I.
In October 2014, the shooting of Lost in Hong Kong, directed by 42-year-old Xu Zheng, began, and the male number two in the movie was 30-year-old Baobel.
Also at the same time, Chen Sicheng, who is six years younger, was filming "Detective Chinatown," and the movie's male lead was Wang Baoqiang.
In fact, Tang Tang could have started earlier, but the 32-year-old Wang Baoqiang suffered a broken foot as a result of a variety show, and Chen Sicheng postponed the movie for more than 40 days to wait for him.
The first time I saw this movie, I was in the middle of it, and it was a very good movie, so I'm not sure if it's a good movie.
Compared to the notorious "Tang Tang Tang", a lot of melon masses are touched while feeling sorry.
After all, Wang Baoqiang before and Xu Zheng, Huang Bo starred in the "Lost in Thailand" hit 1.26 billion box office, refreshing the box office of domestic movies and movie attendance record.
But the real reason is that Wang Baoqiang only got a measly 3 million dollars afterward, while Huang Bo was paid 30 million.
The reason for this is that before the movie started, Mr. Xu gave them two choices: one was a fixed paycheck, and the other was no paycheck at the box office.
Wang Baoqiang chose the former and Huang Bo chose the latter.
The first time I saw this movie, I was so happy to see that it was not a good idea, but it was a good idea to see that it was not a bad idea.
It was at this point that Chen Sicheng and Wang Baoqiang discussed the need to make a comedy movie, so they wanted Wang Baoqiang to star in the new movie, "Chinatown Detective".
The whole idea for Tangled originated in 2012, when Chen Sicheng was still filming the TV series Beijing Love Story.
The whole story of the suspenseful reasoning framework, from the famous variety show "the strongest brain", Chen Sicheng even a few times quietly in person to observe the scene, and the scene of the contestants to communicate for a long time.
In the face of his friend's invitation, Wang Baoqiang answered with his mouth full, but his heart did not care.
He is not doubting the sincerity of Chen Sicheng's good buddy, but early heard that the project because to choose their own male lead, the investors are a bit disgusted with his previous poor loser image in the "Lost in Thailand", eight hundred not happy.
Fortunately, Chen Sicheng is serious, he felt that the image of Wang Baoqiang and his own force to promote the "fresh meat" Liu Haoran is a perfect match.
So very seriously to the back of the gold masters said: the male lead is not Wang Baoqiang, otherwise the play will not shoot.
The gold masters thought: OK, you are the director, as long as you ensure that you can make money, everything else is fine.
In fact, the shrewd Chen Sicheng chose to "soil poor black" Wang Baoqiang is not just brotherhood, but he is too clear that with the end of the film subsidy policy, a large number of the audience of the sinking market is the real main force of the Chinese film.
For audiences in first- and second-tier cities, going to the movies is just one of the pastimes, but for young people in third- and fourth-tier cities and towns, going to the movies is the most important, if not the only, form of entertainment.
In the huge sinking market, some people may not recognize Leonardo DiCaprio, but Wang Baoqiang's name is familiar to everyone.
This is a brand new game between the audience and the director in the movie production mode, and it's a more and more skillful routine for the film and TV capital players who are familiar with the market.
In this way, the waves of capital rolled up under the tide of the times gave birth to the Tang Dynasty series.
Secondly,
In 1978, Chen Sicheng was born in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, a cadre family, and since childhood, he has been living a life of clothing and food.
He himself once said: My factory settings are pretty good.
When he was young, Chen Sicheng's writing was not bad, and at the age of 13, he had imitated Jin Yong to write the homage novel "Hundred Years of Fame", and imitated Gu Long's "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang" to write "The Legend of Chen Liuxiang", which had a decent story and was widely circulated among his classmates.
At this time, Hong Kong and Taiwan film and television works y affected a generation of young people, Chen Sicheng is no exception, the room is full of many star posters, the young age of his incomparable longing.
The family still expects Chen Sicheng to study hard and get into a good university, so that he can honor his ancestors.
But Chen Sicheng is not, and all he wants is to be an actor, the family how hard to persuade also do not listen to, and finally can only with him.
In 1994, at the age of 16, Chen Sicheng heard that director Xie Jin had organized a film and television school to train future Chinese movie stars, and he was excited to come to Shanghai alone.
After a short period of pre-examination training, Chen Sicheng was admitted to Xie Jin Hengtong Star School (later renamed Xie Jin Film and Television Arts College of Shanghai Normal University) with the first professional grade, and became a classmate of 18-year-old Wuhu girl Zhao Wei.
A year later, Chen Sicheng's next class came a girl with big eyes, 13-year-old Qingdao girl Fan Bingbing.
