Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 178 Aiming for the Top 50 Highest-Grossing Films in Global Film History
With the arrival of July and the film's release in various regions of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, "Now You See Me" has seen explosive growth in overseas box office revenue.

A week later, Lionsgate received the latest global box office statistics.

The North American market has climbed to $1.3 million, while overseas box office has also successfully surpassed the $1.5 million mark.

All things considered, the global box office totaled a staggering $2.8 million!
More importantly, major markets such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and France have only just begun to see the film's release, and there is still strong potential for further box office growth.

Given this trend, the general consensus is that:
If it can reach more than $1.5 million in North America, it will likely also break through $3 million overseas, at which point the global box office will reach $4.5 million, and there is even a possibility of hitting the $5 million mark!

Once "Now You See Me" surpasses 4.5 million at the box office, it is expected to enter the top 50 of the all-time global box office rankings.

It's worth noting that since John Woo's "Mission: Impossible 2" broke into the top 50 of the global box office in 2000 with $5.46 million, no Chinese director has made the list for six years.

John Woo became a top Hollywood director overnight thanks to Mission: Impossible 2, and was sought after by major producers, even with the support of the Mission: Impossible 1 IP.

Wu Chen is only 23 years old now, and "Now You See Me" is the first IP to be created, which means that Wu Chen will create new history as a Chinese director.

In an instant, major domestic portals, film and television industry news outlets, and social forums exploded with activity, and media headlines flooded the screen.

[Now You See Me Surpasses $2.8 Million at the Global Box Office! Wu Chen Poised to Enter the Top 50 Chinese Films of All Time; Another Miracle for a Chinese Director!]

[Now You See Me Aims for a Spot in the Global Top 50, Wu Chen Sets a New Record for Chinese Film Awards!]

[A Shining Star for the Chinese! Wu Chen Leads Global Box Office, May Become the Youngest Director in Film History]

[How Wu Chen has made his mark on the world film industry, from Beijing Film Academy to Hollywood!]

Meanwhile, at the Beijing Film Academy, Wu Chen discovered that he was surrounded by a group of reporters who had been lying in wait whenever he entered or left the school.

Because the microphone had already been handed to him.

Wu Chen wasn't bothered by it; it was just a temporary thing, and the hype would die down soon.

The reporters were enthusiastic and asked a barrage of questions:

"Director Wu, what are your thoughts on 'Now You See Me' breaking into the top 50 of the global box office charts?"

Wu Chen was blocked in place, but he smiled, shrugged, and replied easily:

"My thoughts are that I hope there will be more spots on the list, and we should also consider the possibility of the second and third installments making it in the future, right?"

The crowd burst into laughter.

In the past two days, the news that Wu Chen is about to break into the top 50 of the global box office charts with "Now You See Me" has resounded throughout the industry and become the focus of attention.

Even Zhang Weiping was unusually low-key at the wrap-up press conference for "Curse of the Golden Flower":
"Curse of the Golden Flower is definitely aiming for 300 million yuan at the box office. With Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat and Jay Chou, we are confident that we will become this year's champion. Of course, we must first surpass Wu Chen's Now You See Me. The Banquet is not worth mentioning."

As for the global box office rankings, congratulations to him, though whether he makes it into the top tier is another matter.

Zhang Yimou, on the other hand, was much more loyal:
"I was very happy to hear the news. It proves that there are successors to the Chinese directors, and Chinese directors are gradually stepping onto the world stage."

The atmosphere outside the Chaoyang Court was not so pleasant.

The plagiarism case of "Kekexili" went to trial. On the afternoon of the 5th, Lu Xun left the courthouse quickly with a gloomy expression.

A group of reporters who had been waiting for a long time surrounded them:
"Director Lu, what is your response to today's court hearing?"

"Director Lu, have you considered reconciliation?"

Lu Xun remained silent, not uttering a single word. Damn it, these bastards really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics.

Suddenly, a reporter shouted a question:
"Director Lu, Wu Chen's 'Now You See Me' is about to enter the global box office top 50. What are your thoughts on that?"

Lu Xun paused, his face growing even more somber.

He gritted his teeth, turned around, and uttered a sarcastic remark:

"Directors should focus on making films that have social value. Some people have abandoned artistic pursuits and just make pretentious blockbusters. I only make films that can be passed down through generations."

Upon hearing this, the reporters' eyes lit up, and a strange smile appeared on their lips.

