novellhall Chapter 50 Preparing a New Script
Chapter 50 Preparing a New Script
Upon receiving Lin Yu's reply, Han Sanping felt reassured. Normally, Han Sanping wouldn't even glance at a movie with such low box office numbers. In the end, this celebration banquet was prepared for Lin Yu.
"Let's set the time for this weekend then," Han Sanping said, putting down his phone with a relaxed tone. "The location will still be the China Film Hotel; there's no time to find another place at the last minute."
In Beijing, you generally need to book banquet halls at decent hotels a month in advance, and it's practically impossible to get a table a week in advance. Fortunately, the China Film Grand Hotel is its own property, so it's not difficult to clear out a few days in advance.
Moreover, for a low-budget film like "12 Citizens," the China Film Grand Hotel's facilities are more than sufficient.
"Then I'll go back and say hello to Principal Zhang. People from the school will have to go too." Wang Jinsong nodded, his tone tinged with helplessness. "That kid doesn't care at all about the results of his debut work."
"It's not like you have to be glued to the China Film Cinema every day to see the box office figures." Tian Zhuangzhuang lit a cigarette and waved his hand casually. "Maybe this kid is hiding somewhere scrolling through his phone all day."
Back in 2012, there was no such thing as real-time box office figures. If you wanted to check the box office, you would usually do so on online forums or some specialized websites. Updates weren't very timely either; they were usually updated the next day with the previous day's figures.
Wang Jinsong disagreed: "I don't think this kid cares about the box office. He disappeared on the second day after the premiere."
He poured a cup of the brewed tea for Tian Zhuangzhuang, and as he handed it to him, he casually remarked, "This nominal master is no match for my real master; he doesn't understand his personality at all."
Tian Zhuangzhuang took the teacup, took a slow sip, and didn't object. He just thought to himself, "Wait till I get Lin Yu here, then you'll be in for a world of hurt."
Wang Jinsong put down the teapot, turned his gaze to Han Sanping, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Could Zeng Zhiwei really have done this?"
Wang Jinsong knew his disciple quite well, knowing that he had a powerful background and that he had a conflict with the sugar figurine maker.
But things happened too fast. From the time Lin Yu started making the movie to the premiere, he was right under Wang Jinsong's nose. He was just an honest young man.
As a result, he took leave the day after the premiere, and two days later Zeng Zhiwei was arrested in Shenzhen.
The timing of these events was so tight that Wang Jinsong was unsure whether it was his seemingly "gentle" disciple who had done it.
Han Sanping glanced at Wang Jinsong and said with certainty, "Who else could it be but him? I can smell the ruthlessness in this kid from this far away."
Wang Jinsong's understanding of his disciple Han Sanping was far less comprehensive. After all, the adaptation rights for "Twelve Citizens" were only obtained through boxing under Lin Yu's guidance.
Han Sanping was fully aware of Lin Yu's methods.
Moreover, Zeng Zhiwei, a seasoned veteran in the Hong Kong entertainment circle, may have offended many people, but he is also a man of his word and would not easily provoke someone with too powerful a background.
Recently, he offended Lin Yu, and Lin Yu is the only one who can meet both of these conditions: he is cunning and swift in his actions.
So two weeks ago, when he saw Zeng Zhiwei arrested and Lin Yu asked for leave and "ran away," Han Sanping immediately identified the suspects. That's what you call reputation.
Wang Jinsong still trusted Han Sanping's words, but there was still one question he couldn't figure out.
"So what's that kid up to now? He should be back in class by now. Is he really going to wait until the verdict is handed down before he comes back?"
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"What can I do? Of course I'm thinking about the script," Lin Yu muttered as he hung up the phone and threw it on the bed.
He genuinely hadn't expected that even after hiding so far away, Han Sanping would still manage to find him and manage to contact his second brother's father. He could ignore his own teacher's calls, but he couldn't do that to this one.
Han Sanping, that old fox, is truly shrewd. One phone call not only led to Lin Yu's capture but also earned him credit. I never realized this old rascal was so calculating.
He had originally planned to take this leave to rest for a while, but he knew his two mentors' personalities too well. If he went straight back from Shenzhen, they would definitely drag him back to class, and the acting director would have to be there too.
From the start of filming to the release of "Twelve Citizens", I haven't had much rest. If I go back to class, what's the difference between me and a donkey pulling a millstone?
Shouldn't we seize this opportunity to lie low for a few days?
Ah, no, this is called finding inspiration. It's the director's job, how can you call it being lazy?
I'll use these few weeks to get a rough outline of the new script, and then submit it when I get back. I'll also take some time off to refine the script, connecting it directly with the summer vacation. Just thinking about it makes me feel hopeful.
He's currently lying around in Northeast China, his mind filled with his "grand plan" to combine idol dramas with Northeastern dialect.
Ever since Director Tian gave him the choice between an idol drama and a documentary, Lin Yu has been sifting through scripts in his mind.
In 2012, there were still many excellent idol dramas that had not yet been released. Although it was difficult for many excellent foreign idol dramas to pass censorship, there was still hope if they made some changes.
Of course, when we say "foreign countries" here, we are basically referring to Korea. Although this small place has its problems, we have to admit that they are far ahead of the Chinese entertainment industry in terms of film and television. Well, maybe we are overestimating the Chinese entertainment industry.
But then again, why isn't Korea considered part of Northeast China?
No, according to Goryeo's own map, it should be across the sea from Yeongnam.
Thinking of this, Lin Yu rolled over in bed and picked up his phone again. "How much is the box office? Why are we having a celebration party now? Aren't we supposed to wait until the film is finished showing?"
To be honest, Lin Yu only checked the box office of "12 Citizens" during the first week. It grossed 16 million in its first week and was estimated to gross more than 70 million after its run, which was already beyond his expectations, but not enough to be considered a cause for celebration.
After all, this movie was originally intended as practice material, and it was released in May, a notoriously difficult month for box office success. As long as the box office is decent, that's fine. There are other ways to make money later on anyway.
When Lin Yu opened the Baidu Tieba app on his phone and saw that the box office had actually increased in the second week, he was quite surprised.
However, seeing the words "recommended by the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of China" in the introduction, it seems reasonable. It looks like it was organized and watched in a unified manner by issuing a document.
Lin Yu's older siblings put in a lot of effort to give him a good start, but they didn't go too far with the spending, because it would be a loss if they were discovered.
With box office revenue approaching 40 million in two weeks, the investors have already started making money, so it's definitely worth having a celebration banquet.
However, Lin Yu's current focus is entirely on the new script, because this time the script needs to be completed in time with the Koreans.