The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 273 15x Super Profit! Lu Zhiyuan Ranks First Among the World's 100 Most Handsome Men
……

In another time and space, the 2019 film "Joker" clearly demonstrated to Lu Zhiyuan what kind of art film could achieve extraordinary box office miracles.

artistry.

Social nature.

The performance was captivating.

And its controversial marketing.

These four are indispensable!

Without a doubt, Art Students meets all the standards in this regard!

In some aspects of marketing gimmicks, it even surpasses the Joker released in 2019, which is set in another timeline.

Therefore, the high box office success of the film "Art Students" was already part of Lu Zhiyuan's plan.

However, before the plan succeeded, he quietly declared that the film would be a success if it could gross $3 million at the box office.

At that moment, everyone thought he was being far too modest!
……

"Brother Yuan, tomorrow is the Venice Film Festival."

"If our film were to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, it could very well help you win Best Director or Best Actor!"

Even if it's just a nomination... you will cause a sensation around the world!

To be nominated for both Best Director and Best Actor at the three major European film festivals is an unprecedented feat!
Zhuang Wenqiang now realizes that "Art Students" will be an unprecedented success, and even if the box office does not reach 10 billion US dollars, it will probably be close.

It will at least break the record of $6.78 million held by Forrest Gump as the highest-grossing art film in history!
Now, what he needs to consider is how to make a sequel.

Lu Zhiyuan has exhausted all possibilities... How can he possibly make a sequel?
No matter how it's filmed, it's bound to be a bad movie!

Recently, Zhuang Wenqiang has been suffering from anxiety because of the sequel to the movie.

"Zhuang sir, although your script is very well written, if this film is submitted to the Venice Film Festival, we will most likely be subjected to endless ridicule."

Lu Zhiyuan shook his head.

At this moment, Reba came downstairs and, seeing that there were guests at home, went to the kitchen, poured a glass of grape juice, and handed it to Zhuang Wenqiang.

"Thank you, ma'am."

As a filmmaker from Hong Kong Island, being good with words is the most important thing.

When it comes to making a rich woman happy, Zhuang Wenqiang is probably 100 times better than the people around Lu Zhiyuan, such as Guo Fan and Su Lun.

Upon hearing the title "Madam," Dilraba immediately smiled happily.

"Honey, don't be so serious. Our movie was a great success, and Mr. Zhuang did his best."

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Reba took Lu Zhiyuan's arm and said a few good words for Zhuang Wenqiang.

"Sir Zhuang, please have a seat."

Lu Zhiyuan gestured for Zhuang Wenqiang to sit down on the sofa, and then seriously analyzed for him: "Your script for the movie 'Project Gutenberg' is quite good, and it can be called a classic."

"However, the jury members at the Venice Film Festival are not ordinary viewers."

"They can tell at a glance that the structure and plot of this film are imitating The Usual Suspects, a crime film released in 1995."

Although the plots of these two movies are not exactly the same.

However, the entry point and the overall plot of the film are exactly the same.

The protagonist is captured at the beginning and fabricates a huge lie, but then the ending twists, telling the audience that the protagonist is actually the ruthless boss!
"If our film appears at the Venice Film Festival and wins an award, I can probably see how the European media writes about it..."

"For example, congratulations to 'The Usual Suspects' on winning what award."

No need to ask.

Given the nature of European media, they would definitely produce headlines like this, brimming with sarcasm.

Rather than be ridiculed later, Lu Zhiyuan might as well not attend the film festival at all.

When making commercial films, it's okay to borrow from classics.

However, if he were to participate in an art-filled film festival with a film that is full of references and homages to the classics, the goodwill he receives from European audiences would instantly plummet.

"Brother Yuan, is that why you ultimately broke down my framework during editing... making the character of Haibuna the underlying theme of the entire film?"

"And Li Wen's violent revenge, along with the mysterious High Table Society, becomes the true main storyline of the entire film?"

Zhuang Wenqiang felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.

Did they plagiarize "The Usual Suspects"?
Others might not know, but he wrote the script; how could he not know?
However, in the film industry, there is no problem with using such a narrative structure as a reference from a legal perspective.

But if you foolishly submit your work for an award... you'll definitely be ridiculed by industry professionals until you can't hold your head up high!
fortunately.

Lu Zhiyuan saved him!
Lu Zhiyuan first changed the movie's name to "Art Student".

During the filming process, he added the painting "Waterfall" as the finishing touch.

Ultimately, this painting serves as a hidden plot thread, and the romantic relationship between the character and Dilraba acts as a fulcrum to leverage everything, changing the entire narrative structure of the film!
In addition, Lu Zhiyuan strongly promoted the robotic dog of Yuan Technology... using his status as a tech company tycoon to create a dreamlike crossover between the movie and reality.

This allows the audience to move beyond the film's plot and seriously begin to discuss whether robot dogs can truly achieve overwhelming results in localized warfare.

This topic is extremely popular online.

Furthermore, the Chinese traditional ritual of "scattering money on the rooftop to commemorate relatives," which is full of a sense of sacredness and subversion, is extremely popular in Europe and America!
Despite the overwhelming public opinion, at least online, no one is discussing whether the plot of this movie is a copy of "The Usual Suspects".
Although they are somewhat similar in structure.

