Chapter 149 149 Premiere

Chapter 149: Release

Lu Xu was at a loss about his own persona.

As everyone knows, a mystical persona is the most prone to collapsing because mysticism is beyond human control. Yet, from the time Lu Xu transitioned into acting until now, this persona has remained as stable as his acting career.

The withdrawal of *Sanctuary* set off a flurry of discussions, and even casual bystanders outside the entertainment industry guessed there was something wrong with the production team. After all, with a loss of over 1 billion, neither the investors nor the director lost their minds, and the actors still got their paychecks without a fuss.

Plenty of netizens still remember all too well the scene where *The Swordsman* flopped, and Zhang Zhizhen and Zhang Che were busy pointing fingers at each other.

"Suddenly, I feel a bit sorry for Zhang Zhizhen. How great would it have been if he had filmed *Sanctuary* instead?"

"There’s a difference between investing your own money and not. Wouldn’t it be better to just cash the check and lay low? Anyway, the audience will forget about *Sanctuary* soon enough."

"...This week, *The Giant Whale’s Frenzy* saw a rise in box office. The crazy part is that *Reversal City* is scheduled for next week. I don’t know if Lu Xu’s supposed mystique is too overpowering, but *Say You Love Me* was originally set to release the same week as *Reversal City*, yet it got pushed to the end of the month."

Lu Xu: "..."

He’d never admit that *Say You Love Me* changed its release date due to mystical reasons, but he also couldn’t think of any other reason—that weekend, aside from *Reversal City*, there were no other highly competitive films in the market.

Oh well, he’d just have to roll with it.

Lu Xu even gradually realized that his reputation was so overwhelming that it had negatively affected the *Reversal City* crew.

*Sanctuary* made audiences distrust star-studded, big-budget, large-scale films, and while *Reversal City* wasn’t as grand as *Sanctuary*, it was by no means a low-budget production.

In summary: Lu Xu tanked *Sanctuary* → then tanked *Reversal City*.

...

After his scenes in *Reversal City* wrapped, Lu Xu didn’t stay in touch much with the crew. Zhao Yifan aside, director Mu Lang wasn’t the chummy type either.

However, once the film’s promotion began, Mu Lang did mention to Lu Xu once or twice that he should pitch in more with promotions.

Unfortunately, Lu Xu was recently filming *Fearless Life* and couldn’t make many promotional stops. Still, since he wasn’t the lead in *Reversal City*, most of the promo work landed on Zhao Yifan.

Whether Zhao Yifan had been warned by his agency or Qi Di had taught him the consequences of careless words, he didn’t cause any trouble for Lu Xu during *Reversal City*’s promotion.

They kept things frosty—no Weibo follows either way, only reposts of the *Reversal City* official blog’s content.

"With these two so at odds, can *Reversal City* even do well?"

"Lu Xu didn’t need to go so hard on *Sanctuary*. The two films were only a week apart. If *Reversal City* flops, he won’t have any room to trash *Sanctuary*."

"I actually think Lu Xu wasn’t the right fit for *Reversal City*. He’s never been in such a tense crew before—he does better in easygoing crews."

"+1."

Fans admitted that *Reversal City*’s trailer was exceptionally well-edited. But after *Sanctuary*, trailers and films had as much in common as fish and bicycles—each doing their own thing. A good trailer alone wasn’t enough to draw crowds to theaters unless *Reversal City* had something truly compelling.

"It’s all *Sanctuary*’s fault!"

"It’s all the bicycle’s fault!"

Of course, the combination of director Mu Lang and screenwriter Luo Kun was enough to attract a portion of moviegoers. Coupled with Lu Xu’s past successes and Zhao Yifan’s decent reputation, *Reversal City* still had some summer buzz.

Unfortunately, audiences were still reeling from *Sanctuary*.

With *Sanctuary*’s release, Liu Rennong’s years of accumulated goodwill took another hit. Due to Qi Di’s influence, audiences already had grievances against Liu Rennong’s studio actors. Adding Bei Hong to the mix, even Liu Rennong’s most loyal supporters couldn’t help but mutter, "What kind of talent is he even signing?"

Although the joke about Lu Xu being Liu Rennong’s curse is widely circulated, everyone knows it's just an inside joke—the real victims are the hapless audience.

Of course, any movie released in *Sanctuary*’s wake is also unfortunate.

Mu Lang and Luo Kun, however, remain calm. In the group chat for the crew, Luo Kun reassured the cast: "Don’t worry, even if the box office is a bit low, we can recoup losses through overseas sales. We have connections."

Mu Lang’s previous films had decent box office performances, but as Luo Kun said, his movies have won awards abroad, been released in theaters, and made into DVDs. Even his lowest-grossing film turned a tidy profit.

...

Unlike *Deception* and *Feather of Youth*, which Lu Xu previously starred in, *Reversal City* hosted a premiere event.

In terms of scale, *Reversal City* naturally couldn’t compare to *Sanctuary*’s grand premiere—though that splashy event has now become evidence of the stars’ guilt. The more extravagant the premiere, the more it highlighted *Sanctuary*’s pathetically dismal box office.

