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

Chapter 420 Premiere: A Star-Studded Event!

Chen Jin's new Hollywood film, *John Wick*, is now available for pre-order!

"Reaching 5000 million in 2 days, another seed-type contender is coming this summer!"

The global premiere of "John Wick" today at the luxurious five-star Waffle House Hotel in Beijing!

"Painted Skin 2" Box Office Surpasses 15.4 Billion Yuan!

……

Chen Jin sat on her way to Wangfujing, browsing industry news from the past two days on her phone.

The car was a Porsche-sponsored vehicle specially for the premiere, and the entire process of the premiere of "John Wick" had been arranged by the electronics company.

As of 5 p.m. just now, pre-orders for "John Wick" have exceeded 6500 million.

In less than three days of pre-sales, "The Fast and the Furious" ranked third among the films starring Chen Jin, second only to "So Young" and "Nanjing". However, unlike the other two, "The Fast and the Furious" achieved its box office success entirely due to Chen Jin's personal fame and promotion.

It can also be said that this film is the clearest demonstration of Chen Jin's box office appeal.

The success of films like "So Young" and "Nanjing" largely benefited from their release dates and the fame of Zhang Yimou and Christian Bale.

Therefore, the fact that "John Wick" has this pre-sale has actually far exceeded many people's expectations.

Many market analysts estimate that the final box office of the movie "John Wick" is very likely to exceed 10 billion.

This confirms the rumor that Chen Jin brings in 10 billion yuan in box office revenue.

For investors, this is definitely a solid achievement.

If Chen Jin didn't have the opportunity to work at the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), he wouldn't have to worry about his salary and investment for his next film based on "The Fast and the Furious." There would be plenty of people hoping that Chen Jin would make films that they would invest in.

In the capital market, whoever makes money is the boss, and Chen Jin currently has absolute power over box office performance.

In mainland China, he truly became the number one in the domestic entertainment box office market.

However, Chen Jin's ambitions are clearly not limited to this.

10 billion? Well, that's just a small goal in his mind.

His ultimate goal, of course, is to claim the throne of the highest-grossing film in mainland China, not just this year, but in history.

How can one year be enough?
He's already won the World Championship last year and this year.

The highest-grossing film in mainland China in history—that's what Chen Jin was really after.

Just like "The Flowers of War" and "So Young"; because the current record holder is the one he starred in, "The Flowers of War"!
Unfortunately, he wasn't the male lead, so Chen Jin still harbored some resentment towards him.

In any case, for a film that has made history in mainland China, shouldn't his name be the male lead?

Otherwise, why would he go through all that trouble to travel to Hollywood and make such a film?

There must have been some considerations behind this.

"Brother Jin, we've arrived at Wangfujing!"

The driver spoke to Chen Jin, who looked at the fully prepared premiere venue for "John Wick," which was set up in front of the Waldorf Hotel, which was scheduled to open for trial operation at the end of the year.

The reason why this world-renowned luxury hotel was chosen as the premiere venue for "John Wick" is that the Waldorf Astoria was selected as one of the most important filming locations in the movie.

It sponsored the film, though not a large sum.

As the second Waldorf Astoria in China and the fourth in the Asia-Pacific region, Chen Jin naturally had to show her support and hold the premiere there.

The goal is twofold: to promote the movie and to promote the hotel. It's a win-win situation.

If we stick to the mainland hotel theme, we might even use this location as the filming location for a future Chinese version of the "John Wick" sequel.

Moreover, they complement each other perfectly.

Because this Waldorf Astoria Beijing branch, which will have a very distinctive local character for the capital, is located in Jinyu Hutong, east of Wangfujing, now known as "Jinbao Street".

Completely different from the modern style of Manhattan with its towering skyscrapers, it has a strong ancient Chinese style.

The four hutong suites are located in two beautiful courtyard houses, offering a delightful hutong living experience.

The premiere was held in two courtyards, and numerous industry veterans, film critics, and film fans were invited.

This place was originally the site of Xianliang Temple, where powerful officials of the late Qing Dynasty lived for a long time in Beijing. It can be considered a historical building.

It's obviously perfect for taking pictures.

However, the hotel is not yet open for business. The interior renovation is underway, and deodorization and other preparations are still needed. It is expected that it will be open for occupancy around next year.

