The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 247: Featured on the evening news again! Box office reaches 14 billion US dollars! Godzilla is delivered right to our doorstep!

……

After returning from the 798 Art Center.

Liu Shishi was overjoyed.

Lu Zhiyuan must already know that she spent 1000 million yuan to buy a female-centric movie script from Xin Yukun.

I feel so sorry for her, so incredibly sorry for her.

So, in the blink of an eye, he devoted the entire film "Project Gutenberg" to creating the character of Miss Raven.

That is, to shape her!

It delighted her beyond measure.

"Brother Kun, thank you for your idea. He took me to the 798 Art Center today and talked to me about some of his ideas for 'Project Gutenberg'."

That evening, Liu Shishi called Xin Yukun and talked at length about Lu Zhiyuan's new concept for "Peerless".

On the other end of the phone, Xin Yukun remained silent for a long time after listening.

"Shishi, I was wrong."

"That seems like I used too much force!"

"He has most likely fallen in love with you, and inexplicably changed the script like this just to promote you."

Xin Yukun never expected that in just a few days since he left Yanjing, Lu Zhiyuan's little darling had changed from Dilraba to Liu Shishi.

The script for "Peerless" that Lu Zhiyuan mentioned clearly intends to sacrifice the refinement and artistry of Zhuang Wenqiang's original "Peerless" and use all the elements to highlight Liu Shishi, the character of Miss Ruiwen.

The brand-new "Project Gutenberg" sacrifices a great deal of realism and brilliant crime artistry, all to promote Liu Shishi.

Others might not be able to tell what Lu Zhiyuan was thinking, but Xin Yukun, as Lu Zhiyuan's old friend, knew it perfectly well.

Lu Zhiyuan didn't take "Peerless" seriously at all.

They just wanted to use this script to promote Liu Shishi.

But yes.

According to their internal assessment, "Project Gutenberg" would normally gross around 3 million US dollars at the box office.

For Lu Zhiyuan, who is used to box office earnings of 10 billion US dollars, 3 million US dollars is nothing!
Anyway, this movie is unlikely to lose money.

It would be better to use this decent script to forcefully promote Liu Shishi.

From a business perspective...

Lu Zhiyuan's actions cannot be considered wrong.

but……

After Lu Zhiyuan did this, what will Dilraba think?
What will Gao Yuanyuan think?
What will Hanikezi think?
It's obvious they're pushing it too hard!

"Zhuang sir, stop racking your brains writing that lousy script. We need to hurry back to Yanjing and have a serious talk with Brother Yuan. Otherwise, 'Peerless' will turn into 'The Legend of Raven'!"

Xin Yukun relayed Liu Shishi's words to Zhuang Wenqiang.

Zhuang Wenqiang was instantly furious. If Lu Zhiyuan changed it like this, would it still be a Hong Kong crime film?
It's turned into a romance drama with a strong female lead!
"go!"

"Brother Kun, I'll go buy the plane tickets right now."

For Lu Zhiyuan, "Peerless" may have just been a hobby project, but for Zhuang Wenqiang, it was the pinnacle of his career.

……

at the same time.

In Tokyo, Japan.

After its release in Japan, Real Steel 3 grossed 40 billion yen in two weeks, equivalent to 5000 million US dollars.

Keiko Kitagawa, in the Real Steel series, is as dazzling as cherry blossoms when piloting Jaeger, and as serene as autumn leaves when in quiet moments.

After this film series, Keiko Kitagawa was hailed by many Japanese netizens as the greatest female star in Japanese history.

She is the most beautiful woman in Japanese style.

For a time, Keiko Kitagawa was incredibly popular.

Having tasted success, Keiko Kitagawa wanted to go even further and become Asia's number one female star.

However, there is a problem here.

"Unfortunately, Director Lu is Chinese."

"For him, major roles will definitely be given priority to Chinese actors."

"Fortunately, his girlfriend Dilraba has almost become the leading lady in film history. Under normal circumstances, she will not star in any other film series."

"Hanikezi is still a child, and her acting skills are just average. Moreover, 'Real Steel' is deeply rooted in people's hearts, so she usually doesn't change career paths easily."

"The only one left is Liu Shishi!"

"Given Director Lu's personality, he will definitely put a lot of effort into promoting Liu Shishi."

"But Liu Shishi has a fatal flaw: her eye acting is too poor, and she can hardly withstand close-up shots."

"In this respect, they are far inferior to me."

