Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 512 Nervous shooting
"The Cruise" is a low-budget suspense film with a production cost of 300 million US dollars.

The campaign cost $100 million.

With Warner's mediation, the film opened in 1500 theaters and grossed $1043 million in its first weekend.

The box office is not that good, mainly due to the impact of "Transformers". Even though it has been released for four weeks, the popularity of "Transformers" is still very high.

"The Grim Reaper" has a freshness rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, a Rotten Tomatoes popcorn index of 61%, and an audience rating of 4 stars...

IMDB's 2022 viewers gave it a score of 6.6.

The reviews and ratings are pretty much the same, a mixed bag.

Whether it is professional film critics or ordinary audiences, the evaluation of this film is very polarized.

The famous film critic Roger Ebert gave it a score of 3.5 (out of 5), and made the following comment: I saw the shadows of "Mulholland Drive" and "The Butterfly Effect" in the movie, but the director has his own ideas, and the suspenseful atmosphere is very well done...

Pauline Kael scored a low score of 1.5. This girl is always known for her sharp words, and this time is no exception:
A work that deliberately creates mystery. After watching the whole film, you will have no problem understanding the entire cycle. The arrangement of various small details could have added points to the film...

However, after going through everything, the heroine returned to the boat and woke up from a nap. She seemed to have lost her memory, and then she pushed the subsequent plot forward in a silly and cute way. This is a huge, unacceptable logic loophole...

Andrew Sarris has a similar view:
This is a very creative work, but the protagonist has no love, and the repeated clips are very coherent and a good way to save film. Also, it is too dragged out and very tiring to watch...

David Thomson gave it a score of 3:
This is a very imaginative movie. The most commendable thing is the setting of reincarnation. It is a little difficult to understand, but it is very charming...

Professional film critics are polarized, and so are ordinary audiences.

Some people claim that they understood it and think that "The Cruise" is a great movie.

Some people think it is too complicated. After watching the whole movie, they still can’t even tell the story clearly.

[The best suspense film I have ever seen, a cyclical world, the world of Sisyphus. ]

[The logic is not very strict, repeating the same few shots really saves money]

[The most terrifying person is the one who knows his or her fate~]

[The big reincarnation is within the small reincarnation, infinite loop, done in one go, wonderful! Killing is for redemption. The film is based on the perspective of Type 1 Jess in a complete reincarnation. In the small reincarnation, there are three cycles, and the three types of Jess grow together to advance the plot. Each cycle advances the personality to the next stage, which is confusing but not chaotic. The photography is excellent, and the advancement of several details is very well done. The science nerd said that there are no bugs...]

[Also a movie with a "time gate" theme, I prefer the 93 film Groundhog Day. It's too bloody, I don't like it.]

[It is truly a miracle in terms of narrative, the best narrative logic I have seen since "The Butterfly Effect".]

[People with low Q-value hate movies that can only be understood by reading movie reviews.]

[4 stars. If you have read it less than twice, please do not say there are bugs. Please read it a few more times before you say anything! ]

[stay+Mulholland Drive+Greek mythology+Butterfly effect~]

Polarization is polarization, but the discussion level is not low.

Although this type of film is a niche group, the cohesion is very strong.

They have their own circles and forums.

Even though "Transformers" has taken up almost all the publicity resources, only one or two posters of "Ghost Ship" can be seen in the corners of the cinema, but it does not affect the movie's attendance.

In a room in North America, the Li sisters are celebrating.

"Sister, you succeeded~"

"Xue, we succeeded. Come on, let's do one~"

Li Lianhua and Li Xue clinked their glasses, and the cold wine went down their throats into their esophagus.

Both of them had flushed faces, obviously they had drunk a lot.

"Now, you finally have your own masterpiece in North America..."

Li Xue seemed very excited.

Li Lianhua was the same at first, but then she thought of something and her face darkened: "It's a pity that Zhang Chen was bewitched by that vixen. He only gave good roles to that vixen..."

She felt annoyed when she thought about the recent news.

The female lead in "Pacific Rim" was given to Fan Xiaopang.

The female lead in Zhang Chen’s new project is also Fan Xiaopang.

These are all billion-dollar projects in collaboration with Hollywood, and they all went to that slutty vixen.

Thinking of this, Li Lianhua looked down at her figure. How bad was it?

Sister Li Xue comforted him: "Don't think about it. After all, we have made a good start. Everything depends on human efforts..."

