Chapter 288: Premiere: Has Nazha Been Recruited?

In the film market, *Hawthorn Tree* is still aggressively raking in box office revenue.

One week after release, the box office has reached 80 million, and breaking 100 million is a certainty; Zhou Dongyu has become famous overnight, becoming the hottest Mou Girl at the moment.

Conversely, *Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen* is just a joke.

The box office dropped to 8.2 million on the second day, and fell further to 6.5 million on the third.

Crucially, even in the Hong Kong Circle's home base, Hong Kong audiences aren't buying it; the opening day box office of 1 million Hong Kong dollars directly made several investors vomit blood.

At this rate, let alone catching up to the production costs, perhaps after the revenue split, it won't even cover the marketing expenses; it is truly a total loss.

Clearly, another Hong Kong director has marched into the Mainland China film market only to have their face slapped swollen.

Wu Baige is also quite cunning; he was previously shouting that *Reign of Assassins* would catch up to *Brotherhood of Blades*, but now he has immediately changed his tune, telling the media very modestly:

"Our film is being released globally. Currently, the domestic martial arts film market is gradually declining. If the box office can reach half of *Brotherhood of Blades*, we will be very happy."

This rhetoric is very cliché; it expresses humility while flattering Mainland China films. Wu Baige is indeed capable of bending and stretching.

Perhaps it really is "a friend in need is a friend indeed"; Zhen Zidan, who was so amiable during the previous promotion, suddenly changed his face.

While attending an endorsement event, he shifted the blame to his team, bluntly stating that the bad film was not his fault.

Regarding this behavior of valuing profit over loyalty, netizens directly began to mock him.

Streaming Glory Film and Television's Eight-Person Cannon: "If the bad film isn't your fault, then the high box office is entirely your own credit, right?"

Song 2017: "Zhen Zidan, go wash up and sleep; you are far worse than the Kung Fu Emperor."

Wei Jin looked at the online comments, shook his head, and chuckled in surprise.

Zhen Zidan became famous in one battle relying on the *Ip Man* series, and many people touted him as the next Cheng Long or Li Lianjie.

The key is that he believed it, got lost, and now he is about to take a big tumble. — The 29th, a beautiful day.

Early in the morning, Gao Yuanyuan began to apply makeup, dress up, choose gowns, and match jewelry with the help of her team.

There is no help for it; her business hours are too few, and it is a rare opportunity, so the brand was practically begging her to do them a favor.

Facts prove that women putting on makeup is truly a nightmare for men; it took a full three hours, and fortunately, Wei Jin slipped away halfway through.

At 2 PM, Wei Jin brought the main cast to the scene; outside the Great Hall, it was already people mountain people sea.

The moment Wei Jin held Gao Yuanyuan's hand and stepped onto the red carpet, the camera flashes in the hands of the media reporters never stopped.

These two are a perfect match.

Wei Jin wore a custom-made black suit that fit his body curves, paired with his 183cm tall stature; he looked dashing and outstanding.

Gao Yuanyuan wore a white strapless long gown; on her smooth neck, she wore a luxurious diamond necklace, paired with star and moon earrings dangling from her ears, truly giving off an elegant and noble feeling.

The fans at the scene were also incredibly enthusiastic, with continuous cheers and shouts of support.

"Xiao Jin, I heard someone shouting for us to be together."

Gao Yuanyuan nudged Wei Jin with her elbow; her face, wearing exquisite makeup, carried a charming and appropriate smile, and her large eyes were as bright as stars.

"Yuan Yuanjie, this shows that the eyes of the masses are sharp; you are mine for this lifetime."

Hearing Wei Jin's words, Gao Yuanyuan felt a warmth in her heart; this ten-meter red carpet felt like the aisle of their wedding.

"Director Wei, Yuanyuan, I wish you a huge box office success. Please cooperate and strike a pose; give us something to eat, haha."

Reporters in the photo area adjusted their positions, preparing to take pictures of the two; the sales would surely be off the charts.

"Alright, but you have to take good pictures."

"No problem, absolutely no problem; the looks of you two are definitely top-tier."

Wei Jin did not decline; holding Gao Yuanyuan, he cooperated with the reporters to strike various poses. — Inside the venue, people from several production companies were present, and most of the invited guests had also arrived.

There was still over an hour until the premiere started, and everyone was busy socializing.

But when Wei Jin and the main cast appeared, they instantly became the focus of the day.

Qiao Zhenyu, Gao Yuanyuan, and Liang Jiahui were all veterans in such settings and appeared at ease.

Lei Jiayin, who was slightly inferior, had also carried the banner alone and had seen the world.

Only Nazha, facing such a large occasion for the first time, was a bit at a loss.

Fortunately, Gao Yuanyuan was afraid she would be bored, so she thoughtfully kept the young girl by her side, communicating with friends she knew well.

