574: Chapter 574 The Academy Awards

Lin Chuyan didn't let it go to his head. Facing the cooperation request from Lionsgate, he naturally wouldn't refuse; this was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Just like that, the matter was preliminarily settled, and both sides were quite satisfied.

As for the specific division of investment shares, there was no need to rush; both parties intended to go back, carefully consider it, and then renegotiate.

With two days left until The Oscars ceremony, Lin Chuyan simply took the opportunity to chat with the original behind-the-scenes team of 'la la land' who had come with him.

Since most members had received nominations, everyone was present, which saved Lin Chuyan the trouble of calling them one by one.

If things went smoothly, he wouldn't need to change teams for his next movie either.

Producer Zhang Man naturally had no objections; she had long since made up her mind to cling tightly to Lin Chuyan.

In fact, back when she told Lin Chuyan about 'Director Deng Yu buying bot accounts,' it was already a bit of a pledge of allegiance.

It went without saying now—if her future interests could be completely tied to Lin Chuyan, that was exactly what she wanted.

Sand had no problems either.

On one hand, Lin Chuyan had helped him win quite a few awards, and this time, there was even a chance to challenge for The Oscars!

Out of gratitude alone, he was willing to continue collaborating.

Furthermore, the two had worked with great synergy while filming 'la la land'—my buddy just loves working with a director who knows his stuff.

After asking around, only the art director, David Wesker, declined in the end due to scheduling conflicts and the feeling that the style of Lin Chuyan's new movie wasn't in his area of expertise.

Although Lin Chuyan felt it was a pity, he expressed his understanding.

In short, Lin Chuyan's second feature film, 'mr. & mrs. smith,' was basically confirmed to use the original behind-the-scenes team from 'la la land,' marking an important step forward in the preparation work.

As for casting, there was no rush on that front.

He planned to wait until the script was finished, then have Lionsgate help recommend a professional Hollywood casting director to meet and discuss it together.

Two days later, the highly anticipated 89th The Oscars ceremony finally began.

The biggest highlight of this edition of The Oscars was undoubtedly 'la la land' and its creative team, which had received 14 nominations.

In the American entertainment industry, there is an invisible ceiling for the development of Asian actors, and those who can break through these limitations are few and far between.

Although many potential rules were never explicitly stated, everyone knew them clearly.

However, Lin Chuyan was a director.

If he had focused on making Chinese-language films, he would have just been a passerby, and people might not have bothered to pay attention, but he happened to be making Hollywood movies...

As the biggest favorite of this Hong Kong Film Awards, Lin Chuyan once again stole the spotlight and became the center of attention.

Wherever he went, cameras were set up, and people from all walks of life came forward to chat with him.

Lin Chuyan led his team down the red carpet and entered the venue.

Before he could exchange many words with the artists in the American entertainment industry, he was stopped by Colleen Bell, the executive director of the California Film Commission.

The two had chatted at the wrap party for 'la la land,' so they were somewhat familiar with each other.

Colleen Bell's commercial sense was clearly not as sharp as Lionsgate's; she didn't know that Lin Chuyan intended to continue filming new movies in Hollywood and simply expressed her congratulations on the box office success of 'la la land.'

However, Lin Chuyan had another matter on his mind.

He still remembered what Colleen Bell had said at the wrap party; she had warmly invited him to develop his career in Hollywood often and mentioned that his next Hollywood movie would have the opportunity to apply for California's film incentive funds.

Wasn't this the perfect time?

"So, Director, is the film incentive fund real? If it is, then for my second movie, I will consider filming it here."

Colleen Bell immediately expressed her welcome: "Of course! We can discuss the specific details after the awards ceremony ends."

"I promise you here and now that this year and next, the California Film Commission will do its utmost to help you apply for the highest level of incentive funds based on your movie's budget."

Promoting the recovery of the film industry and attracting professionals to return were exactly the top priorities of Colleen Bell's work this year.

A director as talented and accomplished as Lin Chuyan was exactly the kind of person she was striving to win over.

When it came to showing sincerity, she didn't hesitate for a moment.

Lin Chuyan also reciprocated the favor, telling her frankly: "We can chat in more detail after the awards ceremony."

"What I can tell you is that the investment cost for this new movie is at least five times that of 'la la land'."

Colleen Bell's eyes lit up: This was a real blockbuster.

The Oscars ceremony officially began.

Compared to the Golden Globe Awards, this awards ceremony had higher attention back home, as The Oscars, after all, enjoyed a prestigious reputation worldwide.

Lin Chuyan and his team did not disappoint everyone.

As the awards segment began, 'la la land' surged ahead, recreating the glory of the Golden Globe Awards.

Best Art Direction—'la la land', David Wesker!

Best Original Score—'la la land', Lin Chuyan!

Best Original Song—'la la land', 'City of Stars', Lin Chuyan!

Best Cinematography—'la la land', Linus Sandgren!

After pocketing four major awards, the one that made Lin Chuyan happiest tonight finally arrived!

Best Actress—'la la land', Ruan Xingyu!

This meant that Ruan Xingyu had successfully been crowned as the "Triple Crown Best Actress," gathering the titles of Best Actress from Venice, the Golden Globe Awards, and The Oscars all in one.

The smile on Lin Chuyan's face could no longer be contained; seeing his wife win, he was even happier than if he had won the award himself.

And one sentence in Ruan Xingyu's acceptance speech was quite interesting.

"If I was destined to fall in love with the male lead—who is also my husband, Lin Chuyan—in a romance movie, then no one in this world could interpret it better than I can."

"I think this is the reason why I was able to win this award. Thank you, everyone!"

The director cut to the audience at the right moment, and Yanzi was immediately beaming with pride.

Ahem, so what if he didn't win Best Actor?

It's fine, there was still one more to come.

Best Director—'la la land', Lin Chuyan!

Yanzi went up on stage and immediately confessed back.

"Thank you, thank you to The Oscars judges for affirming my directing ability."

"I have no regrets tonight: I made a movie, and then my wife won Best Actress at The Oscars. This is what makes me happiest."

Lin Chuyan glanced at the trophy again, "From this perspective, I am indeed the Best Director."

That night, Lin Chuyan and his 'la la land' swept six major awards, becoming the deserved biggest winner.

He was 26 years old this year, in the prime of his life; he was newly married, with a happy love life; he was the darling of capital, a recognized genius director, his future was bright, and he possessed infinite possibilities.

That night, the name Lin Chuyan resounded throughout the world.