Keiko Kitagawa knelt in a traditional Japanese-style room.

To her left were her fiancé and his parents.

Her fiancé's family is very prominent, especially her mother-in-law's father, who once served as prime minister.

To Kitagawa Keiko's right are her parents.

The Kitagawa family is also a prominent family in Japan.

Her father is currently the head of a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and is highly valued within the Mitsubishi conglomerate.

Now, her whole family has come to the Setagaya area, to a traditional garden with an elegant environment.

She came to pay her respects to a bigwig in the film and television industry, Yoshimitsu Sakano!

Yoshimitsu Sakano, a student of Akira Kurosawa, was also one of the great directors of Toho, but he was blacklisted by the entire industry because his style was too avant-garde.

Toho Film Company no longer allows him to work as a director.

Even so, Yoshimitsu Sakano held a rather detached position within Toho Corporation.

Because he holds a super IP in his hands: Godzilla.

“Mr. Sakano, I know that you reached an agreement with Brian Rogers in 2007 regarding the copyright of Godzilla.”

"And this person is a producer at Legendary Pictures."

"But I have a question: can Legendary Pictures make a good Godzilla movie? Are you really comfortable entrusting this great IP to an unknown?"

The copyright for "Godzilla" is held by Toho Corporation.

However, within Toho Corporation, Yoshimitsu Sakano was the one who held the copyright.

Although Yoshimitsu Sakano could no longer serve as a director, as a producer, he wielded significant decision-making power.

This is the respect that Toho Company showed him.

"Mr. Sakano, you've probably seen the 'Real Steel' series, right? Did you find my performance in it satisfactory?"

When faced with Kitagawa Keiko's question, Sakano Yoshimitsu did not answer, but calmly drank his tea.

This made Keiko Kitagawa a little anxious.

Lu Zhiyuan's other leading ladies either wanted to retire, were too young, or couldn't carry the role of a leading lady... Of the remaining ones, only she is worthy of being promoted!

She also has huge ambitions!
Moreover, she comes from an excellent family in Japan with a vast network of connections.

But this applies only to Japan.

She wants to go global and become the number one female star in Japanese history, so she needs external help.

Godzilla was a gift she gave to Lu Zhiyuan.

Return the peach.

She believed that Lu Zhiyuan would understand her deeper meaning.

"Fourth female lead, do you think your performance was good?"

After finishing his tea, Yoshimitsu Sakano finally spoke, glancing expressionlessly at Keiko Kitagawa.

If it weren't for the immense power of Kitagawa Keiko's family, he wouldn't have uttered a single word.

"Even as the fourth leading lady, I became Japan's number one superstar."

Keiko Kitagawa gave a soft snort, a hint of arrogance on her face.

I got this role through my own hard work! I didn't rely on any family connections.

After a moment's thought, Keiko Kitagawa added, "If I were the lead actress, or the second lead actress, Mr. Sakano, could I become the undisputed number one female star in Japanese film history?"

Yoshimitsu Sakano was unable to answer this question.

Because if Keiko Kitagawa can actually get the role of Hanikzi, she could indeed become the number one female star in Japanese film history.

After all, Real Steel grossed $9.5 million at the box office.

If converted to Japanese yen, it would be close to 800 billion!
That's an astronomical figure.

In 2012, the highest-grossing live-action film in Japan was the disaster film "Umizaru" produced by Toho, which grossed 73 billion yen.

In Japan, it's absolutely impossible for someone to play the lead role for 10 consecutive years, make 10 movies, and then win the box office number one every year.

The movie "Real Steel" could make Keiko Kitagawa a legend.

"Mr. Sakano, we'll hand over 'Godzilla' to director Lu Zhiyuan and collaborate with Universal Pictures to create a monster mech universe."

"In that case, you will see the revival of Godzilla. And I will become Japan's number one female star."

"Finally, our Japanese Godzilla will be world-renowned and become the number one monster in the history of the world!"

"Perhaps one day, Godzilla will be airlifted to outer space, enter the constellation Perseus, to expand its territory and fight against those alien apostle monsters."

After speaking for a while, Keiko Kitagawa finally made the final statement: "Mr. Sakano, Director Lu Zhiyuan is the most talented director I have ever met."

"Didn't you take a closer look at the filming techniques used to depict the Angel monsters in Real Steel 3?"

"Of all the films in the world, only Spielberg's Jurassic Park can compare to it."

Even so, Peter Jackson still lost to him.

