The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 164 was featured on the evening news! Box office surpasses $6 million, breaking records!

……

After the New Year's Day holiday.

January 4th, Tuesday, a normal workday.

Zhao Shanshan held back for three whole days, and finally today, she had all the publicity departments of Starlight Media launch a massive online campaign to announce that "Real Steel" had broken box office records.

"Real Steel" has grossed over $6 million worldwide! Congratulations to director Lu Zhiyuan for becoming the highest-grossing single film by a Chinese director!"

The bold, red text instantly swept across the entire internet.

Besides the title and the good news, there is also a picture of Lu Zhiyuan with his back to the door, focused on drawing concept art in his own studio.

A person's back view is nothing special.

The key point is that although the concept art is only half-drawn, it makes people's eyes widen involuntarily.

He's drawing concept art for Pacific Rim!
This sparked a huge online discussion.

"A spacetime wormhole!"

"Inside the wormhole, endless monsters are twisting."

"When I saw this scene in the post-credits scene, I was absolutely shocked."

"I only ask that I can see a sequel to this movie in my lifetime. Please, Brother Yuan, don't delay the release. I'll collect aluminum cans to earn money and buy movie tickets to support you!"

"Starlight Entertainment is really good at keeping quiet. They waited until they had $6 million before announcing the good news... Look at 'If You Are the One 2' next door, when the box office exceeded 3 million, they had already made it known all over the internet."

"It's absolutely hilarious! Just six months ago, Feng Xiaogang was still bragging that he was the king of domestic commercial films and criticizing the three major directors in China. That's all in the past."

"I really want to see what Feng Xiaogang thinks now?"

Currently, among the top three directors in China, besides Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, there is another great director of art films, Lu Zhiyuan.

Although "Upgrade" grossed nearly $5 million worldwide last year, its domestic box office performance was not particularly good.

It barely exceeded 5 million.

Many people, looking back at this year's success, saw Feng Xiaogang's "Aftershock" gross 6.7 million yuan at the box office, and then thought "Upgrade" was a terrible film.

In fact, the number of movie screens has increased by a full 30% this year!

In addition, the price of movie tickets has increased by 10%!

With both figures increasing, if "Upgrade" were released this year, its box office would definitely exceed 7.5 million yuan based on last year's viewing ratio.

The main reason for this change is that China's economy has developed too rapidly.

In recent years, infrastructure projects have been underway all over the country.

Cinemas and commercial complexes have experienced explosive growth.

Two years ago, who could have imagined that Lu Zhiyuan, such a young man, could make such an explosive sci-fi action movie as "Real Steel"?

It's practically a mythical miracle.

Looking at all the directors in China, he alone leads by a precipitous margin in the box office of a single film.

……

Besides the online buzz...

That evening, at the 19 PM news broadcast, the host summarized the entire New Year's Day holiday and casually mentioned it.

"The overall box office for this year's Lunar New Year film season has increased by 40% compared to last year! This demonstrates the vigorous development of my country's cultural industry."

"In addition, congratulations to our Chinese director Lu Zhiyuan for his sci-fi action film 'Real Steel', which grossed $6 million, or about 40 billion RMB, breaking the box office record for a single film by a Chinese director."

The reach and influence of CCTV's evening news program are truly terrifying.

Needless to say, with the endorsement of CCTV's News Broadcast, other media websites can cite it without any pressure.

Overnight, the news that "Real Steel" had grossed 40 billion RMB at the box office caused a sensation across the country.

Even older people who don't usually pay much attention to science fiction movies know about the movie "Real Steel".

I heard the filming was amazing!
Driven by this huge influx of traffic, on January 5th, the domestic box office of "Real Steel" rebounded... returning to over 30 million.

Originally, after New Year's Day, the attendance rate of "Real Steel" gradually declined, and the daily box office had fallen to around 2000 million.

Only the IMAX 3D theaters remain steadfast, with every showing sold out.

In ordinary 3D cinemas, the occupancy rate is less than 30%.

After all, ordinary people have limited money in their pockets. In this day and age, a 3D movie ticket costs 80 to 100 yuan.

That year, pork was priced at less than 10 yuan.

The price of a movie ticket, if used to buy meat, could last for half a month.

Many people are reluctant to go to the cinema to watch movies.

After two or three months, when the high-definition pirated version comes out, you can watch it just the same way.