However, under Lu Zhiyuan's radical changes, the film's highlights and focus are completely different from the final twist in "The Usual Suspects".

Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan's highly infectious performance, almost like a madman, possessed a personal charm that seemed to leap off the screen.

It captivated the audience!

Many people go to the movie theater just to see him throw money off the rooftop!
As for the preceding cinematic setup, it was merely to create a perfect atmosphere for the climax of this scene!

As an actor, Lu Zhiyuan's personal charm in the movie "Art Students" is absolutely legendary!

……

"Brother Yuan, thank you for your guidance."

This time, Zhuang Wenqiang finally left with a sincere and willing heart.

In the past few days, he has been complaining about Lu Zhiyuan changing the structure of his script.

Only now does he realize that Lu Zhiyuan's actions, while breaking down the structure of the film and making it less perfect, turned it into a simple linear revenge story.

However, this allowed the film to stand out from the controversy.

Become a classic work by Lu Zhiyuan, combining world-famous paintings, a mad protagonist, and tragic aesthetics, full of personal style!
Besides, Lu Zhiyuan's performance in the movie was truly eye-opening!

Unfortunately, Lu Zhiyuan was only willing to play it occasionally.

Otherwise, he would definitely be the most internationally competitive among the new generation of actors, completely outshining all domestic stars.

His personal brand is truly unique.

Whether as a director or an actor, you won't find another person in the world who is similar.

He was so unique and had such a strong personal charm!

……

Italy.

Milan, Rome, Florence.

When the movie "Art Students" was shown in these cities, almost every screening was sold out.

This enthusiasm for watching the movie even surpassed the phenomenal scene when "Real Steel 3" was released last Christmas.

Because the film "Students in Art" made Italians feel a very unique spiritual power, like a genius and mad painter from the Renaissance who stepped out of history.

He is Caravaggio!

He went so far as to assassinate a nobleman in the street for the sake of his model, and was wanted for more than a decade, never receiving a pardon from the Pope in his lifetime.

The character Lu Zhiyuan, in the film "Art Students," exudes a spirit and temperament very much like Caravaggio.

In the film, Lu Zhiyuan used a lot of Baroque style for the lighting and shadow effects, which is clearly an imitation of Caravaggio's artistic style.

Italian media reports on these things every day.

The audience, of course, knew it too.

Besides, Italy is probably the European country most similar to China.

Data shows that 34% of families in Italy have three generations living together, a figure almost identical to the traditional Chinese extended family model!
It far surpasses other European countries.

In Italy, it is a common practice for parents to help their children buy a house, and for the children to assume the responsibility of supporting them in their old age.

On holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, which are similar to Chinese New Year, the whole family must be present on time. Those who are late will likely be bombarded with calls from their entire family!

If a Chinese person were to visit Italy for the first time and walk the streets of Milan, they would most likely suddenly realize that it is almost identical to Hangzhou and Wuhan.

If it weren't for the fact that there were foreigners all over the streets, one might even think that they had never left the country after waking up on the plane.

Therefore, while the film "Art Students" was soaring at the Chinese box office, it was also doing well in Italy.

The cultures of the two countries are so similar.

Both have ancient civilizations, both evolved from agrarian civilizations, and their concepts of love and family are almost identical.

……

Alicia is an ordinary nurse at a maternity hospital in Florence.

She felt that she had the most authority to speak on just how popular the film "Art Students" was.

Although she's been very busy lately, she hasn't had time to go to the movies.

but……

"Alicia, the baby in bed number 14 is back from the checkup. Go and register the newborn's name."

The head nurse is calling.

"Ok!"

Alicia nodded and hurried away.

"What name are you planning to give a handsome boy? You'd better decide right away, I need to register him."

She went to a hospital room, took out a pen and paper, and looked at the young couple.

"Antonio!"

The couple looked at each other and couldn't help but call out the name.

His wife looked at the child in her arms with even more affection and said sweetly, "Welcome to our family, Antonio!"

This is what Alicia has heard these past few days: the 26th boy on their floor named Antonio.

It's crazy!

This name is very old, isn't it?

Just like how Chinese people name themselves "Jianguo" (建国, meaning "building a nation").

what happened?

Has a Renaissance begun recently?
Especially that line—"Welcome to our family, Antonio"—why does everyone say that?
Is this some new blessing ceremony?

That evening, Alicia went to the cinema to watch the recently popular film, "Art Students".

She suddenly understood everything.

It turns out, all of this was because of this movie.

After watching the movie, she felt that the pacing was very elegant, and the final twist and the robot dog's battle against the gangsters were very exciting and explosive.

However, after leaving the movie theater, she had almost forgotten all of the plot and the battle scenes.

Only one image remained in her mind.

Lu Zhiyuan's character, Li Wen, or rather Antonio, frantically pours US dollars on the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel to commemorate Haibuna.

"Antonio, you're so cool!"

Who can dislike Antonio?

She seemed to understand why so many new parents named their sons Antonio.

……

Apart from Italy, the situation is similar in other European countries.

