Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 315: Enticing Box Office Success, Two Best Friends, A New Single
Domestic news media reacted faster than Hollywood.

Zhang Yimou's martial arts aesthetics conquer Hollywood; Heroes breaks North American box office records.

"Hero becomes the first Chinese-language film to top North American box office with $2910 million in its opening weekend!"

Tang Wen's strategy finally gains recognition; Zhang Yimou's martial arts aesthetics conquer Hollywood.

Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language Film + nearly 3000 million in box office revenue in its opening week.

It deserves to be written about in great detail.

Some analysts believe that "Hero" made a huge profit.

Zhang Weiping was bitter inside and didn't want to attract attention, so he released a message to the public: no matter how much the United States and Japan earn, it has nothing to do with them.

Tang Wen robbed, uh, made all the money!

He felt a bittersweet feeling, as if he were witnessing his long-time crush being wantonly humiliated by Tang Wen.

The key point is that the goddess not only did not resist, but also puffed out her chest and swayed her hips, panting softly.

Zhang Weiping has always been short-sighted.

But this trip to the United States made him realize Tang Wen's influence in Hollywood.

In addition, they had been disciplined before.

As a savvy film businessman, he knew he couldn't afford to offend Tang Wen.

Despite feeling resentful, he dared not do anything outrageous.

Moreover, the person we need to keep a close eye on right now is not Tang Wen, but Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou, Zhang's longtime partner, returned to China a few days ago, and all sorts of shady characters sent people to invite him to dinner at the bureau.

One by one, they wanted to poach Zhang Weiping's men.

Huayi, in particular, relying on its ability to connect with a group of writers in Beijing's literary circle, actually claimed it would hold a seminar on Director Zhang's works!

Mudd!

Do you need to discuss the works produced by Laozi New Pictures?
Isn't it just that you want Yimou to make money for you?

There are no doors!

Fortunately, Director Zhang is introverted and dislikes socializing, and he keeps his distance from the complex ecosystem of Huayi Brothers.

After dealing with two situations and managing to save face,

I will no longer participate.

But things are different now.

Heroes was a box office smash in the United States.

He is the second director after Ang Lee to achieve both fame and fortune in Hollywood.

Tang Wen doesn't even qualify yet, after all, he's been so focused on making money that he hasn't even received an Oscar nomination.

Zhang Yimou's roots are in the country.

It's much easier for people to get involved in his film than to get some scraps from Tang Wen.

There were so many opportunities to speak.

If all else fails, you can ask someone to put pressure on you!

It's not just doing well at the US box office.

The Japanese box office results were released the following day.

"Hero" has grossed over 70 billion yen, or about 5500 million US dollars, in Japan after being released for more than a month!
It ranked tenth in Japan's box office rankings last year.

I thought my potential was exhausted.

Unexpectedly, news of his Oscar win arrived.

Adding to the controversy was the rumored affair between Tang Wen and the Oscar-winning actress, which made the Japanese, who are also Asian, feel inexplicably proud.

This attracted many male supporters to watch the movie a second time.

Dongbao withstood the pressure and increased the number of screenings.

The box office reached 10 billion yen, or about 800 million US dollars, in the new week.

The film grossed over $3700 million in North America and Japan, nearly $4000 million.

Adding to Japan's previous 5500 million.

They went after a target of one hundred million US dollars.

Tang Wen once again made a fortune.

Zhang Weiping didn't even dare to calculate how much Tang Wen had earned, for fear that her heart wouldn't be able to take it.

"Why didn't we grit our teeth and insist on publishing it ourselves! We knew the Japanese and American markets were so good!" Zhang Weiping muttered to Zhang Yimou for the nth time.

The latter, with a clear head, quickly dismissed his idea:

"For the sake of the screen, you can't say that. It's said that Tang Wen spent tens of millions of US dollars to help 'Hero' win an award."

We didn't have that kind of money back then.
"Without awards, there wouldn't be such great box office results."

"And then there's the Japanese market!" The box office revenue from Japan alone can earn hundreds of millions of RMB.

Zhang Weiping only saw the benefits and didn't see Tang Wen's contributions!

It's not that he's short-sighted; it's just that in all his years in business, he's never seen anything worth hundreds of millions of RMB.

Even if you sold all your real estate in 2003, before the real estate market boomed, you still wouldn't have a net worth of 100 million!
"In the Japanese market, it seems that Tang Wen made some kind of deal with Toho. Toho Group has increased the film's screen share to 40%."

Zhang Yimou continued to persuade him: "Weiping, you have to think positively! Director Tang has paved the way for us. We need to look forward. Our new film is coming soon, isn't it? If you keep dwelling on the past, how can you have the magnanimity of a big boss?"

"Yes, yes, yes! As long as we brothers work together, 'House of Flying Daggers' will definitely be a huge hit! Tang Wen is just doing all the work for us!"

Japan's total box office revenue is nearly 10 billion yen, which is quite impressive.

This has attracted more big names, who are eager to get a piece of Zhang Yimou's new film.

