The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 160 Box Office Explosion! $8000 Million on Opening Day!
……

The main feature of the film tells a utopian story of a teenager addicted to the internet, a story that feels like a dream.

The protagonist, Ophelia, comes from a broken family, and her only source of emotional support is a VR game console left to her by her parents.

With her extraordinary talent, she dominated the game, made countless friends, and everyone admired her.

She gradually became confident, cheerful, and full of sunshine, radiating youthful energy.

Even the grandfather, who was a traditional patriarch, gradually accepted the fact that his granddaughter was a gaming expert.

In order to help his granddaughter climb higher on the leaderboard, the grandfather even sacrificed his own account, giving all his points and coins to his granddaughter.

Thanks to his grandfather's self-sacrifice, the combat robot, [Qin Palace Guard], completed its final upgrade and reached its ultimate form.

Thus, they directly challenged [Planet Ripper], the super-whale player ranked number 1 in combat power in the game.

……

The film captivated audiences, leaving them eager to go back and share it with anyone who hadn't seen it.

It's amazing!
This movie, it can be said, tells the story that every teenager wants to see.

Youth, friendship, family, victory, passion!

It's a pity that there was a lack of romance.

But that’s fine.

How can such a cute and beautiful girl like Ati date someone else? If she has to date someone, why can't it be herself?
The director really understands what everyone wants; he didn't force a romantic pairing for the beautiful girl Artemis!

However, the two post-credits scenes after the main feature completely stunned everyone.

In the post-credits scene, the female lead was changed.

Miss Jing Tian, ​​who had never appeared before, became the female lead in two Easter eggs.

The first Easter egg reveals the real existence of the robot called "Qin Palace Guard".

The second Easter egg directly reveals the true purpose of the game "Real Steel": to select qualified Jaeger pilots.

……

"Sister-in-law Tian Tian, ​​you acted so well. You were so domineering. You were like a super strategist who could strategize and win battles from afar."

"Those players in the game fight to the death, desperately trying to earn points and improve their world ranking, just so you'll notice them more."

"You are the only true goddess in this movie!"

In the main feature film, Jing Tian has almost no screen time; the entire camera focuses on the female lead, Hanikezi.

However, in the post-credits scene, Jing Tian was directly introduced as the female lead.

The kind of person who takes the lead without hesitation.

Moreover, she once again played herself, and the effect was superb.

For some reason, every time Jing Tian appears in Lu Zhiyuan's movies, she seems to have a halo around her, so dazzling that it's hard to open your eyes.

"Dilraba, you have such a sweet tongue. If you meet a boy you like in the future, just say a few words and you'll definitely be able to make him fall head over heels for you."

Jing Tian held Reba's small hand and thought Reba looked really pleasing to the eye.

She's much better than that wretched girl, Chai Biyun.

Chai Biyun secretly joined the cast of "Real Steel" without telling me, and even played a witch in the Dunhuang scene of the movie.

Although Chai Biyun's appearance changed drastically after makeup, she was almost unrecognizable to herself.

But this brat actually dared to post on Weibo to show off?

Isn't this an admission of guilt without being asked?

"Sister Tian, ​​all I want to do right now is be a big star and make lots of money. As for dating or anything like that, I'm not thinking about it for now."

Dilraba glanced guiltily at Jing Tian.

"Yes, it's good to earn more money. That way, we'll have more options in the future."

In Miss Jing Tian's eyes, Dilraba is still a child, so it's normal that she doesn't want to be in a relationship.

She didn't take it seriously.

……

"Xiao Lu, I originally wanted to say a few words."

"For example, the 'parricide plot' that you often use, and the concept of the hero king 'Oedipus'... Although you use these plots without leaving a trace, you can still find some clues if you study them carefully."

"I thought I knew you well enough."

"But when the last two Easter eggs were shown... I suddenly realized your true intentions and ambitions!"

"It's both reasonable and unexpected!"

"It's full of novelty and exhilarating!"

When Chen Kaige saw the full movie "Real Steel," he was full of admiration for Lu Zhiyuan.

He felt that Lu Zhiyuan, as a renowned director of art films, was able to create such a fast-paced commercial film full of fresh elements.

That's incredible! So talented!

Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan's visual identity is becoming increasingly prominent.

Like Quentin Tarantino's violent ritualistic style, American country rock.

Every time he used it, it was so perfect and harmonious, vividly and lively, showcasing the female lead's image with youthful vigor.

This movie is really good!
Chen Kaige is almost 60 years old, but when he sees the female lead constantly fighting monsters with American country rock music playing in the background, he can't help but want to move his body.

