Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 301 A Road of Success

Inception not only enjoyed a phenomenal box office run in China, but according to Colombian statistics, it also ranked in the top three at the box office in almost every country where it was released simultaneously around the world, and received unprecedentedly positive reviews.

Especially in North America, it achieved a phenomenal $9800 million in three days over the weekend, breaking the box office record for a non-sequel film.

This weekend, Inception once again raked in 6400 million yuan at the box office, with a drop of only 34%, which is a particularly good drop.

Adding the $6300 million earned over the four weekdays, Inception has grossed a total of $2.25 million in ten days.

Inception took the top spot at the North American weekend box office with a huge lead, surpassing the second-place Monster House by $4100 million.

"The Monster House," produced by Spielberg, only grossed $2300 million in its opening weekend.

Interestingly, Spielberg was not only the executive producer and producer of "The Monster House," but Columbia Pictures was also one of the major investors.

However, it cannot be said that the box office of "The House of Yokai" was affected by "Inception". After all, no matter who you are, animated films and live-action films are two separate battlefields and there is no competition between them.

Moreover, with Spielberg's name on the roster, Columbia Pictures aims to dominate the box office for live-action and animated films this summer with "Inception" and "Monster House," respectively.

Well, all I can say is that Columbia Pictures has big ambitions, but unfortunately, "The Monster House" was a bit of a letdown.

As for the massively invested "Superman Returns," it only grossed 740 million over the weekend, but its total box office is still quite good, currently reaching 1.78 million.

Of course, this is without considering production costs.

This movie can only slowly grind its way to 2 million at the box office over time.

As for breaking even?

Warner Bros. might not care much. You might think they've lost everything, but they might have already made a fortune.

Cao Yang also learned from data obtained by China Film Group that Inception had grossed over $400 million worldwide in just ten days. China Film Group had no experience in predicting global box office figures, but Columbia Pictures did.

Columbia Pictures conservatively estimates that, based on current trends, Inception could gross $9 million worldwide.

After learning this data, President Han remained silent for a long time.

The exchange rate of RMB against USD has changed slightly and is currently hovering around 7.98.

Even based on Colombia's conservative estimate of $9 million, that's equivalent to 71.82 billion RMB!

What was the total box office revenue in China last year? A little over 20 billion.

In other words, the global box office of Cao Yang's film is more than three times the total domestic box office.

“There’s still a long way to go!”

After a long silence, President Han sighed.

In the past few days, Bellman called and said that both Warner Bros. and Disney had softened their stance, making negotiations much easier.

This is definitely the reason why Inception was such a big hit.

Cao Yang isn't in a hurry now; it's Warner Bros. and Disney that are anxious, because with the continued success of "Inception," other Hollywood film companies will definitely be eager to follow suit.

Just like the rumor circulating in Hollywood, all the scripts, big and small, are first reviewed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Only the ones that DiCaprio rejects are then circulated again.

Similarly, given Cao Yang's continued success, other Hollywood film companies with big projects will certainly consider having him direct. This is Hollywood's "superstition"—not all film companies are Warner Bros.

Any project exceeding one hundred million dollars, except for sequels, requires hiring a specialized research firm to conduct market research.

Even Warner Bros. may seem "crazy," but that's just their strategy. They have Harry Potter, so they don't need other movies to make big money.

At least that's how it appears on paper.

Cao Yang had dinner at Gao Yuanyuan's house today. Afterwards, he browsed North American websites and information on his computer, mainly looking at information about "Inception".

Currently, on IMDb, the website that best represents the opinions of North American movie fans, Inception immediately climbed into the top three of the Top 250 upon its release, with 74% of users giving it a perfect score of 10.

The current average score is 9.4.

This is a remarkable achievement.

Although the ranking may drop as more and more fans rate the film, if it can stay in the top ten, it means that everyone considers it a classic.

On Rotten Tomatoes, a website primarily frequented by film critics, it currently has an 86% positive rating.

The film is defined as a "contemporary action science fiction film that takes place within the structure of consciousness," and it has been compared to The Matrix on an innovative level, with some saying that it is a film that is closer to the "truth" than The Matrix.

Cao Yang was a little confused by the review. He couldn't understand what those North American film critics were thinking. Why would Inception be closer to the truth than The Matrix?

I don't understand.

He then flipped through some newspaper and magazine reviews.

Empire magazine called Inception a trilogy of philosophical films, alongside The Matrix and The Truman Show. In an entertainment industry that is often seen as disposable, Cao Yang brings a whole new world to life, making it the most meaningful pursuit of the summer.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "This is an incredibly complex dream journey that delivers utter conviction and boundless pleasure. The only price you'll pay after watching it is that you'll feel completely exhausted."

A Variety review stated, "If movies can allow people to share their dreams, then Cao Yang is definitely one of Hollywood's most creative dream masters. Inception is rich in detail and has an intricate plot."

He can lead the audience into a subconscious labyrinth; he creates a surreal world, weaving a fantastical illusion that mimics reality to lure and bewilder us, leaving an indelible mark on our minds.

"What are you looking at?"

Gao Yuanyuan had just finished showering when she hugged Cao Yang from behind, rested her chin on his shoulder, and looked at the English-language webpages on the computer screen. She couldn't help but purse her lips and said:

"What are you grinning about all by yourself? You can't stop smiling."

"Haha, look how others praise me, do you believe it?" Cao Yang patted his leg, gesturing for Gao Yuanyuan to sit down.

Gao Yuanyuan walked around the computer chair, sat on Cao Yang's lap, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I believe you, of course I believe you. Whatever you say goes, anyway I can't understand it."

Was I just grinning from ear to ear?

Cao Yang hugged Gao Yuanyuan, who was wearing a semi-transparent nightgown, and made her change her position so that she was facing him and straddling his legs.

"Don't you want to be grinning from ear to ear?"

(End of this chapter)