Zhang Weiping felt even more pressure.

These people are all here to ask for a share.

He has absolutely no intention of giving it to anyone right now.

They even wanted back the 18% that had already been given to Tang Wen.

Unfortunately, both parties had already signed a contract, and if they breached it, they would have to pay tens of millions of dollars.

Zhang Yimou also faces considerable pressure in casting.

He was simply going along with Zhang Weiping's request to hold a large-scale casting ceremony and create some hype.

"Hero" is now enjoying both awards and box office success.

The casting ceremony got a little out of control.

Famous actresses from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong have all asked for information through intermediaries.

Even Chen Chong, who was doing well in Hollywood, came to inquire if there were any suitable roles for her.

"Don't worry! We didn't force them to come. Let's get the male lead involved too."

"Isn't it appropriate?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. We've only had initial contact with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro, and nothing's been finalized yet. Let them compete for it; maybe we can get a better price. Besides, they're more popular, which can relieve some of your pressure."

Zhang Weiping's words made sense, so Zhang Yimou had no choice but to agree.

They couldn't decide who would play the female lead.

Zhang Yimou watched Dong Xuan's sword dance video on Renren.com and also watched her performance in "The Story of a Noble Family".

Overall, I am satisfied.

Unless there are unforeseen circumstances.

Otherwise, he couldn't deny that Dong Xuan was the female lead.

Using Dong Xuan has many benefits.

She has hundreds of thousands of followers on Renren.com, which can bring a lot of buzz and discussion to the movie.

The male lead will also be auditioned publicly, attracting many popular young actors in the industry.

Some people have noticed that the female celebrities who have close relationships with Tang Wen seem to have little interest in him.

"Pear, Jingjing, Director Zhang is casting, and he wants someone with a dance background. One of you has won a dance award, and the other is a Peking Opera actress. You're both beautiful too. Why don't you give it a try?" It was a reunion of best friends from the 96 class at the Central Academy of Drama.

"Forget it,"

Hu Jing, Zeng Li, Yuan Quan, and Qin Hailu were having tea at the Tang Palace branch.

The four of them shared a dorm room and got along well.

Qin Hailu glanced at Hu and Zeng and joked, "You two have hooked up with Director Tang Wen, so you look down on all the other directors, right?"

Hu and Zeng both felt guilty: "Don't talk nonsense. Even if we went to run, we might not be elected. We're not going to join the fun."

Yuan Quan didn't understand. She had always regretted that Zeng Li had missed out on Zhang Yimou's films: "Just give it a try, it's not like it takes any effort."

Yuan Quan had a good relationship with them and they kept in frequent contact.

After thinking for a moment, the two women decided to stop hiding their feelings. Hu Jing gently reminded them, "Friendly reminder: you two can go to the audition, but don't go to too much trouble."

The two were shocked.

Zeng Li had no choice but to play the bad cop: "Keep this a secret, the information is not guaranteed to be true. You should consider it carefully. If it gets out, we won't acknowledge it."

Qin Hailu and Yuan Quan exchanged a surprised glance.

After living in the same dorm for several years, how could you not know each other?

Since Hu Jing said that, it proves that it is probably true.

Qin Hailu suddenly realized: "Director Tang told you that."

The two women looked away, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Qin and Yuan understood and promised not to tell anyone.

They will still go to auditions, without even telling their agents.

"So what work are you two going to do next?" Yuan Quan asked with concern in her eyes. Director Tang was good, but didn't he have a lot of women around him? Besides, which of these two silly girls did Director Tang actually like?

"Uh, they're all supporting characters."

"A supporting character in a martial arts drama."

What martial arts drama?

Pressed by the two women, Zeng Li had no choice but to answer: "The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty."

"The name sounds familiar."

"The novel whose adaptation rights reportedly fetched an astronomical price?" Qin Hailu has recently been getting close to the Hong Kong entertainment circle and is very well-informed about news from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"Big production?"

"It's definitely a big production. It's said that Director Tang snatched the adaptation rights from Hong Kong TV and paid a high price."

"What roles are you two playing? The female lead and the second female lead?"

"The specifics haven't been decided yet," Hu Jing said, waving her hands repeatedly.

Zeng Li said, "The SARS outbreak is still raging right now, and I don't know when filming will start."

"Oh, right, I haven't thanked you for the medicine you sent." It's not that there's no medicine on the market, it's just that it's hard to buy, you can't buy all of it, and it's expensive.

Zeng Li and Hu Jing received a batch of imported medicine from Tang Wen. They kept some for themselves and gave the rest to classmates, teachers, and former business partners.

I've accumulated quite a few favors.

"He must have given you the medicine too, right?"

"Oh, let's have some tea." Hu Jing didn't want to talk about this anymore.

The four of them had lunch at the Tang Palace Clubhouse.

Abalone the size of a fist, lobsters over a foot long, a table full of seafood, and a famous chef—the dishes alone must cost at least tens of thousands.

