Chapter 41 Sister Mei Is Not Good Enough (Please Read On!)

Chapter 41 Sister Mei can’t do it

Zhang Guorong's temperament is very resolute, and he invites people as soon as he is asked, without even waiting for the next day.

That afternoon, Wu Yuan was invited to his home as a guest.

Although he was a little confused about having to meet again just after leaving, Wu Yuan still went to the meeting happily.

After lunch, at around two o'clock in the afternoon, Wu Yuan arrived at Zhang Guorong's mansion near Repulse Bay on Hong Kong Island.

"Zhang Sheng, we meet again."

Following Zhang Guorong into the residential area through strict security, Wu Yuan chatted with him while looking at the environment of the high-end residential area on Hong Kong Island.

After a while, Zhang Guorong took him into the house.

Tang Hede had been waiting outside the door for a long time. When he saw Wu Yuan, he took the initiative to greet him and shake hands.

"Director Wu, welcome to be our guest."

Tang Hede also speaks Mandarin very well, with a slight Jiangnan accent.

He was born and raised in Shanghai, and came to Hong Kong to study and work in middle school and high school.

Listening to the two men speaking more authentic Mandarin, Wu Yuan had the illusion that he was not in Hong Kong Island for a moment.

"No, it's a great honor for you to invite me to your home."

Wu Yuan's words were not polite at all. Being invited to Zhang Guorong's home as a guest and meeting him for the second time was undoubtedly a matter of great importance to courtesy.

"Come on, come in, sit down and chat."

The two of them welcomed Wu Yuan into the door. Zhang Guorong, who was always impatient, said immediately before he sat down: "Director Wu, your writing of "The Embalmer" is really good. I am willing to accept this movie.

"In the next two months, I will handle the work at hand as soon as possible, and then I will go to the mainland with you to experience life and prepare to join the team."

A result that Wu Yuan expected.

He believes that any professional actor would have a hard time rejecting a good script like "The Embalmer", and the same goes for Zhang Guorong.

Wu Yuan laughed and said proactively: "I knew you would agree."

"I will also help you connect with China Film Group regarding the movie "Stealing Hearts"."

"If you don't mind, I can also help you produce this movie. I won't have much work next year."

In Wu Yuan's plan, after the filming of "The Embalmer" is completed, he plans to take a break and make three movies in two years. This workload is already not low.

Moreover, in 2002, Wu Yuan's work focus was on the behind-the-scenes layout of Hollywood, and he had no time to film his own new movie.

If nothing else goes wrong, this "Stealing Heart" will be filmed in the Mainland, and he will have time to be the producer for Zhang Guorong.

Generally speaking, there are three types of people in the industry who work as film producers for other people.

One is to simply borrow popularity. For example, Cheng Long often names some people as producers, but he does not participate in the film work at all.

The other is to bring in new directors, such as "Sword Rain" produced by Wu Baige and "She Disappeared" produced by Chen Sicheng.

In this situation where a big-name director names a new director as a producer, usually the boss of the crew is the producer. From casting to the specific shooting process, it is the producer who takes care of it, and the director can only "learn" from the sidelines.

The third type of supervisor is pretty good. He really helps the director to check up on his doubts and fill in his vacancies, and suppresses the old-timers at the same time.

Mr. Han loves to be a producer for some new directors, and he will really go to the set to help. On the one hand, he helps the director see where there are shortcomings. On the other hand, he gives the director a platform to suppress some of the veterans in the crew and let them Work hard, but do not participate in specific directing work.

Well, it's like what John did on the set of "Juno."

Of course Wu Yuan would not be the second type of producer for Zhang Guorong, but his reputation is not qualified to be the first type.

If he was the producer of "Stealing Hearts", he would definitely be really helpful.

Although Zhang Guorong had filmed "Farewell My Concubine" in the Mainland, he was still unfamiliar with the work of the Mainland crew and needed the help of an experienced person.

Although Wu Yuan has only filmed one movie in the Mainland and only used three crew members, in terms of familiarity with the Mainland crew, Wu Yuan is definitely sufficient.

