Chapter 156: Selecting Popular Young Male Stars and the [Feng Diao] Martial Arts Showdown

Planning a TV drama, the first phase is project development: deciding what to shoot, analyzing its selling points and prospects, and researching the budget.

Some projects begin with a script that sparks the entire initiative, while others develop the project first and then find a suitable screenwriter to write the script.

The second phase is securing funding—whether self-financed or through investment, without funds, the project stalls.

If funding is secured smoothly, the project can move to the third phase: crew assembly.

These three phases generally follow this sequence, though many proceed concurrently.

Some bold figures bring money and hunt for projects, while others assemble a crew or secure funding only to abandon the project.

The world is a makeshift operation; the film and entertainment industries are full of outsiders and amateurs, and bizarre incidents are countless.

But Seeing Yan Li's operation of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" strictly followed all three phases in order.

The project was confirmed, funding secured, and now it was time to assemble the crew.

First, find the director!

Seeing Yan Li could easily attract tens of millions in investment, and could also easily sell a drama to a TV station at a high price.

When discussing the script, Seeing Yan Li could accurately identify flaws and propose relevant revisions.

When acting, he could handle suitable and uncomplicated roles without difficulty.

As producer, Seeing Yan Li could calmly manage all major and minor matters of the crew, providing sufficient logistical support and coordinating resources across all fronts.

But if Seeing Yan Li sat behind the monitor and directed the entire set himself—orchestrating the filming, translating the script into visual imagery, and incorporating narrative, pacing, aesthetics, emotion, atmosphere, and depth—he truly couldn't do it.

However, Seeing Yan Li could review what the director shot, point out flaws he disliked, or simply demand reshoots.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses!

Seeing Yan Li didn't insist on becoming a director; he was a natural businessman and a competent actor—doing these two well was enough.

"The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" aimed to be a masterpiece, so it couldn't hire an ordinary director—their ability had to be sufficient.

Currently, the most well-known martial arts director on the mainland is Yu Min, Zhang Dahu's longtime director; Seeing Yan Li definitely couldn't poach him.

Another is Wang Xinmin, director of "Railway Guerrillas."

His adaptations of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and "Linked City" were both above average; though their influence was slightly weaker, their reputation was no worse than Zhang Dahu's Jin Yong dramas.

Wang Xinmin excelled in hard-boiled martial arts; he could skillfully handle dark Wu Lin stories like "The Linked City," and his work carried strong street-level Jianghu flavor, with distinctive action design.

These qualities did align to some extent with Gu Long's style.

But for character emotional depth and suspenseful intrigue, Wang Xinmin wasn't incapable—just unsuited for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Though both Gu Long and Jin Yong dramas are martial arts, they are entirely different concepts.

Jin Yong dramas are about nation and history, telling stories of heroic growth: the great heroes, serving country and people.

Gu Long explores self-existence, depicting the wanderer's plight: in the Jianghu, one has no control over one's fate.

One is real, worldly!

One is abstract, transcendent!

Seeing Yan Li didn't claim he could fully replicate Gu Long's martial arts and philosophical atmosphere, but he had to capture at least some of Gu Long's unique flavor—otherwise, the material would be wasted.

So Wang Xinmin could be used, but he needed a partner specifically skilled in portraying character emotion and capturing Gu Long's style.

Such a director was hard to find—until someone recommended a new drama to him—

"The Water Margin," starring Zhang Zhilin and Zhong Hanliang.

Honestly, the Jianghu conspiracies and human struggles in the drama were portrayed quite well; the overall style was cold, sharp, yet hauntingly desolate, genuinely evoking Gu Long's aura.

It made sense—Wen Ruian, the author of "The Water Margin," was nicknamed "Little Gu Long"; their styles were indeed similar.

If someone could successfully adapt "The Water Margin," they naturally had unique insights into Gu Long's style.

Director Ju Jueliang's resume was also impressive, truly a perennial tree in martial arts drama.