"Is our Japanese Godzilla monster culture inferior to Britain's Lord of the Rings culture?"

Keiko Kitagawa didn't know which of her words had moved Yoshimitsu Sakano!

"it is good!"

Yoshimitsu Sakano suddenly raised his eyelids, a hint of arrogance flashing across his aged face: "Godzilla will be handled by Lu Zhiyuan, a collaboration between Universal Pictures and Toho. I'll be the producer!"

Yes!

Yoshimitsu Sakano was a highly respected senior figure within Toho Corporation.

After all, he was Akira Kurosawa's student.

In the Japanese entertainment industry, his status is equivalent to that of a grandmaster's direct disciple; who wouldn't give him some respect?
"Thank you Mr. Sakano!"

Overjoyed to receive the answer she longed for, Kitagawa Keiko performed a deep bow, expressing her utmost respect to Sakano Yoshimitsu!

"Mr. Sakano, I believe this decision will not disappoint you."

Upon realizing that she had persuaded Yoshimitsu Sakano, Keiko Kitagawa immediately called Yukun Xin.

……

"Hello, who is it? Mama-san? I don't understand Japanese. Please speak Chinese or English."

"Oh, it's Kitagawa."

"What? You've acquired the rights to Godzilla and want to collaborate with YD Pictures?"

"I remember, didn't Toho transfer this copyright to Legendary Pictures back in 2007?"

Xin Yukun expressed great doubt about what Kitagawa Keiko said.

"Oh I see!"

"The five-year license period has expired, and the other party hasn't started filming yet. Do you have the right to revoke this copyright?"

"Besides, Godzilla is an important IP for you Japanese companies. Legendary Pictures originally promised to find a world-class director, but instead they found an unknown director to make it. Is there any internal objection from Toho?"

"No, the entire nation of Japan has objections?"

"After you learned of this news, you contacted Yoshimitsu Sakano, a bigwig in the industry. He then negotiated with Toho and decided to terminate the partnership with Legendary Pictures, reclaim the rights, and let us film it?"

That's it!

Xin Yukun had not expected that Lu Zhiyuan's fame would reach this level.

Make Toho Company lose money on "Godzilla".

"it is good."

"I understand."

"wait for my good news."

"Don't you know Yuan Ge? He absolutely loves Jaeger-Man and monster-fighting. Besides, wasn't the first Godzilla movie directed by Roland Emmerich?"

"Roland Emmerich is pretty much washed up now. When it comes to making disaster movies, who can compare to our Brother Yuan these days?"

"Don't worry, Yoshimitsu Sakano, I'll definitely take care of it for you!"

"Our Asian monsters should be made by Asians. Americans don't know anything about Godzilla!"

"As for the female lead, don't worry, I'll definitely save one for you."

Now, it can be considered a true East Asian co-prosperity.

As for the copyright of the Godzilla IP in the movie, it is definitely jointly owned by YD Pictures, Toho Co., Ltd., and the Japanese toy company Bandai.

However, the contract manufacturing can be entirely outsourced to domestic companies.

Lu Zhiyuan is very familiar with this cooperation model.

……

Dongshan Villa.

At Lu Zhiyuan's home.

Xin Yukun never considered himself an outsider. He poured himself a glass of grape juice from the refrigerator and drank it slowly.

"Sister-in-law, this grape juice is good. It tastes better than the mango juice we used to have."

Xin Yukun called out to Reba, "Sister-in-law."

This made Dilraba extremely happy.

"Brother Kun, what do you guys want for dinner? I'll go to the hotel across the street and order."

Knowing that Lu Zhiyuan had something to discuss, most likely about the movie "Project Gutenberg," Dilraba tactfully went out.

"You handle it as you see fit. I've always trusted your taste."

Dilraba's acting skills may be just average, but when it comes to food, she's an expert.

"Leave it to me, I will not let you down."

Dilraba went out with a big smile.

As soon as Reba left, Zhuang Wenqiang almost knelt on the ground, pleading, "Brother Yuan, I was wrong. I didn't write the script well, but you can't change it like this, can you?"

"I know you want to promote Liu Shishi..."

As Zhuang Wenqiang finished speaking, Liu Shishi, who had been sitting silently beside him, suddenly widened her eyes and glared angrily at Zhuang Wenqiang.

He wants to promote me, what's it to you?
How dare you stop me from becoming a big star?

I think you want to die!

