HPDBC Chapter 109 Veteran Returns to His Post, Daily Life on Seven's Set
Chapter 109 Veteran Returns to His Post, Daily Life on Seven's Set
Jinghai City, Chasing Light Cinema.
For those who cherish the past, the weekly updates of Ultraman Tiga seem like they happened just yesterday.
But for Gu Nan, that glory is a thing of the past.
The atmosphere inside the company's meeting room was somewhat strange.
Besides the core creators such as Gu Nan, Su Zhe, and Xia Youwei, two elderly people with gray hair sat at the other end of the long conference table.
Although he was over seventy years old, he stood up straight, and the sharpness in his eyes was the perseverance that comes with the years.
The other man was tall and robust. Even in loose casual clothes, his extremely strong physique was evident, a spirit and energy that only someone who had trained in martial arts all his life could possess.
Su Zhe secretly tugged at Gu Nan's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Brother Nan, you're not kidding, are you? This is the protagonist of our new Ultraman? This... isn't the age range a bit too big?"
It's no wonder Su Zhe was surprised.
The actor who played the lead role in the recently filmed "Ultraman Tiga" is a total heartthrob, not only handsome but also youthful.
As a result, in this new work called "Ultraman Seven: Project Origin", Gu Nan brought back two grandfathers.
Although Su Zhe wasn't the main character in this round of Seven's filming, he was just a minor character.
However, he was still curious about this strange phenomenon.
If this gets posted out, won't the fans go wild?
Is the new Ultraman series about a nursing home?
Gu Nan gently tapped the table, signaling everyone to be quiet.
His gaze swept over the two elderly people, his eyes filled with nothing but respect.
In this parallel world, no one knows the true value of these two individuals.
But in their original world, they were true legends.
Koji Moritsugu, the actor who eternally portrays Dan Moroboshi, the human form of Seven.
Eiichi Kikuchi, one of the legendary suit actors who transformed Seven into "the Red Warrior who trained the King of Fighters".
Actually, this old gentleman wasn't the suit actor who played the most roles in Seven; the one who did was Hiroji Kamiya, but this gentleman has passed away...
Let me introduce myself.
Gu Nan stood up and pointed to the sharp-eyed old man, "Mr. Moritsugu, who is also the protagonist of the drama we are going to film, Dan Moroboshi."
Then he pointed to the burly old man, "Mr. Kikuchi, the action director for this project."
"At the same time, he will also directly portray Seven in some classic scenes."
The meeting room erupted in uproar.
Chen Bo wiped his sweat: "Brother Nan, it's not that I don't respect the seniors. It's just... in the setting of our drama, Moroboshi Dan should be a middle-aged warrior who is full of vicissitudes but is still capable, right?"
Mr. Moritsugu has an exceptional air about him, but at his age…”
"This brings us to our next 'cutting-edge technology'."
Gu Nan smiled mysteriously and snapped his fingers.
The large screen behind me lit up.
The screen displays a sample video that was just taken during a test shoot.
In the shot, Mr. Moritsugu is wearing his classic tan leather jacket, standing in the wind.
The next second, the image underwent extremely complex post-rendering and AI reshaping.
His face, which was originally covered with wrinkles, retained that resolute expression, as if time had flowed backward twenty years!
The wrinkles were smoothed out, the skin was firm, but the light in those eyes remained undiminished.
Although he can't compare to his youthful brilliance during his "Seven" days.
However, the tough, middle-aged man's style has a unique charm.
A man with a commanding presence, piercing gaze, and an aura of loneliness and steely resolve appeared on the screen.
"Holy crap?!"
Chen Bo immediately swore, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. "This works? This is the 'digital rejuvenation' technology you had the tech department work overtime to come up with?"
Su Zhe stared at the screen in disbelief.
"AI is so advanced these days, there's absolutely no trace of it. It's like... it's like Mr. Moritsugu has really become younger!"
Gu Nan nodded in satisfaction as he observed the reactions of the crowd.
In this world, technology is not the problem; the problem is the soul.
Only Koji Moritsugu could portray Seven's compassionate divinity and ruthless warrior nature.
Should we cast a young, handsome actor?
No matter how good the acting is, it's impossible to portray the complex feeling of "hands stained with blood, yet heart overflowing with love".
"Oh, right, let me introduce you again," Gu Nan said, pointing to a strong young man in the corner. "This is Wang Zichen, also from our school, a year younger than us. He will be the suit actor for Seven, and will be personally taught by Mr. Kikuchi, the original suit actor for Seven."
"I can teach that too!"
"Tiga's suit actor," Su Zhe shouted.
"I can't forget you! You and him, let Mr. Kikuchi give you both a good lesson!"
Gu Nan added.
"This series is called 'Ultraman Seven: The Origin Project'." Gu Nan's voice was steady and powerful. The target audience for this series is the older generation of Ultraman fans from back then, so we must try our best to preserve the original flavor!
