The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 244: $5 Million in Box Office in a Single Week! The Power of Chinese Audiences Shocks the World!
……

December 25th, Christmas Day.

In recent years, Christmas atmosphere has gradually emerged in China.

Christmas songs were playing everywhere on the streets and alleys. There were Christmas trees and Santa Claus costumes. In shopping malls, people were handing out gifts randomly.

But it didn't work.

Although there is a festive atmosphere, for Chinese people, today is just an ordinary Tuesday, a workday, in addition to being Christmas.

For them, the biggest change today is...

While scrolling through your phone, you might suddenly realize that all the previous buzz about the movie "Lost in Thailand" has vanished in an instant.

Instead, there's "Real Steel 3," which delivers an even more intense information overload than "Lost in Thailand."

On Weibo, netizens who had already seen the movie last night started enthusiastically recommending it to everyone.

"Guys, I get carsick, but since last night I've been feeling spaceship-like motion sickness!"

"Last night, I was there during the movie 'Real Steel 3,' when humanity first traveled through a wormhole. The rotating 3D effects were so realistic that I almost threw up, and I even broke the armrests of the theater chair!"

"Upstairs, you're not the only one! Me too. That wormhole journey was so immersive, the spinning sensation was so intense. I recommend everyone go to the theater to experience it; it's an absolutely immersive spaceship ride!"

"Traversing a wormhole is nothing! What's truly unforgettable is emerging from the wormhole and witnessing that black hole slowly devouring a star! I even dreamt last night that I ate a double-yolk egg!"

"Yes, yes, yes! The scene of a black hole swallowing a star was indeed awesome. But it couldn't compare to that alien princess. The moment she appeared, I felt my heart almost left with her. What's the actress's name? Has anyone told me? If not, I'll ask again later!"

"Upstairs, that's the flying apsara from Dunhuang, her name is Nazha. Go back and watch 'Real Steel 1,' it's about 56 minutes in. I rewatched it yesterday. Nazha is so beautiful."

"Beautiful my foot! Xiaoxue from 'Xuan-Yuan Sword' is dark-skinned and sallow, always frowning, with her nostrils pointing to the sky, and she has no acting skills whatsoever. I heard she used to be a young model on Moko. I don't know what you guys are bragging about?"

"I only have one thing to say: Alita is invincible! All those third-rate actors, get out of here! How dare they compare themselves to me, Alita?"

"After this movie, Dilraba will undoubtedly be the number one female star in history! All those 'Four Dan Actresses' and 'Two Bing Actresses' combined are no match for Dilraba alone!"

"I completely agree! Dilraba is unbeatable!"

"I disagree. Dilraba is just lucky to have a famous director boyfriend. If either of the great poets from the Tang Dynasty were to catch Yuan Ge's eye, their achievements wouldn't be any less than Dilraba's!"

"The person upstairs is hilarious... Liu Shishi, haven't you ever acted in Yuan Ge's movies? He started with the Palme d'Or. Have you seen Liu Shishi take off yet? Okay, she did take off, but she didn't really fly. At most, she flew at a low altitude."

"And then there's Yang Mi... Rumor has it that Brother Yuan originally wanted to cast her in an action movie, but her once square face suddenly transformed into a foxy, pointed chin, and she even told Brother Yuan that she hadn't had plastic surgery. Do you think Brother Yuan's intelligence is the same as those buzzing bees?"

"Finally, let's go back to Liu Yifei. She is impeccable. But I've realized something now. Someone as talented as Yuan Ge failed the college entrance exam and couldn't even go to university. He could only attend a training program at the Beijing Film Academy."

"But what about Liu Yifei? She only graduated from elementary school and didn't even finish high school, yet she was specially admitted to the Beijing Film Academy to study for her undergraduate degree. Don't call me a hater of NTR; she herself admitted in an interview video that she didn't want to go to high school and wanted to go to university as soon as possible."

"Haha, that's hilarious! Liu Yifei, an uncultured idiot, went to university, while Yuan Ge, a genius, failed the college entrance exam... Yuan Ge may not say it, but what do you think his reaction would be if he saw Liu Yifei?"

……

I rely on!

I've heard some really juicy gossip today!
The netizens are indeed incredibly talented, a veritable treasure trove of hidden gems!

Now I finally understand why Lu Zhiyuan didn't like to bring Liu Yifei along when filming.

It's not because Liu Yifei is unattractive, nor because her acting is bad. In terms of acting skills, the great Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yifei is about 50/50.

If Liu Shishi, who is blind, can be cast in Lu Zhiyuan's movies, then Liu Yifei, with her sloping shoulders, certainly can too.

There must be some reason that outsiders don't know about.

Today, someone finally exposed it!

……

How exactly did Liu Yifei get into the Beijing Film Academy?

"She only has an elementary school education and didn't even attend high school. How did she skip the college entrance exam and get into university?"

"The video is proof! She admitted it herself; she just wanted to go to university as soon as possible, thinking it would benefit her career. Did she ever consider that she was undermining the fairness of the college entrance examination?"

……

After the release of the movie "Real Steel 3", director Lu Zhiyuan became like a black hole of traffic, with all the topics revolving around him.

Besides that, there are several female celebrities who appear in his movies.

Reba, Hanikezi, was raised by Lu Zhiyuan from a young age and has almost no scandals.

Liu Shishi, also known as Little Liu Yifei, is a lazy bum. Apart from liking to post some trivial things on Tianya and being jokingly called the "Number One Sister of Tianya," she has no scandals.

