Chapter 269

In the first part of Three Body, besides the female lead Ye Wenjie, the roles with considerable screen time also include Wang Miao, Shi Qiang, Ding Yi, etc.

Wang Miao is the male lead of this play, an applied physicist mainly researching nanomaterials, who provided the "nano flying blade" for the Red Coast operation and made a notable contribution to eliminating the human rebel ETO Adventist faction.

Naturally, many people are competing for this role.

Huang Xiaoming once visited Jiang Heng, recommending himself to play this role.

Jiang Heng's reply was that he would consider it, mainly because Huang Xiaoming has been taking on "overbearing CEO" roles left and right these past two years, which doesn't match Wang Miao's scientist image.

As for the male actors who came to audition, Jiang Heng hasn't decided which one to choose yet.

In the evening, after driving to the agreed-upon barbecue restaurant and entering a private room to wait a short while, he saw Jiang Heng.

So he directly dialed Jiang Wen's phone.

At this moment the film hasn't yet gone abroad for exhibition; Jiang Wen is thinking about selling various rights overseas after the film wins awards.

As for film criticism, he had long ago snapped: "Critics are like eunuchs—they can't get anything done themselves, they just watch the emperor work, then run around spreading rumors, pretending to understand."

After Yinghuang helped out with The Sun, Jiang Wen once said: "Making money isn't easy. When this film is done, I'll help them shoot a few money-making movies."

After The Sun box office flopped, Yang Shoucheng not only didn't mention it, but actively comforted Jiang Wen, offering to sign a contract immediately and invest in another five films.

After first encountering both critical and box office collapse, Jiang Wen angrily snapped: "Not understanding is disgraceful," and "If you don't understand, just watch it again."

So over these years, his relationship with Jiang Wen has been neither close nor distant.

As for the role of Shi Qiang, his first choice in his mind is Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen was moved, saying he appreciated the intention, and for the next film, Yinghuang would have priority investment rights.

In September 2007, Jiang Wen confidently brought The Sun Also Rises to compete at the Venice International Film Festival.

But if we say what leaves the deepest impression from this film, it's actually its score, The Sun Also Rises.

It was then submitted for review and passed quite smoothly.

The crew of The Sun Also Rises used hundreds of birds and beasts; Jiang Wen felt many of their fur colors and textures were wrong, so he had them changed and repainted.

Afterwards, he and TV producer Ma Ke established "Yi Le Hu Film Company," with each holding half the shares.

This film was then able to continue shooting; in the end it cost a total of ten million US dollars, which is quite lavish.

Many people said they couldn't understand it, and they made up the majority.

After all, he is also a renowned director; generally, famous directors who insist on casting someone do so largely because the actor and role are a perfect fit.

Jiang Wen was dissatisfied, flew to Japan to meet Joe Hisaishi in person, but they parted ways unhappily several times.

However, after all it's an art film; even if it wins awards, it won't make money like a commercial film.

"Director Jiang, you've probably heard—I'm busy doing post-production!"

Even a prop fish shoe in the film required over a hundred man-hours before and after, and was meticulously crafted by skilled artisans from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

Speaking of which, Jiang Wen was banned from directing for five years at the turn of the century, so during those years he appeared as an actor in films such as The Search for Guns and Heroes of Earth and Heaven.

Jiang Wen listened and gave a slight nod.

Jiang Wen gave advance notice, "Brother, this film of mine is an art piece; it might not make money."

Finally, through an introduction, they found Yang Shoucheng of Yinghuang.

"I'll handle overseas distribution for you!"

In The Founding of a Republic, he can spout profanity; I'd guess his co-star Chen Daoming, who acts opposite him, was left bewildered.

"Alright then!"

"Director Jiang, you're such a busy person—what made you think to give me a call?"

Jiang Wen took neither director nor actor fees, started putting his own money into this film, exhausted his own funds, then borrowed seven or eight million from Jiang Wu, and Zhou Yun also contributed over four million, yet it was still insufficient.

In October, The Sun Also Rises opened nationwide, with a box office of only 18 million yuan, leaving the investors bloodied.

Holding that thought, Jiang Wen reluctantly agreed, then picked a barbecue restaurant and arranged to meet in the evening to eat and talk.

This role's first impression is "crude," and Jiang Wen teaching foreigners Chinese can turn "the Force" into "really fucking good," and can get Quentin to say "awesome."

And the company's first project after its establishment was precisely the novel recommended by Shi Hang, titled "Stealing Officials' Records," the third entry in Ma Shitu's "Night Tales Ten Records," a story set against a Republican-era backdrop; the film was ultimately titled Let the Bullets Fly.

The reason is also simple: before sending the sample reel, Jiang Wen, according to his feeling, picked a few Mozart passages, stuck them onto the sample, and let Joe Hisaishi follow that feeling, which turned out a bit better than Mozart.

Yang Shoucheng said, "No problem, I care about face, not money."

He had been busy with post-production earlier; although he knew Jiang Heng's new film was adapted from a sci-fi novel called Three Body, he hadn't had time to look for it, and now it's even less likely he'll find it.

After all, Jiang Heng is an internationally renowned director; with his help promoting it, they could surely make more money!

After Jiang Wen finished filming, he sought out Joe Hisaishi to do the score.

After sending the sample to Japan, Joe Hisaishi quickly completed a draft.

When Jiang Wen shoots a film, he really knows how to spend money.

Before departing, they held a send-off rally; Jiang Wen, full of vigor, quoted Xin Qiji on stage: "I see the green mountains as graceful; I imagine the green mountains see me likewise."

The investment was found with Wang Shuo's help; he introduced Jiang Wen to Wang Wei, chairman of the board of Taihe Film & TV, which invested 30 million.

The moment the latter received it, he still had a feeling of doubt.

The latter occasionally attends the premiere of Jiang Heng's new film, they have a drink together, and that's it.

Afterwards, he returned in defeat.

For such a role, Jiang Heng feels it's practically tailor-made for Jiang Wen.

"I have something to ask you—there's a role in my new film that suits you perfectly; I want you to come play it!"

And when the directing ban ended, he immediately began preparing to film The Sun Also Rises.

He also had over 300 cubic meters of Tibetan-style houses and dozens of tons of pebbles and red earth shipped in from afar.

Just for this point, who else could it be but him!

Furthermore, in the original work Shi Qiang has a military background, observes with meticulous detail, and is extremely capable; not only did he propose the "Red Coast Project" in the first part, but he also protected Luo Ji multiple times in later content.

Furthermore, Shi Qiang, who in the original work has a military background, is observant to an exquisite degree and extremely capable; not only did he propose the "Ancient Zither Plan" in the first part, but he also protected Luo Ji several times in later content.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yun beside him exclaimed in surprise: "He actually asked you to go film a movie; looks like this role really suits you!"

But later Great Harmony Film and Television discovered that after spending 18 million, they had filmed less than one-third, so they decided to withdraw investment.

However, this time, for the character Shi Qiang in the Three Body film, Jiang Heng really feels that Jiang Wen is quite suitable.

Jiu Shi Rang was very unhappy, he argued with Jiang Wen three times, and loudly demanded: "Tell me, how many Mozarts are there in music history?"

However, after the score was completed, this piece of music is really good.

The excellence of this film is beyond doubt; it's so good that Jiang Heng doesn't want to get involved, fearing his appearance would affect the film's final effect.

"Director Jiang, what role is it that you insist I must play!"

"Here, take a look at this!" Jiang Heng said, then handed over the script for the Shi Qiang character.

(End of chapter)