Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 505 It's Impossible to Compare and Smear Each Other

Anne Hathaway's arrival did not cause much of a stir on set.

In the eyes of others, Anne Hathaway only truly rose to fame because of Cao Yang's "The Dirty Milk".

In addition, she had just collaborated with Johnny Depp, the male lead of "The Dirty Milk," on "Alice in Wonderland," so it was not surprising that she came to visit the set in this "remote" Caribbean region.

Only Eva Green looked at Anne Hathaway with a strange expression.

Eva Green and Anne Hathaway are sisters who have fought side by side. She guesses that Anne Hathaway's intention in coming here is most likely to "repay a debt of gratitude" under the guise of visiting the set.

There have been rumors circulating in the industry.

When Tim Burton was preparing for this film, he hesitated between several actresses for the role of the "White Queen".

Anne Hathaway is among these actress candidates.

However, Anne Hathaway was not Tim Burton's first choice at first; she was ranked lower.

It is said that Tim Burton did not like Anne Hathaway's "big mouth." Here, "big mouth" is just a literal meaning, referring to the fact that Anne Hathaway's mouth is somewhat large and disproportionate to her overall face.

Tim Burton, like Johnny Depp, is an eccentric, so it's normal for him to have different tastes in actors.

In her previous life, I don't know how Anne Hathaway got this role.

Filming for this movie began in the second half of 08.

At the time, Anne Hathaway was busy cutting ties with her ex-boyfriend, Italian businessman Raffaello Falieri, and was already quite overwhelmed. To unexpectedly land this role despite the director's dislike for her must have required a lot of effort and dedication.

This time it was much simpler.

According to what Eva Green heard, Anne Hathaway contacted Cao Yang.

Cao Yang has a good relationship with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, and since this movie is produced by Disney, a phone call from Cao Yang is more useful than anything else.

Moreover, the film also had the gimmick of Depp and Anne Hathaway collaborating again, so Anne Hathaway easily got the role.

However, to Eva Green's surprise, Anne Hathaway had brought in "outside help," which was going too far. Didn't she know that she, as her former "comrade-in-arms," ​​was also here?
And although the foreign player had long legs and a top-notch physique, he wasn't particularly pretty.

Speaking of this, Eva Green became somewhat melancholy.

She had originally thought that she could rekindle her relationship with director Cao Yang and deepen their understanding of each other while filming the sequel to "Pirates of the Caribbean".

To prepare for this, she even took a special bath late at night and went to knock on Director Cao Yang's door.

But director Cao Yang told her directly that he generally tries to avoid having relationships beyond friendship with female actresses on set when filming movies.

This is because it can affect his judgment of actresses' performances when he's filming, and it can also cause actresses' emotions to fluctuate, preventing them from fully immersing themselves in the story.

Although this explanation seems perfectly reasonable and very convincing.

However, if Eva Green remembers correctly, she developed a relationship with Cao Yang that went beyond friendship while filming the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie on a small island in the Caribbean, right?

Indeed, the movie was almost finished filming, so something might not have affected the emotions, but it still happened during filming, didn't it?
Eva Green didn't have any "improper thoughts" about Cao Yang, such as being his girlfriend or getting married, but she still insisted that only by playing more "friendly matches" could they deepen their friendship.

She didn't crave anything else; she just wanted to deepen her friendship with director Cao Yang.

Just look at Anne Hathaway.

As the "friendly matches" went on more often, the friendship deepened, and with just a little help, one could land a major role in a top-tier production.

Eva Green also longs for such a deep friendship.

Lying on her hotel bed, Eva Green couldn't help but wonder what Director Cao Yang was doing.

Is it Anne Hathaway, or Emily Blunt, the British woman who, like herself, has long legs?

"Damn the British!"

Eva Green cursed.

As a Frenchman, it's quite natural to criticize the British.

……

Anne Hathaway went to the bathroom to rinse her mouth, and when she came back, she naturally lay in Cao Yang's arms and said in a slightly coquettish tone, "You were so rude just now, not gentlemanly at all."

"How can I be a gentleman? You were the one who spoke first when we entered the room."

Cao Yang retorted with a smile.

"But you can't just keep pressing on it."

Anne Hathaway rolled her eyes.

"I almost suffocated just now."

"You said you wanted to recreate the scenes from when you filmed 'The Dirty Milk,' and that I was Milk and you were my assistant. I followed the script exactly."

Cao Yang defended himself again.

That's exactly what happened; Cao Yang wasn't making it up.

When Anne Hathaway came in, she insisted on reenacting the scene from the movie. What could Cao Yang do? He had no choice but to cooperate.

As for acting, Cao Yang is quite professional, no less so than Johnny Depp's portrayal of Milk.

"Okay, you're right, I did bring it up first."

