Generation Z Artists

Chapter 316 Collective Panic
"The mere Hulk has been utterly shattered by Astral Sanctus!"

Washington media outlets couldn't wait to declare victory and reintroduced Fang Xinghe's nickname, making it both childish and passionate.

But that's the truth, and it's not just empty boasting.

It's truly surprising that "The Incredible Hulk" couldn't beat "The Young Ones" in its third week.

Sony was overjoyed and mocked Universal: "My God, a super investment of over 2 million dollars can't beat a mere 2500 million dollar teen movie, that's hilarious, hahahahaha!"

The incident occurred at a charity gala hosted by Universal Pictures, held in the name of "The Incredible Hulk" to raise funds for children with leukemia.

In Hollywood, similar promotional campaigns are common. They involve eating, drinking, boasting, and making the news. It doesn't matter if they do some real work, as it can salvage their reputation and public image to some extent.

As a result, the executives at Universal were humiliated by Sony's close associates.

The filming of Hulk cost $1.37 million, plus at least $7500 million in marketing and promotion costs, making it visibly Universal's biggest disaster of the year.

If we exclude Fang Xinghe's salary, the production cost of "Young You" was less than $200 million, and the publicity and distribution cost has not exceeded $2000 million so far.

This makes Universal Music look like a joke.

Global Vice President Mark Schumacher was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he almost crushed his wine glass.

John Callie, feigning curiosity, said, "By the way, sir, I heard that you deliberately released 'The Hulk' on the 20th to try and sabotage 'Better Days' in its second week? Good idea."

The president of Sony gave a thumbs-up to express his admiration.

The words, though not harsh, caused Mark Schumacher to break down violently.

He said nothing, turned around and left the scene.

The global embarrassment and absurdity quickly became a source of amusement and made headlines in major newspapers.

A broken drum is beaten by everyone; in America, losers have no human rights.

"How dare they? That's an SR!"

A stand-up comedian adapted this story into a joke, which drew laughter from the audience.

"Because they couldn't agree on a price, they used their own key project to compete with SR. Crazy, why didn't he just go up and punch Tyson? At least he could have earned some money for medical expenses. Now look what happened, he has to pay for his own heart bypass surgery..."

The baby's breath was extremely proud, and its boasting and ridicule were everywhere on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Global Times must pay the price for their arrogance!"

"What bullshit superhero movies? SR is the eternal god!"

"I remember that Chairman Mark humiliated SR before 'Better Days' was released. Now let's see who the real clown is!"

"If I were the president of Universal, the first thing I'd do tomorrow would be to throw the resignation letter in front of Mark!"

If crushing the Hulk made all of America's fans feel triumphant, then when Charlie's Angels also fell at Fang Ge's feet, fans all over the world were ecstatic.

"Charlie's Angels" is the Chinese translation of "Charlie's Angels".

In the United States, its release was a huge success, which once made Starry Night very worried.

Sony was full of confidence, the premiere was star-studded, and they even wanted to invite Fang Xinghe to attend—but Fang refused.

"It's a pity that our good friend SR couldn't come due to scheduling conflicts."

The Sony vice president stood on the stage with a smile, seemingly unaffected.

"Hopefully, this minor competition won't affect our friendship. I mean, there's actually no direct conflict between us, and I hope the outside world will stop those unnecessary and meaningless speculations as soon as possible..."

The media thought so too, so on the opening day of "Charlie's Angels", they predicted that it would break "Young Love's" monopoly on the top spot.

As it turned out... Sony didn't disappoint, they pulled a huge stunt.

How bad was that movie?
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 34% and a Popcorn score of 27%, even Fang Ge (a famous Chinese TV host) was too lazy to criticize it. Disappointed and frustrated media outlets handled the whole thing, almost making Sony's crap out of them.

Over the weekend, Angels raked in 2400 million at the box office.

The best way to describe it is to strike a pose like a Kamehameha, but end up farting, or even just a faint, muffled fart.

Sony was bewildered: Something's not right. We strictly followed the successful elements of the first film and put in several times the effort to make this super-enhanced version, so how could it have failed so miserably?
Global Times is thrilled: Serves you right! You got what you deserved for mocking me!
Warner Bros. was shocked: Holy crap, Star River is something else, could they really be the chosen one?
The rest of Hollywood studios were furious: Damn it, you two are complete idiots! You can't even beat a foreigner when you're all bundled together, and you've given him a huge release window for nothing!
Sony, which was so arrogant just a couple of days ago, is now in a sorry state.

Now it's Universal's turn to retaliate—were you the one who laughed at me before? Come on, take a few steps and let's see!
Angels was targeted by the entire Hollywood industry and couldn't hold on for two days, dropping below $400 million on Sunday, failing to cause any trouble for Fang Ge.