"Ah Qiang, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Upon seeing that Zhuang Wenqiang had offended two people with his first words, Xin Yukun immediately waved his hand, telling him to sit down to the side.

It depends on how you perform.

"Brother, I know what you're thinking."

“For you, $3 million at the box office is not enough. So you want to ride on the popularity of ‘Real Steel’ and promote Shishi.”

"I can understand that idea."

"However, the Real Steel trilogy is already a classic. Trying to force it into the franchise would damage the reputation of the entire series and drag you down in your pursuit of the best of all time."

Upon hearing the four words "[Best in History]", Lu Zhiyuan's expression indeed changed slightly.

Xin Yukun knew that Lu Zhiyuan had taken his words to heart.

Lu Zhiyuan is a man without weaknesses; his only weakness is his pursuit of historical excellence.

The best in history is not just about box office numbers, but also about word-of-mouth.

With so many bad movies out there, how can we chase after the best of all time?
James Wan is a typical example.

In order to make easy money, they made a bunch of spin-off movies from the Conjuring universe, most of which were terrible.

Initially, Hollywood regarded James Wan as a genius director.

But as for now... let's not talk about it.

"You have a point."

Lu Zhiyuan admitted his selfish motives.

He did indeed want to boost box office numbers, forcibly piggybacking on the "Real Steel" series to inflate the box office of "Project Gutenberg".

At the same time, they forcibly promoted Liu Shishi to a higher position!
Kill two birds with one stone.

As for "Project Gutenberg," he originally considered making a series of films... but after thinking it over, he realized that crime action film series had no future at all.

The Mission: Impossible series, isn't it awesome?
The Bourne series, isn't it awesome?
Which one isn't better than "Project Gutenberg"?

The box office performance was nothing special.

These two series are not even as good as mindless action movies like "The Chase".

In the crime action film genre, only the James Bond series has achieved a single film box office exceeding $1 billion.

However, the main purpose of James Bond in the 007 series is not to complete various incredible missions, but to show off and bring great pleasure to the audience.

"Every inch has its strengths, and every foot has its weaknesses."

"Script adaptation is definitely not my strong suit."

"In that case, let's film it according to version 2."

“We followed the shooting model of ‘The Coffin in the Mountain’ and maximized the visual quality without changing the script.”

“This is my forte.”

"Looking at the entire film and television industry, there is basically no one better than me in this regard. I have absolute confidence."

"As for the script, it's up to the two of you."

Lu Zhiyuan wanted to forcefully promote Liu Shishi.

But clearly, by doing this, he not only damaged the movie "Project Gutenberg" but also the reputation of the "Real Steel" series.

Aside from Liu Shishi being happy, no one else would be happy.

And the box office performance of the movie "Project Gutenberg" is unlikely to create any miracles.

$3-4 million, close to the average box office of the Bourne series, is already quite good.

It's not even certain that it will be achieved.

Making such a mess of things for such a small box office result is not Lu Zhiyuan's style.

"Brother, I knew it. You were just confused for a moment and blinded by beauty. Once you calm down, you'll understand everything."

Xin Yukun walked to Lu Zhiyuan's side, put his arm around his shoulder, and winked at Liu Shishi.

Liu Shishi blushed slightly.

I was a little unhappy just now, but now I'm all smiles.

Bewitched by beauty?
Looks like I'm not bad looking after all.

Haha!

"By the way, bro, I have some extra good news for you. Keiko Kitagawa wants to give you the adaptation rights to Godzilla for free."

"Her condition was that she had to be at least the second female lead in the Godzilla film series."

Lu Zhiyuan was very surprised to hear Xin Yukun's words.

Keiko Kitagawa's ambition is surprisingly strong?

After filming the Real Steel series, Lu Zhiyuan thought he would not be working with Keiko Kitagawa again.

As a result, she didn't want to let herself off the hook.

This Japanese woman is addicted to shooting blockbuster films!
"Brother, I think if we can get the adaptation rights to the Godzilla IP, we can totally integrate it with the Real Steel series."

"When the time is right, we will combine the two IPs to create a super movie."

"In the history of the world, you are the first to create a mecha hunter fighting monster theme!"

After acquiring the adaptation rights to "Godzilla," Lu Zhiyuan not only gained another series to film, but also gained endless possibilities.

"Brother Kun, you handled this matter well."

Lu Zhiyuan quickly figured out the benefits of this.

Simply making the "Real Steel" series might tire audiences, but adding a monster universe would make the entire cinematic world much richer and more diverse.

