Chapter 307: Candidates

*Pieta* is about to be set up, Old Tian is very excited.

*Pieta* is set up, Old Tian is nervous and uneasy again.

He even despises himself a bit. How old is he, and it's not like he hasn't been popular before. Back then, he was also one of the "Three Heroes of Beijing Film Academy" on the mainland along with Old Mouzi and Chen Kaige.

But he just couldn't help worrying.

He was very worried about gains and losses.

He knew that Cao Yang intended to use this film to help him impact the Venice Golden Lion.

Ten years of being banned made Old Tian's spirituality in filming disappear a lot, but his vision was still there.

He knew very well that as long as he could present the story in the script, with Cao Yang and Marco Müller, there was absolutely hope to compete for the biggest award at Venice next year.

This is the best opportunity for him to turn over.

With the Golden Lion, Tian Zhuangzhuang can still be called the "Three Heroes of Beijing Film Academy" in the country along with Old Mouzi and Chen Kaige.

But precisely because he knew these things, he was nervous and uneasy.

People are like this.

"Do you have any suitable candidates for the male and female leads?"

Old Tian asked Cao Yang.

Hong Kong's Edko Films, China Film Group, and Old Tian discussed that this film is prepared to be filmed in Hong Kong, and according to the minimum requirements of the Hong Kong Film Awards, hire enough minimum number of staff so that they can achieve something at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

For this proposal, Cao Yang had nothing to oppose. It would be good to get a Hong Kong Film Award for Old Tian. He didn't need this, but Old Tian really needed to "decorate" his facade.

The most important thing is that if *Lust, Caution* is really filmed, it will definitely participate in the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards. At that time, Old Tian can be allowed to compete.

"You can choose the female lead from female stars around 60 years old in Hong Kong. They are just around 45 years old, and it is very suitable to dress up a little and play the female lead."

Cao Yang thought for a while and only thought of a few, such as Kara Wai, Cherie Chung, Rosamund Kwan, and Veronica Yip.

"I am not very familiar with Hong Kong female stars in this age group. You should be very familiar with them. As long as you think the character fits the female lead positioning, you can choose."

After discussing, a few people decided to let the female lead, that is, the role of the male lead's surface mother, be played by a Hong Kong female star, while the male lead would be chosen from the mainland.

This is also the reason why Cao Yang said to let Old Tian handle it himself. He had very little contact with these older Hong Kong female stars and was not very familiar with them.

"What do you mean I should be very familiar with them? Why am I familiar with them? It seems like I don't pay attention to Hong Kong female stars in their forties for no reason."

Old Tian muttered, but don't say, as a Fifth Generation director, he is definitely much more familiar with female stars in this age group than Cao Yang.

"Do you have any requirements for this character?"

Old Tian asked again.

"The acting must be very good; this is the most critical point."

Cao Yang emphasized that this character must have very good tension performance and is the key character of the whole play, the eye of the play. Whether it is hesitation, charm, warmth, or weirdness, it must be expressed.

Otherwise, this film would lose its taste and lack the persuasiveness of the reversal.

If Cao Yang were filming this film, he wouldn't be afraid of using a vase, nor would he be afraid of the female lead having no acting skills. As long as the female lead's acting skills are not particularly outrageous, the immersive experience can be easily handled.

Old Tian didn't have this ability and could only choose female actors with good acting skills.

Especially female actors of this age, they are all over forty. If the acting skills haven't come out yet, then it can almost be certain that this person is an old vase and has no plasticity.

"Are there any other requirements?" Old Tian asked again.

He was also considering who to send audition invitations to.

This is a film for him to turn over, so he asked Cao Yang tirelessly.

"Looks like a virtuous wife and mother, but can deliberately show some dust and wind."

Cao Yang thought of the original female lead, Jo Min-soo. Her acting skills were still remarkable. The only shortcoming was that some of the crying scenes were a bit deliberate.

Old Tian frowned and thought for a while, and wrote it down in his notebook.

