It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 291 Fei Yuan Bing Tian? Bing Xue Wei Tian? Choosing a Corner Curtain, Eldest Niece... (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
In the audition room, the moment Lü Rui saw Bai Bing, a jingle suddenly popped into his head:

"If you have Fei, choose Fei; if you have Yuan, choose Yuan; if you have neither Fei nor Yuan, then Bai Bing and Jing Tian are the best."

This was a very popular saying in the industry in my past life.

Of course, this statement didn't become widely known until 2010, after the TV series "The Myth," produced by Jackie Chan, was released.

The role of Princess Yu Shu greatly boosted Bai Bing's acting career!
Furthermore, with the addition of numerous titles such as "Little Kim Hee-sun," "Yinghuang's Top Mainland Actress," and "Bingxue Weitian," her popularity skyrocketed, making her the most talked-about celebrity for a time.

Unfortunately, ever since she played Daiyu and Qingwenzi in "Let the Bullets Fly", her career has gradually declined.

Due to factors such as marriage, childbirth, and the loss of resources, she was never able to return to her peak...

While Lü Rui was lost in his memories, Bai Bing had already finished his audition performance.

The performance was barely passable; it could only be described as mediocre.

After all, she didn't have formal training; she debuted through a talent show and was then selected by Yinghuang, officially entering the entertainment industry.

Currently, his resume only includes two works: the idol drama "The Web of Deception" and the movie "Love Transfer". His acting skills are still somewhat immature.

"Huh?" Lu Rui flipped through her resume and suddenly noticed something interesting. "You got the role in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?"

"Yes." Bai Bing was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly pay attention to this, and quickly nodded, "I have already been internally selected to play the role of Xue Baochai."

She readily admitted that she was a beneficiary of the existing system.

After all, we're all insiders; who doesn't know that talent shows are just a gimmick to generate buzz?

"Oh." Lu Rui wasn't really concerned about what role she was playing, and continued to ask, "Have all the auditions over on your end?"

The recent controversy surrounding the open casting for the TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" has caused quite a stir.

After more than a year of auditions for the lead actor, the production team suddenly denied the results. This is quite outrageous.

"Everything is basically confirmed, we're just waiting for the official announcement."

"Row."

Lu Rui nodded, satisfied with his curiosity, and didn't ask any more questions.

"Thank you, Director Lü, Director Xue..."

Bai Bing turned around and went out the door in a daze.

"So? Did you choose it?" Huo Wenxi asked eagerly as soon as she saw her come out.

"Sister Mani, I don't know either. Director Lü let me out after the performance."

Huo Wenxi understood immediately upon hearing this: "Then it seems you should have made it to the second round, or rather, be on the shortlist."

"So I have a chance to be chosen, right?" Bai Bing asked expectantly.

"Perhaps. I'll talk to Chairman Yang later and see if he can put in a good word for me..."

Before Huo Wenxi could finish speaking, three people suddenly walked towards them.

She looked closely, and her lips twitched involuntarily; her hopes were instantly shattered.

"Director Gu, Sister Jiang..." she greeted them, trying to appear calm.

"Director Huo, haha. Long time no see..."

Gu Changwei responded with a smile, with Jiang Wenli and his niece Ma Sichun standing beside him.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they went their separate ways.

Bai Bing stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "Sister Mani? That's Gu Changwei, the cinematographer of 'Farewell My Concubine,' and actress Jiang Wenli, the lead actress?!"

She had seen "Farewell My Concubine" and naturally knew these two big names in the industry.

"Yes." Huo Wenxi nodded, then couldn't help but sigh. "Don't have too high hopes for this audition."

Bai Bing fell silent instantly.

These days, although Hong Kong entertainment companies have impressive reputations and seemingly abundant resources, attracting many mainland artists to join them, it's actually not an easy business to succeed in.

Because Hong Kong entertainment companies sign mainland artists mostly to open up the mainland market, and they also provide them with mainland resources.