Many newborn boys choose the name Antonio.

Is a movie a hit or not?
Sometimes, the way to make a judgment is that simple!
……

"I'm sorry, I made extreme remarks online in the past that opposed them being together! Now, I want to sincerely apologize!"

"Brother Yuan is so handsome!"

"No one but him is worthy of our Uyghur pride!"

"I hope they get married right away and have a Caravaggio! Genius on the left, madness on the right, and the combination of genius and madness is Caravaggio!"

Reba is the pride of the entire Uyghur people.

Many people don't want Dilraba to be in a relationship and hope she stays single forever.

After all, as the first leading actress in film history, Dilraba's achievements are truly astounding. Although these achievements were largely due to Lu Zhiyuan's forceful promotion of her.

But some extreme fans don't care about any of that.

They love Alita and Dilraba, what does the director have to do with it?
They even naively believed that even without Lu Zhiyuan, Dilraba's beauty and acting skills would have allowed her to break through in this field and become an Oscar-winning actress.

However, recently... many people have started to turn against us.

The scene where Lu Zhiyuan scatters money on the rooftop to commemorate Reba is simply a world-famous painting.

It allows those who have seen the movie to have a strong sense of immersion.

In particular, before Lu Zhiyuan started throwing money around, he went on a rampage to avenge Dilraba, killing at least a thousand people.

This is a complete demon and executioner!

However, no one doesn't love him!

……

The box office for "Art Students" continues to break records.

However, after two weeks of release, the box office began to falter, and starting from August 26, the global box office was halved.

The daily box office dropped from approximately $5000 million to $3000 million.

On August 26th, the film grossed $30 million worldwide.

The Chinese box office was 5000 million RMB, which is close to 850 million USD, accounting for about 30% of the global box office.

By September 1st, the box office results for the third week were finally in, with the company grossing approximately $130 million worldwide.

In addition to the approximately $5.5 million received in the previous two weeks.

By the third week, the total box office of "Art Students" had reached approximately $6.8 million, officially surpassing "Forrest Gump".

It became the highest-grossing art film in history!
……

On the night the box office broke records.

Dilraba invited all her friends over to her home for a small party to celebrate Lu Zhiyuan setting another record.

"Dude, you're so cool!"

“Now when I go out, all I have to do is mention our relationship, and the girls go crazy, chasing after me and asking me all sorts of questions.”

“I often reject 99% of them because I’m too serious, which makes them sad and makes me feel uneasy lately.”

Xin Yukun is already a big shot in the entertainment industry. When he goes out, he basically doesn't need to pay for anything; others are always vying to pay for him.

And now it's even more terrifying.

Friends who invite him out don't need to pay anymore.

During their conversations, they only needed to casually mention, "Yuan-ge, what have you been up to lately? It's been so long since we had dinner together."

In an instant, all the girls in the private room seemed to be drawn to them by a magnet.

"I didn't know you could get drunk from grape juice."

Xin Yukun talks nonsense all day long, and Lu Zhiyuan has gotten used to it, but today it's particularly outrageous.

Is he drunk from drinking grape juice? He's starting to talk in his sleep!
Those prostitutes, if you don't pay them, who's going to play with you?

What sweet dreams you're having!
"Brother, it's true."

"If you don't believe me, let me show you my WeChat. I've added countless pretty girls lately, and they all send me photos. My phone's memory is overflowing."

Xin Yukun pulled Lu Zhiyuan aside and showed him many nice things.

"Nice figure, right? Any picks you like? I can recommend them directly. Don't worry, they're all clean. I usually don't bother adding those that aren't clean!"

Xin Yukun believes that Lu Zhiyuan is now at the peak of his life.

Life is proud to be thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

[Li Wen]...

No, the character's name, Antonio, is more famous worldwide.

Because this was the name Reba gave him, a name full of love—the implied meaning of this Italian name is "precious and priceless treasure".

This movie is easy for viewers to understand if they grasp the relationship between the two characters, the subtext of the names, and the meaning of the world-famous paintings.

It's so sweet, the more you look at it, the sweeter it gets.

This is hardly a crime film.

It's clearly Lu Zhiyuan showing off his love for Dilraba in front of the whole world!

Xin Yukun believed that even if he took Lu Zhiyuan out for several nights in a row, as long as he took a proper shower before returning home to wash away the scent of other women...

Dilraba probably won't say anything.

Given the current situation, as long as they don't get divorced, Lu Zhiyuan can do whatever he wants outside.

"Go ahead and have fun on your own. Remember to get a checkup every month, don't overwork yourself. I heard someone in the industry has recently gotten sick. You should take it easy too."

Although the photos Xin Yukun showed him were very new.

But to say how good it is?
Not so much.

She's nowhere near as good as Dilraba.

"Don't worry, I just had a physical exam last week, and I'm as healthy as a bull."

Xin Yukun laughed heartily.

He knew that Lu Zhiyuan had a kind of mental fastidiousness, so he wouldn't accept anything from a flashy, cheap woman who offered herself up, not even a recognized beauty in the industry.

