Chapter 133: Drawing the Sword

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Indeed, Wu Xiang’s new film project was none other than "Bright Sword"! This was a television series, known as a legendary anti-Japanese war drama. Well, it wasn’t exactly all that legendary—it was relatively realistic—but it pioneered the genre of anti-Japanese war dramas and was regarded as the founding masterpiece of its kind.

Wu Xiang was deeply knowledgeable about this series. Don’t forget what he had done before—this masterpiece among masterpieces was a must-study for any screenwriter or director working on anti-Japanese war dramas. Without studying it, why bother making such a drama at all?

Therefore, Wu Xiang was extremely familiar with this classic TV series.

Originally, Wu Xiang had considered adapting "Bright Sword," which was still a novel at the time, into a grand-scale film—a magnificent war epic. However, several reasons made him change his mind.

The first, naturally, was the cost. He had already spent a considerable sum on making "Emperor Wu of Han," a film set in the era of cold weapons. Trying to produce a modern firearms war movie at the same production level would be prohibitively expensive. The budget might be so high that the building project might have to be shelved for a while.

Secondly, there was the issue of piracy. Wu Xiang had long been frustrated by this, and that frustration had to be vented. Offending people was inevitable. The problem of insiders stealing from their own ranks was unsightly no matter who it happened to. So how could those entrenched officials still show any goodwill toward him?

But don’t forget—Wu Xiang was a man with a plan. If he dared to act this way, he had already prepared countermeasures.

Wu Xiang was a reincarnator. He knew that within two years, China’s film distribution system would undergo reform, transforming into a box office system!

Exactly so. Once the box office reform took place, the influence of those officials would diminish greatly. The market would become the main force, and planning would be merely auxiliary. At that point, would Wu Xiang still fear scheduling conflicts?

Hence, he decided to shoot a TV series first. After this turbulent period passed and the reform came, with various funds and forces entering the market, what could they do to him?

That was the principle: to deal with villains, one must be craftier than the villains themselves.

Although some might accuse a film director of shooting a TV series merely to make quick money, it wasn’t just Wu Xiang—Hollywood’s top directors had done the same, and they were far more famous than him.

Overall, the plan changed somewhat, but this project was set in stone!

Dou Liang’s novel also had some copyright issues. "Bright Sword" was published in 2000, but the response was not huge. It was nothing compared to the explosive popularity after the TV series aired. This was a mistake by the author, who sold the adaptation rights cheaply and early.

Who bought it? None other than the Hai (and) Run company.

Hai (and) Run was the most powerful TV production company in the country. Of course, it was technically a private company, but insiders knew it was the most formidable and profitable.

Its CEO, Liu Yanning, had formerly been a system insider and was behind many successful dramas. Though his company was founded only in 2000, just over a year old at that time, it had quickly gained a strong reputation.

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Despite its short history, Hai (and) Run’s strength was undeniable. Hits like "Never Say Goodbye," "Serious Crime Unit Six," and "Jade Goddess of Mercy," in which Hai Qing had acted, were all their productions. Hai Qing’s "Jade Goddess of Mercy" was also a Hai (and) Run drama—so their capability was unquestioned.

A capable new company naturally sought out scripts, often starting from novels. That was how Hai (and) Run bought "Bright Sword."

So when Wu Xiang wanted to make a move, it was almost too late. Honestly, at that time, he hadn’t planned to shoot the series yet. You might think Wu Xiang had lost his chance, but that wasn’t true.

"Bright Sword" was a war drama, and shooting such a film at that time was costly. Although Hai (and) Run was strong, they had to consider costs. So, despite having bought the rights, they didn’t rush into production. Instead, they first made a lower-budget drama, "Blood Romance"!

This was also a work by Dou Liang, but much less expensive to produce. With this as a foundation, "Bright Sword" would have a better chance later, as Dou Liang’s name gained recognition.

This was a shrewd plan. But it gave Wu Xiang an opportunity—to secure the rights to this work.

