Chapter 857

This year's Cannes International Film Festival is also its 70th anniversary celebration. So although Lin Nan, Liu Yifei, and Liu Xiaoli were not present, their names appeared in Cannes.

Because *The Fault in Our Stars*, as the award-winning work of the Jury Prize at the 64th Cannes International Film Festival, was selected into the 70th anniversary screening series, and will be repeatedly screened during the film festival...

And Lin Nan Films only symbolically charged a licensing fee of 1,000 Euros, which is also the unified docking price of the Cannes International Film Festival Organizing Committee for all films in the 70th anniversary screening series.

Of course, the organizing committee must sell movie tickets, and it will definitely be very profitable... Regarding this, all film parties and copyright parties are happy to accept it, with no objections!

Just because the films that can be selected are all films that have won awards at Cannes; being "low-priced" and "free-ridden" once can also be regarded as a gratitude, just as supporting the development of the Cannes International Film Festival.

"Let me tell you this: among all the Chinese filmmakers who went to Cannes this year, the most stylish one in these 6 days is definitely Chen Kaige.

From the first day of the 70th anniversary screening series, the exhibition hall of *Farewell My Concubine* has been crowded with people, and the attendance rate has never been below 98%.

And besides the promotion area, there are also huge posters, standees, and brochures for *Legend of the Demon Cat* at the entrance of the *Farewell My Concubine* exhibition hall, and the words 'Chen Kaige Film Works' are exceptionally eye-catching!"

Wang Changtian came to visit the *The Wandering Earth* set, and also brought the gossip of the Cannes International Film Festival;

From the opening ceremony to today, a total of six days, Director Chen's limelight is simply unparalleled.

And with the momentum of the Palme d'Or film screening review, *Legend of the Demon Cat* has gained huge attention in Cannes.

"A *Farewell My Concubine*, it really is a name in film history! Tsk tsk tsk..." Lin Nan sighed with undisguised admiration.

"Why are you envious? You are just young now, and you can't let go of your face.

After another twenty or thirty years, you can also be like him, rightfully relying on your age to sell your age, and living your life with airs. Who in the circle dares not give you face? Who dares not flatter you?"

"Why do I feel like you are scolding me?" Lin Nan frowned at Wang Changtian, whose words were very unpleasant to hear.

"Hi, just giving a factual example. And you guys don't need to pretend you didn't hear it, Director Chen is not here, what are you afraid of?"

Wang Changtian first smiled and replied to Lin Nan, and then teased Wu Jing and the others.

"Chairman Wang, we are all small shrimp, so we won't get involved in the topics of you big shots." Wu Jing waved his hand with a chuckle; he would only greet Chen Kaige with a smile, how would he dare to complain.

"Forget it, forget it, you guys go play on the side, I still have business to talk to Lin Nan." After Wang Changtian finished speaking, his expression became much more serious instantly.

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan also immediately returned an emoji to Shu Chang to end the chat, and then put down his phone.

Shu Chang was just reporting to him about Liu Yifei's audition; it had already started, the location was in the gymnasium, and she and Han Jia'nu were both watching the fun on the side.

"Speak, I knew you couldn't have come to visit the set today if you didn't have anything to do." Lin Nan teased, and then made a "please" gesture.

"It's like this, Alibaba Pictures released news that their *Once Upon a Time* can be packaged and sold externally in the form of a 2 billion box office guarantee..."

There, with just this sentence, Lin Nan guessed what Wang Changtian wanted to say. Alibaba Pictures threw an unusually tempting bait to the film distribution industry, and Enlight Media was eager to try.

"... You know, it's already the 3 billion box office era, and this is a big IP, and even the previous TV series laid an unparalleled audience and fan base for the film..."

Looking at Wang Changtian, who was talking eloquently and getting more and more excited, Lin Nan was speechless to the extreme, and he forcibly interrupted the other party's words:

"The prerequisites you mentioned are all correct, and the film does have its own advantages. But I also said a long time ago: if I were to do it, I would make it into two or three films!

Only in this way can my statement 'can guarantee at least 1.5 billion box office is no problem, 2 billion or even higher is not impossible' hold true.

In addition, I will emphasize again, I can guarantee that every part will have such a box office!

However, let's not talk about making it into three parts; even if I make it into two parts, upper and lower, each part will be at least a 150-minute to 160-minute long film, this is the minimum requirement.