However, they are playing away from home, so their resources are already limited.

More importantly, Hong Kong entertainment companies prefer to give more opportunities to their own people, so mainland artists have to compete for resources on their own.

Although Bai Bing has the label of "a student at a political and legal university," which is a minor highlight, this advantage seems particularly laughable in the face of top-tier connections like Gu Changwei and Jiang Wenli.

Although Yinghuang and Ruishijie have collaborated, and she, as a mainland artist, speaks standard Mandarin, the difference in connections is undeniable, so the audition result was already self-evident.

"Don't be sad."

Huo Wenxi patted her on the shoulder: "I'll have Chairman Yang try to put in a good word and see if there are any other suitable roles. Yinghuang and Ruishijie have a cooperative relationship, so we can always try to secure some opportunities."

"Thank you, Mani."

Bai Bing forced a smile and nodded, but her eyes betrayed her disappointment.

She knew very well that even if she eventually managed to get the role, it would probably only be a minor supporting role.

Meanwhile, in the audition room, they had already become relatives.

As soon as Gu Changwei entered the room, after exchanging brief pleasantries with Lü Rui, he said to Ma Sichun, "Come here, girl, call him uncle."

Ma Sichun was obedient and immediately bowed, sweetly saying, "Hello, Uncle."

Lü Rui was somewhat amused and exasperated, and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Director Gu, don't be like that! I'm not much older than her, just call me 'brother,' that's enough. Let's just be ourselves, no need to be so serious."

"Hey! That won't do." Gu Changwei said with a serious face, "The rules can't be broken! You call me 'older brother,' and I'll call you 'younger brother,' but this girl has to call me 'uncle' according to seniority."

Unable to refuse, and seeing his earnest expression, Lü Rui had no choice but to accept this great-niece with a wry smile.

"Alright, I'll shamelessly take advantage of this."

Seeing this, Jiang Wenli smiled brightly, secretly marveling at how lucky her niece was.

It's no exaggeration to say that the number of people in the industry who want to claim kinship with Lü Rui and call him uncle could stretch from the capital to Shanghai.

Now that she's connected with this relative, regardless of how things develop in the future, Ma Sichun can at least enjoy the benefits of being a "resource-backed celebrity" for now.

This is an opportunity that many artists would kill for!
"Yifei, go help Director Gu's niece with a scene."

After exchanging pleasantries, Lü Rui looked at Liu Yifei, who was trembling from trying not to laugh, and gave her instructions.

"Mmm Good."

Liu Yifei forced a smile as she walked over, her mind racing with thoughts:

"My senior suddenly found himself a niece. Does that mean this girl named Ma Sichun will have to call me 'Auntie' from now on?"

The thought of this relationship made her want to laugh.

Although Ma Sichun did not attend a professional acting school, her acting skills are surprisingly good.

Strictly speaking, she could be considered a child star.

At the age of 7, she starred in her first film, "Three People's Winter," and then in 00, she starred in the TV series "The Grand Mansion Gate," so she can be said to have grown up in front of the camera.

She has a great sense of camera presence, her eyes are expressive, and her emotions are natural. Plus, she's two years younger than Liu Yifei, so the two of them standing together have a strange sense of tacit understanding like best friends, and they look quite compatible.

The audition, which lasted only a few minutes, ended quickly. Ma Sichun bowed and thanked them, behaving generously and appropriately.

Gu Changwei didn't ask much about the audition results. After saying goodbye, he left with Jiang Wenli and Ma Sichun.

Because he knew in his heart that personally bringing people to audition was already a "result".

Given his relationship with Lü Rui, plus this newly established kinship, he's almost certain to get the role.

After watching the three leave, Xue Xiaolu turned to look at Lü Rui, her eyes asking, "Chairman Lü? What about this role..."

"Let's go with her." Lü Rui made the decision without the slightest hesitation.

