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

Chapter 440 A World-Shaking News!

"I'm willing to admit that Jin Chan is the fourth person after Bruce, Jackie, and Jet!"

"That was so satisfying! Is he the next generation of kung fu superstar in China?"

"As far as I know, this movie is an action film that Chen Jin directed, wrote, and starred in all by herself in Hollywood. Respect!"

"A very exciting and exhilarating revenge movie. I wonder if there really is such a killer in this world who knows Chinese-Kung Fu?"

"Oh my god, I've fallen in love with this lead actor! His action scenes and gunplay are so cool!"

"..."

The film received a flood of positive reviews on major North American film review websites, and unlike the professional reviews from media professionals, these comments clearly showed that the reviewers liked the film.

Just like in its previous life, John Wick had a large number of die-hard fans.

Moreover, Chen Jin finally understood why "Killer: Dragon" could achieve a high score of 8.3 even on a strict rating website like IMDb: it was simply because... there were too many Chinese reviewers.

This score was boosted by Chinese people.

In these North American countries, there are sophisticated and self-serving Chinese nationalists, as well as those who have a strong sense of belonging to China and are Chinese citizens.

And since there's a movie made by action actors from China, they obviously have to support it no matter what.

If a movie happens to be to my liking and well-made, it would be only natural to give it a perfect score right away, so this 8.3 rating is fresh off the press.

"Looks like my strategy was right!"

Although China is not as powerful as it will be in the future, the sense of belonging among overseas Chinese is clearly growing stronger.

Record-breaking domestic promotion, coupled with a large-scale marketing campaign in North America and a premiere in 3000 theaters, meant that even though "Killer: Dragon" didn't become a box office smash, it still achieved very good results in midnight screenings and on its opening day.

"Today's box office should be much better than we predicted!"

"Film reviews on several North American websites are still quite useful for some film enthusiasts!"

Kavanaugh said on the phone that Chen Jin wasn't so optimistic, mainly because she was scared by tonight's midnight TV programming.

His expectations were too high at first.

Let's stick to the 600 million guaranteed box office that Kavanaugh mentioned yesterday, and see if it can break 2000 million in the opening weekend and reach 3500 million in the final box office!
Once you understand these things, you won't have the worry of overestimating your abilities at the beginning.

Chen Jin also took some time to write the script for "Hitman 2," and Kavanaugh didn't call her again until that evening.

We can roughly deduce the box office results for "The Killer" today.

Just as Kavanaugh predicted, the first-day box office exceeded the expected figure for the midnight screenings, reaching approximately 900 million!
Especially starting in the afternoon, the upward trend experienced significant fluctuations.

"Chan, I think we can celebrate!"

"Nearly 900 million on the first day, and it might reach 3500 million by the first weekend!!"

"I'm so excited! If this is the case, this movie might reach 8000 million or even more!"

Kavanaugh was incredibly excited on the other end of the phone, while Chen Jin remained calm: "Ryan, I don't think we can be too happy yet. The midnight screenings are good proof of that. I think the surge in afternoon screenings is more likely due to the Chinese audience than North American moviegoers!"

Kavanaugh: "..."

"Okay, I did get a little carried away. The main problem is that the marketing department analyzed for the midnight showing and said we could only reach 600 million today!"

"I never expected it to be close to 900 million!"

Kavanaugh laughed, and Chen Jin nodded as well: "We'll have to see tomorrow and the day after; the box office prediction for the opening weekend should be more accurate!"

"Yes, we'll see tomorrow or the day after!"

"If there isn't a significant price increase, then it's the Chinese community that's making the difference!"

Generally, the first weekend in North America is three days, from Friday to Sunday, and the weekend itself usually lasts longer than Friday, although there are exceptions; and the more popular and well-known the IP, the more precise these exceptions become.

For example, a movie like "The Avengers" would definitely have many die-hard fans who would rush to see it immediately.

So, "The Avengers" sold $1900 million in midnight screenings and a whopping $1.19 million on its opening day, but its box office on Saturday and Sunday was lower than that on Friday.

However, for films without IP (intellectual property) appeal, viewership on weekends is definitely much higher than on Fridays.

This is a convention followed worldwide.

As expected, Kavanaugh's prediction was too optimistic.

On Saturday, Chen Jin continued the promotional tour with the "Killer" team, but today's North American box office was not much better than yesterday's. It seemed to be growing rapidly in the morning, but slowed down in the evening.