The story of Earth. The story of the universe.

Ancient tales.

A story of mutation in a future world.

In short, the novelty factor can be greatly increased, significantly extending the lifespan of these two IPs.

As long as nuclear radiation exists, the story of Godzilla will always have an audience.

As long as humans still enjoy gazing at the stars, stories like those in "Perseus" will always have an audience.

"Brother, this matter has little to do with me."

"The Real Steel series is also very popular in Japan, and it has been very successful in terms of both reputation and commerce. The Japanese now acknowledge that you are the number one director in Asia after Akira Kurosawa."

"You have to shoulder the responsibility of leading the Asian film and television industry!"

Xin Yukun made a joke.

However, this also shows that Lu Zhiyuan is very famous in Japan.

"Shishi, come out for a second. I bought something for my girlfriend, can you help me check if I was scammed?"

After finishing his conversation with Lu Zhiyuan, Xin Yukun beckoned to Liu Shishi.

Let her go outside and talk in detail.

He deliberately came up with a lame excuse, saying he bought something for his girlfriend.

Liu Shishi couldn't help but purse her lips.

What girlfriend?

Where did you get your girlfriend from?
Girlfriend for a day?

However, Liu Shishi still dragged her legs out.

"Shishi, don't blame me for ruining your plans. 'Project Gutenberg' isn't suitable for a female-centric movie. 'Your Name' is the real female-centric movie that suits you best."

"If you deliver a high-energy performance throughout 'Project Gutenberg,' you might not get the role in 'Your Name.'"

"If you insist on making 'Project Gutenberg,' I can help you revise the script. It'll just be a bit of a hassle."

"The choice is yours."

Xin Yukun gave Liu Shishi a choice.

But in reality, Liu Shishi had no choice at all.

The two scripts are placed side by side. The former is entirely a male-dominated drama, while the latter is about two young people, whose lives intersect in different times and spaces, filled with the regrets of youth.

Even a fool would choose the latter.

She's not stupid!

Liu Shishi bit her lip and said, "Brother Kun, I choose 'Your Name'."

"Smart choice."

Xin Yukun nodded and smiled, boasting, "My script is definitely much better than Zhuang Wenqiang's. I won't let you down."

Ding!
Just then, Liu Shishi looked down and operated her phone for a while.

Xin Yukun's phone suddenly received a text message with a transfer of 10 yuan from Liu Shishi.

"Shishi, what's wrong?"

Xin Yukun had some doubts.

I didn't do anything, so why did I receive a red envelope again?

Liu Shishi turned to look out the window, her voice drifting into Xin Yukun's ears: "Wu Xiuqing and Li Wen should have a passionate kissing scene. After it's done, I'll give you another 10."

"no problem!"

Xin Yukun agreed immediately, without any hesitation.

In the script, we'll add a scene where Liu Shishi and Lu Zhiyuan film a passionate kissing scene first, and then cut it out during editing.

Anyway, Liu Shishi didn't care.

She just wanted a legitimate opportunity to forcefully kiss Lu Zhiyuan and express her deep love!

……

When Xin Yukun returned to the house, Zhuang Wenqiang almost knelt down before him.

"Brother Kun, thank you so much for saving my life."

"Otherwise, I would have offended two people at once. When I came to my senses, my back was soaked with sweat."

If Lu Zhiyuan were to lose his temper and decide not to continue filming "Project Gutenberg," Zhuang Wenqiang would feel like he was doomed.

"Xiaoqiang, are you smart or stupid?"

Xin Yukun shook his head, feeling uneasy as he looked at Zhuang Wenqiang.

"It's alright if you offend Brother Yuan. Although Brother Yuan has a high status in the underworld, he is also magnanimous. At most, he will ignore you, but he will not think of taking revenge on you."

"Because he doesn't have time to think about those petty, despicable things."

"However, if you offend Liu Shishi, then things are not so good. A woman's heart is as small as the eye of a needle. If you prevent her from being the leading lady and having a love affair with Brother Yuan that transcends time and space, she will definitely hate you to the bone."

"What if something unexpected happens in the future? She becomes our sister-in-law. Your career will be over."

Xin Yukun patted Zhuang Wenqiang on the shoulder, telling him to pray for good luck.

It doesn't matter if Zhuang Wenqiang offends Lu Zhiyuan, as long as it's for the good of the movie and he can explain his reasoning, Lu Zhiyuan can understand.

However, things are a different story with Liu Shishi.

