Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 121 Finishing

If an actor is described as having a blank expression, that's definitely an insult.

But some people are born with facial paralysis, like Sylvester Stallone. He had a difficult birth, and a nurse's mishandling of the forceps damaged his facial nerves, resulting in permanent paralysis of part of the muscles in Stallone's left cheek.

This has led to the media describing his acting as "expressionless" for the past 20 years since he became famous, mocking his face for only being able to play tough guys with bitterness and hatred.

Sylvester Stallone actually minded the term "expressionless," but he also knew that the media were deliberately writing it that way, and if he really got angry, he would just be letting the media get away with it.

He really wanted to show off his father role in "Frequency" and prove that he was not only skilled in martial arts but also in literature.

But he is very unhappy now because the director, Wu, has cut his scenes many times.

"Click! Sylvester, what I want is a kind of tacit tenderness, a tough father talking to his son 25 years in the future. You two successfully saved people from a fire through a time-space connection, and you even survived and changed your destiny. This shared sense of accomplishment and tacit understanding between strangers like father and son allows you to feel something for your grown son across time..."

"I know, I know how to act! I have a daughter and a son, I don't need you to teach me how to be a father!"

Stallone angrily shouted something, then slammed his hand on the table and turned to leave.

Everyone else on set was terrified, after all, Stallone was the biggest star in the crew, and when he got angry and started arguing with the director, no one dared to say anything.

Wu Yuchen cursed inwardly, then made a gesture, and the assistant director immediately said, "Everyone, take a break for a while."

Producer Jeff walked over, patted Wu Yuchen on the shoulder, and said:

“Wu, you have to get used to it. You’ll always encounter these kinds of problems when working with a big star like Sylvester Stallone.”

“I know. But I think he needs to calm down right now. I want to film the other people’s scenes first.”

Jeff shook his head: "No, I don't think that's a good idea. You don't understand these big stars."

"Hmm?" Wu Yuchen looked slightly puzzled.

"What we need to do now is to reach out to Sylvester Stallone and actively invite him back, so that he can feel his importance on the set."

If he finds out that you didn't chase after him after he left, but instead smoothly started filming other people's scenes, then I guarantee you can forget about getting him to cooperate with you anymore. He might just leave the crew and go home, and then it'll take ten times the effort to get him back!

Wu Yuchen slapped his forehead: "He's 50 years old, not a 5-year-old spoiled child!"

“Oh, you’re absolutely right, these big stars are like spoiled brats!” Jeff chimed in.

Despite his complaints, Wu Yuchen knew in his heart that Jeff was right and he still had to hurry up and coax Stallone back, otherwise it would delay the crew's progress and cause trouble for himself later.

As Wu Yuchen walked with Jeff, he asked, "Jeff, does Stallone have a son?"

In Wu Yuchen's mind, Stallone's children are like his three beautiful daughters, and countless people online call Stallone "father-in-law" every day.

"Of course, Stallone has two sons."

Jeff said to Wu Yuchen, but then lowered his voice:

"However, both of his sons have some issues. The elder son frequently takes pills, and the younger son has autism since childhood..."

Wu Yuchen only learned about these things after listening to Jeff's words, and wondered if Stallone's repeated poor acting was also related to him and his son. However, he wouldn't bring it up, since he didn't know the inside story.

When Wu Yuchen and Jeff arrived at the hotel where Stallone was staying, his manager came out to greet them: "You two are so lucky!"

Wu Yuchen and Jeff were puzzled, but their agent didn't say anything more.

When Wu Yuchen and Jeff saw Stallone holding his one-year-old daughter with a doting smile, they realized that Stallone's wife had brought their daughter to visit him.

"Wow, Sylvester, your daughter is so cute, like an angel!" Wu Yuchen and Jeff exclaimed.

"Of course, she is my angel!" Stallone's anger had completely subsided.

None of them mentioned what had just happened on set; instead, they focused on the topic of children.

“Sylvester, we didn’t know your daughter was here. In that case, why don’t you adjust your scenes and spend a few days with her?” Wu Yuchen said.

"No, no, I'm going back to the set tomorrow. I think I'm in great shape right now!"

After Stallone finished speaking, he reached out and touched his daughter's cheek, making the little girl giggle.

……

"Cut! Very good, Sylvester, your performance deserves an Oscar!"

At this moment, Wu Yuchen did not hold back his praise. He now regarded this 50-year-old guy as a 5-year-old child. Why should I get angry with a child?