So, Chairman Wang, how do you think Alibaba Pictures' approach of mixing the whole story of 'Once Upon a Time' into one film will succeed? With this kind of mess, is the plot coherent?

Incoherent and jumpy plots, who can understand? New audiences won't understand and will naturally scold, and old fans will definitely not accept large-scale plot cuts... How can this be played? I'm afraid even those veteran fans and die-hard fans will complain and scold..."

Lin Nan finished speaking, and Wang Changtian was also "pushed" into silence. There were no other people around the two of them for a long time; the crew members all hid away, hiding far away, because the two big shots were arguing.

A moment later, Wang Changtian spoke, his tone very serious: "What you said is indeed very reasonable, very reasonable.

But you have been busy from the *Dying to Survive* set to the *The Wandering Earth* set these few months; you don't know how optimistic the market is about this film.

No one is not optimistic about it, and the TV version also has a considerable amount of credit for it! In other words, to a certain extent, you have also been used as 'help' by Alibaba Pictures.

Because this is the copyright bought from your company, and you have clearly boasted, and your company helped Red Star Dock film the hit TV version... These have all been used as promotional materials by Alibaba Pictures, and the market and the industry are looking forward to it..."

Good guy, Lin Nan was speechless instantly; he was stunned to the point of speechlessness!

Alibaba Pictures not only listened to only half of what was said, but also took this half out as a promotional gimmick for the film? They are really laymen who came in from the internet industry!

"Hehe, worthy of being Alibaba Pictures, worthy of being the 'internet capital crocodile' that vows to 'subvert' the traditional film and television industry!"

Lin Nan really couldn't help laughing, he looked directly at Wang Changtian and warned seriously again:

"I've said what I should say, and the only advice for Enlight Media is: don't touch Alibaba Pictures' *Once Upon a Time*, stay far away, stay as far away as possible!"

"I... Alright, I'll listen to you."

Seeing Lin Nan's unusually firm tone and attitude, Wang Changtian opened his mouth and finally dispelled the thought he had been stubborn about for several days. Between the company's market department and Lin Nan, he chose to believe the latter.

After Old Wang left the *The Wandering Earth* set with his people, Lin Nan didn't ask Shu Chang about Liu Yifei's audition again, but took the whole crew to continue filming and catch up on progress...

In addition, the time for the crew's first shutdown and rest was also set, with a holiday on the afternoon of the 27th, and the time is three days from the 28th to the 30th. After that, starting from Children's Day, do the final wrap-up!

From the 22nd to the 25th, for four consecutive days, the *The Wandering Earth* crew had already entered a state of turning a deaf ear to things outside the window and working continuously from top to bottom!

And on the morning of the 26th, while *Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales* officially landed in theaters nationwide, the entire film and television industry also held a melon-eating mentality and watched a lively scene already set for the New Year's Eve slot:

"In the early hours of today, which is past 6:00 PM Cannes time last night, producer Chen Hong accepted an interview with the Movie Channel and announced the specific release date of *Legend of the Demon Cat* for the first time, which is December 22nd for the New Year's Eve slot..."

"Happy Mahua released an announcement: The film *Never Say Die* was sent for review this morning, and after discussion with Red Star Dock, it was decided that the film will be officially scheduled for December 16th to compete for the New Year's Eve slot!"

"As of now, the first half of the year is coming to an end, and the New Year's Eve slot has already welcomed two commercial blockbusters, *Never Say Die* and *Legend of the Demon Cat*, fighting head-on, and both have strong market box office appeal... Looking forward to more blockbusters being scheduled for New Year's Eve..."

"Written and directed by Gordon Chan, starring Zhao Wenzhuo, Sammo Hung, Hong Tianming, Wu Yue, Wan Qian, Yasuaki Kurata, and others, the historical war film *God of War* held its premiere ceremony in Beijing today;

Bona Chairman Yu Dong stated on the spot that he hopes *God of War* can also be like *Ip Man 4*, continuing and extending the box office success of domestic films in May..."

"*Never Say Die* VS *Legend of the Demon Cat*! I don't know what mood and mentality Director Chen, who is far away in Cannes, will have after knowing this?"

Shu Chang tilted her head and smiled ill-intentionedly. On the side was Liu Yifei, who was lying lazily on the sofa with a facial mask.

Han Jia'nu didn't come today; it seems that *A Cool Fish* is about to be finished, and she is working overtime to catch up, and still has to do the final proofreading work.

