noveldepot Chapter 29: The Witch Officially Announced
Chapter 29: The Witch Officially Announced
October 11th, Thursday.
The bold, red headline at the top of Sina Entertainment's homepage suddenly exploded beneath the seemingly calm surface of the entertainment industry.
"The Sino-US co-production sci-fi action blockbuster 'The Witch' has officially been greenlit, with an investment of US$2500 million, and is holding open auditions for the female lead across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong!"
The product details page is packed with information: a joint production of Light Chaser Pictures (BJ), Lionsgate, and China Film Group.
Directed by newcomer Lu Yang, and produced by veteran director Tian Zhuangzhuang; with a production cost of US$2500 million.
The synopsis suggests it's a female-led sci-fi action film; the female lead should be 18-25 years old, have acting experience, and be fluent in English.
"Light Chaser Pictures? Who's that?" This is the first reaction of most people outside the industry.
For anyone with even a little bit of connections in the industry, the name Light Chaser Pictures instantly connects to a whole host of other information.
Soon, the detectives pieced together the puzzle: this seemingly unremarkable BJ company's parent company is Chasing Light Holdings, registered in Macau.
Light Chaser Animation has a branch in North America, which was one of the organizers of this summer's dark horse "Taken", and is also suspected of being involved in the investment and technical cooperation of Cameron's "Avatar" project!
"Case solved! They've already established themselves in Hollywood! This is a surprise comeback!"
"Lu Yang? A recent graduate from the Beijing Film Academy? What kind of background does he have? Or is he truly a genius?"
"The key point is that it's a Sino-US co-production! A female-centric story! Sci-fi action! This is clearly an assembly line for international actresses! Whichever young actress gets this role will instantly become a star!"
At noon, the simultaneous official announcements on the websites of China Film Group and Light Chaser Pictures confirmed everything.
The entertainment industry, a strictly hierarchical pond where information equals power, was thrown into turmoil by this $2500 million boulder, stirring up countless hidden undercurrents and schemes.
Wang Zhonglei of Huayi Brothers watched the news, his expression shifting.
He already knew that Jiang Yu's company was preparing for a project, but he didn't expect it to be of such a high standard and with such swift action.
"Director Lu Yang, producer Tian Zhuangzhuang, with Lionsgate and China Film Group backing him up... Jiang Yu's resource integration is masterful."
He suppressed his complex emotions and immediately ordered, "Compile the information of all female artists in our company who meet the age requirements, listing their English proficiency separately, and re-evaluate them! Also, find out the specific audition process and the weighting of the evaluation criteria!"
The owners of several companies who had previously privately mocked Light Chaser Animation Studios for having too much money to burn by acquiring old online copyrights now looked as if they had been dyed red with embarrassment.
"I misjudged them!! This resource channel..."
On the Beijing Film Academy campus, Lu Yang's name instantly became legendary.
Female students in the performing arts departments of various universities were also secretly whispering among themselves in their dormitories and practice rooms.
Some people dug out their old English-language movies to imitate, while others started to train their physical fitness and expressiveness, trying to fit the label of "sci-fi action".
Hong Kong and Taiwan talent agencies reacted quickly, with keywords like international exposure, big productions, and leading actresses proving irresistibly attractive to actors eager to break through geographical limitations.
Telephone calls, emails, and connections—various channels began to infiltrate the mainland, attempting to gain an early advantage.
A number of young actresses of suitable age, with fame or ambition, and their teams in mainland China have entered the highest level of combat readiness.
This role is simply the perfect springboard to gain international recognition!
Countless meticulously crafted resumes and portfolios began to fly to China Film Group, to every corner that might have a connection with Light Chaser Pictures.
Favors, resources, promises... all quietly simmered in the shadows.
........
Inside Light Chaser Animation's BJ branch, the atmosphere was calm, even somewhat tense.
Yang Siwei methodically directed her team to handle the massive inquiries and rigorously filtered out invalid information.
Jiang Yu then engaged in more in-depth creative discussions with Lu Yang and Tian Zhuangzhuang.
