In 2000, Xu Zheng went to the bank to withdraw money.
The teller said something to his colleague behind him.
"Give the Eight Precepts of the Pig ten thousand yuan."
Yes, Xu Zheng was famous for a long time.
The characters "Eight Precepts of the Pig" are redder than Xu Zheng's two characters.
At the turn of the century, a wave of commerce rolled in.
Xu Zheng suddenly woke up, turned around and entered the film and television circle, creating his own film and television production company.
He formed a group with Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bo to self-edit, self-direct, and self-act "The Tai Lu of The Journey of People".
The film, which cost only 40 million yuan, sent Xu Zheng to the throne of "the first billion Chinese box office director".
It also raised the coffee positions of Huang Bo and Xu Zheng up several steps.
It was named the "Iron Triangle" of the small-cost drama industry by netizens.
But I don't know if you found out.
After this movie, the three people who started out as marketing "good brothers" have never worked together again.
Wang Baoqiang even "surrendered" to his opponent Chen Sicheng's "Tang Detective" series and openly shouted.
"I think director Chen Sicheng knows me better, so I chose Detective Chinatown."
"The full series of 'Tang Detective' will be better than the "Tai 囧" series."
Sigh, the smell of gunpowder between these words.
Today, 10 years later, the "Iron Triangle Combination" is only Xu Zheng himself.
What happened behind the scenes of "Tai 囧"?
In the past 10 years, what kind of story has been hidden between Wang Baoqiang, Huang Bo and Xu Zheng?
01 "People on the Road" is the beginning and the inspiration
China's 1.4 billion people, there are not a few people who know "People on the Road".
But I really want to ask you, who is the director of "Man on the Road".
Very few people can answer.
Yip Wai Man, a director from Hong Kong.
The one who filmed "The Thirteenth Sister of Hongxing of Ancient Puzzle Boy" and "The Story of the Pheasant of Ancient Puzzle Boy" and so on, and said that the "audience" was the "champion of the crowd".
A director who shoots watermelon knives and pheasant brothers every day can make such a grounded movie?
Yes.
In countless wrong answers, Ye Weimin has researched the direction of profitability with market potential.
2006's "Crazy Stone", word-of-mouth box office double explosion.
Subsequently, small-budget comedies such as "Nightclub" and "Departure today" also received good responses.
So I started filming "People on the Road", using the carrier of "Spring Festival" to shoot a story on the train.
It was difficult, but he succeeded.
"People on the Road" is invested by Huaqi Film and Television, but the amount of investment is only 4 million.
This little money is not enough to make an episode of a TV series now.
Therefore, from the front of the stage to the backstage, the manpower is quite scarce.
In this film, ye Weimin, who "knows nothing about the Spring Festival and the mainland", is also stalled.
Before the film was released, the media described the crew this way.
Speaking plays, revising scripts, arranging actors, supervising performances.
The director's work was done by Xu Zheng alone.
Therefore, in the acting area, it was compared to the "stupid root" who was halfway out of the house.
This drama, which cost 4 million yuan and recovered 37 million box office, inspired Xu Zheng.
"Since I was a director for most of the time in Man on the Road, why can't I become a real director?"
It is a miracle that "Tai 囧" can start filming
Just do it.
"Man on the Road" earned a lot of money.
Xu Zheng began to move closer to the direction of director and producer.
Within 2 months, he quickly wrote a script tentatively titled "Stand-in".
Holding this script that has been formed, Xu Zheng does not mention how beautiful it is.
After Reading the script, Liu Guangwei, the film and television operator of Huaqi, left the next sentence:
"This is feasible, Xu Zheng, you leave the script, I will help you find investment to pull sponsorship, wait for my good news."
Xu Zhengmei waited for 1 month, waiting for Liu Guangwei to declare the "Stand-in" and give others guidance on a sunny day thunderbolt.
Xu Zheng turned his head and wrote a new script called "People in 囧城".
This time, he was smart, personally prepared all the procedures, and prepared to declare the project himself.
