Chapter 666: Choice

Jiang Yuqian really needs this opportunity right now, that's true, but she hasn't reached the point of constantly lowering her bottom line.

In the final analysis, she wants to take the international route to make her career better, not to break a bottom line and let people in Hollywood think she is a cheap actor.

She isn't saying that she must get a very high salary to act in a certain play.

If the movie production budget is limited and every actor's salary is very low, and she likes the script very much, then of course she can lower her salary a bit.

But if the salary given to her is pressed so low while others can get normal salaries, how can that work?

"In the final analysis, it's because they know that the *Doomsday* we are contacting has been shelved, so our subsequent schedule has opened up, and they know we have been actively contacting female leads for Hollywood movies, so they maliciously suppressed the price, thinking we would agree," He Heng said.

Jiang Yuqian took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Our actions are indeed a bit obvious, everything is written on our faces, and it's seen very clearly by others," Jiang Yuqian said. "Begging others to let me be in a project is completely different from others begging me to be in a project."

"To put it bluntly, it's because they see we are Asian and know we want to be in Hollywood movies, so they think they can manipulate us."

After He Heng sighed angrily, she said to Jiang Yuqian: "Actually, I have been reflecting on one thing during this period of time."

"What thing?" Jiang Yuqian asked.

"Are we too obsessed with acting in Hollywood film and television works?" He Heng said. "Especially since we saw Yan He's success, we always subconsciously benchmark him and refer to him. Of course, I'm not saying that film and television works are not important. My meaning is, in fact, many quite popular stars don't necessarily have such successful film and television works. If the film and television works are not suitable, we won't take them; there is no need to force it."

Taking the star route, whether film and television works are successful or not is secondary. The key is whether you are popular enough and whether you are always being paid attention to by everyone.

Jiang Yuqian said: "But if we want to take the international route, if we don't act in Hollywood film and television works, how can we let people around the world see me through Hollywood's global distribution channels?"

He Heng said: "This is a question I really want to ask you. When we take the international route, do we really want to become a star with fame and influence internationally, or use this international route to become a label for you among Chinese stars, while in fact, the main base is still in China? These are two concepts."

Jiang Yuqian understood.

She looked at He Heng with some surprise.

He Heng said: "If it's the former, then we have to continue to work so hard to find projects and resources. But if it's the latter, our current strategy should change. For Hollywood film and television works, we can have one at most every two or three years. Usually, attend more international events with great influence, and that is enough."

Jiang Yuqian soon understood what He Heng meant.

In fact, for Jiang Yuqian, it is not difficult for her to appear in some overseas film and television works now. With *Squid Game*, she is not an unknown person to various overseas production companies, and she is also a Chinese actress with a certain degree of fame in everyone's hearts. For the current Jiang Yuqian, the resources she can get are roles as female leads in mainstream, A-level productions, true commercial titles as global ambassadors for top brands, and solo covers of important months in top fashion magazines...

If Jiang Yuqian really wants to take a true international path and become a female star truly recognized globally, then she cannot turn a blind eye to these difficult resources and must try every means to conquer them and gild her resume. But if, as He Heng said, she only needs an "international" label to facilitate her consolidation of her status as a female star in China, she doesn't have to work so hard. As long as she appears in some international occasions as a Chinese actress from time to time, that is enough for her to stand firm in her current position.

Jiang Yuqian hardly hesitated.

"When I can work hard, I still want to work hard," Jiang Yuqian said. "Since I have already put out the slogan of going international, if I just become an international star in the eyes of Chinese people, that would be too self-deceiving. It's meaningless. If I really can't make it in the future, it's fine to just muddle along in this way. Now... I feel that it's nothing, just work hard. Every hurdle is hard to pass, but pass them one by one. If they are not willing to give a normal market price for this role, then I won't act."

He Heng nodded.

"Then we don't know when we will encounter the next opportunity to act as a female lead in a Hollywood movie," she reminded.

"It's okay," Jiang Yuqian nodded. "If there is really no play to act in Hollywood, it's not like I have no plays to act in China. Why come here to suffer such a loss? And, it's fine to do it like before, go to a big director's movie to act as a supporting role with only two or three shots. I am willing. Let me act as a protagonist, but give me a salary worse than a supporting role, I can't save face, it's embarrassing."