Currently, *Sanctuary* hasn’t been investigated, but it’s foreseeable that the crew will face scrutiny someday.

Lu Xu walked the red carpet alone.

Fans knew he was cast as the villain, but how the character would be portrayed remained a point of curiosity.

Many fans even felt that Lu Xu didn’t have the face of a villain—he was especially suited for upbeat, positive roles like a sunshine puppy.

"So handsome, he really doesn’t seem like a villain."

As reporters snapped pictures, they were already crafting headlines about the discord between Lu Xu and Zhao Yifan—the two didn’t even walk the red carpet together.

Aside from the main cast, *Reversal City*’s premiere also invited friends of the crew and investors. Shao Yao and Zheng Xiao didn’t attend, which netizens joked was because they’d "had their fill of PDA."

Instead, Yue Hui and Li Yan appeared together on the red carpet.

Yue Hui, of course, had collaborated with Lu Xu on *Deception*, but Li Yan was a surprise duo that reporters hadn’t anticipated.

Li Yan is a generation older than Lu Xu, but both are commercially successful actors who were snubbed by the art-house crowd. Still, audiences clearly favor their work.

In absolute numbers, Lu Xu’s box office performance isn’t remarkable in the film industry, but in terms of profit margins, he left everyone in the dust.

A super earner, a golden goose.

"What kind of pairing is this? Do Lu Xu and Li Yan know each other?"

"I heard the *Sanctuary* crew invited both Lu Xu and Li Yan, and both turned it down. Did they hit it off over that?"

"Will they collaborate in the future?"

Even the mere possibility of Lu Xu and Li Yan working together is enough to fuel endless speculation.

"Does *Reversal City*’s flashy premiere rollout mean Director Mu Lang has great confidence in the film?"

"Don’t overthink it. Mu Lang’s last film, *Inferno*, had the same setup. Given his status, isn’t it normal for him to pull out all the stops?"

After scoping out the crowd, reporters noted that aside from actor guests, *Reversal City*’s premiere also featured several familiar film critics and journalists from major movie magazines.

These attendees were indeed more professional. In contrast, *Sanctuary* had invited a bunch of hacks.

Part of *Sanctuary*’s hype came from critics who attended its premiere and helped hype it up.

Inside the screening room, reporters noticed that Zhao Yifan and Lu Xu were placed at opposite ends, with Mu Lang and Luo Kun keeping them apart.

Though rumors of their feud ran rampant—partly fueled by these very reporters—in truth, the press saw their strained relationship as more genuine than any phony buddy act.

What they show reporters is exactly what they show the audience.

As for some celebrities... well, never mind.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it—I just don't want a lawsuit.

Best not to stir up trouble.

The filmmakers quickly settled into their seats, and the critics filed in one by one. The moment the curtain rose, the audience was hit with that signature Mu Lang style.

*Reversal City* is a story about a dark metropolis.

Mu Lang didn’t depict a city that exists in reality, but rather one he envisioned—a cesspool of darkness, evil, and people killing each other. Here, good doesn't always win, and the final outcome might be darkness swallowing the light completely.

Mu Lang’s signature style features moody yet crisp lighting, interspersed with montage shots. In today's attention-deficit film industry, his movies still have what it takes to hold an audience.

From the very beginning, *Reversal City* captivates with its dark world setting.

The protagonist, Ji Chongyang, gets sucked into this world and becomes an undercover agent infiltrating a gang.

Zhao Yifan nails that fish-out-of-water vibe in Ji Chongyang’s character. Though surrounded by darkness, he still believes in the existence of light. He strives to gather intelligence and relay messages to the outside world. Though occasionally facing crises, he mostly manages to talk his way out of trouble.

In most movies, Ji Chongyang should grow stronger through a series of dangers, eventually becoming someone both sides have to reckon with. However, even as Ji Chongyang passes on information, the dark world remains unchanged—people get whacked, organs get snatched, and some suffer inhuman abuse.

It is at this point that Ji Chongyang meets Luo Ying.

The moment Luo Ying’s character appears, the screening room got weird for a second—you could feel the energy change.

Zhao Yifan, seated in the front row, naturally sensed it too.

He silently clenched his fingers, lips pressed together, yet ultimately kept his cool.

Wang Ying, a senior reporter and writer for *Film* magazine, put a check by Lu Xu’s name.

With just his appearance, Lu Xu stole the show from the lead.

Or rather, the character Luo Ying was simply more eye-catching.

Unable to resist, Wang Ying glanced toward Mu Lang’s direction. He didn’t believe Mu Lang was unaware, but whether it was intentional, Zhao Yifan’s aura simply couldn’t compete, or it was a deliberate character choice remained unclear.

Or perhaps, was this necessary for the character’s portrayal?

With *Reversal City*’s story still unfolding, Wang Ying couldn’t help but continue watching.

Only halfway through, Wang Ying already realized that while *Reversal City* might not shine at the box office, it might clean up at award season.