He couldn't refuse to give Old Gu this face.

After all, the other party had helped him a lot over the years, and he owed them a huge debt of gratitude, so he took this opportunity to repay some of it.

To be honest, he was quite surprised, not expecting Gu Changwei to personally accompany Jiang Wenli.

These two were just going through a divorce, how come they've suddenly gotten back together?

Will they have another baby after a while?
Xue Xiaolu nodded and ticked Ma Sichun's resume: "Then I'll contact her management team to discuss the contract details."

"Well, okay."

Lu Rui responded and turned his gaze back to the entrance of the audition room.

Actually, there are several other actors following Ma Sichun in the rankings.

For example, Han Xue, who came from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Gan Wei, who was recommended by the PLA Academy of Arts.

It's just that Jing Tian didn't come today; otherwise, the Bingxueweitian trio could have been formed that day.

Both of them are older than Liu Yifei. Although their acting skills are commendable, they are not well-suited to the roles, so they were both unfortunately not selected in the end.

In addition, the audition list even included actors who came all the way from South Korea!
"Hello, directors. I am Choo Ja-hyun, from Daegu, South Korea. I graduated from the Department of Theater at Dankook University."

A fluent Korean voice echoed in the audition room.

Although Lü Rui couldn't speak Korean, he could understand a few words through exposure to it.

But while we can listen to what she says, filming is ultimately a collaborative creative process. We can't expect her to speak Korean the whole time while the other actors speak Chinese, can we?

Isn't this ridiculous?
Looking at the impeccably made-up South Korean actress before him, Lü Rui glanced at the translator beside her and asked directly, "Is she simply unable to speak Chinese? Or is her Chinese not very good?"

Upon hearing this, the translator looked embarrassed and quickly replied, "Director Lü, she's working hard to learn..."

"Oh."

Lu Rui didn't say anything more and left the subsequent evaluation to Xue Xiaolu.

In his view, this was just a formality.

Even without Ma Sichun's precedent, he wouldn't choose an actor who doesn't speak the language, since the communication costs are too high and could easily affect the filming schedule and the quality of the work.

Since the end of the last century, Sino-Korean relations have gradually entered a honeymoon period.

The cultural industry serves as an important bridge for communication between the two sides, and cooperation has become increasingly frequent in recent years.

With the influx of Korean culture and dramas into the Chinese market, many Korean artists have come to the mainland to seek development opportunities.

Currently, the most famous in China are Kim Hee-sun, who collaborated with Jackie Chan in "The Myth," and Jang Dong-gun, who played Kunlun Slave in "The Promise."

In addition, there are a number of actors with moderate fame in South Korea who have focused on the mainland Chinese market for various reasons.

Among them, Jang Nara rose to fame with her role in "My Bratty Princess" alongside Su Youpeng, and her popularity has remained high.

Cai Lin has starred in many popular dramas such as "The Yang Family Generals" and "The New Drunken Golden Branch", while Park Si-yeon is known to the audience for her role as the Third Holy Mother in "The Lotus Lantern". Both have accumulated a lot of national popularity.

Choo Ja-hyun took advantage of this opportunity to develop her career in China.

She first rose to fame in 03 after co-starring with Eddie Peng in the idol drama "Scent of Love". After a few years of silence, she made a comeback with "The Great Banner Hero", adapted from Gu Long's novel, and labeled herself as "Snow White".

The South Korean entertainment industry is too tough, so she didn't want to go back and continued her activities in mainland China. Perhaps because "foreign monks chant sutras better," she actually landed several good roles in martial arts dramas, such as "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" and "Let Love Turn into Pearl Rain."

After gaining popularity, she wanted to follow in Kim Hee-sun's footsteps and develop her career in the film industry, so she came to "The Witch" to sign up for an audition.

Objectively speaking, Choo Ja-hyun's audition performance was quite good. Her eyes revealed a tenacity, and she vaguely showed the explosive power that she would later possess as "Lin Pinru".

