I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 253 Zhou Yang's Anti-Superhero Has Arrived!

9 month 5 day.

The Hollywood superhero movie "Spider-Man" has officially finished its theatrical run.

This superhero film, produced by Columbia Pictures in Hollywood and costing $1.39 million, has sparked an unprecedented movie-going frenzy since it hit the Chinese summer movie market in July.

The premiere box office exceeded an astonishing 2800 million RMB!

It surpassed 1.4 million in its first week!
In the third week, it even broke through the astonishing box office of 2.4 million RMB!
Every day, long lines of young people can be seen queuing up to buy tickets at the movie theater…

At major cinemas in Beijing, countless young people dressed in Spider-Man bodysuits took photos at the entrance of the screening rooms.

On social media, the hashtag #IWantToBeBittenByASpider# has garnered an astonishing 100 million views in just two months!

Meanwhile, Spider-Man related merchandise, especially plastic light-up children's toys, sold an astonishing million units in just two months of the summer movie season, creating another miracle in the history of Chinese films, including toy history...

According to the regular screening schedule, this movie should have been taken off the screens in mid-August.

However, due to the film's popularity and lingering impact, the daily occupancy rate remained considerable. In a rare move, the three major cinema chains in China jointly issued a statement announcing that the release of "Spider-Man" would be extended to September 5th. Subsequently, more films followed suit, and ultimately...
When the relevant departments of China Film Group released the data, the entire industry gasped!
Total box office: 3.81 million RMB

[Number of viewers: 2100 million]

[Highest-grossing foreign film in Chinese film history]

..............................

"They've gone mad! They've all gone mad!"

9 Month 5 Day!
In the Tianyu Media office late at night.

Xu Haibo stared at the data on the computer screen, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

He kept refreshing the page, as if that would reduce the number by a few zeros.

Yesterday's Entertainment Weekly was still lying on my desk, with the front page featuring a photo of "Spider-Man" star Marcus Anthony being mobbed by fans at a Chinese airport.

The young man wearing a baseball cap in the picture is being squeezed in a corner by dozens of girls holding up signs that say "Marry me," and the human wall of security guards is being pushed aside...

Xu Haibo suddenly recalled the grand occasion when Zhou Yang sold his car two months ago.

Zhou Yang's female fans were just as crazy back then...

of course……

At this moment, he felt an indescribable, unprecedented regret deep in his heart!
Last year, Tianyu Media actually had a chance to acquire the Spider-Man film!

However, after the failure of "Superman", they saw the name "Spider-Man" again, but at that time, the company's marketing team was generally not optimistic about the movie!
In fact, even Hollywood studios were not optimistic about this comic book adaptation. The film's distribution price wasn't particularly high, and Xu Haibo had investigated why...

Back in the 1980s and 90s, Hollywood superhero movies mainly featured mature, dark, or mythological characters like Batman and Superman. Spider-Man's character was somewhat different, and when the movie's release date was announced, everyone thought the "spider" theme would deter some moviegoers...

Besides, Peter Parker in the movie is a poor student, while Hollywood at the time preferred characters like Bruce Wayne (the billionaire) from Batman or Clark Kent (the alien god). Spider-Man's premise was somewhat risky, and some producers worried that audiences would find the "wall-climbing and web-slinging" trope unsettling, fearing that they would fall into the "uncanny valley" effect that horror movies are most repulsed by...

All of the above factors meant that the investment in "Spider-Man" was not a large share among superhero movies, and naturally, the overseas licensing fees were not very high either...

but……

No one could have predicted that this movie would go viral at the global box office!

This movie, with an investment of exactly $1 million, has outperformed "The Lord of the Rings" at the box office!
The Lord of the Rings grossed $6.8 million worldwide!
Spider-Man, on the other hand, raked in an astonishing $8.12 million at the box office!

It's practically a landmark work in the world of superhero movies!

Box office revenue is only part of the profits from this movie; merchandise sales and subsequent revenue are even more lucrative!

The Chinese distribution rights for this film belonged neither to Tianyu Media nor to their competitor Huasheng Brothers, but to Xincheng Film & Television, the lowest-ranked of the five major film companies.

"Damn it, the licensing fee for this movie was only 40 million RMB! That's a huge difference compared to The Lord of the Rings!"

Xu Haibo thought back to a year ago when he casually glanced at the licensing fee for the movie "Spider-Man" without any regard for it, and he wished he could slap himself hard!

He missed a film that would be recorded in the history of Chinese cinema!

Just as Xu Haibo was in a daze.

He got a call.

On the phone, he heard a name that had been silent for nearly two months, yet it made him grit his teeth: "Zhou Yang".

"Zhou Yang attended the relevant department meeting this time, and he even signed an agreement?"

"The higher-ups' intentions are very clear: they want this troublemaker on the table?"

"Oh? He actually gave up on the 'Domestic Film Protection Month'?"

