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

Chapter 54 Where there are people, there is a world of martial arts!
In 95, a sudden large-scale outbreak of polio resulted in the paralysis of approximately 1600 children.

The sick child's hands and feet are twisted and deformed, making it difficult for him to take care of even basic daily life.

Upon learning of this, Li Ming immediately launched a fundraising campaign and invested all the millions of dollars raised into the relief effort.

Thanks to his efforts, many children were spared from illness...

With the support of numerous acts of charity, he has successfully added the title of "King of Charity" to his existing reputation as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong"!

"Teacher Li Ming."

As a beneficiary of the sugar pill, Lü Rui's address was tinged with respect.

He wasn't too surprised that Jiang Wen was able to invite this person.

After all, Jiang Wen's status and reputation are equally renowned in the Hong Kong entertainment industry!
"Hello, Director Lü."

Li Ming had a gentle smile, and his every move exuded the air of a wealthy young master.

Among the Four Heavenly Kings, he may not be the most handsome, but his elegant demeanor is universally acknowledged as outstanding.

As the two were exchanging pleasantries, Jiang Wen burst into hearty laughter: "How about it? Let Li Ming play the 'nation's rival,' surely no one can find fault with that now?"

Lü Rui smiled and nodded: "It is indeed quite suitable."

The man in front of you is not only a superstar in the music and film industries, but also a recognized "rich woman harvester".

From his early fame to his mature and steady demeanor, his charm has always captivated people of all ages.

His portrayal of the male lead in "Hitch" can definitely be described as a "natural performance".

Actually, Jiang Wen also had his own selfish motives.

He recommended his wife, Zhou Yun, to audition for the lead role, naturally hoping to further boost her career.

Inviting Li Ming to play the male lead also implies the intention to support a younger actor and elevate the work and the actor's status.

"Director Lü, Director Jiang, you flatter me."

Li Ming responded modestly, with his signature gentle smile on his lips.

At that time, the Hong Kong film industry was showing signs of decline. Although there were still people outside who were enthusiastic about it, the box office miracle of "Hero" in mainland China had already foreshadowed the trend of the industry.

Filming of "Kung Fu Hustle" in the mainland, Liu Dehua joining Feng Xiaogang's new film "A World Without Thieves"... all these signals indicate that the mainland market is the future!

Therefore, when Jiang Wen extended an olive branch, Li Ming accepted the invitation almost without hesitation.

With a production scale of 1500 million, the involvement of mainland capital, and the presence of up-and-coming director Lü Rui, this opportunity is undoubtedly an attractive "stepping stone" for him as he seeks a career change.

"Brother Rui, everyone's here. We can start the auditions now."

Zhao Peng pushed open the door and entered, reminding Li Ming as his gaze unconsciously lingered on him.

He knew perfectly well that this big shot recommended by Jiang Wen was most likely the male lead.

The thought of collaborating with the "Four Heavenly Kings" filled me with both excitement and trepidation!
But at the same time, he couldn't hide his nervousness.

With "Hitch" expanding its reach, whether he can maintain control of the situation is undoubtedly an open question.

Although Lü Rui was nominally the producer, he couldn't keep an eye on everything. What if these celebrities acted like divas?

Before he could figure it out, the audition had already begun.

The audition was naturally overseen by Lü Rui himself.

The male lead auditioned first.

Among mainland Chinese male actors, there aren't many who fit the image of a male lead.

After several rounds of screening, only Chen Daoming and Hu Jun came today.

Lü Rui simply called them both in.

In terms of appearance, each of the three has their own unique characteristics.

Li Ming is handsome and elegant, with a unique aristocratic air.

Chen Daoming possesses a refined and scholarly demeanor, exuding an air of intellectual elegance.

Hu Jun has broad shoulders and a narrow waist like a comic book male protagonist, with a rugged and handsome appearance and a tough guy vibe.

The three have very different styles, but each has their own unique strengths.

However, upon closer examination of the suitability for the role and box office appeal, Li Ming is undoubtedly the best choice.

The most obvious example is that when Chen Daoming entered the room and saw Li Ming, he immediately smiled bitterly and said, "If I had known he was coming, I should have just given up and avoided the trouble of going back and forth."

He had worked with Lai Ming on "Infernal Affairs 3" and knew his popularity and strength well. In comparison, he felt that he was much weaker in the field of commercial films.

Hu Jun, who was standing next to him, scratched the back of his head and sighed inwardly: This trip was probably a waste of time.

After all, the romantic and passionate nature of the male lead in "Everybody's Rival" is hard to reconcile with his current tough-guy image.

The audition proceeded according to the established process.

Over the next twenty minutes, the three players took turns on the field.

Chen Daoming may have been influenced by his role as the emperor in "Kangxi Dynasty". He unconsciously exudes an air of "dominance" in his every move, giving off a sense of aloofness.

Hu Jun's tough-guy image is so deeply ingrained that even with deliberate attempts to conceal it, his fierce and masculine aura remains too strong...

However, before leaving, he made a point of emphasizing, "I feel it's necessary to clarify that I'm really a dramatic actor. Director Lü, if you find a suitable role in the future, don't forget me!"

This self-deprecating remark made everyone burst into laughter.

With that, the male lead's fate was sealed; he ultimately chose Li Ming, recommended by Jiang Wen.

Next up is the female lead.

Zhou Yun, Li Bingbing, and Zhou Xun walked in together.

This was the audition role that was decided after the initial screening.

The most famous among them is undoubtedly Zhou Xun, who is currently one of the four most popular young actresses.

In terms of acting skills, she is undoubtedly No.1 among the three, followed by Zhou Yun, who graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, while Li Bingbing, who graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, is ranked last.