But for Lü Rui, there was never any saying that "outsiders can chant sutras better".

Because he's better at portraying foreign actors as villains!

For example, for the villains in "The Witch," he had Peter Griffin select a group of second- and third-tier actors from Hollywood.

Despite the relatively high salaries of these actors, using their Hollywood star status to highlight the leading lady's glamour and style is perfectly appropriate.

After the audition, Choo Ja-hyun still politely thanked everyone in Korean, bowed deeply, and then turned to leave.

After the door closed again, Lü Rui turned to the casting director beside him and solemnly instructed, "From now on, we don't need to collect resumes from actors who don't speak the language, so as not to waste time."

"Yes, Chairman Lü."

The casting director quickly nodded in agreement, silently keeping this request in mind.

I took a two-hour break at noon.

At 1 p.m., the auditions for "The Witch" resumed, and the next step was to select candidates for supporting roles such as the adoptive father and mother, as well as candidates for the villainous roles...

Time flies.

In less than three days, the cast of "The Witch" was finalized.

On Bai Bing's side, out of respect for Yang Shoucheng, Lü Rui ultimately arranged for her to play a villainous role with considerable weight.

It's the cold-blooded female assassin with long hair who eats lollipops while killing people and is skilled in double-edged combat when the female protagonist returns to the experimental base.

This character has a sufficiently focused role and a striking design, which allows Bai Bing to showcase her physical advantages while avoiding any clash with the main characters' personalities, making it a win-win arrangement.

As for the roles of adoptive father and adoptive mother, they were decided very smoothly.

Liu Xiaoli, who came to the company to deliver Liu Yifei's film, was "intercepted" by Lü Rui on the spot, who invited her to make a cameo appearance as the adoptive mother.

Liu Xiaoli already has acting experience, and she and Liu Yifei have a natural chemistry as mother and daughter, which even saves them the cost of getting to know each other better.

The role of the adoptive father was successfully taken by Ni Dahong, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama and from the National Theatre of China.

At 47, he is exactly one year older than Liu Xiaoli, making them a perfect age match. His calm and reserved acting skills also perfectly match the character's honesty and forbearance.

They were busy until the 25th, and the domestic cast of "The Witch" was basically finalized.

Now we're just waiting for the Hollywood villain actors to arrive so we can officially start filming.

On the 26th, before the Hollywood actors arrived, Lü Rui took some time to visit China Film Group and met with Han Sanping.

In the latter's office, he received a thick document containing various subsidy policies for the future development of Ruishijie.

The program covers multiple fields, including film and television production, animation development, cinema construction, theme park operation, and post-production special effects development. It offers tax incentives, simplified approval processes, special subsidies, and talent recruitment support, with the scale of support far exceeding expectations!

"Chairman Han, thank you so much this time." Lu Rui said sincerely as he flipped through the documents.

He had already heard that Han Sanping had made a solemn pledge to his superiors for these policies!

"Haha, it's nothing." Han Sanping waved his hand, looking carefree. "It's all for the future of Chinese-language films."

However, this time I've given up on Huayi and placed all my bets on you. Don't let me down.

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui put down the documents and said with a firm look in his eyes, "Just you wait and see! Rui Vision and I will definitely not let you down."

He knew in his heart that Han Sanping's support was by no means accidental; it was backed by a heavy trust and expectation.

As the old saying goes, a drop of water in need deserves a spring in return!
This time, Lü Rui is determined to repay Han Sanping's great kindness! He will also ensure that Rui Vision's project carries the banner of Chinese blockbuster films, living up to Han's strong support.

After leaving China Film Group, he went to the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China that afternoon to take a set of formal promotional photos and participate in a special interview.

An army must have a legitimate reason for its actions.

There has to be a reasonable reason for the benefits and privileges from above to fall on him.

