The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 198: Pacific Rim Officially Released! Chen Kaige Was Stunned!
……

After filming was completed, the test screening was a success.

With everyone optimistic about the film, Lu Zhiyuan also took a short break.

One film per year.

He filmed for three months on location, one month on a green screen, and about five months of post-production special effects. The remaining three months were his vacation.

This means that the holiday starts in October each year and lasts until February of the following year.

Where can you find such a leisurely job?

"Teacher Lu, please have some tea."

After returning from Los Angeles, Lu Zhiyuan used his connections to transfer Hanikezi to a school in Yanjing.

Anyway, Hanikezi attended an art school in her hometown.

Thanks to Lu Zhiyuan's connections, Hanikezi was easily sent to the Affiliated High School of Beijing Dance Academy.

Hanikezi's parents had nothing to worry about.

For the movie "Pacific Rim", Lu Zhiyuan offered Hanikezi a salary of 200 million US dollars.

Before the movie was released, all the final payments had been received.

An average person could work their whole life and still not earn $200 million.

To outsiders, Hanikezi must have had incredibly lucky ancestors to be accepted as a student by Lu Zhiyuan.

"Honey, how's school lately?"

Hanikezi mostly lives at school, but on weekends she comes to Lu Zhiyuan's house and is taken out to play by Reba.

As a big star, Hanikezi's work is also very busy.

As long as she passed the exam, Lu Zhiyuan no longer restricted her from engaging in business activities.

As long as I don't get scammed, that's fine.

"Teacher Lu, I'm super well-behaved at school. Don't worry, I definitely won't bully anyone."

Hanikezi hurriedly tried to save face for himself.

She heard a little secret from someone, though she didn't know who it came from.

Her mistress, Miss Jing Tian, ​​was expelled from Beijing Dance Academy because she frequently went out to play and violated school rules.

With the lessons learned from the past being clear, she must learn a harsh lesson.

Miss Jing Tian has a powerful background, so being fired doesn't bother her.

If she gets expelled from Beijing Dance Academy, putting aside everyone else, Lu Zhiyuan will definitely give her a severe dressing down, and might even sever their master-disciple relationship.

"Who asked you that? I wanted to ask how you're doing at school."

Lu Zhiyuan sighed helplessly and said, "Never mind, I know you very well, and you won't do anything bad."

Reba is Hanikezi's best friend, and the two of them often play together.

Lu Zhiyuan was very relieved.

If Hanikezi and Nazha have a particularly good relationship, then that's something to watch out for.

Liu Shishi is blind, and Yang Mi has facial paralysis; these two are completely beyond saving... Lu Zhiyuan now only hopes that Hanikezi's acting skills will continue to evolve.

That way, it will be easier for him when filming the sequel.

"Although dancing can improve your temperament, your inner self is still empty, just like Liu Shishi."

“From now on, I’ll enroll you in another tutoring class every weekend.”

"Hmm, let's learn calligraphy."

Lu Zhiyuan originally wanted to take Hanikezi to study art, but he realized that art is something that requires a lot of talent.

People without talent simply cannot learn it.

I should learn calligraphy instead.

While learning calligraphy, having a teacher instruct Hanikezi on some traditional Chinese culture can, even if it doesn't make him proficient in poetry and prose, significantly improve his speech and demeanor.

At least they look cultured.

"Teacher Lu, I'll do whatever you say."

Having earned millions of dollars, Hanikezi enjoyed his studies very much.

They have money and fame.

All of this was brought to her by Lu Zhiyuan.

In her mind, Teacher Lu would never harm her.

"Honey, if everyone were as obedient as you, I wouldn't have to worry about you."

Hanikezi was born in 96, and in two months she will be 16 years old. Normally, girls of this age should be entering their rebellious phase.

Perhaps influenced by Reba, Hanikezi has always been very sensible.

Lu Zhiyuan liked this feeling of having everything under control.

"Teacher, Sister Reba invited me to play tennis this afternoon. Do you want to come along?"

Although Lu Zhiyuan was a good person, Hanikezi always felt that Lu Zhiyuan was very authoritative, and she didn't dare to act out in front of him, even if she had a little temper.

"I won't go, I have some things to do this afternoon. You have fun."

Despite saying that, Lu Zhiyuan called his driver and asked him to follow Hanikezi and be her driver, and also to keep an eye on the little girl.

"Teacher, I'll bring you afternoon tea when I come back. Love you~"

Upon hearing that she could go out and play, Hanikezi instantly let loose, shook her neck in a dance, made a heart shape with her hands for Lu Zhiyuan, hopped around, and turned to leave.

……

It's impossible to play tennis.

What's the point of fighting in this cold weather?

Hanikezi quickly reunited with Reba.

The two of them acted furtively and found a place to chat.

The driver parked the car without saying anything.

He wasn't stupid; he knew that the boss had sent him to follow Hanikezi to keep an eye on him and prevent him from getting into danger.

As for Hanikezi, he didn't go to play tennis, but instead found a place to chat with Reba; he wouldn't meddle in other people's business.

“Sister Dilraba, based on my observation, although the teacher didn’t say anything, she has definitely blocked Yang Mi.”

"As you know, teachers pay a lot of attention to details."

"Yang Mi's plastic surgery damaged her facial nerves, making many of her expressions look awkward. Imagine how terrible it would be to see that on a movie screen, especially an IMAX screen?"

