I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 361 Returning Home, This Year's Plans!

February 20, 2012, Beijing International Airport.

Chen Jin, holding Zhu Yanmanz's hand, smiled and greeted some fans in first class as they disembarked from the plane one after the other.

Guo Fan and Gong Ge had already fled.

They don't like eating dog food.

Long time no see, China~~~
Chen Jin stepped out of the cabin and took a deep breath, feeling that the air was so familiar and pleasant.

New York... is actually much worse in terms of safety and environment than China.

This time, Chen Jin didn't pay attention to anything and swaggered out of the airport with Zhu Yanmanz in hand; both of them were fully prepared for this.

It was Chen Jin who suggested it. Originally, Zhu Yanmanz wanted to leave early, but Chen Jin stopped her.

Having experienced online harassment and hate from haters, Chen Jin's resolve is stronger than ever.

This is why he chose to go public with his relationship.

Unfortunately, their return was too sudden; apart from some movie fans who saw them, the media reporters didn't react quickly enough.

There might be some passengers on Weibo who encountered the two on the plane and posted about it, but Chen Jin doesn't care at all. Let it be exposed. It's a legitimate relationship. She's not an idol who needs fan groups to generate data.

"Has it broken 2 million?"

Zhu Yanman asked Chen Jin, who had just turned on her phone, "It's not that fast!" Chen Jin shook her head and said, "It's not that fast!"

"Chen Su texted me around noon, saying it was 180 million!"

1.8 million in 3 and a half days!
This result is actually quite impressive, much higher than the four-day data of "So Young"; "So Young" achieved its new high thanks to Alibaba's Double Eleven Gala, while "Jinling" relied on its daily popularity during the Spring Festival.

Moreover, as the first day of the Lunar New Year approaches, more and more people are buying tickets.

So although the pre-sales exceeded 5000 million on the first day, they didn't drop much on the second day. If nothing unexpected happens, the final pre-sales should be over 3 million!

This is another outrageous number.

It's worth noting that the pre-sales figures for the year before last hovered around tens of millions, while "Love is Not Blind" set a new record at the end of the year during Singles' Day, reaching over 68 million, which far exceeded the pre-sale records at the time.

Since last year, with the surge in online box office revenue, pre-sales have entered a period of rapid growth.

From breaking 1 million at the fastest, to 2 million, and then to 2.75 million for "So Young"!
Now, as 2012 has just begun, pre-sales have reached a new high—3 million!
The original timeline would have been reached with "Monster Hunt 2" in 2018, thanks to the popularity of the first "Monster Hunt" film.

Chen Jin brought it forward by a full six years.

It can only be said that the potential of the Spring Festival film season is limitless.

Originally, the pre-sales for "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" next year were only slightly over 1 million yuan.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, it accounted for half of the pre-sales, reaching over 50 million yuan. As expected, it broke 100 million yuan in a single day, surpassing the record of "Transformers 3". This time, it will only be more powerful.

Achieving 1 million in a single day was no longer Chen Jin's goal; "So Young" has already achieved that.

2 million+ is what Chen Jin is looking for.

We'll see if it can set a new record on the first day of the Lunar New Year. By the second day, word-of-mouth will likely come out, and many people won't watch this kind of movie on such a festive day.

There will definitely be some, and quite a few.

Of course, there are also those who go specifically because of the positive reviews and the Holocaust, and this group makes up a significant portion of the audience.

We'll see how public opinion and publicity take place at that time.

Initially, the key to getting more people to watch this special film in theaters was to "deceive" them, but once it was released, the quality and direction of the film became crucial.

"Let's go, I'll take you home first!"

Wearing a mask, Chen Jin got into the car that had come to pick them up with Zhu Yanmanz.

In the evening, I also had a dinner with Zhang Yimou.

However, Chen Jin had to go home first, as there were still 3-4 hours before the gathering.

Going home to rest is a good idea.

In less than an hour, Chen Jin arrived at his own door. Looking at the front yard full of flowers and plants, he thought for a moment that he had come to the wrong house.

Although he usually calls the two of them, Su Wanyu says she has recently fallen in love with a plant called succulents, while Chen Xianqi is still immersed in reviewing electronic products. Occasionally, the two of them will visit Chen Jin's company.

But the changes at home still brought Chen Jin some comfort; she could see that her parents were starting to get used to life in the capital.

When I first arrived here, far from my hometown, I was obviously not used to it. After living here for less than two years, I've become a half-local. I often go to the nearby park or climb the Great Wall when I have free time.

Chen Jin rang the doorbell, and Su Wanyu, dressed in her home clothes, appeared at the door.

"So you actually know how to come back, kid?"

Although Su Wanyu said that, a smile appeared on her face as she saw her son.

"Where's my dad?"

Chen Jin changed into slippers, and Su Wanyu pointed to the inner room: "They're recording a video in there!"

"Haha, that's great! I heard from my dad that he's become an internet celebrity? He has tens of thousands of followers on Weibo?"