"Tiga speaks of hope, of light."
"While Seven is about survival, choices, and the bloody reality."
Gu Nan turned around and wrote several large characters heavily on the whiteboard—
The Dark Side of the Earth Defense Force
"What we're going to film is not just a special effects movie, but also a special kind of military and political drama, or even a hard science fiction film that explores the clash of civilizations."
……
The set construction is in full swing.
This time, Gu Nan requested a scene that was no longer the bright, high-tech TPC headquarters like in Ultraman Tiga.
Instead, it was a dark, oppressive underground base filled with Cold War-era style.
After all, the timeline will be pushed back to Japan in the last century.
The corridor was narrow and dimly lit, filled with cold metal pipes and flashing red alarm lights.
Day 1 of filming.
Many media outlets came to visit the set.
After all, Gu Nan is now the "God of Special Effects in Xia Country," and his every move attracts a lot of attention.
When the reporters saw that the set was full of "the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled"—in addition to Mr. Mori, Gu Nan had also found a bunch of middle-aged men to play supporting roles—they were all dumbfounded.
A well-known entertainment reporter shoved the microphone in Gu Nan's face: "Director Gu, I heard the lead actor in your new drama is a seventy-year-old gentleman? Does this mean your creative style has changed? Or are you deliberately taking an unconventional approach?"
Gu Nan was adjusting the camera position, not even looking up: "Who told you the protagonist is seventy years old? In my lens, he's forever young."
"But……"
The reporter wanted to ask further questions.
Gu Nan waved his hand, directly issuing an order to leave.
……
Inside the photography studio.
"Ultraman Seven: The Origin Project, Scene 1, Shot 1, Action!"
This scene was filmed in the second episode, depicting Dan Moroboshi's first transformation after his return.
The camera was pointed at Koji Moritsugu.
He stood outside an abandoned factory, the cold wind whipping at his collar.
There were no strange or exaggerated movements; he simply stood there quietly and took out red Ultraman glasses from his pocket.
"Jo!"
A low, sharp shout.
Koji Moritsugu suddenly pushed his glasses up to his eyes.
In that instant, everyone present felt a chill.
It wasn't coldness, it was murderous intent.
The kind and amiable old man was gone, replaced by a battle-hardened cosmic hunter who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
"Cut! Perfect!"
Gu Nan shouted.
The staff around them hadn't come to their senses yet when Gu Nan yelled "cut," and they realized they had been holding their breath.
"This aura... is definitely different."
Xiao Wang, who was in charge of lighting, muttered to himself, "There are no special effects, so why do I feel like I'm seeing a red giant standing there?"
In the days that followed, the film set became a "devil's training camp."
Although Kikuchi Eiichi is old, he is still very experienced. Despite the language barrier, he is guiding a new generation of suit actors through translation and physical gestures.
"No! It's too soft!"
Grandpa Kikuchi tapped Wang Zichen and Su Zhe, who were dressed as Seven, with a soft stick. "I've seen your Ultraman Tiga, but Tiga's fighting style is beautiful, even divine! But Seven isn't! Seven is a warrior! His punches must be fierce and precise! Every move is aimed at killing the enemy!"
"Darts aren't for showing off! They're for cutting the enemy's throat!"
"This is the feeling you need for an over-the-shoulder throw! Break the enemy's spine!"
The young suit actors were scolded until they grimaced, but no one dared to utter a sound.
Because Mr. Kikuchi himself demonstrated it once.
He put on that heavy half-body leather suit, and although he couldn't make big moves, at his age he could still make sharp hand chop moves. His fierceness stunned the martial arts instructor next to him.
The older generation of actors are just different!
During a break.
Su Zhe walked over with a few bottles of water, looked at Gu Nan who was explaining the scene to Mr. Mori, and exclaimed, "Old Gu, I'm impressed. These two old gentlemen are truly treasures. However, isn't this script a bit... a bit too dark?"
Su Zhe was referring to a scene that had just been filmed.
That was the prelude to the "Friendship Project".
In the script, the Earth Defense Force devises a plan called "Project Friendship" to prevent alien invasion.
The name sounds appealing, but upon closer examination, it turns out to be something else entirely—once a potentially threatening civilization is detected, the preemptive strike is launched to destroy it.
Is it dark?
Gu Nan took a sip of water, his eyes deep. "Su Zhe, what do you think justice is?"
"Protecting the Earth and protecting humanity is justice," Su Zhe said matter-of-factly.
"What if the price of protecting humanity is the slaughter of another innocent civilization?" Gu Nan asked rhetorically.
Su Zhe was stunned: "This..."
"This is the story that Project Seven Origin is trying to tell."
Gu Nan looked at the set in the distance. "Tiga tells children to believe in the light. Seven wants to tell grown-up children that behind the light, there are shadows. And the true hero is the one who dares to carry those shadows and keep moving forward."