Naza has become quite popular, and even her past as a young model on Moko.com has been dug up.

However, this cannot be considered a particularly serious stain.

Registering as a young model on a dating website doesn't necessarily mean you've done anything wrong.

After digging around, netizens still couldn't find any scandals about the actresses in Lu Zhiyuan's movies.

Ultimately, it's unclear who started it, but the focus shifted to Liu Yifei.

Because Liu Yifei and Lu Zhiyuan knew each other the earliest, everyone else got to act in Lu Zhiyuan's movies, but Liu Yifei was always left out.

Many netizens have begun to question what exactly is going on with Liu Yifei.
Is there a problem?

The more you dig, the more you find!

One stone caused a thousand waves!

……

"Xiao Su, Xiao Guo... come on, let me toast you both!"

"Real Steel 3 was a huge success. Knowing Brother Yuan as I do, your project's bonuses will be substantial after the movie leaves theaters."

"Congratulations, you will all become millionaires."

After its release, the film's box office exploded, grossing $9000 million on its opening day.

This is the best opening of all of Lu Zhiyuan's films.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this movie will definitely gross over 13 billion US dollars.

Now there's only one question left: can it surpass $15 billion, beat "The Avengers," and become the highest-grossing film of 2012?

It's quite difficult!
After all, Peter Jackson wasn't exactly a pushover.

The Hobbit: The First Hobbit was also a formidable force, conquering and dominating Europe and America.

Because of the success of "The Hobbit: The First Hobbit," the global screening rate of "Real Steel 3" was significantly affected.

If it weren't for The Hobbit: The First Hobbit diverting box office revenue, Xin Yukun is absolutely certain that Real Steel 3 would have broken $100 million at the box office last night.

such a pity.

Damn Peter Jackson!
Why do you have to get involved in this mess?
Due to the diversion of audiences to "Real Steel 3" and its aggressive promotion, "The Hobbit: The First Hobbit" experienced a precipitous drop in box office revenue last night.

They were squeezed out particularly badly in Germany and Italy.

Peter Jackson is someone who hurts others by 100 points but also hurts himself by 1000 points!

Completely thankless.

Lu Zhiyuan, the King of Christmas, are you kidding me?
Although Real Steel 3 is unlikely to break the $15 billion box office record of The Avengers, it won't be too far off.

Most importantly, we must go head-to-head and defeat Peter Jackson.

This will greatly enhance Lu Zhiyuan's historical status.

They are all part of a series, and all have special effects... Lu Zhiyuan wrote all the scripts himself, incorporating a lot of his artistic thinking.

Peter Jackson's script for "The Hobbit" is based on Tolkien's world-famous novel, which is itself a super IP.

In comparison, Lu Zhiyuan's historical status after this battle should not be inferior to that of Peter Jackson.

"My good brother, after this battle, he's now a top 5 director in history!"

"I will also leave my mark on history."

Thinking about it this way, Xin Yukun was still very happy.

To celebrate this, he called Guo Fan and Su Lun out and had a big celebration.

"Xiao Guo, after we finish this meal, I'll take you to a great place. There's a Christmas party tonight, with countless little reindeer."

"You'll definitely like it."

Xin Yukun felt that Guo Fan and Lu Zhiyuan were the same type of people, the kind of honest, tech-savvy guys.

Of course, Lu Zhiyuan was not honest.

He might just not pursue these things.

After all, if he wanted to, he wouldn't need to spend money to find any Christmas reindeer outside; plenty of reindeer would come running to him.

However, there is still hope for Guo Fan.

Xin Yukun decided to take Guo Fan to broaden his horizons and let him understand what the right way to enter the entertainment industry is.

"Brother Kun, stop drinking now, the online narrative is getting out of control..."

When Su Lun heard Xin Yukun talking about Christmas reindeer, she didn't want to listen anymore. What was a woman like her doing playing with Christmas reindeer?

It would be more appropriate to hire a few male models.

At this moment, the two were chatting idly, while Su Lun casually scrolled through her phone, mainly to check the online trends.

It has to be said that spending 3000 million US dollars on marketing and promotion is truly astounding.

Since last night, all other movie promotional messages have been buried.

As long as you have a mobile phone and internet access, even if you're reading pirated novels online, a small pop-up window will appear in the lower right corner of the webpage.

I'm letting everyone know that "Real Steel 3" is currently showing in theaters. You can buy discounted tickets and choose your preferred seats by logging onto the Meituan ticketing app.

In short, we tried every possible way to get all the audiences into the cinema and contribute to Lu Zhiyuan's cause.

However, after scrolling through her phone for a while, Su Lun suddenly noticed that Liu Yifei's posts were gradually increasing.

She suspected that Liu Yifei had released another press release across the internet.
Hongxingwu has always been like this.

They always release press releases at inopportune times, trying to capitalize on anything that becomes popular, which makes them universally disliked.

But given the relationship between Liu Yifei and Lu Zhiyuan, it shouldn't be that bad, right?
At this moment, Su Lun clicked in and quickly glanced at it, his expression gradually changing.

"I rely on!"

"So that's the reason!"

Her eyes widened, as if she had discovered a new continent.

Su Lun lowered his head and thought for a moment, then realized it wasn't impossible.

Lu Zhiyuan hates people who break the rules the most!
"Brother Kun, Brother Fan, look at this..."

After Su Lun took a screenshot of the message he saw, he sent it to the WeChat group for Xin Yukun and Guo Fan to take a look at.

After reading it, the two of them had somewhat strange expressions.

