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Jackie Chan himself is actually a horse, not a dragon, but "dragon" has long been his synonym, so he is now very interested in the dragon head and wants to get it directly even if it costs a little more money.
This is where the indistinguishable props come in handy. As crucial props in the film, the bronze heads of the twelve zodiac animals were crafted by a team of professional masters, each a true-to-life replica of the legendary original. This means no one can directly verify their authenticity.
The bronze heads themselves are simple to forge, making them very easy to counterfeit. While the other props generally have provenances, forging them is useless. However, the dragon heads offer significant leeway.
In March 2009, Shenzhen Satellite TV reported that Taiwanese collector Wang Du stated in an interview that the missing dragon head from the Old Summer Palace animal collection is in Taiwan.
Wang Du explained that the Taiwanese dragon head was in excellent condition in the 1980s, valued at NT$4-5 million. The collector had originally planned to auction the dragon head, but due to the incidents with the rat and rabbit heads, he estimated that the dragon head and other missing Yuanmingyuan animal heads would not be resold anytime soon.
However, on the afternoon of December 17, 2018, a dragon head suspected to be one of the 12 Yuanmingyuan zodiac animal heads appeared at a small auction in Paris, France, and was ultimately purchased by a Chinese buyer for NT$24 million.
So if you want to get the top spot, you can first try Wang Du's approach.
If there's no chance of that, then you can just claim that what you have is the real thing and find a well-known collector to stage a show to see if you can lure the real thing out. If you can't provide valid documentation proving that yours is the real thing, then you naturally can't tell me what I have is a fake. Without relevant documentation, bronze heads can easily be misrepresented.
Jackie Chan is Taiwan's son-in-law and has strong connections in both the black and white worlds. So, upon hearing Wu Mingxuan's suggestion, he immediately took it seriously. After Wu Mingxuan's acceptance was completed, he planned to contact Wang Du to see if he could buy the authentic item directly.
After pointing out some areas for improvement, Wu Mingxuan had roughly finalized the set for "The Chinese Zodiac," and all he had to do was await final word from Christie's.
While Wu Mingxuan might already be among the top ten Forbes mainland Chinese celebrities in terms of wealth, his social standing and connections were far behind. Therefore, Jackie Chan was the most reliable person to step in for matters like this.
After checking the time, Wu Mingxuan ultimately decided not to step forward and commit suicide. At most, he could donate a little more money during the 512 holiday, contributing financially and physically. There were some things he couldn't change. He couldn't just tell everyone he'd traveled back in time and say, "You all have to believe me, right?"
"Ah Xue, you can start spreading the word and preparing for the auditions for the Chinese Zodiac. Bing'er has been very obedient lately, so give her the third female role. I'll personally audition the first, second, and fourth female roles this time. There's no rush for Sister Bingbing, and she won't be short of resources later on, so don't worry."
What else could Li Xue do after Wu Mingxuan said this? He couldn't even use his own two goddaughters. If you're not suitable, you're not suitable. He won't choose you simply because of a good relationship. In this regard, Wu Mingxuan was truly professional.
As for Bai Bing, compared to the still-young Li Qin and Liu Yifei, she's truly a perfect fit. She's not a big name, but her looks and acting skills are both good. She can play a wide range of roles and isn't too picky. She can definitely handle the third female role with ease.
Wu Mingxuan had prepared the list long beforehand. It consisted of backup actors who were deemed acceptable in all aspects and could meet the requirements of the roles. It wasn't all based on unspoken rules.
It all came down to whether or not they were suitable. The unspoken rule was that playing with women was just a way to spice things up, so it wasn't really the standard. Furthermore, this was Jackie Chan's production, and while he was the director, he didn't really have the final say.
While the film primarily focused on the female lead and second female lead, there were quite a few female characters in this film. It's just that many of the minor supporting roles were foreign. So, besides the already-cast third female lead, Lily, the only ones who could actually audition were the fourth female lead—Dawei's wife.
The most sought-after character is the female lead, Coco, a knowledgeable and gifted treasure appraiser who is kidnapped by a gang of thieves. She is tasked with verifying the authenticity of the treasures the gang has recovered.
However, Coco's simple, innocent heart and patriotism ultimately inspire JC and the other members, transforming them from a group of "thieves" into a "gang of thieves." They ultimately return the bronze heads of the Twelve Zodiac Animals, a truly special national treasure, intact to Taiwan, restoring the Old Summer Palace water-powered clockwork, which had been damaged for over a century.
Bonnie, the second female lead, is a married woman. It's fair to say this film features many married women, which is why Wu Mingxuan didn't consider his two goddaughters. It's too early for them to play married women, and it's truly inappropriate.
Li Bingbing could play a married woman, but given her current status, a supporting role wouldn't be out of place, but she'd have to be able to hold her own. Anyone who's seen the film will be captivated by Zhang Lanxin's incredibly long legs. While Li Bingbing's legs are nice, her height and leg length can't compare to Zhang Lanxin's; there's a 12cm height difference between the two.
This is Wu Mingxuan's third film, and it is also recognized as the most reliable and box office-guaranteed of the three. Many people even regard this film as the confidence that allowed Wu Mingxuan to take the crazy risks in the previous film.
While Jackie Chan appeared in "The Monkey King," his cameo there wasn't really a full-fledged leading man, barely slotting in the top five. This time, however, it's a true Jackie Chan film, hailed as the greatest Jackie Chan film ever, boasting a formidable cast and investment.
The confirmed cast includes A-list superstars Yan Zu, Ting Feng, and Jackie Chan, along with the currently thriving director Wu Mingxuan. This lineup isn't significantly different from the previous "Monkey King," and the investment is also incredibly generous, with a guaranteed minimum of 300 million yuan and a maximum of 500 million yuan. Including promotion and marketing, this is a truly exceptional blockbuster, rivaled only by Hollywood productions.
Bai Bing was naturally very happy to play the third female lead. She's been incredibly obedient these past two days, practically waking Wu Mingxuan up every morning with her amazing Xiao Yi. This is Wu Mingxuan's favorite way to wake up.