The Xie Jin Hengtong Star School is actually only an art training college, with the ultimate goal of delivering artistic talent to major art schools.
In 1996, 20-year-old Zhao Wei was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, and 18-year-old Chen Sicheng was admitted to the Shanghai Theatre Academy, although not the first professional, but the professional performance is also a bar, and Nie Yuan, Hao Lei became a classmate.
In the school of Chen Sicheng is very live and very smart, professional performance is very understanding of his favorite teachers, especially Professor Li Xuetong, almost as a personal disciple of him to teach.
But I didn't realize that this disciple is not letting the teacher worry, because of a righteousness to help students fight was expelled from the theater, and was banned from the examination for two years.
The confident Chen Sicheng was rubbed by fate on the ground.
The darkest moment of the Chen family happened, always pay attention to the image of Chen Sicheng's father was so anxious to wear short-sleeved shorts rushed to Shanghai to think of ways to help, but things have come to a head, he can not help.
In the Chen Sicheng closed the door to think, 15-year-old Wang Baoqiang is still a face of ignorance in front of the North Studio when the "northern drift", with a dream of a martial arts movie in the Shaolin Temple after years of hard work to realize that he was looking in the wrong direction.
After being instructed, Wang Baoqiang squatted in front of the North Studio all day, waiting for a director to give himself a chance.
It was not easy for someone to ask what he would do, excited Wang Baoqiang without saying a word to pull open the stance, to give people a "crane wings", scared people.
The play is a lot of participation, but Wang Baoqiang received are almost not see the face of the "Roadrunner" and "dead body", so he was also happy to call home to say that he made a movie.
In 1999, at the age of 21, Chen Sicheng survived the ban and moved to Beijing, where he wanted to study at the Beijing Film Academy, where he knew his classmate Zhao Wei was studying.
But Nortel knew about his "previous record" and rejected him decisively, breaking Chen Sicheng's heart.
Fortunately, Chen Sicheng was recommended by his mentor, Prof. Li Xuetong, to apply for the Central Academy of Drama, and was recognized by the examiner, Wang Lina, who once again entered the new hall of performing arts as the first professional.
Only this time, the classmates were replaced by Jin Dong, Chen Shu, Li Guangjie and others.
Because he has a few more years of acting and social experience than the average classmate, Chen Sicheng is a fish out of water in the university, writing scripts, directing, publicity, and even singing competitions.
And at this time, Wang Baoqiang's days are not good, when the dragon-set actor at least can eat, but no play shoot can only starve.
The family is well aware of Wang Baoqiang's situation, in the phone countless times to persuade him to die when the actor's heart, honestly go home to farm and marry.
But Wang Baoqiang is not, he is not willing to learn their own hard years of kung fu, ate this many years of the crew of the box lunch he always feel that he will one day sparrow fly on the branch.
Two young men in very different situations are still wandering around outside the "noble circle", and they have only one dream: to be an actor.
Three.
In 2003, 25-year-old Chen Sicheng faced the choice of graduation. He was a bit hesitant to change his career to become a singer.
Although in the university met in the life of director Kang Honglei, starred in his TV series "Minjiu", but the show was repeatedly banned due to the subject matter, the crew of many veteran actors of the professional performance is a direct result of the fledgling Chen Sicheng drowned.
And in his senior year when he starred in the movie debut "Judge Mom", although the best newcomer award, but in the face of the film and television circle of the spelling of acting and resources, Chen Sicheng just do not set off any waves of the "after the wave".
Compared to him, Wang Baoqiang, who was also in the movie, can only be considered a flashing "wave".
The first encounter in the fate of the two people came to this, but one is the star, one is a dragon set, and there is no communication with each other.
But when Chen Sicheng was still hesitating about the direction of his career, Wang Baoqiang unexpectedly from the "wave" also quietly became the "rear wave".
In this year, the goddess of fortune favored the 21-year-old Wang Baoqiang.
The director Li Yang, who was preparing to shoot the movie The Blind Well, needed a simple rural child, and accidentally found the dull-eyed, timid Wang Baoqiang at the entrance of the North Film Studio, and he was instantly attracted to him.
"Blind Well" makes the first time to make a movie Wang Baoqiang, quickly took the Golden Horse Award for Best Newcomer and many other awards, happiness comes too suddenly.
However, due to the sensitivity of the subject matter, the movie was not released in the country, and Wang Baoqiang is only known in the circle of the countryside children of some "two".
The real change in Wang Baoqiang's fate is Feng Xiaogang's "No Thieves Under Heaven", the male and female protagonists have been determined, only the "stupid root" in the film has never been a suitable candidate.