"Brother Kun, I think this person makes sense. Why should he? Brother Yuan is such a talented person, but he failed the college entrance exam and has no university to attend, so he can only attend the training program at Beijing Film Academy."

"Liu Yifei's actions don't make sense."

Guo Fan himself was a proper college student who went to university through the national college entrance examination, so he didn't feel it particularly strongly.

However, he can empathize with Lu Zhiyuan's scenario.

He failed his college entrance exam and couldn't go to university, but Liu Yifei, that idiot, with only an elementary school diploma, managed to skip all sorts of complicated procedures and get into university.

It's still such a good university as Beijing Film Academy.

Why?
Although fairness is a non-existent concept, Liu Yifei's frequent appearances in front of Lu Zhiyuan are bound to provoke his displeasure.

After realizing this, Guo Fan sighed with emotion: "Now I finally understand why, even though Liu Yifei is so beautiful, Brother Yuan always kept his distance from her, with a slight sense of estrangement."

"On the contrary, look at Liu Shishi? Despite being called 'Little Liu Yifei,' her professional skills and popularity are not as strong as Liu Yifei's. But Brother Yuan likes Liu Shishi."

Come on!

It turns out to be this!
Xin Yukun also seemed to wake up from a dream, and kept slapping his thigh.

"Xiao Guo, what you said is fucking right!"

“I’m such an idiot. How could I not realize that he always kept his distance from Liu Yifei, and when they did meet, he was always very polite?”

"Logically speaking, they've known each other for so long, they shouldn't be like this."

"I remember that when he was with Liu Shishi, he would chat and laugh and even joke around. But with Liu Yifei, he never joked around; he was as serious as an old man!"

shit!
Xin Yukun also wanted Lu Zhiyuan to take Liu Yifei flying with him.

According to netizens' analysis, Lu Zhiyuan regarded Liu Yifei as a thorn in his side, so how could he possibly take her with him?

However, Xin Yukun was somewhat uncertain.

After all, Liu Yifei is so beautiful. Just looking at her face, no matter what she has done, Lu Zhiyuan will definitely forgive her.

"Hey bro, what do you think of Liu Yifei?"

After thinking it over, Xin Yukun took out his phone and sent a message to Lu Zhiyuan, tentatively asking a question.

"I have a girlfriend. I don't have the patience to look at other women."

Lu Zhiyuan neither said he liked her nor disliked her, treating Liu Yifei as an NPC.

Liu Yifei is so beautiful, how could he not have the patience to look at her?
In that instant, Xin Yukun understood Lu Zhiyuan's attitude towards Liu Yifei.

"Xiao Su, Xiao Guo, you're right. He really doesn't like Liu Yifei."

Lu Zhiyuan doesn't like Liu Yifei, but he even wrote a script for her, wanting Lu Zhiyuan to take Liu Yifei with him?

Is this realistic?

"Brother Kun, Brother Yuan doesn't like Liu Yifei. And you're still writing a script for her? That's a bit disrespectful. You're dead meat now!"

I'm going to report you!

Lu Zhiyuan doesn't like anyone, and they don't like anyone either.

They liked whoever Lu Zhiyuan liked.

These three assistant directors are essentially Lu Zhiyuan's shadow clones! At least from an aesthetic point of view, they must maintain consistency with Lu Zhiyuan.

"He doesn't know about this yet. If you two tell anyone, you're both dead!"

Xin Yukun threatened the two of them a few times, then spread his hands: "As for the script... I didn't write it for Liu Yifei. Anyway, I'm not going to admit it."

"Tonight, I'm flying to Hong Kong Island."

"As for the Christmas reindeer party, Xiao Guo, you go in my place. Have a good look around. Don't say I didn't look after you."

After saying that, Xin Yukun left.

After a while, Su Lun also prepared to leave.

"Brother Fan, I'm leaving too."

"Yang Mi messaged me again, asking when 'Love O2O' will start filming? She wants to be a rich woman and work hard to make money for Brother Yuan."

Su Lun knew very well that Yang Mi was extremely anxious.

In the novel "The Great Tang Poet Immortal," Liu Shishi, a seemingly hopeless character whom no one had high hopes for, is now leading the pack by a wide margin.

Yang Mi is currently on the periphery of their small group centered around Lu Zhiyuan.

However, Yang Mi knew Lu Zhiyuan quite well, and knew that as long as she could make money for Lu Zhiyuan, she could gain a lot of goodwill from him.

Making money isn't the key; the key is to let Lu Zhiyuan see her hard-working attitude.

When it comes to fighting hard, who can beat her?
This is Yang Mi's biggest advantage, and she absolutely cannot give it up!
Xin Yukun and Su Lun had both left, and Guo Fan looked at the messages on his phone.

The above is an address and a password.

At this moment, Guo Fan was caught in a tremendous struggle of human nature.

"That Kun guy, he's really done a lot of harm."

Should I go to this Christmas reindeer party or not?

"They've sent me the address, the code word, and these tempting pictures... Ugh, my head hurts!"

"How about we play a coin toss?"

……

the other side.

Xin Yukun did not go to Hong Kong Island; instead, he went to find Liu Shishi first.

"Shishi, I wrote a screenplay called 'Your Name.' It's a coming-of-age film that I think is very beautiful."

"Could you take out 1000 million of your own savings to buy this script?"

After Xin Yukun finished speaking, Liu Shishi's expression changed instantly.

"A script, 1000 million? Brother Kun, do you think I'm a sucker? I'll give you 100 million at most."

Liu Shishi was furious that Xin Yukun actually wanted to kill her.

