Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 182 Does Senior Sister Dong Xuan like you?
Upon returning from Los Angeles, Wu Chen barely had a moment's rest before immediately arranging a meeting with Gao Chengsheng.

For him, things are always better done sooner rather than later.

Gao Chengsheng was taken aback upon hearing this, and even asked Han Sanping about it. After confirming that there was no problem, he pondered for a moment:
"Director Wu, give me some time. I'm not very familiar with this area either, so I need to find someone to learn more about it."

"Okay, thanks then, Brother Gao."

Wu Chen nodded; the fact that the other party had said that proved they didn't intend to refuse.

These days, the industry has unexpectedly fallen into a brief period of calm.

On one hand, Now You See Me is slowly making its way toward the 300 million mark, and major media outlets seem to be holding their breath in anticipation of this crucial moment.

On the other hand, the preview screenings of the next blockbuster, "The Banquet," are still a long way off, and even the promotions are concentrated in August, so right now there is a short-term vacuum period.

At the same time, the new Oscar submissions for foreign language films were quietly launched.

Zhang Weiping, the troublemaker, submitted his participation certificate first and publicized it extensively:

"Curse of the Golden Flower" is aiming for the Oscars; its European and American rights have already been sold for a high price, even more expensive than "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers"!
Sony Pictures will assist in managing the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film.
As soon as the news came out, the industry was in an uproar.

Some were envious, some were jealous, and some were full of suspicion.

However, Zhang Weiping's high-profile promotion made "The Banquet," which had been clamoring for an Oscar nomination, look rather awkward.

In terms of influence and awards, Feng Xiaogang and his "The Banquet" are far inferior to "Curse of the Golden Flower" and Zhang Yimou.

Moreover, Zhang Yimou also secured the position of chief director of the Olympic Games, which is a significant advantage.

Can "The Banquet" beat "Curse of the Golden Flower"?
At this point, not only industry insiders had doubts, but even people within Huayi itself had doubts.

“What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll just push it to the mainland.” Feng Xiaogang cursed, afraid that Huayi Brothers would pull his copy of “The Banquet” away.

He had to tell others; Feng Xiaogang was scared.

"Zhang Weiping is absolutely exaggerating. We know the state of domestic period drama blockbusters, even if others don't."

The impact of "The Promise" won't be easily recovered. I don't believe anyone who says it's better than "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers."

"Let's do as Xiao Gang said for now. 'The Banquet' may not be worse than 'Curse of the Golden Flower.' If all else fails, I'll communicate with Media Asia and go through Hong Kong channels."

Wang Zhongjun nodded.

Huayi is, after all, a large private enterprise in the industry; it can't just cower and shrink back when something happens.

As a result, the two sides engaged in a fierce war of words, creating quite a stir in the industry.

On July 14, "Now You See Me" only grossed over 200,000 yuan in its first day, but it still broke the 300 million yuan mark in China.

[Officially surpassing 300 million yuan in box office revenue!]

The articles that various media outlets had prepared in advance were published one after another:
[Eight years after the 1998 release of "Titanic," the Chinese box office has once again surpassed 300 million yuan!]

[Now You See Me Surpasses 300 Million Yuan Mark, Making China's Youngest Director to Achieve 300 Million Yuan Box Office Success!]

With domestic box office revenue entering the 300 million era, Wu Chen's prediction of 500 million or 1 billion seems not so far away.

【.】

The entire film and television industry was in an uproar.

Many people in the industry are still a bit dazed. From the 2.5 million yuan box office of "Hero" to now, it has taken Chinese films a full four years to get here.

And now, the 300 million yuan box office mark has finally been broken.

It's worth noting that Titanic took more than half a year to break 300 million in box office revenue, while Now You See Me achieved it within a month of its release, which is of great significance.

"A milestone of 300 million is indeed rare; China Film Group should send a congratulatory text message."

Han Sanping looked at the online media reports and wrote about the history of Chinese cinema over the years, and was filled with emotion.