"Have the reporters arrived?"

Accompanied by security guards, Chen Jin arrived backstage at the premiere, where Chen Su and several others, along with the marketing department staff, were conducting final checks before the premiere.

"They've arrived and settled in. The live stream will officially start at 5:30. The invited guests will arrive around that time too!"

Han Sanpin is definitely coming. As the sole distributor of "John Wick" in mainland China, the expedited review and release date were largely thanks to the strong support of China Film Group.

A 52% share of screenings on the first day is enough to show that China Film Group has high hopes for this film.

"Painted Skin 2" obviously didn't get this treatment at the beginning; it also started with a 35% share of screenings and gradually increased its popularity.

Besides several leaders from China Film Group, Zhang Yimou, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Ning Hao, and others were also invited, as were Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, and other industry insiders and classmates.

These are considered to be the direct descendants of CETC, or people who have cooperated with CETC and have good personal relationships with Chen Jin.

Film critics, audience members, moviegoers, and fans will also enter the venue before the premiere begins at 7 p.m. As for the stars of "John Wick," especially Hollywood actor Enquist who plays the villainous mob boss, he was also invited to the event.

He's not a big star and not very well-known in Hollywood, but Chinese moviegoers these days just love that.

Whenever a Hollywood star comes, everyone thinks they're a big star.

There were also Wan Qian, Wu Jing, and several other foreign actors.

The entire premiere lasted for about three hours. Tomorrow at midnight, "John Wick" will have its midnight screenings, and many cinemas across China will also hold preview screenings tomorrow.

Three days later, at 8 a.m. on August 10th, "John Wick" will officially hit theaters across China and be released nationwide.

This is a release schedule that Chen Jin discussed with the marketing department of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC).

Today's premiere and midnight screenings are the first wave of word-of-mouth for the film; the subsequent preview screenings will help the film gain wider recognition, and it would be best if Douban, Mtime, and Weibo could release ratings first, so that "John Wick" can quickly sweep across audiences after its official release.

If it scores 8 points or higher, the film's box office is guaranteed, and the opening day's estimate will exceed the current figure.

Currently, many people are speculating that "John Wick" will barely break 100 million on its opening day, and may not even reach 100 million. The target is expected to be between 80 and 90 million, so the final box office figure may not even reach 1 billion!
These are all deductions derived from the pre-sale figures.

"Hey Chan, we're not late, are we?"

John W.N.C., who had specially grown a beard and dressed up meticulously, smiled and gave Chen Jin a deep hug.

He got off the plane last night and was put up in a nearby hotel. Of course, besides him, there were several other actors from "John Wick" also there.

Everyone greeted Chen Jin.

"Of course not, you were very punctual, and so was Allen, they were even early!"

Chen Jin, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, stood radiantly at the premiere entrance, greeting the invited guests. "I'll go in first!"

Enquist patted Chen Jin on the shoulder, and Chen Jin smiled: "Just follow the staff, they'll take care of everything for you!"

"understand!"

The Enquist group, guided by the master of ceremonies, took their seats.

Then, Chen Jin saw Wan Qian being photographed by countless reporters as she walked confidently towards Chen Jin.

She was wearing a "John Wick" themed T-shirt and sunglasses, and her every move exuded star quality.

A short while later, Wu Jing, looking relaxed, was also wearing a suit, accompanied by his new girlfriend, Xie Nan, who was also the host of the premiere of "John Wick". The two gracefully stepped out of the Cayenne.

"Brother Jin, you've worked hard!"

Wu Jing greeted Chen Jin with a grin, while Xie Nan, standing beside her, smiled and said, "It's truly an honor to be greeted by the most popular guy in the country right now, Brother Jin!"

"Could anything be more shocking than the two of you together?"

Chen Jin also joked, and the two chatted for a few words before Zhang Yimou and his family got out of the car.

Pang Liwei, Zhang Mo, and her husband.

One after another, Chen Jin, like a newlywed, invited each guest who came to the premiere to the venue.

Han Sanpin, in particular, would definitely have to sit in the main seat.

His friends and classmates in the industry didn't care; they were all there to support him.

Finally, those who entered were many well-known film critics invited from the industry, as well as some lucky fans and moviegoers who were selected.