"Let him show off!"

Su Wanyu said irritably, pointing to the many express delivery boxes in the room, "All he does all day is buy, buy, buy. You're willing to give him money, but all I see are all kinds of mobile phones and cameras. I haven't seen him earn a penny!"

"..."

Sensing her mother's strong resentment, Chen Jin quickly said, "Mom, you can do it too! Grow some flowers and plants and post them online; there's a market for that!"

"right?"

When this was mentioned, Su Wanyu got quite excited: "Did you see the little garden by the entrance?"

"I see them! Lots of the succulents you mentioned, they're quite beautiful!"

“It’s expensive!”

Su Wanyu whispered, "Some of these varieties are more expensive than the cell phones your dad bought!"

Chen Jin: "..."

You two are definitely a couple. One of you criticizes the other for spending money, but you've spent just as much yourself.

Chen Jin was having a headache.

"But if I grow these well, I can sell them for a high price, unlike your dad, whose electronic products depreciate in value!"

This couple is really going at it.

However, Su Wanyu was not wrong. The market for succulents will be very good in the next few years, and it will not collapse until a few more years later. It is the same as the speculation of orchids. I wonder if Su Wanyu will take a liking to orchids again. Chen Jin has to give her a heads-up.

That stuff is a scam; succulents are less likely to be disappointing. On the contrary, Chen Xianqi's approach to product reviews has a lot of potential for future success.

With a few tens of thousands of followers now, if managed well, they could become a major influencer in the electronics review section.

Chen Jin didn't want to dampen her parents' enthusiasm. They had finally found their own interests, so she thought she would spend money to make them happy.

"Mom, I'm going upstairs to rest for a while!"

"I won't be home for dinner tonight..."

Chen Jin greeted Su Wanyu without disturbing her father Chen Xianqi's "work," took her luggage upstairs, took a shower, set an alarm, and went straight to sleep.

At 6 p.m., Chen Jin arrived at a very secluded private club on time.

The location was chosen by Pang Liwei.

Zhang Yimou had obviously arrived, along with his daughter Zhang Mo and future son-in-law Meng Danqing.

Zhu Yanmanzi took a taxi here by herself.

"Director Zhang, it's been a long time!"

Chen Jin, carrying two bottles of Moutai, saw Zhang Yimou sitting on the sofa, happily playing with his youngest daughter, Zhang Yijiao.

"coming?"

Zhang Yimou looked up and quickly told his daughter to call for help.

Zhang Yijiao was born in 06 and is just 6 years old this year. She is very cute and slender and looks a lot like Zhang Yimou's current wife, Chen Ting.

"Hello, uncle!"

Zhang Yijiao's words made Zhang Yimou burst into laughter: "Call me brother!"

It's clear that Zhang Yimou is in a good mood.

Having children playing around your knees is probably a lifelong dream for many older people, and Zhang Yimou has now achieved it.

"Where is your teacher's wife?"

Chen Jin asked casually; of course he had met Chen Ting before.

"MoMo, go and call your Aunt Chen over, dinner's ready!"

Chen Ting would take her two sons for walks around when they had nothing to do. One was 8 years old and the other was 11, but both were quite introverted.

Before long, everyone at the table was gathered. Besides a few people from the studio, it was Zhang Yimou's family. This was a small gathering before the Lunar New Year, not for business, but just to chat about family matters and discuss some things related to the film.

So Chen Jin sat down next to Zhang Yimou.

The other ladies and children chatted and ate, and weren't very reserved.

When will your movie be finished filming?

Zhang Yimou was asking about "Killer: Dragon".

"It'll probably be in March, but I'm hoping to take it during the summer vacation!"

What are the filming plans for this year?

While eating, Zhang Yimou asked about the situation.

Anyway, his next project is to fully focus on filming his newest work, "The Criminal Lu Yanshi," also known as "Coming Home"!
"Yes, I have!"

"It's quite tight. I told you before about a book about the inheritance of the elderly!"

That is, "Grandma's Grandson". Zhang Yimou turned it down at the time, so Chen Jin could only find Wen Muye. It is currently in preparation and is scheduled to start filming after the New Year.

"There are also two more special effects blockbusters!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yimou immediately put down his chopsticks: "Two parts? What kind?"

"These are all topics that have never been published domestically!"

Not only Zhang Yimou, but also his son-in-law Meng Danqing, who was standing next to him, looked over at these words.

He was actually listening intently the whole time.

Meng Danqing is currently officially in charge of CAA's domestic brokerage work.

CAA Talent Agency is the world's largest talent agency, representing more than half of the Hollywood artists in the North American entertainment industry.

Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and other top global stars have all signed with his agency.

Moreover, some renowned directors, including domestic ones like Li An and Wang Jiawei, have also had extensive collaborations with CAA.

Zhang Yimou's overseas agency contract is currently with CAA.