Save 80 yuan instantly!
Only people in first- and second-tier cities, with relatively high incomes and a developed habit of going to the movies, would occasionally indulge in a little luxury.

……

Huayi Brothers.

In the general manager's office.

"Xiao Lu, you're really amazing."

"I would call him the god of science fiction action movies! The nickname 'Robot' is truly well-deserved!"

Seeing that even the CCTV Evening News was supporting Lu Zhiyuan, the two CEOs had mixed feelings.

They should have been quite happy to see this news.

Especially Mr. Wang.

He felt that Lu Zhiyuan got along very well with him. Others said that Lu Zhiyuan was aloof, arrogant and eccentric, and difficult to approach.

But Xiao Wang met with Lu Zhiyuan several times, and each time they had a very pleasant conversation.

He felt that if he continued to build up his goodwill with Lu Zhiyuan, it wouldn't be long before the artists under Huayi Brothers would also be able to go and film Hollywood blockbusters with Lu Zhiyuan.

wrong.

Duan Yihong has already started filming.

Mr. Wang always felt that Lu Zhiyuan was giving him face.

As the saying goes, if someone treats me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect.

Since Lu Zhiyuan has given me so much face, I should naturally give him face in return. I won't say I'll send him a few female celebrities to play with... at least we should maintain mutual respect on the surface.

who knows……

Feng Xiaogang, that buck-toothed jerk, keeps spouting nonsense in the media, inadvertently dragging down Miss Jing Tian.

Damn it!

No wonder Lu Zhiyuan didn't invite me to the premiere of "Real Steel".

"Old Feng, I think you shouldn't hold that celebration party. With a box office of just over 3 million, you have the nerve to hold a celebration party? I'd be too embarrassed to attend."

In his office, Mr. Wang showed Feng Xiaogang no respect whatsoever, smoking a cigar and slowly shaking his head, his tone even tinged with sarcasm.

"Don't talk nonsense."

The eldest brother glared at his younger brother and reassured Feng Xiaogang, "The celebration banquet will still be held, but this time, we won't go to the Summer Palace Aman Hotel."

"Anyway, it's almost Chinese New Year, let's hold it together with the annual meeting. Let's book a big hotel, and we won't invite any outsiders. Let's just have a good time with our own family."

If we're inviting someone from outside the family, should we invite Lu Zhiyuan?

Given the other party's strong presence, under normal circumstances, we should definitely invite them.

However, Feng Xiaogang just happened to offend him again.

No, it should be that they offended Miss Jing Tian.

Whether Lu Zhiyuan was pretending to be innocent or truly only loved one person in his life, on the surface, Miss Jing Tian was his only girlfriend.

The two of them were inseparable.

No matter how bad Miss Jing Tian's acting skills are, Lu Zhiyuan will always give her a very outstanding role in his movies.

In the current situation, if we invite Lu Zhiyuan, we will definitely have to invite Miss Jing Tian as well.

If these two clash with Feng Xiaogang at the banquet, what am I supposed to do? If I help Feng Xiaogang, wouldn't that offend Lu Zhiyuan?

If we help Lu Zhiyuan, what will our own subordinates think?
What a headache.

Therefore, it's better not to invite outsiders to avoid this trouble.

"Mr. Wang..."

Feng Xiaogang was a little anxious, with a small buck tooth, and wanted to explain a few things.

With "If You Are the One 2" and "Aftershock," he raked in 10 billion yuan at the box office in a single year. He's a major contributor to Huayi Brothers' success!
Why should I have to worry about Lu Zhiyuan's attitude when I'm throwing my own celebration banquet?
Boss Wang slammed his fist on the table, his face hardening as he looked at Feng Xiaogang: "Old Feng, back when you were spouting nonsense in the media, I told you to be careful not to randomly target people. Did I say that? Tell me. Speak up!"

"Have."

Feng Xiaogang was speechless, but he was still angry and wanted to argue: "But I was also promoting the movie..."

"Okay, that's it."

The king waved his hand, not wanting to listen to Feng Xiaogang's nonsense.

After a while, he scolded Feng Xiaogang, then gave him a sweet treat: "Well, that's settled about the celebration banquet. But I'll do my best to help you with the awards for 'Aftershock'."

Awards are also acceptable.

That's the end of it.

I guess I'm just unlucky. Who knew Lu Zhiyuan would be so lucky lately?

