Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 370 Finalized
"Director Wu, thank you so much for thinking of me! But..." Yu Feihong said, a hint of hesitation on her face.

Upon seeing this, Wu Yuchen asked, "Senior Sister Yu, what's wrong?"

Yu Feihong thought for a moment, then spoke truthfully: "Director Wu, I have a project I really want to make into a film. It's a short love story I read about ten years ago called 'Ginkgo, Ginkgo.' I just turned down all my work and film offers to focus entirely on making my own movie. If you ask me to act in something else now, I'm afraid my newly made decision will be shaken..."

"Ginkgo, Ginkgo"? Wu Yuchen knew immediately that it was the movie "Love Comes Again" that cost 4000 million but only grossed 200 million at the box office!

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen didn't continue to persuade her. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Oh? For Senior Sister Yu to have been concerned for 10 years, the story must be quite interesting?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Feihong immediately took out a script. She had come to see Wu Yuchen specifically to ask him to take a look: "Director Wu, I was just about to ask you to take a look! It took me four years to revise this!"

Wu Yuchen looked at the script for "Love Comes Again," which was actually a story about a love affair between a human and a ghost, centered around a ginkgo lake.

A couple deeply in love are separated by societal conflicts and family feuds, ultimately committing suicide together. However, the story doesn't fully express the male protagonist's true love for the female protagonist if it ends there. Therefore, the author makes him wait for her for another 50 years, allowing him to awaken her memories after 50 years, interspersed with their vows of eternal love...

The story is not complicated. The script uses flashbacks and interludes to tell the story of their past lives. It describes the entanglement, helplessness, hatred and forgiveness in their love in both past and present lives in a very charming way, and shows the reflection on love, waiting and fulfillment.

"Senior Sister Yu truly lives up to her reputation as a talented woman. This script is quite charming, with a poignant and moving storyline. I believe many people will enjoy it once it's filmed!"

Wu Yuchen's praise wasn't entirely verbal; the script was actually quite well-written. "Ginkgo Ginkgo" was just a short story of a few thousand words, but Yu Feihong adapted it into a full-length script, and the adaptation wasn't bad at all.

"Thank you for the compliment, Director Wu. I feel much more at ease knowing that you said that!"

Although she knew that Wu Yuchen's praise was just polite, Yu Feihong was still quite pleased. After all, he was the top Chinese director, and he wouldn't say anything good about a particularly bad script. At least it meant that it was passable.

However, Wu Yuchen then asked, "Senior Sister Yu, when you said you wanted to film this script, did you want to play the female lead, or did you want to direct it yourself?"

"I want to be a director myself."

Wu Yuchen asked, "So how much do you think it will cost to make this movie?"

Yu Feihong thought for a moment and said, "1000 million?"

Wu Yuchen glanced at Yu Feihong, then asked with a smile, "Have you secured any investment?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Feihong gave a wry smile and shook her head.

Wu Yuchen wasn't surprised at all. Although Yu Feihong was now an actress, she was still a newcomer to directing. It was 2005, unlike 10 years later when anyone could become a director. Film companies and investors still valued experience and ability.

In her previous life, Xu Cairen had Wang Shuo's support, and her directorial debut, "Me and My Dad," only required a 3 million yuan investment. But Yu Feihong is asking for 10 million yuan right off the bat, so obviously no one is willing to invest.

Wu Yuchen said, "Senior Sister Yu, to be honest, if you really want to switch to directing, I still suggest you start with a low-budget production to gain experience."

Upon hearing this, Yu Feihong shook her head: "Director Wu, I didn't make this film because I wanted to be a director long-term. I wanted to make this film the way I envisioned it, which is why I wanted to become a director. If I really can't get investment, I plan to finance it myself."

To put it simply, she doesn't trust anyone else to direct. To be more specific, she has developed a strong attachment to this story and feels she must film it, and only by filming it the way she wants can she fulfill her wish.

Wu Yuchen came to a conclusion in his mind: a novice director with a strong sense of idealism and artistic sensibility. No wonder film and television companies were unwilling to invest in her. Investing in such a director would most likely result in losses. In fact, the choice was not wrong.