"Given the teacher's personality, he wouldn't allow such an awkward face to appear in his film!"

Lu Zhiyuan has put a lot of effort into Yang Mi, firstly because Yang Mi has a high level of popularity and her reputation hasn't collapsed yet.

Secondly, Yang Mi took the initiative to join Dilraba's studio, and Lu Zhiyuan's support for Yang Mi was equivalent to helping Dilraba make money.

But now, Yang Mi's face has a fatal flaw.

This is going to be difficult.

"Honey, thank you for helping me find out. I haven't had the face to see him lately. I really didn't know anything about Yang Mi's situation."

Dilraba also sighed.

What a disaster.

Although she wanted to recruit a few younger women to help her make money, this was on the condition that Lu Zhiyuan's interests were not harmed.

Hanikezi was biting on a straw, looking completely indifferent.

Being blocked is actually a good thing for Yang Mi.

Ever since Yang Mi was blocked, Lu Zhiyuan immediately brought her from his hometown and treated her like a precious treasure.

I personally designed courses for her to cultivate her artistic sensibilities.

If there were any events, Lu Zhiyuan would take her along, ostensibly to broaden her horizons, let her experience different lives, and improve her acting skills.

Raising a daughter is no different.

Hanikezi once enjoyed this life of being the center of attention.

Reba, however, seemed a little anxious. She frowned and asked, "By the way, Honey, do you know who your teacher's Plan B is?"

Hanikezi raised his head and said mysteriously, "I don't know. But I have someone I suspect."

"who is it?"

Dilraba perked up immediately.

"Sister Tea".

Hanikezi whispered a name in Reba's ear in a mysterious way.

"It really is her!"

Dilraba wasn't surprised at all when she heard this name.

If I had to choose between Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan...

Gao Yuanyuan is indeed quite suitable to play a female assassin.

After all, Gao Yuanyuan has a complex temperament, making her very suitable for playing beautiful, strong, and tragic characters.

Liu Yifei's temperament is rather one-dimensional.

She's perfect for playing naive, innocent little girls.

As she got a little older, Liu Yifei lost that ethereal, otherworldly quality, and her fairy-like aura diminished.

On the contrary, Gao Yuanyuan has become more and more beautiful recently, which can be described as aging in reverse.

“Sister Reba, you don’t need to think too much. You will always be the leading lady in the teacher’s heart. Sister Cha is just a temporary worker.”

"It's because Yang Mi is unreliable and Liu Shishi's acting is so bad."

"Actually, I think Teacher Zhou is better."

The "Teacher Zhou" that Hanikezi mentioned was naturally referring to Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun's acting skills definitely surpass those of these people.

"Your teacher Zhou is a good person, but she has no vested interests with us. Do you understand what I mean?"

If Yang Mi hadn't joined Dilraba's studio, she definitely wouldn't have been able to act in Lu Zhiyuan's movies.

Liu Shishi was lucky enough to meet Lu Zhiyuan when they were both still unknown.

The relationship between Gao Yuanyuan and Lu Zhiyuan is quite complex.

The two even started a robotics company together.

This is definitely one of our own.

Fertilizer does not flow into outsiders' fields.

Lu Zhiyuan has blocked Gao Yuanyuan for almost two years now. The dopamine rush from Gao Yuanyuan's love-struck mind should have mostly subsided by now.

……

Starry.

Today, all the company's top executives gathered together to discuss the screening schedule for the movie "Pacific Rim".

After Xin Yukun arrived, he hurriedly pulled Lu Zhiyuan to a corner.

"Brother, tell me honestly. Are you planning to have Gao Yuanyuan replace Yang Mi and make a spin-off movie for her?"

Upon hearing this question, Lu Zhiyuan looked puzzled: "Brother Kun, where did you hear this rumor from?"

No. I was just guessing.

Xin Yukun almost betrayed Hanikezi, but then she thought better of it and realized she couldn't let it slip.

Otherwise, Hanikezi's situation would be quite precarious.

He is still very loyal.

"you guessed wrong."

Facing Xin Yukun, Lu Zhiyuan didn't mince words and bluntly stated, "I plan to cancel the 'Accountant Assassin' project directly."

"However, some rumors had been circulating, which caused negative public opinion and had a negative impact on Yang Mi's commercial value."

Even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains.

"She has problems, and I have problems too. We are not enemies, we just have some differences in some aspects."

"For movies, it's normal for directors to choose actors and actors to choose directors; it's just that the collaboration doesn't work out."

Yang Mi ruined her facial nerves through plastic surgery, which has nothing to do with Lu Zhiyuan.

He discovered the problem and simply cut his losses in time.

The only thing that can't be explained away is Tom Hiddleston's side.

Because Tom Hiddleston was the one who invited him.

With no other option, he had to bite the bullet and call Tom Hiddleston himself, subtly suggesting that the "Accountant Assassin" project might be canceled because there were some issues with the female lead.

Tom Hiddleston, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all and appeared very easygoing.

Anyway, he was going on vacation anyway, and he was very grateful to Lu Zhiyuan for letting him experience the Navy SEALs' sniper training program.

After all, this is a unique experience.

Next time, if he tries out for a movie that requires action scenes, bringing out this experience will still be a plus.

He's a very particular person.

Tom Hiddleston's performance impressed Lu Zhiyuan greatly.

Unfortunately, Tom Hiddleston's character is not suitable for the Pacific Rim series.

