Becoming Rich with Daily Scavenging APP-Chapter 693: The Zhuge Liang Version of Cao Cao

After Zhang Yuling asked to take a look at the script over there,

they were quite straightforward and immediately sent the script over.

So in the evening, Chen Yiyang spent some time reading the script written by this master historian.

The movie is called "Sky of the Three Kingdoms."

But the content mainly focuses on Cao Cao's rise to power, from his youthful growth, his rise in his youth, to finally holding the emperor hostage to order the nobles, ending with the victory at the Battle of Guandu.

Zhang Yuling previously said that the total investment for this animated film was 100 million, but in fact, only about 50 million was for production costs, with the other 50 million being for marketing expenses.

With only a mere 50 million in production costs, this historical animated film inevitably had to make some choices in its content.

So the script focused the main content on the Battle of Guandu.

There was a large amount of reduction in the sections before the Battle of Guandu.

However, the choices made in these reductions were rather abstract.

The script cut out the most controversial part of Cao Cao's storyline in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is the episode with the family of Lü Boxu that Cao Cao dealt with.

Yes, the story behind the phrase "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me," representing Cao Cao's personal image, was completely cut out.

And Cao Cao's image is summed up in one sentence, it's simply the Great Han Zhuge Liang.

In the script, not only is Cao Cao's personal image extremely positive, but he is portrayed as being unwaveringly loyal to the Great Han.

Actually, that isn't much of a problem.

After all, the first half of Cao Cao's life was indeed as a standard Great Han loyalist.

But even after holding the emperor hostage to command the nobles, Cao Cao remains this image.

In the script, the relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Xie as overseers is just a rehash of Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang.

Cao Cao oversees everything in the country, and Liu Xie completely trusts Cao Cao.

Then, when Cao Cao goes to war, someone advises Liu Xie to beware of Cao Cao's disloyalty.

Although Liu Xie doesn't believe it, he writes a secret edict due to the slander,

saying that if Cao Cao indeed betrays, the minister with the edict should kill him.

The result was that the subordinate received the edict, cutting out the first half, only leaving the second part.

Then this person went to kill Cao Cao with the edict.

In the end, it backfired as Cao Cao countered the attack.

When Cao Cao saw the edict, he thought, I am so loyal to the Great Han, yet Liu Xie suspects me like this.

So a grudge started between Cao Cao and Liu Xie.

Just at this time, Yuan Shao attacked, and the Battle of Guandu began.

Cao Cao had no choice but to go to war first.

However, because of the previous edict incident, Cao Cao did not fully trust the capital, and had to leave some soldiers in Xuchang.

When the critical moment of the war came, Liu Xie finally realized that the subordinate had cut out the first part of his words to attack Cao Cao.

So Liu Xie personally went to reconcile with Cao Cao, explaining that his edict actually had a first half.

As long as Cao Cao is loyal, he will always trust him.

Thus, Cao Cao and Liu Xie reconciled, concentrating all efforts against Yuan Shao, and won the Battle of Guandu.

After reading this script, Chen Yiyang even doubted if he had gotten the protagonist's name wrong.

Is this really a story about Cao Cao and Liu Xie, not about Zhuge Liang and Liu Shan?

If you just change the names, no Three Kingdoms fan would feel it's out of place.

But with Cao Cao and Liu Xie's names, it looks odd all over.

Even in some historical dramas, for the sake of dramatic effect, it's normal to blur or omit some unpleasant history of the protagonists.

But this method can't be applied to Cao Cao.

Because Three Kingdoms' Cao Wei fans simply do not accept this perfect and positive image of Cao Cao.

Anyone who likes unparalleled loyalty and unity between lord and subject became a Shu Han fan long ago.

Because such labels are on the Shu Han people.

Fans of Cao Wei primarily like Cao Cao.

And those who like Cao Cao are drawn to his complex character as a "hero-villain."

Cao Cao is not a hero, but neither is he a villain.

Cao Cao is just Cao Cao.

Subduing the north is Cao Cao, and massacring a city is also Cao Cao.

Singing about the hardships of the people is Cao Cao, but so is forcing land reforms.

Welcoming back Liu Xie is Cao Cao, while declaring himself king is also Cao Cao.

It's precisely because of Cao Cao's complex character that so many people like him.

These people don't care about Cao Cao's flaws; they like him just as he is.

But you Yi Weitian came along and removed all of Cao Cao's flaws, basically creating a Zhuge Liang version of Cao Cao.

If that's the case, then why not just go like Zhuge Liang; why like Cao Cao at all?

Originally, Chen Yiyang thought this project was very reliable.

But after reading this film script, Chen Yiyang was very certain that this animated film is bound to lose money.

Because everyone knows Yi Weitian is a die-hard Cao Wei fan.

So using him as a brand, the ones coming to watch the film would still be Cao Wei fans.

But Cao Wei fans see the film, and alas, it's a story of Zhuge Liang dressed as Cao Cao.

As soon as word of mouth spreads, the box office will plummet instantly.

A film with a 100 million cost, even though in today's inflated movie market, is considered a small investment.

It still needs more than 300 million at the box office to break even.

But Chen Yiyang feels this film would struggle to even hit 100 million at the box office.

Even parents wanting to teach their children history wouldn't bring them to see this movie.

After watching, children might think Cao Cao is a great hero.

Then they read history, and find out it's completely different from what's in the history books.

So they might as well not let their children see it.

"Chang'an 30,000 Miles" doesn't have this issue.

Because "Chang'an 30,000 Miles" portrays Li Bai's image in a way consistent with simplified historical readings familiar to the public.

Regarding Li Bai's flaws, the general public doesn't study that deeply.

But this "Stars of the Three Kingdoms" animated film is different.

It completely overturns Cao Cao's image, leading parents not to bring their children to see this historically oriented animated movie.

After all, in the movie, children see Cao Cao and Liu Xie as best buddies, united in purpose.

Then look in the history books, and Cao Cao killed Liu Xie's wife.

Who can handle that?

In conclusion, this historically oriented animated film has completely offended its original target audience, making a good outcome impossible.

Chen Yiyang shared his opinion with Zhang Yuling.

Zhang Yuling immediately decided not to invest in this animated film.

After all, the script was written by Yi Weitian and couldn't be changed.

So Zhang Yuling informed them of the decision to not invest.

Meanwhile, Chen Yiyang, at noon, went to meet Liu Qiangxi in person to find out why Liu Qiangxi suddenly entered the car manufacturing industry.

"Brother Qiang." After entering the private room of the restaurant, Chen Yiyang immediately saw Liu Qiangxi, who had been waiting for a long time, and quickly greeted him.