During the Spring Festival film season, "Dying to Survive" stood out.
The authorities also seized the opportunity to publicize the issue of chronic myeloid leukemia, lending the film a deeper meaning beyond its market value.
The market reaction was significant, with everyone closely watching the medical negotiations.
However, in addition to the film industry, the theater scene also began its pre-heating phase.
While Star Brilliance Entertainment was busy promoting the film "Dying to Survive," Light Year Entertainment seized the lull period to vigorously promote their new drama "Whispers of the Night Rain."
Throughout the Spring Festival, "Whispers of the Night Rain" dominated the entertainment scene with its pervasive publicity!
The female lead, Yang Yingying, a variety show goddess and the undisputed queen of domestic variety shows, naturally commanded high traffic.
During this period, Yang Yingying posted several updates daily about the new drama, interacting with her fans to the fullest, which also won her many casual fans.
As for the male lead, Chu He, he also emerged from the variety show circuit, becoming immensely popular after participating in "I Am an Actor," garnering countless fans. His acting skills were highly praised by several film emperors, who predicted a bright future for him, stating that a single good drama could elevate him to top-tier status.
Chu He, with his image as a graduate of the prestigious Jingyi Academy and his debut at the peak of his career, taking on the male lead role in such a major IP for his first television drama, already possessed the makings of a top star.
"Variety show queen Yang Yingying and new generation actor Chu He; if this pairing doesn't become a hit, it would be truly unbelievable!"
"Light Year Entertainment abandoned the Spring Festival film market to focus all their energy on this drama. With top-notch actors and scripts, and an investment of up to two billion, it's considered one of the top five largest productions in the history of domestic television dramas!"
"I've been watching the variety show 'I Am an Actor' and have witnessed Brother Chu He's growth. To be praised for his acting by film emperors, I eagerly anticipate Brother Chu He's television debut!"
"This drama is also a chance for Yang Yingying to re-establish her reputation. Previously, the incident with her assistant Li Xinyan had kept her embroiled in controversy. Now that Li Xinyan is backed by Jiang Nan and her popularity even surpasses Yang Yingying's, she needs this drama to win back her reputation!"
"The tension is palpable. Whether it's the two major entertainment companies, or the two peak figures in the wuxia genre, Jiang Nan and Xiao Xueming, the cost of losing for either side will be immense!"
"Competition fosters high-quality works. I am already looking forward to the release of both dramas!"
Through Light Year Entertainment's extensive marketing and hype, the popularity of "Whispers of the Night Rain" was indeed ignited.
Moreover, they deliberately and subtly fanned the flames of opposition between the fans of both sides.
The long-standing rivalry between Yang Yingying and Li Xinyan!
The market competition between the two major entertainment companies, Light Year and Star Brilliance!
The clash of wuxia genres between the top figures, Jiang Nan and Xiao Xueming!
All these factors infused the drama "Whispers of the Night Rain" with controversy, and controversy, in turn, generated heat. Light Year Entertainment, as an established entertainment company, truly understood the nuances of publicity and hype. By ceding the film arena, they allowed Jiang Nan to dominate the Spring Festival box office, reaping immense success.
They poured all their efforts into marketing the television drama.
The goal was to defeat Star Brilliance Entertainment and Jiang Nan in the television drama sector, reclaiming the market that rightfully belonged to them!
...
In response to Light Year Entertainment's widespread marketing campaign,
Star Brilliance Entertainment did not sit idly by. Their official Weibo account posted five consecutive updates.
All of them were promotional messages for Jiang Nan's new drama, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber"!
First, came the stills.
The cast remained the same familiar faces who were primarily responsible for the film and television aspects of Jiang Nan's team.
Shen Qingfeng played the male lead, holding a dragon-carved broadsword in his left hand and a long sword in his right. Behind him stood the sisters Qin Xiaorou and Qin Xiaoyuan.
Currently, in the film and television industry, Shen Qingfeng was the undisputed ceiling for male leads. No traffic star could match his popularity, and after honing his skills in several dramas, Shen Qingfeng's acting was on par with veteran actors.
As for the Qin sisters, the elder sister, Qin Xiaoyuan, gave off the impression of a fiery personality like Lin Yueru, while the younger sister, Qin Xiaorou, was more reserved and delicate, like a young lady from a scholarly family.
The styles of these two girls were the perfect template for a female lead and a second female lead in a drama; it was only a matter of which one would be the lead and which the second lead.
Judging from their positions in the stills, the elder sister Qin Xiaoyuan, dressed in opulent attire and holding a folding fan, was more likely to be the female lead. This suggested that the female lead would have a more dominant personality. As for the younger sister Qin Xiaorou, dressed as a Taoist nun, it added to the anticipation for netizens with specific preferences.
In addition to these roles, Shen Qingfeng was flanked by a host of beautiful supporting actresses, all rising female stars signed by Star Brilliance Entertainment. Although their fame did not match that of the Qin sisters, they were considered second-tier rising stars.
With so many attractive women surrounding Shen Qingfeng, the male lead,
The stills alone had already generated immense anticipation!
"I'm always envious of Shen Qingfeng!"
"Judging from the stills, the protagonist in 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' might again have the character of being blessed with overwhelming romantic luck, like Yang Guo!"
"Damn it, Shen Qingfeng's characters are every man's dream!"
"Not entirely. His romantic luck is a man's dream, but his misfortunes are not. It seems that among Shen Qingfeng's characters, only Guo Jing is slightly better off; the others are all quite tragic..."
"Now that the 'old thief' Jiang Nan has reined himself in, if it were always like Li Xiaoyao, the audience wouldn't be able to handle it."
"I hope that this time in 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,' the old thief Jiang Nan will be merciful and not make the protagonist too tragic..."
Even before the drama began airing,
Netizens were already worrying about how tragic the protagonist would be.
After all, Jiang Nan's previous works had consistently left audiences on the edge of their seats with emotional turmoil. Apart from Guo Jing, others either lost their wives, died themselves, or experienced tragic romances, making viewers exclaim they couldn't take it anymore.
However.
It was worth noting.
Some observant viewers spotted a familiar face among the stills.
"Holy crap, Zhang Qingyun is back again??"
"Damn it, has Brother Ma gotten addicted to playing supporting roles?"
"Don't tell me, Zhang Qingyun with a little mustache and dressed as a middle-aged man actually looks quite handsome!"
"Of course. Brother Ma, after all, was once a top star in the entertainment industry based on his looks!"
"Is there a possibility that Zhang Qingyun continues to play supporting roles because they don't require much screen time, allowing him to shuttle between multiple sets?"
"Last time in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' Zhang Qingyun played the Dragon Knight Zhen Zhibing and even overshadowed the protagonist. I'm suddenly very interested in his role this time!"
"He wins by quantity; he understands time management too well..."
Indeed, in the stills, standing in the supporting cast section was a middle-aged man in flowing white clothes. At first glance, he wasn't immediately recognizable as Zhang Qingyun, but upon closer inspection, one could see it was Zhang Qingyun in middle-aged makeup.
It had to be said that the small mustache and mature middle-aged makeup lent the twenty-something Zhang Qingyun a certain charm of a mature man. Coupled with his flowing white attire, he exuded the air of a dashing swordsman.
...