But Lu Zhiyuan kept this favor in mind, and after the series was finished, if there was another opportunity to cooperate, he would definitely give Tom Hiddleston the highest priority.

"Brother Kun, I'll say it again: when you're working on your career, you absolutely can't let personal feelings get in the way. This is a perfect example."

"Liu Shishi is one, and Yang Mi is another."

"I hope that neither of us will make similar mistakes again in the future."

Liu Shishi was able to participate in "Pacific Rim" only because Xin Yukun persuaded Lu Zhiyuan so much.

Lu Zhiyuan, on Yang Mi's side, did have some ulterior motives.

He really thinks highly of Yang Mi.

Because Yang Mi is the kind of actress who seems smart and hardworking. If he can bring Yang Mi out of the limelight, she will become a cash cow in the future.

You can make money internationally.

As it turned out, his rare act of acting on emotion led him into a huge pitfall.

Fortunately, the project was still in the conceptual stage, allowing for timely mitigation of losses.

"you're right."

"Career and personal feelings should be kept separate."

Xin Yukun immediately thought of Lu Zhiyuan's No. 1 principle.

When it comes to building a career, he only dates rich women.

Clearly, Liu Shishi and Yang Mi did not contribute any money to the project; they are not wealthy enough to warrant their consideration for each other's feelings.

"However, Yang Mi may not be good at making movies, but she can make a good living by making idol dramas. Anyway, we have a ready-made team. I'll buy the rights to a few more novels and adapt them into idol dramas to make up for her losses during this period."

After thinking it over, Xin Yukun ultimately decided he couldn't let Yang Mi go.

How could he possibly release the innate ox and horse sacred body that he and Reba had painstakingly tricked into returning to nature?

"what ever."

Lu Zhiyuan doesn't care about the need to train his acting skills himself.

As for filming idol dramas?

That thing doesn't cost much at all.

"Then it's settled. I'll find a few suitable novels on the market to promote Yang Mi and help her make a lot of money."

After their discussion, the two returned to their office feeling refreshed.

For some reason, after abandoning personal feelings and focusing only on interests, Xin Yukun felt completely relaxed.

Seeing the two return chatting and laughing, Miss Jing Tian asked with great suspicion, "A Yuan, Brother Kun, what were you two discussing just now? You were being so secretive."

Xin Yukun chuckled and winked mysteriously at Miss Jing Tian: "Tian Tian, ​​A Yuan said that if Pacific Rim does well at the box office, they're going to increase your role in the sequel. Are you looking forward to it?"

real or fake?

At that moment, everyone else in the office turned to look at Miss Jing Tian.

With Jing Tian's acting skills, can she hold up the bill?
However, it's hard to say.

In Lu Zhiyuan's movies, Miss Jing Tian's performance has always been stunning.

"Ah Yuan, really?"

Miss Jing Tian looked over with anticipation.

Did I put any drugs in the soup I made last night? Otherwise, how could he have lost his mind?

Haha!

They must be completely infatuated with me.

“I’m considering it.”

Liu Shishi is blind, Yang Mi has a blank expression, and both of their acting skills are terrible. Jing Tian, ​​on the other hand, has no flaws whatsoever.

In terms of hardware, Miss Jing Tian is top-tier.

The reason her acting was so bad was because others couldn't find the right way to portray Miss Jing Tian.

Lu Zhiyuan's understanding of Miss Jing Tian surpasses that of anyone else in the world.

If he goes to great lengths to promote a female star, that person could very well be Miss Jing Tian!

Theoretically speaking, this is feasible.

The character of Miss T, portrayed by Lu Zhiyuan through three films, has long been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

But this character still lacks a certain soul.

If Lu Zhiyuan were to breathe life into the character of Miss T in his next work, igniting a divine flame within her... it would undoubtedly enhance the film considerably.

This is much more time-saving and labor-saving than bringing in a new character and recreating them!
"Ah Yuan, sit closer, come closer!"

Lu Zhiyuan said he was considering it, which means that what Xin Yukun just said was true.

At this moment, Miss Jing Tian was overjoyed.

Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan was not moving, Miss Jing Tian took the initiative to move closer to him, and even during the meeting, she couldn't help but put her arm around Lu Zhiyuan's arm.

The others in the office couldn't help but smile!
That's what family businesses are like.

Not to mention, it's a family-run business.

However, the fact that Lu Zhiyuan and Miss Jing Tian have such a good relationship makes them feel exceptionally at ease.

Because the company makes just too much money.

Although Pacific Rim has not been released yet, Zhao Shanshan has already signed many big contracts in Los Angeles.

The profits from this are no less than 2 million US dollars.

In addition, Apple valued the VR gaming glasses company at $25 billion, while YT Pictures owned approximately 40% of the shares.

That is, around 10 billion US dollars.

Lu Zhiyuan's side is inclined to sell these shares, buy Netflix at a low price, and enter the streaming media industry.

After all, Lu Zhiyuan had the foresight to know how promising the streaming media industry would be in the future.

Offline cinemas have actually reached their limit.

After all, housing prices will gradually rise both domestically and internationally in the coming period.

For asset-heavy businesses like cinemas, rising property prices lead to higher rents, which in turn erode profits.

In other words, cinema chains are essentially working for landlords.

Is this kind of business feasible?

However, there is another partner in YT Pictures, Universal Pictures... Zhao Shanshan needs to persuade them in order to sell the VR gaming glasses company.