He couldn't help but fantasize that if there hadn't been piracy, perhaps Titanic's record would have been broken. Thinking of this, Han Sanping chuckled to himself.

Three hundred million is already quite a lot; breaking the record is only a matter of time. He then asked:
"By the way, how's things going with Wu Chen?"

"We're starting to see some progress, and we should be able to help Director Wu." Gao Chengsheng nodded with a smile.

"Um"

Meanwhile, Gu Changwei held a small press conference for "Li Chun," which was still in post-production.

Standing on the stage, he made no secret of his ambition and expectations when facing reporters: "I want to compete in the Venice Film Festival for 'Springtime', but whether we can make it in time is still unknown."

As for Director Wu's 300 million yuan box office, to be honest, it's really hard to believe.

However, for the domestic film industry, this is indeed a cause for celebration, indicating that our box office ceiling has been raised once again.

As for five hundred million or a billion? Ha... I think that's still a long way off; I wouldn't even dare to dream of it myself.

There was laughter in the audience.

At this moment, Dong Xuan, who was standing next to her, was also asked a question by a reporter. Facing the camera, she spoke eloquently in a gentle voice:
"The biggest highlight of 'Springtime' is actress Jiang Wenli. I'm satisfied if I can be a good supporting actress. Director Gu Changwei has always been pursuing a documentary-style epic of ordinary people, which is a challenge for me."

When the topic turned to box office numbers, she paused, a smile playing on her lips:

"Regarding the box office, Director Wu seems to have never broken his word; I believe him."

"."

evening.

The setting sun cast its rays on the car windows, filling the car with a gentle warmth.

Liu Yifei, sitting in the passenger seat, tilted her head and mumbled something in a bubble-like sound, repeating:
"Senior Sister Dong Xuan said she believes in you."

Wu Chen, gripping the steering wheel, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this, and retorted, "Believe it or not, am I not worthy of your trust?"

"Oh!"

Liu Yifei puffed out her cheeks, her eyes darting around, and suddenly tilted her head to sneakily lean towards Wu Chen.

Her hair brushed lightly against Wu Chen's shoulder, carrying the fresh scent of summer sunshine.

"Be careful, don't move around, you're affecting my driving."

Wu Chen helplessly raised his hand and gently tapped her head.

"So, do you think Senior Sister Dong Xuan likes you?"

Liu Yifei blinked her bright eyes and suddenly blurted out a sentence.

Wu Chen was taken aback by the question, then a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Isn't this normal? Am I not worthy of being liked?"

"Here we go again, pshaw, narcissism."

Liu Yifei gave a soft hum, turned her head to look out the window, her face lit up with joy, and a smile involuntarily spread across her face.

Wu Chen's ability to say that proves he has no feelings for Dong Xuan.

"Get out of the car, we've arrived!" Wu Chen steadily parked the car in front of a high-end villa area.

The real estate salesperson, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly came forward, but couldn't help but be slightly taken aback when he saw that it was Wu Chen and Liu Yifei.

However, they quickly regained their professional smiles.

The male salesman was dressed in a well-tailored suit and appeared quite refined.

The female saleswoman wore a black bodycon dress, her high heels clicking on the ground, each step light and rhythmic, her swaying causing people to turn their heads.

"Mr. Wu, this way please—"

The two men led the way with smiles.

“This garden is nice, the lawn is good, and the pool is nice too!” Liu Yifei commented from the side, arms crossed.

Wu Chen stopped and turned to look at her, saying with a half-smile, "This is good, that is not bad either, why don't you tell me about it?"

Liu Yifei's face flushed slightly, she chuckled, and quickly followed Wu Chen.

The two salespeople smiled slightly and continued to patiently explain the layout and design details of the villa.

An hour later, Wu Chen left with Liu Yifei.

"How is it? How is it? Have you found one?" Liu Yifei asked eagerly, as she hadn't been able to press the matter earlier because of the other people present.

"It's not bad, but we can take a look around some more; there's no rush."

(End of this chapter)