Perhaps it was because Wei Jin had attended the preview of *Hawthorn Tree* earlier, but Zhang Yimou also returned the favor, specially bringing the newly signed Zhou Dongyu to show support; one must know he rarely socializes.

However, Zhang Yimou's appearance did make many people at the scene have their own thoughts.

It must be said that Zhang Yimou is truly energetic; *Hawthorn Tree* is still in theaters, and he has already announced to the media that he will start *The Flowers of War* at the end of the year.

This project dates back to when the Olympics just ended, but unfortunately, instead of waiting for *The Flowers of War*, they got *A Simple Noodle Story*, which disgusted the audience enough.

Now two years have passed, and there is finally a definite word.

"Zhang Yimou's status is really high; he stole your spotlight as soon as he arrived, haha."

Watching Zhang Yimou surrounded by many actresses, Han Sanping joked to Wei Jin.

"It's normal; there are too few films suitable for women, and there are so many female roles in *The Flowers of War*. Besides, only 6 people have been confirmed so far; these actresses in the circle must be going crazy."

Wei Jin didn't care at all; it is true that Zhang Yimou has strong appeal, but he is confident that if he were to announce a female-led film now and hold open auditions, all the actresses in this venue would probably crowd over. — Seeing that the time was almost up, under the reminder of the staff, everyone returned to their seats.

In such settings, the seating arrangement involves profound knowledge.

The first two rows were for state-owned enterprises like Aerospace Science and Industry, China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Western Film Group, as well as production companies like Wanda and Enlight Media, and the major top film and television companies in the circle.

After Liu Yan took the stage, it meant the premiere ceremony had officially begun.

First was the singer of the theme song, Yao Beina, who took the stage to perform.

This song, *Beyond the Light Years*, had been released for less than a month and was already crazily topping all major music charts.

The promotional MV on Tudou had even exceeded ten million views, and its popularity was quite high.

"I have to say, President Wei wrote this song really well, and this girl sings it well too; it complements our film perfectly."

Ye Ning tilted his head and chatted with Wang Changtian, but the latter's mood was not too good.

After the song ended, Wei Jin and the main cast were invited onto the stage.

"Many of you present here are participants in this film, and you will be able to see yourselves in the movie in a moment."

As soon as Wei Jin said this, good-natured laughter erupted at the venue; everyone recalled the scene of being press-ganged into service last year.

"Many people are wondering why the promotion for 'Passengers' this time didn't start until half a month before its release."

Many people in the audience began to nod in agreement; normally, even one month in advance would be considered late.

"Yuan Yuanjie and Zhen Yu have already spoken about this before, but I would like to add one more thing: in this National Day Slot, there isn't a single one that can fight, so why should I be in a hurry?" As soon as Wei Jin said this, many people laughed, clearly thinking of that Hong Kong film that was just shouting slogans; only Wang Changtian had a bitter look on his face.

Subsequently, several key creators took turns sharing interesting stories from the filming; when it was Nazha's turn, she stumbled a bit.

Gao Yuanyuan pulled her to her side and introduced her to the audience:

"Guli Nazha, the second female lead of 'Passengers', a sophomore at Beijing Film Academy. If there are suitable roles, everyone might as well let her try."

Nazha tried hard to maintain a smile, but she was very nervous inside; after all, she was just an 18-year-old girl.

"Thank you everyone, I am Nazha."

The young girl finally overcame her nervousness and bowed slightly to the audience, drawing good-natured laughter from everyone.

In the audience, Yang Mi looked at her with some envy; this opportunity should have belonged to her.

Some young actors brought by their elders were also quite envious at this moment, including several of Nazha's classmates from Beijing Film Academy, who were sitting in the back row with their eyes shining.

Miss Cai, sitting in the middle, also had a glint in her eyes; that girl from Shanghai Theatre Academy could be signed after the National Day, providing another bargaining chip to tie down Wei Jin.

Only Wei Jin, watching Gao Yuanyuan's enthusiasm toward Nazha, was lost in thought; it was quite possible that this young girl had already been recruited. —— Spanning 18 months, the final cut of 'Passengers' met everyone for the first time.

On screen, the vast and boundless universe, the brilliant and magnificent Starry Sky.

The massive interstellar spacecraft appeared incredibly tiny in the vast universe; a meteor shower crashed toward the ship, and the extreme collision made for a stunning visual. Entering the interior of the ship, the futuristic architectural design was eye-catching.

"The design by Aerospace Science and Industry is still so awesome; it really didn't disappoint."

A few loyal fans of 'The Martian' whispered to each other.

"Holy crap, is that Han Dong?"

"Yes, it really is Han Dong!"

Before the main feature had even begun, the shot of the Hibernation Pod, as soon as it appeared, had already stunned many of the guests present.

