In this version, Zhang Min is the main female lead, while Xiao Xian is the second female lead.

In terms of investment amount, Yong Sheng contributed 5000 million, Lao Yang and Lao Wu contributed 4000 million Hong Kong dollars, and Jiahe contributed 7000 million Hong Kong dollars.

Dongbao invested HK$3000 million.

Including the salaries of Jet Li and other actors, the total investment exceeded 2 million yuan.

Not quite $3000 million yet? Jim Carrey's 1994 film, The Mask, had a total budget of $1800 million, including CGI effects!

Ah Hong stood next to Su Nan and excitedly recounted a few of the terrifying achievements of the Jurassic period.

She also laughed and remarked, "If production goes quickly, (Green Snake) could also become a monster movie and hit the West with its incredibly realistic snake demon form?"

"Even if it's just to see giant monsters, it might still gross $3000 million at the US box office."

Su Nan nodded, "If there's a chance, we'll see if the final result is a huge one or just another big surprise."

Jet Li's action films have been making waves in the European and American videotape markets, and he has a certain level of appeal.

When A-Jie ventured into Hollywood, there were quite a few B-movies that grossed over $3000 million.

Rosamund Kwan stopped interacting with Chan and walked over with a stunned look on her face, "4702 million US dollars in 3 days, this is ridiculous (ET alien)."

Recording was easier than I expected.

Now, not only in Europe and America, but also in Hong Kong, Jurassic Park's massive marketing campaign has generated tremendous buzz.

The early release of "Con Air" was part of Universal's crazy marketing plan, spending tens of millions of dollars to push it forward!

This summer, countless people may see Jurassic Park promotional materials everywhere in reality.

Su Nan chuckled, "Our rumor campaign and the various achievements of the Mi version can push (Project Gutenberg) to a box office of over 6300 million in Hong Kong."

"This is the result of achieving great miracles with little money."

"With Universal investing so much money in promotion, it's normal for the film to become a miracle due to its quality."

This is a super milestone in the global film and television industry.

These are other people's achievements. They'll be shocked and watch the drama unfold for a while, but they'll still need to push forward with their own productions.

As the day's work came to an end, (Rescue Fury) was about to wrap up.

Li Jiaxin arrived, and when she greeted Su Nan, he said, somewhat speechless, "Why are you smiling so sweetly? Is something wrong?"

Ah Xin exclaimed and said, "No, Brother Nan, I'm here to flatter you, so my attitude has to be good."

"The projects that Sister Zhi and Sister Min didn't approve of are the ones I'm now vying for in the film industry."

"If you need me, I can play the role of a pretty passerby; you can arrange it however you like."

At this stage, Li Jiaxin spends her free time hanging out with Rosamund Kwan and Vivian Chow on film sets and outside of the GG drama crew.

Amin has a role in (Rage), but she's not here today; she's still recording a song.

Li Jiaxin has finished filming "The Great Escape" and is currently filming "The New Legend of the Condor Heroes," which will be completed soon.

Still waiting for filming to start (Chasing Boys) and (The Bride with White Hair 2).

Rosamund Kwan rolled her eyes at her. "Ah Xin, are you trying to suck up to me? You're just looking for an opportunity to take advantage of me."

Amidst laughter and conversation, Sister Guan followed Su Nan into the car, and Ah Xin followed as well.

After the bodyguard drove off, Rosamund Kwan asked curiously, "Brother Nan, why are you still betting on Microsoft?"

"Compared to three years ago, continuing to buy now feels like a huge loss."

She didn't even hide it from her bodyguards when she said this, mainly because it's no secret that Southern Jiangsu has been investing in Microsoft for several years, pouring in huge amounts of US dollars.

Don't say that Old Yang from Taiwan copied homework.

The managers who helped HSBC with nominee shareholding back then, after discovering the terrifying profit growth in recent years, had already followed suit and leaked the news.

However, in the first half of 1993, Microsoft's total market capitalization fluctuated around $210 billion.

Su Nan has gradually increased his investment and now holds 0.25% of Microsoft's shares.

Previously, Microsoft's total value was $60 billion, and $600 million could buy one-thousandth of that.

Now even one-thousandth of that costs $2100 million.

Su Nan was speechless. "It will still retain its value for the next three to five years, at least keeping up with the rate of currency devaluation."

After Oracle's value exploded to $100 billion, it would take four to five years of continued holding to earn 100% and 200% returns.

Microsoft launched Windows 95 in 95, bringing computers, once typically used by professionals, into countless homes around the world.

Then came the creation of countless internet cafes.

Microsoft's fortunes remained relatively stable throughout 1993, but it began its ascent to become a $100 billion behemoth in 1996, growing from $21 billion to $100 billion in just three or four years.

When Microsoft reached its peak of $98 billion in 3000, it was all linked to the global stock market and internet bubble.

Therefore, before investing in Yahoo, increasing your stake in Microsoft is still a sure way to make a profit.