……

Lu Zhiyuan sat on the sofa, holding a pencil in his hand, casually sketching the image of Godzilla.

With Godzilla, Project: Warriors has become a much lower priority for him.

Monster movies and special effects blockbusters are where its greatest strengths can be realized.

Drama films are unlikely to become popular worldwide due to strong cultural barriers.

Moreover, the audience for drama films is mostly adult men, those over 25 years old.

In the film box office market, adult men over 25 years old have the lowest spending power.

They're not even as good as elementary school students.

"Zhiyuan, do you remember when we first met?"

When Liu Shishi saw Lu Zhiyuan, who was concentrating on sketching a monster, she took advantage of his momentary inattention to ask him a question.

"I remember, on the Badaling Great Wall."

As soon as Lu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he suddenly realized that he had let something slip.

He looked up and saw that Liu Shishi's eyes were exceptionally bright and sparkling, truly captivating.

"You remember? You remember just like me!"

At this moment, Liu Shishi was overjoyed.

She originally thought that her love was unrequited, and that she couldn't forget Lu Zhiyuan after their first meeting.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhiyuan vividly remembered the scene of their first meeting.

Why would Lu Zhiyuan remember?

Who would remember someone they only met once so clearly?

He must have fallen in love with me at first sight too.

This made Liu Shishi extremely happy.

"That day I was painting on the Great Wall, and I glanced at you casually. You were the most beautiful one in the crowd. With your looks, who wouldn't remember you in a crowd?"

Lu Zhiyuan casually made up an excuse and flattered Liu Shishi a few times.

The truth is, at that time, he had just transmigrated to this world not long ago, and he failed his college entrance exam, so he came out to travel and relax.

Who knew that while drawing, she looked up and saw the famous actress Liu Shishi.

Although Liu Shishi looked rather young at the time, he recognized her immediately.

Who wouldn't take a second look if they bumped into a big star?

Who doesn't remember it vividly?

"No wonder you've never said anything bad about me or complained about me."

Looking back, Lu Zhiyuan complained that Liu Yifei was a "cuckold," Gao Yuanyuan was an "over-aged girl," and Yang Mi was a "stone-faced" person.

The only ones who haven't been criticized are Dilraba and her.

Today, Liu Shishi was in an exceptionally good mood. Looking at Lu Zhiyuan, she deeply understood the phrase "a feast for the eyes."

She had a great appetite and ate an extra bowl of food at dinner.

"Sister Niu, do you usually eat this much?"

Dilraba was a little dumbfounded.

Despite eating so much, Liu Shishi still has such a great figure, with no excess fat on her chin, a beautiful swan neck, a slender frame, and an exceptionally elegant posture.

Aside from being slightly blind, he is practically perfect.

It's really enviable.

"Your food is delicious."

Liu Shishi couldn't explain to Reba that she was in an exceptionally good mood today, so she could only make up other excuses.

"hehe."

Dilraba quickly realized what was happening, and her expression turned somewhat unfriendly.

Liu Shishi treated her man like a side dish, finding him exceptionally delicious, which is why she ate an extra bowl.

……

Sensing that the atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat awkward, Lu Zhiyuan finished his meal in silence.

He left his seat first and sat on the sofa to drink tea.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated and a WeChat message popped up.

He hurriedly covered it up.

He was so startled that he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

Because Jing Tian sent him a message.

"Honey, look at the news! I have a gift for you."

Lu Zhiyuan deleted the message without making a sound.

Meanwhile, he leisurely turned on the TV and waited for the evening news.

The 7 o'clock news starts with a brief report.

Lu Zhiyuan saw Jing Tian's so-called gift immediately.

—Real Steel 3 has grossed over $13 billion worldwide! Congratulations to our director Lu Zhiyuan for breaking his own record for the highest-grossing film by a Chinese director!
"Driven by 'Real Steel 3,' the overall box office for December saw a significant increase, breaking the 2 billion mark for the first time."

"At the same time, this momentum continued into January 2013. As of now, the overall market value for January has exceeded 25 billion yuan, and it is very likely to become the first month to break through 3 billion yuan."

……

Today is August 1th.

After nearly 25 days in theaters, "Real Steel 3" has grossed 22 billion RMB, or nearly 3.3 million USD, at the Chinese box office.

And tomorrow, "Skyfall" will be released in China.

This is also a blockbuster.

With a global box office exceeding $1 billion, it is the highest-grossing film in the entire James Bond series.

