Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 276: Domestic Entertainment First, "Flu" Second Big Hit
"Take the young master?!"

"156 countries? 20 regions?"

"...My goodness, how many countries are there in the world again...?"

"Pinch me, am I dreaming?"

"..."

inside the room.

The creators of "Flu" were not unaware that the film's performance and feedback after its global premiere yesterday were extremely positive. However... even with high expectations, they never imagined, nor dared to imagine, that so many rights could be sold overnight.

156 countries, what does that even mean?
Of the 197 countries worldwide that universally recognize the novel, "Flu" sold its rights to 156 countries overnight…

what does this mean?
Do you even know what a "world premiere" means?

Yes, other domestic entertainment films are all just bragging every day. As long as they participate in an international film festival, they blindly market themselves as having a "world premiere".

As for how many copyrights were sold... don't ask, they say they don't know, they haven't disclosed it, and they won't say a word when you ask.

Even more extreme cases don't require participation at all. A marketing video simply labeled "global premiere" satisfies the audience and fans, and gives the creative team a sense of exhilaration.

But Flu was a genuine world premiere.

The impressive results from 156 countries, and the record-breaking issuance fees in France…

This proves that Western media and cinemas do not reject "Flu," and at least after seeing the specific quality and content of "Flu," they are even very positive and fond of it.

"Mr. Chi...we're not going to have to fly away this time, are we?"

The director of "Flu" blinked, while the rest of the creative team looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although the main team behind "Flu" is a mature team, beneath the mature exterior lies a large group that was orchestrated and brought together by Ikeno.

As the owner of Ikeno Studio, he certainly wouldn't let this good opportunity pass him by.

Therefore, the Flu team can only be described as being half old and half new.

Many of the key positions within the team were previously held by junior staff members in the Chinese entertainment industry. Who would have thought that overnight in Cannes, they would transform into an "international team"?

Who can stand this?
"Whether it will fly or not, I don't know, but it shouldn't lose money."

Ikeno made no attempt to hide his arrogance, then looked at Coco and said, "Tell me more about it."

The copyright for "Flu" has become one of the hottest copyright issues at Cannes this year. Aside from the well-known "oligarchs," it's unclear who exactly owns the rights to the 156 countries involved, or if one company has directly secured a large portion of the rights. He needs to find out.

Coco calmed down and took a moment to pause before continuing with a brief introduction.

Overall, the 156 countries indeed cover more than half of the world's countries and regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and even the Middle East.

However, only three regions truly had an absolute impact on the flu.

North America, France, and Southeast Asia.

North America needs no introduction. As the world's largest box office market and one of Hollywood's strongholds, Flu must penetrate North America if it wants to achieve explosive success globally.

France is a bit special... because this year France is particularly enthusiastic about "Flu". Overnight, rumors have spread within a small circle that "Flu" is breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for an Asian film in France.

As for the final Southeast Asian region…

All I can say is that, apart from mainland China, these guys are all a little bit crazy—compared to Europe, America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, who are still unfamiliar with Ike and "Flu," I know all too well Professor Ike's influence here.

Without this momentum, things might not be so great. With the support of numerous oligarchs and regions like North America, "The Flu" can only get better here, not worse!

This is exactly the effect Ikeno wanted. In the international film industry, especially at the Cannes Film Festival, it's all about creating momentum. Once you get off to a good start, it's a virtuous cycle that snowballs and grows bigger and bigger.

This world doesn't have a movie like "Train to Busan," and there aren't many representative zombie movies either.

On Earth, the premiere and release of *Train to Busan* at Cannes was defined by the global film industry as a "watershed moment for the global zombie film genre," propelling South Korean cinema into the mainstream commercial market.

Within South Korea, it is considered a landmark work in the history of South Korean industrialized cinema, and one of the representatives that broke the cold reception of Asian films in the West (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter).

Therefore, it's no surprise that a more refined version of "Flu" would become a hit in this context; perhaps the countdown had already begun the moment it finished filming.

"NEON helped me find Contents Panda?"

Coco briefly explained the details of the collaboration negotiations that night, and Ikeno guessed the collaboration model for "Flu".

