Chapter 133: Layout of Asian Market, Zhang Guorong Plays Pang Yong

Chapter 133: Laying out the Asian market, Zhang Guorong will play Pang Yong?

Wu Yuan has never held a premiere in China before.

"The Night the Comet Came" premiered in Sanchez.

"The Embalmer" also took advantage of the hot spot of winning Berlin's Best Director and was directly released in China.

"Your Name" is Wu Yuan's first domestic film premiere.

And this is the first time that Wu Yuan has to do something special.

Although he cannot compare with "Hero", which has the support of the Ministry of Culture, Wu Yuan's own status is high enough that he can invite a large number of big names in the industry to attend the premiere.

"Your Name" is scheduled to be released on March 1st, and Wu Yuan decided to hold the premiere at the Beijing Grand Theater on February 28th.

Immediately, Light and Shadow Era sent out invitations.

Domestic actors who have worked with Wu Yuan before have all received invitations, friends of Wu Yuan, actors who have come to audition and have interacted with the era of light and shadow, the four major directors Zhang, Chen, Jiang and Feng, and directors from Nortel All professors in the department are on the invitation list.

As for some of the mainland's top filmmakers who have no connection with the era of light and shadow, such as Gong Huang, Uncle Ge, etc., they have also received invitations.

Almost two-thirds of people in the film industry are on the invitation list.

Those who have received invitations will have to take time off to attend the premiere of "Your Name" even if they are working, unless their schedule cannot be moved.

What a joke.

Is this Wu Yuan’s new movie? !

"Pirates of the Caribbean" just took in $700 million at the global box office!

Which mainland filmmaker now dares not to give Wu Yuan this face?

The higher the status of actors in the industry, the more they want to attend this premiere. This is a good opportunity to get to know Wu Yuan!

Even Gong Huang, she doesn't really only want to make literary films. She also wants to break into Hollywood and star in Hollywood commercial blockbusters.

Otherwise, she would not have taken on "Memoirs of a Geisha" and later "Miami Vice."

Gong Huang was the chairman of the jury of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2000, and the chairman of the main competition unit of the Venice International Film Festival in 2002!

Such a top Chinese actress, even one of the top actresses in Europe, is willing to play the villain heroine in "Miami Vice" in order to break into Hollywood.

Now that Hollywood has such a great commercial film director as Wu Yuan, who is also a native of the capital, how can Emperor Gong not actively get closer to him?

When Gong Huangdu responded immediately and said that he would attend the premiere on time, how could other filmmakers in the industry still show off?

Director Feng rushed up to express his determination to be there, even if Wu Yuan did not go to the premiere of "Cell Phone"

Fortunately, there are not many people in the film industry now, and the top group is even smaller.

Even if all the invited guests come, it can still be arranged.

Otherwise, Wu Yuan would have been worried that there were not enough seats in the Beijing Grand Theater and would have actually reported to his superiors and borrowed the Great Hall of the People for the premiere.

Just like that, as the news spread that "Your Name" was going to premiere, the mainland film industry immediately swarmed into action, with filmmakers scattered all over the country rushing to the capital.

Zhang Guorong, who had just finished filming the winter scenes of "If Love" in Northeast China, was the first to return to the capital.

"Director Wu, your new movie premiered with great fanfare."

In the office of the Light and Shadow Era, Zhang Guorong was sitting on the sofa, drinking hot tea with each sip.

"Yes." Wu Yuan asked casually while reviewing the publicity reports sent back from various places: "The filming of "If Love" has been completed now. When is it planned to be released?"

"I will definitely support you when you hold a premiere."

When "Stealing Hearts" premiered last time, Wu Yuan was not present.

But after thinking about it, he may go to the United States to film "Rush Hour 3" in the second half of the year. Wu Yuan added: "If I am in China at that time."

Zhang Guorong shook his head and laughed: "I don't expect your giant Buddha to come to the premiere."

"As for the scheduled time, I want to put it on the Lunar New Year time."

"In mainland China, the Lunar New Year is the only popular time."

"No." Wu Yuan quickly denied: "The competition in the Lunar New Year slot is too fierce. Mainland audiences are now accustomed to watching comedy movies in the Lunar New Year slot. If this kind of romance film enters the Lunar New Year slot, it will be crushed to pieces."

Wu Yuan knows how scary this year's Lunar New Year holiday is.

