On April 28, the premiere of the road comedy film "The Vast Horizon is My Love" was held at the Beijing Exhibition Hall Theater. Director Chen Xiaoliang and starring Zeng Yi, Zhou Qi, Sun Yizhou, Liu Yan, Wang Yuwen, Wang Xun and other main creators appeared together, breaking the traditional premiere mode with the innovative form of "film and performance linkage", advocating the audience to transform from "single viewing" to "experiential multiple feelings". The film will be released nationwide on May 1.
Movie poster of "The Vast Horizon is My Love"
The title of the film "The Vast Horizon is My Love" comes from the representative work "The Most Dazzling National Style" of Phoenix Legend. The plot tells the story of truck driver Zhao Tianya (played by Zeng Yi) and rapper Yu Hong (played by Zhou Qi) embarking on a "oolong" journey. The film organically combines "comedy" and "road", and incorporates social events such as Internet celebrity scripts and MCN insider stories. It is shot in many places such as the Inner Mongolia grasslands and Hunan tea mountains, showing a panoramic view of 1,681 kilometers along the way, presenting a hilarious and beautiful "mountain and river map" to the audience.
Zeng Yi as truck driver Zhao Tianya
In 2010, Phoenix Legend held their first large-scale concert at the Beijing Exhibition Center. After 15 years, they returned to the Beijing Exhibition Center to start their journey as a new actor. Zeng Yi said that this was his first time to act in a big movie. When he found writer Liu Zhenyun as the art director of the film, he was asked, "Are you just playing around?" "I firmly told Mr. Liu that I am serious about making movies."
In order to play the role of truck driver Zhao Tianya, Zeng Yi took the B2 driver's license test three months in advance and drove 2,000 kilometers on the northwest freight line. Not only did he get a shiny tan, but he also developed a thick layer of calluses on his hands. "Everyone in the crew said that this guy now smells diesel more than perfume."
Zeng Yi attended the premiere
At the premiere, in addition to talking about the first concert memory of Phoenix Legend, Zeng Yi sang "The Lone Brave Man" and "Stupid Child" with passion, which won the applause of the whole audience. In his opinion, whether he is a singer or an actor, his original intention has never changed. "I am still the 'stupid child' who was serious about everything I did before, and now I have become the 'lone brave man' who has bravely entered the film industry at the age of 52."
Zeng Yi sang "Old Boy" with Chopstick Brothers and actor Wang Xun
"The Vast Horizon is My Love" is also the first collaboration between Chopstick Brothers and Phoenix Legend in ten years since their collaboration on "The Dazzling Little Apple" in the 2015 Spring Festival Gala. At the scene, Zeng Yi, Xiao Yang and Wang Taili were jokingly called "the most dominant people in the field of square dance BGM" by the host. The three of them sang "Old Boy" together with actor Wang Xun. At the end, Xiao Yang did not forget to tease, "Lao Zeng has always dreamed of becoming an actor and has been working hard. When you see Phoenix Legend singing on stage, it is always Linghua who sings more, while Lao Zeng sings less and speaks more, just to practice the lines."
Director Chen Xiaoliang has been deeply involved in the short video industry for ten years. In 2021, he began to cooperate deeply with Phoenix Legend, wrote and directed more than 50 short films, and made Phoenix Legend become the "Top 100 Up Masters of Bilibili" twice. Talking about directing a theatrical movie for the first time, Chen Xiaoliang said, "During the filming process, in order to better fit the vastness of the world, we shot in more than 40 real locations, just to shoot the vast 'vastness of the world' into the film, so that everyone can have the experience of running together when watching the movie."
Another lead actor, Zhou Qi, said that it was his first time to challenge the switch between roles as a comedian and a rapper. "The role of Yu Hong is very different from me. Before, I mainly studied bel canto and musicals, and I had no basic knowledge of rap. Especially when working with Brother Yi, this shoot was a combination of pressure and challenges. Before joining the crew, I also went to the studio to learn rap and get a feel for it in advance."
Starring Zhou Qi and Zeng Yi
Before the film was officially screened at the concert, Zeng Yi sang the theme song of the film, "Driving a Truck to Love You". A group of main creators appeared on stage to support the concert in the form of a train. The chorus at the end of the film instantly turned into a "disco scene with thousands of people". The whole venue was surrounded by a green whirlwind, pushing the atmosphere to a climax. After the film was screened, the mysterious guest Zhao Chuan also made a surprise appearance and sang "To All Those Who Know My Name" again. The 64-year-old singer said, "I hope that every 'unknown person' who is quietly pursuing his dream will one day be remembered by everyone."
The premiere concert
