novelraw Chapter 785 - 521: One Half and a Half
Chapter 785 - 521: One Half and a Half
Chapter 785: Chapter 521: One Half and a Half
For this reason, Jing Jingcheng now regarded Xu Jinbo and "Deep Sea" as a thorn in their side.
They were very eager to work with Zhou Yun, and they felt that only Zhou Yun could play the role in "Stepmother’s Law" as no other actress of the same age had such acting skill.
But if Zhou Yun wouldn’t act, they couldn’t just shelve the movie either. They had spent a hefty sum to acquire this IP and develop it into a script, and they couldn’t afford to let that money go to waste.
Jing Jingcheng had no choice but to consider other actresses.
This included Xu Siyao. After her role in "Dingfengbo," Xu Siyao’s image had significantly improved, and her acting had garnered a lot of praise. Now, Xu Siyao was one of the more suitable actresses for this role. The role in "Stepmother’s Law" was challenging, demanding high acting skills from the actress. If the actress wasn’t up to par, the result would be a disaster. Jing Jingcheng didn’t even take into consideration those celebrities who were merely popular.
However, after Jing Jingcheng contacted Xu Siyao, she proposed that Gu Huaichun should play the male lead.
"Brother Jing, the script is written so well, why not invite Gu Huaichun to be the male lead? This drama is originally a self-produced drama by Yuehai, and Gu Huaichun is one of your actors. This would benefit both the drama and Gu Huaichun," said Xu Siyao.
Jing Jingcheng could only advise, "Gu Huaichun has other commitments, his schedule might not allow it. We have many other male actors to choose from."
But Xu Siyao was set on having Gu Huaichun.
Her reasoning was actually quite simple. Her popularity and fan base were just average. Compared to celebrities with a large fan following, she was more like a hot topic celebrity. People liked to follow news about her, but that didn’t necessarily translate to viewership for the dramas she starred in. So, she wanted to add an insurance layer to this drama – an insurance named Gu Huaichun.
In the past couple of years, the dramas featuring Gu Huaichun had all performed well. Although they were mainly idol dramas, not serious dramas that mainstream critics might appreciate, his fame and audience reception were very good.
If Gu Huaichun could play the male lead, it would add an extra layer of security to "Stepmother’s Law."
"Brother Jing, if Gu Huaichun’s schedule isn’t fitting, I can wait. I really want to work with him. Please help make this wish come true," Xu Siyao pleaded to Jing Jingcheng, batting her eyelashes coyly.
Jing Jingcheng had no choice but to communicate with Gu Huaichun’s agent about the film shooting and scheduling.
But at this stage, Gu Huaichun wasn’t someone who would play the male lead in a drama with a strong female lead. His agent outright refused without even consulting him.
"Old Jing, if this drama starred Ning Yao, Zhou Yun, or Wei Ruxue, and you asked Gu Huaichun to support them, I wouldn’t say anything. But Xu Siyao? I wouldn’t even be happy to have her play the female lead for my Xiao Gu, let alone expect Xiao Gu to play her male lead?" Gu Huaichun’s agent rolled their eyes, "Is she delusional or has her brain rusted?"
Jing Jingcheng sighed.
"Don’t take it the wrong way, but do you not see what she’s after? If Xiao Gu plays second fiddle to her today, tomorrow the marketing articles will spread in every corner of the internet. Xiao Gu’s partners will also come asking what’s going on. The endorsements on Xiao Gu are not trivial, and he looks down on Xu Siyao. Yet Xu Siyao still expects to get ahead of Xiao Gu. What would our partners think?"
Jing Jingcheng knew it was a lost cause with Gu Huaichun.
Jing Jingcheng tried communicating with Xu Siyao again, but she was adamant about having Gu Huaichun, "Brother Jing, as long as Gu Huaichun stars in it, I don’t mind taking a pay cut."
Jing Jingcheng was speechless, but he couldn’t say anything directly to Xu Siyao.
...
The entertainment industry always buzzed with fast-spreading news, especially when it came to closely tracking Xu Siyao’s movements.
Zhou Lan received this news almost immediately.
If it weren’t for already having taken on a youth-themed online drama produced by Yuehai for Wang Jing, she would certainly have fought to snatch this drama for him.
However, the schedule can still be adjusted. "Stepmother’s Law" could potentially be delayed.
Wang Jing’s next project to be filmed was "Youth Story," scheduled to start in October. The production schedule for "Stepmother’s Law" was currently set for November. If it could be delayed until January of next year, then Wang Jing would be available.