"A World Without Thieves" and "Kung Fu" almost wiped out the entire Lunar New Year box office, and the two are even frantically competing for each other's market.

To be honest, if these two movies can be released in two years during the Lunar New Year, the final box office will definitely be higher.

It's a pity that we can't.

"If Love" is so small that it can't be squeezed into the Lunar New Year movie.

"How about releasing it during the Chinese Valentine's Day?" Wu Yuan said thoughtfully.

In North America, Valentine's Day has always been a must-have time for romance movies.

However, in 2004, Valentine's Day on February 14 was not very popular in China, but the love atmosphere during the Chinese Valentine's Day was more intense.

"Qixi Festival?" Zhang Guorong frowned: ""House of Flying Daggers" is scheduled to be released on July 16th, right?"

"When is Chinese Valentine's Day this year?"

"I checked, it's August 22nd." Wu Yuan nodded: "At that time, "House of Flying Daggers" had been released for more than a month, and the impact was no longer big."

"And August 22 can catch up with the end of summer vacation, so we can capture part of the college student market."

"Nowadays, it is popular for college students to invite their girlfriends or crushes to the cinema to watch movies."

"My "Your Name" is also aimed at this market."

As the boss of the main investment company and the film director, Wu Yuan and Zhang Guorong can decide the release date of "If Love".

Generally, Mr. Han will not have any objections and will try his best to help coordinate and arrange.

So although it was just a casual chat, Zhang Guorong was very serious.

After frowning and thinking for a while, he nodded and said, "August 22nd is fine. The time is very flexible and there is enough time for post-production and publicity."

"After the movie is released, I can also return to Hong Kong Island to release an album and hold a few concerts."

"After "If Love" is over, I plan to return to the music scene next year and focus on my singing career."

"My fans have really waited too long."

"It's up to you." Wu Yuan shrugged. He didn't have any plans for Zhang Guorong next year.

In 2005, the focus of Wu Yuan's company's film projects should be on "Painted Skin".

This movie is the first special effects blockbuster in the true sense of the light and shadow era, although it is a fantasy and magic type of special effects.

Wu Yuan has great ambitions for this movie.

The legend of fox spirits is not only in China, but also in the entire Chinese cultural circle.

And the legends are almost the same, saying that fox spirits are very good at charming people and like to eat human hearts.

Although the story of Painted Skin comes from Liao Zhai, there are also such ghost legends in Japan and South Korea that peel off human skin and wear it to disguise as human life.

Wu Yan is playing the idea of ​​eating the Asian market.

There is no magical and fantasy Asian commercial blockbuster yet.

The emergence of "Painted Skin" has the opportunity to fill this space and seize this market.

In particular, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings" series have opened up the fantasy and magic market for Asian movie fans.

If it was Chen Jiashang's "Painted Skin", it would certainly not be able to enter the overseas market. After all, this director is not famous overseas and no one buys it.

The production company has no such idea.

But it's different for Wu Yuan and the era of light and shadow.

"Departures" aside, this "Your Name" is another big bomb that Wu Yuan has prepared for the Asian market!

After plowing the ground with "Your Name", Wu Yuan believes that when he is nominally the producer of "Painted Skin", he will be expected to enter Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.

Japan and South Korea rely on their own influence, while Southeast Asia relies on the influence that Chinese-language films have cultivated over the past few decades!

Chinese-language films should start making their own blockbusters earlier and go overseas to seize the Asian market earlier.

It is unrealistic and impossible to compete with Hollywood for the global film market.

Don't even think about counterattacking North America.

But markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and South Korea have not been completely conquered by Hollywood yet.

Although Chinese-language films are a step late, they still have a chance to compete with Hollywood for this market!

And Wu Yuan has an advantage over Hollywood.

In the dream, even by 2020, the local film markets in Japan and South Korea have not completely fallen.

South Korea supports its own local films and has produced many fine products.

Japan's film aesthetic style is simply different from Hollywood's.

Japanese moviegoers are not interested in all kinds of superhero movies popular in Hollywood.

They prefer to watch their own fresh youth love movies, or horror movies, suspense movies, as well as animated theatrical and special effects theatrical movies.

Wu Yuan knows this, but Hollywood doesn't.

He can completely prescribe the right medicine, and make the Japanese and Korean movies that have high box office and good reputation into Chinese movies first, and then take them to Japan and South Korea for release.

Just like "Departures" and "Your Name".