In addition, there was a bottle of Moutai and a bottle of imported French red wine.

They went for the 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.

Qin Hailu decided to grit her teeth and treat everyone to this meal.

As a result, Hu Jing took out a black card and swiped it directly.

She suddenly remembered an industry rumor: "Tang Palace is really Director Tang's business."

Hu Jing nodded without saying anything.

After leaving the house, Qin Hailu went to get her car first.

She won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress, and her income was quite good. After buying a house, she bought a Passat for transportation.

The car pulled out, and they were just saying they were going to give them a ride.

Across from them, Hu Jing opened the passenger side door of a white BMW.

The designated driver arranged by the Tang court was sitting in the driver's seat.

The white X5 is stylish and beautiful.

This is perfect for the lively Hu Jing.

Qin Hailu rolled down the car window: "Wow, Jingjing, you're driving a BMW now! It's imported, right? How much did it cost? A million?"

"It's not that expensive."

"Come on, I definitely have at least 800,000."

"Almost, almost."

Seeing her trying to hide it, Qin Hailu knew that this was definitely not a car she bought herself.

It must be Tang Wen!

It seems Director Tang prefers Hu Jing.

Yes, she is quiet, white, soft, and fragrant, and has dimples when she smiles.

If I were a man, I'd like it too!
Yuan Quan asked, "Did Li Zi buy a car?"

Before Zeng Li could speak, Hu Jing, still swayed by alcohol, revealed her secret: "She has an imported Volvo, which is similar to this car."

Yuan Quan and Qin Hailu: "..."

Okay, relying on a man is worse than striving on your own.

But what did Tang Wen mean to them?
Should we chase after it together?

Director Tang is such a womanizer!
Just like he did with Gao Yuanyuan and Jia Jingwen, Tang Wen set up companies for them.

They also made the excuse that their original place was too crowded and inconvenient.

After SARS, they tricked them into moving into a large apartment.

In this way, his feelings for the two women became quite obvious.

The two women are currently in a state of self-deception and burying their heads in the sand.

They wanted to confront each other, but were also afraid that they wouldn't be able to face each other and Tang Wen afterward.

After all, they were true best friends who grew up in the same dorm.

Before and after graduation, we helped each other out, rented apartments together, and auditioned for film and television productions together...

If this is really brought up, we might lose both friendship and love.

It's better to maintain the status quo.

They weren't materialistic people, but inexplicably they had all the material things they needed.

They live in large single-level apartments, all in the same complex, one apartment per person.

We just live together now.

Tang Wen handled the company registration.

They were just hands-off managers.

Resources are plentiful. Business orders are transferred from Blue Star. We can do it if we want, or not if we don't.

Or you can do something else if you want.

The two women felt deep down that they would find it difficult to escape the web woven by "Tang Wen".

It's also because neither of them has much ambition.

If it were any other female celebrity, they would have seized the opportunity and made a big splash long ago.

Hollywood.

Comscore is a professional box office forecasting agency.

Based on the box office performance of "Hero," combined with survey feedback and the film's plot, we made a prediction.

It is predicted that the second week will see a sharp drop, falling to $1000 million, or even below $800 million.

Comscore is one of the most reliable box office research companies in the industry.

The predicted box office trends have generally been quite accurate.

It has always been used as a reference in the industry.

They predict that "Hero" will ultimately gross around $6000 million.

If what they predict is true, after deducting advertising and award costs, "Hero" will only earn about $2000 million in the US market.

Even less after paying taxes.

In the original timeline, Hero's box office revenue did indeed halve in its second week, dropping to only eight or nine million US dollars.

However, Tang Wen believes that there is still potential to be tapped in terms of box office revenue if things are handled properly.

He just needs to go on a roadshow for a few days.

Test your charm and influence in North America.

However, his three English songs have been sung to death over and over again.

So before he set off, he contacted Warner Music and released a new song.

Single – "Because of You"

According to public announcements, it is a pre-release track from the new album and will be performed during the promotional tour for "Hero".

After the news was released, overseas writers forwarded the post to various music forums and movie enthusiast communities.

Overnight, the news spread to countless people.

Many people are quite interested in Tang Wen's new song.

The message stated that if Tang Wen came to their city, or a nearby city...

I would definitely like to see him.

"Because of You" is a signature song of female singer Kelly Clarkson, who debuted on a music talent show and has excellent singing skills.

After its release in 05, it reached a maximum ranking of 7th on public boards.

It was later adapted and covered, and its ranking soared to number 2.

Tang Wen wanted to see how far his version could go.

Because of the difference in vocal range between men and women, even with his masterful singing skills.

This song also needs to be tuned down.

It's not that I can't sing the high notes, but from an effect perspective, simply hitting high notes isn't very effective.

In addition, there are some other changes, such as using breathy and guttural sounds to reduce the harshness of the male voice...

new week.

On Monday, "Hero" grossed 108 million at the box office.

Box office revenue has shrunk significantly.

The following day, Tang Wen launched his roadshow in California.

(End of this chapter)