For example, Gao Yuanyuan and Liu Shishi—he could sleep with them anytime he wanted with just a wave of his hand. But he was able to restrain himself.

Those who are destined for great things do indeed need a certain amount of composure!
If you can't even control your crotch, what great things can you accomplish?
……

On the other side.

Dilraba was also entertaining her female friends.

Nazha, Hanikezi, Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Gao Yuanyuan... plus Zhang Ruonan.

They had previously looked at Dilraba with some envy, envying her for being able to hold onto Lu Zhiyuan's heart and openly register their marriage.

But at this moment, after watching the movie "Art Students", their envy has gradually turned into jealousy!

"Teacher's wife, on December 12th, the day of Teacher's birthday, could I go to the bank and withdraw 1 million yuan in cash? I also want to try throwing money at Teacher from the rooftop and experience the joy of it."

Hanikezi was most jealous of Reba.

She had promised that she was the only one who had made a solemn vow with Lu Zhiyuan to never leave him for the rest of her life.

How come in the blink of an eye, Lu Zhiyuan ran to the rooftop and threw money at Reba?

Most importantly, this shot is so cool!
Let's imagine……

In the movie, a handsome and elegant art student first takes down thousands of bad guys in a cool and stylish way. Then, surrounded by hundreds of police officers, he carries several suitcases of US dollars to the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel and scatters tens of millions of US dollars as a tribute to his lover.

How crazy and cool is this scene?

No one in the world has ever done this before!
"Gold Falls" is definitely one of the most memorable shots in film history!
It's more memorable than Tom Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa!

After all, climbing the Burj Khalifa is purely a visual experience.

However, Lu Zhiyuan's act of throwing money off the rooftop of the InterContinental Hotel is the climax of the entire movie.

The atmosphere was perfectly created.

The emotional tension reached its peak.

It was incredibly dramatic!
He came out dragging several boxes of US dollars... Everyone thought he was going to get on a helicopter and run away, but he pulled off a complete reversal.

After watching this movie, Hanikezi will probably never forget the scene of Lu Zhiyuan throwing money on the rooftop, looking both crazy and cool!

"You brat, are you trying to curse your teacher?"

Reba knew Hanikezi was joking, but she couldn't resist reaching out and trying to pull Hanikezi's ear.

Paper money is only needed to be scattered when commemorating the dead.

"Teacher's wife, I was wrong. However, if you won't allow me to throw money at the teacher, could the teacher throw money at me on my birthday?"

"I don't mind being cursed by the teacher!"

Hanikezi ran and weaved through the crowd like a little rabbit, all the while haggling with Reba.

She was genuinely envious.

"If you're so capable, go and talk to your teacher yourself."

Reba glared at Hanikezi.

She finally understood why Hanikezi seemed to have matured overnight after returning from Los Angeles, and why she looked at Lu Zhiyuan with a covetous gaze.

It's that kind of woman's lust for a man!
In the film "Art Students," Lu Zhiyuan portrays himself as the most unique criminal in history, a criminal who is both insane and deeply affectionate.

A painter who is both like Caravaggio and like a wild herb!
When he was working on his career, the lighting effects he used were all in the Baroque style, with Caravaggio's strong light and shadow effects.

When he appeared with the character Dilraba, a warm and beautiful artistic style emerged, like a gentle mist, dreamlike and ethereal, making people's hearts flutter!
For those who understand cinematic language and art style, the constant switching of these styles is like having a Michelin-starred meal.

That was awesome!

……

Zhang Ruonan stood to the side, silently watching Reba and Hanikezi playfully bickering.

She felt a little envious.

It's clear that although they're having a disagreement, their way of getting along is exactly like that of a family.

Although she had been living in Lu Zhiyuan's house for almost two months, she still considered herself a guest and was quite reserved.

In many places, people dare not cross the boundary.

"Xiao Nan, come here for a second."

Just then, Lu Zhiyuan called Zhang Ruonan over.

"Hey, here we come."

Zhang Ruonan responded crisply and ran over with a grin.

She tried to remain calm, but ultimately couldn't help but chuckle.

At this moment, Reba and Hanikezi also stopped chasing and playing, silently looking at Zhang Ruonan, each with complicated feelings.

“Teacher’s wife, you need to be aware of the danger. Teacher has found a new little cutie. After filming three disaster blockbusters, this harmless little octopus may surpass you and become the number one female lead in film history, stealing all your limelight.”

Hanikezi muttered something under his breath.

Although Reba didn't say anything, she felt a little nervous.

Because, although that brat Hanikezi is trying to sow discord, what she says might very well come true.

"Go aside."

Seeing Hanikezi looking at her expectantly, Reba knew what she was thinking and couldn't help but glare at Hanikezi.

You brat, what are you thinking about?

That's how I rose to power back then!

Jing Tian gave me opportunities, which allowed me to get to where I am today, becoming the wife of a great director. You want to follow my path? How could I possibly give you that chance?
……

"Brother Yuan, you were looking for me?"

Zhang Ruonan stood obediently in front of Lu Zhiyuan, her innocent eyes, like those of a Bambi, gazing intently at him.

"Xiao Nan, I'm going to scout locations in a while. It'll probably be Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London. Get ready, I'll take you with me."

