Chapter 740 - 506: Blown Up (4k)

The Director of the Year award does have a certain prestige.

Yes, the prestige in terms of status, and every year, without asking, the winners are definitely top directors in the industry.

Just like Sun Yueqing could tell who would win just by looking at the name.

Lin Xueming stood up, but instead of going straight to the stage, he first nodded and greeted those around him with great style.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Not only did the industry guests give enthusiastic applause, but even the cultural, sports, and social guests next to them applauded warmly.

But that’s normal, as Lin Xueming has always been a hugely famous and well-reputed director in the eyes of the public.

He became a famous director decades ago, producing many classic films that almost everyone present has seen.

Furthermore, his reputation has not declined, and the quality of some of his recent films has been quite good.

In addition, he’s relatively low-key and rarely makes comments, so his image, as seen by Lin Qingyue, is impeccable, perfectly fitting many people’s stereotypical image of a great director.

"You can tell from the enthusiastic applause just how welcome Director Lin is by everyone."

"Of course, but it’s actually not enthusiastic enough. I still remember the grand occasion last year when Director Lin’s ’Long Night’ was released."

The host was still guiding the conversation on stage.

On the big screen on stage, data from the movie ’Long Night’ was being displayed.

This movie was released two months before Wu Mu’s time-traveling experience last year, and when Wang Xiaotian first appeared on ’Star Agency,’ he even made it a topic of jokes, making it one of Lin Xueming’s acclaimed works in recent years.

A domestic total box office of 3.82 billion, 95 million viewer admissions, over 130,000 people gave it an 8.0 high score on a well-known review site, with over a billion readings on X trending topics...

After reviewing these figures, a director from the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television came onstage to present Lin Xueming with the award.

After the presentation, it was time for the interview session.

"Director Lin, upon receiving the honor of Director of the Year at our X Night, how do you feel at this moment?" the host asked.

Lin Xueming still appeared very composed, showing little emotional fluctuation, speaking in a measured tone:

"I’m very grateful for the audience’s support and love. I’ve always believed that films are made for the people to watch. I’ve made many films and received many honors, but actually, every time I start a new film, I still worry about whether I can create a story that the audience will like."

"I worry whether I might be eliminated by the ever-changing values and preferences of new-age audiences."

"Receiving this honor gives me a brief sigh of relief, reassuring me that I haven’t strayed from the public’s favor and that I can still create stories that people want to watch."

You can tell he’s a director who captures the spirit of the age with just one sentence.

The host sighed, "Director Lin’s words are thought-provoking. Every filmmaker must be wary of the day when they might be abandoned by the public."

After this reflection, the host followed up with, "We all know that while ’Long Night’ was released last year, Director Lin completed it the year before. Do you have any new film plans now, two years later?"

This is also a common question, as many directors and crews come to X Night primarily to promote their new projects.

Lin Xueming fell into this category as well, nodding, "Yes, my next movie plan is to adapt the ’Dawn Star Plan’ into a film, and I’ve already received authorization from the author, Ding Fan."

The room erupted in commotion.

Even Wu Mu, who was watching passively, felt a bit surprised.

’Dawn Star Plan’ is a national sci-fi IP over in Blue Star Hua Country, comparable in status to Da Liu’s ’Three-Body’ on Earth.

Turning this IP into a film is indeed a truly substantial move.

The host on stage also displayed a surprised look, mouth agape, unsure if it was an act, "Your collaboration with Teacher Ding Fan?"

Lin Xueming nodded, "Yes, currently it’s in the planning stages, and the script is being written; casting may begin in a while."

The audience was once again in a stir, especially in the inner circle area where Wu Mu was seated.

The combination of a top director and a national top IP is so imaginable; hopping on this train could send someone to the top!

The host also noticed the commotion in the audience and jokingly said, "It seems I’m not the only one eagerly anticipating this. Do you have anyone in mind for the cast yet, Director Lin? How about letting everyone start a live audition here?"

Lin Xueming seemed to genuinely have an idea, pondering for a moment, "For now, I’m considering Zhou Yu for the lead role."

The audience went from commotion to near chaos.

Especially Zhou Yu himself, sitting in the second row.

Me?

Really me?

He was completely stunned.

When the audience started buzzing, his most daring fantasy was whether he could audition for a secondary role; he had imagined the lead would definitely be given to established national male stars like Li Cheng or Cao Yifei, or some other veteran actors.

But to actually be considered?

Zhou Yu was overwhelmed with surprise, his face full of delight.

Lin Xueming noticed his and others’ questions and explained on stage, "Because the main character of ’Dawn Star Plan’ is relatively young and quite carefree, I prefer to find a younger actor who has enough acting skill and is also loved by the young public."

Trying to ensure acting skills while picking a mainstream popular actor.

Zhou Yu nodded with joy.

Yes, yes, yes.

He is indeed someone young, carefree, with enough acting skills, and loved by the public...