Old Yang, a Chinese American, started Yahoo with his classmates in the spring of 94. At that time, Su Nan should have been working in Hollywood doing (hacker) special effects.

Then we can hijack Sequoia Capital's deal, acquire a 25% stake in Yahoo, and gradually raise more capital until the company goes public.

Sequoia Capital acquired a 25% stake in Yahoo in April 1995 for one to two million US dollars.

Yahoo went public on Wall Street in April 1996, raising a total market capitalization of $500 million on the first day.

Although the profits from 95 to 96 were negligible.

But as long as it survives, it will become one of the future internet giants, Yahoo!

Is it appropriate for a Hong Kong Chinese capitalist to become a major shareholder of Yahoo? This will definitely cause trouble; we should just start business negotiations gradually.

Rosamund Kwan said happily, "Then I'll continue. I had originally saved up 0.04%, and I felt like I wanted to buy two more houses in Hong Kong and continue betting on Microsoft."

Her current 0.04% is worth $8.4 million.

Li Jiaxin exclaimed excitedly, "Have I heard news of a treasure? I don't have enough money; at most, I can scrape together a few hundred thousand US dollars to bet on it."

The Microsoft era, where even a one in ten thousand chance cost $210 million.

Ah Xin discovered that she had transformed into a workaholic, making ten movies a year and getting a dozen or twenty GG endorsements.

She can only buy one or two out of ten thousand.

Su Nan laughed, "You don't have any good projects that have become huge hits, and you haven't even left China yet, given your current acting skills."

"Actually, filming those top-tier TV dramas can boost popularity even faster."

Ah Xin suddenly realized, "Similar to Zhao Yazhi's (The Legend of the White Snake)? That Sister Zhi only acts in TV dramas, but a single GG endorsement can earn her millions a year."

The new White Snake swept across China, with numerous male merchants from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong showering her with money.

Su Nan nodded, "No need to rush. We'll talk about whether or not I can get a good role when there's a blockbuster project."

"It's not worth getting involved in a regular TV series. Even if you go to Shao Daheng, he'll still give you a salary of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan per episode."

For roles like those in "The Great Era" and "Giants," it's worth Li Jiaxin paying tens of thousands of yuan per episode to snatch them.

Looking to the future, TVB will produce classics like the Felix Wong version of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Then there are anniversary dramas like "Genesis," which are all worth participating in; ordinary ones don't need it.

As he was talking, Su Nan suddenly couldn't help but laugh out loud. He suddenly thought of Li Jiaxin playing Qin Huairu in a version of "Full House of Love".

It's something that could be easily made in this era, and it'll probably be popular for 30 years to come.

The problem is that this masterpiece wasn't popular in the early 90s, but became a huge hit two or three decades later during the era of internet celebrities.

Of course, this was just a bizarre, prankish thought that quickly passed by.

If you want to promote someone, having Li Jiaxin star in a version of "My Sassy Girl" would make her a huge star.

(My Sassy Girl) attracted 487 million viewers in South Korea in 2001. Based on a ticket price of HK$30 in Hong Kong today, that's equivalent to 1...

HK$46 million.

Is it worth it to promote Ah-Hsin with such a low budget and quick production?

Of course it's worth it. To be honest, Su Nan was a little embarrassed. She was the epitome of a workaholic this year. Even if she filmed ten movies in a year, her total salary would be three or four million.

Skyworth takes a 70% commission; for a 3 million yuan actor's salary, Skyworth takes 2.1 million yuan. This will continue for the next two years.

Ah-Hsin signed a comprehensive long-term contract, not a part-time contract.

At this stage, in southern Jiangsu, Rosamund Kwan is focused on her career as a Best Actress winner and doesn't need to compete for small projects.

Ah Hong has been confirmed as the female action star of the hacker trilogy, and may also make her way into Police Story 3, thus joining the ranks of Hong Kong's super police.

Vivian Chow is on her way to becoming a pop diva, and she will not be retiring from the industry as she did in the past.

Even if the film industry collapses, with eight out of ten companies going bankrupt, only 30 out of 100 practitioners will have jobs.

This has little impact on the concerts of top singers.

A script for a sassy girlfriend has been released in southern Jiangsu. Hong Bao started filming, and Skyworth invested 80% of the budget. Given the current popularity of Hong Kong films, this is a good opportunity.

If they can make 20 to 30 million Hong Kong dollars at the box office in Hong Kong Island, that would be a big win.

The original South Korean version of this movie also grossed HK$1400 million when it was released in Hong Kong. How much? The South Korean version was released in 01.

Hong Kong Island was released in 2002, and before its release, pirated DVDs and copies of it were already circulating widely on the internet!

The tenth highest-grossing Hong Kong film of 2002 was HK$1373 million!

Countless people have watched pirated versions on the Internet, and pirated DVDs even propelled "My Sassy Girl" into the top ten of the annual ticket rankings.