Li Lianjie, Cheng Long, and others are also examples.

So Meng Danqing is considered an insider. Before he joined CAA, he didn't have much interaction with Chen Jin, but now, Chen Jin is one of their company's targets in China.

"I know of a sci-fi movie, Guo is going to make it, right?"

The Wandering Earth project has been registered, and the script has been in preparation. Liu Cixin, the copyright holder, has also received a cost price of 100 million.

Ning Hao did this very well.

This is no secret within the industry.

"Yes, science fiction, and another one is... zombies!"

Chen Jin took a bite of the cold dish in front of her, then turned her head and saw Zhang Yimou with a furrowed brow. Zhang Mo, who was not far away, had obviously also heard the word "zombie".

She was also very surprised.

"This type of content isn't allowed in China, is it?"

Zhang Yimou shook his head, indicating that he knew about zombies, a very popular subject overseas.

It can only be said that Chen Jin is indeed a young person who likes to challenge this kind of trend.

"I don't know, let's try it!"

"If that doesn't work, then we'll go overseas..."

Chen Jin didn't care anyway. The script for "Train to Busan" was very good, and it grossed nearly $1 million worldwide, and was very popular in Southeast Asia.

This is because it hasn't been released in many places, especially in China.

"Did you come up with this idea after going to Hollywood?"

"I heard that Paramount has also greenlit a zombie blockbuster!"

Zhang Yimou looked at Meng Danqing beside him.

Meng Danqing immediately said, "Yes, it stars Brad Boots and will be released next summer. It's one of Paramount's most promising adaptation projects for next year. The original novel is very popular overseas!"

"World War Z?"

Chen Jin knew about this film.

"Yes, yes, you've seen this one too?"

"The novel actually gave me some inspiration!"

Chen Jin just opened her mouth and started talking.

However, he wasn't wrong; Train to Busan was indeed inspired by World War Z.

"Zombie" will be released in July next year during the summer season, and Chen Jin is actually planning to ride the wave of its popularity.

This movie grossed over 5 million US dollars worldwide and was a huge hit overseas, especially in Europe and America, becoming one of the most popular movies among teenagers in Europe and America in recent years.

Its reputation isn't great, but it's incredibly popular.

How much are you planning to invest?

Zhang Yimou suddenly asked.

"The initial estimate is around 100 million yuan. 'The Wandering Earth' will be higher, after all, it's the first science fiction film made in China!"

The original investment for "Train to Busan" was 6000 million RMB, which was a relatively low cost.

Chen Jin mainly wants to develop a special effects team, which makes "Train to Busan" and "The Wandering Earth" very important.

"Going overseas isn't so easy!"

Zhang Yimou automatically ignored the domestic market, but Chen Jin actually wanted to test the limits of censorship, and he planned to set the location in Hong Kong.

"By the way, Daniel!"

Chen Jin looked at Meng Danqing and smiled, saying, "Is James Wan from 'Saw' a director signed with your company?"

Chen Jin suddenly asked.

"James Wan?"

Meng Danqing thought for a long time before suddenly realizing, "Oh, I know, Wen Ziren, right?"

"Yes, last year's 'Lurking,' he's a master at making horror and thriller films!"

During her filming in North America, Chen Jin made inquiries but couldn't find any connections, unless she used someone else; however, since Meng Danqing was a core member of CAA, she was sure she could find him.

The six major film companies and many film studios collaborate with CAA to find suitable directors, and Chen Jin didn't make a mistake in choosing them.

"He's a director who collaborates with CAA. Let me ask him if he's available this year!"

"That would be perfect!"

Chen Jin hadn't expected such an unexpected gain from the dinner party. She suddenly glanced at Zhang Mo beside her and couldn't help but ask, "Sister Mo, have you set your wedding date yet?"

Chen Jin had checked the couple's wedding date before, and it seemed to be in the next few days, so why... hadn't she heard anything about it?

Could it be that the change in the release date of "Jinling" created a butterfly effect?

This is entirely possible. Zhang Yimou is busy with the film's release, so it's normal for the wedding date to be postponed.

"I was just about to tell you, come over on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year!"

"must!"

"congratulations!"

Chen Jin chuckled, but Zhang Mo countered, "When are you guys going to?"

She laughed after saying that. Given Chen Jin and Zhu Yanmanz's ages, they were definitely far from getting married.

"No rush, let's wait until Xiao Zhu wins a few more Best Actress awards!"

"I didn't ask you, Manman!"

Zhang Mo began to change his tune, but Zhu Yanmanzi wasn't intimidated and smiled slightly: "I'll listen to Chen Jin!"

"Tsk, that's really boring..."

"My dad was practically your matchmaker!"

"Yes, I'll toast the matchmaker!"

Chen Jin picked up her wine glass, and everyone at the table laughed.

Only after they had almost finished eating did Zhang Yimou begin to talk to Chen Jin about some things related to "The Flowers of War".

(End of this chapter)