He Heng: "It is indeed like this. Once this matter is exposed, it will be really embarrassing."

"By the way," He Heng suddenly remembered something and asked: "You heard the news that Li Zhibai is going to star in *Buried*, right?"

"I heard it," Jiang Yuqian nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Haven't you talked to Lu Yan He privately? Since he has a script like *Buried* that can give Li Zhibai a lead role, maybe he also has a script for you to play the female lead," He Heng said.

Jiang Yuqian: "Maybe, but let's not take the initiative to disturb him. If he really has a role suitable for me, he will definitely come to tell me, no need for me to ask. And, Sister Heng, I hope that besides Yan He, we can also accumulate our own connections and strength overseas. I especially admire one thing about Yan He: wherever he goes, he can take root there. Like the movie *Buried*, it is developed by his production company in the United States together with director Rune Reese's production company."

"His situation is special, not something we can learn casually," He Heng shook her head. "If he didn't have the identity of a screenwriter and didn't bring out scripts like *Buried* and *Source Code*, he would only be a representative actor among Asians in Hollywood, and wouldn't be able to enter the development level of some projects like he is now."

Jiang Yuqian asked: "Sister Heng, you say, is it possible for me to lead the development of a work?"

"Ah?" He Heng was stunned.

"For example, I read a very good novel now, and I think this novel is suitable for development into a movie or a drama series, so I buy the copyright and develop it," Jiang Yuqian said.

"The idea is good, but it's very difficult to realize. You can see the *Nineteen Years of Crime Records* that Li Zhibai did, and that was done with the help of many people, and it still ended up like that," He Heng said. "Developing a project from scratch consumes too much effort. Unless you do nothing for this year and devote yourself entirely to this project, otherwise, you have to find someone who understands what you are thinking and knows what you want to achieve to help you be the producer and busy with these things."

Jiang Yuqian nodded.

"However, I think Yan He is right about one thing: if actors want to gain the right to speak and control over their own careers, they cannot always passively wait for scripts to come to their door," Jiang Yuqian said. "Before, there was no way, but now I want to slowly come into contact with things in this area."

He Heng: "Of course, this is certainly okay."

Jiang Yuqian: "Actually, every time I encounter some problems in my career, I can't help but feel surprised by Lu Yan He. Look at how every step he takes is extremely accurate, and in hindsight, it has the effect of being prepared for a rainy day. We are still spinning around like a donkey pulling a mill in the actor's track, and he has already started to open up a new track. People compared to people, really can't be compared."

"There is no need to compare, everyone is different. In fact, it is because our domestic film and television industry has not become a global center like the United States. Otherwise, as long as you are a top female star in China, you will naturally be popular globally," He Heng said. "You have actually done very well. As for people like Lu Yan He, let alone China, look at Hollywood, have any young people emerged who can compete with him?"

"Don't say it, every time I see some new moves he has made in Hollywood, I really want to ask myself, what exactly am I doing? Why does it feel like he and I are not in the same Hollywood? His projects are one after another, while I am repeatedly hitting walls," Jiang Yuqian nodded and said firmly, "In fact, in the final analysis, it is still that I have no core competitiveness. This is the most critical point."

He Heng nodded. "On one hand, his own strength is strong, on the other hand, his luck is also really good. Look at the movie *The Mist*. Originally, he was just a villain. Although he was also a lead, the focus was not on him. However, from the beginning of filming, several very high-profile news stories occurred around him and his Asian identity, making the focus of this movie tilt towards him little by little. Before the release, even the promotional strategy of this movie changed to watching how an Asian ghost took revenge on the family that brutally murdered his family."

"This is really luck standing on his side. If it weren't for such a reason, everyone wouldn't be able to attribute most of the success of *The Mist* to him. He also has another place that is highly valued now, which is the Asian market he represents—this movie let Hollywood see that Asians themselves have a box office market. In the past, there was no such consensus. This is also why we have actually come into contact with quite a few English scripts with Asian characters in the past year or so. Where were there so many before?"

