mesbooks Chapter 129, "Mr. Tree," is now showing.
Chapter 129, "Mr. Tree," is now showing.
On the third day, Gu Heng led the crew back to China feeling refreshed and in good spirits.
I had barely settled into my office at Vision Research when I was called back by Beijing Film Academy.
As soon as they entered the administration building, wow, the school leaders were all grinning so hard their back teeth were practically showing.
The way she looked at Gu Heng was even more affectionate than when she looked at her own son.
Nonsense! During their tenure, their own students won the highest honors at the three major European film festivals. That's a real achievement!
If we capitalize on this wave of benefits, moving up a position is a certainty; the question now is how many steps we can take.
A group of leaders pulled Gu Heng aside and took photos with him in various poses under the conspicuous banner in the teaching building. The flashes of the cameras made Gu Heng feel dizzy.
The photos will definitely be displayed at the school, and of course, the trophy will have to be replicated one-to-one.
On the other hand, Han Sanping, that old fox, is tight-lipped when he needs to be, but when it comes to talking big, he's bigger than anyone else.
China Film Group benefited from this, and then promptly revealed that "Mr. Tree" had sold its overseas rights for $650 million in Venice.
When this news came out, the CEOs of domestic film and television companies almost slapped their thighs until they were swollen with anger!
When Vision Entertainment publicly solicited bids, they all ran away faster than rabbits as soon as they heard it was a low-budget art film with a budget of 500 million.
I'm so incredibly regretful now!
As a result, those old-fashioned film critics who had previously stirred up trouble in the media, criticizing Gu Heng for only understanding business and not art, and for having a nouveau riche mentality, suffered an undeserved disaster.
It is said that several well-known gossips in the industry have been blacklisted by several production teams and investors.
You fucking spouted nonsense and made me miss the chance to earn US dollars with Director Gu!
Someone has to pay the price for these bosses' mistakes, right?
After making a scene outside, Gu Heng was too lazy to go back to the company to listen to his subordinates' flattery, so he took Yang Mi directly back to the courtyard house.
That evening, the six members of the Gu and Yang families gathered around a table for dinner.
Despite Gu Heng's impressive presence outside, at home, he eats and drinks as usual, remaining completely calm and composed.
Li Er was incredibly powerful, but in front of Li Yuan, he was still just a son.
However, while serving him food, Yang's mother nagged with concern, "Xiao Heng, you must not have eaten well these past few days in Italy, right? Look how thin your face has become. Mimi is really something, she went there and didn't even take good care of you."
Yang Mi, who was eating, was speechless.
You've only been there a few days and you've already lost weight?
But she dared not voice these complaints to her mother's face, so she could only angrily make some small movements under the table.
Gu Heng was eating when he felt a warm, soft sensation on his calf.
The little fox took off its slippers under the table and gently scraped his calf with its toes, frantically indicating its dissatisfaction.
Gu Heng didn't even lift his eyelids. He picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth without changing his expression. He chewed it with relish, completely ignoring what was happening, which made Yang Mi grind her teeth in frustration.
After relaxing comfortably at home for a few days, Gu Heng originally planned not to hold a premiere for "Mr. Tree".
The Venice Golden Lion Awards have the most awesome marketing and promotion. Who cares about the usual, perfunctory tactics used in China?
Just release it directly!
As a result, the Norwegian Film Academy objected.
In Wang Jinsong's words: "You can't escape, kid!"
Alright, the old men have spoken, so let's do it.
However, although Gu Heng himself was too lazy to move, he didn't forget to cause trouble for Wang Baoqiang.
He immediately called Su Qing over and instructed her: "Arrange roadshows for Baoqiang, schedule them like crazy! Make sure he goes to every first- and second-tier city in the country!"
Baoqiang needs to get busy!
Gu Heng was so worried, he was even more exhausted than his own father.
On September 15, the premiere of "Mr. Tree" was held as scheduled in the auditorium of Beijing Film Academy.
Goodness, the scene was absolutely dazzling with stars. Almost half of the industry was there, including CEOs of major film and television companies, well-known directors, and popular celebrities, all there to admire Director Gu's artistic achievements.
Whether you feel resentful or not, you have to give them face on the surface.
Gu Heng originally thought he would just go through the motions and be done with it.
As a result, the school leaders insisted on putting him on stage and having him talk to his juniors and a group of media reporters about his original intention for creating art and the core of his art.
What kind of motive did I have?! I just wanted to win an award and slap you guys in the face, and maybe make some money off you guys for fun!
Is it okay to say that?
Obviously not.
But who can't make things up?
He then vividly recounted a tragic story about how he had once gone to the lower classes to experience life firsthand, witnessing how marginalized people struggled, succumbed to the tides of the times, and ultimately suffered mental breakdowns.
His tone was incredibly heavy, and when he got emotional, his eyes reddened and his voice choked up several times.
After this series of punches, the people in the industry and the teachers and students in the audience were all moved and nodded.
"Director Gu truly possesses a great heart of compassion!"
"Yes, yes, only by deeply rooting oneself in this land can one create such exquisite art!"
Gu Heng chuckled inwardly on stage. After the leaders finished their long, rambling speeches, the lights dimmed, and the movie finally began filming.
When the two-hour-plus screening ended and the end credits rolled, everyone in the auditorium was stunned by the film.
The following day, "Mr. Tree" raked in a whopping 850 million yuan at the box office on its opening day! It immediately topped the box office charts for the year!
Although the film has a deep and somber tone, it lacks any pretentious artistic filters. Its absurdity is tempered with genuine dark humor, making it surprisingly well-received by audiences!
Moreover, many viewers felt they weren't satisfied after watching it once and went to see it two or three times, causing the box office of "Mr. Tree" to soar in the past few days.
The video of Wang Baoqiang with a cigarette between two fingers and a dazed look in his eyes was turned into countless GIFs and went viral on various forums.
Countless viewers were amazed by his explosive and deeply moving acting skills.
This resulted in Baoqiang being completely overwhelmed by a barrage of roadshows and interviews for the next period of time.
Every day, I wake up to rushing to catch a flight, and when I close my eyes, I'm snoring in the van. I've lost a lot of weight from exhaustion.
Of course, this is exactly the situation that a certain unscrupulous boss would like to see.
Riding the wave of the Venice Golden Lion Award and the film's huge success, Gu Heng's popularity and fame in the entertainment industry have reached their peak during this period.
The paparazzi are camped out at the entrance of Vision Entertainment every day; they're practically ready to tear down the company gate.
Meanwhile, at Tangren Media's headquarters in Shanghai, boss Cai Yinong was scratching his head in frustration as he looked at the overwhelming news online!
According to her original plan, it would be about time to start spending money on promotion and marketing for "The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3".
This is all free data!
But Gu Heng is a perfectionist when it comes to details. He insisted that Li Guoli make sure the post-production special effects were solid and that cheap special effects were absolutely unacceptable!
This has resulted in the finished film still being rendered in the server room, and we can't even produce a decent promotional material, let alone a trailer!
"Li Guoli! When the hell are you going to finish these special effects?!" Cai Yinong grabbed the phone and yelled. This heat was so intense, it was more painful than cutting her own flesh!