Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

91 Company currently has two TV series IPs.

Both "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "The Deer and the Cauldron" are adaptations of Jin Yong's works; if they are well-made, they will sell well.

Since The Return of the Condor Heroes requires Liu Yifei's availability, we can only film The Deer and the Cauldron first. Fortunately, the screenwriting department had some free time recently and adapted these works into scripts. Zhuang Huai'an has read them and found them to be quite good.

This actor is what's giving him a bit of a problem.

Actresses are fine; there are all kinds in the entertainment industry, and there are even actresses sent in by their godfather Xu Youcai... cough, the main problem is that the role of Wei Xiaobao is really difficult to handle.

With Stephen Chow and Chicken Brother as two legendary actors, and Dicky Cheung in between, it's really hard to find a suitable mainland actor for the time being.

Judging from the three later adaptations of *The Deer and the Cauldron*, Xiao Ming's acting was too slick, Han Dong's was too righteous, and Xia Bingbao's was too wicked.

Apart from Xiaoming, who managed to stay afloat thanks to his huge public appeal, the other two completely failed, and Xia Bingbao has become virtually unknown in the entertainment industry.

Even childhood memories couldn't save it, so you can imagine how awful it must have been.

Hey!

Zhuang Huai'an's eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten about him? This was a classic case of the darkest place being under the lamp!

It's you I've decided on, Guo Jinfei!

If the trajectory remains unchanged, Guo Jinfei would have become famous for playing Wei Xiaobao in the stage play version of The Deer and the Cauldron when he first entered the Shanghai Theatre Academy.

Let's make a movie called "The Deer and the Cauldron".

Looking at Wang Zhiyong and Zhong Lifang, Zhuang Huai'an made a decision: "Wei Xiaobao will be played by Guo Jinfei, Kang Mazi will be played by Yuan Hong, and we'll also include those actresses that the coal boss put in. You can decide the specifics yourselves."

"Okay." The two nodded without any objection. 91 Company was originally Zhuang Huai'an's one-man show.

"The Deer and the Cauldron" leans towards comedy and is the most like a web novel among all of Jin Yong's novels, so its audience will definitely be larger than that of adult-oriented TV series like "A Deadly Secret".

Moreover, this drama has not been filmed in mainland China before, so there is still a lot of anticipation from the audience.

"Lifang could also learn from Zhang Dahuzi's hype tactics. Although it's easy to get criticized, it's quite effective. Just be careful to keep it within limits."

"I understand, boss." Zhong Lifang had wanted to do this for a long time, but Zhuang Huai'an hadn't spoken up, so she didn't dare to make a decision on her own.

Although 91 Company snatched Zhang Jizhong's The Return of the Condor Heroes and The Deer and the Cauldron, he had already become a big shot in the television industry with his roles in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, The Legend of the Condor Heroes, and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Speaking of which, actresses nowadays actually have very few film and television offers. Idol dramas in mainland China are still in their infancy, and there are not many decent female-led dramas on the market. The most outstanding female-led dramas in the past two years are "Wrong Carriage, Right Groom" and "Princess Pearl 3", especially the former, which can be called the ancestor of mainland ancient idol dramas.

Zhuang Huai'an also considered whether to start an idol drama project, since such dramas can really make people famous, but after much consideration, he decided to give up.

But if you don't take the photos yourself, you can use them as bait and release them out; I believe there will be plenty of people willing to take the bait.

For example, Huayi Brothers Media Co., Ltd., which will be established at the end of this year, will not give up the big cake of the TV drama market if the two Wangs want to play the game of resource integration.

After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Huai'an went into the lounge and took out a script from the safe.

"This is a script I bought out from an outside source. Take a look."

Wang Zhiyong took a look and read "The Seven Fairies of Joy".

"Is this an adaptation of 'The Fairy Couple'?"

"Yes, the plot is quite novel."

This script also came from my mind, but it didn't quite live up to Zhuang Huai'an's reputation as an internationally renowned director. To avoid criticism, the screenwriter credited him as Zhang San.

Just like those catchy songs by Phoenix Legend, what does Zhang San's script have to do with me, Zhuang Huai'an?

"What I mean is, you've acted in 'Chinese Paladin,' which is also a mythological drama, so I'll let you continue practicing. Let Haozi act in 'The Deer and the Cauldron.'"

"Okay, I'll take a look." Wang Zhiyong's self-positioning was very accurate; he was like a brick in 91, ready to be moved wherever needed.