Finally, someone recommended the "blind well" in the Wang Baoqiang, Feng Xiaogang bright eyes, looking for Wang Baoqiang asked him whether there is a schedule.
"This movie will take three months to shoot, you can think about it." Feng was afraid that Wang Baoqiang would drop the ball in the middle.
Feng was overly concerned, what an honor and opportunity to work with Feng Xiaogang, Andy Lau, Ge You and other big names to make a movie, afraid of Wang Baoqiang, who was almost the first to come to the crew to report.
In 2004, at the age of 22, Wang Baoqiang became an overnight sensation with "No Thieves in the World", and successfully became a signed artist of Huayi.
At this time, Chen Sicheng, after shooting a few movies and TV dramas, also signed a contract with Huayi, and the two became colleagues.
Two years later, a military drama, "Soldier's Raid," elevated the popularity of both Chen and Wang to the status of first-tier actors.
Also at the end of the year, Wanda Group's CBD Wanda Plaza store opened, and Wanda Cinemas ushered in its 100th screen, becoming a distribution channel for domestic theaters that cannot be underestimated.
The movie market has become a piece of fat meat that is being coveted by various parties.
4.
Chen Sicheng, whose fame has grown farther and farther away from Wang Baoqiang's, soon came to a "bend in the road".
In 2010, the 32-year-old Chen Sicheng pulled Xinli Media and the newly listed LeTV, directing and acting in a "Beijing Love Story".
In this play, not only are there old partners Li Chen and Zhang Yi, but there is also a 27-year-old beautiful girl, Tong Liya, a Chinese opera schoolgirl.
The play does not have Wang Baoqiang, not Chen Sicheng do not want to find, really because Wang Baoqiang is too red, there is no schedule.
At this point, no one wants to understand, looking at a dangling look of Chen Sicheng, how to get the favor of the capital, how to become a director?
More people did not expect is that during the production of the "Northern Ireland", Wanda Film and Television announced that it has a stake in Xinli Media.
It is rumored that Wanda's attitude is very simple, only responsible for the money, how to shoot listen to director Chen Sicheng.
32-year-old Chen Sicheng in the end how to deal with the 56-year-old Wang Jianlin? Why would Wang Jianlin take a hundred million as a "small goal" and invest tens of millions of dollars in this TV series?
In fact, Chen Sicheng has been very anxious about his own status quo, he has repeatedly complained to his mentor Wang Lina director does not understand the drama, he is always out of sync with them, and always not red.
Wang teacher a: "You are now an actor, you have to listen to the director's words, you have to wait until you can make the decision when you have an opinion."
Let Chen Sicheng suddenly enlightened, engraved in the heart.
Many years later, when the director of the Chen Sicheng, said in an interview: "I do not want to be the cake that is divided, I want to be the one who makes the cake."
This is indeed the motivation and reason for Chen Sicheng's transition to directing, and at a young age he has realized that capital is the real "dream machine" in the entertainment circle.
He knows very well that only decent works can let the capital to push themselves to the center of the stage, but the most important thing is to learn to cater to the capital and compromise.
In the earliest days, Chen Sicheng and Wanda Pictures proposed that they wanted to make a suspense or crime drama that was more representative of their strengths, but Wanda said that the market was still more receptive to the idol genre.
Chen Sicheng is very interesting, and not more insist, idol on the idol, anyway, you are willing to pay on the line.
Chen Sicheng, who took the money, is also very dedicated to his work, and he does everything himself.
From beginning to end to participate in the creation of the script, not to mention the shooting of the "Northern Love" in order to save the budget, he sleeps up to four hours a day, has created a single camera single group a day to shoot more than 200 lenses, the ordinary crew a day to shoot a hundred even very good.
During the filming period, it was freezing cold, and many people were sick, and the director of photography collapsed, the deputy photographer on, the deputy photographer was sick, Chen Sicheng carried his own machine to shoot.
A drama shot down, because of serious hair loss, Chen Sicheng had to shave his long flowing hair directly into a flat head.
In the end, "Beijing Love Story" was a huge success on TV, with an investment of $30 million and a harvest of hundreds of millions of RMB while also winning many awards.
The drama made Xinli Media and the Wanda Film behind it earn a lot of money, and also let Chen Sicheng himself dug the first bucket of gold.
But many people are not convinced, think the play is too pretentious, Chen Sicheng's success is purely "blind cat meets dead mouse".
At the same time, upgraded to Chen director of the new romance again exposed, the object is the play Shen Bing's role of Tong Liya, and the "matchmaker" is together with the filming of Yang Mi.
