Chapter 182

In late September, Jiang Heng returned to the country from Haolaiwu.

Just upon arriving at the company, Li Xiaoping came over to report the TV drama's situation to him.

"Divine Eagle and Companion" premiered during the summer on Beijing City Satellite TV, Shandong Satellite TV, Chongqing Satellite TV, and Zhejiang Satellite TV; after its broadcast, its ratings surged, making it the ratings champion of its time slot.

The word‑of‑mouth was still good, mainly because, under Jiang Heng's intervention, Yang Guo in this version wasn't as greasy as in Zhang Jizhong's version.

Historically, the most criticized aspect of Huang Xiaoming's "Divine Eagle" was his slick, made‑up portrayal of Yang Guo, for which Zhang Dahu bears some responsibility.

Speaking of Huang Xiaoming's looks back then, even though they didn't match Gu Tianle at his peak, they were still considered the pinnacle among mainland young male stars at the time.

A proper grooming of the look would make him fully capable of playing Yang Guo.

Five years later, the 33‑year‑old Huang Xiaoming's portrayal of Han Que in the film "The Orphan of Zhao" had a very good look.

And Zhang Dahu, due to his personal aesthetic, insisted on making the white face look tanned.

Some of the sets were crude, and arbitrary cuts of the original plot displeased Mr. Jin Yong.

It wasn't until the "Western Madness" version sixteen years later, with a middle‑aged Yang Guo, that the character's positioning was no longer off, and the overall impression improved considerably.

Thus, after the first round of broadcast ended, many satellite TV channels vied for the second round of broadcast rights.

For example, the 1995 "Divine Eagle" aired in the prime slot on eight satellite TV stations; the 1997 "Heavenly Dragon" aired in the prime slot on twelve stations. Moreover, reruns continued the next daytime, a treatment far surpassing today's hot dramas that receive only two stars.

But in fact, the 1995 "Divine Eagle" was not successful locally in Xianggang, its influence far below that of the 1984 version.

Since 1996, major mainland satellite TV stations fully lifted restrictions on Hong Kong and Taiwanese dramas, so the 1995 "Divine Eagle", the 1996 "Smiling Proud Wanderer", the 1997 "Heavenly Dragon", and the 1998 "The Deer and the Cauldron" were successively introduced to the mainland. Almost every one was snapped up by seven or eight, even ten, stations in a frenzy.

The reason this drama gained such wide acceptance among a generation of mainland viewers is largely due to their "preconception".

The most typical example is the co‑produced "Princess Returning Pearl" series; its ratings were off the charts then, and twenty years later, both the plot and dialogue are still explosively over‑the‑top.

And this time, Yang Guo's positioning was not off; not only did it receive good word‑of‑mouth after broadcast, but Mr. Jin Yong also told the media that he placed the 2004 "Divine Eagle" at the top of his heart.

However, for mainland viewers, many still regard the 1995 version as the most credible.

To the point that countless netizens posted comments, only after growing up did they realize that Granny Rong was a good person!

And the Faction: Outstanding Rising Film Company's production of "Divine Eagle and Companion" not only had a decent Yang Guo, but Liu Yifei's Xiao Long Nu was also widely praised.

Before that, the honor went to the 1984 Liu Dehua and Chen Yulian version of "Divine Eagle", because Liu Dehua's portrayal has always been his favorite Yang Guo, which he has publicly praised many times.

Locally in Xianggang, its ratings still couldn't match the 2006 version introduced to Hong Kong ten years later, and it was completely ignored by Mr. Jin Yong.

But because the mainland economy was lagging then, entertainment "ingredients" were relatively scarce; at that time, both critics and countless ordinary viewers held a somewhat blind reverence for Hong Kong and Taiwanese stars and dramas.

Combined with the fierce, graceful action design and the grand, magnificent scenery, overall it far surpassed Zhang Jizhong's version.

Moreover, with a bulky beggar costume and the insistence on using that "Little Dingdang" to play the young Yang Guo, who even flirts with Xiao Long Nu in the ancient tomb scenes with exaggerated winks and slick talk, it instantly ruined his likability, causing Yang Guo's character to collapse as soon as he appeared, resulting in a flood of negative reviews.

Of course, Li Xiaoping and Du Huan could decide that Jiang Heng has never really valued "Divine Eagle".

He has invested more in "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" and "Great Feng Night Watchman".

The special effects for both series were handled entirely by Jiang Heng; some shots were completed by his "Beautiful Times" effects company, and others were nominally outsourced to overseas effects firms, but in reality Jiang Heng used his Super Microcomputer to finish them.

Naturally, considering the nominal investment cost of the series, Jiang Heng didn't make the effects overly extravagant, yet they still far surpassed "Fengyun: Dominating the World".

When post‑production of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy" was finished, Faction: Outstanding Rising Film Company and Tangren Film Company screened it internally, and many were stunned by the fight scenes.

Especially Xie Junhao's portrayal of the Wine‑Sword Immortal, whose dazzling effects and soaring soundtrack made this minor character temporarily outshine the male lead.

Even Tangren's CEO Cai Yinong could hardly believe that the xianxia drama they "produced" turned out so good, making him increasingly think that xianxia is an excellent genre worth filming more of.

Since it was a co‑production between two companies and Jiang Heng handled the effects, the choice of broadcast platform had to be approved by Jiang Heng.

Back when he was in Haolaiwu, Cai Yinong had called him several times to ask for his thoughts.

Jiang Heng simply said there was no rush; everything could wait until he returned.

Then Cai Yinong would occasionally call Li Xiaoping to ask when Jiang Heng would be back.

"Director Jiang this time has really gotten Cai Yinong under control; she calls me every day asking when you'll be back!"

Jiang Heng laughed, "Now all the satellite TV stations are begging to buy our drama; why rush?"

Industry insiders know that Jiang Heng personally handled the effects for "The Legend of Sword and Fairy", so expectations for the series are very high; even before post‑production finished, program procurement chiefs from various satellite TV stations proactively contacted Outstanding Rising Film Company and Tangren.

It is said that these procurement chiefs are also considered formidable figures in the industry.

Some smaller film and TV production companies, in order to sell the drama, try various ways to "public‑relate" with them.

But for dramas involving big companies and famous directors, it is usually these procurement chiefs who take the initiative to compete.

When Jiang Heng gets more involved in "Great Feng Night Watchman", not only do all the satellite TV stations eye it greedily, even CCTV Channel 8 has reached out; if the drama's result is outstanding after production, it will essentially be aired in CCTV's prime slot.

Li Xiaoping knows more, feels confident, and naturally isn't as anxious as Cai Yinong.

She laughed, "I've always said it's just because Director Cai has invested more in this drama, so she's a bit impatient."

She thought for a moment and added, "She is very optimistic about Hu Ge playing the male lead; the earlier the drama airs, the sooner we can see whether Hu Ge gains public acceptance."

Jiang Heng said, "Hu Ge is still a pretty good actor!"

"Will Director Jiang have him act in a movie?"

With the conclusion of the "Matrix" trilogy and the release of "Inception", many think the chances of Wu Yan Zu and Jiang Heng continuing to collaborate will drop dramatically.

First, too many collaborations diminish the audience's anticipation.

Second, Wu Yan Zu's fame and market value have skyrocketed; even if he accepts lower fees due to the good partnership.

But Jiang Heng's films earn so much that he can't keep paying less, so production costs rise.

Thus many speculate that Jiang Heng won't consider Wu Yan Zu for his next few projects.

Many film and TV companies want to recommend their own artists to Jiang Heng; Cai Yinong harbors such intentions, asking Li Xiaoping to help gauge the mood.

(End of chapter)