MC Bookstore Chapter 21 Hype
Chapter 21 Hype
Is Tsui Hark preparing for a new film?
Could it be that one?
Tang Long was immediately excited, and his voice involuntarily rose a few decibels:
"Director Tsui, what movie is it?"
Xu Ke noticed Tang Long's emotional change and assumed that he was just too excited to receive her personal invitation.
The movie is tentatively titled "Huang Feihong".
It really was it!
Hasn't it already been confirmed that Jet Li will play the male lead?
Could it be that my appearance caused a butterfly effect?
Xu Ke's next words then poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"There's a character named Leung Foon who is Wong Fei-hung's apprentice. He has a lot of screen time and is considered the second male lead."
Liang Kuan.
Tang Long felt a sense of loss.
But thinking about it, it makes sense; how could it possibly be Wong Fei-hung's turn?
He's still just a nobody.
It seems he got a little cocky after filming "The Blade".
"You idiot, what are you still thinking about? It's a new film personally produced by Director Tsui, and you're the second male lead. What else is there to hesitate about?"
Seeing that Tang Long didn't speak, Cheng Xiaodong couldn't help but speak up.
He was getting a little angry. Why wasn't he going to agree to such a good opportunity right away?
Tang Long immediately came to his senses and hurriedly said:
"Director Tsui, of course I'm willing. I don't think anyone would refuse your offer."
For Tang Long now, the role of the second male lead in "Huang Feihong" is naturally a very good opportunity.
Giving it to him would be like a windfall.
But the question is whether we can actually get our hands on it.
Tang Long was very clear that the role of Leung Foon was prepared by Golden Harvest for Yuen Biao.
In Golden Harvest's plan, Wong Fei-hung and Leung Foon were designed as two male leads.
Later, Tsui Hark filmed it with Wong Fei-hung as the absolute male lead.
After the film was released, it was a box office and critical success. Golden Harvest didn't say much, but instead urged Tsui Hark to film a sequel.
But Yuen Biao was not happy about it.
It's no problem for him to play supporting roles for Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
To be a supporting actor to Jet Li?
How could he possibly agree?
Later, he completely withdrew from the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, and Leung Foon was replaced by Mok Siu-chung.
Tsui Hark is indeed a renowned director in Hong Kong, but when facing Golden Harvest, he may not necessarily have the same absolute say as before.
However, Tang Long was already very grateful that he had personally invited him.
"Okay, there's still some pre-production work to be done on the movie. I'll send you the schedule in a while, so make sure you have time available."
After saying that, Xu Ke left with Cheng Xiaodong.
"Wow, Ah Long, your luck has really turned around! You actually got personally invited by Director Tsui to play the second male lead in his new film."
Zhang Xueyou was extremely surprised.
He really couldn't understand how Tang Long, a newcomer with little fame, could catch the eye of the famous director Tsui Hark.
Could it be because of "The Blade"?
Xu Ke has high hopes for Tang Long's novel "The Blade".
Unconsciously, Zhang Xueyou's regard for Tang Long deepened.
"I was quite surprised too."
"Judging from your barely suppressed smile, you must be secretly overjoyed."
Tang Long was indeed happy, not because of Xu Ke's invitation, but because he had registered with him.
In the coming years, Xu Keke will not only create the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, but also a series of other excellent works such as "Swordsman II", "New Dragon Gate Inn", and "Green Snake".
He may not have a chance with the "Once Upon a Time in China" series, but he might have a chance with the later ones; it all depends on how he tries to make it happen.
A short while later, Zhang Guorong arrived with Wang Zuxian and Li Jiaxin.
They nodded and greeted Tang Long, and had more to talk about with Zhang Xueyou, especially Wang Zuxian, who is a seasoned music enthusiast.
Seeing them chatting enthusiastically about music, Tang Long sat quietly in his seat.
The movie was released soon after a short delay.
The full name of "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" is "A Chinese Ghost Story: The Human World".
Ning Caichen escaped the haunted Lanruo Temple, only to find himself in an even more terrifying human world.
The film elevates the theme from "love between humans and ghosts" to "human morality," directly criticizing the dark side of society, such as corrupt officials in power and wrongful imprisonment.
In particular, the setting of the main villain "centipede demon" transforming into "Buddha" to devour people's hearts is a satire of blind worship that still seems sharp today.
Compared to the tragic beauty of the first film, this one incorporates a lot of comedic and action elements, and the fight scenes and special effects are significantly upgraded compared to the previous work.
In particular, Zuo Qianhu's skillful use of Japanese swordsmanship to cut Zhi Qiu Yi Ye's sword in half was a sight to behold for everyone present.
They couldn't help but pay more attention to the character of Zuo Qianhu.
A Chinese Ghost Story 2 has many advantages, but it is not without its controversies.
The emotional storyline in the film is noticeably less poignant than that of its predecessor, "A Chinese Ghost Story".
The relationship between Ning Caichen and Fu Qingfeng has a "substitute" element, which somewhat diminishes its purity.
Overall, A Chinese Ghost Story II is still a high-quality film.
But for the audience, the satirical core is definitely not as memorable as the love story.
Therefore, despite the sequel's larger scope, in the hearts of the audience, "A Chinese Ghost Story" is the true classic.
With its predecessor as a foundation, "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" already had a lot of buzz before its release.
The film grossed HK$1.8 million on its opening day and HK$13 million in its first seven days, which is a very good result.
With the film's wide release, discussions about it began to increase.
What puzzled many people was that the character Zuo Qianhu became the center of heated discussion, second only to the male and female leads in popularity.
Zuo Qianhu has a complete storyline, amazing action scenes, and a very positive character setting.
But ultimately, he was just a supporting character with limited screen time.
This is no longer the era of short videos, where a single amazing clip can go viral and attract a large number of fans.
The unusual popularity surrounding Zuo Qianhu is quite surprising.
The reason for this situation is undoubtedly that Tang Long used his own money.
He spent his HK$100,000 salary from "A Chinese Ghost Story 2" and HK$100,000 from "The Blade," a total of HK$200,000, on promoting the character Zuo Qianhu.
No one in the current Hong Kong entertainment industry has ever done this before.
But the results were clearly excellent.
With the release of "A Chinese Ghost Story II", Zuo Qianhu's popularity continues to rise, and Tang Long's name is becoming more and more familiar to audiences.
He is no longer an unknown figure; at least he has been identified in the fiercely competitive Hong Kong film industry.
"Ah Long, your method is really good, but it's a bit too expensive."
"Boss, HK$200,000 should be enough to maintain the buzz for almost a week."
"You're really generous, spending HK$200,000 so easily."
Cheng Xiaodong sighed with admiration, saying that young people are indeed quick-witted and daring to think and act.
"The biggest weakness of 'The Blade' is me; I can only make up for it by taking unconventional approaches."
Tang Long was forced into a corner; among the main creators of "The Blade," he was the only one who was penniless.
It's a rare opportunity to ride the wave of "A Chinese Ghost Story 2," so of course he had to seize it.
A more effective way would be to create scandals, but currently no female star is willing to do so with him.
He and Liu Jialing had a good relationship, and regardless of whether she was willing or not, Tang Long was unwilling.
Regardless, Liu Jialing was the first woman Tang Long returned from his time travels, and she still held some weight in his heart.
"Alright, now we don't need to promote 'A Chinese Ghost Story 2' anymore. We should get back to post-production for 'The Blade'."