Once this movie is released, it will undoubtedly significantly divert box office revenue from "Real Steel 3".

This is no way.

It's been almost a month since Real Steel 3 was released.

Those who wanted to see this movie had already seen it in theaters.

Even if the remaining films receive a key extension, they won't actually generate much box office revenue.

In North America, Real Steel 3's biggest competitor was The Hobbit, which grossed nearly $900 million worldwide.

There's also Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," which grossed over $4 million worldwide.

In addition, there was "Les Misérables" starring Hugh Jackman, which also did well at the box office, grossing $4 million.

The competition in North America during the entire Christmas season was unprecedentedly fierce.

This put "Real Steel 3" under tremendous pressure, and after nearly a month in theaters, it only grossed $2.5 million at the North American box office.

Fortunately, the European box office performance did not disappoint this time.

In Germany, Real Steel 3 grossed an unprecedented $1.2 million at the box office.

In Italy, it grossed $8000 million at the box office.

The UK and France together contributed $1.2 million to the box office.

Spain and other European regions contributed $8000 million to the box office.

It grossed a total of $4 million at the box office across Europe.

In addition, Real Steel 3 continued the series' explosive performance at the Japanese box office, grossing 60 billion yen, which is close to 7500 million US dollars.

South Korea was equally impressive, with over 800 million viewers, roughly $5500 million, surpassing the 707 million viewers of "The Avengers".

This is equivalent to 20% of South Korea's population watching this movie.

It's clear that South Koreans have a passion for movies.

If 20% of Chinese people went to see "Real Steel 3", and the average ticket price was 50 yuan per person, the film's box office in China would exceed 130 billion yuan!
Finally, Real Steel 3 grossed 36 billion rubles at the Russian box office, which is approximately $1.2 million.

Benefiting from the ruble's exchange rate against the dollar rising by about 7% that year, "Real Steel 3" surpassed "Avatar's" $1.17 million box office in terms of dollar exchange rate, directly becoming the highest-grossing film in Russian history.

……

The four Northeast Asian countries collectively contributed US$5.8 million to the box office of Lu Zhiyuan!

It accounted for almost half of the box office of "Real Steel 3".

In addition, Mexico, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, and other locations contributed nearly $8000 million to Lu Zhiyuan's box office revenue.

In addition, there are several other countries around the world where it has not yet been released, but will be released in the next two months.

Overall, Real Steel 3's box office performance, based on the agency's budget, will most likely be around $14 billion.

It has increased by $2 million compared to last year.

This year's situation is somewhat special, with many powerful films appearing.

With "The Hobbit" preceding it and "007" following, the Christmas season was packed with strong contenders. Even so, Lu Zhiyuan still managed to stand out and become the king of this year's Christmas!

Winning a crushing victory is nothing special.

This year's situation is dominated by super-strong individuals, including historically great directors like Nolan and Peter Jackson!

Lu Zhiyuan still managed to kill them all!

They only lost to the Avengers, who were practically cheating!
And who directed "The Avengers"... Joss Whedon, an unknown!
……

at the same time.

As Real Steel 3 approached its $14 billion box office milestone, Netflix quietly announced a piece of news on its official website.

Netflix and YD Pictures have signed a new strategic partnership.

Renowned director Lu Zhiyuan will become Netflix's Content Art Director, helping Netflix control the artistic style of all its original series.

Meanwhile, Netflix will invest in Lu Zhiyuan's new film "Project Gutenberg".

After the news broke, Netflix's stock rose 78% throughout January!

He climbed straight out from the bottom of the valley.

Lu Zhiyuan owns Netflix shares worth approximately $400 million. Although the stock price dropped significantly in the previous months, he made a profit of over 50% during the surge in January.

……

Jing Tian withdrew the money from Lu Zhiyuan's private equity fund.

However, some of them still have a very high opinion of Lu Zhiyuan.

Since Lu Zhiyuan doesn't allow them to invest in private equity funds, so as not to affect Lu Zhiyuan's cooperation with Netflix.

But if it's just financial investment, who can control them?
If we don't allow them to invest in Lu Zhiyuan's private equity fund, why don't they just open their own?
Jing Tian and Zhao Shanshan each invested $1000 million in Netflix.

After Netflix announced its partnership with Lu Zhiyuan, they immediately added another $1000 million to their investment.

Today, the two of them have each earned more than 800 million US dollars!

"Sister Shanshan, you see? My husband is unbeatable! Whether it's making money, making movies, or investing, he's perfect in every way."