Yu Feihong claims the amount was 1000 million, but it ultimately came to 4000 million. This is quite absurd in terms of risk control, or rather, it shows a complete lack of understanding of cost control.

If Wu Yuchen were to actually direct this movie, it wouldn't even cost 1000 million.

However, Sister Yu was not an experienced director; she was a novice and lacked experience, so she had to pay her dues. Moreover, she was a well-off, artistic director who didn't want to compromise on many scenes and insisted on shooting only the shots she was satisfied with. In addition, the film encountered many difficulties during the shooting period, such as the continuous rainy season and mudslides, which caused the shooting schedule to be delayed again and again, and even disbanded the crew once and stopped work for two months.

A well-off, aspiring director, after seven months of arduous filming, naturally incurred higher production costs, more than doubling them.

That wasn't the end of it. Post-production was meticulously crafted for over a year, but problems arose again just before the release. Ms. Yu was dissatisfied with the quality of the film prints, and the movie, originally scheduled for the summer holiday season around Qixi Festival, was pulled from the release date. She paid for the reprinting of the film prints herself, and the movie was rescheduled for early September. What kind of release date is that now?

Anyone with a modicum of knowledge knows just how important film promotion and a suitable release date are for a movie.

This is equivalent to her having a complete falling out with the production company and marketing team, and then releasing the film at such an awkward time in early September. It's no surprise that it flopped at the box office.

Actually, it wasn't really only 200 million in box office revenue. In the end, "Love Comes Again" grossed 697 million, and the 200 million was the money that the production company took home. However, compared to the investment of 4000 million, it was still a huge loss.

However, Yu Feihong didn't cheat anyone. A significant portion of the 4000 million yuan came from her own pocket. She emptied her savings and mortgaged all her assets, paying the price for her own dream.

As for ultimately losing everything, even her underwear, the goddess herself remained quite indifferent:

"The effort you put into life is never necessarily proportional to the reward. What others see as a reward might be box office success, but I feel that the spiritual rewards I've gained are immense."

Thinking this through, Wu Yuchen knew he couldn't persuade Yu Feihong; the movie was definitely going to be made. "Senior Sister Yu, how about this: Miracle Films will invest 300 million in your film, and you can handle the rest yourself. The production company will help with the setup, and we'll handle the marketing. Also, during the filming of 'Reign of Assassins,' you can be an assistant director, how about that?"

"Really? Thank you so much!" Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Yu Feihong immediately became excited.

She knew that Wu Yuchen was helping her. Although Miracle Films only invested a mere 300 million yuan, this was equivalent to Miracle Films' certification and endorsement of "Love Comes Again". This was completely different from her, a new director, going out to invest on her own!
After she's branded with Miracle Films, it will be much easier for her to attract investment. Maybe those funds that rejected her before will come rushing to her! After all, Miracle Films is a golden brand, a guarantee of quality. Need I say more about its past achievements?
Appointing Yu Feihong as assistant director serves two purposes: firstly, she can learn a great deal from working alongside Wu Yuchen throughout the entire process, gaining valuable experience; secondly, it enhances her resume. Think about who Wu Yuchen's previous assistants and assistant directors were? Ning Hao!
Ning Hao's "Crazy Stone" was a huge hit during this year's summer movie season. With a budget of less than 5 million yuan, it achieved a box office of over 100 million yuan, which can be described as an explosive result!

Yu Feihong's time working alongside Wu Yuchen has not only provided her with valuable experience, but also enabled her to generate real income. This will make attracting investment for "Love Comes Again" much easier!
Therefore, how could Yu Feihong not be excited and grateful to Wu Yuchen? It's as if a powerful figure is giving her a special boost!

Wu Yuchen asked with a smile, "Senior Sister Yu, what about the character Xiyu?"

Yu Feihong immediately and decisively replied, "Go ahead and act! I'll act for free!"

On the way back, Wu Yuchen smiled. The reason he helped Yu Feihong this time was that she was indeed the most suitable for the role of Xiyu, and he had always had a good reputation for being generous and righteous. This time, he just wanted to do her a favor. It was only 300 million yuan.

To be honest, Wu Yuchen had seen "Love Comes Again" in his previous life, and it's not a bad movie at all.