Who knows that the chess is a bad move, only to find out that Huaqi Film and Television has preemptively declared "People in the Road 2".
The application script is almost exactly the same as Xu Zheng's "People in 囧城".
No move, Xu Zheng could only invite two more screenwriters to re-create the script.
This script is called "The Tai 囧 of the Man's Journey Again".
The script is set, and the investment has to keep up.
The most important thing in the capital circle is the script.
But most investors are willing to invest in scripts similar to Feng Xiaogang, Chen Kaige, and Zhang Yimou.
After all, people's fame is on the shelf, even if the horse loses its hoof, it will not lose money.
The most reluctant to invest is people like Xu Zheng.
It is indeed a famous actor, but also has masterpieces and box office appeal.
But the hard injury is also obvious, he has never made a movie, there is no data to refer to.
The odds of losing money are high.
So Xu Zheng took the script to find a lot of investment institutions, and finally ended up without a problem.
Without investors, Xu Zheng had eighteen martial arts and nowhere to show them.
"Tai 囧" has not yet begun filming, and it is almost "stillborn".
Liu Yiwei did not participate, but became the most critical existence
Fortunately, Liu Yiwei, the great benefactor of "Tai 囧", appeared.
Liu Yiwei watched his friend Xu Zheng getting more and more anxious day by day, and he was also a little anxious to catch fire.
But he didn't dare to open his mouth.
After all, a Tai 囧 filmed, at least tens of millions.
You have to find someone with strength, he can help the old guys of the past.
After thinking about it again, Liu Yiwei thought of Wang Changtian, the boss of Light Media.
This character, Liu Yiwei, chose to be very "spiritual".
First of all, the rootless light media made a fortune in entertainment news, and then crossed into the field of television.
From the field of television to the field of film hair production.
As a big boss, Wang Changtian himself is not as prejudiced as most investors, who are biased against the behavior of actors across the line of directors.
Secondly, Wang Changtian has a new theme of "hard gang" and a "previous crime" of newcomers.
In 2011, Wang Changtian cast a full newcomer's "33 Days of Lost Love".
There was also a director support plan, which was considered by Deng Chao at the time, and Deng Chao refused.
Most importantly, the TV business has been a light out of water.
There has been a steady cash flow for many years, which is very rare in the media.
"There is grain in the belly, and there is no panic in the heart."
Thinking about it, Liu Yiwei thought that the only person who could save Xu Zheng was Wang Changtian.
At the end of 2011, Xu Zheng, who had eaten countless closed-door soups, met Wang Changtian of Light Media after Liu Yiwei's matchmaking.
No one knows what the three men talked about in the office.
But what is certain is that under the efforts of Liu Yiwei and Wang Changtian.
"Tai 囧" received an investment of 40 million yuan from Wang Changtian's hands.
Liu Yiwei, who did not star, pulled back "Tai 囧", which had retreated to the edge of the cliff.
This is also why, in the thank-you meeting of "Tai 囧", the root cause of Liu Yiwei often appears.
Cao Bingkun refused to act, Wang Baoqiang and Huang Bo saved the scene, and the iron triangle combination was formed
However, the twists and turns of "Tai 囧" have only just begun.
With the investment, the shooting is guaranteed.
Casting is also on the agenda.
The first to determine the schedule and appearance was Wang Baoqiang.
As we all know, Wang Baoqiang has always been kind in the circle.
After learning that the good brother Xu Zheng wanted to shoot a movie and had a limited budget, he took the lead in saving the scene.
Audiences who have seen "Tai Chi" know it.
The general tone of this film is the same as that of "People on the Road", and Wang Baoqiang single-handedly contracted the laughter of the whole play.
You can blindly guess what is Wang Baoqiang's salary for a film that has earned 1.267 billion yuan at the box office?
Someone might say:
How to calculate, it must be 10 million upwards.
After all, at the end of 2011, Wang Baoqiang was already a powerful faction with several representative works, and his popularity was also very high.
10 million is well deserved.
Wrong, Shu'er told everyone.