The selection and promotion of "Outstanding Elites of the Post-80s Generation" is an excellent opportunity.

It's important to understand that this is a win-win situation.

Lu Rui naturally enjoyed the policy benefits, which enhanced his personal and corporate credibility, while the leaders used his success story to showcase their achievements. Everyone was happy.

He knew in his heart that as Ruishijie continued to develop and improve, there would only be more and more of these officially recognized activities.

This is not just an honor, but also an intangible resource and endorsement that will allow him to go further and more steadily in the film and television industry!
On the 28th, all the Hollywood actors who came to audition for "The Witch" arrived.

The audition room at Ruishijie was bustling with activity once again.

Meanwhile, the military-themed drama "My Brother is Called Shunliu," produced by Ruishijie, directed by Zhu Sujin, and starring Wang Baoqiang, also successfully wrapped up filming this morning.

According to the original plan, Lü Rui was supposed to attend the wrap-up press conference.

However, the casting process for "The Witch" was not yet finished, so he could only entrust Hou Hongliang to attend on his behalf.

At the same time, the nomination list for the 12th Huabiao Awards was officially announced.

Several works produced by Ruishijie, including "New World" and "Sunny Sisters", are on the list!
However, less than half an hour later, Li An suddenly produced a huge bombshell, completely overshadowing the Huabiao Awards.

He posted a clip of the English trailer for "Lust, Caution" on an external website, which was about two and a half minutes long.

This video was quickly reposted by netizens back to China and spread wildly on various platforms, causing a huge uproar!

Inside the audition room at Ruishijie, Liu Yifei stared wide-eyed at the scene on the screen where Tang Wei was completely naked with her back to the camera!

"This...this is completely naked? Are you really not wearing anything?"

Her voice was filled with undisguised surprise, and her cheeks flushed bright red instantly.

Amidst the surprise, a strong sense of relief suddenly welled up inside me.

Fortunately, she wasn't fooled by Li An's reputation back then, and with Lü Rui by her side, she turned down the offer for "Lust, Caution." Otherwise, she would probably be the one being so openly criticized online today.

She couldn't even imagine what kind of backlash she would receive if she were to "go all out" like Tang Wei.

It's estimated that his acting career may be shrouded in an indelible shadow!
Lu Rui sat to the side, arms crossed, a hint of mockery on his face, and a faint disgust in his eyes.

Previously, the public relations team had been conveying the message that "Lust, Caution is essentially an erotic film," but due to Li An's international reputation, many people did not believe it and even felt that it was a malicious smear.

But now, with the release of this trailer, it's as if Li An has stabbed himself in the back!

Faced with the facts, all explanations seem pale and powerless.

He also heard that when filming the passionate scenes in the movie, Li originally planned to arrange a body double, but Tony Leung firmly refused, saying that he was willing to sacrifice himself for art...

There's no one else who can be this shameless.

"Director Xue, you take them to prepare for the audition first, I'm going out to make a phone call."

Lu Rui suddenly remembered something, stood up, walked out of the audition room through the back door, and dialed Jia Zhangke's number.

Once the call connected, he cut straight to the point: "Director Jia, have you seen the promotional clips for 'Lust, Caution'?"

"I just saw it, it's absolutely outrageous!" Jia Zhangke's voice was filled with obvious dissatisfaction.

"So do you think a film like this could pass censorship in mainland China?"

"That's wishful thinking!" Jia Zhangke replied without hesitation. "Unless all the passionate scenes and nudity are completely removed, it will never pass the censorship!"

"What if it actually passes censorship?" Lü Rui changed the subject, adding, "And as far as I know, the original novel of this film seems to seriously distort and smear the revolutionary martyrs, completely confusing historical fact with fact..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangke's voice instantly rose eight octaves, his tone filled with anger.
"If it really gets approved, I'll team up with fifth and sixth generation directors to demand an explanation from the higher authorities! Damn it, if this kind of movie can get approved, why can't we have a film rating system?!"