Tian Zhuangzhuang affirmed Lu Yang's explanation and initial concepts, saying, "Lu Yang, it's good that you have ideas, but you also need to learn to dance within the framework. The selection of the female lead is of paramount importance. She not only needs to carry this complex role, but also needs to be able to command the atmosphere of this international production to some extent. You and I will be the first hurdle, but ultimately, she needs to have that weight herself."
Meanwhile, the atmosphere was somewhat different at the villa in Shunyi, Beijing.
Liu Xiaoli scrolled through the news repeatedly, her eyes gleaming, and a hint of caution lingering between her brows.
Liu Yifei sat to the side, holding a book in her hand, but didn't turn a page for a long time, her eyes somewhat vacant.
"A Sino-US co-production, female-centric, sci-fi action, English preferred..."
With each word Liu Xiaoli uttered, her voice grew more excited. "Qianqian, look at these conditions! It's like they were tailor-made for you! Your age, your appearance, and your English—these are among your greatest strengths!"
Liu Yifei grew up in the United States, and English is like a second language to her, which is indeed a major advantage she has over many mainland competitors.
Hearing her mother's words, she did not show excitement, but instead gently bit her lower lip.
He raised his head, and what he saw in his eyes was not eagerness, but a clear and careful assessment of his own abilities, and even a hint of anxiety and insecurity.
"Mom, your English is good, but..."
Liu Yifei's voice was soft and hesitant. "This is a sci-fi action film, and it's a female lead role. The character will definitely be very complex, with inner drama, explosive power, and possibly some fighting. Most of my previous works were TV series or relatively gentle film roles. In 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' I played Golden Swallow, which had a lot of action scenes, but the character was relatively simple. I'm afraid I can't handle a role like 'The Witch,' which sounds very heavy and powerful."
Liu Yifei paused, her tone becoming more candid and filled with reverence for the profession: "This is a big-budget Sino-US co-production. Although the director is a newcomer, the producer is a mentor, and there's a company like Mr. Jiang overseeing things behind the scenes, the standards must be extremely high. I'm worried my acting skills aren't up to par, so I might have trouble with the audition..."
Liu Yifei wasn't indifferent to the opportunity; on the contrary, it was precisely because she saw the enormous challenges involved that she became more soberly aware of her own situation.
Honing acting skills takes time and effort. She was unsure whether she could transition from relatively formulaic TV drama performances to the core of a sci-fi blockbuster that might require extremely high levels of inner tension and outward explosiveness.
Looking at her daughter, Liu Xiaoli's initial enthusiasm cooled slightly as she realized that her daughter's worries were not unfounded.
She knows Liu Yifei too well. She appears calm and collected on the outside, but she is actually strong-willed and demanding of herself. Blindly encouraging her might just increase her pressure.
"I understand your concerns." Liu Xiaoli put down her computer, sat down next to her daughter, and held her hand.
"Sissi, which good actor isn't honed by jumping from one challenge to another? You were worried about changing your career path before, but isn't this the best opportunity for that? You can hone your acting skills, you can ask for advice, and the production team will definitely provide good guidance. Some qualities, such as age, image, and especially your fluent English, are things that many actors don't possess. These are your unique advantages."
She looked into her daughter's eyes: "We can't let the fear of not being good enough prevent us from even trying. Opportunities are earned, but they also come from preparation. If you're willing, Mom can try to find you a good acting coach to do some intensive training and scene preparation for these kinds of roles that require strong inner emotions and physical actions. We don't expect you to succeed, but we want you to give it your all and show your best performance and potential. Even if we don't succeed in the end, we'll have gained experience and seen the gap between us, right?"
As Liu Yifei listened to her mother's words, the hesitation in her eyes was gradually replaced by a hint of determination.
"Okay." Liu Yifei nodded, her eyes brightening. "Mom, let's prepare through the proper channels. We need to work on our resumes and portfolios properly. Also, if there are suitable teachers available, I'd like to prepare in advance. Even if the audition is just to broaden my horizons, I can't afford to embarrass myself."
"That's right!" Liu Xiaoli smiled with satisfaction. "I'll go contact them right away. We'll compete fairly and squarely, letting our strength and preparation speak for themselves."
She didn't mention trying to get in touch with Jiang Yu, partly because she didn't want her daughter to feel guilty, and partly because she vaguely felt that someone like Jiang Yu probably valued a genuine attitude more.