Friends for so many years.

Besides, Xin Yukun himself is not short of money, so why would he want to screw himself over?

"Shishi, all these years. Have I ever wronged you?"

Xin Yukun looked at Liu Shishi with great sincerity.

Liu Shishi thought about it and realized there didn't seem to be any.

"Hey, that's right."

Xin Yukun smiled with a sense of relief: "Shishi, think about it carefully. You spent 1000 million to buy a script from me. Who can you find to film it?"

A name immediately popped into Liu Shishi's mind.

Who can I ask to take the photos? I can only ask Lu Zhiyuan.

If Lu Zhiyuan heard that he had spent 1000 million yuan to buy a script from Xin Yukun, he would definitely join him in cursing Xin Yukun as a swindler.

Then, Lu Zhiyuan would feel sorry for being deceived and ask me to take the script over so he could take a look.

If the script is good, Lu Zhiyuan will most likely personally take charge and make a female-led youth film for himself!

In that case, wouldn't I be able to take off directly?
What's 1000 million? We'll earn it back in no time.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

Seeing Liu Shishi's eyes, which had been like those of a blind person, growing brighter and brighter, Xin Yukun laughed: "Look how good I am to you."

"Brother Kun, thank you."

Liu Shishi chuckled foolishly.

Whether it's to make a movie with an artistic male god or for her own career, Xin Yukun's approach can indeed help her.

Most importantly, Liu Shishi knew that if she really spent 1000 million and then went to Lu Zhiyuan... Lu Zhiyuan would definitely feel sorry for her being a little fool and would lend her a hand.

Liu Shishi still had this much confidence.

"Shishi, don't worry. After Ayuan agrees, he'll definitely give me a good scolding. Then, I'll take out this 1000 million and leave it for you to make a movie."

"That way, he'll know that this is my trick."

"However, once he has promised you something, he usually won't go back on his word."

Xin Yukun had no interest in earning Liu Shishi's 1000 million.

He couldn't even spend all the dividends from Yuankun Media every year, and he even bought Huayi Brothers stock at the bottom of the market along with Dilraba.

After the release of "Chinese Zodiac," Huayi Brothers' stock began to rise slowly, and they have now made a profit.

But the real killer move is yet to come.

The reason he charged Liu Shishi 1000 million yuan for the script was because the amount was so outrageous that it would make Lu Zhiyuan feel sorry for Liu Shishi, this silly girl.

"Uh-huh."

"Brother Kun, you should be the person who understands him best in this world."

Liu Shishi first complimented Xin Yukun.

Slowly, her eyes dimmed, her fingers gently tapping the edge of the table, and she sighed softly, "It's a pity I didn't meet you sooner. Otherwise, I would be your sister-in-law now."

Faced with Liu Shishi's obsession with Lu Zhiyuan, Xin Yukun was somewhat puzzled: "Shishi, in my impression, you're not some kind of artsy young woman. How come you're just like Gao Yuanyuan, unable to forget him?"

If Liu Shishi's motivation was to gain access to Lu Zhiyuan's film resources, then Xin Yukun could understand her efforts.

But after all these years, Liu Shishi still wants to be his sister-in-law, which Xin Yukun finds very hard to understand.

Dilraba's position is as secure as a rock.

What does Liu Shishi have to compete with Dilraba?
"Brother Kun, I fell in love with him at first sight the first time I saw him."

Liu Shishi said something somewhat shyly.

Upon hearing this, Xin Yukun scratched his head and said, "Shishi, are you talking in your sleep? I remember, wasn't the first time you met on the day of the audition for 'The Coffin in the Mountain'?"

In such a tense audition setting, you fell in love with the director at first sight?
Is this scientific?

"That wasn't the first time we met."

Liu Shishi shook her head and revealed a little secret from her heart: "In fact, we first met in 2007."

"He must have failed the college entrance exam. He's traveling around with a drawing board on his back."

"He was painting on the Badaling Great Wall. At that time, I was still a nobody, nobody knew me."

“A relative of mine came to visit Yanjing and asked me to take her to climb the Great Wall… So, I met him for the first time on the Great Wall.”

"Although we didn't talk that day, he looked at me deeply, with a gaze as if he had known me in a past life."

"There was a feeling of surprise, a feeling of astonishment, and a sense of familiar strangeness. At that moment, his eyes were shining. He was so captivating."

"He was looking at me, and I was smitten. The sunset that day was so beautiful. The wind was so gentle. I'll never forget that atmosphere."

Liu Shishi always believed that Lu Zhiyuan had lied.

He never encountered a single person on the Xi'an city wall.

The person Lu Zhiyuan encountered was clearly on the Badaling city wall.

That person is her!

"Shishi, what you're saying sounds so mystical. When did you start talking about these kinds of feelings? The way you're speaking right now suddenly sounds a lot like him."

Xin Yukun felt that Liu Shishi was acting a bit crazy at this moment.

He looks just like Lu Zhiyuan.

"They look like a married couple."

Liu Shishi chuckled and added a sentence.

"it is good!"

Xin Yukun suddenly clapped his hands and said "Good!", which startled Liu Shishi.

"Shishi, no matter what you're saying, at least you have a strong sense of conviction!"

“But I think Dilraba treats him very well and they get along very well. We all support Dilraba. I won’t give you any extra support.”

"However, Dilraba has already reached the pinnacle of the film and television industry. In the short term, unless there are particularly good opportunities, A Yuan will not let Dilraba risk filming a feature film."

"That's when your opportunity comes."