In fact, according to his expectations, XYZ Films was a more suitable partner than NEON, because NEON excelled in art films and Oscars. But the problem was... Flu had no chance of competing for an Oscar, and it was also a commercial film.

In contrast, a major studio like XYZ Films, which also has a huge influence in the Americas, would be a suitable Western distribution partner for "Flu".

However, it is clear that the parallel world's NEON is different from that on Earth. They were the first major studio to approach "Flu" and actively promoted the collaboration. It can be felt that this giant has high hopes for "Flu" and even has the "ambition" to get involved in commercial films.

Therefore, the so-called 156 countries represent their greatest sincerity in presenting "Influenza".

The specific cooperation model is copyright sales → regional distribution + joint distribution.

This means that the major investors in "Flu" such as Ikeno Studio and Light & Shadow Studio sold the Western rights to NEON. Through NEON's connections, "Flu" can have a huge background and support in the entire Western market, as well as distribution and even theater channels.

In addition to purchasing the Western rights to "Flu", NEON also connected "Flu" with Contents Panda... This Contents Panda is the company that single-handedly produced global blockbusters such as "Train to Busan" and "Parasite".

Among them, "Parasite" even won an Oscar, which is enough to show how "advanced" the company's operating model is.

—As a true Oscar player, NEON's relationship with it is naturally extraordinary.

By the same token, NEON can help connect with various distribution channels in other countries/regions. Of course, given Ikeno's own influence, he doesn't really "rely" on NEON, not just in Southeast Asia, but throughout Asia.

The resources they provide aren't given away for free; they all come at a price.

So in the following days, the investors of "Flu" mainly negotiated with several partners on the distribution rights in various Asian regions. On the evening of the third day of the premiere, they finally reached an agreement and formally established the distribution and sales rights and profit sharing issues in 156 countries and 23 regions.

That night.

This groundbreaking, historic news has finally reached China. The various events surrounding "Flu" at Cannes have been trending on Weibo for the past few days, but because "Flu" immediately entered a tense negotiation phase after its screening, subsequent news has been mixed, and the hype has gradually subsided somewhat.

But tonight, a news item reprinted by the official media outlet China Film Times truly propelled the topic of "Flu" to a new peak in the domestic entertainment industry.

@ChinaFilmTimes: [#ChineseFilmsBreakingTheIceAtCannes# Eastern disaster themes sweep the global market.]

[It is reported that the domestic disaster blockbuster "Flu," supported by the State Film Administration and produced by China Film Group, has stirred up a "China storm" at the Cannes Film Festival! Following its premiere, the film received a five-minute standing ovation, and copyright deals were quickly reached with 156 countries and regions worldwide. Among them, French distributor Pathé Cinema set a new record for the highest single-region sale of an Asian film with a sale price of **US$8.5 million (approximately RMB 61 million)**.]

[The following is a detailed regional breakdown: Simultaneous release in 45 European countries and 31 North American regions.]

[For the first time, Africa has achieved a joint procurement effort involving 24 countries.]

Overseas pre-sales are currently projected to exceed 2.3 million...

[The French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma praised Flu: "It transcends the Western narrative framework with its Eastern humanistic concern; the train survival scene showcases the unique collectivist spirit of the Chinese people!"]

【…】

There was also a special issue of a Western film media that was reposted by a well-known verified account.

@Variety: [The biggest dark horse of the 2027 Cannes Film Festival has emerged.]

@Screen Daily: [A new benchmark for the Chinese film industry.]

@The Guardian: [Flu – A superb popcorn movie that perfectly blends zombie horror with human redemption, a shock to Eastern post-apocalyptic culture.]

"..."

Various media outlets and official accounts... Initially, only the China Film Times and verified blue-V accounts reposted it, but as soon as it was posted on Weibo, it sparked a heated discussion, and various marketing accounts and self-media that love to ride the wave of traffic and gain popularity began to join in.

Suddenly, it seemed like the whole world was flooded with news about "Flu"—it had already become a "huge hit" even before it was released in mainland China.