"Before the film is released, Director Chen and Producer Chen must have a confident mentality. This is also the most basic mentality of all big directors, that is, always full of confidence and affirmation in their own works!"

Liu Yifei didn't even want to open her eyes, and responded to Shu Chang's question like this.

"Xixi, your heart is really big. After the audition that day, what exactly did Disney mean? They didn't give a clear statement, and just set the second round of auditions like this? How many times do you have to audition?"

Shu Chang puffed her cheeks and cut to the chase. She and Han Jia'nu had been pondering this matter for the past few days, inexplicably.

"What do you mean? Haven't we already entered the second round? What else could it mean? Of course, it's to continue to pass the hurdles, just like 'Mulan' in the story!"

Miss Liu's tone carried confidence and decisiveness, not impatient at all, appearing very calm.

Suddenly, she recited *Ballad of Mulan* with interest: "Ten thousand miles on the war machine, crossing mountains like flying. The northern air transmits the golden clapper, the cold light shines on the iron clothes. The general dies in a hundred battles, the strong man returns in ten years..."

"Changchang?"

"Hmm? What's wrong? You recited it quite well, it sounds quite imposing." Shu Chang smiled and asked.

"Lin Nan said that Disney's *Mulan* can be written based on *Ballad of Mulan*. *Ballad of Mulan* can be used as the main outline of the script story, and then expanded into a pure-blooded ancient costume, action, war blockbuster!

Just tell the story of Hua Mulan from a daughter at home to joining the army for her father, then year after year, overcoming difficulties and obstacles, fighting in the desert for a hundred battles in the army... until a general is finally made, growing into a female general. The main line of the script can span several years or even ten years, or even more than ten years... fill in friendship, family affection, love in the middle... but these are all side lines, and it is best to end in tragedy, after all, a general is made of ten thousand bones..."

Liu Yifei opened her eyes, and her watery dark eyes were shining; she looked at Shu Chang and said with a smile.

As a best friend for more than ten years, at this very moment, how could Shu Chang not hear the meaning in Liu Yifei's words.

She opened her mouth slightly in shock, and her voice was a bit stuttering: "My brother, he, he wants to talk to Disney about this? Talk about the script? He, he..."

"Lin Nan never trusts the scripts of Hollywood big factories. He said that Hollywood screenwriters can hardly write scripts with historical weight, because their own history is almost zero, so naturally it is impossible to do a good job with the *Mulan* script... but Hollywood's global distribution capability is something we don't have domestically..."

Liu Yifei smiled and answered the question, but she was also answering. And, she really hoped Lin Nan could succeed.

"If Lin Nan really succeeds, then I can be a female general for once. Hmm, personally experience the feeling of leading thousands or even tens of thousands of troops, hehe."

"If you put it that way, then I'm also looking forward to it!" Shu Chang muttered with bright eyes. A female general, indeed, is a role that classmate Liu Xixi is very eager to try.

She usually looks gentle and is a lady of a big family, but her inner strength and resilience are not to be underestimated, and occasionally she is so violent!

Suddenly, Shu Chang remembered another thing, she pouted at Liu Yifei and complained:

"But Disney's audition is really too difficult. You are perverted enough to do 40 pull-ups at once, and you can lift dozens of pounds of dumbbells so many times... They actually said it's only ordinary excellence?

And said something like if they decide on you, you have to continue to strengthen training, and invite a professional team to train for more than half a year? What equestrian requirements, swordsmanship requirements, archery proficiency, close combat fighting..."

"Xixi, if you really train like this, Han Jia'nu and I really won't dare to play with you anymore. No, I'm starting to worry about Lin Nan now, he will be beaten to death by you..."

Looking at Shu Chang's worried look, Liu Yifei couldn't stop laughing instantly.

She curled up on the sofa holding her stomach, almost laughing out of breath, and pointed at her best friend with a trembling hand: "So you guys better be honest in front of me, don't force me to do it! Haha..."

"Sigh, Lin Nan... my brother is really pitiful, marrying you." Shu Chang pretended to be resentful and sighed for Lin Nan.

"... Achoo..."

On the *The Wandering Earth* set, after Director Lin sneezed a few times, he took the opportunity to shout "Cut".

"Director Lin, Chairman Ren is here to visit the set."

"Another one who doesn't visit without a reason!" Lin Nan smiled and walked toward the outside of the studio.