Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 153 Group Call
"Oh? Director Wu, you have a new project? Tell me about it quickly!" Han Sanping's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded, then took out a script and handed it over. Han Sanping took it and looked at the cover: "Mr. Donkey".

Han Sanping couldn't help but laugh and said, "Director Wu, I've heard so much about your script for a long time. I heard you wanted to film it two years ago!"

Two years ago, Wu Yuchen wrote three scripts to raise several hundred thousand yuan for the movie channel: "We Two", "The Night the Comet Came", and "Mr. Donkey".

Wu Yuchen had already secured the first two projects two years ago, but the only one left, "Mr. Donkey," has not yet been filmed due to censorship concerns.

However, not filming it back then might not have been a bad thing. If it had been filmed then, Wu Yuchen would have just replicated the original and rushed to make it. But after more than two years, Wu Yuchen now has many more ideas.

Wu Yuchen smiled at Han Sanping and said, "Director Han, since you've heard of my script, you should know that there might be some review issues. I'll have to trouble you to help me out in that regard."

"Sure, wait a moment, let me read the script carefully first." Although Han Sanping had heard of it before, he hadn't read it much himself.

Two years ago, the Beijing Film Academy had already adapted the script of "Mr. Donkey" into a stage play. Initially, it only circulated within the school, but as Wu Yuchen's fame grew, so did the popularity of "Mr. Donkey," attracting many people from the industry to come and see it. People from the Beijing People's Art Theatre and the Central Experimental Theatre came to see it and gave it high praise. The Beijing People's Art Theatre even wanted to bring the play to their venue for a performance.

After a long while, Han Sanping finished reading the script and couldn't help but exclaim:

"Wow, what an absurd farce! It perfectly showcases the full spectrum of human nature! Director Wu, your talent is truly undeniable!"

Han Sanping gave Wu Yuchen a thumbs up as he spoke, and then asked, "Director Wu, if I'm not mistaken, you're aiming for awards with your film 'Mr. Donkey,' right?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded: "That's right, I want to try it out at the three major ones."

"Venice or Berlin?" Han Sanping knew that it was definitely too late for Cannes this year.

"It's not decided yet, we'll see."

In fact, judging solely from the film "Mr. Donkey," it possesses humanity and contains numerous political metaphors, making it more suitable for Berlin. Moreover, Wu Yuchen is a Berlin native, so his presence there should provide a greater advantage and increase his chances of success.

However, Wu Yuchen also wanted to inquire about the judges of this year's Venice Film Festival to see if he could find out more. He had already experienced the influence of the three major jury panels, and this was a factor that had to be considered.

Han Sanping understood Wu Yuchen's meaning, then pondered for a moment and said, "Director Wu, how about this, I'll go with you to Big Scissors' place later. The subject matter is set in the Republican era, I think there shouldn't be any major problems."

The situation is different now than it was two years ago. Wu Yuchen's influence and status are now much higher than they were two years ago, and the cross-strait situation has also changed somewhat. I won't go into details, but in short, Han Sanping thinks there's a good chance.

That afternoon, Wu Yuchen and Han Sanping came out of the giant scissors together. He smiled at Han Sanping and said:
"Director Han, you really have a lot of influence! Even the bureau chief came to personally receive you this time! We really owe you a lot!"

Han Sanping waved his hand: "Hey, it's not for me. I don't usually get this kind of treatment. I'm lucky if I even get to see a section chief! Didn't you see that the bureau chief was chatting with you the whole time? Director Wu, it's because of your influence as a big director that you get to be received the whole time!"

"Alright, Director Han, let's not flatter each other anymore. Now that it's been approved, I need to get started on the preparations. We'll need the Beijing Film Studio's cooperation."

"Absolutely, I'll take care of it. By the way, do you already have someone in mind, or are you going to issue an audition announcement?" Han Sanping asked.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "Let's issue an audition announcement. Auditions will begin in two weeks."

"Alright, then I'll have the factory spread the word for you. I reckon this time we'll attract all the attention in the industry!" Han Sanping said with a smile.

