Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 172 Li An's Worries

This year's Golden Horse Awards have attracted extra attention from mainland China due to the participation of Wu Yu-chen and "Run Lola Run," with many media outlets and newspapers waiting for news from the Golden Horse Awards.

In a newspaper office, a young man jogged over with a fax in hand: "Editor-in-chief, the results are in!"

Upon hearing this, the group of people waiting there immediately gathered around:

Did you win any awards?

Who is the best film?

The editor-in-chief copied the fax and couldn't help but smile when he saw that "Run Lola Run" had won three awards: Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Editing.

Those who witnessed the result also commented:
"As expected of Director Wu, Best Director and Best Actress!"

"It's a pity we didn't win Best Picture, oh well!"

At this point, the editor-in-chief waved his hand and said, "Stop sighing. This result is not bad. How can it be that every time it sweeps the charts like 'In the Heat of the Sun'?"

In 96, "In the Heat of the Sun" basically swept the Golden Horse Awards, except for not winning Best Actress.

"Get to work, everyone. Once you've finished writing and formatting the manuscript, send it to the printing plant," the editor-in-chief urged.

At this moment, someone hesitated and asked, "Editor-in-chief, what about 'Heavenly Bath'?"

This time, "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl" won Best Film and Best Actor, which is arguably more prestigious than "Run Lola Run".

The editor-in-chief glanced at him: "What do you mean? I'm not saying anything! Didn't you see that Joan Chen was banned from filming for three years? This is not the same as 'Run Lola Run'!"

Although "Run Lola Run" was also banned, its subject matter was far less sensitive than that of "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl." "Run Lola Run" at most dealt with troubled girls with confused values, while "Xiu Xiu" directly targeted a special period.

Therefore, although "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl" won the Golden Horse Award for Best Film, the editor-in-chief simply chose not to mention it. Many newspapers made similar choices, either mentioning "Xiu Xiu" only briefly or not at all, focusing instead on "Run Lola Run" and Wu Yu-chen.

"Run Lola Run wins Best Director and Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards!"

Wu Yuchen wins Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards, and Li Xiaoran is crowned Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards!

Jiang Qinqin, who was persuaded by Qiong Yao and Hunan TV to join the cast of "Princess Pearl 2", looked at the words "Li Xiaoran" and "Golden Horse Best Actress" in the newspaper and felt envious. Although Li Xiaoran had become a famous star in China, she had not yet won any awards.

Fan Bingbing, standing next to him, looked at the news in the newspaper, her feelings also quite complicated.

The newspaper mentioned that "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl" won the Golden Horse Award for Best Film, and that Joan Chen had approached her last year to play the lead role. Initially, she was very happy, but after learning about the nude scenes, she discussed it with her family and declined Chen's offer.

But now, unexpectedly, "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl" won the Golden Horse Award for Best Film. If she had acted in it back then, wouldn't she have been the Best Actress in the Golden Horse Award for Best Film? Her status would have been completely different, and she would have become a movie star!

Fan Bingbing sighed inwardly, then could only console herself that it wasn't worth becoming famous by taking off her clothes, since she wasn't the best actress. Besides, hadn't she noticed that the newspapers barely mentioned the movie "Tian Yu"? Thinking of this, Fan Bingbing felt much better.

It wasn't just Jiang Qinqin and Fan Bingbing; many compatriots from Taiwan were also in the "Princess Pearl" crew, and they were all discussing the recently concluded Golden Horse Awards. They were actually feeling a bit bitter. This year's Golden Horse Awards saw the most prestigious awards—Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress—all swept by mainland Chinese films, "Run Lola Run" and "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl," with no Taiwanese films represented.

While they were filming "My Fair Princess," they secretly looked down on the backwardness of filming conditions in mainland China, but at the same time, they had to watch mainland films dominate the Golden Horse Awards, which were held right on their doorstep.

Zhou Jie, standing nearby, was also somewhat moved upon hearing the news. Although he had become a sensation with "My Fair Princess," this kind of drama wasn't his preferred type; he still had certain artistic aspirations. He then recalled that Mr. Cai from Miracle Films had contacted him before, saying their company had written a script about Bao Zheng solving cases and asking if he would be interested after filming "My Fair Princess 2."