In the audience, Han Sanping's old face crinkled with a smile, his eyes squinting until they were almost invisible; clearly, he was very satisfied with this five-to-six-second shot.

On the screen, the movie credits were still playing, and the long take of the Hibernation Pod slowly unfolded.

"... Huang Bai, Ning Hao, Jiang Wen, Wang Changtian, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhou Xun, Fan Bingbing, Xu Laoguai, Liu Tianwang, Huang Xiaoming, Lu Yang..."

Dozens of industry bigwigs and A-list stars, or Golden Horse Best Actress winners, left the people at the venue astonished.

This shot lasted for three minutes, then froze on the final Hibernation Pod.

"In this shot, Director Wei looks quite good."

"Senior Brother Wei is so handsome, I really want to lie down with him." —— As the main feature began, the two-hour plot slowly unfolded.

Whether it was the artificial intelligence played by Nazha, the bionic intelligent robot played by Lei Jiayin, or the high-tech interior of the spacecraft, the gorgeous swimming pool water spheres, etc., all were filled with breathtaking special effects.

Everyone watched intently, exclaiming how brilliant it was.

The people from Aerospace Science and Industry were very happy; they had really made a big impression this time.

The movie ended, and it was time for the reporter interview session.

"Director Wei, what do you think the box office will be?"

"Since there are no opponents in this slot, why not set the box office target a bit higher? How about one billion?"

"Director Wei, are you that confident?"

"The total box office of the domestic film market last year was 7.5 billion; breaking 10 billion this year is a certainty. With such a big slot as the National Day, isn't it reasonable to produce 1.5 billion?"

The meaning behind Wei Jin's words was very clear: of the 1.5 billion total box office, 1 billion would be his, and the remaining 500 million would be split among the other films.

Han Sanping in the audience looked thoughtful.

"It's possible that this kid might really set a new record." —— The entertainment industry is a circle; people outside are trying their best to squeeze in, but most people inside huddle together. In such a situation, "physical" contact, which is to say human relationships and social networking, is inevitable.

Undoubtedly, if someone from within the circle gives a hand, it is easier for outsiders to integrate into this circle.

Just like now, Jiang Wenli brought a young girl over to say hello; Wei Jin, out of respect for being fellow townspeople, could only greet her with a smile.

"Director Wei, long time no see. Your Gu Dage said that as fellow townspeople, we should get together often."

Jiang Wenli started by trying to build rapport; how could Wei Jin not know her intentions?

"Yes, Wen Li is right. We'll get together when we have time."

Seeing Wei Jin agree readily, Jiang Wenli was very happy and pulled the young girl beside her to introduce her:

"Oh, right, Director Wei, this is my niece, Ma Sichun. Sichun, say hello."

Ma Sichun, whose features had a heroic air, also had a very cheerful personality.

"Director Wei, hello, I am Ma Sichun. I was almost your junior at school."

Looking at the girl chattering away in front of him, Wei Jin didn't know whether to laugh or cry; this girl was a bit carefree.

However, Wei Jin did know a little about her situation; it was said that the school leaders at Beijing Film Academy didn't pull any strings for her at the time, and she was turned away.

To be honest, Wei Jin didn't know much about her in his past life, but he had heard about her dating gossip with Ou Hao; it could be said that this girl had given everything, a true romantic fool.

Such a person shouldn't have any ulterior motives, so there was no need to be overly guarded.

"It doesn't matter, isn't it quite good now? You're from the Communication University of China, right? Being a host is actually quite nice."

"My mother says the same, but I just love acting. Who wouldn't yearn to be in the spotlight and admired by all?"

Ma Sichun had a strong sense of her own mind; she wouldn't give up easily on people or things she had set her heart on.

"Director Wei, this child can't be persuaded. As her elders, Gu Dage and I can only pave the way for her as much as possible."

Having said this, Jiang Wenli paused and changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, you are still the impressive one. To use a newcomer who hasn't studied acting for such a big-budget film, you really have courage. If there are suitable roles in the future, please give Sichun a chance, Director Wei."

In Jiang Wenli's view, that role of Nazha's was truly perfect for a newcomer.

"You are too kind, Sister Wen Li. If there is an opportunity, of course, it won't be a problem."

Wei Jin did not refuse; Ma Sichun's acting skills were actually quite good, and aside from being a love-struck fool, she didn't cause any trouble, so he could naturally consider her if a suitable opportunity arose.

"Thank you, Brother Wei."

Before her aunt could even speak, a bright smile hung on Ma Sichun's face, and she even changed how she addressed him; it was clear that she was very happy.

"Don't mind her, Director Wei, she just has this kind of personality."

"Sister Wen Li, it is no matter. We are of a similar age; let us address each other as we please, that is fine."

First update of the day.

(End of this chapter)