EBE Chapter 53 "Asking the Immortals"
Chapter 53 "Asking the Immortals"
The conflict has been resolved, but the hype hasn't died down. We can strike while the iron is hot and take the group broadcast's viewership to another level.
Today, Day and Night Entertainment once again made a major move, dropping a bombshell announcement.
— Successfully acquired the film and television production rights to the hit novel "Asking Immortals" and officially entered the preparation stage.
"Asking Immortals" is a truly legendary masterpiece in the world of online literature, and it is also the undisputed founder of the spiritual energy revival novel genre.
For example, in the field of Western fantasy literature, there is a masterpiece like "The Lord of the Rings," which single-handedly outlined the blueprint and laid the foundation for countless fantasy stories that followed.
In the traditional world of martial arts, Mr. Jin Yong's series of works are well-known and are considered the "bible" by countless martial arts fans, carrying the martial arts sentiments of several generations.
The influence and popularity of "Asking Immortals" in the online literature world can be compared with the previous two. It created a unique urban cultivation system with distinctive Chinese characteristics, and its fan base is spread all over the country, spanning all age groups.
The novel's story setting focuses on grandeur and fantasy.
The story opens with a once-in-a-millennium surge of spiritual energy that tears open a corner of the peaceful world. The spiritual veins that were dormant underground slowly awaken, releasing a vast amount of spiritual power. In an instant, the winds and clouds change, the universe is turned upside down, and the mountains and rivers change color.
Everything in the world was swept up in this storm of spiritual energy. Ordinary flowers, grasses and trees grew wildly at a visible speed, becoming larger and larger, and were also imbued with traces of spirituality; the birds and beasts in the mountains and fields also awakened their intelligence.
Amidst this turbulent situation, ancient cultivation sects have reappeared in the martial world, bringing with them their millennia-old techniques and magical treasures.
Modern business conglomerates have also sensed the business opportunity and entered the market aggressively with their abundant capital and advanced technology.
On this grand chessboard of spiritual revival, various forces intertwine and vie for power, creating a breathtaking drama.
However, this super IP, which is inherently a hit and has a built-in traffic halo, was like a hot potato in the past, and no one dared to touch it easily. They were all deterred by the difficulty of filming it.
The world-building depicted in the novel is too grand. How easy would it be to present those ethereal and fantastical scenes, intricate power struggles, and all sorts of strange creatures on the screen?
From building realistic fantasy scenes to creating cool and explosive special effects, every detail requires a massive amount of funding and meticulous polishing with top-notch special effects technology.
Although my country's film and television technology has developed rapidly in recent years and special effects teams have become increasingly sophisticated, many domestic film and television companies still hesitate and feel powerless in the face of such a massive and expensive project.
Bai Li has never understood why, looking at the list of the top 100 highest-grossing films worldwide, there are very few Chinese films, with the rest of the spots occupied by foreign films.
We have a rich cultural heritage spanning five thousand years, and our current technological level is catching up rapidly. Our professional team is also becoming increasingly complete. So why can't we produce a few masterpieces that can rival international standards and reach the world stage?
Over the years, many filmmakers have poured their passion into film production, attempting to break the deadlock. However, the industry has proven too complex, with most films receiving lukewarm receptions or even resulting in significant financial losses.
If this continues, capital will flee in droves, and no one will dare to gamble heavily on fantasy-themed projects.
As a result, fantasy films and television series that embody the essence of Chinese culture have always suffered from low-budget special effects, remaining confined within China and unable to shine on the international stage.
Bai Li, however, refused to believe this superstition and was determined to make a bold attempt.
Since you have ample funds and have already decided to invest in filming, why not take a gamble and do it to the best of your ability?
Although it goes against Xiao Hao's main upgrade mission, the excellent conditions and resources are right in front of her, so there's no reason not to give it a try.
Besides, I have so much money I'm practically bursting with cash. It'll just go to waste anyway, so I might as well contribute to Chinese cinema.
Moreover, with the prestige of producing movies, they can leverage their influence to sign more high-quality male actors to the company.
Once the connection between employees and bosses is established, these employees will become like cans of goodwill that provide them with points of favorability—ready to be eaten right out of the can!
The announcement from Day and Night Entertainment was like a bombshell dropped into a lake of public opinion, instantly creating a huge wave of discussion, and the topic swept across various trending search lists like wildfire.
Although Day and Night Entertainment has achieved some success in the live streaming industry, it is still a little-known company with no experience in making movies, and it was not favored by the general public for a time.
However, its novel online voting model is quite interesting and has attracted a lot of attention.
Day and Night Entertainment's live streaming base has launched a large-scale actor recruitment program open to the whole society, aiming to attract talents and discover newcomers with great potential who have not yet made their mark. The newcomers will receive systematic and professional training to continuously provide fresh blood for the production of "Asking Immortals".
This casting process abandoned many of the industry's underhanded practices and unspoken rules, adhering to the principles of openness and transparency, and innovatively introduced a real-time online audience supervision mechanism.
According to the rules, in order to participate in "Asking the Immortals", actors must first attend a training camp and undergo rigorous basic martial arts training.
