Chapter 27: An Admirable Villain, Planning a New Film

Chapter 27: A Respectable Villain and Planning a New Film

"However..." Zou Zhaolong sighed. "In Hollywood, there aren't many roles for Chinese actors. Most of what I can get are still villains."

Qin Feng felt a pang of empathy; being typecast as a villain indeed restricted one's acting range, making it rare for directors to offer such actors lead roles.

"If it continues like this," Zou Zhaolong continued, "I won't accept any more roles here."

"Aren't they all the same?" Qin Feng asked, picking up some food.

"They are not." Zou Zhaolong took a bite of his noodles. "In Hong Kong, I don't mind playing a villain; I’ll play them as evil as they come. But in Hollywood, I represent the face of the Chinese people. I cannot accept these types of villainous roles; it’s too easy to smear the image of the Chinese."

Hearing this, Qin Feng felt a surge of respect. He hadn't expected that Zou Zhaolong, a man who had made a career out of playing villains, would possess such a profound sense of righteousness. Those who practice martial arts truly think differently.

"Then... what will you do in the future?"

"Sigh!" Zou Zhaolong lamented, "I haven't decided yet."

Qin Feng suggested, "Look around here a bit more, but if it doesn't work out, you should consider developing your career back in the Mainland. You’ve seen it yourself—Hong Kong cinema has been in decline for years, supported only by the same old faces, and it’s no longer the peak period it was in the 90s. Conversely, the Mainland film market is thriving, and there is significant investment in martial arts and action films now. You would certainly succeed there."

Zou Zhaolong agreed, "Yes, if all else fails, I will go to the Mainland. Wait, Mr. Qin, what was your reasoning for coming to the United States to develop your career?"

Qin Feng felt a bit awkward. "Me? Haha, I made a sci-fi film back home, lost some money on it, and then ended up coming to the States."

"Oh..."

Qin Feng thought of something and set down his chopsticks. "Mr. Zou, I have something to discuss with you."

"Go ahead."

"In the future, I might film a sci-fi movie about hackers. I’d like to invite you to be the martial arts director, and perhaps play a role as well. Don't worry, it’s a positive role."

Zou Zhaolong nodded. "Sure, no problem. I’ll come as long as I’m free."

The two chatted for a while longer. After dinner, they exchanged phone numbers and parted ways.

Over the next few days, Qin Feng and Dr. Horner worked tirelessly with the visual effects artists to polish the dinosaur effects. Thanks to everyone's efforts, the movements of the dinosaurs became increasingly fluid. The work eventually reached a stopping point, with the rest to be handled remotely. That afternoon, Qin Feng accompanied Dr. Horner back to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the art department's various promotional designs were already being rolled out. Promotional posters, marketing materials, and online promotional designs were all being prepared in full swing. During this phase, the pressure on Qin Feng eased significantly.

He needed to make preparations for his next plan. On Saturday, he drove Scarlett to the outskirts of the city. The area was nestled between mountains and water, with beautiful scenery. They leaned against the car, drinks in hand, comfortably watching the landscape in the distance.

Scarlett asked, "Qin Feng, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about my next film."

"And? Have you decided?"

"Hmm... almost."

Qin Feng closed his eyes slightly, and the library of films in his mind flickered like a revolving lantern. "Scarlett, for the next film, I want to be the director myself."

"That’s great! Hasn't being a director always been your dream?"

"Yes. Tell me... if I make a film that could rapidly generate a vast amount of wealth, what do you think?"

"A vast amount? How much are you talking about?"

"A lot, a whole lot..."

"Of course that would be good! It would mean the audience loves the film and everyone is willing to buy a ticket to see it. But Qin Feng," Scarlett suddenly remembered something and turned her face toward him, "once you’re rich, you won’t ignore me, will you?"

Looking at Scarlett’s pout, Qin Feng shrugged innocently. "How could I? Am I that kind of person?"

"Hmph! If you dare to ignore me, I'll hire mercenaries to kidnap you."

Qin Feng knew she was joking and smiled slightly. At that moment, a film popped into his mind. He examined the information about the movie and thought to himself: *I’d like to independently produce a big-budget, high-effect sci-fi film, but current circumstances don't allow it! Even so, to become an independent director in Hollywood, I have to start with this low-budget project!*

Scarlett noticed him spacing out again. "What are you thinking about now?"

Qin Feng reached out to gently hold her waist and said softly, "Direction."

Scarlett’s heart fluttered as she leaned on his shoulder.

...

That evening, Qin Feng opened his laptop and typed out a title: *The Man from Earth*.

It was a drama and sci-fi film. In his previous world, it was released in 2007; in this world, it had not yet been made. The production cost was only $20,000. As for the box office...

The global box office totaled $350 million!

It was a true example of an ultra-low-budget production yielding high box office returns—a model of low cost and high reward, comparable to winning the lottery! It was less of a sci-fi film and more like an indoor stage play. There were no A-list stars and no flashy CGI animations. The scene changes were limited to just the inside and outside of a house; the entire film consisted mostly of a few people chatting in a room.

It told the story of a caveman who had lived for 14,000 years and was telling his story to his current colleagues. The dialogue throughout the film was gripping, and the philosophy within it was thought-provoking.

Qin Feng’s thoughts flowed like a spring. After more than four hours, he finished the script in one go. He stood up to stretch, then returned to read it through, tweaking some of the dialogue.

"Okay, this comeback battle depends on you!"

...

The post-production of the *Jurassic* film proceeded according to plan. While fulfilling his primary duties, Qin Feng was actively preparing for his new film. The movie only required one lead actor and seven supporting actors. The supporting roles were simple; he could select them from the Actors Guild website by cross-referencing the information in his mind.

As for the lead, the actor in the original film was David Smith. Qin Feng decided to approach him; he feared that anyone else wouldn't capture the right nuance. David Smith was low-profile and not particularly famous. Qin Feng found his number on the guild's website and called him immediately.

"Hello?" the other party answered.

"Hello, is this Mr. Smith?"

"Yes, it is. Who is this..."

"I am a film director. I have a script in my hands, and the lead role is perfectly suited for you. I’d like to meet with you to discuss it."

"Oh, I see..."

David Smith was full of doubt on the other end of the line; it seemed he hadn't played a lead role in a long time. Receiving a call like this, he couldn't help but suspect it was some kind of harassment.

"Mr. Smith, please rest assured, my project and the script are completely legitimate. I have sent the first half of the script to your email. Please take a look tonight, and I sincerely ask that you don't turn down this project."

David Smith thought about it—since there were no roles coming his way lately anyway and he was bored, why not go see what the guy had to say? He had nothing to lose.

"Alright, I will read the script. Send me the time and location as well!"