"The Oscar judges are a group of old white men who tend to be conservative. When our films are submitted to the exhibition, we have to make them according to their preferences.
But to tell the truth, if we really filmed according to their preferences, we would probably be ruined in the Mainland and be nailed to the traitor pillar, and we would never be able to get off the hook for the rest of our lives. Xiang Nan said to Zhang Yimou.
Traditional conservatives in the United States have always had a very negative view of China.
Xiang Nan had lived in the United States for decades before and knew the behavior of these people very well. If they really want to make movies to suit their preferences in order to win an Academy Award, then they won't be able to stay in the mainland.
Zhang Yimou was stunned for a moment, then sighed, "So, there is no other way?"
"Basically no. When we go to other people's territory to compete for prizes, we follow their rules." Xiang Nan nodded and said, "But, I believe that one day, they will come to compete for us to win the prize. When the time comes, they will Everyone must follow our rules.”
By 2030, the mainland economy will officially surpass the United States and become the world's largest economy. In the next two decades, it will gradually expand its influence and eventually replace Europe and the United States to become the world's number one economic and cultural power.
Talents from all over the world are vying to come to China to develop, and domestically produced movies and TV series will be marketed all over the world, just like the prosperous Tang Dynasty more than a thousand years ago.
When Zhang Yimou heard what he said, he couldn't help but feel passionate, his heart was swaying, and he felt very happy.
"Professor Cheng, thank you. After listening to your words, I feel much better." He then said, "You are right, it is really not worth the pain for such an award."
"That's right, come on, have another drink." Xiang Nan raised his glass and smiled, "Director Zhang, you don't need an Oscar to prove your strength. People all over China and the world can see it.
You don’t need to win an award, you are also the number one director in Mainland China and the best in Chinese film industry! Just like me, I have not won the Oscar for Best Screenplay, but my scripts are equally popular and sell more expensive than anyone else's scripts. "
"Yes, you are awesome!" Zhang Yimou was even happier.
Movies written by Xiang Nan have repeatedly achieved high box office and reputation, such as "Home Alone", "The Last Days", "Seven Deadly Sins", "True Lies", "Basic Instinct", "The Good Fight" "Immortal Island", "Crazy About Mary", "Listen to Women", "Rush Hour", etc., but he has never won the Oscar for Best Screenplay.
In comparison, he had only failed once, so there was no reason for him to be downcast and despairing, and he didn't dare to come out to see anyone.
…
After Zhang Yimou regained his confidence and got over the cloud of losing the award, he began to prepare for a new film.
Xiang Nan didn't want him to make any more bad movies like "House of Flying Daggers", "The Golden Armor", and "Three Guns", so he wrote "Di Renjie: The Tongtian Empire" for him.
This movie has box office and good reputation, and created the famous "Detective Dee" universe. It is a rare masterpiece of ancient costume action movies.
After Zhang Yimou read the script, he was very satisfied with it, so he started making preparations.
In terms of the leading role, Xiang Nan still suggested that a mainland actor should play the role, and Hu Jun was ultimately chosen to play Dee Renjie. He starred in "Hero" which was a box office hit and is now a first-line movie star in Mainland China.
However, the mainland film market is currently relatively weak, and stars like Hu Jun do not have sufficient resources to support them. Once the follow-up fails, it is easy to fall from the altar. Xiang Nan has fallen from being a first-tier movie star back to being a second-tier movie star, so Xiang Nan hopes that this "Detective Detective" can stabilize his popularity.
The supporting actor Pei Donglai is played by Liu Ye. After joining Kirin Pictures, he has been filming many movies over the years, such as "Railway Guerrilla", "Yongzheng Dynasty", "What Can I Do to Save You, My Love", "Sword and Spy" "Movie", "Happy Days", etc. Although he basically plays the second male lead, he has accumulated a lot of popularity.
Especially last year's starring role in "Talk about Heart and Love", which tells the story of a virgin and a goddess who live together. Liu Ye's performance was both hilarious and touching, making him an instant hit and becoming the idol of a generation of teenagers. Therefore, Xiang Nan is willing to support him and take another step forward.
The heroine Shangguan Jinger, Xiang Nan promised to be played by Li Xiaoran. After all, she has been with her for two years and has yet to play a good role, so I feel sorry for her.
As for Wu Zetian, Gong Li plays the role. She is the queen of the generation.
Gong Li has basically been working hard in Hollywood these years. Under ***, she starred in "Jurassic Park 2", "Dumb and Dumber", "Independence Day", "Rush Hour", "X-Men" and so on.
Plus, she has a boyfriend in Hollywood. But occasionally I would return to China and play friendly matches with Xiang Nan to maintain our relationship.
She knew in her heart that she was able to gain a foothold in Hollywood and appear in so many big productions because of Xiang Nan's support behind her. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to stay in Hollywood on her own.
As for the villain Shatuo, Xiang Nan considered Sun Honglei to play the role.
After Sun Honglei joined Kirin Pictures in 1997, she successively appeared in many dramas, such as "Never Close Eyes", "Qianmenlouzi Jiuzhangjiu", "Buyi Zhixian Fanruhua", "New Year's Day", " "No trace of heavy snow", "The Conspiracy" and so on.
His delicate and vivid acting skills were well received by the director, which is why Xiang Nan decided to give him a chance.
Production preparations for "Detective Dee: The Empire of Heaven" began immediately, with a preliminary cost of 150 million, making it another blockbuster with a production cost of hundreds of millions.
After the news came out, many colleagues were envious.
Qilin Pictures is a big company with a big business, and it costs tens or hundreds of millions to make movies. A small company like them is not willing to invest money at all, and it would be fine to spend millions.
Therefore, everyone wants to go to Kirin Pictures.
…
At the end of 2003, "A World Without Thieves" directed by Feng Xiaogang and starring Huang Xiaoming, Qin Hailu, Chen Hao, and Ge You was finally released after two years of production.
In fact, the filming of this movie was completed in early 2003, but Feng Xiaogang has been carefully polishing the post-production, and in order to wait for the best schedule, he even gave up the summer schedule.
And after the release of this carefully crafted movie, the effort was indeed not in vain.
The audience's evaluation is very good, and they think the movie has a twists and turns in the story, the fighting is exciting, especially the various stealing skills shown in the play, which is refreshing.
Therefore, "A World Without Thieves" was a huge success at the box office. With an investment of less than 30 million, it received an investment of 130 million, which is quite good.
Two consecutive blockbusters with all-mainland casts have achieved very good box office results, no less than films with Hong Kong and Taiwanese casts. This has also allowed mainland colleagues to see the value of mainland actors.
