"OK, next up, Miss Li Youhu, did I pronounce your name correctly?"
"Yes, Mr. Letterman, that was surprisingly accurate."
"Actually, I did some research beforehand. Among the guests here today, Miss Li's name is the most interesting. It means 'There is a fox there,' derived from the title of a poem in an ancient Chinese poetry collection. If any of our viewers watched the performance by the Chinese Guofeng Art Troupe in New York last year, they would definitely remember this poem. Coincidentally, we've brought a clip of that performance. Let's take a look."
Manhattan, Upper West Side, Daenerys Entertainment East Coast Headquarters.
Today is July 22nd, a Tuesday.
This is a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman. The entire Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon cast is here to promote the film.
After a edited clip of the Youhu dance performance plays, David Letterman says with a look of admiration, "Even though I still don't understand the lyrics, it's so beautiful. I think everyone feels the same way. Now, back to the topic. Miss Li, could you briefly introduce your role in the film?"
"Of course. My character is a noblewoman from ancient China. She has trained in martial arts since childhood and is highly skilled. At the same time, she yearns to break free from her family's constraints. The film's plot is largely driven by my character's restless spirit. That's the gist of it. I can't say more, but if you're interested, you can watch the film in theaters."
"Sounds exciting," David Letterman naturally responds, then turns to Ang Lee: "Director, why did you choose Miss Li as the lead actress?"
"Because Youhu's appearance and temperament perfectly fit the role. First of all, Li is beautiful, isn't she?"
Amidst the audience's laughter, David Letterman nods in agreement: "No one would disagree with that."
"Secondly, Li is an excellent dancer. If it weren't for this film, she would have been performing on stage with the Guofeng Art Troupe, as we just saw. Initially, I wanted to find a girl who knew martial arts, but that wasn't easy. She needed the right look, physical ability, and acting skills. Li has a dance background, and dance and martial arts share many similarities. She's also very talented in acting. Combined with her pre-filming martial arts training, she met all the requirements for the role."
"Sounds like it wasn't easy. Now that the film is about to be released, before the audience sees it, could you give us your thoughts on Li's performance in the film?"
"If I had to sum it up in one word: Amazing! Li is not only talented but also incredibly hardworking. Through this collaboration, I believe she will become an outstanding actress in the future."
Each episode of The Late Show with David Letterman runs for an hour, and the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon cast was given 20 minutes. The taping took about an hour to complete.
It's now 5:30 PM.
After the taping, everyone leaves the studio. A mid-level executive from Highgate Films, responsible for coordinating the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon promotion, discusses the details of tomorrow afternoon's premiere with the team. After saying their goodbyes, everyone heads their separate ways.
Professor Yu, along with two assistants, approaches Li Youhu. Also present is Jeremy Zhao, who has been assigned as Li Youhu's manager. As the agent for Jet Li under WMA, Jeremy is well aware of Li Youhu's background. While he doesn't prioritize her as his main focus, he has been diligently working on her behalf, staying in New York to plan her career.
Handing a bottle of water to Li Youhu, Professor Yu and the others gather around her as they walk out. "How did it go? Everything go smoothly?"
Li Youhu takes a sip of water. As they reach the elevator, she notices one is already heading down and whispers to Professor Yu, "Did you notice? Michelle's expression wasn't great."
Li Youhu is referring to Michelle Yeoh, the other female lead in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Professor Yu, though unsure of the details, nods slightly and lowers her voice, "What happened?"
Li Youhu, trying not to appear smug, says with a hint of pride, "During the taping, most of the attention was on Director Lee, Chow Yun-fat, and me. Michelle got the least screen time. I'm guessing her scenes will be even shorter in the final edit."
The elevator arrives, and they all step inside. Professor Yu glances at the manager on the other side and pauses before saying, "It must have been arranged by him."
"Of course," Li Youhu says, then turns to her manager, "Jeremy, has Michelle signed with WMA?"
Jeremy Zhao, not one to talk much, had already caught the gist of the conversation. When Li Youhu asks, he responds, "No, she hasn't. I've actually looked into it privately. Miss Yeoh is already 35. As a martial arts star, that's a bit old, and it's hard to make a big breakthrough in Hollywood at that age. As for you, Li, if Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon does well at the box office, you should take the opportunity to star in a few more films to build your reputation."
Knowing Li Youhu's background, the manager's subtle encouragement clearly has his own agenda.