Originally, the two films targeted completely different audiences. Even if Angels became popular, it wouldn't have affected "The Young Ones" much. But if Angels flopped, adult viewers who had nothing else to watch would have no choice but to turn to "The Young Ones".

Surprised? Delighted? Scary?
Sony: Damn it!

As of June 30, "Better Days" had been in theaters for 17 days. With its opening weekend and two full weeks, the situation for the North American summer movie season in June is now completely clear.

The top-grossing film in June: *American Dreams in America*

This super family-friendly animated film dominated the June market, leading by a huge margin with a total box office of $2.41 million.

Second place: *Better Days*

The anti-bullying movement continued to generate buzz, with box office takings of 4200 million in the opening weekend, 7000 million in the second week, and a rebound to 8300 million in the third week, for a total of 1.95 million.

Third place: The Green Dwarfs

The super IP, which was under intense pressure, suffered a crushing defeat, with a total box office of only 8600 million yuan, and a huge loss was expected.

Fourth place: Run Fast & Furious 2

The steady momentum was abruptly cut short by "You Are My Destiny," after which it lost its momentum, with both its popularity and box office revenue plummeting to a total of 7050 million.

Fifth place: Hehe Empire 2

The peak season has passed, and the company was least affected by "Better Days," leisurely reaping a remaining box office of 3280 million yuan in the cracks. Warner executives are chuckling to themselves and preparing to hold a celebration banquet.

Sixth place: *The Angel in the Insert*

He fell headfirst into the ground as soon as he appeared on screen, his upper body buried halfway down. The total box office was 2400 million.

……

On July 1st, the review was published, and "Young You" once again returned to the world's spotlight.

Conquering Hollywood is something that all non-English films dream of but can never achieve, no matter how hard they try.

"Better Days" failed to win the monthly crown and was not particularly outstanding during the entire summer season, seemingly unworthy of the word "conquer".

But it generates a lot of buzz.

Finding Nemo generated less than half the buzz of The Young Ones, and throughout the year, only The Matrix Reloaded could rival it.

As a result, the overseas market belatedly experienced a surge in demand.

"Less Than You" was released simultaneously worldwide, and whether it became a hit or not should not have been a matter of timing.

Actually, this problem can be understood in a different way—

The original "Young You" attracted its target audience by relying on its own quality and fame.

The current "Les Young" is relying on the halo of conquering Hollywood to attract a large number of non-target audiences.

New viewers are simply following the trend, joining in the fun, and looking for something new. They don't care about the theme or the lead actors; they just watch it because everyone around them is watching it, so they go with the flow.

Therefore, after entering July, the North American market began to shrink, while the overseas market experienced a slight decline.

Of course, the combined box office revenue of all other regions in the world did not surpass that of Japan and South Korea.

As of June 30, Japan firmly held the second position on the list.

The box office totaled 175.1 ​​billion yen, approximately 1.3 million US dollars, and it has the potential for a very long run.

It can't compare to the Japanese box office monster "Spirited Away", but it's destined to break into the top five in film history, and there's even a possibility of it entering the top three.

The Japanese community absolutely loves this movie.

The most upvoted comment online is: "Hurry up and adapt it into a TV series! 100 minutes is simply not enough! If Fang Jun and Fei Jiang could star in it, I would die happy."

There was absolutely no bias, just pure enthusiasm.

Bullying plus redemption is exactly what they like. Good heavens, Fang Xinghe hasn't even officially gone to the Japanese region for a roadshow and promotion yet, which is driving the Japanese girls crazy.

South Korea is naturally third on the list.

In fact, the South Korean film market is still not very large, with only one film, "Hero," reaching the threshold of 10 million viewers.

As a result, "Young You" was even more popular than "Hero".

The $6500 million box office was disproportionate, broke all South Korean film history records, sparked several large-scale protests, and remained at the center of attention.

Most interestingly, on June 24, a bullying incident at a school in Gwangju resulted in a death, instantly igniting the anger of all South Koreans.

In fact, similar incidents happen several times a year in South Korea, but they never cause much of a stir.

This time, Chun Chun was just using the situation as an excuse to vent her frustrations. Perhaps everyone had been holding back for too long.

A few days later, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Seoul, chanting Fang Xinghe's slogans from the Japanese conference, demanding that the government legislate to protect the safety of underage students on campus.

They held banners, slogans, and posters of Fang Xinghe, forming a massive wave.

Only children with hearts full of love can save our world!

"Better and better."

"Take action! Make the world a better place!" "Save the children!"

