Chapter 134

Li Xiaoran was very angry.

After missing out on Zhang Yimou's first commercial film because he invited her but she ultimately missed it, Old Mouzi once said: "Because the pressure to break even on 'Hero' is high, I had no choice but to choose International Zhang; you are the first choice for the next film."

You have to know that at that time, Li Xiaoran didn't intend to appear in 'Hero'; it was an invitation issued by Old Mouzi himself, but the crew hyped up the competition for the role between Li Xiaoran and International Zhang.

When the heat rose, they chose International Zhang and didn't use Li Xiaoran.

Li Xiaoran thought Old Mouzi would keep his word, but she didn't expect that when preparing for the second commercial film, the female lead was chosen as Hong Kong's Anita Mui at the first opportunity.

Just when Li Xiaoran was disappointed, Zhang Weiping repeated the old trick and released news that there was another female lead in the script, intending to choose between International Zhang and Li Xiaoran.

Li Xiaoran was so angry.

I've become a tool for you to hype up hot topics, right?

I've already been fooled once last time; do you think I'll be fooled twice by the same trick?

Times are different now.

At that time, in order to raise each other's status, I cooperated with the hype, but now?

Three of the Four Dan Actresses have won international best actress awards, and you're the only one without a major award. Why are you still tied to me for hype?

Consequently, in a reporter interview, Li Xiaoran didn't indulge him directly.

The reporter asked: "Director Zhang Yimou's latest commercial blockbuster is said to start filming in September. Producer Zhang Weiping said that they intend to choose the other female lead between you and International Zhang. Is this the case?"

Li Xiaoran gathered her hair and said with a smile: "There's no such thing. Don't listen to Zhang Weiping's nonsense; he's just doing it for hype. I respect Director Zhang very much; he is a remarkable director, but I won't appear in this film of his."

Reporters, of course, like to stir up trouble, so they asked again: "Zhang Weiping said that he is prepared to invite International Zhang, while Director Zhang intends to invite you, so the two of them had a dispute and had a big argument. It seems a bit different from what you said."

"Haha, isn't this rhetoric very familiar? When Director Zhang's previous film 'Hero' was made, Zhang Weiping also said the same thing."

Li Xiaoran was itching with hatred in her heart, but she still had a smile on her face.

She continued: "I solemnly declare again that I will not appear in this film of Director Zhang. I hope Zhang Weiping can let me go and stop using Ziyi and me for hype. Putting more of this effort into the film is much better than hype."

The reporter continued to stir up trouble: "International Zhang said she is not afraid of competing with you; she was able to defeat you last time, and she will definitely be able to do so this time."

Li Xiaoran was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Ziyi's competitive spirit is indeed strong, and her acting skills are also very good. I like Ziyi very much, but there is one thing I still want to say: I think Ziyi has taken the wrong path."

"Like her, always spinning around in commercial films, when will she be able to win an international major award? Of the so-called Four Dan Actresses selected by media friends, only Ziyi has no international major award."

"Ziyi, you have to work hard; don't always indulge in the vanity of how much box office you have. Make sure not to take a detour; art is the greatest pursuit for us actors."

Pfft, vulgar woman, still wanting to suppress me!

After seeing the news report, International Zhang was so angry that she almost threw her phone. Wasn't it just that she said she defeated you when she accepted an interview last time? Do you have to use awards to mock me in front of the media?

Pfft, vulgar woman. I also have a Hundred Flowers Best Actress, okay!

At this moment, International Zhang's heart to win an international best actress award was even stronger. She didn't want to keep talking about the box office, and she was even less willing to be forced into a corner and say that she also had a Hundred Flowers Best Actress.

In this era, any actress with a little pursuit hopes to use awards to speak, and mentioning the box office is really a very vulgar thing.

Zhang Weiping must have seen the report too. He originally thought about using Li Xiaoran and International Zhang for hype, thinking that both of them should be very happy about it, but he didn't expect Li Xiaoran to be unwilling.

What an ungrateful woman.

Then the reporter interviewed Zhang Weiping on what he thought of Li Xiaoran's words.

Zhang Weiping said unceremoniously: "What we are going to film is an industrial blockbuster, an epoch-making work that will subvert the domestic film market. Li Xiaoran is not in my consideration at all; she just has the title of best actress, and I won't choose her."

The reporter might have felt that stirring up the conflict between him and Li Xiaoran was boring, so he asked: "As far as I know, Cao Dao Yang is also preparing a commercial blockbuster. What do you think of this?"

The reporter secretly hoped: "You are the famous Zhang Dazuiba; I've provided you with the hot spot for hype, it just depends on whether you dare to hype it."

Sure enough, Zhang Dazuiba was silent for a moment, then held his head high and said directly: "Cao Dao Yang might be very good at filming women, but this is a commercial blockbuster with an investment of over 100 million, not children playing house. I advise him to go back and continue filming big heroine movies."

The reporter was so excited; sure enough, the most worth looking forward to was still Zhang Dazuiba.

!

"Producer Zhang, let me remind you, Cao Dao Yang's 'Milk' is said to be a man's play, and it even won the Cannes Palme d'Or. Cao Dao doesn't just know how to film women."

The reporter reminded him "kindly".

Zhang Weiping glanced at the reporter and said in a tone without any waves: "Did 'Milk' win Best Actor? No. His first three films all won Best Actress, but this one didn't win Best Actor, so he only knows how to film women's plays; he can't film men's plays."

Since when is not winning Best Actor considered not good?

Is the industry standard so high now?

Filming women's plays requires winning Best Actress, and filming men's plays requires winning Best Actor?

The reporter thought to himself: "You're being unreasonable. Cao Dao's film even won the Palme d'Or, and you actually say he doesn't know how to film men's plays?"

"You've raised the industry standard?"

But the reporter wouldn't correct him. He estimated that Zhang Dazuiba wasn't a fool; how could he not know what the concept of winning the Palme d'Or was?

Zhang Dazuiba wanted controversy. Since he couldn't hype International Zhang and Li Xiaoran, he would personally enter the fray, create controversy, and hype up the film's heat first.

In fact, don't blame Zhang Dazuiba for his unscrupulous means. Although the box office of Old Mouzi's previous 'Hero' was high, it really didn't make much money.

Mentioning this, Zhang Weiping was so angry. That son of a bitch Harvey Weinstein bought the North American distribution rights for 'Hero' and kept dragging it out without releasing it. Who knows when the fuck he'll drag it out to!

He had urged him many times and ran over to talk many times, but the answer was always that the timing wasn't mature. Mature your grandmother's leg!

What a piece of shit!

This time, 'House of Flying Daggers' claimed an investment of 240 million externally, and the pressure to break even was truly shockingly large, which is why Zhang Weiping would try every means to increase the film's heat and exposure.

As for whether he would offend Cao Yang, he estimated that the other party would also be happy to hype it, right? He was acting crazy and stupid, saying that a film that won the Palme d'Or wasn't good, wasn't that just to cause controversy?

As long as he could increase the film's box office, he was willing to keep being a "Zhang Dazuiba".

(End of chapter)