Chapter 202: Scheduling Clash

After Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* unexpectedly won the Venice big award, Huayi and Columbia Film Company (Asia) began to panic.

Even more panicked than them was the director of the film they invested in, Lu Chuan.

A very coincidental thing is that Lu Chuan's new film *Kekexili* was also scheduled to be released on October 1st long ago.

At that time, this decision was made by Huayi, Columbia, and Director Lu Chuan together.

Nowadays, the domestic film market is not good, and there are only a few good schedules. The best ones are still the summer vacation schedule and the He Sui schedule.

In the summer vacation schedule, there is Zhang Yimou's *House of Flying Daggers*. Because *Hero* exploded last year, neither Lu Chuan nor Huayi had the courage to touch Zhang Yimou.

But what about the He Sui schedule?

Huayi's trump card, Xiao Gangpao, has basically locked the He Sui schedule in recent years. This year's *A World Without Thieves* was also decided to be scheduled for the He Sui schedule long ago.

What's more, this year's He Sui schedule also has Zhou Xingxing's *Kung Fu*. This film is also invested by Huayi, Columbia Film Company (Asia), and China Film Group.

Even if Huayi and Columbia let Lu Chuan schedule for the He Sui schedule, does he dare to survive in the cracks?

So after thinking about it, everyone decided unanimously at the time: just go to National Day.

Although Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* was also scheduled for National Day early, this is Cao Yang's first commercial film after all. Who knows what he can shoot.

What's more, Lu Chuan's film *Kekexili* is an art-house film. It looks like it doesn't conflict with Cao Yang's commercial film. If Cao Yang fails, maybe he can fight with Cao Yang for the box office.

The reason they have such confidence is, of course, the box office of Lu Chuan's previous film *The Missing Gun*.

In 2002, Lu Chuan's film debut *The Missing Gun* won a box office of 9 million in the country, and was bought by Columbia for a high price of 1.5 million USD for overseas copyright.

Although there is Jiang Wen's reason in this, everyone thought at the time that Lu Chuan definitely contributed a lot.

Many people also think that he is another potential academic director who appeared in the country after Cao Yang.

It is the kind that has great potential to become a great director.

This is also the reason why Huayi and Columbia value Lu Chuan.

This year's National Day schedule has not only Cao Yang, but also Wang Jiawei and his *2046*, which he shot for more than four years. They also announced the schedule for National Day early, premiering on September 28th.

However, the confident *2046* went to Cannes, and then it was nothing.

Since *2046* didn't win an award in Cannes, Lu Chuan and Huayi really didn't fear Wang Jiawei.

Look at Wang Jiawei's box office performance in the past ten years. Almost every film's box office has flopped.

*Chungking Express* and *Ashes of Time* from further away, *Happy Together* and *In the Mood for Love* from closer, these few films didn't have a box office of over 10 million in the country.

Who is Lu Chuan? That is the "genius" whose first film could get a box office of 9 million. He definitely won't put Wang Jiawei in his eyes.

Actually, the reason why Huayi and Columbia can have such confidence to touch Cao Yang is because of another thing.

Huayi and Columbia watched Lu Chuan's *Kekexili* and felt it was shot well. Lu Chuan also confidently expressed that if domestic directors want to win awards at the three major European festivals this year, they still have to look at my Lu Chuan.

Venice Film Festival, I am coming!

The Venice Film Festival said, don't come...

Lu Chuan signed up for the main competition section full of confidence. When the Venice Film Festival announced the list of films entering the main competition section, everyone looked: hey, where is Lu Chuan?

At that time, he was grand and high-profile in front of the media, and he was very confident. His emotions also infected the media, making the media feel that *Kekexili* absolutely had the qualifications to be shortlisted for the Venice main competition section.

Watching another art-house director rise in the country...

Then the thing that made Huayi and Columbia embarrassed came. The *Kekexili*, which they thought was a good art-house film, didn't even enter the Venice main competition section.

The *Painted Skin*, which they thought was a commercial film, actually won Best Director and Best Technical Contribution Award!

*Painted Skin* transformed and became an experimental film with art-house film attributes!

This became a direct competitor to *Kekexili*. What to do?

Change the schedule?

Temporarily withdraw the film?

Huayi and Columbia's promotion money has been spent, and it will be released in more than ten days. If the film is withdrawn, not only will the promotion money be wasted, but the audience will also be teased. Temporarily withdrawing the film is a bit unrealistic.

Lu Chuan gritted his teeth, go up if you want. But change the strategy.

Isn't it just Cao Yang?

He is not invincible. Besides, an experimental film, how can it be so easy to succeed?

If he can suppress Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* at the box office, who dares to say that I am not a great director?

Fight for it, the bicycle becomes a motorcycle!

Win and go to the club for young models...

Huayi's Boss Wang will definitely arrange it properly.

!

He accepted an interview before the film was released.

"... Actually, not only vulgar things have commerciality, but individuality can also have commercial tendencies. And in our era, those commercial things are often individual, just high-end and low-end are different.

*Kekexili* is not an art-house film. This film is about life and survival. It is worth watching. It has enough commerciality.

How to combine commerciality and artistry? This is a long exploration process, just like Van Gogh, using a lifetime of pain and struggle to find ideals..."

Lu Chuan's statement is very interesting.

There are two meanings in this.

One is to say that *Kekexili* is not an art-house film, but a sufficiently commercial film (this is really what he said himself in reality).

It's really too funny. Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* promotes itself as an experimental art-house film!

Lu Chuan, for the sake of the box office, said that his *Kekexili* is a commercial film!

Reality is so magical.

Lu Chuan's second meaning is to satirize Cao Yang, saying that Van Gogh has to spend a lifetime seeking the combination of commerciality and artistry. Who do you think you are, Cao Yang, to dare to engage in any balance between commercialization and artisticization?

Then, just after Lu Chuan finished the interview and was reported, Xiao Gangpao was unhappy.

My *A World Without Thieves* has also been claiming that this film has achieved a balance between commercialization and artisticization, and it was also labeled by the media, saying that it was influenced by Cao Yang to do so.

Thinking of this, Xiao Gangpao was angry.

Dog-day Lu Chuan, you don't look at Cao Yang who won the Venice Best Director, then what am I? Now even a small broken director is bullying me!

Spray him!

"Some people can't achieve the balance between commercialization and artisticization, and have to say that their film is a commercial film. I don't understand, you are an academic director, how can you have the face to say this.

You can't achieve balance because of your ability problem, it doesn't mean others can't do it.

Taking a step back, even if you can't do it, so what? Director Cao Yang and I at least dare to try, there must be someone to be a pioneer.

People who are conservative and dare not try bravely are really contemptible!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 203 =====