Chapter 154: Gu Long

Yan Li finished filming his role in "Railway Guerrillas" after just over a week.

After resting at home for two more days, Yan Li returned to Jingcheng.

The first thing he did upon returning to Jingcheng was sign a cooperation agreement with Hai Run for "Sword of Light."

"Sword of Light" is estimated to cost 8 to 10 million yuan, with Hai Run as the lead producer and Yi An investing 4 million yuan for a 45% share.

Distribution will be handled jointly by Hai Run and Yi An, divided by region or contract terms later.

Actors have not yet been finalized; they'll be chosen based on suitability and negotiation. Yi An has only a few minor talents, at most adding Dong and Qin—easy to work with.

Yi An invested in Hai Run's project, and similarly, Hai Run is participating in Yi An's new initiative.

After much deliberation, Yan Li decided that over the next two years, Yi An would invest in and lead the production of three television dramas.

The total episode count will exceed one hundred, with an estimated total investment of 60 to 80 million yuan.

This level of investment is no small matter; it's expected to include two medium-to-large productions each over 30 million yuan, with the third also no less than 10 million yuan.

Of course, this is just the public-facing slogan—Yan Li wants to launch all these projects at once to outshine Hai Run.

So it must be done gradually: start one project first, and if progress goes smoothly, launch the next.

Otherwise, throwing tens of millions upfront could overwhelm Yan Li's personal stamina, but the investors' wallets might not keep up.

The first project to launch will be a wuxia drama.

To be honest, Yan Li previously had little interest in wuxia—earlier mentioned, the genre has been overdone, the market is saturated, and competition is fierce.

But the current market trend favors wuxia dramas; investors and TV stations all recognize them.

In contrast, the projects Yan Li wants to make have drawn vague responses from investors and TV stations.

A 30-million-yuan investment is no small sum in today's TV drama industry; if Yan Li wants investors to pay and TV stations to spend heavily, he can't go against the market.

Yan Li is not a rigid, single-minded person—sentiment and passion cannot outweigh profit.

If wuxia dramas make money, he'll faithfully produce wuxia dramas.

The company is growing rapidly; earn money first, then think about other things later.

Since deciding to produce wuxia, original screenplays carry too much risk and are hard to attract investment or sell; established authors' works are safest.

The most profitable wuxia works by established authors—and the ones Yan Li most wants to adapt—are Jin Yong's.

But Jin Yong's most famous works have already been largely adapted by Big Bearded Zhang in recent years.

In 2001, "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer"; in 2003, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

Now Big Bearded Zhang is preparing to shoot "The Return of the Condor Heroes," with rampant casting rumors flooding the entertainment scene and bringing much noise to this summer's industry.

Male leads Huang Xiaoming, Nie Yuan, Xie Tingfeng, Tong Dawei; female leads Zhou Young Master, Liu Tianxian, Jiang Qinqin, Sun Li, and Chun Zhiyan—all these artists are caught up in the frenzy.

Especially regarding the male lead Yang Guo, Nie Yuan and Huang Xiaoming, two top young actors, have publicly declared their positions, nearly accusing each other by name.

As for Jin Yong's works Big Bearded Zhang hasn't filmed, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" starring Su Youpeng was a hit last year.

This drama became the most popular Jin Yong adaptation in recent years outside Big Bearded Zhang's productions, forcing him to delay his own "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" project.

Additionally, Wang Xinmin, director of "Railway Guerrillas," previously filmed "The Linked City" and "The Knight of the Sword"; Tang Ren produced "The Book and the Sword" in 2002—all recent dramas.

Re-shooting a work already adapted in recent years is not wise; if the previous version was good, caution is even more necessary.

That leaves few Jin Yong dramas still available.

Works like "The Mandarins' Knife" and "The White Horse Whistling in the West" have low fame, short length, and insufficient quality to justify tens of millions in investment.

"The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain" and "The Sword of the Blood" also feel underwhelming.

"The Deer and the Cauldron" has good recognition, but Yan Li doesn't particularly like it, and Zhang Weijian already produced a version titled "Xiao Bao and Kangxi" in Taiwan in 2000.

More critically, Jin Yong's copyright is also an issue.

Big Bearded Zhang likely already has his eyes on it; Jin Yong and the copyright holders surely trust him more, given his past successes, making coordination difficult.

After checking around, Yan Li found Jin Yong dramas too difficult to handle and shifted his focus.

…

Among wuxia masters, the top two are Jin and Gu.

Since Jin Yong dramas are out of reach, Yan Li immediately thought of adapting Gu Long's works.

Although Jin Yong currently has the greatest fame in wuxia adaptations, Gu Long's works were actually the first to ignite the wuxia film and TV wave.

In the 1960s–70s, every Gu Long film was a hit; there was even the case of "Xiao Shiyilang," where the screenplay was written before the novel, and the then-unknown Cheng Long begged Gu Long to write him a script, drinking until he vomited.