Wang Baoqiang, a child with solid eyes, initially refused an offer for a higher salary.
When he learned that the shooting budget was very tight, he appeared on the set of "Tai 囧" at an internal brother price of 2 million.
This big brother really went to save the scene, and he didn't think about making money at all.
Or rather, Wang Baoqiang did not think at all that the "debut" of the good brothers could become the first film in internal entertainment to break 1 billion.
Of course, these are all afterwords, let's get back to the point.
The main actor is fixed, there is still a lack of a third male protagonist, Xu Zheng's first thought of candidate, is Huang Bo.
After Huang Bo learned about it, he refused to star.
The reason is: there have been too many announcements lately, so I just want to rest and don't want to take any work.
But Shu'er analyzed a wave from an objective point of view.
In 2009, Huang Bogang won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor.
If Xu Zheng's "debut" hits the street, it will become the black history of Huang Bo's "career".
He would definitely choose a more secure script and role.
Therefore, after refusing to act, Huang Bo recommended Wang Xun, and he can also be regarded as a person to stay on the line and meet well in the future.
Wang Xun
However, Wang Xun was still a soldier at the time and could not apply for a Thai visa.
Xu Zheng hit the idea on Cao Bingkun's body.
After Cao Bingkun read the script, he was not optimistic about the script and refused to perform.
To interject a digression, this time he refused to perform but he regretted that his intestines were blue.
Multiple times in front of the camera:
"I really regret that I wanted to smoke my own mouth, such a blockbuster script, was abandoned by myself."
Seeing that the crew should go to Thailand, the male number three is still empty.
Xu Zheng's "bitter meat plan" has been performed at the door of Huang Bo's house, and Huang Bo wants to stay out of the matter, but he can't bear it, and finally came out to save the scene a few days before the start of filming.
But Huang Bo, emotional intelligence is still very high.
Although he agreed to star, he also left a way back for himself.
People did not want to be paid, but chose the method of shareholding to participate in the shooting.
If the film doesn't do well at the box office, he is at most scolded for failing to invest.
If the box office is good, he takes the dividend.
Nothing to lose.
3 good brothers, but the account is not clear
After 3 months of shooting, "Tai 囧" threw out wang bang at the box office of 1.267 billion as soon as it was shot.
So much money, how to divide it?
At that time, the media reported it like this.
Male number two and director Xu Zheng completed the transformation from actor to director, removing the big head and taxes taken by investors.
Individuals received more than 100 million box office dividends.
Fame and fortune.
Male no. 3 Huang Bo added a lot of color to the total box office of his film emperor.
Although he did not receive a dime, he received a dividend of 50 million.
Steady profit and no loss.
In the interview, he also got a bargain to sell well, saying that he knew that he would invest more, and now he regrets it more and more, and his liver hurts more and more.
The real liver pain is the male number one Wang Baoqiang.
Although Huang Bo and Xu Zheng did not mention it.
But investor Wang Changtian has said:
"Actors are paid for the film, but the film is a systematic project, and everyone's interests are not reflected in one project."
To put it bluntly, he did things according to the rules.
Although reluctant to elaborate on the rewards of each actor, he was quickly pulled out.
Wang Baoqiang, the only male protagonist in the whole movie, did not get the so-called red envelope.
For such a high-grossing film, director Xu Zheng only gave a fixed remuneration of 200 yuan, and there was no dime reward.
Male Number One with 2 million, Male Number Two with 100 million, and Male Number Three with 50 million.
Wang Baoqiang is not suspicious, it is not normal.
I don't know if it was unintentional or intentional.
In the second year of the explosion of Tai 囧, Wang Baoqiang joined the "Chinatown Enemy Camp" founded by Chen Sicheng.
People who watch the movie know that Chen Sicheng's "Tang Detective" series and Xu Zheng's "囧" series.
It is a competitor of the Spring Festival comedy track.
Therefore, Wang Baoqiang's hand is indeed a catch-up in the "囧" flavor series.
Wang Baoqiang's "diaosi image" has always been recognized as the most finishing touch in this series.