……

This collaboration with Beijing Film Studio resulted in a 30% share for Beijing Film Studio and a 10% share for Qingdao Film Studio. Both studios enjoy the revenue rights, while the film copyright naturally remains with Miracle Films. We've helped Qingdao Film Studio reap the rewards several times, and the profits have been substantial, more than enough to justify our efforts to the school.

After returning to the company, Wu Yuchen picked up the script for "Mr. Donkey" again and began reading it. Wu Yuchen's decision to make "Mr. Donkey" for awards was actually quite risky.

Based on my past life experience, the movie "Mr. Donkey" didn't win any awards, not even a nomination at domestic awards like the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards, let alone international ones.

But can you say that the script for "Mr. Donkey" is bad? Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is an excellent story, full of tension, satirical of human nature, satirical of politics, and excellent in every aspect. It is hailed as the most satirical and daring script in China since "Let the Bullets Fly".

But why hasn't it won any film awards?
Many people say it's because it's a comedy.

That's absolutely true. Comedy films are inherently less favored by awards and rarely win any. This is because the common perception is that comedy films are simply for laughs and lack substance. And in reality, most comedy films are indeed like that—they're meant to be funny!
Take, for example, Happy Twist's breakout hit, *Goodbye Mr. Loser*. It's hilarious and audiences love it, but if you were to say it won any major awards, even the audiences themselves probably think it's unlikely. In fact, Shen Teng, a box office star with over 10 billion yuan in earnings, has indeed never received any major awards.

Take Jackie Chan, for example, a superstar of comedy action films. He's been waiting for an acting award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for decades without ever receiving recognition. The same goes for international stars like Jim Carrey, and even the legendary comedy master Charlie Chaplin.

Therefore, comedy is inherently inferior in award judging, which is an undeniable fact.

However, nothing is absolute, and comedy is not a dead end when it comes to awards. By incorporating other elements and taking the path of dark humor and absurd comedy, the chances of success increase significantly.

For example, the Coen brothers' masterpiece, Barton Fink, is a style that combines black humor, satire, and metaphor, and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1991.
There's also the film "The Square," or "The Square of Liberty," which is an absurdist comedy and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2017; and "The Poor Thing," which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2023, is also an absurdist comedy.

Jiang Wen's works, such as "Devils on the Doorstep" and "Let the Bullets Fly," are actually typical examples of dark humor and absurd comedy.

So it's not that comedies can't win awards, but rather that the problem lies with the way "Mr. Donkey" was made.

The biggest factor is, of course, the directors. The two theater directors basically copied the plays into the film. It was a direct copy. The theatrical traces and stage style of "Mr. Donkey" were too strong. Many transitions had a typical theatrical flavor, which looked very awkward when put into the film.

This style may not seem out of place on set, but when viewed in a movie, an expert will immediately notice the jarring effect.

Meanwhile, film is hailed as the seventh art, its essence being composed of audiovisual language. However, your film *Mr. Donkey* practically lacks any audiovisual language; it's utterly devoid of technique, the camera completely lifeless, becoming a cold, emotionless recording machine. In the eyes of these filmmakers judging awards, this is a crime against cinematic art! You think you can get an award? You don't even deserve a nomination!
Regarding this point, the two directors themselves admitted that they did not have the ability to combine storytelling with artistry. They had rejected offers from investors and directors to buy the script, and ultimately filmed it themselves in the simplest way possible. The advantage was that the story was told clearly, but the disadvantage was that many people felt they had wasted the script.

Now that "Mr. Donkey" is in Wu Yuchen's hands, he believes that his current directing skills are better than those of the two stage directors. Moreover, after more than two years of planning and preparation, he has his own ideas about how to film "Mr. Donkey".

This time, he wanted to try to make "Mr. Donkey" take the style of dark humor and absurd comedy, which is the most suitable path for the film. He also wanted to add some surreal elements and then try to compete in the top three European films.

Two years ago, he estimated the film would be completed within 100 million yuan, based on the simplest theatrical style and using 16mm film. Now that he has more money, he's unleashing his full potential, meticulously crafting every detail to achieve the best in every aspect!
……

That night, Jiang Qinqin nestled against Wu Yuchen, arching her back and pleading ingratiatingly:

"My dear brother, my dear husband, my darling husband, please give it to me~"

Jiang Qinqin's pure and lovely appearance was now displaying a seductive charm, which was truly alluring.

