Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 291 Giving the Competitors a Bit of a Shot

Back at his residence, Cao Yang checked his phone and saw more than a dozen missed calls.

I put my phone on silent while watching a movie and forgot to put it back on.

"Go wash up first, I'll make a phone call."

Cao Yang shook his phone and said to Pang Bing.

Fat Bing nodded, took out his pajamas from the closet, patted Cao Yang's butt as he passed by, and then gave it a quick pinch before walking briskly toward the bathroom with a grin.

"Wait!"

After uttering a harsh remark, Cao Yang called back Tom Rothman, the executive director of Columbia.

Of the missed calls just now, he called the most.

"Sorry, Tom, I just got back from the movie," Cao Yang said after the other party answered the phone.

“I was too eager. Knowing you went to see Superman, I couldn’t wait to know your thoughts,” Tom Rothman explained.

"Tom, you've probably seen it too, right? What did you think?" Cao Yang asked.

Tom Rothman pondered for a moment and said, "The special effects are okay, there are some exciting moments, but no plot."

Then he added, "But this is a superhero movie. What do you need a plot for? Just watch Superman being cool and invincible. I have to say, the choice of Superman this time is good; at least he's quite handsome."

Cao Yang thought about it and agreed with Tom Rothman. Superhero movies don't need a plot; just watch the protagonist wreak havoc.

However, the director clearly had other ideas and didn't want "Superman Returns" to be a pure popcorn movie.

"You're right, Tom."

Tom Rothman asked softly, "From a director's perspective, how do you think we should make things a little difficult for it?"

Cao Yang had a sudden thought: it seemed Tom Rothman wanted to find some "dirt" to provide to film critics and the media so they could take action.

"This movie doesn't seem like a big-budget production of 2.7 million. There are no superstars and not many big scenes."

Cao Yang offered a suggestion.

"That's my idea too, anything else?"

Tom Rothman laughed when he heard the price of 2.7 million.

As a seasoned filmmaker, he has participated in many films, mostly as a producer, so he can roughly estimate the production cost of a film.

According to his estimate, a movie like "Superman Returns" without superstars wouldn't even make 2.7 million, let alone 1.7 million.

It can be auctioned for 1.5 million.

“Director Brian has a lot of ideas. He wants to make a different kind of superhero movie, um, a movie with religious themes,” Cao Yang said.

Tom Rothman immediately perked up and eagerly asked, "Tell me quickly."

"A father with superpowers sends his son to Earth to save humanity and give people hope for survival. For a long time, Superman has been labeled with both Judaism and Christianity, which has generated a lot of controversy."

However, this time, the director has elevated these concepts to a new level.

The way Superman fell to Earth after being injured was modeled after Jesus being nailed to the cross; the scene where he was stabbed by Kryptonite was also modeled after Jesus being stabbed by Roman soldiers.

Then, the film quotes the narration from the first Superman movie: "Humans have the ability to perfect themselves, but they lack the same talent as you, and that is why I gave you to them... my only son..."

What does this narration remind you of? In the Bible, God "gave" his only Son to mankind...

These metaphors might not have mattered much in the past, but the association of superheroes with religion is an inevitable result.

However, just before *Superman Returns*, a major religious debate had erupted—*The Da Vinci Code* contained too many religious metaphors, which were very offensive to many, leading to a spontaneous boycott and a collapse in both critical reception and box office performance. *The Da Vinci Code* is still playing in some second-tier and rural theaters, and the heated discussion about religion hasn't subsided; people's aversion to it remains.

The United States is considered a Christian country, with approximately 70% to 85% of its population identifying as Christians.

While they are not as extreme in their beliefs as Arab countries, they are still very averse to blurring the lines about Superman and equating a comic book superhero with Jesus.

Tom Rothman hung up the phone; he already knew what to do.

Don't blame him for using the media and film critics to "smear" "Superman Returns." Two weeks later, "Inception," which has already been invested in for $1.7 million, will be released, and it will be in competition with "Superman Returns."

Isn't it normal to "smear" competitors?
It's not like Columbia is the only one that does this. When several films are in competition, which rival doesn't secretly buy articles to smear them?

After making the call to Tom Rothman, Cao Yang's phone rang again. This time it was an overseas call from President Han.

"Junior brother, did I disturb your rest?"

It's a little past 10 p.m. in Los Angeles, and it should be a little past 1 p.m. in Beijing.

"It's alright, senior brother. I just got back from outside. I've been promoting the movie lately. Today is the release of 'Superman,' so I took some time to watch it."

Cao Yang explained with a smile.

"Oh, I'm just telling you this in a positive light."

After organizing his thoughts, President Han said:
"It's almost the end of the month, and the domestic film protection month is about to end. The movie 'Superman' was imported by China Film Group. They've been negotiating with us for a release in early July, but I've been holding back."

"Does the senior want to reserve July for 'Inception'?"

Cao Yang asked with a smile.

"Yes, even though Inception is a co-production and could be released in other months, it's still a good idea to create the hype of a simultaneous global release."

Mr. Han laughed too. "Inception" had already been scheduled for release, but Warner Bros. wanted "Superman" to be released on July 1st, which he had been holding back.

This morning, Warner Bros. came again, and they even brought someone with some influence to deliver a message. The purpose was the same: they wanted the film to be released in mainland China on July 1st, more than ten days earlier than "Inception".

Of course, President Han disagreed.

Can Superman Returns be compared to Inception?

Inception is a co-production, with China Film Group holding a stake, and Cao Yang is the director. If it becomes a big hit, it will be a political achievement for China Film Group, and also a political achievement for President Han during his tenure.

Even if "Superman Returns" does well at the box office, so what?
"Junior brother, I called to hear your opinion. What do you think of the quality of 'Superman'? If I schedule it too early, like in early August, will it impact 'Inception'?"

"That's what President Han said."

He's not stupid. This is just an example. How could he possibly release "Superman" two weeks after "Inception"? That would be stealing "Inception's" box office.

He said that simply to find out the quality of "Superman".

"Haha, senior brother, you're overthinking it. Do you know why Warner Bros. wanted to release my movie before Inception? They're afraid that my new movie will siphon off domestic box office revenue."

Senior, tell Warner Bros. that you want to release "Superman" in early August and ask them if they dare. "Superman" has influence in the US, but in China, it's just so-so.

Furthermore, the plot of this movie is weak, and the special effects are only so-so; its box office performance in China won't be very high.

It's not that Cao Yang is arrogant, but Warner Bros. certainly understands Cao Yang's influence in China, which is unparalleled. How could they possibly allow "Superman" to be released two weeks after "Inception"?

After hanging up with President Han, Cao Yang smiled. He understood what President Han meant. Actually, there was no need to tell Cao Yang about this. Just keep "Superman" from being released in early July.

However, by making this call, President Han could both show that he valued his relationship with Cao Yang and let Cao Yang know that he was also under pressure from above to suppress "Superman".

(End of this chapter)