And he really wasn't lying. Stallone really got the hang of it. The tough guy's tenderness is the most touching thing, and the effect completely exceeded Wu Yuchen's expectations.

Upon hearing this, Stallone flashed his signature crooked smile: "What's an Oscar? I'm Sylvester Stallone!"

The filming process then accelerated, and as long as Sylvester Stallone and Hugh Jackman, father and son, found their chemistry, the film would face few challenges.

Three weeks later, in front of an old building, fire trucks were ready and a group of firefighters were waiting to be dispatched.

At this moment, the staff from the guarantee company stationed on set were yelling at Wu Yuchen and Jeff:

"This is too dangerous! You could have used a stunt double! You shouldn't have let Stallone do it himself; it greatly increased the risk for the crew!"

In Hollywood, there is a completion insurance system, with over 60% of films covered by it. Completion guarantees are essentially designed to protect investors' interests to the greatest extent possible and mitigate various unforeseen circumstances.

The guarantee company will establish a strict "risk prevention" system, intervening in every step from the initial preparation to the final completion of the film to ensure that the film can be completed smoothly.

Sony has also insured "Frequency" for the entire film, and its staff are now strongly opposing Stallone taking risks in the fire scene.

“Relax, you heard it too, the fire department assured us there wouldn’t be any fire-related accidents!” Jeff reassured him. “How can you believe their nonsense! What if Sylvester Stallone, the lead actor, gets hurt…”

Wu Yuchen interrupted him directly:
"That's why I scheduled this scene last, isn't it? All the other scenes have been filmed, and once this scene is finished, we can wrap up filming. Besides, it's not that we're asking Stallone to do it, but that he insists on not using a stunt double and insists on doing it himself. Can you convince him to do it?"

The staff, thinking of Sylvester Stallone's cold, expressionless face, were speechless for a moment before finally saying, "You must take all necessary safety precautions to ensure absolute safety!"

After calming the insurance agents down, Wu Yuchen went to Sylvester Stallone and asked, "Sylvester, are you sure you'll be doing the whole thing yourself and not using a stunt double?"

Sylvester Stallone grinned crookedly: "Of course, this is the only big-scene in the whole movie, how could I possibly use a stunt double?! I'm Sylvester Stallone!"

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this; he greatly admired this kind of dedication.

This scene depicts Sylvester Stallone rescuing a trapped little girl from a fire. In the original timeline, he died during the rescue, but a radio conversation with his future son reminds him of his son's words in the critical moment. Instead of taking the seemingly safe stairs, he slides down a loading ramp on the other side. Sure enough, the ramp explodes shortly afterward, but Stallone and the little girl, who slid down the drain, are both unharmed.

Everything on set has been checked and the firefighters said they could control the fire completely. The slide passage has also been tested many times and is perfectly fine.

There was nothing dramatic or unexpected; just as Stallone said, he's very experienced in making this kind of film.

After Stallone was pulled out of the river from the tunnel exit, Wu Yuchen shouted at him, "Sylvester, you were amazing, perfect!"

"This is child's play for me!" Stallone said, wiping the water off his body with a towel.

Meanwhile, the entire crew was cheering, because the completion of this last scene meant that filming was about to wrap up!

That evening, the crew held a wrap party at the hotel. There was no boisterous drinking or heartfelt camaraderie; for everyone, it was just about making money. As for Sylvester Stallone, unless the film performed exceptionally well after its release, he had no intention of developing any camaraderie with Wu Yuchen, a Hollywood newcomer.

Filming was complete, but Wu Yuchen and Jeff's work wasn't over yet. Without taking a break, they immediately threw themselves into post-production.

For most directors, editing a film takes at least a month, because they have to compare the effects back and forth and make choices.

Wu Yuchen, on the other hand, only took 10 days, which completely astonished Jeff.

Of course, this is just the director's cut, not the final cut. If Sony Columbia is not satisfied with the final cut, they will re-edit it.

However, Wu Yuchen didn't pursue any artistic or profound qualities when making "Frequency." He was aiming for box office success. The film was suspenseful when it needed to be suspenseful and sentimental when it needed to be sentimental. The overall rhythm was that of a pure Hollywood commercial production.

Meanwhile, Industrial Light & Magic's special effects are also finished. It has to be said that they are expensive for a reason; the effects are indeed excellent. Wu Yuchen is very satisfied and believes that it will definitely leave a deep impression on the audience.