But Wu Yuchen patted her butt:

"This time, I can't give you special treatment. If you want it, you'll have to fight for it yourself!"

Jiang Qinqin pouted and rubbed against Wu Yuchen, making him sigh. Then he said:
"It's not like I'm not giving you a chance. You already have a huge advantage over others. You read the script two years earlier than others, and you've also directed plays. If you still don't perform well, you can't blame me."

When the play "Mr. Donkey" first came out, the lead role of Zhang Yiman was naturally played by Jiang Qinqin. However, later, as she was busy filming "If Love Has a Destiny" and "Princess Pearl," it was impossible for her to rehearse anymore. Now, if there were to be a public audition, Jiang Qinqin was actually a little nervous, afraid that she wouldn't be able to compete with others. She knew without a doubt how attractive Wu Yuchen's movies were, so she tried her best to please Wu Yuchen, even resorting to sweet talk to get him to give her preferential treatment.

Unfortunately, Wu Yuchen remained firm this time. For more commercially oriented romantic films like "The Classic," he's happy to indulge Jiang Qinqin, since as long as she's pretty, the acting requirements aren't as high as one might think. Making money at the box office while simultaneously promoting Jiang Qinqin has no negative impact.

But this time, "Mr. Donkey" is different, and to some extent, it also reflects the change in Wu Yuchen's shooting style. It is different from the original film, so he has to be careful. He has to choose the most suitable actors and see how they perform in the auditions. Whoever performs well will be chosen!
Jiang Qinqin could only give up the futile struggle, thinking that she still had a considerable advantage. After all, she had prepared for so long, and even if she hadn't practiced for more than half a year, she would be better than others when she picked it up again!
At the same time, she thought of Chen Shasha, who had replaced her as the female lead Zhang Yiman in the play over the past six months. She never expected that her good friend would become her biggest rival!

……

As April arrived, "Titanic" began its nationwide release. Wu Yuchen had been slightly troubled about accompanying his family to the movie before returning home.

but now……

Jiang Qinqin flatly declined the invitation to watch the movie and shut herself in to prepare diligently for the role of Zhang Yiman.
Zeng Li was so immersed in the role of Yang Jiuhong in the TV series "The Grand Mansion" that she naturally didn't watch any romance movies to distract herself.
Li Xiaoran went to Hengdian to film "The Legendary Twins," but she called to say she was back and had made plans to go see it with Wu Yuchen.

Therefore, in the end, Wu Yuchen didn't have to worry at all. He took Xiao Meiyuan into the movie theater and then came out with the crying beauty in his arms.

That evening, Gao Yuanyuan and Wu Yuchen held hands tightly, their fingers interlaced, gazing at him with deep affection:
“You jump…”

"I jump!"

After Wu Yuchen responded, he lowered his head and kissed her lips deeply, then leaned in for a close encounter.

Tonight, the same scene is playing out in countless hotel rooms...

After the release of "Titanic", it naturally caused a huge sensation throughout the country. People changed their greeting from "Have you eaten?" to "Have you seen it?".

Among actors in the industry, there is another event that has garnered just as much attention as "Titanic"—the public auditions for director Wu Yuchen's new project, "Mr. Donkey."

When the news broke a few days ago, it went viral. This is the new film by Wu Yuchen, the renowned director who was the top-grossing domestic film last year and has grossed over $100 million in the US!
In the Chinese film industry today, every actor wants to participate in his new projects. For ordinary actors, even a small supporting role can be a valuable asset, propelling their careers to new heights!
Moreover, everyone is saying that this movie is aiming for awards. Wu Yuchen's current award aspirations are either the three major European awards or the Oscars. Who wouldn't be envious of such an opportunity?

Therefore, the various roles in "Mr. Donkey" received numerous resumes, from students to established actors.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen was making an international call:
"Maggie, even you know about this, and you're interested too?"