The VR gaming glasses company was established last year.

Besides YT Entertainment, the major shareholders are Apple Inc. and tech genius Palmer.

YT Pictures sold the video game rights to "Real Steel" for tens of millions of dollars.

In just one year, the company's valuation reached $25 billion, a several-fold increase.

If we can sell the company and include these profits in the company's financial statements, this year's performance will be dazzling, as beautiful as fireworks.

If placed among all listed companies in the A-share market, it would probably rank in the top 100.

He could easily beat up dozens of Huayi Brothers.

Theoretically speaking, almost all of this money was earned by Lu Zhiyuan alone... Lu Zhiyuan is the real cash cow in their eyes.

Everyone was happy to see that Lu Zhiyuan and Miss Jing Tian had such a good relationship.

……

"Tian Tian, ​​we're in a meeting."

Zhao Shanshan glared at Miss Jing Tian.

Seeing that Miss Jingtian wouldn't let go, she was somewhat helpless and simply pretended not to see her.

"As for theaters, they've allocated 45% of the screenings to 'Pacific Rim'!"

"This is the limit."

"After all, 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' and 'The Flowers of War' will be released on December 15th."

"These two films also need to be guaranteed a certain number of screenings."

“Especially ‘Flying Swords of Dragon Gate’, which will compete with us for the number of 3D theaters and IMAX theaters.”

——根据2011年12月16日《中国电影报》的权威数据，截至2011年12月6日，全国3D银幕数已突破4700块。

During the same period, the total number of movie screens nationwide exceeded 8800.

3D screens account for approximately 53%!

Last year, that number was 2000.

In just one year, the number of 3D screens has more than doubled.

This is a real boon for special effects blockbusters like Pacific Rim.

"joke!"

"Can a martial arts film like 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' compete with our mecha blockbusters?"

"If they don't retreat, let's see how they die!"

Among the people who came to the meeting this time, in addition to the staff of Starlight Brilliant Company, there were also some who came from Miss Jing Tian's hometown.

He is a representative of a private equity fund.

Zhao Shanshan is nominally the major shareholder of YT Pictures.

But in reality, these private equity funds are the real major shareholders.

Since it's a private equity fund, it's because some people have special identities and cannot appear in the public eye.

But these people all have status, background, and power.

With their protection, Lu Zhiyuan only needs to focus on his art. As for the other messy things, someone else will take care of them.

"Mr. Li is right."

"Judging from feedback from various channels, the audience's expectations for our film Pacific Rim are significantly higher than those for Flying Swords of Dragon Gate."

"Moreover, 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' uses the gimmick of a domestic 3D film and claims to be far superior to Hollywood technology... But the audience isn't stupid; they can tell the difference just by looking at the film."

"Whether 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' can even achieve the visual effects of 'Real Steel' is uncertain! How dare they try to compare themselves to 'Pacific Rim'? It's a joke!"

Zhao Shanshan is becoming more and more assertive, and she speaks with absolute certainty.

Lu Zhiyuan gave her tremendous confidence.

Even on a Hollywood scale, the visual effects of *Pacific Rim* are top-notch, comparable to those of *Transformers 3*.

Transformers 3 is filled with explosive special effects.

Pacific Rim used more practical effects, making it more realistic. The battles between mechs and monsters were so intense that a single punch could create a crater, and cities were often destroyed while mechs were wrecked.

Transformers 3 is closer to an animated film, where the main characters are like they have superpowers and can't die no matter what.

However, in terms of visual effects, the two movies are equally good!
This is a top-notch Hollywood production!
How can it be compared to "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate"?
It's one thing to fool the audience, but it's impossible to fool these industry insiders.

What do you think of Zhang Yimou's "The Flowers of War"?

Both "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" and "Pacific Rim" are 3D special effects movies, and once they are released, they will easily be compared.

"Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" is doomed.

They can only rely on their early release and lack of pressure to rake in box office revenue for 10 days.

Once Pacific Rim is released, its box office will most likely plummet, and it will soon disappear from the public eye.

Because cinemas aren't stupid.

If Pacific Rim had a 90% occupancy rate and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate had an 80% occupancy rate... and both were excellent, which would you choose?
Put yourself in the shoes of a theater owner; you would definitely prioritize screenings of "Pacific Rim".

Then, the midnight screenings and weekday daytime screenings were scheduled for "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate".

A 10% difference in occupancy rate may not seem like much.

However, an IMAX theater can only generate around 10 yuan in box office revenue per day.

That's 100 million in 10 days.

10% means a shortfall of 10.

Now, does anyone still think it's not enough?
The business owners are all business people, and the net profit of most of their businesses is only 10%.

A 10% profit margin is a world of difference.

Once cinema owners across the country all think this way, the consequences are self-evident.

This is the siphon effect in the box office market!
This is why everyone is rushing to shoot blockbuster films.

That was a last resort.

The film market is experiencing a significant drain on top-tier companies.

"Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" was indeed a blockbuster, but it encountered an opponent it could not defeat and was destined to fail.

Normally, Hollywood blockbusters are released at the end of January.

Pacific Rim is completely cheating. It relies on the gimmick of being a Sino-US co-production to be counted as a domestic film, and it tries to grab box office revenue every year at the end of December.

In fact, other domestic film companies have long hated Lu Zhiyuan and Starlight Brilliant Films!