In his early years, he directed martial arts dramas for TVB and contributed to Zhang Dahu's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."

Wang Xinmin + Ju Jueliang

Seeing Yan Li felt "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" could stand up to Zhang Dahu's "The Return of the Condor Heroes."

Feng, Diao!

Haha, his own name was already overshadowing the other's.

…

After confirming the directors, Ju Jueliang was easier to hire—his current projects were clearly less prestigious than "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," and Seeing Yan Li's offer was appropriate, so the choice was easy.

Wang Xinmin was trickier; he was planning another martial arts drama, "The Whistling Horse," and his schedule was tight.

More importantly, Old Wang belonged to the old-school mainland director type.

Though he'd collaborated with others before, he always took the lead and wasn't fond of relatively equal co-directing arrangements.

That's why mainland directors were sometimes less favored by film companies than Hong Kong directors—there was a reason.

Many Hong Kong directors just needed money; they knew their place, were willing to follow the boss's instructions, while some mainland directors were fussy, arrogant, and sometimes had to be coddled.

Leaving aside ability and skill, as a film company boss, who you'd prefer to hire speaks for itself.

But because of this, many Hong Kong directors' work quality fluctuated wildly, while some skilled mainland directors who held firm to their vision could maintain a reliable baseline.

Seeing Yan Li wasn't forgiving by nature, but he made exceptions—if you had talent and could help him make money, his tolerance rose.

Besides, Wang Xinmin hadn't refused outright—just had some conditions; they could negotiate slowly.

Wang Xinmin was still in talks, but Director Ju Jueliang had already reported to Yi'an and attended the casting meeting for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng."

Yi'an Pictures, conference room

The executive producer in charge of casting reported the target candidates for the drama's roles, focusing primarily on the core characters of Lu Xiaofeng.

With a 30-million-investment budget, this was a medium-to-large-scale production; the casting approach naturally wouldn't be small.

Though they hadn't ruled out new talent, Seeing Yan Li's preference was to choose from among currently popular or promising young male actors.

Thus, the list compiled by the executive producer consisted mostly of well-known male actors in the industry.

First is the male lead, Lu Xiaofeng, the absolute core of the drama series "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," and also the most difficult role to cast for the production team so far.

In the original novel, Lu Xiaofeng is among the most brilliant characters in Gu Long's pantheon of heroes.

He is charming and carefree, quick-witted and unrestrained, possessing humor, agility, and the bold spirit of a martial artist, coupled with a cynical, playful attitude toward life, yet never lacking in loyalty to brothers or deep affection for women.

Seeing Yan Li didn't expect to find a living Lu Xiaofeng—just someone who matched a few traits and bore some resemblance would be good enough.

The executive producer pinned a photo to the meeting room's whiteboard and introduced the first candidate.

"Chen Kun, since 'The Golden Powder Family,' he's been one of the mainland's most popular leading men—his fame absolutely meets the requirement."

"Based on his performances in 'Like Mist, Like Rain, Like Wind' and 'The Golden Powder Family,' Chen Kun's acting is solid; his appearance is handsome, his aura both melancholic and lively—he can handle Lu Xiaofeng's elegance and depth, and his signature smile fits the humor of the 'four eyebrows' motif…"

Seeing Yan Li mentally pictured the image and found it plausible; he glanced at Ju Jueliang, who nodded.

"On hold."

The executive producer placed Chen Kun's photo on top, then pulled out another photo.

"Lu Yi, one of today's hottest leading men—handsome, with a composed yet slightly playful aura…"

Before he finished, Seeing Yan Li raised his hand to stop him: "Too serious. Not suitable."

The executive producer removed Lu Yi's photo and replaced it with Su Youpeng; before he could even introduce him, Seeing Yan Li stopped him again.

"Too well-behaved. Also unsuitable for Lu Xiaofeng."