"Walk on the flower path, not the mud!"

The news, along with the images, spread throughout the world, and in an instant, Fang Ge's influence soared to unprecedented heights.

CNN exclaimed enthusiastically: "Let's congratulate Warner Bros., the biggest winner of the summer!"

How did they win?

Trust Star River, sit back and sip some red wine, leave all the important matters to SR, get a good night's sleep, and then you can start preparing for the celebration party!

Meanwhile, let us observe three minutes of silence for the poor Universal and Sony.

Even now, I still can't believe they actually rejected SR's advances... Hahaha! It's hilarious!

CNN is definitely not the only one gloating. There is no camaraderie among the six major media outlets; it's all about the pleasure of "better to die than be killed."

Those who didn't make money are certainly pitiful, but who can be more tragic than Universal and Sony?
To have a teen movie step on your head like that, I'm so jealous my period has turned green...

Meanwhile, Hollywood hasn't forgotten Fang Ge, who successfully snatched chestnuts from the fire.

Film Weekly published a long article, praising the new god in an extremely nauseating way.

The gist of it is that "Better Days" has already broken dozens of Hollywood records and is still going strong, and Star River is already a master, etc.

The Directors Guild of China emphasized that "Better Days" not only has unexpected commercial value, but also has great potential to win awards, and will surely become a major contender for this year's Oscars.

Fun fact: Winning awards at the three major European competitions is a very effective path to the Olympics.

The best example is "Parasite," which won the Palme d'Or and then represented South Korea at the Oscars, ultimately winning four awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Foreign Language Film.

Now, allies are very optimistic about Fang Xinghe's chances of winning the Oscar again, and are even taking out loans to promote him.

Even the head of the online army dared not dream that much—"Hero" had already offended Hollywood liberals badly, and if they didn't do something big next year, they would be in serious trouble.

Kuku gives a bunch of nominations, tricks his buddies into going to the scene to kill, generates buzz and then buries them... Do you think they can't do it?

They're so good at this!

So when he was interviewed, Fang Ge acted like a saint.

"Awards? Those are not my consideration. The value of 'Less You' lies not in how many awards it has won, but in its ability to spread discussion, raise awareness, and build consensus."

I am gratified to see that the world has increased its attention to the issue of school bullying. Young people are either reflecting on their actions, letting go of their feelings, or becoming more aware of the problem. Some have mustered the courage to fight back, while others have reached out to the vulnerable. This is good, and it is better than anything else!
So, let others have my award. I don't need those things. All I need is for you to continue speaking out for this..."

The beautiful reporter burst into tears on the spot.

He really... I'm so upset!

WarnerMedia's media outlets immediately used this as a headline, praising Fang Ge's loyalty and dedication.

"Precisely because he was a child who had been rained on, when he emerged from the mud, he wholeheartedly held up an umbrella for those who came after him..."

Praise them, all of you, praise them!

Since praising Fang Sheng is the politically correct thing to do right now, the Actors Association is not to be outdone and sings praises to his pursuit of acting.

"Only an extremely devout mindset can give rise to the ultimate passion for performance. Star River's rigorous practice, extracted from the Ge Pie, has opened up a new path for the performance system. For beginners who have aspirations but lack talent, the Fang Pie has a bright future..."

If the previous praise was just for show, then the emergence of the "Fang faction" solidly made Fang Xinghe a god in the eyes of new Hollywood actors.

Throughout Hollywood, there are at least 30 actors who have recently entered the industry or are aspiring to enter it.

Or to put it more dramatically, every young man and woman flocking to Los Angeles probably harbors a dream of becoming a star.

They don't care about all that nonsense; they're only focused on one opportunity.

However, opportunities are often present, but seizing them is difficult.

Hollywood is full of extra work, training courses, theaters, and film and television auditions. Getting into the industry is very easy. However, there is a threshold to becoming a registered member of the Screen Actors Guild—you have to have played a supporting role in a serious film or television series.

From extra to supporting actor, this step can be skipped quickly either by physical talent or by slowly honing one's acting skills.

In low-level jobs, the unspoken rules are all out in the open. If you have good looks and are willing to make sacrifices, or if you have the ability and are willing to work hard, you can guarantee that you can make a living.

Acting is a skill that requires a lot of talent. The mainstream in Hollywood is the method school, which is because it is quick to learn and does not require as much talent.

And now, an unorthodox path that requires even less talent has suddenly become a sensation.

It differs from any previous performance genre, boasting a clear and impressive track record, concrete practical methods, and the support of industry heavyweights...

So, just how much do those foolish newcomers really want to become disciples of the Fang family?
I'm afraid no one could have imagined it.