In order to win the heart of the beauty, Chen Sicheng in 2012 will be upgraded to the studio of Shanghai galloping Asia Film and Television Culture and Media Company Limited, it is said that the name "galloping Asia" comes from the "Chen" and "Ya" homonym. The name is said to come from the harmonization of "Chen" and "Ya".
With the afterglow of the TV series, the $40 million movie version of "Northern Love" then went online, and steadily got 500 million at the box office, Chen Sicheng once again demonstrated extraordinary marketing ability, and those who questioned him shut their mouths.
And for Wanda behind the scenes: "Who cares if he's a black cat or a white cat, catching mice is a good cat".
The successful transformation of Chen Sicheng, Wanda handed over two quite good "report card", which for the follow-up cooperation to create "Tang Tang" laid a good foundation.
The money earned enough, the beauty of the natural can not run.
In 2014, 36-year-old Chen Sicheng shelled out $15 million to marry 31-year-old Tong Liya on the South Pacific island of Tahiti.
On that day, there were a bunch of big and small celebrities, but only Wang Baoqiang came from the "comrades".
The beauty of the beautiful Yaya, wearing a symbol of their birthday 8.8 carat diamond ring instantly blinded many people's eyes, but this light may not only come from love, but also the help of capital.
Fifth,
Chen Sicheng shortly after the wedding, found Wang Baoqiang: brother, we brother and sister together to shoot a new movie, the money is certainly more than others to give.
Said this, Chen Sicheng is the bottom line, galloping behind the Asian is the big gold master Wanda, Wanda Film and Television's shareholding of 60%, Chen Sicheng himself holds 30% of the shares, he is still Wanda's only trust in the director.
But then good brother or rely on money to maintain, Chen Sicheng know very well.
After some preparations, "Detective Chinatown" was released on December 31, 2015 across the year, the actors are Wang Baoqiang, Liu Haoran and Tong Liya, Chen Sicheng completely retired from the background as a director.
Liu Haoran, who plays Qin Feng in the movie, was instantly recognized by Chen Sicheng at the age of 15 when he appeared in Bei Ai, and at this point he is the only artist signed by Tong Liya's studio.
In the Spring Festival of 2016, 38-year-old Chen Sicheng had a double whammy. At the same time as the $80 million "Tang Dynasty Detective" took in $800 million at the box office, Tong Liya also gave birth to a baby boy, nicknamed "Duo Duo", which is also said to be Chen Sicheng's nickname.
Once the backwaters of the movie market, the director's talent has become the center of capitalism.
And Wang Baoqiang saw his friend's transformation into a director of great success, press the he also directed a comedy film.
At the launch event, many directors and actors have stood on the stage to support, Wang Baoqiang tears of joy.
This year, Wanda spent $50 billion to build the Oriental Film Capital in Qingdao, which has landed on the A-share market and become the first cinema company in China, and Wang Jianlin was featured on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter, a mainstream US film magazine.
In 2018, Wang Baoqiang starred again in Chen Sicheng's Tang Street Detective 2, which at a cost of $200 million once again set a box office record of $3.4 billion.
Since then, Chen Sicheng's Tang Tang Tang universe has taken shape, becoming a suspenseful comedy film in the limelight.
Among the country's up-and-coming directors, Chen Sicheng has become one of the few leaders who can make a movie that is both a hit and a miss.
But Chen Sicheng, who is famous and rich, seems to have made the same mistake that successful men make. He has been frequently exposed as a "master of time management" since 2014, and has been rumored to be involved with a number of women for years.
And Tong Liya also showed amazing tolerance for this, just faintly said: can go home on the line.
But also in this year, Chen Sicheng and Tong Liya shooting "Great Expectations" in the word of mouth and ratings on both street, said 300 million investment instantly hit the water, behind the back of the Wanda Pictures had to pinch their noses and not say anything.
Even a good director can't make money on all of his works, and Wanda can only look at the long term.
It is important to know that Wanda Pictures was not only in contact with Chen Sicheng, but also with Zhang Yimou, who had just finished tearing up his brother, as well as Chen Guofu, who had flown from Huayi, and other film and television directors, and ultimately did not make a deal.
It can only be said that the "little director" Chen, who is desperate to prove himself, is better behaved and more cooperative.
Chen Sicheng did not disappoint Wanda.
In 2018, due to the help of "Tang Tang Tang 2", the annual profit of Wanda Film and Television is only 500 million, boldly and horizontally in the first quarter of the report card of 400 million net profit, and even attracted the questioning of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
And a year later, invested by Wanda, Chen Sicheng supervised the production of the crime thriller "Manslaughter" in the domestic theaters, with less than 100 million cost to get 1.1 billion at the box office, has been the same kind of suspense film quite good results.