A few weeks later, Wu Yuchen was awakened by a clattering sound. Seeing Gretchen busy at work, he rubbed his eyes and asked, "Why are you up so early?"

Gretchen replied excitedly, "I'm so excited to see what my movie will be like today, how could I possibly sleep!"

Wu Yuchen yawned and got up to get ready. It wasn't a movie release day, so how could it be so soon?
Instead, "Frequency" had already been completed, and there was an internal screening where company personnel and Sylvester Stallone would attend.

In a small theater, Sylvester Stallone watched as his on-screen wife walked in arm-in-arm with Wu Yuchen, nodding to Wu Yuchen in greeting. Their relationship wasn't a secret on set; he already knew, and it was commonplace in Hollywood.

Wu Yuchen sat down and let out a soft breath. He had done all he could at this point, and the rest was no longer his concern. Whether the movie would be edited or not was entirely in the hands of Sony Columbia. Even Stallone couldn't interfere; at most, he could only make a few noises.

Stallone himself didn't know if taking on this low-budget $3000 million production was the right or wrong decision. Although he felt that the young director, Wu, was more capable than he had imagined before joining the project, many capable directors' films were not well-received.

Nearly two hours later, after the movie ended, Stallone finally came to his senses. He actually thought it was pretty good, completely immersed in the story from beginning to end. And he wasn't exaggerating; he thought the scene where he rushed out and shot the villain to save his son at the end was incredibly cool!

After the theater lights came back on, Stallone turned to Wu Yuchen and said, "Kid, well done. You've earned Stallone's approval."

"Hehe, that's truly my honor~" Wu Yuchen was used to his way of getting along with Stallone.

At this moment, someone in the theater gently clapped; it was none other than Stanton, one of the executives.

"Very good, it completely exceeded my expectations! What do you guys think?"

He asked the people who came with him, and it was clear that he was in a good mood. If the movie was bad, he wouldn't have asked that question; he would have just turned around and left, and the others would have discussed how to handle it privately later.

"I personally think it's great! The science fiction element of time travel is used very cleverly, and suspense and family affection are perfectly integrated. I think the audience will like it."

"It's a bit of a pity. I think it could have competed in the summer season, but it's already past June and the summer season schedule has already been set."

Hearing the praise from these company executives, Wu Yuchen breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the movie wouldn't be cut.

However, at this moment someone said, "Director Wu, the movie is very good, but isn't it a bit long? Can it be shortened a bit? That would be beneficial for scheduling."

This was the kind of question the publicity department would ask. However, several senior executives also looked at Wu Yuchen. If the quality could be guaranteed and the text could be made shorter, why not?

Wu Yuchen directly refused:
"We can't cut any more! You've all seen the movie. There aren't many large-scale scenes or fight scenes. It's the tightly woven plot and the atmosphere built up that make it so captivating. Cutting any more will definitely lower the quality of the movie!"

Sylvester Stallone also voiced his support: "I also think it's great right now. It's less than two hours, which is well within the audience's acceptable range."

Stanton smiled and nodded: "Alright, I understand your opinions, Director Wu, Sylvester. We'll let you know once we've finalized the details of the film's release."

Wu Yuchen nodded, knowing that they must be referring to having them cooperate with the promotion after the release date is confirmed.

After Wu Yuchen left the theater, Stallone walked over and patted him on the shoulder:

"Kid, I trust my judgment. You'll have a place in Hollywood."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen deliberately used a respectful term:
"Mr. Stallone, thank you for your compliment! May I call you by your first name from now on?"

Sylvester Stallone laughed and said, "Let's talk about that after the movie is a real success!"

Wu Yuchen glanced at Stallone's retreating figure and curled his lip. "That old man is so pragmatic."

This trip to Hollywood is almost over. Wu Yuchen stayed here for 3 months and personally experienced the entire Hollywood production process. He has to admit its advantages and strengths, not in any one aspect, but in the strength and perfection of the entire industrial system.

But as a director, his experience was absolutely terrible. The project was out of his control from beginning to end, full of unexpected events, and he, as a director, had to spend a lot of time and energy on backstabbing and intrigue from the very start of preparation.

If Frequency is a success, he will definitely organize his next Hollywood film himself. He doesn't want any more surprises and must ensure that the crew and actors are under his control as much as possible!
(End of this chapter)