"The only downside is that he's too popular with women!"

"Fortunately, he's aloof and boring. If he were as glib as Brother Kun, I don't know how many people he would curse every day!"

Jing Tian has now unilaterally announced that Lu Zhiyuan is her husband.

No one objected; that was her husband.

……

In China.

Huayi Brothers, a company with a star-studded lineup, and New Classics Media, also announced at the same time that they would collaborate with Lu Zhiyuan to create the benchmark crime action film "Project Gutenberg".

This film will be directed and starred by Lu Zhiyuan, who will also co-write the screenwriter of "Infernal Affairs," Zhuang Wenqiang. It tells the story of a failed art student who embarks on a criminal path of counterfeiting money.

As soon as this topic was released, Huayi Brothers' stock price immediately hit the daily limit for more than a dozen days.

While it may not be quite that exaggerated, the company's market value has reached a staggering 800 billion due to the continued box office success of "Real Steel 3" worldwide.

Compared to the 20 billion yuan at the time of listing, it has increased fourfold.

Finally, regarding New Classics Media, it's unclear who leaked the information, but Lu Zhiyuan holds 6% of New Classics Media's shares, and Dilraba holds 4%.

New Classics Media also invested in "Project Gutenberg".

Suddenly, New Classics Media's valuation in the capital market skyrocketed several times over, from a valuation of 30 billion yuan at the beginning of the year to a valuation of 150 billion yuan.

The shares held by Cao Huayi have increased in value fivefold!
All companies related to Lu Zhiyuan saw their stock prices surge, and a research direction called "Lu Zhiyuan-related industries" even emerged in the capital market.

……

"Brother, I'm rich!"

At Lu Zhiyuan's home, Reba had just finished a phone call with her private equity fund manager.

As a celebrity, Dilraba needs to protect her privacy. She purchased 1 million shares of Huayi Brothers through a private equity fund.

Now, Huayi Brothers has climbed out of the trough and its market value has tripled.

This earned Dilraba 200 million!
"Continue to hold."

"Sell all the stocks before the release of 'Project Gutenberg'."

Once "Project Gutenberg" is released, unless the box office is exceptionally explosive, such as exceeding 5 million US dollars and surpassing all positive expectations, the stock will not continue to rise.

Otherwise, the story will come to an end, and all that's left is to fall.

Before the release of "Project Gutenberg", there are always stories to tell in the capital market.

“Brother, besides Huayi Brothers, New Classics Media’s valuation has increased fivefold. The shares I held that were worth 80 million are now worth 400 million.”

Dilraba never realized that money could be so easy to earn.

Whoever Lu Zhiyuan collaborates with, she buys some shares in that company.

She wasn't aiming for huge profits; she just wanted to avoid significant losses and support her brother's business.

Who would have thought that in just six months, she would earn several times more than she did when she was the number one female star in history, working tirelessly to film movies and do endorsements.

Making money in the capital market is far too easy.

Dilraba calculated that her current net worth is almost over 10 billion yuan.

To earn 4000 million yuan a year like Yang Mi, after deducting half as taxes, one would have to earn that much until they are 70 years old to match their current net worth.

However, Dilraba's market value is rising at a rate that can't even compare to Lu Zhiyuan's.

Lu Zhiyuan earned 50% of his 10% stake in Netflix, making him $2 million, equivalent to 13 billion RMB!

Not to mention, YD Pictures hasn't even made a single movie, yet it's already been valued at $10 billion in the capital market!
"Brother, we have too much money. I'm afraid we won't be able to keep it."

"Why don't you let Sister Tian Tian come back?"

If the two of them only had a few hundred million in money combined, Dilraba wouldn't have too many thoughts about it.

But as their combined net worth grew, approaching 100 billion RMB, Dilraba felt immense pressure.

When she was broke, all she wanted to do was watch Lu Zhiyuan from afar every day, and that made her happy.

When she had a little money, she started having many ideas.

She wanted to achieve success in her career, and at the same time, she wanted to have three children with Lu Zhiyuan, raise them to be genius artists like Michelangelo, and then be the happiest and most beautiful mom in the world.

Now, their combined net worth is approaching 100 billion, which has made Dilraba uneasy.

With so much money, could someone be trying to harm them?
They are both from ordinary families. Can they hold onto so much money?
If Jing Tian were here, with her powerful background, no one would dare to harm the two of them, right?

(End of this chapter)