Saturday's box office reached 941 million, while Sunday's only reached 860 million, which was less than Friday's.

"It seems that the main force behind this is the Chinese community!"

"Market forecasts cannot be deduced using normal methods..."

Kavanaugh spoke with a bitter tone on the phone, and Chen Jin smiled helplessly: "Yes, but this result is much better than when we first came out from the midnight show!"

"Your estimate at the time was 2000 million for the first weekend?"

"Haha, yes, the first weekend grossed over 2600 million, which actually exceeded our initial estimate!"

If it doesn't reach 3000, then 8000 million or even 1 million is probably impossible.

However, Chen Jin still achieved one thing.

It should be a sure thing that it surpasses the North American box office of its predecessor, John Wick, and it's estimated to reach over 4000 million by next weekend.

Ultimately, 5000 million shouldn't be a problem, but 6000 million depends on the film's "sustainability"!
If word-of-mouth continues to spread, 7000 is a possibility.

However, going even higher is probably unrealistic, as the summer movie season in North America is over, and the off-season is coming up.

"7000 million, that's enough!"

After hanging up the phone with Kavanaugh, Chen Jin started laughing.

Although he hoped to break the record set by "The Golden City" in North America, such as reaching 100 million, "The Golden City" had Bale, while "The Killer" relied solely on him to carry the film, which is quite different.

"Let's see when it's available on streaming!"

"First, build up your reputation!"

If the film grosses $7000 million in North America, coupled with a surge in streaming sales, Chen Jin's popularity in North America should gradually increase.

Even if he doesn't reach the level of Jet Li, he's definitely better than Chow Yun-fat and others.

At least Chen Jin can guarantee that the box office and streaming success of "The Killer" will be enough to make him somewhat popular.

"Remake, preparing for the next film!"

Chen Jin opened his phone, preparing to have someone book a plane ticket, as he would be returning to the "Hong Kong Trip" film crew in a few days.

The promotional tour for "The Killer" in North America is almost over, so there's no need for him to go to Europe next. Before he becomes famous in Hollywood, there's really no point in promoting it in other regions.

Only by establishing global brand recognition can you achieve a certain increase in box office revenue when you participate in local promotional activities.

Otherwise, you can only wait for the local publisher to make arrangements.

Chen Jin predicts that "The Killer" should also make some money in Europe. Excluding the box office in mainland China and North America, it can bring in more than 1 million US dollars!

It can definitely sell for 3000 million in Europe.

The global distribution of Relativity is handled by Universal, a very mature distribution channel that ensures The Killer gets better screenings; if it can gross over 7000 million in North America, it will definitely see a certain increase in Europe as well.

With its popularity in mainland China, "The Killer" should be able to achieve a decent global box office this time.

buzzing-

Just as Chen Jin was about to go to sleep, his phone suddenly vibrated.

A very unexpected phone call.

Vin Diesel.

"What did this guy want on the phone?"

Chen Jin frowned slightly, but still pressed the answer button: "Hi, Fan!"

"Haha, Chan, did I disturb your rest?" "No, no, you know my new movie is releasing these days!"

"learn!"

Vin Diesel laughed and said, "I've actually been following it. A new film that grossed nearly $3000 million in its opening weekend is actually a pretty good result!"

"Thank you!"

"You deserve this box office performance. I have high hopes for the movie 'The Killer'!"

"..."

This guy started praising people.

It must be admitted that Americans are indeed adept at expressing emotions, which may be related to their upbringing.

"Okay, the main reason I called was to ask if you were interested in my previous proposal."

"Fast & Furious 6?"

Chen Jin hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

"Of course, filming starts next month. If you get the role, your schedule can be rescheduled!"

Vin Diesel was being very polite.

Chen Jin smiled and said, "Could you show me the script first?"

"Are there still audition roles?"

It wouldn't be good to refuse outright.

"Of course, if you're interested, we can meet next week. I'll have a few other producers and people from the Screen Actors Guild come over!"

Informal auditions are quite normal in Hollywood.

"Okay, thank you for your support!"

"I really hope to work with you and join our Fast & Furious family!"

"Ha ha!"

Both of them laughed on the phone.

Even after hanging up the phone, Chen Jin was still quite puzzled. Vin Diesel was being too proactive; it felt like something was fishy!