Anne Hathaway, with her arm around Cao Yang's, grinned and said, "So, are you satisfied with my way of thanking you? I told you back then that if I could become the 'White Queen,' I would thank you properly."

"You know, I've always been very satisfied with you."

Cao Yang said with a double meaning.

Then he thought about it and said, "Black Widow is a very classic character. Although it may not seem so good now, the role has greatly benefited the actress after the Marvel Cinematic Universe was formed."

After all, in Hollywood, female stars and male stars are very different.

Top male celebrities can aspire to join the 20 million club, but it's extremely difficult for female celebrities to do so.

Most female celebrities can only achieve their goal of receiving exorbitant salaries beyond their current status by starring in sequels.

Since Anne Hathaway has put in so much effort, he thought it would be good to mention it, and it's up to Anne Hathaway to decide.

“Annie, you should know that I’ve taken over the Marvel movies. Iron Man 2 is currently in pre-production, and we’re still missing an agent role, which is Black Widow from the comics.”

Anne Hathaway was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Cao Yang to mention this. According to the information she had received, Black Widow in Iron Man 2 seemed to be just a supporting character, or even a decorative one.

Given Anne Hathaway's current popularity, it's somewhat inappropriate for her to take on the role of "Black Widow."

However, Anne Hathaway only paused for a moment before replying without hesitation, "You want me to take this role? Of course, I have no problem with that. As for the agency, I'll convince them."

However, after saying all this, Anne Hathaway felt a little lost and didn't know how to explain it to her best friend Emily Blunt.

That's right.

She did have a specific purpose in bringing her best friend Emily Blunt along this time.

Anne Hathaway didn't come specifically for Emily Blunt.

She had planned to visit Cao Yang on set long ago, firstly to express her gratitude, and secondly to take a vacation in the picturesque Caribbean.

After learning that Anne Hathaway was coming to visit Cao Yang on set, Emily Blunt begged Anne Hathaway to bring her along.

Her agency already knows about the search for a "Black Widow" actress for "Iron Man 2".

It's normal that Anne Hathaway didn't like the role of "Black Widow," but Emily Blunt really wanted it.

Different levels of fame mean different needs for resources. Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt are indeed very good friends, so after considering it, she agreed, wanting her friend to have a good future.

But now she's worried about how to explain it to her best friend.

She brought her best friend along, hoping to introduce her to Cao Yang and see if she could satisfy him.

Ugh!
After considering it for a moment, Anne Hathaway decided to tell Cao Yang the truth.

"Honey, let me state first that it's not that I don't want to play 'Black Widow,' I have no problem with it."

I just wanted to explain to you that, as you can see, I brought my best friend Emily Blunt along. She used to work in arthouse films and low-budget movies, but her career wasn't going very well, so she wanted to change her image.

After learning that Iron Man 2 needed an actress to play Black Widow, she was interested. When she found out I was coming to visit you on set, she begged me to bring her along.

Honey, you know I'm not interfering with your casting. Emily Blunt auditioned for a movie called Gulliver's Travels a while ago, and she'll most likely be cast in it.

However, it's clear that filming *Gulliver's Travels* would conflict with *Iron Man 2*. Her meaning is simple: if you think she's suitable, she'll give up *Gulliver's Travels*.

After a moment of silence, Anne Hathaway said with a wry smile, "It seems she doesn't have to give up on Gulliver's Travels."

Cao Yang thought about Emily Blunt's portrayal of a secret agent; she would definitely be able to handle the fight scenes, and she would fight very cleanly and efficiently.

Considering Emily Blunt's later action films, such as "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Sicario," Cao Yang began to frown.

He had initially thought Emily Blunt would be a good choice.

But when her image is applied to "Black Widow," it seems that "Black Widow" is no longer a sexy agent, but rather... a berserker with no expression?
Immediately, Cao Yang thought of Eva Green.

In comparison, Eva Green, who has starred in "Casino Royale" and "Kingdom of Heaven", seems to be more suitable for the role of "Black Widow".

Eva Green is the right age, has long legs, and is even sexier than Emily Blunt.

Thinking of Eva Green and then looking at Anne Hathaway in front of him, Cao Yang couldn't help but recall some unforgettable scenes from the past.

“I think Emily Blunt’s sharp features and androgynous beauty might be more suitable for cooler roles.”

Cao Yang said tactfully.

He then explained, "'Black Widow' is just an appearance in Iron Man 2. She will have more screen time in different Marvel movies. You need to think it through. I was just saying it casually. It's not like I necessarily want you to play the role."

Will it appear in many movies?

Anne Hathaway hesitated.

She glanced at Cao Yang, wondering if her refusal would anger him, and also whether he insisted she play the role.

If Cao Yang had just said it casually and didn't mean to force her, she would most likely have refused.

If Cao Yang truly wants her to play this role, she will try every means to persuade her agency to let her take on the part.

However, she didn't notice anything amiss.