Not to mention the ordinary viewers.

however……

Chen Kaige suddenly realized that he had underestimated Lu Zhiyuan.

The release of those two Easter eggs gave him goosebumps!
The entire movie is actually just a large trailer, designed to reveal the truth of the whole world at the very end!
It instantly raised people's expectations countless times!
“Xiao Lu, I suddenly remembered. In the background at the beginning, in some TV news, you seemed to have mentioned several times that earthquakes and tsunamis are frequently occurring around the world.”

"I originally thought it was just a random snippet."

"Now I realize that all the seemingly random details in the movie are actually hinting at the truth of this world!"

Chen Kaige also likes to use metaphors for story backgrounds in some images and details.

However, many viewers either don't notice it or don't understand it.

Lu Zhiyuan is different.

These details may seem useless at first glance, but by the time the movie ends, all of them come together perfectly.

It's exhilarating!

"Realism!"

"You have created another real world!"

Chen Kaige felt that he had learned something from Lu Zhiyuan.

The realism of a film is very important.

With a sense of realism, delving deeper into the subject matter, shaping the past history, solidifying the present steps, and looking forward to future development... in this way, an epic feel suddenly emerges.

"Director Chen, I still have a lot to learn from you."

Lu Zhiyuan could sense that Chen Kaige's gaze towards him, besides admiration, had already carried a hint of worship.

It has to be said that he felt quite pleased to be looked at like that by a famous director.

After all, even when Chen Kaige met Zhang Yimou, he still treated him with an arrogant attitude, calling him "Ah Mou" repeatedly and completely disregarding him.

Haha. Let's learn from each other.

Chen Kaige held Lu Zhiyuan's hand, feeling very happy.

Xiao Lu, you're so polite.

If it were Feng Xiaogang, who made such a great movie, wouldn't he be arrogant and outspoken, offending everyone in the industry?
Look at Lu Zhiyuan!
A great director keeps things the same as they were before.

It has vision, style, and substance.

It has transcended vulgarity!
No wonder he's a cultured person!

Yes, just like me!
……

After the premiere, there was a group interview with reporters and media.

This time, Lu Zhiyuan cooperated for once, which was quite unusual.

Although he was very tired, the media was in an uproar after watching the movie.

If he doesn't give an interview, these media reporters will definitely block his door.

"Director Lu, I'd like to ask if it's true that you were in a hospital bed for a week due to severe altitude sickness while filming the Muztagh Ata scene?"

This question has become very popular online.

When the rumors first surfaced, everyone said that Lu Zhiyuan was a fragile character and that "Real Steel" would definitely be delayed this year.

To everyone's surprise, the movie was released as scheduled, and its brilliance exceeded all expectations.

It can be called an epic movie!

Hanikezi from "Real Steel" and Dilraba from "Upgrade" could even be teamed up as the "Cyber ​​Sisters," captivating audiences across the entire internet!

"it is true."

Lu Zhiyuan took the microphone and nodded.

I'm a fragile person, and I often lack energy because I'm too busy with work.

When I'm not working, I sleep in every day at home.

The whole internet knows about this, so there's no use in trying to deny it.

"Director Lu, could you explain in more detail?"

The reporter stared longingly at Lu Zhiyuan.

Brother, just say three words: "It's true." How am I supposed to make this up?

At least give me some more material. Otherwise, I won't even know where to begin if I want to praise your professionalism.

"Next question."

Lu Zhiyuan had absolutely no desire to recall it.

Should we tell others that he is lying in bed with a splitting headache, feels nauseous every day, and relies on Reba to bring him three meals a day from the restaurant?
What's there to talk about?

"Director Lu, I noticed that the opening scene of the movie featured a stunning, almost demonic, humming song. Could you tell me who that singer is?"

This is an interesting question.

Dilraba chuckled, turned to look at the reporter, and said, "Good question."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh: "This singer is a colleague of Reba's father. He's a Satar musician in the local Urumqi song and dance troupe. He's not a professional singer."

"As for the name... Dilraba already posted it on Weibo after the premiere. You can follow Dilraba on Weibo."

The internet age is fantastic!

We have firsthand information and all of it in our own hands.

There are absolutely no middlemen needed.

If you encounter an unreliable reporter, you also have to worry about them exaggerating or reporting things in a false way, damaging your image.

What uncrowned king?
Since the beginning of the internet age, everyone is an uncrowned king.

The glory days of journalism are over, and the professional aura has vanished.

Upon hearing this, the reporter's face darkened. He had originally intended to go back and write a lengthy report about it, but who knew that this was no longer news; it had become old news.

This industry is getting harder and harder!

These celebrities are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Unless, of course, we obtain damaging information about them and use it to blackmail them.