Still, Su Youpeng's demeanor could suit Hua Manlou—though he's a bit short, and it's uncertain whether he'd accept a supporting role.

Afterwards, Lin Zhiying, Zhou Yu Min, Li Yapeng, Huang Sanshi, Bao Jianfeng, and Lin Feng were all rejected by Seeing Yan Li or Ju Jueliang.

Oh, and Huang Xiaoming.

Seeing Yan Li was speechless at this candidate—never mind Qin Lan's matter; strictly speaking, they had no feud, but Nie Yuan nearly fought Huang Xiaoming to the death over Yang Guo.

No matter what, they were friends. Seeing Yan Li had just turned down Nie Yuan—he couldn't turn around and cast Huang Xiaoming. That would be too crude.

Though many were rejected, some candidates remained on hold.

For example, Huang Haibing—he's handsome, his aura is versatile, his acting range broad, like a universal solvent.

Put simply, Huang Haibing might lack certain traits of the character, but he's reliable, with a low risk of failure.

Deng Chao, the least famous among them, is best known for playing the Shunzhi Emperor in 'The Young Son of Heaven'—he gives off a clear, tragic impression.

He wasn't originally on the list, but after hearing about the casting, Deng Chao sent in a self-recorded audition video of Lu Xiaofeng; his image was good, and crucially, he captured Lu Xiaofeng's humorous, free-spirited vibe in a compelling way.

Later, Seeing Yan Li learned Deng Chao started in comedy—he'd performed in the stage play 'Cuihua, Bring the Sauerkraut' during college, and received high praise.

Also, Huang Haibo from 'The Lucky Eight: Zhu Bajie' is another on-hold candidate.

Seeing Yan Li had a good impression of this senior brother—he felt he could capture Lu Xiaofeng's humor and wit, though his appearance fell short in charm and elegance.

So he's at the bottom of the Lu Xiaofeng shortlist, but he ranks high among the candidates for Sikong Zhaixing.

After finishing the list, Seeing Yan Li turned to Ju Jueliang: "Do you have any suitable candidates we can discuss?"

"I actually have two."

Ju Jueliang didn't hold back—he was the director, and he could see Seeing Yan Li valued acting quality deeply, with no hidden agendas, so he spoke openly.

The two actors he recommended were precisely Zhang Zhilin and Zhong Hanliang, whom he'd previously collaborated with on 'Reversing the Current.'

Especially Zhong Hanliang—Ju Jueliang highly praised him, believing his acting and appearance were both excellent.

"Zhong Hanliang?"

Seeing Yan Li had only seen Zhong Hanliang's performance in 'Reversing the Current' and knew little else about him.

Secretary Hu Ya went out to retrieve and print his materials; Seeing Yan Li skimmed them and learned Zhong Hanliang was a singer first, had starred in some idol dramas, and though not extremely famous, had some popularity in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland.

Seeing Yan Li recalled Zhong Hanliang's portrayal of Gu Xizhao in 'Reversing the Current'—his image was indeed good, his aura… well, on hold for now.

Still, since Ju Jueliang strongly recommended him, give him an audition—then decide if he fits.

Compared to Lu Xiaofeng, Seeing Yan Li found the male second lead, Hua Manlou, and the male third lead, Ximen Chuixue, much easier to cast.

Hua Manlou is refined, elegant, detached and otherworldly; though blind, his heart sees clearly—he is a gentleman of profound insight, broad-mindedness, and quiet grace.

Ren Quan, who previously portrayed Gong Sun Ce in 'The Young Bao Qingtian,' is practically born to play this bookish gentleman.

Also, Qiao Zhenyu, whom Seeing Yan Li used in 'Huan Tian Xi Di,' handles such roles well too.

Additionally, a Taiwanese actor named Zhang Zhiyao has been recommended—his ancient costume appearance and aura are also fitting.

Seeing Yan Li's view: any of these three could be chosen; later, decisions can be made based on salary or mutual favors.