That's exactly what Lü Rui wanted to hear!
"Director Jia, let's wait and see. If it's officially scheduled for release, we'll all step forward together and have a proper discussion."

"Row!"

Jia Zhangke had been planning to promote a rating system, and knowing this was a good opportunity, he immediately agreed:

"I'll go and talk to Lou Ye and Wang Xiaoshuai right away. Let's make preparations first. We absolutely cannot let this kind of film pollute the mainland market!"

"it is good."

Lu Rui nodded in agreement, and after hanging up the phone, he walked towards the audition room while pondering to himself.

He remembered very clearly that after "Lust, Caution" won the Golden Lion Award in his previous life, it was indeed scheduled to be released online in mainland China.

Although some segments were cut, the core controversial content still remains.

But this time, with his intervention, coupled with the joint boycott by Jia Zhangke and other sixth-generation directors, he wanted to see if this vulgar film, which was supposed to be "art," could successfully enter the mainland cinema market!
When I returned to the audition room, auditions for Hollywood actors were already in full swing.

Among the candidates who came from overseas, Lü Rui also met several old acquaintances.

This includes Henry Cavill, who gave a standout performance in Pacific Rim.

After filming Pacific Rim, he returned to Hollywood to star in Kingsman, but the film was poorly received and did not help him advance further.

Then, when he heard that Rui Vision was going to launch a new Sino-foreign co-production project, he immediately rushed over with great interest, and his target was the number one villain in the original "The Witch", that is, the cold young man who chased the female lead.

Because of their previous collaboration and the fact that the role was a perfect match for his personality, Henry Cavill's audition went exceptionally smoothly, and he landed the role with almost no suspense.

Watching his coldness and explosive power in front of the camera, Lü Rui couldn't help but ponder to himself.

When preparing for "The Witch 2: Lucy", should we try to create a crossover with the "Superman" series?

After all, Henry Cavill will definitely be carrying the Superman mantle in the future. If we can lay some groundwork for crossovers in advance, it might create unexpected surprises...

As for the second villain, Mr. Cui, Dr. Bai's assistant in the original version, he was eventually won over by Australian actor Hugo Weaving.

He portrayed the classic villain Agent Smith in The Matrix, exuding a gloomy and profound aura.

It felt perfectly natural for him to continue playing a villain in "The Witch," and his solid acting skills added even more depth to the character.

The true mastermind behind the film, the core villain "Dr. White" in the original version, was ultimately cast as Tanya Roberts after multiple rounds of auditions and screen time.

This Bond girl, who once made a stunning appearance in a 007 film, is no longer at her peak.

In fact, actresses all over the world cannot escape the same dilemma: as they get older, it becomes extremely difficult to find suitable roles!

Tanya Roberts hasn't received any decent acting offers in two years, and with the added burden of caring for her sick husband alone, she's struggling financially.

Upon learning of the audition opportunity for "The Witch," she felt as if she had grasped a lifeline and did her best to showcase herself.
Even during the audition, she bluntly stated, "I don't mind if you have to completely ruin my image, as long as you choose me."

That do-or-die sincerity finally moved Lü Rui.

With Tanya Roberts' selection, the auditions for all actors in "The Witch" have officially come to an end.

August has quietly arrived.

As the summer movie season enters its second half, Hollywood blockbusters are gradually withdrawing, and in their place, many domestic films are being released.

This includes "The Equation of Love and Death," produced by Ruishijie, which was released as scheduled.

However, it faces extremely fierce competition!
Because among the films released at the same time, there was Jay Chou's directorial debut and Donnie Yen's new action film.

On one hand, there's a heartfelt work directed by a national idol, and on the other hand, there's a powerful action star heavily promoted and marketed in Hong Kong.

Caught in the middle, "The Equation of Love and Death" is destined to face a tough battle this summer!
(End of this chapter)