Chen Jin checked the time; it was almost 6:30, and the premiere would officially begin in half an hour.

After speaking with the security guards and several heads of the electrical engineering department, Chen Jin headed towards the premiere venue.

Everything is ready, except for the final push.

The premiere will undoubtedly be a high-profile affair, and several major domestic portals and emerging social media platforms, including Sina, Tencent, and Weibo, will be broadcasting the entire event live.

"Alright, everyone, welcome to the premiere of Chen Jin's self-written, self-directed, and self-acted violent action blockbuster debut, 'John Wick'!"

"Let's welcome the new director—Chen Jin!"

Xie Nan had changed into a smart business suit and stood at the premiere, delivering his opening remarks in both English and Chinese.

clap clap clap!
Amidst applause, Chen Jin, dressed in a cool black suit like the protagonist Long in "John Wick," walked from the backstage passage onto the stage.

In an instant, countless people screamed again, including Deng Chao and a few other comedians, as well as a group of movie fans.

It can be said that Chen Jin looks even more manly now than in the stills of Long in "John Wick". She seems to have an innate aura when she walks, and she is very charming.

Besides the positive influence of his growing fame, the main reason for this is to announce to the outside world that he has now transformed into an action actor.

Compared to the naive Lao San she played in "Under the Hawthorn Tree" a couple of years ago, Mo Sanmei in "Life's Big Events" has undergone a dramatic change in temperament and appearance, making her instantly recognizable to the audience.

If Lao San represents the youthful innocence of school days, and Mo Sanmei is a highlight of acting skills, then Long, in the present moment, is a complete killer, a thug in a suit.

"Oh oh oh~~~~"

Countless people cheered, and many were clearly taken aback by Chen Jin's drastically altered appearance.

This is one of the advantages of actors not being in the public eye often.

A sudden change in a character in a movie can instantly pique the audience's interest.

In particular, Chen Jin's transformation from an art-house film star to an action star has aroused even more curiosity among the audience and some of the guests present.

"This kid has really changed a lot!"

"I almost didn't recognize her at the door just now, she's gotten so much bigger..."

Han Sanpin said to Zhang Yimou sitting next to him, and Zhang Yimou smiled and said, "Me too, you can't see the artistic side of him at all, even though he once won the Venice Film Festival Best Actor award!"

"I'm scared to even look at it a few times now!"

"Hahaha!"

The two couldn't help but laugh offstage, and many people were whispering among themselves, the topic of which was Chen Jin's kung fu star look.

"Should I call you Director Chen or Brother Jin?"

Xie Nan joked along, while Chen Jin, holding the microphone, laughed and said, "It's fine, I don't mind being called Xiao Chen. Everyone here is my senior, teacher, and senior!"

"Let's talk about Jin-ge's change in appearance!"

"My God, I almost didn't recognize her. Is this really the Mo Sanmei I remember who won the Venice Film Festival Best Actor award?"

Xie Nan voiced the doubts of many people present.

This is, of course, an important part of the premiere.

By using this design to connect to the character and then telling the story, the audience watching the premiere live can be interested.

Chen Su, who was watching the pre-sale figures backstage, could clearly feel the growth rate of Dida's pre-sale box office.

That's the purpose of a premiere.

It will make many people who are unaware of Chen Jin's new film release aware of this movie; and it will encourage viewers who are interested in the movie but have not yet decided whether to go to see it to pay for tickets.

For movie lovers, it further attracts their desire to watch movies.

"Has it changed much?"

Chen Jin smiled, looked at her appearance, and said modestly, "I think it's alright?"

"That's what you think. If you said you won Best Actor like that, I guarantee a lot of people wouldn't believe you!"

"Ha ha!"

The audience laughed.

"Okay, getting back to the point, did you train like this specifically for this new movie, 'John Wick'?"

"Yes, it's mainly for the role!"

"I think that besides being curious about your dramatic physical transformation, another thing the audience and guests really want to know is whether you can actually fight?"

Xie Nan strictly followed the script they had prepared beforehand, asking, "Did you learn martial arts specifically for this movie?"

"of course not!"

"Actually, I have martial arts training!"

wow——

These words clearly caused an uproar among the audience, including film critics.

(End of this chapter)