The audience liked it, which is why after the series left him, the "囧" flavor faded.
It turns out that Wang Baoqiang's choice is also correct.
The total box office of the three films in the 囧途 series is only about 2.9 billion.
And the Tang Detective series, the first two together, it exceeded 4 billion.
Not only that, Wang Baoqiang, who was originally born with the same root, said after joining Tang Detective:
"I think director Chen Sicheng knows me better, so I chose Detective Chinatown."
"The full series of 'Tang Detective' will be better than the "Tai 囧" series."
2020's "囧Mom", due to box office pressure, was officially launched on the network for free on January 25, 2020.
Chen Sicheng led many colleagues yin and yang weird, satirizing him for "breaking his peers".
Contrary to Wang Baoqiang's sword fighting, the relationship between Huang Bo and Xu Zheng was much better.
After "Tai 囧" in 2012, the two co-starred in "Heart Blossom".
However, when Xu Zheng hit the iron while it was hot and announced the start of filming "Hong Kong 囧", Huang Bo missed the performance.
The reason is very realistic: Huang Bo is also going to transform into a director.
Although Huang Bo directed the movie "A Good Drama", Xu Zheng also starred in zero film remuneration, and also gave many professional directors.
But since then, the atmosphere between the two people has been more like a relationship of cooperation closer to Ning Hao.
When the two of them attended together, there would be a Ning Hao.
The lives of the three people are very different, but they finally grabbed a bowl of "rice"
10 years after "Tai 囧", the life trajectories of 3 people are very different.
Huang Bo's variety show, director, and actor are grasped by three hands.
Variety is a little more brilliant.
It is also gradually moving closer to the direction of "not doing the right thing".
In particular, the recently aired "Mozart in Outer Space."
Word-of-mouth box office double flutter street, acting skills and the strength of the script selection are getting more and more off, this matter has been seen very clearly.
It can be seen that Bo Brother has become less and less ambitious in the past two years.
It can be called a stunning performance, all of which are shots from the early years.
Of course, it is not excluded that the general environment will not give him a chance.
Speaking of Xu Zheng, I can feel that Zhengzi has been working hard in the past two years.
From "Hong Kong 囧" to "囧Mom", although through the effect of "People in 囧途" and "Tai 囧".
The actors and plot have changed stubble after stubble, and the whole series has not been very strong.
But other films were very productive, with decent performances and mixed reviews.
In 2018, the starring "I Am Not a Medicine God" gave Xu Zheng a wave of life.
On the road of directing, Xu Zheng is constantly controversial.
But his acting skills have never disappointed.
Unfortunately, Zhang Ting and Lin Ruiyang's "business empire" overturned, hurting part of Xu Zheng's reputation.
Let Tao Hong and him be trapped in the "pyramid scheme door" for several months.
Overall, the impact is not large, I believe that in the future he will still be active in the "top stream" of the first-line director circle.
Finally, let's talk about Wang Baoqiang, Wang Baoqiang after the marriage change, in addition to the "Tang Detective" series.
There are basically very few appearances.
The focus of his career has also shifted to the direction of directors and investors.
The reality movie "In the Octagon Cage", directed by Wang Baoqiang, is in the process of being filmed, after the film exposed the cast and story summary.
It has triggered many expectations from netizens: I believe that Wang Baoqiang will bring us surprises.
This film is the second film directed and starred by Wang Baoqiang.
As a director, he has strict requirements for himself and other actors.
At this point, the three male protagonists of "Tai 囧" have all grabbed the job bowl of "director".
In a word, it is good to have a dream in your heart.
As you get older and narrower, try other ways out.
From the front of the scenes to the backstage, from the actor to the businessman, from the actor to the producer, producer, investor.
Not difficult.
But it is too difficult to replicate the success of Xu Zheng and Chen Sicheng.
The director is not good, he must have aesthetics, he must have foresight, he must have thoughts, he must be discerning, and he must be able to tell stories with lenses.
And do and cherish it or not.