Just because Miracle Films has Wu Yuchen in it, and because she can have more contact with Wu Yuchen, Zhou Jie also plans to try to get the role of Bao Qingtian!
By the time Wu Yuchen brought Li Xiaoran back to Beijing, the newspapers were already full of news about their Golden Horse Awards.

When Wu Yuchen returned, he made a special trip to visit Han Sanping. After all, Han Sanping had helped make the movie "Run Lola Run," which was produced under the names of Beijing Film Studio and Sil-Metropole Organisation.

"This trip was definitely worthwhile!" Han Sanping laughed heartily upon seeing Wu Yuchen.

"We couldn't have done it without the help of Beijing Film Studio!"

After the two sat down, Han Sanping specifically mentioned "Heavenly Bath": "Brother Wu, you'd better not consider this kind of subject matter. There are examples like Chen Chong and Tian Zhuangzhuang."

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Don't worry, I know what's important in this matter."

Just as Wu Yuchen and Han Sanping were talking, there was a knock on the door. When Wu Yuchen saw who it was, it was none other than Feng Xiaogang.
"Third Master, I've come to inquire about the film's distribution..."

Feng Xiaogang pushed open the door with a slight bow and came in. Upon seeing Wu Yuchen, he immediately greeted him with a smile: "Oh, Director Wu, congratulations! You've once again made our mainland proud by visiting our compatriots in Taiwan!"

Wu Yuchen stood up and said with a smile, "Director Feng, you're too kind!"

Last Chinese New Year, when Feng Xiaogang visited their home, Wu Yuchen's parents overheard him calling him "Xiaogang" and gave him a good scolding after he entered the house.

Wu Yuchen also admitted that he was a bit arrogant and reckless at the time. Although Xiao Gangpao did adopt a humble attitude, and although he did become somewhat unpleasant later, he hasn't caused any major problems yet, so we shouldn't look down on him because of that. The movies he's made are all quite good, and he deserves the respect he deserves.

Wu Yuchen then said, "Director Feng, if you have something to discuss with Factory Director Han, then I won't keep you two any longer."

Feng Xiaogang immediately said, "No, no, I'm sorry for bothering you. It's nothing serious. It's the release of the new movie. We can talk about it another day."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Director Feng, is your new movie about to be released?"

“Yes, ‘Be There or Be Square.’ I saw that your ‘The Classic’ was so popular, so I wanted to follow the trend and make a romance movie. But I don’t have your skills, so I can only make some mundane stories about ordinary people.” Feng Xiaogang chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen knew that this guy was flattering him. It was true that "Be There or Be Square" was a romance film, but it mostly followed the romance theme of "Titanic". After his "If Love Has a Destiny" was released, "Be There or Be Square" had already started filming.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Director Feng, since that's the case, I'll help you promote this when I meet with the reporters in a couple of days."

The movie "Be There or Be Square" is really good. It stars Ge You and Xu Fan. The cinematic language is much more mature than "The Dream Factory". It contains true philosophy in its simplicity. Feng Xiaogang was quite talented in his early days.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaogang immediately clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Thank you so much, Director Wu!" Wu Yuchen smiled and said goodbye to Han Sanping. True to his word, he mentioned "Be There or Be Square" to the reporter, expressing his appreciation and promising to see the audience at the cinema. After seeing the related reports, Feng Xiaogang once again visited Wu Yuchen with gifts to express his gratitude.

Actually, Li Xiaoran wasn't the only one who came back from Taiwan with Wu Yuchen this time; Li An also accompanied them, naturally for the sake of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Not long after, Li An came to visit. Seeing his furrowed brows, Wu Yuchen offered him a cup of tea and asked, "Director Li, what's troubling you?"

Li An sighed and shook his head: "The acting situation is very unsuccessful..."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then truthfully told Wu Yuchen, "After revising the script as you suggested, Director Wu, I want to cast Chow Yun-fat as Li Mu Bai. His image and acting skills are both suitable..."