“We’ve been friends for a long time, and I still hope that you can have a leading role in a movie.”

Dilraba reached the pinnacle, becoming the greatest female star in history.

This also has its drawbacks.

In order to maintain his status, Lu Zhiyuan would not let Dilraba easily try out scripts that were uncertain or didn't have a good role.

If the movie flops, it will affect Dilraba's historical status.

Besides, Dilraba is not short of money now. She has made many investments with Lu Zhiyuan, and her net worth is almost over 5 million yuan.

Under normal circumstances, one will never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their life.

"Brother Kun, let me have someone transfer the money to you first. You promised to help me, so don't regret it!"

1000 million is a lot of money, but if she could make a movie starring Lu Zhiyuan, especially a female-centric movie, Liu Shishi would be willing to gamble everything she owns.

If you lose the bet.

That's just right.

Let Lu Zhiyuan support her for the rest of her life!

"Ding!"

Liu Shishi was very efficient; 10 minutes later, Xin Yukun received a transfer of 1000 million yuan.

A while later, I received another 10 yuan transfer.

"Shishi, this 10 yuan?"

Xin Yukun smiled. Liu Shishi rolled her eyes and said, "Brother Kun, I know your rules. I can't let you work for nothing. This 10 yuan is just a small token of my appreciation."

Xin Yukun's favorite person was Liu Shishi.

That's because Liu Shishi never let him work for nothing; she always gave him a red envelope.

"Shishi, go get your eyes checked when you have time. Ask the doctor if it can be treated. Your poor eye acting is dragging down all your other good points."

"If possible, I suggest you get laser eye surgery. I can't even imagine how charming Liu Shishi would be with her bright, sparkling eyes!"

"He values ​​feelings the most. You have to give him that feeling. You know what I mean."

Xin Yukun's suggestion is very pertinent.

Liu Shishi has 700 degrees of myopia and conjunctivitis, so she can't wear contact lenses for long periods of time. No wonder her eye acting is so good.

Xin Yukun once suspected that Liu Shishi's good action scenes, and her ability to fly around in the air while suspended by wires, were because she couldn't see the ground clearly.

Because we can't see clearly, we are fearless!

……

Dongshan Villa.

At Lu Zhiyuan's home.

With the movie becoming a huge hit, Dilraba was the happiest person among everyone.

She was not only hailed by netizens as the best actress in history, but also the girlfriend of a strong contender for the best director in history.

Double happiness!
"Brother, would you like to see what foreign media outlets are reporting on you?"

After the movie was released, Lu Zhiyuan completely stopped caring about it.

But Dilraba knew that Lu Zhiyuan cared a lot about box office results.

In this era, although new media has begun to develop significantly, authoritative newspapers and media outlets still remain in the traditional era and wield enormous influence.

This is an era of transition between the old and the new.

But regardless of the media format, it will definitely guide audiences into the cinema.

"Go ahead and say it. I'm listening."

It was too cold outside, so Lu Zhiyuan didn't bother going out to exercise.

He got a rowing machine and put it in his house, playing with it for a while whenever he has free time.

This thing is even more effective than a treadmill.

After a period of training, he clearly felt that his physique had improved a lot. Although he couldn't compare to male models, he wasn't far off.

To film "Project Gutenberg," he, as the male lead, also had to pay a price.

Acting is a profession that heavily relies on appearance!
He has very high standards for other actors, and of course, he doesn't slack off when it comes to himself.

“Brother, this is an excerpt from The Hollywood Reporter. I’ll read it to you.”

"A science fiction masterpiece that is scientifically bold, narratively grand, and has a breathtaking twist at the end."

"Director Lu Zhiyuan, through the groundwork laid in three films, successfully and intimately integrates the concept of 'human upgrading' with the vastness of the universe and the future destiny of humanity."

"This is a rare masterpiece."

After Reba finished reading one section, she immediately found the second section.

"Brother, Variety also spoke highly of you."

"They called Real Steel 3 a visually stunning masterpiece that offers a rare intellectual experience in terms of grand themes and humanistic themes."

After Dilraba finished speaking, she felt that the magazine had great taste.

Real Steel 3 is definitely not a popcorn blockbuster; it's a science fiction film with profound meaning that discusses the future of humanity.

AI and robots.

Earth's environment is being destroyed.

Space exploration.

Finally, there are some religious metaphors.

If Chen Kaige were to direct this, all these themes would be fused together, resulting in a chaotic mess that would leave viewers bewildered.

However, Lu Zhiyuan managed to make such a complex film simple and fun, so much so that even a 12-year-old could enjoy it.

Those who enjoy watching special effects blockbusters will be deeply impressed by the various amazing special effects.

Those who enjoy plot twists will find Alita's final appearance completely overturning all the previously established narrative logic of the film.

Those who enjoy art films will be able to see the various metaphors, religious and philosophical ambiguities in this movie.

In short, this movie is Dilraba's favorite of all time!
Looking at the man in front of her, Dilraba felt happy every day.

"Brother, they've really blown your name out of the water."

At this moment, Reba looked at Lu Zhiyuan with great excitement.

But when she met Lu Zhiyuan's ambiguous smile, she added in a low voice, "Of course, there are also some negative comments, which I won't read aloud. Those people are just jealous of you."

The box office was a huge success.

It also exudes a strong artistic atmosphere.

And they portrayed her as such a perfect female lead.

In Dilraba's opinion, this is a flawless movie.

Those who made sarcastic remarks must have been instigated by Universal Pictures' rivals, or by Hollywood studios that secretly coveted Lu Zhiyuan but couldn't have him.

