Do you want to take "Purple Butterfly"?
Are you kidding, that's Lou Ye!
This is not a question of whether to accept it or not, but a question of striving for it.
As a frequent visitor to various film festivals in Europe, Lou Ye is second only to Zhang Yimou and Director Chen. As for Feng Pants, who has occupied the top spot at the box office of domestic films for many years with his New Year comedies and calls himself one of the "three major directors in China" , known internationally - no such person has been found.
These days, in an environment where Chinese people are generally unconfident and worship foreigners, if you can make a name for yourself internationally, you are definitely a top-notch existence in the country. If you win a Best Actor award at any of the three major European film festivals, you will definitely be able to earn a living.
The most obvious example is Xia Yu. Don't look at him for being careless, but relying on his reputation as the Venice Best Actor, he has never lacked resources. Under Huajie's banner, it belongs to the first level of movie stars.
Moreover, there are so few film resources these days, and there are even fewer film projects with investments exceeding 30 million. "The Opium War", which director Xie Jin previously invested 100 million yuan in, was called an epic masterpiece. Jiang Wen's "The Devils Are Coming" is said to have exceeded 100 million yuan, but the investment was only over 30 million yuan.
So there is nothing to hesitate, you must fight for it!
Zeng Jia came very early the next day, and Li Tang had just finished running. Wangzhuang covers a large area, right next to Leifeng Tower, with a perfect combination of mountains and lakes. There is also a Chairman Building in the village. Legend has it that Mao Zedong stayed here many times. Li Tang asked about the house price in a gossipy way. It cost 80,000 yuan to stay in the Chairman Building for one night.
"It's so early. Please wait for me. We'll have breakfast together."
You couldn't get in without the room card. Only after Li Tang received a call from the front desk to confirm did the armed police guarding the gate let him in.
Zeng Jia's eyebrows looked slightly tired, but she was in good spirits. After Li Tang changed his clothes and headed to the restaurant together, she couldn't wait to ask: "Brother, have you read the script? How is it?"
"fine!"
"Brother, I suggest you talk to Director Lou Ye quickly."
"What's wrong? What did Sister An say?"
After Li Tang read the script, he felt that the Shanghai Xiaokai Situ, who was forced to get involved in the battle between China and Japan, was almost tailor-made for him. Originally, he didn't think it was a big problem. After all, Nai'an gave him the script, and there was no need to mention Lou Ye's relationship with him. The most important thing was that he was confident that he could play this role well.
Zeng Jia did not answer directly, but asked instead: "Brother, who do you think is the most popular among the young male actors in China recently?"
"Well……"
It's really hard to say. Some people might say the young actor is Lu Yi, or Zhou Jie, Chen Kun, or maybe Li Tang himself. They are all popular because of one or two hit dramas. If we really want to say who is the most popular, it’s hard to say.
But Li Tang immediately thought of a name that he had heard and seen often recently.
"Could it be Liu Ye?"
The new Golden Horse Best Actor. Although "Lan Yu" starring him and Hu Jun could not be released in China due to the subject matter, he won the Golden Horse Best Actor at the end of last month with this film, which caused a sensation in the media recently.
In the final analysis, it is due to the lack of self-confidence of the Chinese people. The Hong Kong Film Awards, the Bay Area Golden Horse Awards and the Mainland's Golden Rooster Awards are also the three major awards for Chinese films.
The awards for the Academy Awards and the Golden Horse Awards have long been monopolized by Hong Kong and Taiwan actors, while mainland actors are almost rare in winning awards. However, their own Golden Rooster Awards were disappointing, with row after row of awards and double-yolked eggs popping up from time to time. They were criticized by the media every time.
In fact, movies are a matter of benevolence and wisdom. There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people. It is difficult to say that it is absolutely fair. Even the Oscars are always controversial, and the unique lobbying culture in the United States makes bribery and opening back doors a high-sounding issue. Of course, the premise is that you can't stretch your hips too much.
There is a saying that roughly means that if several parties are under the same conditions, then it depends on whoever bids the highest will get the preferential conditions.
Do you want to say that the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Wanwan Golden Horse Awards are more fair than the Golden Rooster Awards? First of all, the registration conditions are restricted. Not all mainland films can participate in the selection of these two awards. They must have funds from two places or the participation of main creators from both places before they can register for the selection.
Although based on the principle of equality, the Golden Rooster Awards also have restrictions in this regard. However, the media's hype about the Golden Horse Awards or the Academy Awards is, to put it bluntly, due to the filter of Hong Kong and Taiwan's developed society and their own lack of confidence.