Li Lianhua nodded in agreement, then said with regret: "Unfortunately, 'Ghost Ship' is not considered a co-production and cannot be introduced into China. By the way, do you think it is possible to enter China in the form of a batch film?"

Li Xue didn't want to discourage her sister, but she also didn't want to deceive her, so she finally shook her head and said, "I'm afraid that's impossible. I heard that Transformers has already made 200 million yuan at the domestic box office, and the Film Bureau is anxious. Now all the import of foreign films has been suspended..."

Li Lianhua was angry: "It's Transformers again. If it weren't for it, our first weekend box office might have been even higher..."

……

With the arrival of the "2012" crew, there were suddenly many more foreigners in Hengdian.

The last time this happened was with Pacific Rim.

Now everyone knows that Zhang Chen is filming a new movie in Hengdian.

Then, the familiar scene appeared again.

A group of foreigners, led by the bald Jason Statham, frequent dumpling restaurants, massage parlors and karaoke bars in Hengdian every day.

Of course, they are all formal.

Zhang Chen specifically reminded him that he didn't want the crew to be recorded in the county annals like in the film "Nine Yin Scriptures".

We made it very clear when we were recruiting people here that some things that are commonplace in your place are taboos here. Don't end up getting shot because of cultural differences.

Zhang Chen’s new film project has always been kept highly confidential.

No one dares to speak out about this matter. All those involved have signed a confidentiality agreement. If you dare to leak the information, Warner and Star Entertainment will really sue you.

Everyone knew that Zhang Chen was working on a new project, and it was a big production in collaboration with Hollywood, but what type of movie it would be and when it would be released were all mysteries...

There are even rumors that the new project is a sequel to Pacific Rim, but no insider has come out to confirm it.

Then, some reporters and media people were so smart that they blocked Hengdian, hoping to get some information.

But how is that possible?

They all signed a confidentiality agreement.

Fan Xiaopang, Cheng Long, Guo Fan, and Jason Statham have all been interviewed. They answer any question, but they remain silent when asked about new projects.

This has made the media and the public even more curious.

In August, "Transformers" had not yet been released, but all corresponding publicity had stopped.

There is no news about Transformers in traditional media.

It's obvious who did this.

Only on the Internet, there are still people discussing it, but most of them are not about the movie itself, but the comparison between "Transformers" and "Pacific Rim".

Some people think that "Transformers" is the best science fiction film to date, and Hollywood officials have always promoted it as such.

Explosive Bay is the first of the new generation of science fiction films after God of Cards, and he is the man who is ready to inherit God of Cards' position.

But there are also some viewers who hold opposing views, and the reason for their opposition is that "Pacific Rim" has not yet been released.

So far, "Pacific Rim" has no official trailer except for some background settings and concept drawings.

The only channel for the audience to obtain it is the video footage of "Pacific Rim" in the Star Theme Park.

The video is only a dozen seconds long, but it shows a completely different style from Transformers. Unlike the robots in Transformers that look like acrobats, the mechas in Pacific Rim have a heavy and oppressive feel, which is the favorite of some people.

This is what I think a science fiction movie looks like.

[I’m sorry, the robots in Transformers are as flexible as monkeys. I can’t accept it…]

……

Zhang Chen appeared at the premiere of "Ip Man" and was vague when asked what he had been doing recently.

"Today is the premiere of Ip Man. Let's focus more on Ip Man..."

"Ip Man is Bruce Lee's master..."

"Ip Man is not an action film, it is a pure Chinese Kung Fu film. If you must compare it to something, it should not be The Man from Nowhere, but Huo Yuanjia..."

"Is Zhen Zidan better than Jet Li? I didn't say that. But I believe that after you finish watching the movie, you will come up with the answer yourself..."

Zhang Chen tried his best to guide the topic.

The whole story of "Ip Man" is not weak, but the characters themselves are not very well-known.

The most famous label is - Bruce Lee's master.

Wing Chun itself is not very famous and in the south it is jokingly called a style of boxing practiced by women.

In comparison, previous movies of the same type, whether it is "Once Upon a Time in China", "Huo Yuanjia" or "The Legend of Chen Zhen", are much more well-known among the people than "Ip Man".

But "Ip Man" also has its advantages, which is that it sells very well abroad.

Thanks to Bruce Lee.

It’s a hot seller in North America, a hot seller in Southeast Asia, and even the discs are selling well in South America.

Bruce Lee really deserves great credit.

It is said that the video of hitting the wooden man has been played millions of times on YouTube.