After reading some boastful reviews to Lu Zhiyuan, Dilraba couldn't help but ask, "Brother, after filming the Mech Hunter series, do you have any other thoughts?"

A drama film like "Project Gutenberg" cannot fully showcase Lu Zhiyuan's greatest strengths.

Only Lu Zhiyuan, who directs special effects blockbusters, is the complete version!
"I want to film Chinese classical mythology."

"For example, 'Investiture of the Gods' and 'Journey to the West' incorporate some Chinese artistic styles."

"But I need to think carefully about whether these themes can sell well overseas?"

"After all, if we're going to make a mythological film, we can only use Chinese actors. In that case, the domestic box office shouldn't be bad, but how to sell the film to Europe and America is a problem."

Lu Zhiyuan's film box office revenue can most likely be divided into four parts.

North America, China, Europe, Japan and South Korea, plus others.

Of these four regions, Europe currently ranks first in box office revenue, followed by North America and then China. However, as time goes on, China's box office revenue will most likely surpass that of Europe.

After all, he is Chinese, a Chinese director.

The films he makes are, of course, more in line with Chinese aesthetics.

But he also needs to consider the cultures of other places.

Special effects blockbusters are always his first choice.

But a good core story is needed.

"Chinese mythology stories are very similar to religious films to Europe and America. They can only downplay the religious narrative and enhance the characters' resistance to fate."

"However, there is an important premise to this."

"If I want to use Chinese actors on a large scale, the first thing I need to do is to make those Chinese actors world-class, like Keanu Reeves."

"You and Hani, at present, can be considered to have reached the level of world-class actors."

"But the two of you alone are far from enough."

"I hope to spend five years making more feature films and promoting as many Chinese actors as possible, so that their faces can reach the world."

"Like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan in India, and Tony Jaa in Thailand... I hope there are enough Chinese actors who can achieve worldwide recognition."

"Of course, these are just some of my humble thoughts."

"It would be very difficult to actually implement this."

In fact, after the test screening of "Real Steel 3", Universal Pictures had already hinted to Lu Zhiyuan, asking him what kind of subject matter he wanted to create next.
He can choose whatever he wants from Universal Pictures' IP library.

However, if he chooses themes from the IP library, Lu Zhiyuan is destined to become a genre film director, rather than an auteur director.

How can a director of this genre be considered the best in history?
Only by creating its own unique cinematic identity can a film compete for the title of best in history.

Is James Wan powerful?
As a commercial film director, his commercial films are able to achieve high box office returns with very low budgets.

He's the kind of director that all Hollywood studios love most.

But how high is his historical status among film directors?

Can he be compared to Nolan?
Totally impossible.

He's not even as good as Tim Burton!
Even Roland Emmerich, who has flopped many times, is probably of higher historical standing than James Wan!

Even now, Hollywood still regards James Wan as a master of horror.

Because he created the [Conjuring Universe].

As for the later films, "Furious 7" and "Aquaman," although they achieved great commercial success, no one attributed these successes to him.

Because these IPs all belong to the production studios.

……

"Brother, it's Christmas today...would you like to ride a little Christmas reindeer?"

After reading the foreign media's reviews of Lu Zhiyuan's film, Dilraba turned around and went back to her room to change into a Christmas reindeer costume.

Lu Zhiyuan works out at home every day and his physique is getting better and better, making Dilraba drool every day.

She felt that her addiction was getting stronger and stronger.

no way.

She was growing to like this man more and more.

I can't quit at all.

"Since you've extended such a warm invitation, then I'll be Santa Claus. Here's a Christmas present for you..."

What could Lu Zhiyuan say when he saw Dilraba's completely new look?
Tonight, another sleepless night!
……

For the next few days, Lu Zhiyuan and Reba stayed at home.

Lu Zhiyuan originally wanted to go out for some fresh air, but halfway there, Rebala brought him home again.

Riding the wave of the film's box office success and its momentum, which seemed poised to break records, Dilraba felt that this was a sign from heaven.

They insisted on collaborating with Lu Zhiyuan to create a Michelangelo.

……

Huayi Brothers.

Inside the CEO's office.

"Brother, did you see that? This is real strength! No exaggeration whatsoever! Crushing the world's box office is a huge boost to the morale of Chinese filmmakers!"

Xiao Wang was even more excited than Lu Zhiyuan himself.

Today is December 12st.

Real Steel 3 was released on December 24th, which is just over a week ago.

Since its release, this movie has been breaking the domestic single-day box office record every day.

On its highest day, the box office broke 2 million RMB for the first time ever!

The screening rate that day was 80%, the occupancy rate was 90%, and the average ticket price was 50 yuan!
Since the release of "Real Steel 3", IMAX theaters across the country have been almost always packed, and scalpers have once again started selling tickets at inflated prices.

Even so, tickets are still extremely difficult to obtain.

Because Lu Zhiyuan has already stated publicly that "Real Steel 4" will not be filmed anytime soon.

He may need to rest for a while.

The audience can understand.

Having filmed four sci-fi movies and three visually stunning blockbusters, Lu Zhiyuan must be exhausted.

In particular, Real Steel 3 reached the pinnacle of both artistic merit and commercial success.

In a short period of time, Lu Zhiyuan will definitely not be able to break through his own limitations.

He needs rest, needs time to reflect, needs to recharge... Everyone can understand that.

However, this could very well make "Real Steel 3" the swan song of the next 10 years, and the best science fiction film ever made by a Chinese director.