When Lu Zhiyuan goes out to scout locations, he usually stays on-site, sets up some battle scenes, and then goes back to make miniature city models for filming.

In this process, he needs to communicate with the main characters to see if they can find this feeling.
If he can't find it, he'll have to find another way.

Zhang Ruonan is only 17 years old and has never acted before. Although Lu Zhiyuan has taken her to see many art exhibitions in the past six months, especially John Martin's apocalyptic romanticism.

However, Lu Zhiyuan wasn't sure how much Zhang Ruonan actually knew, so he still needed to take her along to see the situation in person and understand Zhang Ruonan's true nature.

This process may take a month.

In October, he will take some time to attend the Tokyo International Film Festival.

After all, he is the chairman of the jury at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

This is the highest honor.

Prior to this, Zhang Yimou was the only person in China to have served as the chairman of the jury at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

This year, according to the original timeline, it should have been Chen Kaige's turn.

As a result, he stole the limelight.

"Brother Yuan, am I the only one?"

When Zhang Ruonan saw this, the entire room fell silent.

Although no one else turned to look at her, she could sense that everyone was listening intently to the gossip.

For a moment, Zhang Ruonan felt a little shy.

A man and a woman travel around the world—no, I should say they scout locations… If something were to happen during that time, it would seem quite normal, wouldn’t it?

Back then, wasn't it because Dilraba often traveled the world with Lu Zhiyuan that they developed feelings for each other and eventually stole Jing Tian's boyfriend?
Now, is this opportunity mine?
In a few years, Brother Yuan might be throwing money at me from the rooftop!
"of course not."

However, Lu Zhiyuan quickly shattered Zhang Ruonan's dream: "We will have a team, about seven or eight people. So, you don't need to worry about anything. Everyone will take good care of you."

Was I worried?

Moreover, although I look delicate and cute, I am actually strong and healthy and never get sick!

From what perspective do you realize that I need to be taken care of?

Zhang Ruonan wished that it was just her and Lu Zhiyuan traveling together.

Ideally, when Lu Zhiyuan fell ill along the way, she was able to demonstrate her caregiving abilities as the eldest sister in a family with four children.

In that case... hehehe!

Unfortunately, having had the truth revealed by Lu Zhiyuan, she can no longer appear.

Seven or eight people went out together?
What's the point then?
……

Lu Zhiyuan briefly explained things to Zhang Ruonan, then called Guo Fan and Liu Shishi together.

"So? Are you confident about the movie 'Your Name'?"

The film has been completed and is currently in post-production.

Lu Zhiyuan didn't interfere.

Guo Fan worked with him on several special effects blockbusters. Lu Zhiyuan didn't know much about Guo Fan's control over the plot, but Guo Fan had learned about 30% of his control over the visuals.

More than enough to shoot some feature films.

"should be no problem."

Guo Fan was anything but modest. If he didn't even have this much confidence, then all those years he'd spent following Lu Zhiyuan would have been for nothing.

Lu Zhiyuan nodded, glanced at Liu Shishi, and then asked Guo Fan, "Does Shishi look good when she cries in this movie?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Fan was immediately extremely embarrassed.

How do I answer this?

That's a very ambiguous question.

Does she look pretty when she cries?

It's definitely going to look good.

It's hard to evaluate Liu Shishi's acting skills in other situations, but when it comes to crying scenes, Liu Shishi is definitely one of the top performers among so many young actresses in the entertainment industry!
She relied on crying scenes to create an atmosphere that broke people's hearts, thus achieving top-tier status.

"It should look great."

Guo Fan thought for a moment and added the word "should". Although it was a bit superfluous, he had to make his position clear.

After all, Dilraba was listening intently from the side.

"That's no problem."

As the chairman of the jury at the Tokyo International Film Festival, Lu Zhiyuan certainly couldn't watch the film in advance without permission.

Because he was indeed feeling guilty.

He was clearly implying to Guo Fan that this film would definitely win a major award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

She is highly likely to be the best actress.

For a commercial film director like Guo Fan, awards at film festivals don't hold much significance.

But for an actress like Liu Shishi, winning a Best Actress award at an international A-list award would greatly enhance her status in the entertainment industry.

After Fan Bingbing won the Best Actress award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, marketing accounts raved about her, and she landed countless commercial endorsements.

Even red carpet stars need real awards to back them up!
"Brother Yuan, I'm going to have a chat with Xiao Su. She's currently filming 'The Journey of Flower,' and it should be almost finished. I'm going to ask her about it."

Guo Fan made up a lame excuse and ran away.

He always felt like he was superfluous.

Although Liu Shishi stood there without saying a word, her blind eyes began to shine when she looked at Lu Zhiyuan.

However, Guo Fan could understand.

If I were a woman and had a man like Lu Zhiyuan who would take me to make movies, I'm afraid I'd fall for him too.

"Shishi, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lu Zhiyuan noticed Liu Shishi's gaze, smiled and asked a question, taking the initiative to defuse the awkward atmosphere.

"I didn't know you were such a good actor. Your performance as [Li Wen] was superb. You'll definitely be nominated for Best Actor at next year's Oscars."