With that in mind, Chen Jin didn't hesitate and immediately called Kavanaugh.

"Chan, what's wrong?"

I thought you were asleep!

Kavanaugh yawned on the other end of the phone, and Chen Jin pouted and said, "I was about to go to sleep, but I got a call. Guess who called?"

"How would I know... Universal?!"

Kavanaugh suddenly realized what was happening and sat bolt upright in bed: "Is it them?"

"I don't know if it counts, but it's Vin Diesel!"

"That's it!"

"Hahaha!"

Kavanaughed excitedly: "Universal has compromised! Those bastards kept me hanging for days, but it seems they have a new plan inside!"

"How to say?"

Chen Jin was quite annoyed by this guy; the riddle-maker really deserves to die!

"Remember what I told you before about 'Hitman 2'? I pitched it to all the Big Six and Lionsgate, seeking collaboration!"

"Now, it must be the box office performance of 'The Killer' that has made them give up their illusions about acquiring the company!"

"Understood!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin immediately understood the logic behind it.

Initially, Universal wanted to acquire the Hitman IP, including its subsequent development.

Therefore, Vin Diesel's invitation to Chen Jin to star in "Fast & Furious 6" was a form of resource exchange.

But as Kavanaugh's promotion progressed, things started to take a turn for the worse. First, the explosive box office success of "The Killer" in mainland China forced Universal to pay attention to the enormous commercial value of Chen Jin in China.

Subsequently, the success of "Hitman" in North America, with its opening weekend grossing nearly 3000 million, was already a guarantee of its quality.

In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Chen Jin will gain some popularity in North America.

At this point, Universal clearly felt that Chen Jin's participation in "Fast & Furious 6" was enough to qualify her for the role.

Yes, the opening weekend results for "The Killer" in North America, coupled with its box office of over 20 billion RMB in mainland China, have forced Universal to take Chen Jin seriously.

That's the logic.

The key point is that Universal doesn't actually lose money; Universal can also make money from Kavanaugh's collaboration on "Hitman 2".

This involves an exchange of interests among multiple parties.

"Global should call me tomorrow. I'll ask them for you!"

"That should be the logic!"

As Kavanaugh was talking, Chen Jin said with some surprise, "I'm already planning to book my plane ticket to Hong Kong. 'Hong Kong Trip' is waiting for me to start filming!"

"We definitely need to go through the audition process, and we also need to finalize the Hitman 2 project!"

"If Universal can really agree, it will be a good thing for you!"

This means that we've accomplished two major things at the same time: Hitman 2 and Fast & Furious 6.

Originally, Chen Jin was definitely not interested in Fast & Furious 6.

However, if Hitman 2 is a global collaboration, taking on the role wouldn't be a bad thing for Chen Jin; on the contrary, given the global IP effect of Fast & Furious 6, getting a good role could very well lead to her becoming popular in North America.

That's the power of a major IP.

Of course, Universal also wanted to use Chen Jin to boost box office sales in China.

This is mutually beneficial.

"Let me take a look at the script first. If the role is too bad, I don't think it's worth it!"

Chen Jin spoke the truth.

"Of course, we're in control now!"

Kavanaugh casually shrugged.

The box office performance of "The Killer" in its opening weekend truly shocked Universal. This film, which had little fame and few leading actors, managed to gross $7000 million in North America, which definitely demonstrates its strength and the film's excellence.

If Universal can participate in this project, and with a full-fledged marketing campaign for "Hitman 2" and a premiere in over 5000 theaters, then a box office of $2 million is definitely not a dream.

Global Times will certainly take this into consideration.

Having Chen Jin participate in a role in "Fast & Furious 6" incurs no cost, but instead leads to a collaboration with "Hitman 2" and the Chinese market for "Fast & Furious 6." This deal is indeed worthwhile.

Chen Jin, on the other hand, couldn't resist such a temptation either.

It's not about the characters in "Fast & Furious 6," that's just a small part of the benefit; the most important thing is the background of "Hitman 2," which will change from the collaboration between CETC and Relativity to a partnership between Universal and CETC.

This is like a cross-border collaboration between two world-class giants, one domestic and one international. Once the deal is finalized, it will be major news worldwide.

Based on this point alone, Hitman 2 is on a much higher level than Hitman 1.

The six major Hollywood studios are still different.

(End of this chapter)