Ximen Chuixue, the Sword God of the drama, is also the martial powerhouse of Lu Xiaofeng's team—cold, aloof, with a commanding presence, outwardly icy but inwardly passionate, requiring strong emotional tension.

Huang Haibing, mentioned above, could play him.

Also Yan Kuan—his cold face and piercing eyes suit this proud, brooding, cool swordmaster perfectly.

Zhou Yiwei from Yi An could barely play him too, but only if the first two decline.

Oh, the executive producer and Director Ju Jueliang also mentioned another candidate.

"We think, Brother Yan, you could play this role yourself—your aura is rugged, your gaze deep and icy, and your action scenes are exceptional—you could embody Ximen Chuixue's loneliness and obsession with the ultimate Dao of the sword…"

"We feel that Director Yan could actually play this role too—his temperament is resolute, his gaze deep and cold, and his action scenes are especially brilliant. He could portray Ximen Chuixue's loneliness and his obsession with the supremacy of the sword…"

Seeing Yan Li raised his hand to halt the flattery—he knew his own limits. He could play heroes and tough guys without issue.

Iron Zhongtang, Yan Nantian—he could handle them. Fu Hongxue, Xiao Shiyilang—he could even try.

But Ximen Chuixue, with his overwhelming aura—white jade like snow, a sword coming from the west—felt strangely off. He could play him, but he didn't like that tone.

As for the final role, Sikong Zhaixing—witty, cunning, humorous, comic in nature, and not requiring handsomeness.

Besides Huang Haibo, Xia Yu, and Wu Jing, Zhang Songwen is also an option, and several comedy actors aren't ruled out.

Other female roles and supporting characters have limited screen time and little weight—their casting isn't as difficult.

For supporting roles, Seeing Yan Li simply delegated authority to his team—he'd review and approve later.

But for female roles, he'd personally oversee them—after all, the abundance of beautiful women is one of the drama's selling points; he wouldn't allow any misfits to be shoved in.

But the female roles, he personally oversaw them—after all, having more beauties was one of the selling points of the entire drama; he couldn't let some ugly ducklings be stuffed in.

Shangguan Feiyan, Miss Wuyan, Gong Susu, Xue Bing, Beef Soup, Sun Xiuqing, Ouyang Qing, Peacock Wang Fei…

More than ten characters with names and titles, and another seven or eight with substantial roles and weight.

Seeing Yan Li plans to invite one or two popular young actresses to anchor the cast, then pair them with several lesser-known ones—key is beauty.

Handsome men + beautiful women

Seeing Yan Li cannot guarantee that his Gu Long drama will be the best, but he will strive to make his Gu Long drama the most visually appealing.

After the meeting ended, the main cast had not yet been finalized, but the scope was nearly set.

The only one still uncertain was Lu Xiaofeng; Seeing Yan Li planned to think it over further, also to coordinate with Wang Xinmin, then begin makeup and audition sessions.

Seeing Yan Li spoke with Ju Jiaoliang and producer Wang Decai, then made the decision.

"Release news to the public, start generating buzz around casting—even actors not on this list can be brought in for publicity."

Internal casting is one thing; external hype is another. Casting must be done as appropriate; hype must be done as controversial as possible.

Zhang Dahu's casting for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" stirred up a huge uproar—its wide scope, long duration, and sheer volume of noise were extremely rare in the industry.

Although it drew plenty of criticism, it made "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" the most talked-about production of the moment, with TV stations eagerly waiting to buy the rights.

Since "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" had started, "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" naturally could not be missed.

It would be best to later contrast it with "The Legend of the Condor Heroes"—given the media's nature, Seeing Yan Li didn't believe they wouldn't fan the flames.

With Zhang Dahu's explosive temper and love of publicity, he will almost certainly jump in to curse; Seeing Yan Li will then "respond" with a few words.

【The Phoenix vs. Condor Martial Arts War】 is inevitable!

(End of Chapter)