Liu Shishi was sincere.

In the movie, Lu Zhiyuan's acting skills were initially on par with Nicolas Cage's.

However, in the latter half of the movie, Lu Zhiyuan sheds his calm and refined mask and transforms into a madman, at which point his charm reaches its peak!

This might be the coolest madman in film history!

At that moment, his acting skills actually surpassed those of Nicolas Cage, leaving Liu Shishi speechless.

"You've learned to flatter too."

Lu Zhiyuan smiled and didn't take it seriously.

He's a director, and becoming the greatest director of all time is his goal. What's a Best Actor nomination compared to that?

What good is it to him?

"I wasn't flattering you. My feelings for you have always been genuine."

Liu Shishi's words had a double meaning, and her tender and affectionate gaze towards Lu Zhiyuan revealed a deep love hidden behind the hazy, cloud-like look in her eyes.

"Thank you."

Aside from saying thank you, Lu Zhiyuan didn't know how to respond.

Even if he converts to a different faith now, he cannot marry four wives as some scripture says.

……

The family party lasted until around 10 p.m.

"Brother Yuan, please wait a moment. Thank you for your hospitality."

Most people said goodbye and left.

For them, attending this party was an unparalleled honor.

After all, only Lu Zhiyuan's closest core friends could receive this invitation.

For Lu Zhiyuan's friend, this identity is like being gilded in the entertainment industry.

Wherever they go, others have to look up to them.

"Mrs. Lu, could you please mention it to Brother Yuan for me? Besides comedies, could I possibly..."

People from Happy Twist also came.

However, Shen Teng and the others weren't very familiar with Lu Zhiyuan, so they could only entertain themselves in a corner throughout the party.

Of course, they belong to the Reba school.

The other people inside were also very friendly to them.

Before leaving, Shen Teng hesitated for a long time, but finally made a small request to Dilraba... He wanted to play a handsome role!
I don't want to be a comedian forever!
He used to be a campus heartthrob. If given the chance, he could lose weight for a role and regain his handsome appearance from his youth!

If he could paint a world-famous painting like "Waterfall" like Lu Zhiyuan, and then throw money off the rooftop with tens of millions of dollars... who would want to play the loser Xia Luo?
With the appearance of the character 【Li Wen】, Lu Zhiyuan instantly became a heartthrob!

Recently, Lu Zhiyuan has been afraid to go out, because if he does, he will be recognized and cause traffic jams.

Even if he hides in the villa near Hongluo Temple, there will still be sasaeng fans who come here and lurk around his house.

As a result, the community security guards complained bitterly.

The sheer number and fervor of Lu Zhiyuan's female fans significantly increased their workload.

Shen Teng didn't care.

He was willing to share this trouble with Lu Zhiyuan.

Let those crazy female fans fire at me!
"Fujiko, what are you dreaming about? Look at your big belly."

Before Reba could answer, Mary poured cold water on Shen Teng's words: "Mrs. Lu, don't listen to his nonsense. He's desperate for fame, he's practically going crazy."

Since Dilraba became the second largest shareholder of Mahua FunAge, the entire company has been eager to enter the film industry.

Let's all make a fortune together, and become incredibly popular!
In particular, the release of Lu Zhiyuan's film this time not only achieved huge success at the box office, but also made Lu Zhiyuan himself one of the world's top superstars.

In fact, a really big bombshell has recently been dropped.

TC Candler magazine used to only select the 100 most beautiful women in the world, but recently, due to Lu Zhiyuan's explosive performance and extraordinary personal charm in the movie "Art Students", it has been making headlines.

This magazine announced that starting in 2013, it would be selecting the "World's 100 Most Handsome Men".

Lu Zhiyuan was nominated as number one!

And in second place is... [Alexander Skarsgård].

He is also a director, actor, screenwriter, and voice actor, and seems to be just as talented as Lu Zhiyuan.

……

Lu Zhiyuan became a global sensation with just one movie and one role, becoming the number one on the list of the world's 100 most handsome men!

Who wouldn't envy it?

Most importantly, Lu Zhiyuan didn't care about this honor at all.

He prefers being a director.

So, the opportunity for male actors has arrived!

Shen Teng felt that no matter what, he was definitely more handsome than Wang Baoqiang!
……

"Brother Teng, Sister Mary, don't worry."

"Our company's film will be launched soon."

Reba knew what they were worried about, and reassured them, "In a couple of days, my husband should be taking the team out to scout locations for the Godzilla project. At that time, let Lao Yan and Lao Peng go with Brother Kun to learn from them."

"Once they return from their studies, our company's 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' project will begin immediately. You two will become household names and superstars!"

Hearing this, Shen Teng and Mary were relieved.

Having a director's wife protecting you makes all the difference; it's very reassuring.

But then Mary suddenly realized something was amiss: "Mrs. Lu, aren't you coming along?"

Lu Zhiyuan went out to scout locations, but Reba didn't go with him?

Aren't you afraid that Lu Zhiyuan will cheat on you?
"I'm not going. I've been feeling really tired lately."