However, upon seeing Miss Jing Tian next to Dilraba, the reporters immediately fell silent.

This tactic might work on others, but it won't work on someone as dazzling as Starlight.

"Alright, that concludes the two questions."

Lu Zhiyuan handed the microphone to Hanikezi, who was standing next to him.

The reporter's enthusiasm for Hanikezi immediately diminished considerably, after all, she was only 13 years old and couldn't be asked questions casually.

So I asked two simple questions.

The following interviews were all the same old stuff, with nothing particularly explosive.

After all, Dilraba is already a true top star, giving countless interviews every day, and she can jump over any traps reporters set for her with her eyes closed.

It's Miss Jing Tian's turn.

She suddenly became very excited, grabbed the microphone, and waited for the reporter to ask questions.

She wanted to stand up and shout.

See that? I've turned things around again!

After the release of "My Beautiful Boss," she was ridiculed online for several months due to its box office failure, outrageous styling, and inexplicable plot.

Now everything's turned around overnight!
Two scenes were filmed in Lu Zhiyuan's movie, and the reviews completely reversed!

However, those reporters were really sharp-tongued; they shut Miss Jingtian up with just one sentence.

"Tian Tian, ​​why didn't you appear in the main episode?"

Upon hearing this question, Miss Jing Tian instantly erupted in impotent rage.

The little fist under the table clenched tightly.

Which pot is not opened and which pot should I lift?
Was my Easter egg poorly acted?

Do you understand what queenly demeanor is?

I just didn't want to steal the spotlight from that little girl, Hanikezi!

……

The group interview with the media has now concluded. Lu Zhiyuan and Miss Jing Tian have gone home.

Reba obediently led Hanikezi to her house.

Dilraba has moved from her old neighborhood to a luxury apartment, but she's still roommates with Zhang Tianai and Gulnazar.

……

Go home.

Miss Jing Tian changed into her pajamas and went to bed first.

After Lu Zhiyuan finished showering and came in to sleep, she immediately clung to him like an octopus, holding him tightly.

"Ah Yuan, something happened in my family. From now on, I may not be able to spend money as freely as I used to."

Jing Tian looked at Lu Zhiyuan with a pitiful expression.

Lu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, took out a bank card from the drawer, handed it to Miss Jing Tian, ​​and said with a smile, "It's okay, spend my money. I'll take care of you."

Full marks for the answer!

At this moment, Miss Jing Tian was exceptionally happy, and even somewhat moved.

Who said he only likes my money?
See that!

He was sincere towards me!
They give me money to spend and even let me sleep with them!
"Ah Yuan, your watch is really nice. Who gave it to you?"

Miss Jing Tian noticed last week that after Lu Zhiyuan's birthday, he had a new Rolex watch on his wrist, which looked quite expensive.

Who else but me would give him such an expensive gift?

"Oh, you mean this? Kun gave it to me. He almost knelt down to get me to wear this watch."

He said that he had previously met a master, bought this watch, and specially asked the master to bless it for him so that it could protect him from disasters and difficulties at critical moments.

"I thought to myself, he spent so much money to buy me a watch and even had a master pray for my well-being... I can't possibly refuse his kindness, can I?"

Lu Zhiyuan took off his watch and placed it on the bedside table.

He turned and put his arm around Miss Jing Tian: "Whether this watch can ward off disaster or not, at least it can bring us some good luck."

Just after the premiere, the head of Wanda Cinemas sent Zhao Shanshan a message saying that 90% of Wanda's 3D screenings would be reserved for Lu Zhiyuan.

As for the other 3D movies, they will compete for the remaining 10% of screenings!
This time, Zhao Shanshan didn't even need to lower herself to seek connections; the other party had already begun to take the initiative.

"Kun is quite thoughtful."

Upon hearing that the Rolex was a gift from Xin Yukun, Miss Jingtian stopped thinking about it.

Aside from his own wretched life, Kun Ge basically earned everything else by working with Lu Zhiyuan.

It would be perfectly normal for him to give Lu Zhiyuan the most expensive gifts.

……

Lu Zhiyuan was sleeping at home, holding Miss Jingtian in his arms.

Little did they know, how many people lost sleep because of him that night.

Feng Xiaogang sat in his living room, drinking strong tea continuously. His eyes were bloodshot. It was already past 2 a.m., but he had managed to stay awake.

He seemed to be waiting for a phone call.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Feng Xiaogang immediately answered the phone and asked anxiously, "How is it? How's the quality of 'Real Steel'? Will it be a hit?"

