Chapter 709
Multiple Parties Compete for the Role, Director Saves Himself
Chapter 709 Multiple Parties Compete for the Role, Director Saves Himself (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Lian Baozhi was familiar with the IP "Desperate Counterattack".
This is a light novel told from the male protagonist's perspective, where female characters are merely embellishments, and the focus is on highlighting the male protagonist.
So no matter which actress plays the role, even if she is the female lead in the script, her actual screen time is very limited.
Moreover, compared to a female lead who is only beautiful but lacks intelligence, she feels that playing a seemingly intelligent but scheming female villain is more memorable.
In addition, this script does not have a true female lead; it simply defines the female lead as a character with more screen time.
But she has no romantic scenes with the male lead.
The only character with a romantic storyline is the male lead's deceased "white moonlight," who only has a short, brief appearance.
Lian Baozhi actually wanted to play the male lead's ideal woman.
You should know that the male lead is Gu Cheng!
He is a top-tier celebrity with immense popularity. Although he doesn't follow the idol route, his popularity is undeniable.
Gu Cheng was the most popular character in March.
His career has been at its most successful since he went solo.
Among the four, he didn't have the most exposure or the most gigs; he was arguably the least active.
But once it's exposed, it's bound to cause a huge uproar and be all over social media for a long time.
His pairing with Jinli, known as "Vitamin," is the number one CP in the super topic. The "Vitamin" group alone makes him invincible.
Not to mention that Gu Cheng has acting skills, which is why he can carry this drama.
If the male lead of this drama were a newcomer, or someone with talent but no popularity, the selection of female roles wouldn't have attracted so many female stars.
Lian Baozhi shared her thoughts with Lü Shanjie.
Lu Shanjie originally didn't want her to play a supporting role, thinking it would lower her status.
After all, she had finally secured her position as the female lead in the TV series.
The result is that even in the film industry, he would still have to play a supporting role, which is quite a difference.
If given the opportunity to enter the film industry, she still hopes that Lien Po-chi can play the leading role.
But after hearing Lian Baozhi's idea, Lü Shanjie's opinion also changed.
She was silent for a moment, then looked up at Lian Baozhi and said with a sigh:
“I think you’ve changed a lot. It’s like you were still the same person when you first debuted. You’ve grown up overnight.”
You understand the relationships between the characters' interests better than I do now. You're right, this film is a male-centric story, and the female characters don't play a significant role.
Even if she's the literal female lead, she's just a supporting character, and her character isn't likable at all. It would be much more memorable to see her play a distinctive female villain.
Lu Shanjie had a sudden inspiration and said, "I've read this novel. Wouldn't it be better if you could play the male lead's white moonlight instead of the female villain?"
The "white moonlight" persona is the most popular among the public.
Even Baozhi said something completely irrelevant: "This is Gu Cheng's play."
Lu Shanjie hadn't grasped it yet, "Yes, the production team just officially announced Gu Cheng as the male lead."
Lian Baozhi said again, "This is Gu Cheng's drama, and the female lead will definitely be Jinli."
Lu Shanjie still didn't get it: "Jinli? That can't be right, the female lead's character isn't good, would Jinli play such a character?"
Lian Baozhi sighed and said, "I was talking about the role of the 'white moonlight,' which should have been reserved for Jinli."
In "Counterattack", the male lead has very few scenes and plays a guiding role, which Gu Cheng took over.
In "Desperate Counterattack", the white moonlight also has very little screen time, but she runs through the entire movie from beginning to end. She can be said to be the protagonist's faith and shape his personality.
Such an important role shouldn't be given to Jinli; not only would drama fans be unhappy, but netizens would probably be too.
Lu Shanjie understood and glanced at her. "I didn't expect you to know so much about the Vitamin couple. Indeed, Jinli and Gu Cheng are very popular."
"If the two of them can appear together in a film, they'll win in terms of publicity."
Lian Baozhi thought to herself, how could she not understand?
Besides using a secondary account to check in on Jinli's blog every day, hoping to win some good luck,
Her second check-in point was the vitamin super topic.
She's been consistently checking in for a year now, a true loyal fan. If anyone tries to break up her favorite couple, she'll be the first to get angry.
In fact, Lian Baozhi's guess was quite accurate.
Online, after the production team of "Desperate Counterattack" announced that Gu Cheng would be the male lead, netizens have been discussing which star would play the male lead's ideal woman.