It has to be said! The talent-based players are truly terrifying!
Unfortunately, in terms of appearance, she was somewhat inferior to Zhou Yun compared to Li Bingbing. Plus, Jiang Wen was watching her expectantly from the sidelines…

After the audition, Lü Rui stood up, looked at Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing, and said frankly, "Both of you performed exceptionally well. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the future."

Although it was somewhat regrettable, the two were mentally prepared for this outcome.

After all, in the entertainment industry, the success or failure of an audition often involves a battle of connections, resources, and interests, and it's not just about acting skills.

"Director Lü, this is my business card. If there is a suitable role for me in the future, please give me an audition opportunity."

Zhou Xun is currently transitioning to the big screen, and having just broken up with Li Yapeng, he is now focused on building his career.

Lü Rui nodded in agreement.

With Zhou Xun's acting skills, he would be a good candidate if art films were to be made in the future.

Li Bingbing, who was standing next to him, followed suit and handed over her business card before leaving with Zhou Xun.

After watching the two leave, Lü Rui turned to Shen Ao and instructed, "Call the next group."

"Okay, Brother Rui!"

Shen Ao responded and quickly walked towards the door.
A moment later, the door opened, and a stunningly beautiful figure strode in.

"Director Lü, Director Jiang, and other teachers, hello, I am Fan Bingbing."

At this time, Fan Bingbing had not yet transformed into the powerful "Fan Ye" (Master Fan), but her image after being tempered in "Cellphone" already subtly revealed the demeanor of a leading lady.

Her radiance and charm actually fit the character of the second female lead, a "female celebrity."

However, just as everyone was looking her over, another figure appeared at the door.

"Excuse me, I just went to the restroom."

Yu Feihong, dressed in a plain-colored outfit, could not hide her elegance.

Having risen to fame with her role as "Amazing Fairy," she is currently at the peak of her beauty and temperament. Her delicate bone structure and intellectual charm make her a perfect fit for the role, instantly surpassing Fan Bingbing.

The audition ended quickly.

When Lü Rui looked at him, Fan Bingbing already knew the answer.

Although she couldn't hide her regret, she still stepped forward gracefully: "Director Lü, I left in a hurry last time and didn't have time to exchange contact information. Would it be convenient for you to give me your phone number this time?"

"can."

Lü Rui did not refuse.

After receiving permission, she blinked her eyes and said with a smile, "If there are any suitable roles in the future, I hope you will take care of me."

At this moment, that still somewhat immature "fox face" had already subtly revealed a captivating charm.

Undeniably, she is indeed the type that many mature men like.

This kind of woman should be kept at home and raised like a canary!

The auditions continued in the afternoon.

Fan Wei ultimately won the role of the second male lead.

With a chubby, round face, a dull gaze, and a uniquely honest demeanor, the contrast is striking when he stands next to Yu Feihong!
Lu Rui thought to himself, "A man with such an image pursuing a female celebrity and successfully winning her over definitely highlights the male lead's strength as a 'master of relationships'."

With this, the entire cast of "Hitch" has been finalized.

Lü Rui handed over the casting of the supporting roles to Zhao Peng, and then conveniently relinquished the real power of production management to Jiang Wen.

With "The Pursuit of Happyness" about to start filming, he's destined not to have much time to keep an eye on "Hitch".

But Zhao Peng definitely can't control that group of big names.

There was no other choice but Jiang Wen.

After all, the male lead was introduced by him, and the female lead is his wife.

Before departing for Shenzhen, Lü Rui repeatedly reminded him: "Director Jiang, the investment of 1500 million can only be increased to 2000 million at most. Commercial films need to consider breaking even, so please be careful..."

Jiang Wen laughed heartily and immediately patted his chest to assure everyone, "Don't worry, with the script and storyboards, I definitely won't add anything randomly."

Although he was still somewhat worried, Lü Rui had no other choice but to entrust the rest of the work to him.

On October 5th, "Infernal Affairs" officially ended its run, marking the final chapter of Hong Kong cinema's golden age.

Liu Dehua then officially announced his participation in "A World Without Thieves", Li Ming joined "Hitch", and Tony Leung had already made an early appearance in "Hero"... These actors with keen sense of opportunity have all begun to bet on the mainland market.

At the same time, Wang Jing officially went north with "The World's Number One" and "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws".

Nicholas Tse even made a comeback with the image of "Hua Wuque".

With the implementation of the CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Mainland and Hong Kong), more and more directors, actors, and producers will move north; this is the future trend, and no one can stop it.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.

Although online discourse has begun to distort, the wave of industry transformation is unstoppable.

On the 10th, Lü Rui, along with Wang Zhiwen, Mei Ting, Chen Xinxu, and other key members of the production team, quietly arrived in Shenzhen.

Meanwhile, Zhao Fei, who served as cinematographer for many films such as "The Horse Thief," "The Great Eunuch Li Lianying," "Raise the Red Lantern," and "The Emperor and the Assassin," also came from the capital to lend his support.

He was the cinematographer for Mystic River, but unfortunately, he was later "snatched away" by Feng Xiaogang to direct Cellphone.

Now, he has been taken back by Lü Rui.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" started filming quietly without a grand opening ceremony.

After all, this isn't a commercial film, and it doesn't need to be heavily promoted.

However, paparazzi still managed to follow and leak the news.

At the same time, Huayi Brothers suddenly announced the release date of Feng Xiaogang's film "Cellphone".

Coincidentally, China Film Group also officially announced the release date for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," directed by Lü Rui.

A covert battle for box office revenue has officially begun...

(End of this chapter)