EFB Chapter 65 The hardest thing is to have peace of mind
Chapter 65 The hardest thing is to have peace of mind
"Director Xu, don't try to fool me, I'm easily taken seriously."
"Don't worry, we'll sign a contract with you as soon as the project officially starts."
To add an extra layer of insurance, Tang Long said:
"If Swordsman 2 needs investment, my Tangde Film & Television can participate."
Despite the success of "Once Upon a Time in China" in history, investors were not optimistic about the sequel because of the failure of "Swordsman".
Xu Ke had no choice but to invest all the funds from his film studio into "Swordsman 2".
The movie was a huge success, making him incredibly wealthy.
But before the movie was released, no one knew whether it would be a big hit.
If he really needs funds at that time, Tang Long's willingness to invest would be a timely help, not an opportunity to take advantage of someone in distress.
"Okay, it's always been a pleasure working with you," Xu Ke replied with a smile.
"Once upon a time, after we finish filming 'Once Upon a Time in China 2' and resolve the differences with Jin Yong, we will start filming after the Lunar New Year. Remember to make sure you have the time available."
The disagreement between Jin Yong and Xu Ke regarding "Swordsman 2" has been quite significant.
It wasn't just a matter of Tsui Hark insisting that Brigitte Lin play Dongfang Bubai.
The conflict between the two extends to all aspects, from character development and emotions to the theme of the story and their understanding of martial arts.
In the original novel, Dongfang Bubai is a minor character with very little screen time, an ambitious, ruthless, and cunning political villain.
Xu Ke elevated Dongfang Bubai to the absolute protagonist, making him the core of the entire film.
Furthermore, they boldly cast Brigitte Lin in a cross-dressing role, portraying her as a stunningly beautiful and heroic martial arts master.
It downplayed Dongfang Bubai's political ambitions, emphasized her unparalleled character and tragic nature, and completely subverted the original character's background.
More importantly, Xu Ke added an ambiguous romantic subplot between Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai.
The two characters develop a mutual respect and affection for each other, which becomes the biggest highlight of the film.
Instead, the main romantic relationship between Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying was significantly weakened.
However, the biggest differences and conflicts between Xu Ke and Jin Yong were not these, but rather the theme of the story.
The original novel, *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, is essentially a political allegory. It uses the struggles between martial arts sects to reflect the power struggles and human greed, and is full of realistic metaphors.
However, Xu Ke directly stripped away the political satire of the original work, turning it into a romantic martial arts story filled with chivalry, revenge, and beautiful imagery.
The film emphasizes extreme visual aesthetics and tragic fate, leaning more towards commercialization and romanticism.
One person pursues the literary, ideological, and realistic metaphors of martial arts fiction;
One person pursues the visual appeal, commercial viability, and romantic atmosphere of martial arts.
The underlying logic of their creations is completely contradictory.
Fortunately, Tsui Hark has already bought the adaptation rights to "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".
Otherwise, "Swordsman 2" and the third installment would never have been made.
Because of this incident, Jin Yong stated that they could remain friends, but he would never sell his novel to Xu Ke for adaptation again.
Xu Ke tried to buy the copyrights to several novels, including "The Return of the Condor Heroes," but was refused each time.
It wasn't until after his death that Tsui Hark had the opportunity to film Jin Yong's martial arts novels again.
"Director Tsui, since 'Once Upon a Time in China 2' is currently on hold, why don't you go check on how 'Reign of Assassins' is being filmed and give it your feedback?"
Xu Ke shook her head, rejecting his suggestion:
"Forget it, I wasn't involved in the filming, so it's not appropriate for me to interfere now. Cheng Xiaodong will also be unhappy."
Since we've decided to entrust "Reign of Assassins" to him, let him be fully in charge.
Tang Long hadn't considered this point. Xu Ke's words made sense. Letting Xu Ke oversee things now clearly showed a lack of trust in Cheng Xiaodong.
It wasn't a big deal before, but now he's been trying to break free from Tsui Hark's influence to prove himself, and he's put a lot of effort into "Reign of Assassins".
Xu Ke got involved at this point, and although he didn't say it, he was definitely uncomfortable inside.
This was indeed an oversight; Tang Long certainly didn't want to create any discord with Cheng Xiaodong.
After leaving the film studio, Tang Long found Cheng Xiaodong and they worked together on the post-production of "Reign of Assassins".
Xu Ke is not able to participate, but Tang Long is.
The two of them also discussed things together when filming the movie.
While Tang Long was busy with the post-production of the film,
Inside a presidential suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Li Lianjie looked nervously at the thin man sitting opposite him with an imposing posture:
"Mr. Cai, are you sure this is okay? Jiahe is very powerful; they're not to be trifled with."
"Don't worry, Ah Jie. Jiahe is not to be trifled with, but I, Cai Ziming, am even more so."
Tomorrow I'll go to Zou Wenhuai's place to negotiate. I'll not only help you get your money back, but I'll also void your renewed contract with Jiahe.
Some time ago, he was told to back down by Deng Guangrong, which made him feel quite embarrassed.
But he really didn't dare to continue facing Deng Guangrong.
He may be arrogant, but he's not brainless; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fight his way back to Hong Kong from the Netherlands.
On his younger brother's advice, he set his sights on Jet Li, who had just become a sensation because of "Once Upon a Time in China".
He originally intended to "invite" him to film the movie as before, but he discovered that he had a significant conflict with Golden Harvest.
This reminded him of Chen Huimin's advice: since he had decided to make a living in the film industry, he should follow some rules.
Li Lianjie's appearance gave him an opportunity.
If they could poach Jet Li, a popular kung fu star, Fu Yi Film Company wouldn't need to force people to make movies at gunpoint anymore.
Therefore, he patiently contacted Jet Li over the past two months, especially since they both came from mainland China.
Finally, she managed to get him to agree to be her manager.
Li Lianjie has successfully persuaded him that as long as he helps him resolve the troubles with Golden Harvest, he can completely gain the other party's trust.
At that time, Rich Arts Film Company will be able to operate normally, making movies and earning money, just like Win's Entertainment, instead of just using it for money laundering.
"Should I come along?"
"No need, just stay here and I'll solve your problem in no time."
I heard that Tsui Hark is preparing to film a sequel to "Swordsman". I'll help you snatch the male lead role then.
Xu Guanjie is so old, it's time for him to make way for the younger generation.
"Mr. Cai, there's no rush. I'm quite familiar with Director Tsui Hark. We can discuss it properly."
The most pressing issue right now is my contract with Golden Harvest; otherwise, I'll never be able to let go of this worry.
He had experienced Jiahe's domineering nature firsthand; the time they detained his US visa and restricted his personal freedom had left a deep scar on him.
If Cai Ziming hadn't been very sincere and demonstrated sufficient strength, he wouldn't have dared to cooperate with the other party.
He must have kept his distance from people like Cai Ziming in the past.
But now he realizes that in Hong Kong, this melting pot of power, there is no distinction between right and wrong; it all comes down to whether you have power or not.
Some people are coerced every day, while others remain unharmed.
Even a company as large as Golden Harvest might resort to underhanded tactics.
If he can cooperate with Tsai Tzu-ming, he won't have to worry about being bullied anymore.
He just wants to focus on making movies and earning money.