For Wanda Pictures, which has been operating poorly, Chen Sicheng can be called "the man who saved Wanda".
In the premiere of "Manslaughter", Chen Sicheng had aggrievedly defended: "In fact, I am also the person who was killed by mistake, the public put a series of labels on me ......"
Six.
In fact, there is nothing to explain, the capital behind the entertainment circle only look at the results.
The ability to earn money is the ability to earn money, how much wrist can only be on the side, a little scandal counts for nothing.
For example, Huayi had a deep bond with Feng Xiaogang, but after Feng's several movies hit the streets, the capital turned around and went after the more profitable director Guan Hu.
Because of this, a few scandals have not affected Chen's subsequent movie career.
After he announced the launch of the Tang Tang 3 project, there were 30 capitals sniffing around, and countless brands rushing to collaborate.
Although this film has long been completed production, was intended to be released in the 2020 New Year's Eve slot, but due to the epidemic withdrawn after a long time no sound.
The same rival "Lost Mom", early by the shrewd Xu Zheng will be sold to the platform of the movie rights, the dashing took 600 million in cash in the bag to go away.
And the other originally scheduled for release in last year's Spring Festival, "Jiang Ziya", "Chinese women's volleyball", "Pioneer" really can not bear, in last year's National Day have been launched, but unfortunately, the results are mediocre, and the expected far from it.
See "Tang Detective 3" not moving, many people thought Chen Sicheng behind the gold master, so the heart does not panic.
But the actual situation is, Chen Sicheng panicked a horse, even if he is the director is the producer, but want to be on which schedule is not his decision.
Tang Detective 3 producers as many as 25, 15 issuers, the main investor for the Wanda Film and Television, Beijing One Legendary Film and Television and China Film, the rest of the co-producers, each of them are holding back to try to earn a big quote.
Of course, at this point, Chen Sicheng is no exception, he also wants to eat a meal of fat.
According to the eye of the sky, Beijing Yi Tong Legendary Film and TV's legal person is Chen Shengqi, Chen Sicheng's father.
Chen Sicheng is not stupid, shoot the movie to say, split the bill can not lose their own.
As the main distributor of the five continents of the film theoretically, although it is the slot of the clapboard party, but the real boss behind them is still Wanda Film, the share price has fallen over the years to make people meat pain.
In 2019, Wanda Film and Television suffered a huge loss of 4.729 billion yuan, and in addition to "Misadventure", there is no more movie that can be taken, and the good projects that were originally handed over to their own hands have been dug up by other rivals.
A year later, Wanda Studios in Lhasa officially opened, which means that Wanda Film spent 16 years, finally realized in the country's 31 provincial capitals can be found in the layout of the Wanda Cinema.
But behind the scenery, the reality is very cruel.
For this reason, the actual loss of Wanda film and television has been more than 6 billion, and another large amount of the company's liquidity and reimbursement of the missing funds, the landlord's home is really no surplus food.
Wanda movie turnaround count on, all bet on the "Tang Tang 3".
The money to shoot does not count, in the "Tang Tang 3" six producers accounted for three Wanda film and television, in the marketing more vigorously.
In last year's epidemic before the withdrawal of cinema film, Wanda Film has been tens of millions of dollars to smash a wave, and this year an additional 30 million publicity, so that "Tang Detective 3" in the entire Spring Festival slot in the scheduling reached a horror of 47%, almost crushing existence.
As a result of this movie, Wanda Film's stock price has gone red for several days in a row.
As of the close of business on February 9, Wanda Film and TV reported 21.64 yuan/share, a small fluctuation, but much higher than the previous increase.
And from the perspective of the entire market, it is almost a foregone conclusion that "Tang Tang Tang 3" will become a hit again.
However, from a capital point of view, eggs can not all be put in one basket.
Wanda and Chen Sicheng also have a private agreement, which requires Chen Sicheng must develop a suitable "successor".
The director of 2019's dark horse "Manslaughter", Kevin Cole, was originally one of the directors of the "Chinatown Detective" web series, and a team partner who was directly handpicked by Chen Sicheng.
It was also under Wanda's planning, as the manager of a wholly owned company, that Chen Sicheng was laying out the Tang Tang Detective film and TV universe while scouting for new egg-layers.
You know, behind any movie, there are countless shadows of capital hidden, and before the movie is in place, the capital is already in place.
And because of this, ratings and perceptions are far less tangible than money.
Chen Sicheng, who has been y tied to Wanda, is just a footnote in this movie era.
Where the Tang universe and the Wanda movie behind it will go remains to be seen.