This influence marked the beginning of South Korean films' counterattack in Hong Kong, and it even won the Best Asian Film award at the 03 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Similar to the Hollywood Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

After filming, if the movie is sold to South Korea, it will become a hit, and Ah Xin will gain some international influence.

Thinking of this, Su Nan smiled and said, "I just had an idea. I'll write the script in the next few days and give it a try."

"You should just work on multiple film and television projects simultaneously."

Ah Xin was stunned. "Is this for real? Brother Nan, shall I bite one for you?"

"I haven't seen Lao Liu properly for more than three months. Even when he blocked my way, I still refused his invitations to dinner and dates."

Rosamund Kwan burst out laughing, but she didn't say anything; she just glanced in the driver's seat direction.

Su Nan was speechless. "Don't jump around like that. Why are you talking about such serious matters?"

With her looks and figure, 23-year-old Ah Xin has no problem playing the role of a sassy girlfriend.

As for who should play the male lead in "My Sassy Girl"? Let's stick with Zhou Jie. This Zhou Jie is considered a talented actor among Skyworth's new talents.

The other person isn't particularly handsome, but as long as they can act well, that's fine.

As time went by, mid-June was still the midst of Universal Pictures' massive marketing and box office offensive for Jurassic Park.

The filming and production of Skyworth's (Rescue) is running smoothly.

The new figure that shocked the entire Hong Kong and South Korean entertainment industry was that (Jurassic Park 1) grossed $6900 million in its second week.

Including the $4700 million from the opening weekend, plus the $300 million from the preview screenings on Thursday before the opening weekend.

This advance screening is similar to the midnight screenings in Hong Kong's film industry, serving as a kind of trial run.

All in all, this represents Jurassic Park's accumulated $1.19 million in the United States, and that's just data from 11 days.

This truly shocked the global film and television industry.

When Li Jiaxin arrived at the film set on June 22, Hong Bao had already arrived.

Lao Hong took advantage of Nan Ge's break on set to discuss the filming style and overall tone of "My Sassy Girl".

Writing scripts for small projects is quick.

Ah Xin was pleasantly surprised and excited when she went up to Su Nan to greet him.

Now only Amin is standing beside him. Nan Ge is mainly explaining the play to Amin, making her understand technological concepts such as supercomputing and search engines.

Following Li Jiaxin's words, Zhou Huimin laughed and joked, "Ah Xin, I think I could also act in the 'My Sassy Girl' movie."

"It just so happens that the innocent girl image has been around for a long time, so I can break out of this and take on new roles."

"I don't have to go through the trouble of filming erotic movies like Lee Lai-chen did to ruin my acting career."

Ah Xin exploded after just a few words, "No, Sister Min, I can bite it for you too."

Zhou Huimin was terrified and couldn't help but raise her arm to hit someone.

Su Nan was speechless. "Can you guys tone it down a bit while you're chatting?"

The two young ladies left laughing and joking.

Old Hong walked over from about seven or eight meters away, smoking and laughing, "Brother Nan, (My Sassy Girl) is being filmed so quickly, I think we should give (Jurassic Park) a break?"

"With its release week off from the original schedule, and the added appeal of reuniting Ka-fai, Ah-chi, and Man Chi-leung after their collaboration, it's bound to be attractive."

"The appeal of Ah Xin and Xiao Zhou for a comedic romantic comedy like 'My Sassy Girl' is still a bit lacking."

If Richie Jen's acting skills weren't lacking, Lao Hong thinks he would be far more effective at raking in the box office.

After all, Richie Jen's "Too Softhearted" has been a viral hit in Hong Kong for two months.

Richie Jen's EP sold tens of thousands of copies in Taiwan.

The EP singles sold far less than the albums, and it didn't follow the same path as the albums.

But what if Richie Jen buys ten songs and adds "Too Softhearted" as the title track? If Taiwan sells five or six hundred thousand albums or even more by then?

This demonstrates a level of talent that surpasses even the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong in the music industry.

Su Nan smiled and nodded, "Sure, it doesn't matter if it's postponed. Just let Richie Jen play the ruthless fugitive who was betrayed by his girlfriend and wanted to kill someone."

Xiao Ren's acting skills aren't great, but he's fine for playing supporting roles.

Filming starts in June and the film is scheduled to be released at the end of August or September, which could still result in impressive sales figures.

As I said before, even after six months of rampant online and offline piracy of original South Korean films, they still managed to achieve impressive box office results in Hong Kong.

He chatted with Lao Hong for a while longer before heading back to start the production of the next dramatic scene.

Zhou Huimin ran up to Su Nan and complained, "Brother Nan, Ah Xin is too provocative. You need to give her a few injections to cure her."

"She's been single for four months now, so it's okay for her to invest occasionally."

Su Nan was speechless. "Didn't you two still dream of getting married? You're really something else!"

Amin rolled her eyes at him, "I think it's harder to prevent you from trying new things all year round than to make you lose 10 billion yuan."

Besides, they wrote a script specifically for Ah Xin to promote her, so wouldn't it be a loss not to invest?

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