With the backing of the Westeros system, as long as Li Youhu wants it, she won't lack opportunities. Even her Asian heritage won't be a significant barrier. If she becomes famous, he'll have another star under his belt, which means more commissions.
Li Youhu, however, doesn't seem too eager. She just smiles. The group reaches the ground floor and says their goodbyes.
Li Youhu has plans to have dinner with her friends from the Guofeng Art Troupe, who just returned from their European tour last week. Back at her Upper West Side residence, Wei Cancha, Gu Yaotiao, Ouyang Shuli, and six or seven other close friends are already there. Chen Xingwei is also present. The two had been paired together initially and, at least on the surface, get along well.
Inside a townhouse on 90th Street in the Upper West Side.
The maids are preparing dinner, while a group of slender, graceful girls lounge around the living room, chatting animatedly about their recent experiences.
"Of course it's tiring, but it's also fulfilling," Gu Yaotiao says, holding a glass of orange juice and sitting cross-legged on the sofa, gesturing with one hand. "You have no idea how popular we were in Rome. Every day, a crowd would gather at the theater's back entrance, and the police had to be called to maintain order."
Ouyang Shuli chimes in, "Yeah, someone even pursued Cancha all the way from the UK to Rome. A handsome young guy. Well, who can blame him? Cancha's solo dance in Jianjia was so beautiful."
Wei Cancha, sitting on the carpet flipping through a fashion magazine, interrupts, "Stop making things up. That never happened."
"I heard he was quite wealthy too, sending over a bunch of roses," Chen Xingwei adds playfully. "But of course, our Cancha wouldn't be interested."
"Of course not. No matter how rich he is, he can't compare to our boss."
"If you keep teasing me, I'm going to get mad."
The girls laugh and joke for a while before Ouyang Shuli turns to Li Youhu, "By the way, Youhu, about your movie, we've decided to buy tickets and support you in a few days."
Li Youhu quickly responds, "No, don't do that. It feels like cheating."
"How is it cheating? We genuinely want to watch the movie."
Li Youhu thinks for a moment and says, "If you really want to watch it, why not come to the premiere tomorrow?"
"The premiere? Can we get tickets?"
"I'll make a call later. It shouldn't be a problem. This isn't a blockbuster like Independence Day. There won't be fans rushing to grab tickets."
Ouyang Shuli scoffs, "Oh, poor you. We'd love to be in a movie, but we can't even get the chance."
"Then go talk to the boss. I'm sure he'd agree."
"Please, the last time we saw the boss was in China, over two months ago."
"Tsk, you sound like a bunch of neglected concubines."
Ouyang Shuli leans against Su Fengnian, feigning a pitiful expression, "Well, we are neglected concubines…"
Su Fengnian pushes her away, "Go on, be a neglected concubine by yourself. Don't drag us into it."
"Alright," Li Youhu mediates, "So what have you all been up to lately?"
"We're taking a break," Ouyang Shuli says. "Oh, by the way, we've been invited to perform at this year's Spring Festival Gala in China. They've chosen our Caiwei dance."
Li Youhu senses there's more to this, "And?"
"After touring for over half a year, we're exhausted. Plus, we've heard that the Spring Festival Gala requires months of rehearsals. Honestly, none of us really want to go."
Li Youhu instinctively responds, "But it's the Spring Festival Gala!"
Then she catches herself.
If she were still a member of the Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble, being invited to the Spring Festival Gala would have been a tremendous honor.
Now, it doesn't seem like such a big deal.
After all, it would mean months of grueling rehearsals, timed down to the second, with little financial reward. As for gaining fame through the Gala, the girls of the Guofeng Art Troupe are already world-renowned.
Thinking this, Li Youhu asks, "So what's the final decision?"
Ouyang Shuli explains, "The boss agreed on our behalf. What else could we do? But we don't have to go through the selection process. We'll go straight to the final rehearsals. Plus, we're already very familiar with the dance. We could probably do it with our eyes closed. It'll definitely be easier than for the other performers."
Wei Cancha suddenly adds, "Actually, the boss is looking out for us. Appearing on the Spring Festival Gala will be beneficial in the long run."
This comment brings a slight pause to the lively atmosphere in the living room.
The girls can't help but think about the future.
Originally, they had only signed five-year contracts. Although only a little over a year has passed, any sensible girl knows that this lifestyle can't last forever.
With that in mind, the girls look at Li Youhu with a hint of envy.