Now, this sci-fi film has the opportunity to top the global box office and dethrone the massive "Avengers"!

Why can't everyone give us some support?
Let the world see the power of China!
"I'm voting for Yuan Ge's historical status! 3D IMAX theater, ticket price 120!"

“I have a classmate who is studying in Germany. He told me that tickets for ‘Real Steel 3’ are also extremely hard to come by there. In fact, because of Yuan Ge’s movie, the status of German painter Friedrich in the history of world art has been greatly enhanced.”

"The Germans helped Frederick create hype, and the box office soared!"

"Just now, Real Steel 3 broke Avatar's record for the highest single-day box office in Germany, which was $1050 million, and forcibly raised that record to $1200 million!"

"Germany has only 8000 million people, yet it grossed $1200 million in a single day? China has 13 billion people, so $1 million in a single day is a bit difficult, but can't we give it a try for $5000 million?"

"Let's go to the IMAX theater! Let's not let the Germans look down on us!"

"I'll get another one! It's only 120 yuan, right? I'll splurge today and enjoy an epic sci-fi film by a Chinese director!"

Domestic audiences, though united in their determination, wanted to help Lu Zhiyuan break a box office record.

Unfortunately, this is limited by the number of screens.

At that time, there were only 8500 3D screens in China. Even if they operated at full capacity 24 hours a day, they could not reach 5000 million US dollars, such an exaggerated daily box office.

2 million in box office revenue is the limit.

Unless cinemas raise ticket prices from 50 yuan to 100 yuan, it might be possible for daily box office revenue to reach 4 million yuan.

But if we do that, the film's reputation will definitely collapse.

However, in order to help Lu Zhiyuan break a super record, those who didn't get tickets that day weren't discouraged and bought tickets for later dates.

As a result, the film's box office performance remained rock solid after its release.

After reaching the 2 million yuan box office limit, the film's box office dropped slightly, falling back to 1.5 million yuan, and then stabilized.

In its first week of release, "Real Steel 3" grossed 1 billion RMB in China, which is roughly equivalent to 150 million USD!
In North America, Real Steel 3 faced strong competition and failed to reach $1.5 million.

It only grossed $1.2 million at the box office.

This has immediately drawn the attention of film industry professionals worldwide to China.

In a sense, the enthusiasm of Chinese audiences for watching movies has not been fully tapped... They need Chinese directors, Chinese actors, and a great movie!
That will completely ignite the market!

Capitalists have always had a keen sense of where money can be made.

Huayi Brothers, as one of the leading film companies in China, has received many greetings from Hollywood in recent days.

"Brother, I've recently received a lot of calls from Hollywood, asking about the development of cinemas in China."

“I told them that the number of cinemas in China is expanding at a rate of 30% per year.”

"Those foreigners were all dumbfounded."

"After they came to their senses, they all wanted to fly from North America to Beijing to have a detailed talk with me face to face. My appointments have been fully booked lately."

Mr. Wang was smoking a cigar in his office, getting more and more excited as he smoked, his face turning bright red.

Lu Zhiyuan's film was greatly squeezed at the North American box office by "The Hobbit: The First Hobbit". After reaching $30 million at Christmas, the daily box office was only $20 million thereafter.

In Europe, apart from Germany and Italy, box office revenue in other regions was also squeezed by "The Hobbit: The First Hobbit".

But in China, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.

Lu Zhiyuan finally vented his anger.

The combined daily box office revenue of "Real Steel 3" in these four countries is approximately $30 million per day.

In just one week, the film grossed $200 million at the box office in four countries!
The box office performance of the four Northeast Asian countries has attracted worldwide attention.

In Europe, Germany and Italy together contributed $1 million to the box office in a week.

This number broke the single-week records set by Germany and Italy.

Unfortunately, Britain and France did not provide sufficient support.

Tolkien's influence in Britain is enormous, while in France, there is a strong affinity for traditional fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings.

Even so, these two countries contributed approximately $3000 million to Lu Zhiyuan's box office revenue over the course of a week.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, these two countries should contribute $1 million to Lu Zhiyuan's box office revenue throughout the film's run.

“US$1.2 million in North America, US$1.5 million in China, US$5000 million in Japan, South Korea and Russia, US$1 million in Germany and Italy, and US$3000 million in the UK and France.”

"A number of other Eastern European countries, along with Spain and Mexico, contributed a total of $5000 million."

Mr. Wang took out a calculator and helped Lu Zhiyuan do a quick calculation, which left him speechless.

"At least $500 million in a single week!"

$5 million is just the minimum estimate that Mr. Wang is making.

In fact, data from many countries and regions has not been collected.

The data was too fragmented; Mr. Wang couldn't get the specific details and had to ignore it.

Under normal circumstances, those scattered countries combined should be able to contribute tens of millions of US dollars.

For example, Australia is also a major voting bloc.

However, Real Steel 3 has not yet been released in Australia.

Australia and New Zealand are the true home ground for The Hobbit 1, just like Lu Zhiyuan's Real Steel 3 was in China.

"Old Feng, how does it feel?"

After helping Lu Zhiyuan finish calculating the accounts, Xiao Wang turned to Feng Xiaogang and asked with a smile, "Are you particularly jealous?"

Feng Xiaogang's face immediately darkened.

Is that even a question?
Who wouldn't be jealous!

These domestic directors would have to work incredibly hard to produce a film that grosses 5 million RMB.

Lu Zhiyuan raked in 5 million US dollars at the box office in just one week!