Unfortunately, they couldn't take down Lu Zhiyuan, much less Xingguang Canlan.

Anyone who dares to have such crooked thoughts or resort to underhanded methods will be the first to die!

"45% of the screenings, how is that enough?"

"Xiao Zhao, I'm very familiar with Wanda. I'll talk to them for you. We'll get at least 60% of the screenings! They'll reserve all the prime time slots in the afternoon and evening for our movie."

"As for other movies, leave those midnight, early morning, and garbage slots to them... at least, the screening rate should be acceptable."

"Otherwise, people will say we have a bad attitude."

There are many nuances to consider when determining the screening schedule.

They put all the screenings in the midnight and early morning slots. At first glance, the screening rate seems pretty good... But no matter how many of these garbage slots there are, the box office will never be good!
They're all set up for ghosts to see.

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

Zhao Shanshan was already used to this kind of situation.

You can't say they're bullying people, can you?
Ultimately, this is an unspoken rule in the cinema industry. Other companies, if they have the ability, can also negotiate with the cinemas.

Of course, all of this is predicated on the film being of high quality.

After all, those movie theater owners open theaters to make money.

They might be able to let the cinemas suffer a loss once in a while by relying on their reputation, but they can't expect the cinemas to give them face every time and bear the losses themselves.

Even gods don't have that much influence!
Fortunately, every film by Lu Zhiyuan is excellent, making all his supporters very wealthy.

This creates a virtuous cycle.

This has given them increasing influence in the cinema industry.

"Ah Yuan, is there anything you'd like to add?"

After Zhao Shanshan finished talking with that Mr. Li, she turned to look at Lu Zhiyuan.

She knew that Lu Zhiyuan wouldn't offer any opinion on this matter, but she needed to give him face.

Even if it's just a symbolic question, you should still ask it.

"I have only one suggestion. Could this year's premiere be held at 6 p.m.? I'm really fed up with premieres in the early hours of the morning."

Not all movie premieres are in the early morning.

Many films, considering the advanced age of their directors, will hold their premieres around 6 p.m.

Lu Zhiyuan is so young, yet he wants to enjoy the treatment of a senior.

"No problem at all."

Zhao Shanshan laughed heartily.

Is such a small problem even considered a problem?

……

After the meeting.

Everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal.

During the meal, Zhao Shanshan noticed that Miss Jing Tian looked pale and listless. She had been even more listless and absent-minded during the meeting.

It looks exactly like someone with kidney deficiency.

She couldn't help but ask softly, "Tian Tian, ​​you don't look well. Are you sick?"

"No."

Miss Jing Tian shook her head: "I just didn't sleep well last night."

Didn't you sleep well?

How could you not have slept well?

You can have insomnia even if you're with your artsy crush every day?
Zhao Shanshan couldn't help but turn to look at Lu Zhiyuan.

Lu Zhiyuan had completely changed from her previous sickly beauty; she was now full of energy, her skin glowing as if it were about to radiate light, looking exactly like a miniature battle Gundam.

what's going on?
Has Lu Zhiyuan, that little rascal, turned the tables and become the master?
……

Go home.

Miss Jing Tian was in a very good mood today, but she didn't make any soup.

She wanted to give her tired body a break.

Since returning from Los Angeles, Lu Zhiyuan's fighting prowess has grown stronger and stronger, leaving her feeling overwhelmed.

I have lower back pain every day.

Sisters, who can understand this happy dilemma?

"Tian Tian, ​​do you want to drink the leftover soup from yesterday?"

"Well... okay, I'll have a bowl too."

Faced with Lu Zhiyuan's enthusiastic invitation, Miss Jing Tian thought for a moment that if she didn't drink the soup, others might get to enjoy the charm of the artistic male god.

It's better to just bear with it.

But she was also very puzzled: was her soup really that effective?

They turned Lu Zhiyuan, this fragile little guy, into a true Gundam warrior.

No, I need to take some supplements too!
Otherwise, it will be my turn to feel nervous next!
……

The film "The Flowers of War" was released on December 15th.

The movie starts at 6 PM!
Thanks to Zhang Yimou's immense popularity, the film grossed 1900 million yuan on its opening day.

On the same day, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" opened at 2 pm. Thanks to the advantage of 3D ticket prices and the early release date, it achieved a higher box office of 2300 million on its opening day.

However, "The Flowers of War" had a higher attendance rate, reaching 70%!

Clearly, Zhang Yimou's brand is slightly stronger than Tsui Hark's.

More fans.

These two films together account for 90% of the market's screenings!

After its first four days, "The Flowers of War" had grossed approximately 1.5 million yuan.

"Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" grossed approximately 1.4 million.

looks great.

Unfortunately, neither film met their expectations.

The production cost of "The Flowers of War" was as high as 6 million yuan. Given the current situation, it is absolutely impossible to break even unless it becomes a box office hit in North America.

This probability is infinitely close to 0!

The situation with "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" was not much better. The production cost was 2 million RMB, of which Jet Li's salary was as high as 9000 million RMB.

Judging from the current situation, this movie's box office performance will most likely be similar to that of "The Flowers of War".

Considering the film's marketing and distribution costs.

The probability of this movie making a profit through domestic box office is almost zero!

However, Jet Li's brand name is still quite strong. Martial arts films like "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" should be able to sell a lot of copyright fees in Southeast Asia.

The situation is slightly better than that of "The Flowers of War".