He was constantly pondering in his heart, how can someone who looks like a virtuous wife and mother still have dust and wind? Subsequently, he put a question mark behind this sentence he wrote down.

He decided to ponder the meaning of this sentence carefully after going back, and then filter what kind of female actor could meet this requirement.

"What about the male lead? Do you have any thoughts?"

Old Tian turned into a student who didn't feel ashamed to ask, and also held a notebook, looking really serious and hardworking.

Cao Yang was speechless.

I say Old Tian, you are also one of the pillars of the film and television industry, a famous big director who has been famous and popular. Is it necessary?

"The male lead must be of the right age, preferably under 25, look young, and have a ruthless energy, or a rogue energy is also fine."

Old Tian asked while writing: "Do you have suitable candidates?"

Cao Yang was not easy to speak. He really had candidates he thought were suitable, but he didn't know if those two could perform the effect he wanted.

If the director of the film were someone else, he would have taken the initiative long ago, but the director was Old Tian, and he didn't want Old Tian to have a grudge against him, thinking that he was interfering with his filming.

Domestic directors, especially famous big directors, especially care about this point, and hate others interfering with their films the most.

"Alright, put away your little thoughts. I really want to film this script well. Just say whatever you have to say. You think I'm like you? I helped you so much, and you gave me a cold face for your first film."

Old Tian said with a smile.

Cao Yang also smiled.

When filming *On the Beach at Night Alone*, he was still a student. Although Old Tian was still banned, he was a famous director after all. He was afraid that Old Tian would snatch the initiative of the film, so he gave Old Tian a lot of cold faces.

"I have two candidates, and I am not very familiar with these two people."

Cao Yang emphasized again, meaning that if you feel suitable, use them; if not, forget it. Don't feel embarrassed because I proposed it.

Old Tian smiled and raised his hand to hit Cao Yang.

"One is a graduate of our school, called Zhou Yiwei. The acting can only be said to be okay, and he should be able to perform some rogue energy. The other is Wang Baoqiang, the one who played Sha Gen in *A World Without Thieves*. I heard he learned martial arts. I don't know if he can perform the ruthless energy."

Cao Yang was not sure what Wang Baoqiang's acting skills were now. If it were a few years later, Wang Baoqiang, who had been trained, would definitely have no problem performing the male lead's ruthless energy.

After hesitating for a while, Cao Yang said: "Actually, there is another candidate, Duan Yihong. He is a little older, but his acting skills are enough to support the male lead's scenes."

Cao Yang hesitated a little when he mentioned Duan Yihong because he was a little older, over thirty.

However, Duan Yihong's acting skills were originally good, and after being added an immersive experience by Cao Yang, his acting skills were even better. It was definitely no problem to play the male lead.

The only disadvantage is that he is a little older.

Old Tian seriously wrote down the three actors Cao Yang mentioned. He decided to call them all over for an audition to see who was the most suitable.

As for Cao Yang saying that Duan Yihong was older, Old Tian didn't care much.

He had seen Duan Yihong, and this person looked a bit young. It was absolutely no problem to say he was in his twenties.

Old Tian was busy with the preparation work for *Pieta*, and without knowing it, *Inception* had been released for more than a month.

So far, *Inception* has achieved 390 million US dollars in box office in North America. By the time it is taken off the screen, 400 million should be no problem.

The mainland side has already been extended. Han Zong wants to rush for 500 million.

In Hong Kong, it unexpectedly reached a box office of over 58 million, which is a number that shocked many people.

Since entering 2000, Hong Kong films have accelerated their decline. So far, only a few films have exceeded 50 million in box office.

*Shaolin Soccer* in 2001, a little over 60 million.

*Infernal Affairs* in 2002, 55 million in box office.

And *Kung Fu*, 61 million in box office.

Now Cao Yang's *Inception* has been added.

In the eyes of Hong Kong people, this is an incredible thing.

Of course, after they knew that *Inception*'s global box office exceeded 900 million US dollars, the incredible turned into incredible shock. It turns out Cao Yang's film is so awesome!

900 million US dollars globally, it's just unimaginable.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 308 =====