He offered 1 million yuan for the adaptation rights to the novel. Ten years later, that would be a modest price, but at the time, few would pay so much for a novel that wasn’t even a bestseller.

This was the copyright issue mentioned earlier. However, under the pressure of this 1 million yuan offer, Hai (and) Run agreed.

They made a profit of several hundred thousand yuan immediately. Who wouldn’t agree to that? No costs, pure gain!

When negotiating, Liu Yanning was interested in meeting Wu Xiang, the young director who wanted to buy the rights. They naturally met.

"I don’t quite understand—why do you think the script is worth spending 1 million yuan on?" Liu asked. He knew Wu Xiang by reputation; although they hadn’t met before, the young man had ideas.

"It’s simple. If I spend 1 million, then it’s worth 1 million. If I spend 10 million, then it’s worth 10 million!" Wu Xiang replied. He wasn’t trying to be pretentious; the smile on his face was genuine.

Liu Yanning was no fool. After a moment’s thought, he understood.

Indeed, it was true—1 million yuan was not a ridiculous price.

The next day, the entertainment news headline read: "Renowned young director Wu Xiang acquires the film adaptation rights to military novelist Dou Liang’s ‘Bright Sword’ for a sky-high price of 1 million yuan. Insiders reveal that Director Wu will fully commit to producing the film..."

That was the value of 1 million yuan. Just a little bit of news and suddenly people were advertising for you. Naturally, the information was vague—let your imagination run wild!

The topic sparked immediately. Wu Xiang’s new project was a war epic. The residual impact of "Emperor Wu of Han" was still strong, signaling another great show was coming.

Thus, the internet buzzed, even boosting sales of the "Bright Sword" novel.

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The author was delighted. He might not see much of the money, but seeing his work gain fame—who wouldn’t be happy?

Dou Liang said, "Change whatever you want, just don’t stray too far. But I believe Director Wu won’t let me down."

With that said, Wu Xiang’s freedom was clear. He already knew exactly how to shoot it!

He had the script written early. He didn’t believe Hai (and) Run would be so stubborn, so the important current task was how to... recruit actors.

So far, he had secured one role—the not-so-important supporting female role, Feng Nan.

Wu Xiang originally wanted Hai Qing to play the female lead, Tian Yu, because she fit the part well. Hai Qing gave off a somewhat cosmopolitan vibe. In her previous roles, like the strong-willed Zhong Ning in "Jade Goddess of Mercy," and Yan Jue, the trendy second daughter of a scholarly family in "Bookish Family," she had portrayed somewhat feisty, extroverted, and fashionable young women.

Tian Yu in "Bright Sword" also came from a petite-bourgeois background, making Hai Qing a great fit.

Unfortunately, she refused to take the role. So Wu Xiang settled on Feng Nan, a role originally meant for Sun Li.

This was to save costs—Sun Li’s price would have been high after her hit "Jade Goddess of Mercy."

As for the male actors, Wu Xiang was confident. His collaboration with Zhang Guangbei had been excellent, and he had met Li Youbin several times. For the roles of Li Yunlong and Chu Yunfei, Wu Xiang guaranteed that once cast, there would be no objections.

That left the female roles—Tian Yu, the lead, and Xiu Qin from earlier episodes. Who should they cast?

At this time, Tong Lei was unsuitable—too young and with unknown professional training. Picking her for the lead would only increase costs.

Tian Yu and Xiu Qin didn’t have many scenes in this male-centric drama. Xiu Qin appeared in only a few episodes, with less than two episodes’ worth of screen time combined. Tian Yu appeared after episode 20. The longest version of "Bright Sword" had 36 episodes, but this was only slightly more than the 30-episode cut version, which was heavily edited.

Still, these two roles were crucial. Without them, the drama would falter. They added color to this otherwise all-male story.

So who would they find to play them?

Don’t forget, Wu Xiang now had his own talent agency, staffed with capable agents. It was time to put them to work. (To be continued.)