It took The Hobbit: The First Hobbit about 12 days to reach the same box office figures.

"Old Feng, if I told you that after the release of 'Real Steel 3,' it boosted the DVD rights of his previous three films, as well as various television streaming rights, he would have earned tens of millions of dollars in just one week."

"In addition, the merchandise rights sold like hotcakes. I asked James about it, and he said that $1 million worth of merchandise was sold in a single week."

"How do you feel?"

Mr. Wang is increasingly fond of criticizing Feng Xiaogang.

The main problem is that Feng Xiaogang used to be very arrogant in front of him, which made him lose face. Now it's the other way around, and he uses Lu Zhiyuan to provoke Feng Xiaogang every day.

Feng Xiaogang, that big mouth, leaves me speechless every day.

Seeing Feng Xiaogang's dejected appearance made Boss Wang feel particularly pleased.

"Alright, that's enough!"

Seeing that Feng Xiaogang was about to lose his temper and that Lu Zhiyuan was wearing him down, Boss Wang stepped forward and said a few words to ease the tension.

After comforting Feng Xiaogang for a few moments, Boss Wang turned to look at Wang Baoqiang, who was at a loss in the room.

"Baoqiang, Director Lu makes awesome movies, but he's also hard to please. Although your film 'Lost in Thailand' did well, don't get arrogant and complacent."

The king spoke a few words in a very earnest tone.

"Boss, don't worry. I went to film with Brother Yuan with a learning mindset. As for arrogance and complacency? That's definitely not going to happen to me."

"Lost in Thailand" has grossed around 6 million yuan in just over 20 days since its release.

Xu Guangtou was already arrogant and complacent, walking like a crab with his face upturned, looking particularly irritating.

But Wang Baoqiang wouldn't.

What does the high box office of this movie have to do with him?
He only received 120 million RMB in film remuneration.

Moreover, he was born into a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple and dreamed of roaming the martial arts world. Even if he couldn't become a great hero, he wanted to be a ruthless bandit.

Who wants to make this kind of road trip comedy movie?
It's simply because there's no other way.

I need to earn money to support my family!

Lu Zhiyuan is now taking him to make international crime blockbusters, just like "A Better Tomorrow." This is the kind of movie that a gangster like him should be making.

The joy of revenge!

A disagreement escalated into machine gun fire!
"Baoqiang, if there's a celebration party for Real Steel 3 after the New Year, you'll come with me."

"I'll introduce you to Brother A Yuan when the time comes."

"Although he doesn't like to play the social game when making movies, he'll definitely give you some extra consideration and help you make... well, something a little more unique."

Mr. Wang originally wanted to ask Lu Zhiyuan to make Wang Baoqiang look more handsome in the photos.

But after thinking about it, I realized that this was really too much to ask of people.

I just hope that Lu Zhiyuan won't define Wang Baoqiang as a character like "Sha Gen" (a simpleton), because Wang Baoqiang still has a lot of potential.

Wang Baoqiang looks simple-minded and has a kind smile, but the shrewdness that occasionally shines through his eyes is quite remarkable.

"Thank you, Mr. Wang."

Wang Baoqiang gave Xiao Wang a simple, honest smile; he looked like a genuinely kind person.

He knew that his smile, which made him appear very humble and eager for handouts from those in power, would be pleasing.

"Don't mention it. Just don't embarrass me."

Young Master Wang was indeed very happy and patted Wang Baoqiang on the shoulder heavily.

At the same time, he whispered in Wang Baoqiang's ear: "If the movie 'Project Gutenberg' does well, it may become a series of movies."

"However, I haven't found out the specifics yet."

“I heard that this script has been revised more than 20 times. Zhuang Wenqiang is almost going crazy.”

Mr. Wang is just showing off his extensive network of connections in front of Wang Baoqiang.

He learned of the rumors about Lu Zhiyuan immediately.

"Mr. Wang, I heard that Gao Yuanyuan and Brother Yuan are... well, is this news accurate?"

Wang Baoqiang also has a bit of a gossipy nature.

Most importantly, Gao Yuanyuan is the female lead in the movie, so he has to curry favor with her.

If there's a sequel, it would be much better if the female lead spoke up than if he just messed around on his own.

Sun Honglei just took the fall for Miss Jing Tian, ​​filming three "Real Steel" movies before finally dying in the last one.

At first, Sun Honglei had some complaints.

But later it was discovered that dying also had its advantages.

His death, in particular, was so shocking that it left a lasting impression on the audience.

Even after he died, audiences in Europe and America still found his face memorable.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Gao Yuanyuan is impossible."

"The rumor I heard is that Miss Jing Tian may be coming back again."

"She used to cry all the time and was always unhappy with everyone. But after the premiere of 'Real Steel 3,' she was in a good mood."

"Recently, I've even started learning to draw."

Mr. Wang revealed a little-known secret.

Miss Jing Tian is actually learning to paint? And for whom is she learning to paint?
Of course it's Lu Zhiyuan!

"It's too complicated, far too complicated!"

At this moment, Wang Baoqiang admired Lu Zhiyuan to the point of complete awe.

He felt that he couldn't even handle one woman, so how did Lu Zhiyuan manage to handle so many women?

Most importantly, Lu Zhiyuan seems to have a bit of misogyny and never talks nonsense with those women.

However, these women were all devoted to him, as if they were poisoned, and insisted on being hung up on him.

At that moment, Wang Baoqiang couldn't help but sigh.

Artists are great.

No matter how many girlfriends he has, no one will gossip; they'll only be envious.

(End of this chapter)