Chapter 207: Chen Luyu’s Appointment
Inside the screening hall on the third floor of the Great Hall of the People.
Chen Luyu, Phoenix TV’s leading anchor, first thanked the leaders of the General Administration and all the guests present tonight.
Then, she invited the main creative team onto the stage.
Her first sentence was: “Chen Luyu’s Appointment has finally managed to invite Director Li today. This time, Director Li can’t refuse me again, can he?”
Wang Jinghua, sitting beside Yang Siwei in the audience, laughed and said, “Only your Director Li has the confidence to not take Chen Luyu’s Appointment seriously.”
“If it were any other artist, they would be scrambling, even paying out of their own pocket, to talk to Chen Luyu.”
Ever since Li Chen won the Golden Palm, Chen Luyu’s Appointment had extended multiple invitations to Li Chen, all of which Li Chen politely declined.
After his relationship with Liu Yifei was exposed, Phoenix TV sent invitations to both of them, but it never materialized.
Yang Siwei smiled but didn’t respond.
“By the way, is Deng Chao’s next agency your Yixin Media?”
Yang Siwei didn’t hide it from Wang Jinghua. Deng Chao’s contract with Oriental Pearl was set to expire in September.
This was no secret in the industry.
“Indeed, Hua Jie.”
Wang Jinghua didn’t say anything more, but sighed inwardly.
No one could ignore the soon-to-be-listed Yixin Media.
This was not comparable to Fan Bingbing’s fly-by-night studio.
With the industry giant Rongchen Film and Television backing it, resources in all aspects were abundant.
Huayi Brothers and her Shiba Culture had no advantage whatsoever.
On stage, Li Chen and Liu Yifei sat on the far left of the creative team.
Regarding Chen Luyu’s playful remark, Li Chen also smiled and said, “When two adversaries meet, since I can’t avoid it, I can only bright sword. Feel free to ask any questions you have.”
Everyone in the audience was laughing.
Chen Luyu immediately threw out a question that everyone was curious about.
“Director Li, we all know that this film has an investment of up to 85 million US dollars.”
“Of course, such an investment is not eye-catching in Hollywood A-list productions.”
“But since it’s the first Sino-American co-production, and half of the lead actors are Chinese, will there be pressure to break even?”
Li Chen nodded and said earnestly, “Definitely a lot of pressure!”
This answer surprised everyone in the audience; it wasn’t like Li Chen’s usual style.
But Li Chen’s next sentence immediately dispelled everyone’s doubts.
“After all, whether it’s Chiyou Films or Rongchen Film and Television, as of now, neither has had a losing film.”
“Invincibility is truly lonely; it’s cold at the top!”
“Perhaps losing one would be a good thing, at least I wouldn’t have to bear the pressure of being an undefeated legend anymore!”
So, after all that, that was the pressure; truly arrogant.
The audience burst into laughter and applauded Li Chen.
Liu Yifei watched her boyfriend from the side, her eyes full of admiration and a smile.
In any situation, facing anyone, her boyfriend always managed to be at ease and talk cheerfully.
Every day spent with him was full of newness.
Although they didn't celebrate her twentieth birthday together this year due to their busy schedules,
the ingenious gift Li Chen prepared still surprised her immensely.
“Director Li is as humorous as ever. When two adversaries meet, the brave one truly wins. I’ll ask Yifei instead.” Chen Luyu laughed.
Chen Luyu then interacted with each lead actor in a rapid-fire succession of questions.
Charlize Theron and the other actress both had translators by their side.
Neither of them was visiting China for the first time, but it was their first time sitting in the Great Hall of the People.
Besides marveling at the grandeur of the Great Hall of the People, they also had nothing but praise for Li Chen.
After the entire film was screened, reporters on site interviewed the audience members who came to watch.
Many audience members had also attended the Premiere of “Hero” held in the Great Hall of the People years ago.
Their approval of “the thieves” was higher than that of “Hero.” The storyline was clear, unlike after watching “Hero,” where one didn’t know what Zhang Yimou was trying to convey.
Li Chen entrusted everything related to “the thieves” in China to Han Sanping and Yang Siwei.
After attending the Premiere of “the thieves,” Li Chen and a group of the thieves flew back to Hollywood on a chartered plane.
The Premiere, broadcast live by Six Princess, had unrivaled viewership in its time slot, far ahead of others.
Sina’s graphic and text live broadcast interaction also had unprecedented popularity.
Netizens’ comments poured in like rain.
“Xiao Li Zi is so damn domineering, what a line, ‘Invincibility is truly lonely’! So incredibly honest!”
“The Earth’s flower not only has a great mind but also a full womanly charm!”
“Liu Yifei’s styling is so alluring! Xiao Li Zi really knows how to keep a woman!”
Los Angeles local time, midnight on the seventh.
“the thieves” first landed in 1185 cinemas across North America.
Liu Yifei woke up at seven in the morning, opened her cell phone, and immediately curled her lips into a smile.
Seeing that Li Chen was still asleep, she directly woke him up.
“Still sleeping? Lazy pig, get up!”
Li Chen rubbed his eyes, and caressed Miss Liu’s round thigh.
He glanced at Miss Liu, who was smiling, and with his eyes closed, he laughed, “What? Has ‘pieta’ received notification from the organizing committee?”
Miss Liu slapped the mischievous hand on her thigh and chided, “You knew and you were still sleeping!”
“Hua Ge wants you to call him back; the awards ceremony is about to start!”
“Today is truly a busy day.” Li Chen mumbled, gave Miss Liu a fierce kiss on her red lips, and no longer lingered in the tender embrace.
Today, not only was Venice going to announce awards in one or two hours,
but in China, it would also be midnight on the eighth in less than one or two hours, and “the thieves” would also be released in various cinemas.
Lido Island
Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Deng Chao walked onto the red carpet of the closing ceremony.
Both gentlemen wore black suits with white shirts.
They flanked Maggie Cheung, who was wearing a wine-red strapless long dress, one on each side.
The flashing lights of domestic and international reporters crackled as they focused on this film crew, which had a high chance of winning the Golden Lion.
“Hua Ge, if we really win the Golden Lion later, and Director Li isn’t here, it would be quite interesting.” Deng Chao posed while moving his lips but not his body.
Andy Lau chuckled, “It’s alright, if we really win, Li Chen has prepared a VCR, so it won’t affect anything.”
Maggie Cheung also had a serene smile.
While dealing with media photos, she explained to Deng Chao, the newcomer, “The timing of the Venice Film Festival each year is actually quite awkward.”
“Many Hollywood films are already starting their Oscar campaigns by this time, so it’s normal for them not to prioritize Venice.”
“It’s the same for ‘the thieves’; I heard Warner had already started taking action early on.”
Inside the Cinema Palace, Ang Lee’s “lust, caution” crew had already arrived.
Andy Lau didn’t see Jiang Wen’s “The Sun Also Rises” crew, and he understood then.
Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung exchanged a look, both appearing more nonchalant than the other.
It was as if the Silver Lion tonight meant nothing to them.
“I hope you get what you wish for tonight.” Tony Leung hugged Maggie Cheung and whispered in her ear.
Maggie Cheung smiled, “I’ll take your auspicious words.”
Currently, in the media and critics’ ratings,
the highest contenders for Best Actress were Maggie Cheung from “pieta” and Cate Blanchett from “I’m Not There.”
However, among the two, Cate Blanchett was filming in Hollywood and was not present.