"Moreover, the Godzilla movie has many partners and the accounts and funds are particularly complicated. I need to find some professionals to sort it out carefully."

Dilraba has decided to help Lu Zhiyuan run the company and step back from the limelight.

As long as she can be a good housekeeper for Lu Zhiyuan, Lu Zhiyuan will never leave her in this lifetime.

As for whether or not he stole it?

You can't control him; it all depends on Lu Zhiyuan's self-discipline.

In the entertainment industry, Lu Zhiyuan is at the top of the food chain; if he wants to eat whatever he wants, he can eat fresh food every day.

Moreover, with a close friend like Kun Ge by her side, Dilraba has become more open-minded.

As long as Lu Zhiyuan doesn't bring back any other women from outside, and only relaxes occasionally, she'll pretend she doesn't know.

If Jing Tian can do it, she can definitely do it too.

However, she would never repeat the mistakes Jing Tian had made.

She allows Lu Zhiyuan to try food outside, but he can't bring the cook home... That's her bottom line!
"Mrs. Lu, could you be pregnant?"

As a woman, Mary had a very keen intuition in this regard. As soon as she heard Reba say she felt tired, she immediately prepared to congratulate her.

"It's not clear yet."

Dilraba shook her head.

She was absolutely certain that she was not pregnant.

However, whenever she says she's extremely tired, everyone treats her like a princess. No one dares to upset her.

……

Starting from May 1th.

The film "Art Students" has entered its fourth week of release.

Like most drama films, by the fourth week, the box office was almost unsustainable.

in the country, "Art Students" grossed 18 billion yuan in three weeks.

Even though the daily box office is only around 20 million now, it shouldn't be a problem to break 2000 billion over the whole cycle.

In other parts of the world, daily box office revenue is only 20% of its peak, totaling approximately $1000 million.

Moreover, it's getting lower every day.

This is the difference between a drama film and a special effects blockbuster.

Piracy of feature films appears particularly quickly.

At most half a month, maybe 20 days, then pirated copies will flood the internet.

In this situation, only a very small number of true fans would travel to the cinema and spend a lot of time and money to enjoy the film.

Most ordinary viewers, if they can find high-definition resources online... 99% will directly choose to watch high-definition pirated versions!
Save 36 yuan instantly!
This situation is not unique to China.

It's the same all over the world.

Although every country is cracking down on piracy, it is impossible to completely prevent it.

……

"Boss, based on the current trend, the final box office of the movie 'Art Students' will most likely be around 7.5 million US dollars."

For a drama film to reach $10 billion, it would need to be like "Joker," creating an explosive effect from the very beginning and instantly sweeping the world.

It's extremely difficult to achieve a huge box office success by relying on word-of-mouth in the later stages.

Because after the word-of-mouth turned around, piracy also emerged... Most people still choose to watch pirated versions.

It's all about the money in your pocket.

However, if this is a 3D IMAX movie, viewers won't be able to find a high-definition pirated version online, and will have to go to the cinema to contribute to the director's box office.

This is why many movies, even when not filmed using 3D technology, have their subtitles made 3D during post-production to boost box office sales.

The main reason is to make sure that netizens can't find high-definition pirated versions and have no choice but to go to the cinema!
This is also a helpless situation for the production company.

However, Lu Zhiyuan did not choose this shortcut for the sake of his reputation.

The box office of around 7.5 million US dollars has far exceeded his expectations.

After all, in another timeline, Interstellar, a landmark film in the history of science fiction, only grossed $6.8 million at the box office.

This demonstrates just how explosive the public opinion surrounding the film "Art Students" was, and how terrifying its box office performance was!
Unfortunately, this tactic can only be used once.

"With a box office of $7.5 million, we can expect to recoup around $3 million. In addition, we need to deduct Universal Pictures' distribution costs, which are about 10%."

James was formerly the CEO of Focus Features.

As a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, Focus Features pays Universal Pictures approximately 15% of its distribution fees.

However, Focus Features is a production company that primarily produces art-house films.

The distribution costs for art films are naturally higher.

For a commercial blockbuster like Lu Zhiyuan, a 10% distribution fee is more profitable for Universal Pictures than Focus Features' 15% distribution fee.

Of course, this is also because Lu Zhiyuan's relationship with Universal Pictures is extraordinary.

Under normal circumstances, Universal Pictures typically charges independent studios around 13% of their distribution fees.

No matter how you calculate it, YD Pictures' profits will far exceed those of YT Pictures' original model!
Aside from the distribution fees paid to Universal Pictures, Lu Zhiyuan pocketed 90% of the profits!
Of course, a portion of these profits will be shared with other investors.

But these things depend on Lu Zhiyuan's mood.

He can break up if he wants, and if he doesn't, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Therefore, before each project is established, everyone has to treat him like a god, coax him, flatter him, and take care of him.

"Boss, we're rich!"

The production cost of the film "Art Students" was $3000 million.

The advertising cost was $5000 million.

This saved a lot of money compared to the $2 million publicity cost of "Joker".

The main reason is that Lu Zhiyuan's publicity methods are so brilliant that they have attracted a lot of enthusiastic support and created many topics of public discussion.