He Heng said again: "So, I think this is also your advantage. You have representative works and are Asian, catching up with this wave of Asian characters in Hollywood. Except for this kind of malicious price-suppressing project, we still have other projects to choose from. A few years ago, if you wanted to break into Hollywood, you might not even encounter an Asian character with lines in a year."

Jiang Yuqian: "The Asians I met here basically will definitely mention the movie *The Mist*. It can indeed be felt what this movie means to the Asian community in Hollywood."

"Won't *The Mist* also develop a sequel?" He Heng said. "It will start filming next year. I estimate that the sequel to *The Mist* will definitely play the Asian card more clearly. Maybe there will be a role suitable for you, then you will definitely be one of the most competitive candidates."

"But they might choose actors from other countries. *The Mist* cannot be shown in China, but it will be shown in other Asian countries like South Korea and Japan. Using actors from these countries will also help the box office of the sequel to *The Mist* locally," Jiang Yuqian said. "And it can also make the movie's cast more diverse. Isn't this what Hollywood is boasting about most now?"

He Heng said: "This depends on each person's ability. I am already contacting A19, and A19 will also seek Lu Yan He's opinion. It's just a pity that you had high hopes for the female lead of the movie *Doomsday*."

Jiang Yuqian: "There is no way."

Just then, He Heng's phone suddenly rang.

She took it in her hand, took a look, and said: "Wait a minute, Stephen called."

Stephen is Jiang Yuqian's agent in the United States, and he is basically responsible for Jiang Yuqian's work in the United States.

About five minutes later, He Heng came back.

She showed a look of surprise.

"Just now, *The Washington Post* reported the behind-the-scenes reason for Tang Mu Felton's withdrawal from *Doomsday*. It is said that because of a drug overdose, his body had problems and he couldn't work normally at all. Stephen said that the movie *Doomsday* should have a turning point and will continue to be promoted. Parameter asked him about your schedule. Although there is no conclusion yet, the possibility of continuing to promote it is very high."

He Heng's words made Jiang Yuqian show a look of surprise.

"So, *Doomsday* has come back to life?"

Lu Yan He, who has been paying attention to this project, also asked Chen Ziyan with surprise.

Chen Ziyan said: "Parameter spent some money on the early development of this movie. Tang Mu Felton's previous withdrawal reason caused this movie to be questioned a lot. Now that it is exposed that Tang Mu Felton's withdrawal reason is something else, the previous reason is self-defeating, and the situation of *Doomsday* naturally ushered in a turning point."

"It's just that this movie definitely still needs a first-tier big star like Tang Mu Felton to star in it for the project to proceed normally, right?"

"That depends on whether they still intend to use the original production budget to make this movie," Chen Ziyan said. "It is also possible that the budget is downgraded and this movie becomes a B-movie."

Lu Yan He said: "This movie has many special effects scenes. If it becomes a B-movie, can it be watched?"

"Whether it can be watched... this is unclear. Anyway, Parameter will calculate the accounts, and they won't suffer losses."

"Not suffering losses is one thing. If the movie is too bad, do we still need to help Teacher Jiang Jun compete for this movie?"

Chen Ziyan shook her head. "If it really is filmed as a B-movie, then forget it. Before, Teacher Jiang Jun fought for it, and if he won, it would be a male lead in a Hollywood A-level production, which would be a great help to his career development. But if it becomes a B-movie... it's not that there are no good works in B-movies, but it is not worth it for an actor of Teacher Jiang Jun's current position to strive for, which invisibly lowers the market's recognition of him."

Lu Yan He nodded. "I think so too. Originally, I already felt very embarrassed to ask Teacher Jiang Jun to help us compete for the role with Chen Pinhe."

"Then you don't need to feel embarrassed. It is very normal for Jiang Jun to compete for a good project," Chen Ziyan said. "Even without your and Chen Pinhe's matter, if I knew about this project, I would definitely strive for Jiang Jun. As long as it is a suitable male actor, it is impossible not to strive for this level of resources."

Lu Yan He: "I know, but we must objectively admit that I did drag him into the water for my own sake. Chen Pinhe will definitely keep a record of him." ===== CHAPTER 667 =====