At the end of the 1970s, Zheng Shaoqiu's "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" became a sensation, propelling him to superstar status; "The Thief Lord" was known across both sides of the strait and Hong Kong.

The reason Gu Long's adaptations later lost ground to Jin Yong's is twofold:

One, Jin Yong's style suits adaptation better; two, Gu Long died too early, leaving no chance for refinement or systematic copyright management.

Haphazard productions, many bad films and few masterpieces, damaged Gu Long's reputation and prevented large-scale influence, allowing Jin Yong's adaptations to dominate.

Even so, compared only to Jin Yong, Gu Long's works still carry immense clout within the industry.

Although Yan Li previously avoided wuxia, now that he's decided, he won't settle for just one drama.

He plans to create a Gu Long premium series, similar to Big Bearded Zhang's Jin Yong series, even building a Gu Long wuxia universe.

He intends to adapt all of them: "Little Li Feidao," "Lu Xiaofeng Legend," "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang," "The Seven Weapons," and more.

Today, when people mention Jin Yong dramas, they can't avoid TVB and Big Bearded Zhang; in the future, when people mention Gu Long dramas, they must mention Yi An and Yan Li.

Along the way, he can even leverage the "Jin vs. Gu" rivalry to challenge Big Bearded Zhang—or collaborate in hype—to ignite a mainland wuxia craze and elevate Yi An's brand value.

Regardless of whether Yan Li can actually achieve it, when he pitched this grand vision to investors and TV stations, everyone got excited.

Everyone knows how wildly popular and profitable Big Bearded Zhang's Jin Yong dramas are.

If Yi An's Gu Long dramas reach even 80% of that level, they'll still be top-tier projects in the industry.

So whether attracting investment or selling distribution rights, you must know how to hype!

Say you're making a wuxia drama, people don't care; say you're making a Gu Long drama, people get interested.

But say you're challenging Jin Yong dramas, reviving Gu Long's glory, becoming the pinnacle of wuxia, and making massive profits while reshaping the industry—then you'll draw crowds.

Some will think you're blowing smoke, but others will become deeply interested.

If you also reference a proven success (Big Bearded Zhang) and demonstrate real capability, many will be willing to invest heavily alongside you.

Yan Li circulated this project proposal around.

Hai Run tested the waters and agreed to invest 6 million yuan plus related resources, securing a 20% share.

Meanwhile, several investors expressed interest; negotiations are ongoing, but joint funding is projected at 22 million yuan for a 40% stake.

Yan Li's Yi An retains creative control, 40% ownership, and distribution rights, with a planned investment of 2 million yuan.

There are also other partners.

For example, in Taiwan, to secure rights, Yan Li made some connections and exchanged benefits, likely involving several Taiwanese actors.

Of course, who exactly will be chosen is up to Yan Li; details will be negotiated later, and they don't necessarily have to appear in this drama.

CCTV also shows strong interest; though not investing, they're willing to provide technical, team, and resource support in exchange for favorable purchase terms from Yan Li.

These contributions may seem minor, but they're precisely what Yan Li's side lacks most.

Yi An was founded too recently and lacks depth; talent is scarce.

A light fantasy comedy like "Seven Fairies" is manageable, but producing a high-quality Gu Long wuxia drama can't rely solely on external hires.

As a giant, CCTV was once the center of mainland film and TV production; many talents and teams originated from CCTV and can offer substantial help.

Moreover, CCTV's involvement helps avoid complications and has already proven valuable in attracting investment.

But the most critical factor is that Yan Li pulled a still-unproduced script from CCTV—

"The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

…

When Yan Li first decided to produce Gu Long dramas, he wasn't sure which to adapt; perhaps due to constantly reading Gu Long's novels, he triggered a monthly intelligence alert.

【Monthly Intelligence x: CCTV Movie Channel's series film "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" is acclaimed as the most faithful adaptation of Gu Long's original work; since its premiere, it has received widespread audience praise and repeatedly ranked #1 in movie channel on-demand views…】

Yan Li, who originally leaned toward adapting Chu Liuxiang, immediately changed his plan.

With the system's help, he successfully secured the initial script and writing team for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

It sounds simple, but it was actually quite risky.

Had he not acted quickly—the script still in development and the Movie Channel juggling multiple projects with insufficient attention—he might not have succeeded.

After all, the Movie Channel is nominally under CCTV but actually under the Film Bureau; one name, two entities; Yan Li's connections at CCTV might not have worked.

But regardless, the outcome was satisfying.

Yi An's version of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" was officially greenlit.

The first task after greenlighting was rewriting the script; no choice—the original was designed as a film series, now shifting to television, so changes were necessary.

But Yan Li had seen the intelligence and knew the strengths behind the original's success.

So although the script was revised, it still preserved the original's style.