When encountering someone with such a strong momentum, it's best not to easily provoke them, lest you suffer a backlash from their good fortune. Feng Xiaogang, having decided to avoid Lu Zhiyuan, readily agreed: "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Wang. Regarding the investment budget for my new film, 'Back to 1942'..."

The king waved his hand and said magnanimously, "No problem. Submit your budget, and I'll approve it personally."

Although Feng Xiaogang's films are not as arrogant and domineering as Lu Zhiyuan's, they can sweep the global box office, and the visual effects are even more explosive and astonishing.

But compared to other directors in China, Feng Xiaogang is still a decent asset, capable of providing Huayi Brothers with a steady stream of income.

Regarding Feng Xiaogang's new film, Mr. Wang is still willing to give his full support.

……

China Film Group.

Han Sanping, Jiang Wen, and Uncle Ge are watching various data points related to "Let the Bullets Fly".

"Since its release on December 16, our film has performed quite well at the box office."

"It grossed 30 million on its opening day and 180 million over its first four days. In the second week, thanks to overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth, its box office revenue actually increased, reaching 250 million!"

"Especially on Christmas Day, the box office exceeded 5000 million!"

"If nothing unexpected happens, our movie should be able to gross 6.5 million yuan before it leaves theaters."

"This is an excellent result!"

"For the celebration banquet, which hotel do you prefer? I'll have my men arrange it."

Mr. Han is quite satisfied with the performance of "Let the Bullets Fly".

Jiang Wen, that old fellow, is indeed quite talented, especially with his witty remarks and slang that leave the audience completely bewildered.

"Mr. Han, there's something I'm not sure if I should ask."

Seeing that Han Sanping was in a good mood, Jiang Wen hesitated for a moment and said, "I saw on the news last night that 'Real Steel' was mentioned, but why wasn't it mentioned to us?"

Han Sanping almost laughed in anger when he heard this.

With your movie, you keep mentioning Goose City and Huang Silang. Who are you mocking?
You're really hoping that the evening news will mention you and give you some publicity?

There is everything in the dream.

These are Han Sanping's true feelings.

But on the surface, he still smiled politely: "On Christmas Day, 'Let the Bullets Fly' grossed 50 million, and 'Real Steel' grossed 100 million."

Han Sanping's implication was that, in terms of box office revenue, you're no match; you're twice as bad!
As for its image in the eyes of the authorities, there's no need to even mention it.

Lu Zhiyuan is a Palme d'Or-winning director, and his girlfriend is incredibly famous.

What are you?
You are on probation and are blacklisted; you can be banned from tutoring at any time.

do not think too much.

Also, the rich woman you used to date had been to jail.

In the eyes of those above, you're just a disobedient troublemaker. It's already a miracle that they don't suppress you.

"Sigh. He's really good. When it comes to box office, I definitely can't beat him."

Jiang Wen only mentioned it casually; he didn't expect to appear on the evening news, as that was indeed unrealistic.

The fact that he wasn't blacklisted is already a sign of leniency from above.

However, when Lu Zhiyuan was mentioned, Jiang Wen was full of admiration and genuinely admired him: "Tell me, where did he learn his photography skills from?"

"In particular, Quentin Tarantino's sense of violent ritual, when brought into his films, feels completely natural. It's as if Quentin himself filmed a scene for him."

"Ning Hao also tries to emulate Quentin Tarantino's violent and ritualistic style, but he always falls short, making it feel like a knock-off, which makes you want to complain."

Jiang Wenzhen couldn't understand this at all.

"You're just focusing on this one point when you criticize them."

Grandpa Ge couldn't help but laugh, thinking that Jiang Wen was a bit petty and jealous that Lu Zhiyuan had appeared on the news, while he himself probably had no chance in his life.

"I think he has mastered all styles and, despite his young age, he is already a grandmaster."

Uncle Ge has a very high opinion of Lu Zhiyuan.

This caught the attention of Jiang Wen and Han Sanping.

Uncle Ge continued, "If you haven't been to an IMAX 3D theater to see the movie, you don't know how amazing the audiovisual effects are."

"Putting everything else aside, just take those two Easter eggs. The first Easter egg, when the 200-meter-tall Jaeger appears in that giant screen theater, accompanied by the mechanical roar of the nuclear turbine turning, is absolutely terrifying and makes your scalp tingle."

"You can only understand the power of that kind of audiovisual effect by experiencing it yourself. I finally understand why Zhang Yimou insisted on making a blockbuster like 'Hero' back then."

