Chapter 164: The Poet Immortal of the Great Tang and the Jinghong Fairy

On December 24, "The Invisible Guest" was officially pulled from domestic theaters, with its box office stopping at 218 million.

For a foreign-language film with no major spectacle to achieve such results, Wei Jin's drawing power was already beyond doubt; many companies in the industry were already keeping an eye on Wei Jin's movements, determined not to share a release window with him.

Even before, while in North America, Wei Jin had received a call from Wang of Huayi, saying that "The Forbidden Kingdom" was scheduled for the end of April, intending to seize the May Day holiday, and asking if he had any plans for a release, saying they didn't want the two companies to clash, and so on.

As it turned out, Wei Jin didn't even have to make a move; the authorities changed the holiday schedule. Unfortunately, Huayi's publicity had already been launched, so they had no choice but to bite the bullet. ——At the end of December, news came from Tangren that "Chinese Paladin 3" was preparing to enter the project phase. According to the previous agreement, Wei Jin could invest 30%.

Regarding this, Wei Jin naturally accepted with a smile; the returns on this drama would be much higher than "Chinese Paladin 1," and its ability to promote stars was also quite good.

However, Miss Cai had many ideas; she actually wanted Liu Yifei to participate, either as a cameo or a special appearance.

Wei Jin expressed that he wasn't optimistic and suggested she not overthink it, but he did propose candidates from his own company for the roles.

"President Wei, we agreed not to interfere with the creative process; you can't do this."

On the phone, Miss Cai's voice revealed she was unhappy, though Wei Jin somehow detected a hint of coquettishness.

Quickly shaking the terrifying thoughts from his mind, Wei Jin offered his terms: "President Cai, what if we add the 'Wei Jin' brand to it?"

"."

Miss Cai fell silent. If it carried the label of Wei Jin Company as a producer, each episode of the TV series could sell for at least another 100,000 to 200,000.

"I wonder which role President Wei wants?"

After a moment of silence, Miss Cai finally agreed, only hoping that Wei Jin wouldn't be too greedy.

"Zixuan, to be played by Zhang Li."

Since he had already enjoyed the pleasure of long legs, Wei Jin naturally wouldn't go back on his word. Besides, he didn't think Zhang Li was inferior to Tang Yan; in some ways, Zhang Li's "ice queen" vibe was even more intense.

Since Cheng Tian wanted to make things difficult for Wei Jin, he didn't mind trading a few blows. It was just that he didn't know if a "Poet Immortal of the Great Tang" would appear in the future.

After pondering Zhang Li's image in his mind, Miss Cai agreed. ——Inside the Yanjiao Villa.

"Good brother, just agree to it for me, won't you? Mmm~"

Gao Yuanyuan, dressed in a maid outfit, knelt on the soft carpet, stopping the work in her mouth, her tone filled with allure.

"Yuan Yuanjie, 'killing without burying'—this kind of behavior is shameful."

The pleasure came to an abrupt end; Wei Jin was left in a state of neither here nor there, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"I don't care, I already promised Feihong. If I can't get this done, how can I have the face to see her..."

Gao Yuanyuan hadn't expected Wei Jin to be so unoptimistic about her best friend's film. She had originally thought it would be a simple matter, but now it was proving somewhat thorny.

Having no other choice, Gao Yuanyuan had to resort to the "cosplay" method. She didn't believe that a man's heart could be harder than what was below.

"Yuan Yuanjie, have you ever thought about why the distributor would do this, given your best friend's influence?"

Wei Jin hadn't actually intended to refuse, but he didn't like this way of acting on one's own initiative. He had a mind to temper Yuan Yuanjie's temperament, and besides, the film he had previously promised her would also need to be delayed.

"Isn't it just because they're afraid that if there are too many copies, they'll lose money? Can't your company's distribution capabilities handle it?"

It wasn't that Gao Yuanyuan didn't understand the logic, she just thought about it too simply.

"This doesn't have much to do with distribution capabilities; it's simply that the film's potential is limited. The original novel for her film is aimless and incoherent; the average person really can't sit through it."

"Then what should we do? I, I don't want to break my promise. Good brother, help me think of a way, mm..."

Seeing that coquetry wasn't working, Gao Yuanyuan could only provide deeper, more comprehensive, and higher-quality service.

Feeling Gao Yuanyuan's sincerity, Wei Jin patted her head, signaling his satisfaction.

"How about this: have her come to the company for a face-to-face meeting. I want to know her thoughts first, then see how to proceed."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief. It was worth the effort of her costume change, though the work at hand still had to continue. She didn't know what was up with this man; he was getting more and more enduring... ——In the company office, Wei Jin met the "Jinghong Fairy" for the first time. And honestly, she really was an "ageless beauty"; one couldn't tell at all that she was about to turn 37.

Looking at Yu Feihong and Gao Yuanyuan sitting together, Wei Jin felt a bit of emotion. No wonder he had wanted to find Yuan Yuanjie to act in a film before; the two did indeed have somewhat similar features.

"Yu Shijie, we are alumni, so I won't beat around the bush. Your film has limited potential, and the distributor is highly likely to lose money."

Wei Jin's bluntness made Yu Feihong's expression look very unpleasant. Gao Yuanyuan, sitting to the side, also intended to speak up, but Wei Jin didn't give her the chance and continued: "However, I want to know, Shijie, do you want to recoup the costs, or do you simply want everyone to see your work?"