"what?"

$2500?

"Are you kidding me! He disappeared for two months, casually made a movie, and it grossed over $2500 million in two weeks? In North America?"

"..."

Xu Haibo's voice stopped abruptly, and then his hand trembled slightly, almost dropping the phone!

....................................

Early morning!

[Huashang Brothers] Office.

Liu Jinghua stared at two news articles on the computer screen.

The left window displays the good news of "Spider-Man's" successful run in China: [Total box office 3.81 million! Setting a new record for foreign films!] The accompanying image shows Marcus's Spider-Man suit being torn by a female fan, resembling a tattered flag.

But her gaze fell on another window, the right window flashing with data from North America: [Saw makes a stunning comeback with $1800 million in a single week! Costing only $12!] The photo of Zhou Yang and Mark below the headline stung her eyes.

But what she found even more unbelievable, even incomprehensible, was the data that followed!
$12?

She grabbed the mouse and clicked on the details page. The page loaded rather slowly, making her think for a moment that it was all nonsense...

The report boldly stated: "[According to sources within Paimon, the actual filming period for 'Saw' was only 15 days, with a crew of no more than 20 people. All the blood and props were made from remnants left over from 'Twilight'.]" The accompanying photo showed Zhou Yang's profile on set holding a clapperboard; the rusty iron chain props in the background, whether intentionally placed or not, made Liu Jinghua think they looked like junk picked from a garbage dump…

"12! 15 days!" She stared at the hashtag #ZhouYangMakesMovieWithPocketMoney# on the Kuaibo hot search list, her fingernails almost digging into her palms.

Behind-the-scenes footage is circulating wildly online: a dimly lit basement, secondhand medical equipment, and even blood plasma made with food coloring.

The most eye-catching was the in-depth report from [Movie House]: "Unveiling the 'Chainsaw Miracle': A B-movie shot taken by Zhou Yang during a break from promoting 'The Lord of the Rings 2'."

The article details the filming timeline: after his birthday celebration on May 21, Zhou Yang led five actors into a basement in a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles and completed all the filming using two secondhand cameras.

Liu Jinghua, while taking a snapshot, suddenly recalled Xu Haibo's description of meeting Zhou Yang at Paimon last month...

this moment……

She took a deep breath, and then, with trembling hands, clicked on the latest data: "Saw" has grossed $2500 million in North America and officially launched in other parts of the world today.

Based on this trend, the final box office is likely to exceed an astonishing $8000 million, with a return on investment of over 600 times!
"Bang!" The office door was suddenly kicked open, and the marketing director rushed in with his laptop: "President Liu! I just received news that Zhou Yang is at a meeting at the Film Bureau."

“I know,” she interrupted coldly, her gaze sweeping over the notebook's title page, “[Zhou Yang Abandons Protected Month's Release Date], “He slapped all the directors in the face.”

A gust of wind blew.

Liu Jinghua closed her eyes.

Even now, she is still filled with disbelief and shock!
....................................

May 6, 3:00 AM.

The lights were on in the Entertainment Weekly editorial office. Old Wang stared at the North American fax he had just received, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

The box office figures for "Saw" on the fax paper were like a slap in the face, making his head buzz.

"A budget of $12, 15 days of filming, and $2500 million at the box office." He kept repeating these figures, then suddenly grabbed the phone: "Typesetting room! Pull back the front page! Immediately! Right now!"

The entire editorial department erupted in chaos. Intern editor Xiao Zhang, staring at the crumpled-up front-page copy of the planned "Spider-Man's Final Chapter Special," stammered, "Mr. Wang, what about tomorrow's headline?"

"Need you even ask?" Old Wang stared intently at the computer screen: "Just write this! The subtitle of 'Chinese Director Zhou Yang's 12-Strike Bloodbath in North America!' should be bolded—'2500 Million Yuan Box Office Slaps Five Generations of Directors in the Face'!"

“We have connections with the fifth generation of directors, in case they…”

"Traffic! Sales! Remember, that's what we need right now! Make money, make money, make money! We'll show the people what they want to see!"

"Can……"

"Don't you know how many fans Zhou Yang has in China?"

"Hurry up! Damn it! I should have bought a Qinzhou G1 too, damn it!"

At that moment, he stared intently at the official website of "Film Vanguard".

At this moment, the official website revealed all sorts of details about Zhou Yang in Hollywood, causing a surge in website traffic!

The official website of "Film Vanguard" had obtained the most accurate news and scoops from Zhou Yang's side more than two hours earlier than them!
And their *Entertainment Weekly*...

damn it!
Fuck!
The Qinzhou G1 is all the rage right now!

At 7 a.m., the magazine "Film Vanguard" sold out as soon as it hit the shelves.

Looking at the empty shelves, the newsstand owner, Old Li, listened to the excited voice of the radio host: "According to Rotten Tomatoes statistics, 'Saw' has become the highest-grossing film in history, and Zhou Yang may set a record as the first Chinese director to have a film top the North American weekly box office."