At least, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" earned Chen Kun the title of "Factory Flower".

Tsui Hark's martial arts aesthetics have gained recognition.

The opposite example, "The Flowers of War," is in a much worse situation.

Not only did it flop at the box office, but its reputation wasn't particularly good either.

Moreover, the film's failure also triggered internal strife within Zhang Yimou's own production company, New Pictures.

Whether Zhang Yimou has proven himself with this film is hard to say. However, with this film, he has effectively destroyed the New Pictures film company!

……

"Depend on!"

"So this is all the skill Zhang Yimou has?"

"It cost 6 million RMB to make, and they even got Christian Bale to star in it. I thought they were going to make some kind of blockbuster. But now it seems like it's just so-so."

To break even, a film costing 6 million RMB needs to gross at least 20 billion RMB at the box office.

In North America, it is expected to gross around $1 million at the box office.

In this case, to break even, the company needs to gross at least 12 billion yuan at the domestic box office.

In other words, we need to break a record.

Zhang Yimou is ambitious.

But as it turns out, his actual ability fell far short of expectations.

"I specifically checked on foreign websites. This movie was also released in North America, but the box office was negligible. The funniest thing is that its Rotten Tomatoes score is only 27%!"

"In North America, this kind of rating would basically be considered the worst of the worst!"

Rotten tomatoes with a freshness rating below 60% are basically considered bad movies.

27%, which is equivalent to a super terrible movie!

The film "The Flowers of War" received a rating of 8.3 on Douban, a Chinese social networking site, which made Xin Yukun question her own aesthetic judgment.

I checked the Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's only 27%.

He was certain it wasn't his problem.

It's highly likely that someone has posted fake reviews.

Of course, it's also possible that Zhang Yimou, as the national director, has many fans who helped push it up.

"Brother Kun, Zhang Yimou is a senior, don't talk nonsense. If this gets out, the public opinion will explode. At that time, everyone on the Internet will condemn you, and paparazzi reporters will be watching you every day. Even if you want to go out and pick up girls, it will be dozens of times more difficult."

Lu Zhiyuan asked Xin Yukun to be tactful with his words.

Criticizing others is pointless and won't make you any better.

“You’re right. But there are only a few of us in this office. Apart from me being a big mouth, you’re all people who keep your mouths shut.”

Xin Yukun's words left the others speechless.

It turns out he knew he was a big mouth.

"Brother Kun, shut up."

Zhao Shanshan took an apple from the table and tossed it to Xin Yukun, telling him to eat some apple to shut him up.

After things quieted down, Zhao Shanshan looked at Lu Zhiyuan, frowned, and said, "Yuan, I have a feeling that this year's box office performance isn't very good?"

Last year's box office battle.

Zhao Shanshan felt that this year's event was much more exciting than this one.

"Sister Shanshan, that's your misconception. Think back carefully, how much did Chen Kaige's box office revenue reach last December? Less than 200 million."

"Zhang Yimou's 'The Flowers of War' only performed poorly at the box office because its production costs were too high."

With a box office of 1.5 million yuan in its first week, it should normally reach around 5 to 6 million yuan.

This is already great.

"Sister Shanshan, please don't convert RMB to USD, okay?"

Miss Jing Tian knew what Zhao Shanshan was thinking, and made a somewhat speechless remark.

YT Pictures, thanks to the various merchandise related to "Real Steel," is generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue every month.

Zhao Shanshan once felt that one or two hundred million RMB was not a large sum of money.

In other words, the 1.5 million yuan opening weekend box office of "The Flowers of War" is only a little over 2000 million US dollars, which is less than YT Pictures' monthly income.

Zhao Shanshan would naturally feel that it was nothing special.

However, in the entire entertainment industry, only a handful of directors can achieve a box office of 1.5 million RMB in their opening week.

It's simply because Lu Zhiyuan's box office numbers are just too outrageous!
In this era, domestic directors are still figuring things out and have no idea what a real commercial blockbuster is.

"If you look at it that way, Zhang Yimou and Tsui Hark are just two atmosphere-building teams, helping us to heat up the December event first."

"Now, the real protagonist is about to make his appearance!"

The movie "Pacific Rim" was aiming directly at breaking records.

On the other side of Starlight Splendor, they originally wanted to observe what extraordinary methods Zhang Yimou and Tsui Hark had, and then try their best to counter them.

In short, Lu Zhiyuan must be given the center position.

Who knew that, upon closer inspection now, these two seem to be nothing special after all.

The food was awful.

……

December 24, 2011, is a Saturday.

6 pm.

At Lu Zhiyuan's insistence, he received the same treatment as Zhang Yimou, with all future film premieres scheduled for 6 PM.

As usual, Lu Zhiyuan's premiere will be held at the Wanda Cinema, which is 2 kilometers away from Dongshan Villa.

Pacific Rim is incredibly popular.

This premiere was absolutely star-studded, with countless celebrities in attendance.

Lu Zhiyuan originally wanted to keep a low profile and invite only a few acquaintances.

Who knew that countless people would pull strings to attend this premiere? In the past few days, Miss Jing Tian has received countless phone calls.

As a student at the Beijing Film Academy, she naturally felt embarrassed to refuse the senior students in her department.

As a result, this premiere was more lively than many award ceremonies.

"Xiao Lu, it's been a long time."

Chen Kaige arrived early and hugged Lu Zhiyuan, saying, "Your premiere is much bigger than Zhang Yimou's next door."