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this: "Chow Yun-fat does indeed possess that refined and elegant demeanor, his acting skills are excellent, and he has several works in Hollywood, making him a suitable candidate. Does Chow Yun-fat not want to?"

“It’s not that he’s unwilling, he just can’t make up his mind,” Li An sighed.

"Can't decide?" Wu Yuchen asked, puzzled.

"Zhou Run is currently in talks for a big project, 'Anna and the King.' I don't know if you've heard of it, Director Wu?"

"Is it that biography, 'Anna and the King of Siam'?"

"Yes, that's the one. In 1956, Fox made a musical called 'The King and I' based on it. It was a huge success, with a budget of $4 million and a box office of $21.3 million. It was also nominated for nine Academy Awards and won five of them."

I heard that Fox is going to spend 80 or 90 million to restart this project and try to get it back to the Oscars. They've brought in Jodie Foster for the female lead, and Chow Yun-fat is currently the strongest contender for the male lead. He can't set a schedule at all right now; everything depends on *Anna and the King*, and it's impossible for him to join the crew for training.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen understood, as he was familiar with Chow Yun-fat's resume. "Anna and the King" was the best opportunity Chow Yun-fat had encountered since entering Hollywood; it was a large-scale production with a budget of 9200 million. The King of Siam, or the King of Thailand, was of Asian descent, and without competition from white or black actors, he stood out and ultimately won the role.

However, the film ultimately grossed only 1.13 million yuan, and received only one Oscar nomination for costume design and art direction. It was a critical and commercial failure, a complete flop. While the lead actress, Jodie Foster, had a deep and sophisticated background, Chow Yun-fat fared much worse. After this film, he faced the prospect of being unable to stay in Hollywood and essentially having to slink back to Hong Kong. But then, things took a turn for the better, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" saved him.

In his previous life, Li An waited several months for Chow Yun-fat. Chow Yun-fat only agreed to film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" after finishing filming "Anna and the King" in June, and immediately flew back to the mainland to join the crew and start filming. He was basically unprepared.

Wu Yuchen reviewed the process and said to Li An, "Director Li, I estimate that Brother Chow won't agree in the short term. Are you planning to wait for him, or..."

Li An was also scratching his head in frustration. He had previously approached Jet Li, but he declined the role, and this time, he couldn't get Chow Yun-fat to participate either. On one hand, there was a 9000 million dollar Hollywood blockbuster, and on the other hand, there was his 1500 million dollar Eastern martial arts film. Anyone could tell which one was the main focus, and Chow Yun-fat wasn't stupid. He certainly wouldn't let "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" delay "Anna and the King."

Li An thought for a moment and said, "Director Wu, I'd like to wait and see if it's too late once the 'Anna and the King' crew has finalized the filming schedule. If possible, I'd like to try my best to get Chow Yun-fat to play the role. If that doesn't work, I'll make a backup plan."

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this, offering no rebuttal. Chow Yun-fat's performance in his previous life was indeed quite impressive. Wu Yuchen also didn't intend to cause any further trouble or interfere with Li An's judgment.

Li An then added, "It's not just Li Mubai; things aren't going well for Yu Jiaolong either. I approached Shu Qi at the Golden Horse Awards, hoping she'd play Yu Jiaolong, but she considered it for a while and didn't agree. I just called her, and she said her schedule is already full, and she doesn't have time to train with the crew. Sigh..."

Wu Yuchen wasn't surprised to hear this. Shu Qi's early contracts for Category III films were very harsh, and she earned very little money. Now, having won awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards, she has finally entered the mainstream. Naturally, she wants to earn more money to improve her and her family's lives first. Asking her to spend several months in training and another six months filming is equivalent to spending a whole year on a film with an uncertain future. The cost-effectiveness is too low, and it's only natural that she would give up this opportunity.

But sometimes fate is like that. To be honest, if Shu Qi had actually played Yu Jiaolong, she would have won an Oscar and been praised to the skies. Perhaps she would have been able to hold her head high in front of her boyfriends' parents in her later relationships.

However, there are no "what ifs" in these matters. Since they were not related, Wu Yuchen didn't have much of a desire to help others.