Perhaps, it won't be until the dust settles and Master Fang's book is published that Hollywood will be shocked to realize that so many newcomers are worshipping the founder of heretical sects.

……

Until July 9th, Hollywood and even the entire United States were immersed in this clamor.

Since there's really nothing worth writing about in terms of film, and there isn't a single decent competitor, the media can only make a fuss about the scraps.

Furthermore, fortune and misfortune are intertwined; where there is praise, there will naturally be criticism.

Fang Xinghe's explosive rise to fame has caused a stir among many people, with several well-known film critics publicly criticizing his achievements.

The most typical comment is that "youth films are too low-class and not mainstream."

Domestic media outlets immediately reacted strongly to these comments.

"This is just Fang Xinghe's comfort zone. Looking at all his works, they all revolve within the framework of youth, using his own experiences as material to force a profound and painful narrative."

Lacking both the depth of humanities and history, and the breadth of reality, the author's shallowness is evident. Once he departs from the theme of youth, his creative well dwindles, and his talent is clearly exhausted!

Many fans are confused: Brother Fang has proven his abilities, so what are you all talking about?

That's so naive.

In America, lying through your teeth is the norm. Even if Yege descended to earth, he would be found fault with everything. Who do you think you are, Xiao Fang?

Domestic media outlets followed suit, abandoning all sense of shame and disregarding the facts.

Don't think it's useless; some people actually believe this story.

With a domestic box office of 1.6 million RMB, a bunch of idiots mocked Fang Xinghe, saying that "he's shown his true colors without Zhang Yimou and Zhang Jie," "his personal ceiling is nothing special," "he has obviously regressed," "he can't even beat an animated film," and "he doesn't deserve to be compared with real great directors."

The potential of "Young Love" cannot be compared with that of "Hero". Even under the most ideal circumstances, it will only gross a little over $5 million and will not be able to enter the top 40 of film history.

If it weren't for the support from Japan and South Korea who donated kidneys, this subject matter would probably have struggled to even reach 3 million.

The situation in China is very clear. Even with millions of die-hard fans watching it three, five, or eight times, it still took a lot of effort to reach 1.5 million views.

It's not just China; in fact, most developing countries don't really appreciate "The Young Ones"—why should I spend money to go to the cinema when I can just watch pirated versions?
Therefore, while "Young Love" was a hit, it clearly didn't reach the level of "Hero" or "The Matrix".

This is the fundamental difference between grand scenes and delicate details.

If "Titanic" relied solely on its romantic framework and the thrilling, large-scale disaster scenes, it wouldn't have become the highest-grossing film of all time.

The domestic release of "Less You" has reached its limit.

Not to mention Hong Kong and Taiwan, the total doesn't even reach 3000 million.

So the situation became quite magical.

Both Japan and South Korea elevated "Les Young" to god-like status, but the difference was that the Japanese government intentionally downplayed Fang Xinghe's personal image, while South Korea practically wanted to acknowledge him as their father.

The West is basically 60/40 in favor of the West, with more praise than criticism, employing a strategy of first creating gods and then destroying them.

Domestically, however, a toxic atmosphere prevailed, with Hong Kong and Taiwanese media, along with mainland-funded media, nitpicking and finding fault from every angle.

Fang Xinghe knew the reason very well: they were afraid.

And I'm getting more and more afraid.

Anyone with eyes can see what it means to have managed a campus youth film to this extent, but this is precisely the point they are least likely to admit.

Now that we know what they're thinking, what to do next is naturally quite simple.

It is advisable to chase the poor with the courage of the left, but not to be the overlord.

Save money: Chase after them and beat them up!
Fang's approach was very simple; without any micromanagement, he simply made a phone call to the head of the education department.

"The movie did well, and now that I have money, I plan to expand the scholarship fund to two or three more provinces."

He only talked about this one thing, and did nothing else.

Don't underestimate the heroes of the world; there are plenty of intelligent people out there.

The education authorities quickly issued a document: organize students nationwide to watch the film "Better Days" to raise awareness of school bullying.

Tens of millions of students once again flooded into movie theaters.

After a few days of quiet observation by the research institutions and film critics, who watched the box office performance of "Better Days" after July and found nothing unexpected, with the film steadily declining, they finally dared to jump out and make wild pronouncements.

Good heavens! Before Terminator 3 was even released, overseas box office news came in again—Better Days has once again reversed its decline!
Hollywood is completely stunned, while Wall Street has jumped out.

The headline was shocking—

Star River's commercial value is already unparalleled globally!

Putting everything else aside, just look at the $12 billion box office from these two movies—aren't you worried?!
(End of this chapter)