At the training base, there are situations where several or even a dozen actors compete for the same role. Their daily training is shown to the public through group broadcasts, and the final casting is entirely decided by public vote.
Only those who pass the rigorous tests and selection process by the audience will be eligible to participate.
This unique and innovative selection mechanism has sparked heated discussions, with some in favor and others against it.
Immortal Path Guardian: As a ten-year fan of "Asking the Immortals," I was overjoyed to hear this news! This novel carries the fantasies of my entire youth, and I hope it will be adapted into a good film.
Dongfeng Missile Breakthrough: I admire the audacity of Day and Night Entertainment. Online voting and open casting show they're aiming for something big. I just hope it doesn't fizzle out. They should invest heavily in special effects and avoid drastic plot changes. If they can faithfully recreate the classic scenes from the book, I'd be willing to wait a year or two for the release. Don't let such a great IP go to waste.
Cold Eyes on Entertainment: I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but while the courage is commendable, the film and television industry is not an easy place to navigate. The world of "Asking Immortals" is so vast that even adapting it into a TV series would be challenging, let alone condensing it into a movie. Controlling the plot and pacing would be a huge problem.
Cold Eyes on Entertainment: This online casting process, while seemingly open and transparent, actually harbors many hidden dangers. Is audience voting always truly professional? What if some "pretty faces" with no acting skills are chosen, and the entire movie falls apart?
Lingxiao Fairy: I have to give a thumbs up to Day and Night Entertainment! The film and television industry is currently rife with corruption, backroom deals, and capital manipulation, burying many promising talents. This time, the casting model of "Asking the Immortals" truly gives the audience a voice, and perhaps it will uncover many hidden gems among the actors.
Your Excellency is an intelligent agent: Blockbuster films have always been a weak point in the domestic film and television industry, and no one dares to try them. Day and Night Entertainment dared to be the first to take the plunge, and regardless of the outcome, this spirit of exploration deserves encouragement. Even if the final product has some flaws, it can still accumulate valuable experience for those who follow and drive the entire industry forward.
Anti-counterfeiting Guardian: Hmph, I think Day and Night Entertainment is just using this opportunity to hype up the hype! A small company suddenly acquires a big IP and is doing so much fancy publicity. Who knows if it's all bark and no bite?
Anti-fraud guardian: Take actor recruitment for example. They call it discovering new talent, but what if they just want to save costs and find some cheap newcomers to fill the quota?
Debunker: What we, the audience, want to see is a high-quality fantasy film, not a testing ground for newcomers. If, in the end, due to poor casting and inadequate training, a perfectly good film like "Asking the Immortals" turns into an awkward performance, then we would be letting down the fans of the original work and the general audience. We hope they can clearly disclose their casting criteria.
Pure Land: Replying to the comment above, who said big stars can't act? Would those big stars be willing to condescend to go to a training base to get their basic skills in place before taking on a role?
Pure Land: And they also have to accept public censorship. Can those 208ws who live in the heavens really accept that? I think the stagnation of Chinese cinema is inextricably linked to these 208ws who are unwilling to lower their standards. I support using the salaries allocated to big stars for film production.
Feng Yingyun: Our Chinese culture has a long and rich history, and the fantasy genre, imbued with Chinese aesthetics and philosophical thought, should be a trump card for cultural export. For so many years, we've been confined within our own borders—it's been so frustrating! This time, Day and Night Entertainment is taking on a major role. If they successfully produce a world-class film like *Asking the Immortals*, it won't just be about box office success; it will allow the world to see the charm of our culture.
Feng Yingyun: Imagine how proud we are when overseas audiences are captivated by the Chinese fantasy world and rave about our films and television shows! I sincerely hope that the production team can meticulously refine every detail, integrate the essence of Chinese culture into the film, and achieve a remarkable cultural comeback.
"What? She actually invested in 'Asking Immortals'!" When President Li, who was in the CEO's office of Longtao Entertainment, heard this news, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and his face was full of undisguised astonishment.
The 160 million I invested is probably going to go down the drain. 160 million isn't even enough for ten minutes of special effects, is it?
I was hoping to avoid losing money and recoup some of my losses through investment.
Unexpectedly, the young man was still too impetuous and actually touched "Asking the Immortals," something even he dared not touch lightly.
Everyone in the industry knows that "Asking the Immortals" is a "hot potato." The difficulty of adapting it into a film is ridiculously high. The special effects production cost alone is a bottomless pit. His 160 million yuan might not even be enough to support ten minutes of special effects scenes.
Forget it, I never expected this investment to bring any positive returns. Originally, this 160 million was just a pledge of allegiance, intended to make peace with Bai Li.
Thinking of this, he beckoned his assistant over and asked in a low voice, "Have you sent the production team from the film studio to President Bai yet?"
The assistant nodded quickly and replied respectfully, "Mr. Li, as you instructed, we sent it over immediately."
Mr. Li was completely relieved and stopped worrying about the matter, turning his attention to other company affairs.
At that time, he could never have imagined that one day in the future he would deeply regret his decision and wish he could travel through time to personally wake up his arrogant and short-sighted self.
Why was I so blinded by greed and didn't invest more?