"Director Li, if that doesn't work, let's select an amateur and start an open audition. You can spend a few months personally training them."

Li An nodded: "That's what I was thinking too, but I'd like to ask Director Wu first, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

Upon hearing Li An's words, Wu Yuchen immediately pictured Zhang Ziyi in his mind. Putting everything else aside, Zhang Ziyi's portrayal of Yu Jiaolong was truly spot-on.

"Director Li, I do have some recommendations, but they may not be suitable. You'll have to make your own judgment when the time comes."

Wu Yuchen planned to ask the women around him if they were interested in Yu Jiaolong. He would naturally recommend them. He would give them the opportunity, and whether they could win her over would depend on their own abilities. Even if they failed, they wouldn't regret it too much in the future.

As for Zhang Ziyi, Wu Yuchen had no intention of personally recommending her. He knew that if he got involved with her, this girl would be incredibly opportunistic, and if he recommended her today, she might come running to him offering herself up in a couple of days. Besides, Zhang Yimou would most likely recommend her to Li An anyway, so he didn't need to worry about it.

Wu Yuchen explained the role of Yu Jiaolong to Li Xiaoran, who was quite interested and wanted to give it a try. Wu Yuchen naturally didn't stop her and pushed her towards it. However, Wu Yuchen guessed that she probably had no chance, otherwise Li An wouldn't have not mentioned inviting her at all along the way.

As for Jiang Qinqin, she's still in the "Princess Pearl 2" production team, so talking to her won't help.

On December 25th, Christmas Day, which was also the release date of "Be There or Be Square", Wu Yuchen took Zeng Li to the cinema and contributed two movie tickets for Xiao Gangpao.

Zeng Li wrapped her arm around Wu Yuchen's and rested her head on his shoulder. Watching Ge You and Xu Fan finally meet again on the movie screen, she couldn't help but smile: "That's great!"

This is also what made Xiao Gangpao's early films so appealing. Whether it was "The Dream Factory" or "Be There or Be Square," he always gave them happy endings, making the audience feel comfortable and not frustrated or left with a bitter taste in their mouth. If it were any other director these days, they would definitely separate the male and female leads, leaving them to grow old alone, leaving a sense of regret in the audience's hearts, euphemistically calling it the beauty of imperfection, adding depth to the film.

Wu Yuchen kissed Zeng Li on the forehead: "We'll meet again someday~"

After leaving the movie theater, the two, still deeply moved by the film, naturally sought a place to pour out their hearts to each other.

After their passionate encounter, Wu Yuchen put his arm around Zeng Li and asked, "Lizi, is your teacher Chang still stopping you now?"

Zeng Li shook her head with a smile: "I won't stop her anymore, and I can't stop her now. You don't know how many people in the class can stand Liu Ye's smugness when she comes back to class. Everyone wants to go out and find acting opportunities. If Teacher Chang tries to stop her again, she'll really rebel."

Liu Ye's confidence soared after starring in Wu Yuchen's "If Love Has a Destiny" last year. This year, "If Love Has a Destiny" became a box office hit, so naturally he became quite arrogant. Coincidentally, he also went to the Tokyo International Film Festival with "Postmen in the Mountains" and won the Golden Kirin Award again. Then, in November, "Postmen in the Mountains" won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Film.

The series of events that followed in the second half of this year made Liu Ye feel like he was floating on clouds, never coming down. Box office successes and awards kept falling on his head, how could he not be smug?
Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head, then asked, "Pear, how are things between you and Zhang Ziyi now?"

"That's great! We ran into Wang Fei once while we were shopping, and she even ran up to me to get my autograph!"

In their past lives, the two women had some disagreements over the casting of "My Father and Mother" this year, but that didn't happen this time. Because when Zhang Yimou came to cast the roles, Zeng Li was still filming "The Grand Mansion Gate," and he still chose Zhang Ziyi.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Yuchen said, "Pear, you know Director Li An, right? He's preparing to film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' and he has a role for Yu Jiaolong. If you're interested, I can recommend you to give it a try."

(End of this chapter)