Chapter Summaries

Wei Jin negotiated a forty percent stake in Summit Entertainment and presented screenplays to help the struggling company recover. At Summit’s welcome reception, he met Scarlett Johansson and reconnected with Charlize Theron, then spent the night with Scarlett.

• Wei Jin and Summit’s shareholders agreed that he would pay sixty million dollars for a forty percent stake and receive a separate twenty percent share of investments in any screenplay he provided.
• Wei Jin gave the shareholders two screenplays and said he planned to use them to help Summit raise money and grow.
• Summit Entertainment held a welcome reception, where Wei Jin kept his major-shareholder status private and met Scarlett Johansson.
• Charlize Theron greeted Wei Jin and told Scarlett about his Silver Bear-winning film and his connection to Buried Alive.
• Theron left Wei Jin and Scarlett to talk, and Scarlett later invited him to her room.
• Wei Jin spent the night with Scarlett.

Wei Jin met with William to direct the North American Investment Team and began production on Dead Silence and The Infiltrator for Summit Entertainment. After both films were completed and scheduled for release, he gave Scarlett Johansson a song as a parting gift and flew home.

• Wei Jin met Hunter and then reviewed his investment plans with William, head of the North American Investment Team.
• Wei Jin told Friedman and Summit Entertainment's executives to produce Dead Silence and The Infiltrator at the same time.
• Wei Jin directed both films, which finished post-production and were scheduled for June and September releases.
• Scarlett Johansson learned Wei Jin was leaving, and he gave her lyrics and sheet music for a song he had prepared for her.
• Wei Jin spent one last night with Scarlett Johansson and boarded a plane home the next morning.

After returning from North America, Wei Jin reunited with Zeng Li, resumed writing a film script, and met with his company staff. The chapter left him preparing to discuss Crazy Stone’s release date with Huang Bai and Ning Hao.

• Wei Jin returned home, reunited with Zeng Li, and spent the next day resting and working on a new script.
• Zeng Li and Wei Jin took a stroll, where a fan recognized Zeng Li as Shangguan Haitang and asked for autographs and a photo.
• Wei Jin continued writing his script while also assigning a project to the game studio.
• Huang Bai called to arrange a meeting with Wei Jin and Ning Hao about the movie’s release date, and Wei Jin agreed to meet them at the company.
• Li Na brought Wei Jin the revenue-share documents for Those Years, and Wei Jin signed them before asking her to direct Huang Bai and Ning Hao to his office.

Wei Jin reunited with Huang Bai and Ning Hao, then took Ning Hao’s “Crazy Stone” to China Film Group to arrange distribution and choose a release date. After Han Sanping watched the film and Wei Jin argued that its story mattered more than its cast, they set its release for July 15.

• Wei Jin met with Huang Bai and Ning Hao, discussed his new project, and promised Huang Bai a supporting role.
• Wei Jin explained Hollywood’s producer-centered film system and asked Huang Bai about his successful new album.
• Wei Jin and Ning Hao visited Han Sanping at China Film Group and screened the finished “Crazy Stone.”
• Wei Jin praised the film’s commercial potential and argued that a good story mattered more than a star-studded cast.
• Han Sanping agreed that China Film Group would handle publicity and distribution, and Wei Jin and Ning Hao chose July 15 as the release date.

Wei Jin pitched Painted Skin to Han Sanping as an effects-heavy blockbuster intended to challenge the domestic box office record, and they arranged financing, a release schedule, and potential cast members. After the script passed review and the project was announced with a 100 million investment, actresses across the entertainment industry rushed to pursue roles.

• Wei Jin gave Han Sanping the Painted Skin script and described his plan to use special effects to make the film stand out.
• Han Sanping agreed that China Film Group would invest 20 million, and Wei Jin planned to approach Bona and Guangxian as partners.
• Wei Jin and Han Sanping discussed a year-end release and considered Chen Kun and Liu Ye for the male lead and Zhou Xun for the fox demon.
• Three days later, the script passed review, and China Film Group announced that Painted Skin had been greenlit with Wei Jin Fengliu Film and Television Company in control and a total investment of 100 million.
• Actresses throughout the entertainment industry scrambled for roles in Painted Skin.

Wei Jin revised Painted Skin’s story, finalized its five-party investment, and faced a rush of actresses seeking roles. He cast Zhou Xun as the female lead, Chen Kun as the male lead, and Zeng Li as the other female lead, leaving Zeng Li nervous about taking the part.