On the Internet!

The hashtag #12DollarMiracle# is spreading like wildfire throughout the entire internet film industry!

[Kuaibo] is going crazy with popularity!
On the [Movie House] forum, veteran film critic "Film Hunter" wrote a lengthy article of over 10,000 words overnight: "This is not a movie, this is a dimensional reduction attack on the corrupt rules of the Chinese film industry! While the fifth generation of directors are still tearing each other apart over protecting their monthly quotas, someone has already used a camera picked up from a garbage dump to blast open the gates of Hollywood."

The most shocking thing was the blog of a Chinese filmmaker. A director posted a picture of a "Saw" ticket stub at 4 a.m. with the caption "Learning" and received a screen full of likes.

A staff member from Chen Kai's film crew secretly revealed that their boss called a meeting with the screenwriters overnight, and on the table was a photocopy of the script supervisor's sheet for "Saw." Chen Kai seemed to be looking at it while cursing...

It was once a hot topic on the internet, filled with all sorts of sarcastic remarks and jokes from netizens...

The authority of the fifth-generation directors seemed to vanish completely at this moment!
These media outlets are helpless!

after all!

Media outlets that previously purchased Zhou Yang's [Qinzhou G1] have all received firsthand scoops, and each outlet has received different scoops, yet each one is extremely eye-catching!

Unable to obtain the latest scoops, they were forced to start by revealing information about the "conflicts" between Zhou Yang and various directors, especially Chen Kai, in order to boost sales and generate traffic.
However, this popularity was only temporary and was quickly overshadowed by another new piece of news!
Media outlets that have bought Zhou Yang's cars!
Almost at the same time!

I was invited into Zhou Yang's company lobby...

……

At 10:9 AM on September 6th, inside the lobby of [Xuan Shi Entertainment].

More than thirty media outlets set up their cameras and microphones, the flashes making the red backdrop in the center blindingly bright. Zhou Yang, dressed in a black suit, walked to the front of the stage under the escort of security guards, and adjusted his glasses: "Thank you all for waiting."

He raised his hand and lifted the curtain—

A Qinzhou G1 sedan painted with a spider pattern made a dramatic appearance, with the four blood-red characters "Black Robe Alliance" on the door appearing menacing and glaring.

"The Black Robe Alliance: The Rise of Spider-Man, global premiere on September 12th!" Zhou Yang tapped on the hood, a bright smile on his face, then paused slightly: "Unlike Spider-Man, our hero..."

He suddenly opened the car door and pulled out a black combat suit covered in steel studs, which was extremely unusual. "He uses his hands, we might spit silk with our butts!"

The scene instantly erupted!
Everyone was stunned!

Lin Fengxiang, a reporter from Film Vanguard, took photos like crazy and immediately came up with a headline: "Zhou Yang goes head-to-head with Hollywood! His film, which surpasses the British film, is scheduled for release on September 9.12."

He then immediately had his assistant spread the word!

Today, the magazine and website of "Film Vanguard" experienced a small surge in traffic!

I heard that Zhou Yang might have some big plans coming up, but he always invites these people over each time!

Fuck!
Buying that Qinzhou G1 was totally worth it!
Just as he was getting excited, Zhou Yang dropped another bombshell: "Besides this movie, we have another film in development, which is also an anti-superhero movie. We want to create an anti-superhero cinematic universe!"

To everyone's astonishment.

Zhou Yang's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said solemnly, "The Black Robe Alliance is not a knock-off, but a deconstruction. We use the screws of Chinese industry to break the Hollywood formula and forge our own path. In a sense, this is the second film of our previous movie, The Reboot!"

"from now on!"

"Hollywood has superhero movies, and China has anti-superhero movies!"

"Hollywood has a superhero team, and China has an anti-superhero team!"

"..."

...........................

[Xuan Shi Entertainment] Entrance!
Old Wang can't get in!

However, after seeing wave after wave of news and revelations coming from inside the house, he became frantic with worry!

damn it!
What the hell is this anti-superhero league?!
damn it!
His eyes were red with anxiety!

I took a deep breath!

"Contact [Qinzhou Auto] and I'll buy it! I'll fucking buy it! Ask if I'm eligible to buy now! Damn it!"

"..."

"Damn it, we fell for Zhou Yang's trick and let that bastard fleece us!"

"damn it!"

"..."

(This is the third update tonight. I have seriously reflected on the previous situation. In the future, I will try to write about movies similar to those in real life briefly to ensure that they are not padded out. For original and interesting movies, I will try to carefully consider my writing and strive to bring a better story...)
(Sorry, and thank you to all the readers who are still following along for giving me this opportunity...)
(As for typos, I try to make as few as possible, but sometimes my eyes get tired from writing and I can't spot them... sigh...)
(End of this chapter)