Chapter 247: Casting the Actors

One month later, in the president's office of Feimin Entertainment, Xiang Fei stared at the audition tapes and actor dossiers covering the entire desk, his brows knitted tightly.

"The male lead is set with Big Brother, but the female lead is still up in the air..." He rubbed his temples, muttering to himself, "The role of Neytiri is too critical; we must find a female actress who possesses both spirit and the ability to handle action scenes."

Just as he was worrying, the office door was pushed open.

"A-Fei, why the long face?" Chen Kaige walked in carrying two cups of coffee, with Cheng Long trailing behind him, humming a little tune.

Xiang Fei looked up and gave a bitter smile: "You two have arrived just in time. The casting list is stuck; right now, aside from Jake Sully being played by Big Brother, no other roles have been decided."

Cheng Long plopped down on the sofa, crossed his legs: "Oh, I thought it was a big deal! Come on, come on, let's take a look together."

Chen Kaige set down the coffee and leaned over the desk: "Decide on the female lead first, and the other roles will be easier to handle."

The three began flipping through the materials sent from the American audition locations. Suddenly, Cheng Long pulled out a file, his eyes lighting up: "Hey, what do you think of this one? Fair skin, beautiful face, long legs!"

Xiang Fei and Chen Kaige leaned over to look; the file read: Eva Green, 18 years old.

"This Miss..." Chen Kaige stroked his chin, looking at Cheng Long thoughtfully.

Xiang Fei also revealed a meaningful smile: "Brother Long, your taste isn't bad."

Cheng Long felt uncomfortable under their stares: "Hey, hey, hey, what are those looks? I simply think this Miss has excellent physical conditions!"

"Helping others is a joy!" Chen Kaige said with a straight face.

"Director Chen," Cheng Long rolled his eyes, "Helping others and finding joy are two different things, okay?"

Hearing this, Xiang Fei laughed directly onto the desk: "Brother Long, was your Chinese taught by a PE teacher?"

After some discussion, they finally decided: the very significant role of Neytiri would be given to the just-emerging Anne Hathaway.

"Both ethereal and capable of fighting, perfect!" Xiang Fei made the final decision.

Next, the three began to confirm the other important roles one by one.

"The role of Dr. Grace is very important," Chen Kaige flipped through the materials, "It requires an actress with presence and a maternal glow."

Cheng Long suddenly thought of something: "How about getting Sister Mei for it?"

Xiang Fei's eyes lit up: "Sister Mei? Too perfect! I'll contact her right away."

"Zhu Di as the female pilot," Chen Kaige continued, "We need a female actress full of heroic spirit."

"Lin Qingxia!" Cheng Long said.

When it came to the villain, Colonel Miles, Xiang Fei didn't hesitate: "Li Xuejian; his acting skills will absolutely bring this character to life."

"Parker Selfridge, the businessman role..." Chen Kaige hadn't finished speaking when Cheng Long interrupted:

"Hasn't Leonardo already been decided? Isn't that guy very close to you?"

Xiang Fei nodded with a smile: "Yes, it's him. Perfect to have him play a profit-driven businessman and break his image."

"Mo'at, this Na'vi priestess," Chen Kaige pondered, "requires a female actress with both dignity and a sense of mystery."

"Liu Xiaoqing!" Cheng Long slapped his thigh, "With her presence, just standing there makes her a priestess!"

Finally, there was the Na'vi tribe leader, "Sutai." Xiang Fei flipped to the materials from the Japanese audition location: "How about Hiroshi Nagano? The human host of Ultraman Tiga, he has a fan base, and his image fits."

"Good," Chen Kaige nodded, "The action scenes should be no problem either."

After the final cast list was announced, the entire entertainment industry exploded.

The People's Daily front-page headline: "Epic Cast! Xiang Fei's New Film Gathers Domestic and International Superstars."

The Hollywood Reporter exclaimed: "Eastern Director Snaps Up Hollywood's Hottest Stars."

Xiangjiang's Ming Pao joked: "Half the entertainment industry is in Xiang Fei's movie."

And in the Artist Department of Feimin Entertainment, it was even more lively.

In the corridor of the Feimin Entertainment Artist Department, Cai Wen was humming a little tune and strolling along when suddenly he was surrounded by a group of people.

"President Cai! Please help!" Zhou Xun blinked her big eyes, "Even a small role would be fine!"

Tao Hong pulled on Cai Wen's sleeve: "President Cai, I beg you!"

Wang Zhiwen adjusted his glasses and said seriously: "President Cai, I feel that the role of the scientist's assistant suits me very well."

Even the newly arrived Hai Yitian leaned in: "President Cai, I can play any role; even a villain is fine!"

Surrounded so tightly that no one could get in or out, Cai Wen gave a bitter smile: "Everyone, everyone, the list is already set; I have no choice either!"

"Then go talk to President Xiang and add some roles!" Zhou Xun persisted.

"Exactly, exactly!" The crowd egged him on.

Forced into a corner, Cai Wen had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, I'll go ask, but I can't guarantee anything!"

When Cai Wen told Xiang Fei about the Artist Department's requests, Xiang Fei was holding the final preparation meeting with Cheng Long and Chen Kaige.

"Add roles?" Xiang Fei frowned, "The main storyline roles are already set; adding more would only mean minor supporting parts."

Chen Kaige also suggested: "We could have our company's artists play the scientific personnel at the human base; this way, we won't disrupt the main storyline, but we can satisfy everyone's wish to participate."

Xiang Fei thought for a moment and made the final decision: "Good! Let's do it!"

He picked up the phone and called Dong Xiaoming: "Notify all artists who want to participate to come tomorrow for auditions for the scientific personnel at the human base and Na'vi extras!"

The next day, the audition site at Feimin Entertainment was once again packed to capacity.

Cheng Long led the brothers of the Cheng Family Troupe, each applying blue makeup, and took funny photos on the set.

"A-Fei," Chen Kaige looked at the bustling set and sighed, "This film hasn't even started shooting, yet it has already made history."