The film itself is quite well-made, with a very high level of completion. Both actors delivered excellent performances, conveying genuine emotion and capturing the essence of the male and female leads. While the film leans towards an art-house style, this type of romance film isn't exactly niche; it actually has a considerable market, it just depends on whether it can be successfully developed.

With Miracle Films handling the film, the marketing and distribution will definitely be different. This kind of romance film needs a Valentine's Day release, and with a suitable marketing strategy, it should achieve some success. In its previous life, "Love Comes Again" grossed 697 million despite poor marketing and no release date; this time it will certainly be much higher.

So even if you invest 300 million, you won't lose much.

While Wu Yuchen was in a good mood after landing an important role, someone else was happy to have been selected for the final round of auditions for "Reign of Assassins".

"Yanyan, you made it to the final round? Congratulations! We'll be waiting for your good news in a couple of days!"

"Yanyan, isn't the last round an interview with Director Wu? Maybe he'll take a liking to you at first sight!"

In the dormitory, facing the congratulations from her roommates, Jiang Yiyan felt smug inside, but on the surface she still pretended to be indifferent and said: "Hey, it's nothing, it's not decided yet. And it's just a supporting role, far inferior to Liu Qianqian."

Mentioning Liu Qianqian, the other girls sighed, "What's the point of comparing yourself to Qianqian? She's a little princess; she can get whatever she wants from her family!"

They were all Liu Qianqian's classmates and even her roommates, but Liu Qianqian rarely lived on campus and often performed outside, so she spent less time with them at school, and their relationship inevitably became somewhat distant.

They're all classmates, and they haven't even graduated yet. Liu Qianqian is already so popular, it's inevitable that some people will feel envious, like Jiang Yiyan. She believes she's no less capable than Liu Qianqian, only that her family background is inferior. She thinks that if she seizes an opportunity, she too can soar to great heights!
And this time, Wu Yuchen's "Reign of Assassins" presents a great opportunity! Although she's only the second female lead, it's still a film directed by Wu. A good performance will allow her to gain exposure nationwide and even internationally, leaving a positive impression. This is undoubtedly a fantastic start!
At this very moment, Wu Yuchen had just answered the phone call from Fan Bingbing:

"Brother-in-law, do I have to go to another audition?"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Come on, I know you're suitable, but you still have to go through the formalities and show some talent."

"Hmph, brother-in-law, you can just pre-select the female lead, but I, the second female lead, have to go through the motions and pretend!" Fan Bingbing complained.

Wu Yuchen sighed, "Who told you to be so flamboyant? Public opinion is a fearsome thing!"

Fan Bingbing said sweetly, "Brother-in-law, you're so annoying! I'm a lively and beautiful young woman with a great reputation!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen smiled. He had already given Fan Bingbing quite a few benefits. The main thing was that she and Jiang Qinqin were still good friends, so he always had to cover it up a bit and go through the formalities.

As for the other actresses who just came to accompany the main characters, although the lead actress and the second lead actress are gone, there are still the third and fourth lead actresses, right?
Two days later, at the interview, Wu Yuchen looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and asked with a smile, "Danchen, you came to the audition without even saying hello to me?"

"Teacher Wu, I know you must be very busy, I just didn't want to bother you," Yan Danchen said softly.

Wu Yuchen waved his hand with a smile: "What do you mean by disturbing me? If you had told me earlier, I definitely wouldn't have recommended that you audition for this role. It's only because you're so beautiful that they let you into the final round."

Yan Danchen's face fell upon hearing this: "Teacher Wu, are you just going to reject me like this?"

"This role is supposed to be glamorous and sexy, but look at you, so gentle, how does your temperament fit the bill?"

Yan Danchen blinked pitifully, "Teacher Wu, I just wanted to challenge myself~"

Wu Yuchen shook his head and smiled, then said, "How about this, the third female lead is Lei Bin's wife, a chivalrous woman who is pregnant and wants to retire from the martial arts world. How about you give this role a try?"

Compared to the glamorous female assassin, this role, which resembles a virtuous wife, is gentler and more suitable for Yan Danchen.

"I'll listen to Teacher Wu!" Yan Danchen said with a grin.

Wu Yuchen said he would give it a try, but in reality, the role was already decided. After all, everyone calls him Teacher Wu.

(End of this chapter)