On the other end of the phone, a bitter voice replied, "Director Feng, it's no longer a question of whether it will explode. I'm very worried that it will be like an atomic bomb, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake."

Although "Real Steel" is a 3D movie, theoretically it will not directly compete with Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One 2" or Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly".

The problem is that ordinary people have a limited amount of money in their pockets.

The ticket prices for 3D movies are currently outrageously high.

Based on the quality of "Real Steel," the average ticket price is likely to be around 80-90 yuan. Meanwhile, a regular 2D movie only costs 40 yuan.

A difference of two times!

For the average person, buying a copy of "Real Steel" will leave them penniless.

Perhaps the audience will choose to hold back and not watch the other two movies.

Especially "If You Are the One 2", its reputation is now polarized. Viewers with the mentality that they won't be fooled if they don't watch it can choose to just wait for the pirated version!
Save 40 yuan instantly!
— (It cost 36 yuan last year, but inflation has taken its toll this year!)

Conversely, "Let the Bullets Fly" attracts a largely different audience than "Real Steel," making it more likely to withstand the impact of the film.

"No, I don't believe it!"

"I still have a chance!"

The box office of "If You Are the One 2" in its first two days was 3600 million and 4000 million respectively, which is ridiculously high.

Feng Xiaogang believes that he will achieve legendary status this year!

"Aftershock" has already broken domestic box office records. If "If You Are the One 2" can continue to create miracles...

This year, the Chinese film market is a year of great success!
In the future, he can be like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, arrogant and looking down on everyone.

For the sake of his status in the martial arts world, he could not admit defeat no matter who he was facing!
"Director Feng, I think you should ask Mr. Wang to invite Miss Jing Tian to dinner to apologize."

The person on the other end of the phone offered a suggestion in a very tactful way.

Feng Xiaogang has a loose tongue and keeps spouting nonsense. In just six months, how many people has he offended?
Now, just two days after "If You Are the One 2" was released, "Real Steel" was released immediately. It's obvious that they're targeting you and want to beat you so badly you can't even show your face.

The targeting was so obvious that netizens could see it.

You just don't believe me!

just wait.

You'll be crying in a few days!

……

December 24th is a Friday.

During the day, there aren't many moviegoers at the cinema.

However, as evening approached, a group of high school students suddenly rushed in, some even still in their school uniforms, and squeezed in front of the ticket seller.

"Real Steel, rows 4 and 5, the best seats, 20 tickets available!"

After saying that, the student in the school uniform directly pointed out 2000 yuan and slapped it on the counter.

As the ticket seller issued the ticket, she glanced at the high school student and thought to herself, "It's so easy to make money off students."

High school students, in particular, are fucking rich!

Look at the college students next door, so stingy, they even have to share a cup of milk tea with someone else.

"I heard this movie is amazing. The robot battles in it are absolutely spectacular."

"In addition, my cousin who is studying in the United States told me that this movie also collaborated with Apple and found a tech guru to work on VR gaming glasses."

"We aim to launch VR gaming glasses based on the 'Real Steel' franchise before next summer vacation!"

High school students are really amazing.

He knows astronomy from above and geography from below.

Where did you get this information from?

"How did you know?"

Among a group of high school students, there was a rather cute girl who asked a strange question.

Seeing that the class beauty finally reacted, the man got excited and started showing off: "My cousin is a graduate student at California State University, Long Beach. The tech guru who makes VR gaming glasses is my cousin's junior."

"They're recruiting on Facebook. That's how my cousin found out."

Wow!

It sounds like it might be true.

Real Steel even has a VR game!

This is great!
But wait... what is VR?
In short, awesome is all that matters.

I can't show weakness in front of the prettiest girl in my class!
……

Inside the office of the person in charge at Wanda Cinemas.

It was already past midnight, and he still hadn't finished get off work; he was clearly waiting for news.

After glancing at his watch, the manager asked his secretary, "Real Steel is opening today. How's the attendance at our theaters?"

The secretary immediately produced a stack of data: "President Ye, the statistics we just received show that the attendance rate for 'Real Steel' is basically above 90%!"

"Besides the very high occupancy rate, the robot figurines at the counter are also selling very well. Almost one out of ten people who come to see the movie buys a figurine."

it is good!
Very good!
It's true that you really need to work with a great director to truly enjoy the experience!
Not only is box office revenue guaranteed, but so are related merchandise sales. This year's performance will definitely exceed expectations!

……

Lu Zhiyuan stayed quietly at home for a day.

Sleep until you naturally wake up.

After dinner, taking a walk is so relaxing.

After midnight.

Lu Zhiyuan was watching TV on the sofa when Zhao Shanshan called. Her first words were, "A-Yuan, we're going to be rich!"