The box office in Hong Kong was good, exceeding 10 million in the first weekend.

The box office in mainland China is not bad either, with 3600 million in the first weekend, and it should be no problem for the final box office to exceed million.

Chen Xi rubbed her hands excitedly. She was not greedy and did not ask for every movie to break 200 million.

Nowadays, Jiahe is very popular, and its stocks are also very popular.

With the movies "The Man from Lonely Planet" and "Ip Man", Golden Harvest's stock price has been rising rapidly.

When Chen Xi was interviewed by the Hong Kong media, he said arrogantly: "When my boss Mr. Zhang Chen took over Golden Harvest, he announced that the shooting plans of three films have now been completed.

One has grossed over 200 million, one is about to gross over 100 million, and the other has grossed tens of millions.

At that time, he had promised Mr. Zou Wenhuai that he would restore Golden Harvest to its former glory. I think he has done it now~"

Media outcry~
Golden Harvest seems to have become the Golden Harvest that once dominated Hong Kong.

Somewhere in Hong Kong, Zou Wenhuai, who was recuperating at home, was also quite saddened when he saw this report.

He did say this when he sold his shares to Zhang Chen, but it was more of an expectation.

But unexpectedly, Zhang Chen achieved it in just two years.

"Director Zhang, what do you predict will be the final box office of Ip Man?"

"About 1.5 billion."

"On what basis did you come to this conclusion?"

Zhang Chen really wanted to say, I just came up with this idea on the spur of the moment.

But this is an interview, so we have to be serious.

After thinking about it, he simply said, “When we were making Ip Man, we actually referred to Huo Yuanjia in the character settings.

Ip Man and Huo Yuanjia were both the most famous martial artists in the local area.

When others see Huo Yuanjia, they will ask: When were you the best in Tianjin?

When people in Foshan see outsiders coming to challenge the masters, they will say: It doesn’t count if you beat others, only if you beat Master Ye it shows that you are really good.

Although the characters are similar, we have made different settings at the core of the story.

"Huo Yuanjia" is about ending the war.

"Ip Man" is about family and country, and it takes action when the time is right.

Usually, Ip Man doesn't get involved in underworld affairs. He spends more time at home with his wife and children. But when he is needed, he will say, "I want to beat ten people!"

……

After the premiere, filming continued.

Although Jackie Chan has reserved three months of schedule for "2012", next year is the Olympic year, and as a world-renowned figure, Jackie Chan will definitely appear frequently in various activities.

No one can guarantee whether he will suddenly have to leave for something.

And he is the protagonist, and many scenes would be impossible to handle without him.

But Zhang Chen can't compete with the Olympics for people.

What should I do?
Hurry up and shoot his scenes, try to push the progress forward and give yourself enough time to make mistakes.

As a result, the crew has to work overtime.

The filming that was originally scheduled for three months may have to be completed in two months.

Don't say that foreigners all strictly follow the eight-hour work system~
It's not like I don't give you money~
On the contrary, many foreigners are very happy to have this opportunity to make money.

What's wrong with working twelve hours a day?
Hateful~
Twelve hours is equivalent to two days' wages, and they are so happy about it.

……

During the day, intense shooting
At night, when everyone else is resting, Zhang Chen, as a director and producer, still has to worry about the special effects.

Special effects director Edlan reports progress to Zhang Chen every day.

In the movie, the super volcano eruption in Yellowstone Park is the fuse of the doomsday disaster. The crew filmed real scenes of geothermal activities and geyser eruptions, such as the eruption of Old Faithful.

These meetings all need to be combined with special effects.

The scene where the White House was destroyed by the collision of the USS Kennedy also needed to be completed through CGI.

The crew referred to the architectural structure of the White House and built a miniature model in the studio to assist in filming.

For the rest, the post-production crew had to go deep into XZ and shoot the scene of the flood submerging the temple at Rongbuk Monastery (at the northern foot of Mount Everest).

Zhang Chen wanted to shoot the scenes of bell ringing and monks praying in the temple on location.

Only the shots of floods pouring into the valley and Mount Everest being submerged were shot using a combination of real scenes and digital special effects.

Not everyone can go to that place, especially with so many foreigners.

So, we reported it to the military and they assisted us.

In addition, the scene where an Indian scientist and his family are waiting for death on the beach was filmed at Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of India, where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet.

If it were a normal movie, these scenes could be completed by an assistant director and a team of people.

But in "2012", these are very important shots, and Zhang Chen must lead the team himself.

(End of this chapter)