Su Zhe only vaguely understood what he was hearing, but he knew that Gu Nan was about to do something big again.
This is definitely not an ordinary tokusatsu drama.
This could be a masterpiece that overturns everyone's understanding, or... a "bomb" that causes huge controversy.
Filming continues.
"Next scene! Staff Officer He Zhi and Captain Gu Qiao's argument!"
Gu Nan shouted through a megaphone.
This scene is a minor climax in the entire play.
The actor playing the radical strategist "He Zhi" is a familiar face to many – Li Ze.
Never heard of it?
All you need to know is that he also played Shinjo in Ultraman Tiga.
"Action!"
Inside the secret underground base where Omega's archives are stored.
"Seven! You're so naive!"
Staff Officer He Zhi, guns in both hands, pointed at Seven, spitting as he spoke, "You think driving the invaders away is enough? If we don't completely annihilate them, if we don't show the fangs of humanity, they'll come back with even more powerful weapons next time! Haven't we sacrificed enough?!"
Seven stared intently at He Zhi: "That's slaughter! He Zhi! If humanity also becomes a demon that indiscriminately kills the innocent, then what's the difference between them and those invaders?!"
Although it's a suit, people seem to see emotions on the face of this suit!
"To survive, we can become demons!"
"The Earth must belong to us humans!"
He Zhi roared, his eyes filled with madness and obsession.
"We humans must be the only intelligent life on Earth!!!"
Although Seven had disarmed him, he was still unwilling to accept defeat and roared hysterically:
"Ultraman Seven! Can you guarantee that humanity will still have a future after the entire universe knows the history of this planet?!"
After all, Li Ze had already starred in the entire Ultraman Tiga series, and his acting skills were now on a completely different level. At this moment, his explosive power was extremely strong, and his lines collided in the air like bullets.
The staff around were all mesmerized.
Isn't this supposed to be an Ultraman movie? It feels more like watching "House of Cards" or "War and Peace"?
"Cut!" Gu Nan called out again.
He walked up to the actor playing He Zhi and said, "Li Ze's emotions need to be a little more complex."
He Zhi is not simply a bad person. He is a patriot driven mad by fear. He loves humanity and the earth, and it is precisely because of the depth of his love that he becomes extreme. His madness carries a touch of tragic grandeur.
……
Although life on set was tough, everyone's eyes shone with light.
That was the passion for creation.
Everyone had a vague feeling that they were doing something remarkable.
They are redefining "tokusatsu".
Online discussions about the new Ultraman have never stopped.
Although Gu Nan hasn't released much material, the Showa-era series alone is enough for many people to know what the next protagonist will look like.
A red giant? And a dart on its head? Were the previous Ultramen really that strange?
[I heard there's no transformation this time? Just one red form the whole time?]
[I remember this old Ultraman was pretty irritable, he even rammed people into a Jeep?]
[Haha! What if he, as the main character, drives a Jeep and crashes into monsters?]
Has Gu Yongkang run out of ideas? Ultraman Tiga's three forms were so cool, this old Ultraman looks so "plain"? Can he even make a decent film?
Seeing these comments, Chen Bo became a little impatient: "Old Gu, everyone online is saying Seven's design is tacky. Should we release a PV to show them our remade suit and intimidate them?"
"No rush."
Gu Nan calmly scrolled through his phone. "Let them complain now. When the full movie comes out, I'll show them what 'the red devil' really means, and what 'elegant violence' truly means."
Just then, Lao Zhang, who was in charge of the props team, ran over excitedly: "Lao Gu! The King Joe model you requested is finished! As per your requirements, it had to capture that heavy, metallic texture, and it also had to be able to be disassembled and reassembled!"
Gu Nan's eyes lit up: "Let's go take a look!"
We arrived at the prop room.
A two-meter-high leather case of the Golden Bridge stands there quietly.
It is entirely golden, exuding both mechanical beauty and a sense of oppression.
This is no ordinary prop from decades ago; it's a top-of-the-line leather case that Gu Nan spent a fortune to create, combining modern hydraulic technology with lightweight alloys.
"Wow, so handsome..."
Chen Bo's mouth watered as he looked at it. "If this thing were made into a toy, it would definitely sell like hotcakes!"
To be fair, this thing has a sense of solidity that other mechs can't match.
Gu Nan patted King Joe's cold exterior: "This is a formidable opponent who could give Seven psychological trauma. Such a classic character should definitely be commercialized."
My phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a message from the toy factory owner: "Director Gu! The mold for Seven's Ultraman glasses is ready! The first batch of samples will arrive tomorrow! By the way, shouldn't we also put that 'Capsule Monster' thing you mentioned on the agenda? I think these little monsters are quite cute, they're sure to sell well!"
Gu Nan chuckled to himself.
now it's right.
You need to have a sense of nostalgia, but you also need to sell toys.
After all, in this real world, without funding, where does the light come from?