In his dream, during his 20 years of working on the crew, what strange things have he not encountered?

I'm afraid he knows better than directors like Zhang Yimou about all kinds of things going on in mainland film crews!

After all, the directors really don't pay attention to the little things below on the set. These are usually handled by the assistant directors who climb up from below!

And often these little things hide the most evil and eventually affect the entire crew's filming.

"Okay!" Zhang Guorong was even happier when he heard that Wu Yuan was willing to be the producer.

It is my first time to be a director, and I am filming in an unfamiliar mainland. It is definitely a good thing to have a professional director who is willing to guide me!

However, he did not forget about business. After sitting down side by side with Mr. Tang, he took out the script of "The Embalmer" and asked curiously: "Director Wu, have you decided on the other actors in the script?"

"Not yet." Wu Yuan shook his head: "After I finished writing the script, the first thing I thought of was you."

"As for the other roles, I won't go back to Beijing to cast them until I'm finished with the Hollywood movies I'm working on. There's no rush."

not sure yet?

A smile immediately appeared on Zhang Guorong's face.

"Director Wu, what do you think of Amei? I think she is quite suitable for the heroine."

Zhang Guorong said cheerfully: "Look, the heroine is the hero's wife, and she follows her husband back to the countryside."

"In the beginning, he was disgusted with his husband Lin Dawu's role as an undertaker, and even chose to leave him at one point."

"But as she truly understood the importance of the profession of undertaker, she understood Lin Dawu and chose to become his assistant."

"Such a complex character is very suitable for Ah Mei to play."

"Ah Mei?" Wu Yuan frowned, Mei Yanfang?

Sister Mei is really not good!

Wu Yuan knew that Sister Mei was a good friend of Zhang Guorong, the kind of friendship that had lasted for more than ten or twenty years.

But Wu Yuan could never appreciate Sister Mei as a person.

Unlike Zhang Guorong, there are too many points to complain about Sister Mei, and some of her behaviors can even be called bad and hurtful!

She is a very good singer and has also achieved a lot as an actor.

But in terms of personal morality, it is indeed unsatisfactory.

Of course, no matter how much you don't like her, there are countless people like Sister Mei in Hong Kong Island these days, and it can only be said that the general environment is like this.

Wu Yuan did not have the idea of ​​embarrassing Sister Mei, and even if he could, he would find an opportunity to remind Zhang Guorong to take Sister Mei for a full-body check-up.

Although Mei made many mistakes, it was not to the extent that we were looking forward to her death.

Her death at the age of 40 was indeed a pity for Hong Kong and even the Chinese music scene.

But there was no need to let her film "Departures".

Wu Yuan had a good reason to refuse.

"Mr. Zhang, our "Departures" is a mainland movie."

Wu Yuan shrugged: "The biggest investor should be China Film Group."

"In the 1990s, Hong Kong and mainland co-productions, the male and female protagonists must be one each from Hong Kong and the mainland, not to mention a movie wholly funded by the mainland?"

"Since you have been chosen as the male lead of "Departures", the female lead must be a mainland actress."

"I hope you can understand."

What a joke, in Hong Kong co-productions such as "Farewell My Concubine", except for Zhang Guorong, including the other male lead, all other roles are played by mainland actors.

Why did Wu Yuan's "Departures" have to use Hong Kong actors for both the male and female protagonists?

Is this a Hong Kong movie or a mainland movie?

Tang He pulled Zhang Guorong's clothes and shook his head weakly at him.

Zhang Guorong immediately nodded in understanding: "I understand, then director, you can choose the cast later."

After all, he was just the male lead in the crew of "Departures" and had no right to decide the casting of other roles. It was already the limit to make a suggestion.

Wu Yuan didn't accept it, and he had nothing to say.

"Then it's settled, Zhang Sheng, you should finish the work at hand as soon as possible."

"I also want to go to the United States to finish all the work at hand."

"How about this, September, we will meet again in Beijing in September. To make this movie well, you need to go to the funeral home to experience life for a while."

Wu Yuan smiled with some gloating: "I hope you won't be scared."

The profession of undertaker is really not a good experience.