Jinli is the most popular choice for this role, and it seems like she's the only one who can play it.
As for the female lead, who has a significant role in the drama, she receives very little discussion.
Because of the female lead's many actions, she puts the male lead in danger, and her behavior is somewhat irrational.
When netizens discuss this female lead, they often express their hope that the screenwriter will make changes to the character after the novel is adapted into a movie.
The so-called female lead should stop making mindless decisions that raise blood pressure, and the plot should be made more logical.
"Desperate Counterattack" also extended an invitation to Jinli immediately, showing its utmost sincerity.
Before Jinli could even deliver her answer to the "Desperate Counterattack" production team, the show had already been contacted by agents of many female celebrities.
They all came for the male lead's "white moonlight" character.
Yes, Jinli is very popular online.
But in real life, it's not true that whoever shouts the loudest is right.
Whoever receives the most support is more likely to be chosen for the role of the "white moonlight" (idealized love interest).
Many of the most popular stars parted ways with the production team because they couldn't agree on the profits.
Therefore, agents all hope to promote the actresses under their management.
If I can get this role, I can indirectly create a romantic pairing with Gu Cheng.
Jin Li is very popular, but Gu Cheng's popularity is not bad either.
Male celebrities have an advantage in terms of popularity, as they have more female fans.
When female and male celebrities team up to create a romantic pairing, given Gu Cheng's immense popularity, the female celebrities benefit more.
Unless Gu Cheng and Jin Li are just creating a fake couple pairing, then Gu Cheng will benefit more.
The director of "Desperate Counterattack" hung up another phone call, looking somewhat worried.
"What a bunch of shrewd people! The female lead with more plot points is ignored, and they're all eyeing the male lead's white moonlight. Do you think I'm qualified to cast her?"
The director couldn't help but complain.
The screenwriter, who was still revising the script, asked curiously, "Were all those people here for Gu Cheng?"
Director: Absolutely. Everyone is vying to create a CP with him, without even considering whether Gu Cheng is willing.
Since this character is the male lead's ideal woman, then Gu Cheng, having taken on the role of the male lead, should rightfully be the one to decide who his ideal woman is.
Clearly, Gu Cheng had long believed that the role belonged to Jin Li.
Before signing the contract, he made one request: the role of Bai Yueguang must be played by Jinli.
If Jinli doesn't accept the role, he will reconsider whether to take it on.
This clause was even written into the contract, which shows how determined Gu Cheng was.
The production team is currently in contact with Jinli and has not leaked this clause, mainly because they are worried that Chenxi Entertainment will raise the price if they find out.
Although this drama attracted a lot of investment, it has already exceeded its budget in terms of actor salaries. Every little bit saved counts.
The role of Bai Yueguang has very few scenes, so even if Jinli takes it, it probably won't be too expensive.
The screenwriter asked, "Has Jinli replied yet?"
The director shook his head: "No, Morning Light Entertainment hasn't contacted me yet, so I don't know what they're thinking."
Screenwriter: "Let's wait and see. Jinli doesn't have many announcements, but she responds quite quickly."
Since Gu Cheng dared to commit to her, he must be confident. If Jin Li refuses, we'll talk to Gu Cheng and ask him to be our intermediary.
The director's brow relaxed. "Coincidentally, that's the same idea I had."
Just then, his phone vibrated again, and a relatively new, not-so-unfamiliar number appeared before his eyes.
"General Manager Huang Yaowen."
The director muttered to himself, "If I remember correctly, he also invested in our show, but his share was relatively small."
"Why would he call if he didn't have a reason to come?"
After answering the phone, I learned that Mr. Huang had come for his newlywed wife, Li Xunfang.
"I remember the role of the male lead's 'white moonlight' hasn't been decided yet, right? What do you think of my wife?"
The director's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed drastically.
Oh no, what if an investor wants to reserve a role?!
Even an ordinary role, or even an important supporting female character, is given away easily, as it can please investors and attract more investment.
The key point is that Li Xunfang is not a complete idiot; she has honed her acting skills over the past few years.
but.
This is the male lead's white moonlight!
The director was struggling with how to refuse when a sudden inspiration struck him, and he said, "We've already been in contact with Jinli and will soon be casting her."
Huang Yaowen was silent for a moment, then said, "Jinli?"
His words were somewhat hesitant, as if he was recalling the star's great achievements or wondering if he could replace her.
The director did not reveal Gu Cheng's identity. One of the conditions Gu Cheng agreed to take the role was that Jin Li had to play the role of the male lead's white moonlight.
