Chapter 119: Launch and Release

Johnny Depp has been a bit anxious recently. He has read the original script of *Milk*, but Sean Penn's revelations must have put the crew in an awkward position.

The Milk in the original script and the Milk in Sean Penn's revelations don't look like the same person—one is upright, the other is despicable and shameless. How can this be shot?

Especially as Tim Robbins followed up with revelations, Johnny Depp once felt that this film definitely couldn't be shot.

However, to his surprise, the crew also followed up by exposing a large amount of information unfavorable to Milk. Under mutual verification, things seemed even more real.

This shouldn't be. Did the crew have internal strife?

Before Johnny Depp could figure it out, he received the new script.

Compared with the original script, except for the male lead still being Milk, the plot and the core of the film had no similarities at all.

The main theme of the new script became satirizing politicians. In order to achieve their goals, they can change their political views at any time, even if they are extremely disgusted in their hearts, it doesn't affect their changes at all.

Milk, from beginning to end, is a person who hates and despises gays, but in order to win the election and win votes, he can pretend to be the gay he hates most and run around for the things he wanted to suppress before.

This is a dirty politician.

The whole film is mercilessly satirizing conservatives. Even Milk, this "radical," has a conservative core.

To play this character well, it requires very great tension.

This was Johnny Depp's first thought.

To play this character well, an Oscar nomination for Best Actor is definitely in the bag.

This was Johnny Depp's immediate second thought.

As long as this film is shot well, it really has a chance to win an award!

Johnny Depp was excited. As an art-house type, who doesn't want to win an award to prove their acting skills? His biggest regret is that he hasn't won a significant award yet.

Must shoot it well.

Then, Johnny Depp thought that Cao Yang is a person who has produced three Best Actresses in three films and is famous for being good at coaching actors. Should he ask him for advice in advance?

So, Johnny Depp didn't hesitate to call Cao Yang, saying he wanted to play the character well and what he should do.

Cao Yang thought for a while and told Depp, "You come over every afternoon. I'll set aside time to talk to you about the play. As long as you follow my requirements, it won't be difficult to make the character shine."

It was the same old routine. Cao Yang set aside time every day to talk to Depp about the play, the core of the film, what the film mainly wanted to express, what effect he wanted, and then let him read the script himself and write a character biography.

The film was advancing in an orderly manner, but it was very lively outside.

Fox News, a media outlet that originally leaned toward the Conservative Party, initially had the idea of "killing" a flag of the left wing, watching the jokes, and watching the fun.

Unexpectedly, under the promotion of people with intentions, the spearhead turned toward the President instead, and it became more and more intense.

Cao Yang didn't care about these storms caused by him. The film had basically finished preparation and was about to start shooting.

At the same time, *Secret Sunshine* began to be released on a large scale in China.

Cao Yang was going to start shooting in a few days and definitely couldn't go back, so he recorded a video in advance to be played at the premiere.

What caused heated discussion was that although Cao Yang didn't come, the three international Best Actresses he had produced appeared together at the premiere, causing media to scramble to take photos.

There were still many people interested in the film that produced the first Cannes Best Actress. International Zhang has been particularly annoyed recently. Gao Yuanyuan's rise is one of the stars who can be said to have been affected.

In the past, there weren't many choices for those big-name endorsements. There were only a few domestic actresses with great international fame. Whether it was a little bit of negotiation with them or discussing treatment, it was a simple matter.

But it's not working now.

First, there was that damn Berlin Best Actress Li Xiaoran. At that time, International Zhang adapted to the situation and took the opportunity to hype up a "Great Qingyi" to shake off the few Huadan who wanted to bind themselves to her.

Then came Venice Best Actress Yu Feihong. International Zhang was so angry that her teeth itched. She could only grit her teeth and continue to hype up the so-called "Three Great Qingyi," hard-headed to join in and bind herself to the two international Best Actresses.

For this reason, she was mocked by many people on the Internet, saying she was thick-skinned and hadn't won a single important award after debuting for so long.

International Zhang was so angry that she could only bite the bullet and throw out the Best Actress award proof from the 2000 Hundred Flowers Awards to prove that she was also a Best Actress.

Then, the mockery became even more fierce. Others are international Best Actresses from the European Big Three, and you are a Hundred Flowers Best Actress. This gap is a bit big...

How are you embarrassed to bind yourself to others!

International Zhang didn't respond. Anyway, everyone is a Best Actress, and I am also a Great Qingyi!

She actually has many awards won internationally in her hands, mostly Best Supporting Actress, but the credibility of those awards is not as good as the Hundred Flowers, so she didn't take them out to attract mockery.

What made International Zhang crack the most was that Gao Yuanyuan, a small-time player with almost no acting skills to speak of, actually won the Cannes Best Actress!

This is the first one in China, and its influence is even greater than the previous two Best Actresses.

What to do now?

She and her agency urgently thought of countermeasures. They couldn't keep hyping up the "Four Great Qingyi," right?

In the end, they couldn't discuss a better countermeasure, so they could only find another way. Let's hype up the "Four Great Qingyi," but we won't focus on the awards; we'll focus on the box office!

I am the one with the highest box office among the Four Great Qingyi!

!

My *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* has a global box office of over 200 million. What do you have to compare with me!

Fine, there are quite a few points to complain about here. You are already a Great Qingyi, and you are embarrassed to mention the box office? Isn't Great Qingyi known for acting skills?

I just mention the box office. I am the one with the highest box office among the Great Qingyi, and my acting skills are also recognized as good. What can you do?

Her high box office is a fact. Although she was complained about, she finally succeeded in binding and didn't fall behind.

The levels of domestic actresses became the Four Great Qingyi, followed by the Three Great Huadan.

Now Cao Yang has gone to Hollywood and can't produce people for the time being, which makes many actresses feel lost. So, those who think they are qualified have set their sights on the Three Great Huadan.

"Three Great Huadan" doesn't sound good. "Four Great Qingyi" and "Four Great Huadan" are reasonable.

International Zhang is actually very unconvinced by Gao Yuanyuan in her heart, and also very curious: how did a person with mediocre acting skills transform in such a short time?

So, as soon as *Secret Sunshine* was released, she bought a ticket for the first time, preparing to see this romance film that many people were looking forward to.

Yes, everyone is still spreading that this is a sweet romance film.

International Zhang also heard from friends who knew some inside information that this is not a typical romance film and might be different from the "mutual love" you imagine.

In short, the friend said mysteriously that this film is absolutely worth watching, and you should be prepared to be "sweetened."

"What kind of romance film haven't I seen? A romance film winning so many big awards—I want to see how it was done!"

Until the film started, International Zhang still felt that this should be a slightly perverted romance film; otherwise, how could a romance film win big awards?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 120 =====