"Naturally, I want everyone to see my work, but if I could harvest a little box office, that would be even better."

Yu Feihong's original intention in making the film was simple: to please herself and fulfill a dream. However, she had already invested a huge amount, even mortgaging her own house, so of course, she hoped to lose a little less.

"Then let's do this: I recommend you to the Berlin International Film Festival. Building a reputation is one thing, and on the other hand, you can sell some overseas rights. Regardless of whether you win an award, at least the domestic box office will look a bit better."

After some thought, Wei Jin provided a solution. As a Palme d'Or and Oscar Director, he was already qualified to recommend films directly to the European Big Three, and there was a high probability of being shortlisted.

For this year's Cannes Film Festival, the organizers had invited Wei Jin to be a judge, but the timing really wasn't suitable, so he couldn't make it.

"Really? Junior fellow apprentice, can my film really participate in the European Big Three?"

It was no wonder Yu Feihong was pleasantly surprised; this move by Wei Jin was something she hadn't thought of at all.

"Of course, romance films still have a market in Europe, but don't hold your expectations too high. Also, for the release date, let's arrange it before the Qi Xi Festival; it will help the box office at least a little."

This was the only way Wei Jin could think of. He still appreciated Yu Feihong—she was a proponent of non-marriage, never engaged in hype, and was willful and free-spirited.

"In addition, I will write a song to serve as the film's theme promotional track."

In Wei Jin's memory, there was a song very suitable for this film's theme—"If Love".

This song was the theme of a South Korean film of the same name. The copyright aspect would still need some negotiation, but that was simple; it was nothing more than a matter of money, especially since there was the connection with Lee Soo-man.

As for the singer, Li Jian would be quite good. In his past life, Wei Jin had also heard him sing this song; it was truly excellent. When the time came, this song would definitely have great lethality on the audience.

"Junior fellow apprentice, this is truly wonderful. I don't even know how to thank you..."

Originally, because there had been no news from Gao Yuanyuan for a long time, she hadn't held out any hope. Who knew the situation would turn around, bringing her such a big surprise—the film festival, the distribution strategy, and now he was even personally helping to write a song. Yu Feihong was truly moved beyond measure.

"Yu Shijie is too polite. Not to mention our alumni relationship, just based on the friendship between Yuan Yuanjie and you, this is something I should do."

Wei Jin's words made Gao Yuanyuan beam with joy; he was completely giving her face, and she was already pondering how to reward her man. ——After sending off the two beauties, Wei Jin looked at the small card in his hand and sighed. The annual Oscar nominations had begun again, and he wondered who would make it to the end.

The Oscar awards process is divided into three steps.

Step one: Nomination voting. First, select a few films from the hundreds of eligible films released each year to list; this is the nomination list. Usually, there are 5-10 for Best Film, and 5 for other categories.

Step two: Final voting. The judges choose their favorites from the nomination list, and the final list of winners is obtained. Based on this rule, the possibility of a tie basically does not exist.

Step three: The Oscar ceremony announces the awards.

Among the more than 6,000 current Oscar judges, over 90% are white, three-quarters of whom are male, and they are all quite old. Therefore, the judges are jokingly referred to as "Old White Men," and the aesthetic tastes of these people basically determine where the awards go.

In addition, there is a small number of international judges to highlight the international nature of the Oscar.

Wei Jin was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director last year, and he could choose to join different branches; in the end, he chose the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and after a period of review, he successfully became a judge.

Currently, among the Chinese, only Zhang Yimou, Chen Shiren, Li An, and Wu Baige among the directors have been invited to be judges, and among the actors, Cheng Long, Gong Huang, Zhang Ziyi, Ceng Li, and a few Chinese-American actors.

Adding them all up, there are only a dozen or so, which is simply not enough to influence the results, not to mention that everyone is not of one mind.

This is also the reason why many judges do not particularly care about this status, as it really has no sense of presence; however, if one does not participate in the awards for many years, the status of judge will be revoked, and one will become an honorary member of the committee, unable to vote again.

Wei Jin naturally does not intend to give up this status; not only that, he also wants to have as many judges around him as possible, as it counts as a force after all, and it can always be useful for future public relations.

After carefully filling in his choices, Wei Jin arranged for someone to mail the envelope. — "Yuanyuan, you must cherish him well; there aren't many men like this left."

On the way back, Yu Feihong was moved to speak; it was a pity that she had never met such a man, otherwise, even without a name or status, she would have stayed with him for a lifetime. At this moment, she was actually a little envious of Gao Yuanyuan.

"Feihong, you wouldn't have taken a fancy to him, would you?"

With the matter resolved, Gao Yuanyuan was in a very good mood and teased her:

"You little brat, what are you saying? You have no filter. Besides, even if I really did take a fancy to him, would you be willing to give him up to me?"

"Giving him up is impossible, but sharing, well, that's not entirely out of the question. Feihong, you don't know, last night..."

Unlike the public setting last time, in the car, Gao Yuanyuan was not so reserved and started chatting with her best friend about private matters.

A series of bold and suggestive words made Yu Feihong blush, and she couldn't help but start fantasizing in her mind. The first update of the day, I implore all readers to reward me with subscriptions, follow-up readings, and collections. Please flip to the last page for the follow-up reading, thank you everyone! (End of this chapter)