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Fifteen years have passed, and the original cast has seen a decline in the roles of the older and more prominent characters. The crucial, scheming Zhang Wuji, was a difficult role to play, not to mention affordability. Wu Mingxuan knew just how difficult Jet Li was to play, having previously portrayed the Monkey King.
Therefore, Wu Mingxuan decided to cast Alyssa Chia and Gao Yuanyuan, the duo considered the most iconic. They already hold considerable popularity in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and are particularly influential in the mainland Chinese market. At least they wouldn't be subjected to the widespread criticism that has plagued their successors.
As for Fatty Wang, as long as the script and investment are reliable, nothing is off the table. Therefore, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber: Order of the Yin-Yang Sacred Flame" is Perfect World's first film investment, with a tentative budget of 150 million yuan. Given today's market conditions, this is a rare large-scale production, with fewer than five films released a year.
Fatty Wang was filled with envy when he saw the three female leads prepared by Wu Mingxuan. They were all stunning beauties, each one equally impressive, especially the youngest, Li Qin, who played Xiao Zhao. She's his godson, and such a pure and lovely godson... well, a godson is almost a godson, right?
"The plot naturally begins with the Wan'an Temple rescuing the six major sects, then moves on to the Persian Ming Cult. From there, it all depends on your opinion, Xuanzi. Do you want to deviate directly from the original novel, or do you want to revise it and return to the orthodox ending?"
"What audiences love most about this version is the reimagining, fleshing out the characters and bringing them closer to reality.
People don't like the indecisive Zhang Wuji of the original novel. His parents were driven to death, and he bore a deep hatred for his father, yet he ended up being a bad guy, obsessed with turning hostility into friendship, even giving up the throne that was within his grasp
. He was also incredibly unbearable with women, and was both scumbag and incompetent. So, the ruthless, ruthless version of Zhang Wuji, who kills decisively and endures humiliation, is more in line with everyone's tastes. After all, this is just a sequel, not the finale, so we don't have to worry about historical accuracy or the original novel. We can do whatever makes us happy. The audience is our true bread and butter. If they enjoy it and are willing to support us in the theaters, then our film is a success."
Wu Mingxuan's box office-only philosophy naturally resonates with Fatty Wang, because that's just how he thinks. He believes box office and profitability are paramount, regardless of awards. If your film can't sell and doesn't make money for the investors behind it, it's fine once or twice, but if it keeps failing, who's going to invest in you?
Just look at the Sunglass King next door, who also has the surname Wang. It's not that he's demanding, but that investors are afraid of him. Unless they're truly desperate, who would hire him?
A movie that only a few like is not a good movie. At least that's how Fatty Wang and Wu Mingxuan see it.
With this consensus reached, Fatty Wang explained his vision. He had already written the script, and while some adjustments would be made based on current audience sentiment and the total investment, the film would essentially remain the same trilogy, creating a completely different take on The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.
After Wu Mingxuan listened to the pitch and felt the plot and setting were sound, not too shabby, he immediately wrote Fatty Wang a check for 50 million yuan as start-up capital. Filming could begin as early as early May, and if all went well, wrap up by mid-to-late June, without impacting the subsequent filming of The Chinese Zodiac.
As for the male lead, the scheming Zhang Wuji, Jet Li was definitely out of the question. Jet Li's salary alone would have been at least 100 million Hong Kong dollars, and anyone else might not be willing to take the role. He was also clearly too old, so Raymond Lam was chosen.
At the time, Raymond Lam was just 29 years old and a rising star in Hong Kong television. His acting and talent were decent. Principal Koo was actually quite good, but he wasn't particularly good at playing the scheming male lead. Raymond Lam, on the other hand, was quite suitable for the role.
Most importantly, Raymond Lam was affordable, accepting the role for just 2 million Hong Kong dollars, allowing him to save a significant amount of money for production and special effects. Furthermore, he was determined to make the transition to the big screen, and he was willing to put in extra effort.
As for the TV version of Zhang Wuji, I really can't appreciate Old Deng, known as the most rustic Zhang Wuji in history. Deng Chao's costumed appearance is truly ordinary, not at all outstanding.
As for the factory actresses, the current crop of factory actresses haven't quite reached their full potential, their expressions are somewhat stereotyped, and they're equally unsuitable for period costumes. Nie Yuan, Huang Xiaoming...it's better to just use Raymond Lam. After all, this is a Hong Kong film, and there are certain rules to consider.
Li Qin is easy to deal with, but Liu Yifei isn't so easy to arrange. Television dramas are clearly no longer her forte, and she can't be randomly assigned to the big screen. She has no interest in variety shows, so for now, she should focus on internal training and further improve herself, waiting for the right resources to come along.
However, Liu Xiaoli disagreed. She believed her daughter wasn't sensible enough and obedient enough to be considered for a higher position, so she constantly tried to persuade her daughter to do so.
Official auditions for "Chinese Zodiac" were about to begin. The other actors had already finished their roles, and the main audition was for Kelly Chen, a wealthy and beautiful actress. Wu Mingxuan had never met her before, but had heard of her. He felt she had great potential and shouldn't have retired so early. Fine, I'll just lust after her.
Kelly Chen is a true second-generation rich. Her father, Chen Chongwei, is one of Hong Kong's many hidden tycoons. His family's "Jubaohang" (Treasure Shop) started as a noodle shop and gradually evolved into a high-end custom jewelry service.
Then there's Chen Huimin from the Digital Gang. Chen Huimin is Kelly Chen's uncle and a former gangster. He has always had a lot of connections in the Hong Kong underworld. It's precisely because of his protection from both the black and white worlds that this young lady has been able to stay clean in the chaotic Hong Kong entertainment industry, with almost no negative scandals.
Her boyfriend is Liu Jianhao, whom she started dating before her debut. Although the Liu family is not considered a top-tier wealthy family in Hong Kong, in the 1990s when Kelly Chen debuted, the family assets exceeded 400 million US dollars, with an annual income of tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars. It is estimated that they should be a second-tier wealthy family with a net worth of 5 to 10 billion, which is a good match for Kelly Chen's family.
Sixteen years of love, and only getting married this year, of course there must be a story, and this story happened to be known by Wu Mingxuan.
Liu Jianhao had an affair, and had kept it well hidden until then. But it was discovered in 2008, and Kelly Chen was naturally very angry, so she wanted to get the mistress away from her boyfriend.
But what no one expected was that the mistress was pregnant. Liu Jianhao was born in 1973 and is now 36. Having a child is not easy, and Kelly Chen is not young either. So the family wanted to give birth to the child, and the two of them would get married at the end of the year, and then say that the child was Kelly Chen's. As for the mistress, after the child was born, they would give her money and send her away, and the couple would live their lives in peace.