The creators of "Flu" were bewildered, the fans who followed "Flu" were bewildered, and friends, relatives, enemies, and grudges in the Chinese entertainment circle, Beijing circle, and Northwest circle were all bewildered—"Hey buddy, how did this suddenly explode?"

Without any warning, the various responses after the Cannes premiere seemed to indicate that all of this was bound to happen.

The official Weibo account of China Film Times was flooded with comments and posts.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!! Even three 'holy shits' can't describe how I feel right now!"

"I don't really understand this, but it looks impressive. Is it that amazing?"

"The flu has successfully broken through... I'm so touched, I can't believe I heard these words from the official Weibo account."

"Isn't this the time when you guys were clamoring to censor 'The Flu'?"

"To be fair, the China Film Times is really brave. I heard about this yesterday while I was abroad, but no one reported it. I was wondering at the time, and I thought that 'Flu' was being marketed by Ikeno again. Now it seems... he's the one who got hurt."

"Some people are going too far; can't stand seeing Chinese films doing well?"

"Here it comes, it's that familiar hat-placing segment again... that familiar 'Firepower Pool Wild' vibe, just right, bro!"

"..."

Since the film hasn't been released yet, the comment section, after its initial hype, has become a fierce battleground. Of course, both sides in this battle have their own distinct characteristics: one side consists of Ikeno's fans and their team's online trolls, while the other side comprises the online trolls of various rival groups...

But ordinary passersby and ordinary people don't pay attention to these things.

They only saw the outrageous news that "Flu" had been released in 156 countries and had a global premiere, as well as the real feedback from audiences and moviegoers who had actually seen the premiere of "Flu" abroad.

"Absolutely amazing! I can't believe this is a film that could be made in China!"

"A man who used to look down on Taiwan's Wolf Warrior movies cried like an idiot after watching this."

"+1, but I'm from Taiwan. Everyone says that 'Flu' is a commercial film, but the connotation and meaning of this film really transcends commercial films. No wonder it was so popular at Cannes."

"All I can say is that Chi Ye never disappoints. Professor Chi, who is popular all over Asia, Zhao Tai, who makes people both love and hate him, Zhou Ye, who is the white moonlight of the whole nation... This time, it is a brand new character - an ordinary yet great father, Zhang Lin."

"I was fortunate enough to see the premiere of 'Flu' at Cannes, and it was truly stunning. It felt like Chinese industrialized cinema had finally made a qualitative leap forward."

"Dude, did you guys really watch it? Is what they said on it true or false? I'm going crazy, I really want to see it!"

"Yeah, I've been brainwashed by 'Flu' all day... I feel like I'm going crazy. I just want to watch 'Flu' right now. Is there a pirated version? Please, someone record one for me."

"If this film is not allowed to be released in China, then it's no wonder the film industry can't progress."

"@GD, a daily dose of insults!!"

……

As the clock struck midnight, the hashtag #Flu premiered in 156 countries worldwide# had surpassed 2000 million views, dominating the entire Chinese internet and completely overshadowing the second-place film, 759 Bureau.

Audiences and movie fans went crazy over the news, Ikeno's rivals were completely bewildered, and even the "instigator" of the incident, Ke Ying, and the many "big brothers" who had promised to help Ke Ying with a small favor, were also stunned.

—No, if it's a marketing account, fine, but why is an official media outlet like China Film Times getting involved?!

Isn't this a complete slap in the face to us?

We just "banned" the flu, and you immediately started saying how great the flu is... Are you trying to cause internal strife? Is this some kind of internal conflict?
certainly…

By this point, they knew that the matter could not be concealed, because the root cause of this incident was the sheer strength and resilience of "Flu".

This led to the series of events that followed.

Now, they need to consider how to deal with this "flu" incident.

"Theatrical and media outlets outside the country are going to release it, and it will be shown simultaneously in 156 countries and regions around the world. But we, as the 'filming country,' are actually banning 'Flu.' Don't you think that's ridiculous?"

The next day, Zhang Hai slammed his fist on the table and demanded emphatically to the group of gang leaders, "You keep saying it's having an impact, but what about this impact?!"

(End of this chapter)