1RomanceEB Chapter 32 Casting Disagreements
Chapter 32 Casting Disagreements
Xu Ke said that's what he said, but Tang Long didn't dare to take it seriously.
He kept going on and on about the casting choices, which just showed his lack of consideration.
Xu Kejian was somewhat annoyed by Tang Long's repeated refusals:
"Why are you so reluctant? Just say what you're told. Whether we take your words into account or not is our business."
"Director Xu, I really haven't considered this issue. If you suddenly ask me to answer it, I can't say anything right now."
Wu Siyuan immediately saw through Tang Long's concerns and couldn't help but think more highly of him.
There aren't many young people who have such a sense of propriety.
"Ah Long, to be honest, we have a disagreement on casting, so we'd like to hear your thoughts as the screenwriter."
Hearing Wu Siyuan say this, Tang Long couldn't help but ask:
"Mr. Wu, Director Xu, what disagreement do you have?"
"The two female protagonists in 'New Dragon Gate Inn' are Qiu Moyan and Jin Xiangyu."
I prefer Wang Zuxian for Qiu Moyan, and I lean towards Brigitte Lin for Jin Xiangyu.
However, Tsui Hark had a different opinion. He wanted Brigitte Lin to play Qiu Moyan and Zhang Manyu to play Jin Xiangyu.
Can Zhang Manyu play the role?
She can't act.
Her acting style is clearly incompatible with the image of Jin Xiangyu.
Wu Siyuan got a little angry when this was mentioned, and he argued with Xu Ke about it several times.
"Why can't she act? Don't be fooled by the fact that she has been working with some New Wave directors for the past two years; she has honed her acting skills."
She has a rather easygoing personality, and with her professional skills, she is more than capable of bringing the character of Jin Xiangyu to life.
At the Golden Harvest Gala earlier this year, Xu Ke saw Zhang Manyu, slightly tipsy and unrestrained in her speech and behavior.
This was a stark contrast to the image she portrayed on screen, which left a deep impression on him.
When he first opened the script for "New Dragon Gate Inn", the image of Zhang Manyu naturally came to mind when he thought of the character Jin Xiangyu.
"Ah Long, tell me, who is more suitable to play Jin Xiangyu, Zhang Manyu or Brigitte Lin?"
Tang Long felt a chill run down his spine when he met the two men's piercing gazes.
He can't afford to offend either of them.
"Mr. Wu, Director Xu, why don't we ask Zhang Manyu and Brigitte Lin if they are willing to play the role of Jin Xiangyu?"
Maybe they don't want to act, or maybe they're all unavailable.
"Who could refuse our offer to play a role?" Xu Ke pouted.
Shi Nansheng, who had been silent until now, spoke up:
"Tang Long is right. The preparation for 'New Dragon Gate Inn' is quite urgent. There's no point in arguing here if the other party really doesn't have the time."
"Alright, let's arrange for someone to contact them to see if they're available and if they'd be willing to play Jin Xiangyu."
Then Shi Nansheng looked at Tang Long:
"When you were filming 'The Blade,' how did you collaborate with the mainland side? Are you still in contact with them?"
"We collaborated with the Xi'an Film Studio in mainland China, having them assist with the filming, and then paid them a certain amount of compensation."
I have the contact information for a deputy director of the External Relations Department at Xi'an Film Studio. If Mr. Shi needs it, I can give you his phone number.
"As needed, Director Xu plans to also film the exterior scenes of 'New Dragon Gate Inn' in the western part of mainland China."
Besides, since you're here, we can talk about the pay.
After speaking, Shi Nansheng took out a document and handed it to Tang Long.
"The male lead and screenwriter's fees are a package deal of HK$500,000. If you're not satisfied, we can discuss it further."
Compared to "The Blade", his salary increased fivefold.
This price is reasonable; the other party did not try to lower the price.
"I accept. I'll take the contract back and have my lawyer review it. If there are no problems, I'll sign it and send it over."
An actor's contract is not just about the paycheck; it also includes all the benefits that the production team needs to provide.
As the male protagonist, Tang Long deserves the treatment he is entitled to.
He left the office after less than half an hour.
Tang Long didn't feel too upset. After all, they weren't Tang Jia and Cheng Xiaodong, who would let him get deeply involved in the film's preparation.
Xu Ke, on the other hand, spent the next few days discussing the script and filming details with him.
The longer they spent together, the more impressed he became with Tang Long.
He discovered that Tang Long was not only talented in scriptwriting, but also had great ideas in action design.
"Ah Long, if you weren't so young and didn't have your own team, I would really like to hand over the martial arts direction of 'New Dragon Gate Inn' to you as well."
"Director Xu, now that you mention it, I'm even thinking of reorganizing the Tang Family Troupe."
"Your idea is good. Since you lack the ability to rally people, you can have your uncle, Tang Jia, take the lead."
"Forget it, he's already handed over Tangde Film Industry to me and is preparing to retire, I don't want to bother him anymore."
When the time is right, I will personally form my own Tang Family Troupe.
"You have ambition, but you can't keep anything to yourself when filming 'New Dragon Gate Inn,' you need to participate in the action design."
"Director Tsui, who did you hire for the action choreography team this time?"
Because of his commitment to filming "A Chinese Ghost Story 3," Cheng Xiaodong will definitely be unable to travel to the mainland, so the action choreography team will have to find someone else.
"Eighth Master's Yuan Family Troupe".
"Since I invited Eighth Master, how could I dare to say anything more?"
Although the Yuen Clan had not yet entered Hollywood and was not as famous as it is today.
However, Yuen Woo-ping is already known as Hong Kong's top action choreographer, and this is widely recognized in the industry.
"Seriously speaking, wouldn't you say he's your senior in the martial arts school?"
"You could say that," Tang Long nodded.
Tang Jia studied under Yuan Xiaotian and was a fellow student of Yuan Heping. It was not a big problem for Tang Long to call him "Uncle-Master".
Not only because he was Tang Jia's nephew, but also because Tang Jia had taught him the Northern-style kung fu he had learned from Yuan Xiaotian.
However, that was all there was to their relationship; Tang Long and Yuen Woo-ping never crossed paths.
"Although the Yuen Clan is very famous, I still prefer to work with Ching Siu-tung when making martial arts films."
Everyone has their own expertise, and Master Ba may not be able to perfectly design the graceful movements I want.
You'll need to give him some pointers then; he's not a narrow-minded person.
"If needed, I won't keep my own knowledge to myself, and I also hope that 'New Dragon Gate Inn' can be filmed well."
Xu Ke nodded, then suddenly asked:
"There's no one else here. Tell me the truth, who is your ideal candidate for Jin Xiangyu?"
Tang Long remained silent for a moment, then looked into Xu Ke's expectant eyes and slowly uttered a name:
"Zhang Manyu!"
"As expected, great minds think alike, haha."
"Director Xu, have the actors been finalized?"
"It's not completely settled yet. Wang Zuxian is about to film 'A Chinese Ghost Story 3,' and even if the schedule can be coordinated, it will be very rushed."
And since it would require going to the mainland, she declined.
Brigitte Lin did have the time, but she was worried that the role of Jin Xiangyu, a sassy and feisty character, would damage her established screen image, so she declined the offer.
She actually expressed a desire to play the role of Qiu Moyan.
"You and Wu Sheng agreed?"
"I agreed. She's perfect for the role of Qiu Moyan."
"What about gold-inlaid jade?"
"The problem lies here: is Wu Siyuan's failure or his insistence that Zhang Manyu is unsuitable?"