Sure enough, Zeng Jia nodded and said: "Sister An said that Liu Ye's agent is contacting Shanghai Film Studio, hoping to win the male lead role. However, Sister An also said that the casting is directed by Lou Ye. Opinion matters.”
Think about it, Lou Ye, who is a producer, screenwriter, and director, will definitely not allow others to participate in the selection of actors, not even the financier's father.
Liu Ye's agent is none other than Xiaopang's agent, Chang Jihong. Li Tang knew that this seemingly low-key agent actually had very deep connections in the industry.
"Okay, let's set off after breakfast."
Li Tang once had a relationship with Liu Ye. In his memory, he was a sunny boy with very mature attributes. He was nominated for the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor early on. This time he was able to break through the siege in Hong Kong and Taiwan and win the Golden Horse Best Actor. Li Tang did not dare to underestimate this opponent.
Because he knows very well that Lou Ye will not be influenced by human feelings when choosing actors, but only depends on whether you match the image of the character in his mind. Of course, such a large investment this time must also consider the future box office. The star attributes and box office appeal of the actors must also be considered.
Although the domestic box office of "The Third Man" is good, it surpassed "Gua Sha" starring Liang Jiahui and Jiang Wenli, which was released in the summer, and currently ranks 19th on the annual box office list. But with Liu Ye's current momentum to dominate the new Golden Horse Best Actor, Li Tang dare not say what advantage he can gain.
Therefore, we must communicate in advance to prevent Lou Ye from getting tired of the old.
After a quick breakfast, we checked out and headed to Shanghai. Originally, Li Tang planned to go back to his hometown first. After contacting Lou Ye on the phone, he rushed directly to the city.
When I really met Lou Ye, there was actually nothing to talk about. Li Tang just wanted to convey a message to him. Nai An gave him the script. He liked it very much and wanted to play the role of Situ. If not, he would play the Japanese second male lead. Human characters work too.
Lou Ye told him that playing a Japanese character would definitely not work. After all, since you have money, you must find a real Japanese to play the Japanese role. As for the role of Situ, in order to balance all aspects of the relationship, he still needs to audition and let him prepare well.
In fact, directors, to use an inappropriate metaphor, are scumbags. They always pursue novelty and like to try various possibilities. The so-called royal actors, unless they are a bastard who likes mung beans, or they are good at acting, cheap enough and obedient.
In the communication with Lou Ye, he also saw that Lou Ye really didn't think well about the choice of the male lead Situ.
After all, this script was originally created by Lou Ye more than ten years ago. For a director who writes and directs himself, he usually has a template in mind when creating a script, especially for the most important characters. Li Tang could easily guess who this template was, but now this template was no longer suitable.
Therefore, the audition that Lou Ye mentioned was most likely not just a formality, but that he really wanted to find the most suitable candidate for Situ in his mind through the audition.
…
New Year's Day of 2002 passed quickly.
The business of the restaurant in his hometown is still booming, and Li Xiaoxiao's grades are very stable. It will not be a big problem to get into college in the future. The only difference is whether he can get into the key university of his choice.
After Li Tang spent New Year's Day in his hometown, he returned to his old apartment in the city very wisely. After all, Dad and Aunt Xiao are having a good time. Xiao Xiao usually lives on campus, and although everyone lives upstairs and downstairs at home, he is still worried that the two elders will not be able to let go because of himself. , affecting their sexual well-being.
Of course, the main reason is that Jiang Qinqin's scenes have been completed after New Year's Day. It is also a matter of mixing honey with oil, so she must be gentle. In view of the good experience he had staying at Wangzhuang in Hangzhou last time, Li Tang chose the Xijiao Hotel in Shanghai this time. It is of the same quality as Wangzhuang. There are also armed police on guard, so there is no need to talk about privacy.
Wuyuan Road Apartment is crowded with people, but he still pays attention to his image.
But this time it also reminded him that the house in Xujiahui Garden should be renovated, and Cunning Rabbit Three Cave was very necessary for him.
Zeng Jia has already returned to the capital. After discussing that it would be more suitable for the studio to be located in the capital, finding an office location and recruiting staff are enough to keep her busy.
Xiaopang is still busy filming "Jade Guanyin". The scenes in Beijing will continue until the Chinese New Year, and when the spring flowers bloom, they will switch to Yunnan again for filming.