After a few excited cheers, Zhao Shanshan saw Lu Zhiyuan and remained as calm as a rock. She immediately realized that she had been making a fuss over nothing.

She composed herself and transformed back into an elegant and wealthy woman, beginning to report the details to Lu Zhiyuan.

"Ah Yuan, what's your guess on the opening day box office?"

Zhao Shanshan said with a smile.

Lu Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, "4000 million?"

Lu Zhiyuan's estimate was around 4000 million.

In this day and age, 40 million is enough to break the domestic box office record for the first day of a film's release.

"You underestimate yourself."

Zhao Shanshan couldn't hold back any longer and cheered excitedly, "It's 60 million! Ayuan, the box office on the first day is 60 million!"

"Considering that our film's main audience is teenagers and young working professionals, and yesterday was Friday, they were either in school or at work during the day."

"Today is Saturday, and that's when our film will truly shine!"

The box office was 6000 million on the first day, and it will definitely be over 8000 million on the second day!
It's the combined data from "Let the Bullets Fly" and "If You Are the One 2".

In fact, due to their excellent publicity, the number of viewers for these three films was probably about the same.

However, considering that the ticket price for "Real Steel" was twice that of the other film, its box office revenue was naturally higher!

This is no way.

There are currently only 1200 3D screens in China.

A regular 2D screen has around 5000 images.

Even if "Real Steel" gets 100% of the screenings, it would only get a maximum of 1200 screens.

"If You Are the One 2" and "Let the Bullets Fly" are now able to easily secure 2000 screens thanks to their immense popularity.

After the two companies divided the screens, there were still 1000 screens left over, which were distributed to other films so that others could also get a piece of the leftovers.

"Hey!"

"The development of 3D screens in China is still too slow."

"If we had 3000 screens, our movie could have grossed 1 million yuan on its very first day of release!"

Zhao Shanshan felt a little regretful.

Lu Zhiyuan's films were too ahead of their time, exceeding the development speed of domestic cinemas.

I imagine that theater owners feel the same way.

Seeing that the 3D theaters were packed every time, many viewers came in to ask and found out that the tickets for "Real Steel" were sold out and that there would be tickets for tomorrow. They could only leave dejectedly.

These are all bright red RMB notes.

To just let them slip away right before my eyes... what a terrible thing to do!
Zhao Shanshan was very disappointed that the domestic box office performance stopped at 6000 million.

However, she immediately became excited again after changing her tone.

"Leaving aside the domestic market for now, the performance in North America is truly phenomenal. On its opening day, including the midnight screenings on Thursday night, the box office has already reached $40 million!"

That's $4000 million!
Converted to RMB, that's almost 3 million!
Could she not be excited?

Zhao Shanshan recalls that on the first day of its release, "Upgrade" only grossed around $18 million in North America.
One year later, it doubled!

Based on North American viewing habits, it could gross $40 million on its opening day and, in its first three days, likely reach $150 million.

For a typical science fiction film, box office revenue will likely drop by more than 60% in the second week.

Even so, the box office in the second week was still over 80 million.

The final box office result is likely to be around 350 million.

Generally speaking, as a blockbuster, North American box office accounts for 40% of the global box office. All things considered, this movie's final box office might be able to reach 10 billion US dollars!
Even if it's not as exaggerated as 10 billion US dollars, it's definitely 7 to 8 million US dollars!
It's on par with Inception!
I remember Lu Zhiyuan had previously sent them to buy up Legendary Pictures at rock-bottom prices, just so they could reap the benefits of "Inception".

As it turns out, Lu Zhiyuan's judgment was correct.

Inception was indeed a huge hit, grossing nearly $8 million worldwide and generating a profit of nearly $5 million.

But thankfully, I didn't listen to him.

The box office of "Real Steel" is close to that of "Inception", and there are countless derivative copyrights that can be developed.

It's practically a treasure trove!

It's even more profitable than Inception!

They should have focused their limited energy on "Inception" instead of supporting Lu Zhiyuan to continue exploring the robotics field!

"Besides the North American box office, the Japanese box office also performed quite well, at around 4 million yen, which is about 500 million US dollars, only slightly less than the domestic box office."

"The box office in the three major European markets was $800 million in the UK, $700 million in Germany, and $750 million in France... The box office in other smaller countries, added up here and there, is probably around $500 million."

A box office of 6000 million in China is roughly equivalent to 850 million US dollars!
Based on this calculation, the opening day box office of "Real Steel" was close to 8000 million US dollars!
This is absolutely amazing!
No wonder Zhao Shanshan said they were going to make a fortune!
(End of this chapter)