“Of course, Director Wu, you’re a big Hollywood director now. Even Brother Long went to Hollywood and paid his respects to you. Of course, I’d love to have your movie!” Zhang Manyu said with a smile.

"I would certainly welcome you to audition, but I'm afraid it would be too much trouble for you."

Wu Yuchen has a good impression of Maggie Cheung, after all, she helped him at the Berlin Film Festival last time. Moreover, Maggie Cheung's acting skills are top-notch; she can play all kinds of roles. Even in "New Dragon Gate Inn," she portrayed such a fiery and provocative woman as Jin Xiangyu in a way that made the audience not only not dislike her, but actually feel a strong liking for her. That's acting skill, that's talent!
Therefore, Wu Yuchen is quite looking forward to her playing Zhang Yiman in "Mr. Donkey".

"How could that be? Although I heard the news, I didn't have a specific script..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled and said:
"Oh, that's easy. I'll have the company fax it to you later. By the way, Maggie, there's something I need to clarify with you first."

"Director Wu, what are you saying?"

"My film will probably start shooting next month, and it will take at least two months."

"These are all fine~"

"The main issue is that, towards the end of filming, we had to shave our heads..."

"Shave your head?!" Zhang Manyu exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

"Yes, you'll know once you read the script."

"Director Wu, does it really have to be a real shave? Can't we shave it with a wig on?"

"I hope it's a real shave."

Wearing a wig and shaving is something industry insiders can easily spot, and it makes the judges feel it's out of place. Since Wu Yuchen is aiming for an award, he wants to do his best, and actually shaving his head would increase the character's immersion. In her previous life, Ren Suxi, who played Zhang Yiman, actually shaved her head.

Zhang Manyu hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat conflictedly, "Director Wu, it's not that I'm unwilling to shave my head, but Director Wong Kar-wai has a new film project scheduled for me in the second half of the year, and I'm worried it might have an impact..."

Wong Kar-wai?
Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen calculated the timeline and realized it should be "In the Mood for Love," the film that won Tony Leung the Best Actor award at Cannes. Actually, he wanted to say that shaving his head wouldn't affect anything, because Wong Kar-wai was still using his usual style in this film, which took 15 months to shoot—plenty of time for his hair to grow back!
This is absolutely unbelievable! There are no big scenes at all, yet they managed to film for 15 months. Only Wong Kar-wai could pull off something like this!
No wonder the media later said that Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung fell in love while filming and spent more than a year developing their relationship!

"Maggie, I'll send you the script first. Think it over carefully." Wu Yuchen didn't say much more, leaving it to Zhang Manyu's own choice.

However, given Zhang Manyu's professional ethics, if she had agreed to Wong Kar-wai's offer first, she would probably have been disappointed.

Just as I hung up the phone with Zhang Manyu, another international call came in:
"Hello Director Wu, I'm Leslie Cheung."

Hearing the polite voice on the other end, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but laugh and say, "Oh, it's Young Master Rong. How have you been lately?"

"Oh my god, Hong Kong is being hit by the financial crisis right now, and all industries are in dire straits. So I'm thinking of asking Director Ng for a job. Do you have any suitable roles for me?" Leslie Cheung asked in a joking tone.

"Young Master Rong, you know I've started a new movie?"

“Of course! I have a lot of friends in mainland China. Director Wu, you're so influential now, I have to keep an eye on your new film!” Leslie Cheung just finished filming “Red Lovers” with Mei Ting last year.

Wu Yuchen touched his nose and smiled, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Young Master Rong, you are just too handsome. There really isn't a suitable role for you in this drama."

He wasn't lying; there wasn't a suitable role for Leslie Cheung in "Mr. Donkey".

"I see..." Leslie Cheung smiled and shook his head. In the past, people in Hong Kong would approach him because he was handsome. This time, he didn't expect to be rejected because of his good looks, but he could understand it.

"Director Wu, we must work together sometime in the future."

"Haha, I also hope to work with such a good actor as Rong Shao."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

Wu Yuchen had just breathed a sigh of relief when another transoceanic call came in. Had they formed a group?!

Then he looked at the name and was surprised to find it was Wang Zuxian.

(End of this chapter)