Xiaopang's role was very heavy and the filming was very hard. Although Li Tang hadn't had time to visit the cast yet, he could tell from his daily phone calls that this filming experience was probably the best for Xiaopang in her acting career. A Nirvana rebirth.
After Jiang Qinqin left, Li Tang was not idle during this period. In addition to necessary relationships, he started studying the script of "Purple Butterfly" when he had nothing to do. Lou Ye asked him to prepare well, but he didn't dare to be careless at all. At the same time, he also wanted to regard this audition as a test for himself.
Nowadays, he has his own place among the new generation of male actors in China. To paraphrase a popular saying of later generations, he is still considered a top-notch boy, and he is still a top-tier boy who combines good looks and acting skills.
As an actor, the more prominent you are, the greater your chances of being chosen. And the more big directors are, the less likely they will be interfered by the outside world when inspecting actors, which means that there may be more and more opportunities for such real auditions in the future. If you want to show your holiness in front of others, in addition to enduring hardship behind your back, you must also be mentally prepared.
…
"Are you in Shanghai?"
"Yes, I just arrived today, and I have to film here during this period. If it's not convenient, why don't you come out and meet me?"
He was still saying that his ex-girlfriend had been busy filming a TV series and hadn't appeared for a long time. This person really couldn't bear to talk about it. On this day, Li Tang received a call from his ex-girlfriend.
"Okay, tell me the place."
"I'm staying at Huating Hotel. Let's meet at the coffee shop on the second floor."
"Okay, I'll be there in half an hour."
After hanging up the phone, although I haven't contacted my ex-girlfriend for almost half a year, there still seems to be a trace of connection. Each other's first love, each other's first time, and the relationship of more than three years together, these bits and pieces will always be the best memories.
Li Tang tidied up a little, then drove the old Fortune 90 to the Huating Hotel where his ex-girlfriend was staying.
The Huating Hotel is diagonally opposite the Shanghai Film Factory. There is no traffic jam on a motorcycle. After passing twelve traffic lights, it only took about ten minutes. I arrived at the coffee shop on the second floor of the Huating Hotel seven or eight minutes ahead of the scheduled time.
On weekdays, there were not many people in the coffee shop. My ex-girlfriend had already arrived early and was sitting in a relatively hidden booth. When she saw Li Tang coming in, she quickly stood up and waved to him.
"any drinks?"
"casual."
Li Tang rarely talks casually to others, but when faced with his ex-girlfriend's laziness and casualness, he blurts it out.
My ex-girlfriend is quite used to it and won’t say anything casual. She ordered the popular siphon coffee, a fruit plate, and a cream cube.
"Aren't you afraid of getting fat?"
Li Tang was inevitably a little surprised when he heard that his ex-girlfriend asked for a cream recipe.
"Hehe, it's a rare occasion. Xiuxiu is not here, and I just want to satisfy my craving."
It has been nearly nine years since the two met on the theater campus in the fall of 1993. Seeing his ex-girlfriend's rare innocent smile at this time reminded him of the rustic, dark and thin country girl when they first met.
The trance lasted for a moment. When he saw his ex-girlfriend looking at him with a smile, he hurriedly covered it up and said, "Where's Xiuxiu? She didn't come with you?"
"We came together, but this time we came in advance. Firstly, I wanted to visit Teacher Li, and secondly, I also wanted to take the opportunity to rest for two days. It is not rare to have a chance to rest, and she also happened to go to Hangzhou to meet her former friends. .”
"Teacher Li Zhiyu is very good. When I went to see him two days ago, he even asked me about your situation." Li Tang said.
In contrast, the ex-girlfriend is the real protégé of Mr. Li Zhiyu. Including the fact that his ex-girlfriend was able to play the role of Li Guoer in the filming of "Da Ming Gong Ci", it was indispensable for the support of Mr. Li Zhiyu who played Li Zhi.
Of course, Li Tang is now famous. He has won the Huabiao Film Newcomer Award, the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the Best Actor Award in the Venice Film Festival's Upward Segment. He has become the most accomplished class of 93 in the Shanghai Theater Performance Department. Students will naturally be valued and proud of the school and teachers. It is said that when teacher Li Zhiyu is leading the 99-level acting class, he often uses Li Tang as a role model to encourage students.
"Well, if I had known earlier, I would have gone with you." The ex-girlfriend said with a sweet smile.
"If we go together, Teacher Li will think that the two of us are getting back together." Li Tang couldn't help but laugh.
"complex?"
His ex-girlfriend looked at him with a half-smile and said, "If we really want to get back together, will you agree?"
(End of chapter)