• Wei Jin removed the extra romantic entanglements from Painted Skin and planned to focus on its effects, central romance, and action scenes.
• President Deng persuaded Wei Jin to accept a small investment from Western Film Group, and the five investors settled their shares.
• After Painted Skin received approval, actresses and industry representatives contacted Wei Jin or his company to pursue roles.
• Wei Jin invited Zhou Xun to join the film, and she offered to cut her fee in half.
• Wei Jin chose Chen Kun as the male lead and gave Zeng Li the other female lead role, reassuring her that she would do well.

Wei Jin attended the Beijing College Student Film Festival with the cast of Those Years, where the film won two awards and he and Liu Yifei won audience-voted honors. He used his final acceptance speech to promote Crazy Stone, making the unreleased film a major news story.

• Wei Jin attended the festival after Teacher Jiang threatened to fail him if he skipped it again, and Liu Yifei and Qiao Zhenyu joined him as Those Years nominees.
• Wei Jin thanked Huang Xiaoming for saving Liu Yifei from drowning during filming and suggested they work together in the future.
• Those Years won best director and a jury prize, while Liu Yifei won the college students’ favorite actress award and Wei Jin won favorite director.
• Wei Jin promoted Crazy Stone during his acceptance speech, announcing its July 15 release and praising the film.
• Entertainment newspapers put Wei Jin’s speech on their front pages, and Crazy Stone became a hit before its release.

Wei Jin finalized the cast and began filming Painted Skin in Hengdian, then directed the actors through their early scenes. After a week, he started shooting Wang Sheng and Xiao Wei’s emotional scenes while continuing to grow close to Zeng Li.

• Wei Jin finalized the cast of Painted Skin, with Chen Kun as Wang Sheng, Zhou Xun as Xiao Wei, Zeng Li as Peirong, Donnie Yen as the demon hunter, and Huang Bai as the Lizard Spirit.
• Wei Jin converted his eight-million-yuan directing and writing fee into an investment, and his company announced the cast on May 20, sparking heated reactions from fans.
• Wei Jin brought the creative team to Hengdian, held a script read-through and makeup tests, and began filming Painted Skin after an opening ceremony.
• Wei Jin filmed for a week before beginning the emotional scenes, repeatedly directing Chen Kun to show Wang Sheng’s inner conflict during Xiao Wei’s seduction.
• Zhou Xun teased Chen Kun on set, while Wei Jin spent his nights visiting Zeng Li’s room and admiring her in costume.

The Infiltrator became a North American box-office success, while Wei Jin’s Hollywood connections and Scarlett Johansson’s hit song made him a major subject of attention in China. As reporters disrupted his filming, Wei Jin held a press conference and later dealt with Sister Li’s questions in private.

• The Infiltrator opened on June 3, earned $18.81 million in its first weekend, and reached $54.81 million after ten days; Friedman proposed a worldwide release, which Wei Jin supported.
• News of the film’s success prompted Chinese companies, including China Film Group, Western Film Group, Guangxian, Bona, and Huayi, to consider how they could work with Wei Jin.
• Scarlett Johansson’s song “Unstoppable” entered the Billboard Hot 100 top ten on June 21, and she said Wei Jin had created it as a parting gift after they met at a Summit Entertainment dinner.
• Chinese media and netizens focused on Wei Jin’s rumored romance with Scarlett Johansson, while film companies, record labels, musicians, and reporters sought his attention.
• After reporters repeatedly disrupted filming, Wei Jin held a press conference; he later answered Sister Li’s questions in private.

Wei Jin attended the premiere of Crazy Stone, praised Ning Hao’s work by directing reporters to the new director, and discussed North American distribution opportunities with Chinese film executives. Crazy Stone opened in theaters the following day.

• Donnie Yen joined the Crazy Stone crew and treated Wei Jin with humility.
• Wei Jin arranged a promotional campaign that kept Huang Bai busy promoting Crazy Stone at commercial appearances.
• Wei Jin returned to Beijing on July 14 to attend the premiere of Stone, where Crazy Stone entertained the audience with its comedy and multi-threaded story.
• Ning Hao told reporters that Wei Jin had invested six million in the film and explained his casting choices.
• At dinner, Wei Jin described his cooperation with Summit Entertainment and discussed potential North American revenue-sharing distribution with Han Sanping and other executives.
• Crazy Stone officially opened in theaters on July 15.