Judging from the investment, "Let the Bullets Fly" seems to be a blockbuster.

However, Uncle Ge is one of the main actors in it.

He knew perfectly well that this was just a collection of jokes.

You don't even need to watch the whole movie to understand what it's about; just a few clips can generate a huge online buzz.

However, they don't make movies to be used as jokes.

"Besides that, the second Easter egg, the space wormhole, the alien monster invasion, combined with the previous Robot Warrior World Grand Prix selection... this whole plot connects seamlessly. It makes you feel like this is a real world, and all the details are very well done."

"This kind of immersive movie experience is something our 'Let the Bullets Fly' definitely can't achieve."

"In terms of commercial success, our 'Let the Bullets Fly' plus 'If You Are the One 2' are not even good enough to carry their shoes."

"If you ask me, young people making sci-fi films are really impressive; they have ideas and drive. Unlike us old folks, who spend all our time scheming and plotting."

"Those little kids don't like watching it."

In terms of cinematic depth or artistry, it's difficult for Ge You to give a proper evaluation of "Real Steel".

Their film, "Let the Bullets Fly," may have more depth, filled with dark humor and political satire. Ge You believes it will become a legendary film.

However, if teenagers are not interested in this kind of subject matter, then it will be a box office black hole.

The audience profile of "Let the Bullets Fly" is mostly middle-aged men over 30 years old, who generally have received higher education.

Such users have very little value in terms of box office revenue.

Because middle-aged men over 30 years old carry the heavy burden of their families. Although they earn a lot, their spending power is less than that of a pet dog running around on the street.

They all have families and don't need to date, so it's impossible for them to take their wives on a romantic weekend date to the movies.

In contrast, Real Steel is different.

Not only teenagers like to watch it, but five- or six-year-old children also love to watch it.

If kids love watching it, then the movie is basically unbeatable.

If a child wants to watch something, shouldn't the parents accompany them?

Perhaps, grandparents, maternal grandparents, the whole family will have to pitch in.

A ticket costs at least 80 yuan... If you do the math, how much box office revenue can a child contribute?

From a ticket sales perspective, it will absolutely crush "Let the Bullets Fly".

However, to send Jiang Wen to make teen movies and abandon his political metaphors and dark humor would be tantamount to murdering his artistic life.

Jiang Wen will never change this in his lifetime.

Therefore, Uncle Ge greatly admires Lu Zhiyuan.

A renowned director of art-house films transitioned to commercial films, and his first film, "Upgrade," was full of philosophical reflections, even depicting the twisted nature of humanity to the point of killing the female lead.

Uncle Ge (Ge You) saw this movie and was really upset about the death of the female lead, Dilraba.

In the second film, "Real Steel," Lu Zhiyuan underwent a complete evolution.

He completely shed the awkwardness of being an artsy young man and transformed into a qualified commercial film director.

There's nothing wrong with commercial films.

Anyway, Uncle Ge really enjoys watching it.

Hanikezi is adorable, Dilraba's performance is also very clever and lively, and Harrison Ford's delicate and heartwarming family drama is also very touching.

In short, people of all ages who watch this movie will find something touching and surprising.

Having made so many films over the years, Ge You knows very well that most directors cannot cater to audiences of all ages.

Only truly great directors, like Spielberg and James Cameron, can do this.

Only by truly taking into account the feelings of audiences of all ages can the box office continue to break records and reach 10 billion US dollars, or even 15 billion US dollars!
Jiang Wen is not suitable.

Feng Xiaogang is not an option either.

Zhang Yimou is getting old.

Chen Kaige is ruined.

In the domestic film industry, at least until now, no one has been able to shake Lu Zhiyuan's position.

He couldn't even find someone qualified to follow in his footsteps.

"Judging from how seriously he takes his new movie, Pacific Rim is definitely an epic film."

"Such an epic film requires a great many roles."

Grandpa Ge muttered a few words, looked at the others, touched his shiny bald head, smiled and said, "Do you think I look like a super sage?"

"Faced with the invasion of alien monsters, does humanity need a wise man like me to formulate all sorts of complex battle plans?"

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping and Jiang Wen immediately understood.

not good.

There was a traitor among the three of us.

"Let the Bullets Fly" hasn't even finished its run yet, and Uncle Ge is already thinking about going to the other side of the street!
(End of this chapter)