Although "The Flowers of War" had a high box office, New Pictures Film Company suffered huge losses.

Chen Kaige couldn't help but think that although his film "The Orphan of Zhao" which he made last year didn't do well at the domestic box office.

However, they sold the film rights overseas.

The movie not only didn't lose money, but actually made a profit.

In addition, 4000 million of his production costs were fixed assets, which were used to build an orphanage.

After the movie was filmed, the value of this orphanage actually increased.

In this back and forth, he not only did not lose money, but actually made a lot of money.

Zhang Yimou is a master at making movies, but he's not exactly a genius.

Making movies can really ruin your own company?
It's really confusing.

People from small towns simply lack business acumen.

By this calculation, I've won again.

"Xiao Lu, I heard you're planning a new project and you're missing a female lead? What do you think of Gao Yuanyuan?"

Chen Kaige had previously suspected that Lu Zhiyuan and Gao Yuanyuan were having an affair, so he deliberately brought Gao Yuanyuan into the film "Caught in the Web".

Filming started in October, and we've only filmed half of it so far.

Gao Yuanyuan gave a very good performance in the movie.

It's absolutely stunning.

He had to admit that Lu Zhiyuan's judgment was indeed excellent.

Now, he plans to return it to its rightful owner, allowing Gao Yuanyuan to go with Lu Zhiyuan to film a Hollywood blockbuster, so as not to hinder Gao Yuanyuan's future.

Of course, he was sensible.

Of course, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't have brought up such a thing.

Otherwise, how will we explain this to Miss Jing Tian?

As a senior colleague, he had to help Lu Zhiyuan speak out.

"Director Chen, that project has been cancelled."

Lu Zhiyuan didn't say much.

The project is still in the preparation stage, and the actors have not signed contracts. It's just an intention, so it's normal for it to be canceled at the last minute.

"I understand. You've had it tough too."

Chen Kaige, however, understood Lu Zhiyuan's unspoken message and gently patted him on the back.

Miss Jing Tian must have discovered something.

I understand everything I understand.

"Ah Yuan, what are you and Lao Chen whispering about? And he keeps glancing at me."

After Chen Kaige left, Miss Jing Tian came over, took Lu Zhiyuan's hand, and asked with a smile.

"Old Chen asked me, 'Do you know what the soul of Eastern aesthetics is?'"

"I was stumped by the question."

"Then, he pointed in your direction and said... 'Your girlfriend is standing there in a cheongsam, and you'll know the answer.'"

Chen Kaige would never say such a thing.

As a senior figure, how could he possibly point at Miss Jing Tian and talk about the soul of Eastern aesthetics?

He is a very particular person and would never flirt with younger people.

Miss Jing Tian, ​​of course, knew that those words were spoken by Lu Zhiyuan. This robot, even wanting to say a few sweet nothings, was too shy to do so.

What's there to be shy about?

Would I, this young lady, possibly make fun of you?
"Ah Yuan, you've gotten quite the smooth talker lately. Confess, are you lusting after my good looks?"

Miss Jing Tian laughed heartily, looking extremely happy.

"You guessed it."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement, then casually asked with a smile, "Tian Tian, ​​what kind of soup would you like? I'll cook it for you tonight."

After waiting for so long, today has finally arrived.

Lu Zhiyuan was already sick of drinking Miss Jingtian's soup every day.

However, he used to be a fragile little guy, and he didn't need a reason to refuse.

Now things are great, the little crispy skin has completely turned the tables!
Zhang Yimou's super energy is really effective!
"No, no. Can you give me the night off?" Miss Jing Tian pleaded.

I never imagined that one day she would be the one to frail!

……

Miss Jing Tian and Lu Zhiyuan were flirting there.

Everyone else pretended to be blind and acted as if they didn't see anything.

Even the journalists and media outlets who were invited to the premiere to write reports looked around and completely ignored the two of them.

Anyway, they knew that even if they wrote the article, they wouldn't be able to publish it.

Unless one day, Miss Jing Tian takes the initiative to announce her relationship.

Otherwise, even if everyone knew that the two of them were dating, no legitimate media outlet would be able to release the news.

As for the rumors circulating in private, Miss Jing Tian didn't care.

"Everyone, please watch the movie first. After the movie, we will give our routine interviews."

Other directors like to talk at length about their creative process and how hard it is to make a film before it's even released.

Lu Zhiyuan never talks about these things.

What's so hard about making movies for him?

This is his greatest joy in life!

He is creating his own unique art; how can that be considered hard work?
He enjoys every day and is completely unaware of the passage of time.

However, the two months he spent waiting for the film's release after it was finished were indeed quite agonizing for him.

……

The venue where Lu Zhiyuan held the premiere was one of the few 3D IMAX theaters in the country.

At this point, many people were already eagerly waiting.

Upon hearing that we could finally watch a movie, I hurriedly put on my 3D glasses, ready to enjoy this legendary sci-fi blockbuster.

As for the interviews and my thoughts after watching the show.

There's still time after the movie is over.

……

"boom!"

The film opens with an overwhelming sense of awe.

A massive mech hunter crouched atop an aircraft carrier, its cold, mechanical electronic eyes slowly scanning the sea ahead.

Beside the mech hunter, countless drones buzzed.

At this moment, these drones, like dumplings being thrown into water, splashed and plunged into the sea.

Immediately afterwards, the scene shifted to the deep sea.

