Chapter 00223: Boastful Publicity
# Boastful Publicity
Chapter 223
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 223: Boastful Publicity
"Orphan" was a 2009 film with high acclaim, grossing over 70 million dollars at the box office.
A sequel was later made, but the sequel was pure garbage.
Chen Qi chose this film because he found its character structure fascinating—perfect for a demonic rewrite.
In the original version, the little girl was Russian, following Hollywood’s usual trope where villains were either Nazi remnants or Soviets.
But now, in the early 1980s, Hollywood wasn’t that rigid yet, and the American social climate was complicated.
The 1970s had been plagued by the oil crisis and economic stagnation.
Reagan had just taken office and survived an assassination attempt earlier in the year.
His new policies would eventually revive the economy, but at the moment, they only deepened the recession and unemployment.
Meanwhile, Japan was rising at an alarming speed, its industrial products flooding the American market.
This incited intense anti-Japanese sentiment among American workers—so much so that they were smashing Japanese cars in the streets.
At this time, mocking, ridiculing, and insulting the Japanese and their products in films was Hollywood’s political correctness.
So, in Chen Qi’s version, Orphan’s story became this:
The male and female leads were Americans running a clothing trade in Hong Kong.
They had two adorable children, lived comfortably, and sent their kids to an international school.
To cope with the grief of losing their third child, they decided to adopt from a church-run orphanage.
Chen Qi also added a new character—a Chinese volunteer at the orphanage who helps the female lead uncover the truth.
And who was the little girl, really?
Well!
She was a 33-year-old Japanese woman suffering from hormonal disorder and extreme violent tendencies!!
In short, this was a film about a Japanese woman pretending to be weak and helpless while murdering Americans, only to be killed by them in the end—with a Chinese person assisting.
That’s called political correctness—tailored for North America!
Right now, the two of them were studying the script when Chen Qi asked, "Uncle, do you have a suitable director in mind?"
"No. I considered Mou Tun-fei, but his style leans more toward bloody brutality. Orphan needs suspense, horror, and atmosphere—I’m afraid he wouldn’t do it justice."
"What about other directors?"
"Unknown ones are too risky, and established ones don’t dare work with us—they’re afraid of being associated with our side," Fu Qi sighed.
"..."
After some thought, Chen Qi said, "Then let’s put it aside for now and think it over. I’m not too familiar with Hong Kong directors anyway."
After some discussion, they decided to officially begin auditions for child actors the next day.
Fu Qi was a capable man who understood the importance of publicity—he had already spread the word and even invited a few reporters today.
This aligned perfectly with Chen Qi’s intentions.
He hadn’t come to Hong Kong to act in secret or keep a low profile.
He wanted to make noise, to be unapologetically bold!
------
Golden Harvest.
In the office, Jackie Chan grumbled, "Mr. Chow, please don’t send me to Hollywood again. It’s just not a good fit. I don’t understand what they’re doing, and they don’t respect my ideas. I’d rather just make films in Hong Kong!"
"Ah Lung, you were so ambitious before—determined to break into America and become the next Bruce Lee. Why give up so quickly?"
The 54-year-old Run Run Shaw leaned back in his oversized chair, puffing on a cigar.
"Don’t worry. If you want to make a film, we’ll support you fully!"
"Let’s just drop it. Hong Kong is where I belong."
"Alright, alright. If you want to come back, then come back. Direct your own film—do whatever you want!" Raymond Chow chimed in.
After placating Jackie Chan and sending him off, the two men exchanged glances and chuckled.
Jackie Chan had skyrocketed to fame overnight with Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master, becoming Hong Kong’s hottest star—inevitably, he got a bit too full of himself.
So, Run Run Shaw sent him to Hollywood—partly to test the waters, partly to humble him.
He made two films there: The Big Brawl and The Cannonball Run.
At least in The Big Brawl, he was the lead.
In The Cannonball Run, both Jackie Chan and Michael Hui—Hong Kong’s biggest stars—were reduced to mere side characters.
Both films did decently at the box office, but the reception was poor.
Most importantly, Jackie Chan realized he wasn’t cut out for Hollywood yet—so he decided to return and focus on Hong Kong.
"What’s Shaw Brothers and Cinema City up to?" Run Run Shaw asked.
"Shaw Brothers has a rising talent—Wong Jing. He’s a skilled writer-director, and his films have been doing well. But Shaw Brothers is in decline—their studio system is outdated, and one person can’t save it."
"Meanwhile, Cinema City has hired Sam Hui for a big-budget film."
"Sam Hui… That seven-man creative team at Cinema City is formidable. We can’t underestimate them!" Run Run Shaw said gravely.
Raymond Chow hesitated before handing over a newspaper.
"The leftists are making moves too. Someone from the mainland—the guy behind Tai Chi—has been shooting his mouth off."
"Oh?"
Run Run Shaw took the Wen Wei Po and saw an interview with Chen Qi, who had gained some fame in Hong Kong thanks to Tai Chi.
"With the mainland opening up, it’s only natural to strengthen film collaborations between the two regions."
"I’ve come to Hong Kong to work with Great Wall on a new film… No, not a martial arts film—a horror thriller. It’s not just for Hong Kong; we’re aiming for the American market."
"Oh, I tend to speak bluntly. If I offend anyone, I apologize in advance."
"I don’t know much about Hong Kong’s industry, but from what I’ve seen, local filmmakers lack ambition. They’re too busy fighting over scraps in this tiny market—no vision, no foresight."
"Yes, Hong Kong cinema is thriving, but the industry’s ceiling is determined by its scale."
"Hong Kong has 5.18 million people—that’s the limit. Even if every single person went to the cinema, that’s only 5.18 million viewers. How big can the market really get?"
"The easier the money is, the more people rush in. Eventually, it’ll just be cheap, rushed productions—no one will bother building a proper industry. It’s destined to decline."
"My take? Go global. Hong Kong has talent, creativity, and technical skills—it should be competing overseas."
"But almost no one’s doing it right. Shaw Brothers invested in Blade Runner—30 million USD? Wow. Brave, but they’ll lose every penny."
"Golden Harvest at least has ambition—sending Jackie Chan abroad. But they got it wrong. America is a white man’s world. Bruce Lee was one thing—they’d never allow a second Asian lead. The Cannonball Run? Hong Kong’s biggest star reduced to a joke of a side character. What were they thinking?"
"Cinema City is even worse—ripping off Hollywood, tweaking their genre films and calling it original. Plus, they’ve got internal conflicts, unstable foundations, and unfair profit splits. They’ll collapse in three to five years."
"To succeed overseas, you either make pure Western films or blend East and West. There’s no third option. Cultural barriers are innate—they can’t be broken unless you dominate the discourse."
"That said, the film I’m making with Great Wall? That’s East-meets-West…"
"Arrogant brat! Spouting nonsense!"
Run Run Shaw, having weathered countless storms, wasn’t truly angry—just baffled.
"Who does he think he is? One hit film, and he dares lecture us?"
"They say he’s only 21. Young people get carried away when they succeed—just ignore him. What the leftists do has nothing to do with us," Raymond Chow said.
------
At the same time, the entire Hong Kong film industry had seen the interview.
Months ago, Chen Qi had come to Hong Kong and criticized veterans.
Now, he was escalating—openly mocking the industry’s biggest players.
Regardless of how people felt, one thing was clear:
This guy shattered all stereotypes about mainlanders—loudmouthed, shamelessly boastful, utterly disrespectful, and downright annoying!
(End of Chapter)