Chapter 293: Getting serious

For the domestic premiere of *Inception*, Han Zong of China Film Group once discussed with Cao Yang whether to hold a grand non-traditional premiere.

The so-called non-traditional is like *Hero* and *The Promise*, spending 20 or 30 million, inviting some big-name guests, and using public opinion and gimmicks to create suspense to promote the film.

Cao Yang said it was unnecessary. The production cost of 1.5 billion is the biggest promotional gimmick, and there is no need to engage in fancy things at all.

In addition, the two words "Cao Yang" are also one of the biggest guarantees for the audience to walk into the theater.

Han Zong thought it was right, so he didn't engage in fancy things. Let's follow the tradition and invite some film critics and familiar stars to hold a grand traditional premiere ceremony.

Domestic actors, including actors from Xiangjiang and Taiwan developing in the country, all racked their brains and used all means, just to be able to attend the premiere ceremony. One is for Cao Yang's status and influence, and the other is pure curiosity.

Therefore, on the red carpet of the premiere ceremony, the media were eye-opening. This is more than the stars who came to various film festivals.

I don't know what means Zhang Ziyi used, but during this period, the domestic media didn't mention much about letting her "return" to the ranks of the Four Huadan.

Maybe it was Fan Bingbing's continuous drafts that made her a member of the Four Huadan, so there was no place for Zhang Ziyi. Can't the Four Huadan have five people?

Maybe it was because Zhang Ziyi had two Hundred Flowers Best Actress awards and one Golden Rooster Best Actress award in her hands, and also won the Xiangjiang Film Award Best Actress, plus a lot of foreign "wild" Best Actress awards, so she barely entered the threshold of the Four Qingyi?

Who knows.

Therefore, five people from the Four Qingyi came to the premiere tonight.

Since it is a traditional premiere, it is the old set. Six Princesses broadcast it live, and the director, actors, and representative staff went on stage to talk about the filming.

In the interview session, Cao Yang said, you should interview the actors more. What is there to interview me, a behind-the-scenes person?

As a result, almost all reporters aimed at Leonardo DiCaprio, making everyone else a foil.

Alright, Leonardo DiCaprio's popularity is not comparable to Wu Qihua and Fan Bingbing. Even if Fan Bingbing was dressed very stunningly today, it was the same, everyone wanted to interview Leonardo DiCaprio.

Fortunately, "insiders" were arranged in advance, and two questions were asked to Wu Qihua and Fan Bingbing, avoiding embarrassment.

Feng Xiaogang came with his wife Xu Fan. While reporters were scrambling to interview Leonardo DiCaprio, he said to Xu Fan with incomparable envy:

"Cao's kid is amazing now. Leonardo DiCaprio is willing to play a supporting role. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be like this. Depp shouldn't have more influence than Leonardo DiCaprio, right?"

"What supporting role? Isn't it written very clearly? That's called a special starring role, which belongs to a guest nature."

Xu Fan corrected.

She rolled her eyes at Feng Xiaogang and whispered: "How do you know Depp doesn't have more influence than Leonardo DiCaprio? It's just like this in the country. Depp has won the Oscar for Best Actor for two consecutive years. His status in the film and television circle is definitely higher than Leonardo DiCaprio, who has no big awards. Isn't it the same in the country and Europe? Those who have big awards despise those who have small awards, and those who have small awards despise those who have no awards..."

Then, she noticed Feng Xiaogang's face getting more and more embarrassed, pursed her lips, and stopped talking.

Feng Xiaogang brought it into his own situation again. He is the object of contempt in the circle.

"Watch, watch the movie."

Feng Xiaogang said in a dull voice.

At this time, the interview session ended, and it entered the final film screening session, and the live broadcast of Six Princesses also ended.

The story of *Inception* is very simple.

The male lead played by Depp, entrusted by the employer played by Wu Qihua, leads his partners to plant an idea in the dream of the employer's competitor, the rich second generation played by Leonardo DiCaprio, to make him destroy his father's foundation.

In order to do this business well, Depp takes his dream-stealing team layer by layer into the dream of this rich second generation, and builds real scenes such as cities, hotels, snow, and the sea in each layer of his dreams, so that the implanted person cannot feel that this is a dream.

A very simple story, but it took two and a half hours to finish telling it.

During this period, when the Paris city area and the distant streets began to flip like origami, not only did the two people in the film show unbelievable expressions, but the premiere scene also constantly emitted exclamations and sighs.

"Holy crap..."

Alright, when domestic people are shocked, they mostly like to use this modal particle to express their inner unrest.

"Damn, it can still be like this?"

Feng Xiaogang couldn't help but exclaim, couldn't help but widen his eyes, and looked at the screen in the film in a daze.

Zhang Yimou also came today.

Since being appointed as the general director of the Olympics in April, he has to be busy with the planning of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and also busy with his *Curse of the Golden Flower*.

Coming over today, one is to see what Cao Yang's real blockbuster has been shot into, and the other is to relax his tense nerves.

At this time, seeing the city that began to fold like paper in the picture, he couldn't help but sit up from his lazy state. This film looks even more imaginative than he imagined.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong also came. They sat together.

At this time, Old Chen couldn't help but sit up straight. In his idea, this kind of film with an investment of 180 million US dollars, for the sake of the box office, can only be shot into a commercial blockbuster, weakening the story and core as much as possible, with visual expression as the main focus.

He now has a deep understanding of the pressure of the box office.

*The Promise* only cost 300 million, and he didn't dare to explore human nature too deeply in the film, so he could only try to be as much and as messy as possible, and he had to work hard on the picture. What about *Inception* with an investment of 1.5 billion?

Who would have thought that Cao Yang did work hard on the vision, but this vision is a bit different from the vision he imagined. This kind of whimsical innovation made him feel a bit inferior.

"Ah..."

Sister Hong covered her mouth and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. However, her exclamation was not abrupt, because everyone was surprised by this creativity.

She couldn't help but look at Cao Yang not far away. This guy is not only energetic and has amazing endurance... but also constantly innovative, which is indeed very powerful!

As the plot progressed, everyone stared wide-eyed, focused on the film, afraid that if they were slightly distracted, they would not understand the following plot.

Two and a half hours is very long.

Two and a half hours is also very short.

When *Inception* finished screening and the lights in the auditorium turned on, almost everyone present sat in their seats in a daze, gazing at the silver screen, not looking at the rising subtitles, but recalling what had happened just now.

"That spinning top never stopped, right? So did it return to reality?"

I don't know who suddenly said this, and the voice sounded very abrupt in the quiet auditorium.

Everyone then returned to reality in a trance.

So the applause was thunderous.

Lingering for a long time!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 294 =====

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