Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 59: The Black Swan's First Appearance

July 10, 2008, Santa Monica, California.

The conference room in the office building of Light Chaser Pictures' North American headquarters was temporarily set up as a press conference venue.

The backdrop features a striking key visual concept for "Black Swan," below which are the film's title and the logos of Light Chaser Pictures and Searchlight Pictures.

The press conference started promptly at 10:00 AM.

The audience was filled with reporters from major North American entertainment media outlets, film magazines, and Asian media who had come specifically for the event, all pointing their cameras and microphones at the front.

First to appear was director Darren Aronofsky.

He briefly expressed his excitement that the project, which had been in the works for a year, was finally launched, and emphasized that it would be a journey of in-depth exploration of "perfectionism, artistic madness, and self-identity".

Next, David, president of Light Chaser Pictures North America, and Steve, vice president of Fox Searchlight Pictures, appeared together.

The two individuals, representing the investors and distributors respectively, expressed their full support for the director and their confidence in the project's artistic quality and market competitiveness.

When Liu Yifei walked out behind Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis, the sound of camera shutters suddenly increased several times over.

Today she wore a simple black knee-length dress, well-tailored, neither too formal nor too dignified.

Her hair was styled into an elegant updo, revealing a smooth forehead and a slender neck. Her makeup was light, highlighting her clear eyes and natural lip color.

Compared to her slightly shy demeanor at the premiere of "The Forbidden Kingdom" in April, she now exudes a calm and resolute aura, smiling politely and nodding slightly.

She sat to the left of the director, between Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis.

The director began by introducing the character: "In *Black Swan*, we will follow Lin Xin, a highly talented Asian ballerina living under immense pressure, as she delves into the heart of New York's top ballet company. She yearns for perfection, for the lead role in the new version of *Swan Lake*. This yearning propels her to the pinnacle of technique, but also leads her to the brink of self-discovery. Lin Xin's Asian identity, the expectations and constraints brought about by her family background and cultural heritage, will intertwine with the brutal competition of the ballet world and the purity and obsession of her artistic pursuits, creating a unique narrative tension."

David then announced the film's budget: $1500 million.

For a Hollywood award-contending film, this is considered a mid-to-high production scale, with filming scheduled to begin in New York and Los Angeles in October.

......

It was time for the reporters' questions.

The first few questions were posed to the director and the two Hollywood actors, regarding creative inspiration, character preparation, and how to present the authenticity of the ballet world.

Soon, the microphone was turned to Liu Yifei.

A reporter from the Los Angeles Times asked, "Ms. Liu, this is your first time playing the lead role in a Hollywood film, and such a complex and demanding one at that. What preparations did you make? Did you feel any pressure?"

Liu Yifei adjusted the microphone in front of her and answered in fluent English: "Of course there's pressure, but more than that, I feel excited and grateful. For the role of Lin Xin, I've undergone a month of intensive ballet training to regain my body's memory and control over dance. At the same time, I've been constantly studying the script and communicating with the director, trying to understand every subtle fluctuation in Lin Xin's heart. I'm very grateful to Director Darren and the production team for giving me this opportunity to explore such a profound and challenging soul."

Following this, a reporter from Hong Kong's Ming Pao asked a much more pointed question: "Ms. Liu, as we all know, this role went through a so-called global selection process. There are rumors that your selection was related to the strong recommendation of the capital behind your company, Light Chaser Animation, especially its owner, Mr. Jiang Yu. What is your opinion on this claim? Also, your 'private meeting' with Mr. Jiang Yu in Beijing was previously exposed by the media. Was this also related to your getting the role?"

The question immediately quieted the room, and many European and American journalists perked up their ears, clearly quite interested in this kind of "behind-the-scenes story."

David frowned almost imperceptibly on stage, glancing at Liu Yifei with some concern.

Liu Yifei's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes became even calmer.

She sat up slightly and looked calmly at the reporter. "First of all, regarding the casting, I participated in the audition through formal channels. After multiple rounds of video communication and performance clip submissions, I was fortunate enough to gain the approval of director Darren and the production team. I believe that any role should be awarded based on the fit between the actor and the character, rather than other factors."

She paused, then continued, "As for Light Chaser Animation Studios, it truly provided me with a valuable platform and opportunity to access such international projects, for which I am deeply grateful. This is separate from getting the role. In terms of artistic creation, I believe Director Darren and Light Chaser Animation Studios will adhere to professional standards."

After Liu Yifei finished speaking, Darren Aronofsky took the microphone from the stage.

"When I choose actors, it's only about the role. During the audition, Crystal demonstrated the fragile resilience, suppressed passion, and a quality that lay between girlhood and womanhood that Lin Xin needed. Her performance and hard work also left a deep impression on me. As for the rest..."

He shrugged. "That's something the producers need to think about. My job is to put the right actors into the right roles."

The director's personal endorsement strongly supports Liu Yifei's statement.

The Hong Kong reporter nodded and did not ask any further questions.

The press conference content, along with photos and videos from the event, spread across the global entertainment landscape almost simultaneously via the internet, naturally sweeping through the domestic internet and entertainment industry at lightning speed.

For those top domestic actresses and their teams who were once determined to win but ultimately missed out, this is undoubtedly like rubbing salt into an already healed wound—a pinch of salt, or rather, a pinch of chili salt.

"Lin Xin... Ha, even the character name has been changed to be so Eastern." The atmosphere was somber in the studio of a certain big star.

The agent gritted her teeth as she looked at the photo on the screen of Liu Yifei standing side by side with Darren Aronofsky. "The director even personally endorsed her! We didn't even get a second-round audition!"

They had struggled for many years, stumbling and faltering on the road to internationalization, never expecting to be overtaken by a junior in this way. One can imagine the complexity of their feelings.

Among the younger actresses, the emotions were even more mixed.

The online poll for "Four Little Actresses" recently launched by Tencent is generating a lot of buzz. The nominees include Wang Luodan, who rose to fame with "Struggle", Yang Mi, who gained popularity through her roles in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "Dream of the Red Chamber", and Huang Shengyi, who is showing promising momentum.

Although Liu Yifei has had few recent works, she is still ranked first by many netizens and media thanks to her strong national popularity and the explosive news of "Black Swan". Her lead has become even more obvious due to the official announcement of her as the Hollywood leading lady.

Huang Shengyi looked at the news with mixed feelings. She also had international ambitions and had even made considerable efforts for it; she wouldn't even dare to dream of resources like "Black Swan."

Wang Luodan, on the other hand, felt more like it was "a story from another world," and although she envied it, she felt that their paths were different.

Yang Mi stared at Liu Yifei calmly answering questions from foreign media on the screen, fiddling with her phone case, secretly vowing that she might have a chance in the future.

Liu Yifei's fans were completely engrossed in a sea of ​​celebration, busy with all sorts of activities including celebrations, popular science, and countering negative comments.

Backstage after the press conference, Liu Yifei let out a soft sigh of relief and accepted the warm water handed to her by her assistant.

When faced with the pointed questions, her back was actually covered in a thin layer of sweat.

David walked over, his chubby face beaming with a smile, and carefully patted her shoulder: "Crystal, you did a fantastic job! Your answers were excellent! The director just praised your composure too."

"Thank you, David, and thank you, Director," Liu Yifei said sincerely.

After David left, she took out her phone and looked at the quiet message list.

That person's name lay there quietly, with no unread messages.

She hesitated for a moment, but still didn't send the message.

He simply put his phone away quietly and clenched his fist.