First, it adhered to the source material, maintaining a detective-style wuxia tone with brisk pacing.

The original script featured one story per film; for television, pacing must be slightly slowed, but not excessively.

The new "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" is planned as a 40-episode series, with 8 to 10 cases, averaging 4 to 5 episodes per case.

Remember, a film lasts one or two hours—roughly equivalent to three TV episodes; this adjustment merely requires adding details, far from being padded.

Even so, Yan Li still took considerable risk.

Frankly, 4 to 5 episodes per case is fast-paced and thrilling, but it may not suit television drama norms.

Most detective-thriller TV dramas feature only a few cases, or one main plot with several subplots.

The main issue is the rapid pace and high information density, which can exhaust viewers, demanding exceptional storytelling and character development from the crew.

The last TV drama with such a fast pace and outstanding success was "Young Bao Qingtian" Season 1: 40 episodes, seven cases—critically acclaimed and wildly popular.

It was precisely because of this drama and the monthly intelligence that Yan Li finally committed to adapting "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" with a cinematic pace.

And Yan Li was also persuaded by the screenwriter to abandon the female lead and adopt an all-male protagonist ensemble.

Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, Ximen Chuixue, and Sikong Taixing formed the core group, each responsible for investigation, support, combat, and technical skills.

However, having no female lead does not mean there are no female characters.

On the contrary, each episode features a female character who becomes the episode's de facto female lead and engages in various stories with the protagonist group.

This also aligns with the original novel's theme: women come and go, but friends and brothers are eternal.

Moreover, this episodic female lead format made it easier for Yan Li to attract established actors.

Without the pressure of being "Lead Actress One" or "Lead Actress Two," each actress was the core of her own episode—though her screen time was limited, she could shine brightly, her salary could be controlled, and the prestige was immense; a string of star names gave the TV station strong leverage in negotiations.

Yan Li was already calculating his profits, even before the script was finished, thinking about how to persuade actresses and negotiate deals with other companies.

…

Besides "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," another planned project was "The Legend of Xue Rengui."

This project was proposed to Yan Li by Li Si, producer of "Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," and originally, the drama was even titled "Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties 2: Xue Rengui."

Thus, this drama would not follow historical accuracy but instead draw from folk legends, adapted from "Xue Rengui's Eastern Campaign."

Yan Li had no objection to adapting storytelling ballads, as evidence showed that such folk tales were more popular with the masses.

If you filmed Xue Li's rise strictly according to history, aside from a few highlights, it wouldn't be very compelling.

But if you added the elder heroes of the Sui and Tang eras—like the aged Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong—and wove in classic ballad tropes such as rescuing the emperor, marrying a princess, being granted a title, and turning the tide of battle, it would become far more interesting.

Yan Li approved of this adaptation direction but was unimpressed by the initial script Li Si had brought him.

Too slow, too watered-down, too oppressive to the protagonist!

In the early episodes, it dangled a bait and relentlessly suppressed the protagonist, even ignoring logic and character integrity for the sake of a climax.

Later, perhaps due to budget concerns, it added excessive court drama, making the entire plot even more sluggish and dull.

Yan Li clearly stated that the script must be rewritten.

The early episodes could be convoluted, but Xue Li must not be suppressed endlessly; folk legends are about satisfaction—the protagonist's constant suffering kills the flavor.

Court drama could be filmed, but only briefly, and ideally as a turning point.

For example, Li Zhi is deceived, then someone rebels; Xue Rengui leads troops to quell the rebellion, rescues the emperor, and protects the dragon throne—far more satisfying than the original script's plot of the protagonist being falsely accused by a concubine and faking his death.

Isn't this "The Legend of Xue Rengui"? It's not just about the "Eastern Campaign"—in the early phase, he aids Li Shimin in pacifying Liaodong; later, trusted by Li Zhi, he campaigns against the Uyghurs.

This is precisely the historical highlight of Xue Rengui: "Three Arrows Secure the Tianshan Mountains." Since you're making "The Legend of Xue Rengui," omitting this segment would be a shame.

After defeating the Uyghurs, have the Western Liang rebel—this leaves room to later film "Xue Dingshan's Western Campaign."

Li Si originally disagreed; such changes would blow the budget and risk losses.

But after Yan Li took him to meet several investors and TV executives and showed him Yan Li's connections, Li Si realized it might be negotiable.

And Yan Li's intense involvement and meticulous demands for this drama stemmed from his own private motives.

Both he and Li Si intended for him to play the male lead, Xue Rengui!

Coupled with the massive ratings success of the predecessor "Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties," if this project was handled well, the chance of profit was still considerable.

He could invest for profit and also indulge in the role of a male lead, portraying the famed general Xue Li—no need to elaborate on the appeal to Yan Li personally.

He had spent so much money and promoted so many others; now that a suitable project had come along, it was finally his turn to reap some benefits…

(End of Chapter)