Li Youhu has already secured her future.
As for them, even if they renew their contracts once, twice, or even three times, they'll eventually have to move on.
Having grown accustomed to their current luxurious, princess-like lives, the girls find it hard to imagine what life will be like without all this.
Noticing the looks from her friends, Li Youhu quickly understands their thoughts and instinctively shifts the focus. She turns to Wei Cancha, "If you think it's so beneficial, why don't you take our place and perform? Talk to the boss. I'm sure he'd agree, and the Spring Festival Gala organizers would probably accept replacing Caiwei with Jianjia."
Wei Cancha replies, "I'm busy with my own things."
Li Youhu is puzzled, "Oh?"
Gu Yaotiao steps in to explain, "Cancha has been practicing a sword dance recently. It's for a song the boss wrote two months ago when he was in China. It's supposed to be paired with a dance."
"That song, Renjian Hui?"
"No, it's another one. It's also very beautiful, with a similar style. The boss said it's also Chinese-inspired, but this one is about Yu Ji. He even mentioned making an album in the future, all Chinese-inspired."
"Wait, Yu Ji?"
"The Yu Ji from Farewell My Concubine."
"Oh," Li Youhu's interest is piqued, "Can you sing it for me?"
Gu Yaotiao shakes her head, "I can't sing it well. Let Cancha do it. She's good at everything."
"I can't sing it either," Wei Cancha declines, then adds, "The song is being recorded by the Twelve Hairpins. You know, they're not only skilled with instruments, but most of them have studied vocal music and opera. They sing beautifully. If we try to sing it, it'll just ruin it. You should go to Long Island and listen to it live once you're done with your busy schedule."
Hearing this, Li Youhu becomes even more curious.
Unfortunately, after Wei Cancha's refusal, the girls seem to have formed a pact to keep it a secret. They won't even hum a few bars, so Li Youhu has to let it go.
After dinner, the girls stay overnight. The townhouse is spacious, and accommodating six or seven more girls is no problem.
The next morning, Li Youhu starts preparing for the evening's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiere.
To be precise, since the film already premiered at Cannes in May, this is the North American premiere. The event is held at a flagship theater under the Odin Cinemas chain, owned by Daenerys Entertainment, located in midtown Broadway.
After discussing the red carpet and interview arrangements, getting dressed in her gown and accessories, and spending over two hours on makeup, Li Youhu finally arrives at the venue around 5 PM in a limousine. She joins the rest of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon cast and crew to make their appearance.
Even though it's a low-budget film with a $15 million production cost, the premiere is still a lively affair.
In addition to the full cast and crew, two of Hollywood's most famous Chinese stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, have come to show their support. Other notable attendees include Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and a host of other filmmakers from New York, making the event star-studded.
After last night's discussion, the girls from the Guofeng Art Troupe also received tickets. As a cultural highlight from the past year, they were even invited to walk the red carpet. The seven glamorous girls, though not wearing the expensive CK gowns like Li Youhu, still attracted a flurry of camera flashes from the reporters, thanks to their stunning looks and the reputation of the Guofeng Art Troupe.
At 6 PM, the premiere begins.
Since this is the second premiere, the focus is still on promotion. The Odin Cinemas flagship theater has a 300-seat auditorium, and over a hundred reporters from across North America have been invited. The expenses for travel and PR are substantial.
Of course, compared to TV advertising, this strategy of combining a premiere with widespread media coverage is highly cost-effective.
The catch is that most second- or third-tier film companies wouldn't be able to gather over a hundred media outlets for a $15 million film. This once again highlights the strength of major studios—or more accurately, the current influence of Daenerys Entertainment. Even among the other major Hollywood studios, it would be difficult to attract so much media attention for such a small project.
Inside the theater.
After brief interactions between the cast and the guests, the film begins.
Unlike the Cannes premiere, which featured the original Chinese audio with French subtitles, this screening uses an English-dubbed version.
There's no helping it—North American audiences famously dislike reading subtitles.
The high-quality dubbing is another testament to Daenerys Entertainment's resources.
In recent years, the success of foreign film imports has been partly due to Daenerys Entertainment's meticulous approach to dubbing. The company has a dedicated translation and dubbing department that ensures the quality of these adaptations. In contrast, other companies, especially smaller distributors, often ruin excellent foreign films due to poor dubbing.
On the big screen, after the studio logo fades, an Eastern martial arts epic unfolds.
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