Although it seems a bit immoral to do so, it is better to die than to die.

In order to develop his own film company and expand the Chinese film market, Wu Yuan had to sacrifice the Japanese and Korean film industry.

This is better than copying his family's movies, right?

The "Painted Skin" series and the planned "Along with the Gods" series are the movies that Wu Yuan is going to use to enter the Japanese and Korean markets!

As for himself, of course, he mainly fleeces Hollywood!

On the one hand, they snatch good IPs from Hollywood and make their own productions, and make money through their global channels, and on the other hand, they copy some excellent Hollywood movies and make them into Chinese films.

In this way, although it will not interrupt Hollywood's conquest, it can fatten itself and the mainland film market.

After daydreaming about the future layout for a while, Wu Yuan's mouth curled up slightly.

The idea is beautiful, but the reality still has to be taken step by step.

For now, let's see if "My Name" can be successful in Japan and South Korea before talking about other things.

However

Wu Yuan put his eyes on Zhang Guorong, thought about it, and asked: "Mr. Zhang, you don't plan to make a new movie next year, do you want to act in a play?"

"The company is going to make a magical movie called "Painted Skin" next year. This movie will be the first special effects blockbuster in China."

"How about it, do you want to act?"

"You and Chen Kun will play the dual male lead!"

"Me?" Zhang Guorong was stunned.

Chen Kun and Zhou Xun kept their mouths shut. Although Wu Yuan had told them about Painted Skin, they did not mention it to Zhang Guorong when they were reshooting If Love in Northeast China.

Zhang Guorong knew nothing about the movie Painted Skin.

"Yes." Wu Yuan said as a matter of course: "Painted Skin is the same as the previous A Chinese Ghost Story you played, and it is also based on the story of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio."

"It's just that in A Chinese Ghost Story you are the scholar Ning Caichen, and in Painted Skin you have to play a wandering knight, who is the only decent person in this movie, the kind who fights demons and defends morality."

Wu Yuan thought about it, if he didn't ask Zhen Zidan to play the role of Pang Yong, Zhang Guorong could also play it.

Although he looks like a pretty boy, he has a good temperament when he grows a stubble to play the wandering swordsman.

He played Ouyang Feng in Ashes of Time before, and he had that flavor. With a stubble, he was very charming!

In terms of image, he is not very compatible with Pang Yong, but he is also 80%.

And if Painted Skin can gather the four leading actors Zhang Guorong + Chen Kun, Zhou Xun + Zeng Li, it will really be the spring for those who love beauty.

No more pretending, Wu Yuan is a beauty lover!

The more he thought about it, the better the casting was. He told Zhang Guorong about the background story and character settings of Painted Skin with great interest.

"Mr. Zhang, the role of Pang Yong is really very charming and also a very contradictory character."

"I think only you can play this role!"

"This" Zhang Guorong hesitated.

The role is nothing special. He has played many difficult roles with Wong Kar-wai, so he is not very interested in this challenge.

If another director asked him to act, he would definitely refuse. He has no pursuit of acting now.

What made him hesitate was that Wu Yuan said that the investment in this movie was not small, and the production cost would be more than 100 million yuan, at least 15 million US dollars.

Although it is not as high as the 30 million US dollars of Hero, it is the first fantasy special effects blockbuster in China, a groundbreaking movie.

If it succeeds, it will definitely be recorded in the history of Chinese movies like Hero!

This attraction is still quite big for him.

Zhang Guorong is now successful and famous. In addition to pursuing his career in the field of directing, he also cares about some achievements that can be remembered by future generations.

"It sounds cool." Zhang Guorong nodded and said, "But making a movie like this, the pressure to make a profit will be great, right?"

He has now learned to look at things from the perspective of the director or producer.

Although "Hero" has a huge momentum, with a box office of 250 million in the mainland, breaking countless records, this movie has not made a profit, at least not yet.

As a contracted director of Light and Shadow Times, Zhang Guorong is still more worried about the company's operating conditions. He is afraid that making this movie will ruin the company's cash flow, and that would be the end.

"Don't worry, since the company dares to shoot, it must be confident in this project." Wu Yuan said confidently.

"Okay, I'll think about it." Zhang Guorong nodded hesitantly, "Wait until my new album is finished and then see if the schedule is suitable."

"Okay." Wu Yuan looked at his watch, stood up and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to lunch."

There is still one and a half hours left.