These don't need any guidance; the audience will discuss them spontaneously.

Of course, this saved a lot of money.

"After deducting the 10% distribution fee paid to Universal Pictures, YD Pictures will receive $2.7 million in box office revenue!"

"Besides that, boss, there's another piece of bad news."

"In the area of ​​DVD copyright, due to the increasing development of online media in recent years and the abundance of high-definition resources online, revenue in this area has begun to shrink significantly."

"We probably can never replicate the era of 'Real Steel,' where DVD rights could easily cost one or two hundred million dollars."

"However, even so, based on our detailed internal calculations, Art Students magazine is likely to earn around 7000 million US dollars in DVD copyright revenue."

Aside from DVD copyrights, television licensing should be roughly the same under normal circumstances.

This could also bring in approximately $7000 million in additional revenue for the film.

Regarding online streaming, Lu Zhiyuan approved the direct licensing of the film "Art Students" to Netflix.

The other party paid $5000 million and obtained a 5-year license.

On average, it costs $1000 million a year.

For a classic film like "Art Students," the copyright is not a one-time transaction; its value will likely increase over time.

Five years later, everyone will sign a new contract.

In addition, after the movie "Art Students" became a hit, Netflix's stock price surged by 5% due to its strategic partnership with Lu Zhiyuan.

The capital market has once again started speculating about how much business Lu Zhiyuan's collaboration with Netflix to make movies would boost Netflix's business.

As things stand, as long as Netflix stabilizes its position in the TV drama industry, it can enter the film industry at any time. At that time, the landscape will be completely opened up, and it may become the world's largest streaming platform company!
In addition, the huge success of "House of Cards" had pushed Netflix's market value to over $18 billion in early September.

Lu Zhiyuan owns 10% of Netflix.

For him today, money is most likely just a number.

With a net worth exceeding 100 billion, as long as Lu Zhiyuan doesn't think about cultivating immortality, he will never have to worry about money in this lifetime.

Thanks to the huge sale of the copyright, the film "Art Students" earned a staggering $1.9 million in revenue in addition to its box office earnings.

This $1.9 million is almost pure profit.

This resulted in Art Students achieving an astonishing total profit of $4.6 million!
Compared to its cost, such high returns are practically no different from printing money.

"Boss, you really don't need to make counterfeit money."

"Because you make money making movies much faster than counterfeiting money!"

After James figured out the math, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Besides that, boss, there's another piece of news, but I'm not sure if I should tell you or not?"

After complimenting Lu Zhiyuan a few times, James began to hesitate.

This puzzled Lu Zhiyuan.

The film was a huge success, and YD Pictures made a name for itself, becoming a rising star and well-known independent film studio in Hollywood.

It directly inherited YT Studios' established reputation, becoming the most unique among all the independent studios that have partnered with Universal Pictures.

In this situation, could James still have something on his mind?
That really raises suspicions.

"Say what you want to say."

Lu Zhiyuan snorted, telling James not to try to dodge the question.

"Boss, after 'Art Students' became a huge hit, your character [Antonio] became incredibly popular in North America, even more popular than Leonardo DiCaprio!"

"Therefore, Real Doll came to us again, wanting to cooperate with us and obtain the image license for the character Antonio."

James was barely suppressing a laugh.

Real Doll, the company that obtained the rights to use Alita's image to make silicone dolls when the movie "Upgrade" was released, asked him for such rights.

At the time, Lu Zhiyuan righteously and firmly rejected this request.

Now, this company is back again!

Who says only female celebrities' silicone dolls can make money?
Is it only men who play with silicone dolls?

Don't women need dolls?

The character of Antonio became incredibly popular, making female fans in Europe and America fall madly in love with the character played by Lu Zhiyuan.

A genius painter.

A mad criminal.

A devoted and unwavering lover!
He looked so cool throwing money off the rooftop!
If the character is only defined by the traits of a "genius painter" and a "mad criminal," this role will most likely only be somewhat attractive to men...

It has no appeal to female viewers.

But with the addition of these two supplementary settings... this made Antonio, played by Lu Zhiyuan, the dream lover of female viewers!

The number one on the list of the world's 100 most handsome men is just that charming!

"How much is the licensing fee?"

Lu Zhiyuan had previously refused to cooperate with this company because he didn't want Dilraba's image to suffer any damage.

For female celebrities, a sense of sophistication is very important.

However, as a man, being loved by women all over the world, even though they can't have him, they want his dolls... Faced with this situation, Lu Zhiyuan is still very proud.

This demonstrates that they possess extraordinary charm.

"No authorization allowed!"

However, Lu Zhiyuan only showed a slightly questioning expression before Dilraba snatched the phone away.

Reba said fiercely to James on the other end of the phone, "If I find out that my husband's doll is in any corner of the world... I won't let you get away with this!"

"Understood, Madam!"

James was just joking.

By licensing the rights to Wawa Company, Lu Zhiyuan wouldn't receive much money, and for someone with a net worth of billions of dollars, this would only damage his image.

However, this is a very interesting matter.

James decided that if he were to write any memoirs about Hollywood in the future, he would definitely include this story!
Haha!

(End of this chapter)