He answered using a different approach.
"Yes, it's Jinli, the newly crowned queen of 10 billion. Her film 'Counterattack', which she starred in this year, has already achieved the eighth highest box office ranking in mainland China. Even on a global scale, it can be ranked in the top fifty."
She has a high profile overseas, and her popularity has soared with the hit drama "Counterattack." If she can team up with Gu Cheng again this time, it will be much easier for "Counterattack" to go global, and she won't need to put in much effort on promotion.
"The other two have a large fan base for their pairing, so if we can secure them, we can guarantee a box office of over 5 million."
"The movie hasn't even been filmed yet, but we can already guarantee some of our investment back, so I'm inclined to work with her."
Huang Yaowen quickly replied, "Okay, she's the one."
The director said obsequiously, "Mr. Huang, besides the male lead's 'white moonlight' character, there are many female roles yet to be decided. I wonder if Ms. Li would be interested?"
Huang Yaowen asked, "Are they all relatively important female characters? What are their screen time like?"
The director originally wanted to promote a more important villain, but at the last minute he suddenly remembered that Li Xunfang's acting skills were not very good.
Give her a minor female role; don't give her important ones, lest she ruin the performance and drag the whole crew down because of her.
Then the director changed the subject, saying, "This drama is a male-centric feel-good story, and the female characters are all quite marginalized with little screen time. Even the female lead doesn't have much screen time, and the role of the female lead has already been decided."
Huang Yaowen: "Okay."
He hung up the phone without saying anything more.
The director put down his phone and breathed a sigh of relief.
He touched his forehead; it was damp.
so close!
He used all his intelligence to deal with the investment boss who controlled the money.
After listening to the entire presentation, the screenwriter asked with some concern:
"I've heard that Li Xunfang is very jealous. What if she finds out that all the important female roles are still undecided?"
Director: "Then let's finalize it quickly and try to get it done in the next few days so that it won't get out of the loop."
"It just so happens that many actresses have sent in their resumes and audition clips. We try to select those who are already famous and have a good reputation. As long as we don't boldly use newcomers, there shouldn't be any problems."
The casting for "Desperate Counterattack" proceeded quickly and discreetly.
Jinli's agent responded that same day, and the production team immediately agreed, sending someone to deliver the contract for signing the next day.
The efficiency was so fast that even Jinli was somewhat surprised.
"If I remember correctly, this drama was only officially announced not long ago. How come they signed the contract so quickly? Are they afraid I'll run away? I should have a pretty good reputation when it comes to fulfilling contracts."
Sui Lingfang shook her head: "I don't know what they're up to internally, but the director is very eager."
She speculated, "Maybe they want to start filming as soon as possible, during the winter break in January next year. It's mid-November now, and there's not much time left until January."
Jinli: "But there's no need to be so nervous."
After signing the contract, the director boarded a plane and left, only exchanging a few words with Jinli.
It was just a greeting; we didn't discuss the plot.
The character is very simple, a pure and innocent "white moonlight," representing the kindest and most holy side of the male protagonist's heart, without any negative emotions.
There's not much room for discussion.
There's practically no room for acting in this role.
But one thing is certain: this character is absolutely the embodiment of beauty.
Any scene that reminds the male lead is the most beautiful moment in the drama.
That's why I say the character is likable.
Jinli returned to campus after signing the contract and brought it up with Gu Cheng that evening.
Gu Cheng then revealed the truth: "Perhaps they were afraid that important female roles would be snatched away by people with connections. Although there are very few scenes for female characters in this drama, some of them are able to drive the plot forward."
If a role that requires acting skills is snatched up by someone with connections, resulting in the film receiving negative reviews from the audience, the director is unwilling to accept it.
Since it was officially announced that I was cast as the male lead, so many people with connections have approached me; even the director couldn't handle it all.
Jinli understood, "I should have known better than to announce it so soon."
Gu Cheng shook his head: "It's hard to say. If they don't officially announce my involvement, they won't be able to attract investment so smoothly."
I only signed a letter of intent with the production team; there's no formal contract yet. You can't fool investors with a contract like that.
He smiled, as if he had thought of something.
"You may not know this, but my contract was only officially signed after you signed yours."
Gu Cheng reached out and pinched her cheek. "This time, it's your turn to see how I've grown."
Jinli smiled brightly and patted his head on tiptoe.
"Okay."