Since we can't figure it out, we'll have to resort to our ultimate move.

Men are often most tolerant and talkative when they are in a state of extreme pleasure.

……

Little Cannon has been extremely excited lately.

On July 23, "Tangshan," a film he co-starred in with Cao Yang, was officially released.

It was originally scheduled to be released on July 24.

However, on the 24th, another low-budget film, "Nightclub," also invested and distributed by China Film Group, will be released.

In addition, Yu Dong, a former subordinate of President Han and also a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, also had his film "Overheard" released on the 24th by Bona Film Group.

They can't just sell themselves out on the first day of release.

So, "Tangshan" was released a day earlier than planned.

As promised to the media, "Tangshan" also held a midnight screening.

The film was released on a Thursday. The box office figures for the midnight screenings were not released, but the total box office for the first day, including the midnight screenings, reached an astonishing 3620 million!
The opening day box office of "Like Father, Like Son", including the midnight screenings, was 3753 million yuan. It seems that the opening day box office of "Tangshan" was more than one million yuan lower than that of "Like Father, Like Son".

But that’s not how it’s calculated.

"Tangshan" is released on Thursday, which is a weekday.

"Like Father, Like Son" was released on Sunday, which is a weekend.

The opening day box office of "Tangshan" broke the record for the highest-grossing Chinese-language film on a weekday, and then raised the record even higher.

Little Steel Cannon was excited.

The box office record for Chinese-language films was just broken by Cao Yang's "Like Father, Like Son," and it was even broken by "Assembly," a film he collaborated on with Cao Yang.

It's only been a few days, and Tangshan seems determined to set a new record.

Sure enough, the box office results on the second day made Xiao Gangpao even more excited.

4250 million!
A new box office record was set on Friday!

The box office for "Overheard" released that day was less than 600 million.

It may not seem like much, but the production cost of "Overheard" was also very low. This film was fully funded by Bona Film Group. Although it featured actors such as Lau Ching-wan, Koo Tin-lok, and Ng Yan-tsu, the investment was only a little over 2000 million.

600 million on the first day is already quite a lot.

The low-budget comedy film "Nightclub," which was released on the same day, had an even lower box office, only 200 million.

However, the director and main actors of "Nightclub" were extremely excited because the film only cost a mere 300 million.

If it can get 200 million in box office on the first day, as long as the box office doesn't collapse, it will definitely break even.

Of course, neither "Overheard" nor "Nightclub" could have any impact on "Tangshan".

This can also be seen from Saturday's box office figures.

On Saturday, "Tangshan" had another big hit, grossing 5100 million yuan, becoming the second domestic film to break the 5000 million yuan mark in a single day.

Sunday's box office declined slightly, but still achieved a respectable 4800 million.

In its first four days, "Tangshan" achieved an outstanding box office of nearly 1.8 million yuan, shocking many industry insiders.

Based on this box office trend, if the box office can maintain its reputation, it could really reach 6 million!
That's 6 million!

Currently, the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in China is Cao Yang's "Like Father, Like Son".

The box office record, however, belongs to "Joker," which grossed just over $100 million domestically.

It seems that "Little Cannon" is going to challenge a new domestic box office record, and not just in Chinese-language films, but it may even challenge the record of "Joker".

In the second week, the box office of "Tangshan" did not drop much. Including the box office of the first four days, it earned a total of 3.98 million yuan in eleven days!
After three more days of screenings, by Wednesday, "Tangshan" had been in theaters for two full weeks, and its box office had reached 4.61 million yuan!
The domestic box office record for Chinese-language films has already been broken; the question now is whether it can challenge the domestic box office record again.

Little Cannon has been acting more and more high-profile these days.

So, a reporter took the opportunity to ask: Director Feng, as the director who is about to break the domestic box office record set by Cao Yang's "Joker", what do you have to say?
Little Cannon was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage and retorted:
"That's utter nonsense! When did it break the box office record of 'Joker'?"
Furthermore, "Tangshan" is a film I co-created with director Cao Yang. Director Cao Yang gave me tremendous support and shooting advice. This film should be considered as co-directed by director Cao Yang, although director Cao Yang was not credited.

Are you deliberately trying to stir up trouble, reporter? How could I possibly be considered to have outmaneuvered director Cao Yang?
Cao Yang's film "Inception" grossed over 9 million US dollars worldwide! In China, which director can compare to Cao Yang's box office performance?
"You know, Cao Yang's 'New Pirates of the Caribbean' grossed $10.7 billion worldwide, and 'Joker' even reached a staggering $15 billion. How can I compare to Director Cao Yang?"

After saying that, Little Cannon snorted and left.

He can still distinguish between the two kings, so how could he possibly belittle Cao Yang?

Besides, both "Assembly" and "Tangshan" were written and produced by Cao Yang, which is the key to his "Little Cannon" achieving such high box office success!
(End of this chapter)