The drone emitted that green light as it descended into the deep sea, constantly transmitting back some special energy fluctuations.

Image transformation.

Back in the cockpit of the Jaeger.

Duan Yihong was wearing a very cool combat suit, with a blank expression, looking very stern.

There was a virtual screen in front of him.

On the virtual screen is a 3D image of a mech hunter.

Countless data points are constantly fluctuating.

It looks very sci-fi.

"Haha! It's me!"

Before the premiere, Duan Yihong had no idea how his character would be edited in the film.

And at that moment, he knew.

Almost laughed out loud.

So handsome!
I'm the one who's starting!

Piloting a massive mech hunter, standing atop the enormous aircraft carrier deck, he silently gazed at the sea like a god.

Even the slightest movement of the hand, when transmitted to the mech hunter, generates an immense force with a mechanical roar, as if it could crush everything at any moment.

This is me!

From now on, please address me as Duan Yihong, the pilot of "Judgment Number"!

I will save humanity!
"That guy got lucky."

"How did he get the right to pilot a mecha?"

"I'm way better looking than him. Why can't I pilot a mecha?"

At that moment, everyone around Duan Yihong looked over at the same time.

Even through 3D glasses, Duan Yihong could feel their envy and jealousy towards him.

"Duan Yihong, you scoundrel, you actually got to pilot a mecha!"

Especially Sun Honglei, who was not far away, gritted his teeth and his face was contorted in a ferocious manner.

Who took the blame for Miss Jing Tian?
It's me, Sun Honglei.

I didn't even get to pilot the mecha, but that scoundrel Duan Yihong got to pilot it.

All of this is because that scoundrel used underhanded tricks to steal the role that should have been mine.

No.

I cannot admit defeat.

At that moment, Sun Honglei decided that after the movie ended, he would immediately go home with Lu Zhiyuan, even if it meant kneeling and kowtowing three times and kowtowing nine times, he had to pilot the mecha once.

I have to say, that scoundrel Duan Yihong was damn cool when he piloted his mecha!

……

"Wow!"

"what is this?"

"A wormhole in the form of a sphere?"

"A barred spiral galaxy, Perseus?"

As the film continued, Lu Zhiyuan presented one incredibly cool scientific concept after another to the audience with crystal clarity through 3D special effects.

Especially with the ultra-high-definition visual effects of 3D IMAX, this concept of the universe, which previously only existed in NASA promotional videos, appeared in the movie without any sense of incongruity.

This must be the first time in history that a director has done this!

It left the audience in awe.

"boom!"

Immediately following was the great battle between the mech hunters and the monsters.

Lu Zhiyuan's first major battle was not the visceral, hard-hitting fight that the audience had expected.

Of the 10 seconds of combat, 7 seconds are reserved for the mech hunters to observe the attack patterns of the apostle monsters.

It facilitates data collection.

In the remaining 3 seconds, the apostle monster will launch a surprise attack with lightning speed, like a predator hunting its prey.

They wanted to kill him with a single blow.

However, the mech hunters were not to be trifled with; relying on their powerful mechanical defenses, they withstood the attacks time and time again.

The two colossal creatures clashed in a terrifying battle.

As a contrast, the enormous aircraft carrier, tossing and turning in the sea, constantly made one worry that it might sink.

"Xiao Lu has evolved again!"

“In the previous film, ‘Real Steel,’ he hadn’t yet reached this level in creating this atmosphere.”

"What a terrible talent!"

Chen Kaige's gaze toward Lu Zhiyuan became extremely complicated.

In fact, 7 seconds of observation, 3 seconds of fighting... this is a camera trick.

This kind of scene is what's known as the "invisible threat" in disaster movies, keeping the audience constantly on edge.

Lu Zhiyuan first used a large amount of space, such as [space wormholes], [electromagnetic pulse shielding], [the disappearance of swarm drones], [close-up shots of the monsters' ferocity], to create the image of the powerful and terrifying Apostle monsters.

When the monster dives into the sea, the visual absence does not make the fear disappear; instead, it forces the audience to use their imagination to create an even stronger sense of dread.

Visual loss? Fill in the gaps with your imagination!
This is a very practical cinematic language.

However, mastering this cinematic language is not so simple.

……

Chen Kaige originally thought that these were some tricks that Lu Zhiyuan had learned from Spielberg.

However, he soon realized that he was wrong.

Big mistakes.

Because, after the first few minutes of fighting were over.

【Judgment】returned to the mecha repair base, while Duan Yihong, due to his injury affecting his nervous system, had to step down and become a martial arts instructor.

The character Dilraba, in the cold laboratory, picks and chooses, searching for the body she likes.

After a simple yet futuristic cyberpunk plot, the scene shifts directly to Tokyo, marking the start of World War II.

The destructive aesthetics characteristic of Roland Emmerich were vividly displayed by Lu Zhiyuan at this moment!

"Incredible."

"Grand visual spectacles, the ritualistic destruction of landmarks of civilization, the framework of a global catastrophe... This atmosphere is not created by Spielberg, but by Roland Emmerich!"

"so similar!"

"They're exactly the same!"

"I was surprised to see the atmosphere of destruction that '2012' created in the movie 'Pacific Rim'."

"That guy Xiao Lu is a real monster."

This left Chen Kaige completely dumbfounded. He stood there, mouth agape, muttering to himself in disbelief.

(End of this chapter)