Do you think he might have any objections?

Don't make me laugh, Brother Zhiyong. Have you ever seen a college junior who can independently film several TV series?

Those students from the 01 directing class at Beijing Film Academy were practically green with envy when they saw Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong; they wished they could take their place.

"Lifang, you should also oversee the casting process. Like I said before, try to use people that the coal mine owners have pushed into the project first."

Zhong Lifang smiled and said, "Okay, boss, I understand."

Zhuang Huai'an nodded. Zhong Lifang and Du Hua had been working diligently and had never made a mistake since they joined the company, so their abilities were beyond question.

Actually, the coal mine owner intended to use those hundreds of millions of yuan for "The Martian," but the timeline with the China National Space Administration hadn't been coordinated, so he couldn't keep dragging the coal mine owner along. Although the coal mine owner wouldn't mind because of Xu Youcai and Zhuang Kaixuan, he still had to maintain a certain attitude.

These two TV series are a perfect bonus, a way to express our appreciation to the coal mine owners.

...

There's no need to elaborate on company matters; Zhuang Huai'an is going to Hong Kong and then on to Los Angeles.

The film "Detachment" was a huge success at the Berlin Film Festival, and Mr. Yang, the owner of Yinghuang, was eager to make a comeback. He hadn't been having an easy time lately and needed the film to boost his reputation. So he put on a grand premiere in Hong Kong and insisted that Zhuang Huai'an attend.

Although I had decided to avoid dealing with Mr. Yang in the future, I decided to go all the way and make sure the director attended the premiere, as it wouldn't sound good if word got out.

At Yinghuang Hotel,

The cast and crew of "Detachment" were indispensable, and Wang Jing and the entire cast and crew of "The Big Shot" were also present, with all four Heavenly Kings present for the first time ever.

Zhuang Huai'an looked around and saw familiar faces among the passersby. It seemed that Boss Yang had indeed gone all out this time.

"Director Zhuang, it's quite peaceful here."

With a cigar in his left hand and a wine glass in his right, Hong Jinbao exuded the aura of a powerful figure.

"Brother Hong," Zhuang Huai'an smiled and clinked glasses with him, "to be honest, I prefer gathering with a few close friends to this kind of scene."

As Zhuang Huai'an's fame grew, people also learned about some of his habits: he disliked ostentation and social engagements, and had never even had a rumored romantic relationship since his debut.

A hint of surprise flashed in Hong Jinbao's eyes. This kind of young man was simply an anomaly in the entertainment industry.

The two found a corner to sit down. Hong Linbao took out a cigar from his pocket and gestured to him, but Zhuang Huai'an politely declined and lit a Seven Star.

"He told me about Cao Long's matter," Hong Linbao exhaled a puff of smoke. "He also has to thank Director Zhuang for giving him a chance to make a living."

"Brother Hong, you're too kind. We're just friends, so there's no need to talk about rewards."

Zhuang Huai'an laughed and said, "Director Cao's action design is indeed excellent, and he has experience working with the company before, so he can use what he knows well."

"That's because you're being kind to me. I owe you a favor this time."

Hong Linbao smiled and said with some emotion, "The Hong Kong film industry is still too small. There are only so many films starting production each year, and it's hard for stuntmen to make a living."

There are many martial arts stunt teams in Hong Kong, but there are only three in total. The Yuen Clan established itself in Hollywood with "The Matrix", and the Jackie Chan Stunt Team is also well-off with Jackie Chan's help.

However, his Sammo Hung stunt team has too many branches, and relying solely on the Hong Kong market is not enough; he can only rely on the mainland for development.

This time, Zhuang Huai'an outsourced both of 91 Company's TV series to Cao Long. This guy is indeed very pragmatic. The first thing he did after receiving the news was not to thank Zhuang Huai'an, but to go and pay respects to Wang Zhiyong and Sun Hao.

There is no shortage of martial arts performers in Hong Kong or the mainland. Cao Long knew that what Zhuang Huai'an valued in him was that he was obedient and would not try to seize power.

The two chatted for a while longer, mostly Hung Chun-po complaining about Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle," which was currently being filmed.

Zhuang Huai'an listened quietly, unable to offer any comment, only saying that both of them had problems.

"Director Zhuang."

Boss Yang, beaming, led a large group of people over. "How about we take a group photo to commemorate this?"

"OK."