Since Hu Ge personally attended, it naturally means he has decided to participate in the school anniversary. He chuckled lightly and said, "Before, due to work reasons, I completely cut off contact with the outside world. I didn't know the school valued this anniversary so much. Now that I know, as a member of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, even if I'm busy, I have to make an appearance. Besides, Chairman Gu even personally rushed over from Shanghai, if I were to refuse, wouldn't that be ungrateful?"

Upon receiving Hu Ge's response, Gu Bai also smiled with satisfaction.

Speaking of this, Gu Bai continued to ask, "I heard before that you are preparing for your screen debut. How confident are you about this transition?"

As someone who has been reborn.

Gu Bai is very aware that Hu Ge's screen debut ended in failure.

It's not that this movie was terrible, compared to the film quality in recent years, "Gathering at the Southern Station" is even higher in quality than most films.

But since Hu Ge was the lead, as the saying goes, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

An art film with an investment cost exceeding 100 million, but the box office barely reached 200 million. It can be said it ended in a major defeat, not even able to recoup costs.

Gu Bai also watched that movie; the plot was utterly unremarkable. If not for Hu Ge and Wan Qian, these new-generation powerful actors holding it up, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a bad film.

Hearing Gu Bai's remark, Hu Ge also gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"I've been in the TV circle for a long time, but the waters of the film industry aren't quite clear, so I can only take it one step at a time."

As the main actor, Hu Ge is also aware that this movie is destined not to be a hit. However, there's nothing he can do; although he is thriving in the TV circle and is a guarantee of ratings, in the film industry, he is still an absolute newcomer. He is already very satisfied with the first film he starred in having an investment of over 100 million.

"If you're unsure about the film industry, you could ask Sister Mi; she's been involved in several big productions."

Upon hearing Gu Bai's words, Yang Function rolled her eyes: "Chairman Gu, can I take your words as sarcasm? Who in the circle doesn't know I'm a box office poison? I get criticized as starring in bad films every time I'm in one?

I've thought it through, I should honestly develop in an area I'm familiar with."

Yang Function was also speaking the truth; after 2017, the number of movies she participated in gradually decreased, mostly appearing as a supporting role, and she was more selective with scripts. Although they didn't make waves, at least she wasn't criticized as before. Facts have shown that without Guo Jingming, Yang Function can still be accepted by the audience.

Hu Ge and Yang Function hold similar statuses in the TV circle, and with Yang Function's prior missteps, his concerns grew.

Gu Bai lightly tapped his fingertips on the table and said to Hu Ge, "I'm not afraid of offending anyone, there's a difference between you and Sister Mi. Although Sister Mi is very popular, she also has many scandals; her acting skills are most often criticized, so it's understandable that she's not accepted by audiences. But you're different; not only is your acting acknowledged within the industry, but audiences also highly recognize it. In fact, your screen debut's chance of success is much higher than Sister Mi's."

Gu Bai's words were straightforward, but Yang Function knew he was telling the truth, so she just listened quietly without refuting.

"Does Chairman Gu have any pointers?"

Gu Bai waved his hand with a smile.

"It's not really pointers, but I can share my views a bit.

You, my senior, neither lack an audience base nor acting skills, all you need is one condition, a quality script, and there's no way your debut can fail."

Looking at Gu Bai in front of him, Hu Ge felt a bit speechless, hearing a bit like someone saying nothing while seeming like they said a lot. Didn't he know that a good script can lead to a qualitative change? Thinking of this, Hu Ge sighed helplessly.

"Of course, I know what Chairman Gu is saying, but in the film industry, I'm still a newcomer. Even if there are big productions, others wouldn't invite me. Even the movie I'm filming now was secured by my company's exhausting resources."

In his tone, there was no effort to hide the decline of Tangren Film and Television—it wasn't much of a secret in the entertainment circle anyway.

Gu Bai smiled mysteriously.

"Senior, you've acted in IP dramas; you should know that a successful IP paired with a good director ought to produce a great movie, right?"

One "Langya List" made Hu Ge a legend in the TV industry a second time. Having tasted the sweetness, he naturally understood Gu Bai's implication.

"But there are many big IP films that have flopped both in box office and ratings, right? Like the previous 'Wukong Chronicles,' although it made a small profit at the box office, its reputation was utterly shattered."

Yang Function couldn't help but interject.

Gu Bai nodded.

"An 80 million+ daily box office already proved 'Wukong Chronicles' had significant market influence; as for flopping, the reason is simple: budget cuts, chaotic storytelling, failing to capture the novel's essence, and making emotional scenes awkwardly abrupt just to appease a portion of the audience—what movie wouldn't flop?"

Ending the topic there, Gu Bai turned to Hu Ge and said, "Have you ever read a novel called 'Divine Tomb'?"

Hu Ge shook his head.

"I seldom have time to read novels."

"The IP 'Divine Tomb' is just as well-known as 'Wukong Chronicles.' I happened to secure its rights recently and intend to adapt this novel into a film."

Gu Bai's words made everyone present immediately turn their heads.

"Chairman Gu, is your company planning to produce the film on your own?"

Gu Bai nodded.

"'Divine Tomb' is a novel I really like, and its background story and length are perfect for making a commercial blockbuster relying on special effects.

Also, the characters in this novel are all very distinct and require strong acting skills; in other words, if made, it could very well be a blockbuster with successful reputation and box office results."

Everyone present, seasoned in the film industry, knew too well that the success of a film or TV project involves numerous factors. Although they didn't overly agree with Gu Bai's claim, they dared not voice any opposition.

Noting their expressions, Gu Bai obviously understood what they were thinking and laughed boldly, "Do you know which film in global cinema history had the highest production cost?"

"'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'!"

Yang Wenjun, being a director, was well-versed in such matters and immediately answered Gu Bai's question.

"That movie was close to a 350 million US Dollar investment, which equates to nearly 2.3 billion RMB."

Gu Bai nodded in acknowledgment; at this time, "Avengers 4" was still two years away from release, so calling "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" the highest-invested film wasn't an exaggeration.

In two years, "Avengers 4" would dominate with a $700 million production and marketing cost.

"My 'Divine Tomb' will have a production cost reaching 2 billion RMB, roughly 300 million US Dollars, excluding marketing expenses, with additional marketing costs calculated later."

Gu Bai's statement directly shocked everyone present.

A film with a 2 billion production budget—none existed in the entire Hua Country film industry.

Not to mention a 2 billion production cost, even achieving a 2 billion box office is commendable, with only a handful managing that.

Hu Ge steadied his shock and asked, "Chairman Gu, is this movie expected to target a global audience? Judging by the domestic market, a movie with a 2 billion cost, let alone profit, it's already challenging enough for it to break even."

Though new to the film industry, Hu Ge was well aware of these matters.

"Of course, 'Divine Tomb' primarily merges Eastern and Western fantasy elements, catering not solely to Eastern audiences. Also, I plan to hire the top directors in Hua Country and invite the top Hollywood directors to collaborate, aiming to create a masterpiece listed in cinematic history!

If the budget isn't sufficient, it can be increased further. 2 billion is far from the limit—for this movie alone, I've budgeted 1.5 billion just for special effects. The 2 billion is merely the initial cost."

Everyone swallowed hard in unison.

Once this film officially starts production, not only will the Hua Country film industry be shaken, but the global film industry would also be taken by storm!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.