That evening, at the celebration banquet for "Now You See Me", Han Sanping brought along many people from China Film Group and also invited many industry colleagues.

Yu Dong from Bona Film Group was among them. "Congratulations, Director Wu! I wish this film will soon break 300 million at the box office!" At the dinner, Yu Dong, along with Han Sanping, specially sought out Wu Chen to offer his congratulations.

"Third Master, my long-respected former leader."

“Speak properly. You need to maintain a proper work ethic. Even though you’re no longer with China Film Group, what would others think if they heard that?” Han Sanping corrected him.

Yu Dong specifically called him that, deliberately using it to get closer to Wu Chen.

"Bona also handles distribution. If Director Wu needs anything in the future, just come to me."

"No problem, no problem!" Wu Chen smiled and bumped hands with him.

At that moment, Gao Chengsheng walked over, preparing to report to Han Sanping in a low voice.

"If there's nothing important, just say so. There are no outsiders here."

Seeing this, Gao Chengsheng smiled and said, "I just received news from the media that Director Lu Xun scolded a group of directors, including Wu Chen, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang."

"It's said that several directors are deliberately creating suspense to make blockbusters."

Han Sanping was stunned when he heard this. What was going on?

This junior apprentice is such a troublemaker; isn't he still in court?

Yu Dong was also curious. He knew Lu Xun's situation. Was he being set up or was it an open secret?
It's obvious that the matter is serious, and if someone misinterprets it, you'll probably get a lot of flak.

Wu Chen smiled calmly. Lu Xun probably wasn't that stupid, but the fact that the media portrayed him like this meant that his words had left loopholes, so he couldn't blame anyone else.
At this moment, Lu Tianming was speechless:
"Who do you think you are? One of only four directors in China to have earned over 100 million yuan a year, and you're not going to let any of them go, are you?"

"No, Dad, those media outlets are awful! I was just subtly criticizing Wu Chen for creating a big-budget film out of thin air, but who knew they would still manage to misattribute it to someone else!"

Lu Xun looked aggrieved; he hadn't mocked Zhang Yi or the others.

"Ha, you're just making a big deal out of nothing by making blockbusters. Why don't you do some research on who's making blockbusters these days? Who was it last year?"

Lu Tianming was disappointed in his son's lack of ambition.

Damn, just two days ago Huayi Brothers was excitedly promoting Feng Xiaogang's blockbuster "The Banquet" and saying it would hit 2 million yuan at the box office.

Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" has just finished filming.

Last year there was also a big-budget, suspenseful film called "The Promise".

These words are all insinuations, even hitting the nail on the head.

"Heh, some directors haven't even finished burying their plagiarism scandals, yet they dare to say they'll make films that will stand the test of time."

At the press conference for "The Banquet," Feng Xiaogang made no attempt to hide his true feelings from reporters.

"Xiao Gang, say less." Wang Zhonglei was speechless. Lu Xun really had something wrong with his brain. You're talking about Wu Chen, why do you have to make veiled attacks and miss the mark? You're just asking for trouble.

"A few days ago, the organizing committee of the 63rd Venice Film Festival sent out the invitation list, and we are announcing that we have officially accepted the invitation and decided to screen 'The Banquet' at the Venice Film Festival."

Feng Xiaogang made the announcement with great pride, and the camera flashes went off immediately.

Recently, Chen Kaige, who has been keeping a low profile, seems to feel that Lu Xun's words were intentionally aimed at him. Last time, Lu Xun was very harsh on him regarding the film "The Promise," which created a grudge. This time, Chen Kaige also showed no mercy when asked by reporters:
"Lu Xun? Sorry, I don't know him. Is there such a director?"

Zhang Yimou maintained his usual style of remaining silent and ignored the matter.

However, the statements made by Feng Xiaogang and Chen Kaige were enough to make the response the headline of the day.

Sure enough, the media that were stirring up trouble came out the very next day.

[Chen Kaige stated yesterday that he does not know Lu Xun and that there is no such director as him!]

At the press conference for "The Banquet," Feng Xiaogang promoted the film's upcoming screening at the Venice Film Festival, urging director Lu Xun to first address the plagiarism allegations.

【.】

Wu Chen was the only one missing from this list, but the reporters weren't worried because there was a lecture at the Beijing Film Academy this afternoon.
(End of this chapter)