Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 435 North American Opening Weekend Box Office, *sobs*
Although The Martian didn't return to the $5000 million mark on Saturday, it came very close, causing the film to surpass the $3 million mark.

The media did not report on such foolish talk as revisiting the era of 400 million yuan in box office revenue.

Because anyone with eyes can see that the movie will only break 400 million in three or four days at most.

"Five hundred million, six hundred million, or even higher?"

The media hesitated, unsure how to write about it.

"I've never encountered this before."

How many screens were there before, and how many are there this year?

The pace has accelerated rapidly this year. Since the beginning of the year, thanks to the small box office boom at the end of last year and the release of "Bad Genius" at the start of the year, the number of screens has increased rapidly. In just the last five months, the number of screens has increased by 20% compared to last year.

"Let's just see how things go. Who knows when pirated copies will come out and the box office will be affected?"

"."

Media reports are inconsistent; some say the film industry is about to enter an era of 500 million yuan in box office revenue, while a large majority believe that 600 million yuan is just around the corner.

Many media outlets believe the box office could reach 700 million.

Film critics and experts have offered a variety of opinions.

Ultimately, the reason is that the damage piracy will cause to the film is still uncertain.

Netizens are also constantly speculating.

As expected in North America, the box office steadily increased on the second day without any sudden drop, taking in $2760 million and leading the North American summer box office, leaving "Wolverine" behind.

This time, everyone was completely happy.

The Hollywood Reporter's headline read: "Hard sci-fi kicks off summer season, 'The Martian' to lead North American weekend box office."

"The Martian" is a sure thing, but many people have already set their sights on another science fiction idea that Wu Chen has in hand.

Paramount even outpaced Universal; Rebecca Sarkin's call came without a second thought.

In her view, Wu Chen and Universal Music are not completely intertwined.
"Wu, you might consider Paramount regarding the Kip Thorne scientific conjecture you have on hand. We've already made preparations for this project, and our assistance in its development will definitely make things much easier."

It must be said that Paramount does have a first-mover advantage, but unfortunately Wu Chen has already planned to create a native custom 3D for Interstellar.

"I'll consider it."

Wu Chen chuckled in response.

David Lyndon was quick to respond, discussing the box office performance of "The Martian" while also inquiring about Wu Chen's next sci-fi film.

With the first film as a foundation, as long as the next sci-fi movie isn't too bad, it will definitely attract a lot of fans to watch the movie. If it can maintain its reputation, then the long tail effect of the movie might even be stronger than that of The Martian.

"Let's talk later."

David Lyndon breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Wu Chen's reply.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, in the conference room on the seventh floor of the China Film Group headquarters.

When Han Sanping entered the conference room, his expression showed a rare hint of urgency.

Without exchanging pleasantries, he sat down and began to speak directly:
"Comrades, you've all seen the success of 'The Martian.' The next week is a crucial period, and also a critical time for preventing theft."

He glanced at the documents on the table as he spoke, then shrugged:
"Rumors of so-called 'early access resources' are already circulating online. I don't care if they're true or false, but we absolutely cannot wait for them to become reality."

"Starting today, all technical departments of China Film Group's directly affiliated distribution cinemas will implement a nighttime intensive inspection mechanism."

The responsibilities of those monitoring unauthorized recording must be clearly defined, and key management should be handled by designated personnel on a segmented basis. Contact major video websites and BitTorrent monitoring teams to activate an interception and investigation early warning mechanism.
If we can hold off piracy on this film even just for five more days, the future value judgments of blockbusters will change, and the expectations of cinemas, investors, and audiences for the entire industry will be different!

Han Sanping was very excited at this moment and spoke passionately on the stage.

This is a big deal for China Film Group, not only because China Film Group owns the distribution rights to "The Martian," but also because this film can open up new heights for Chinese films, which will greatly help the valuation of the entire film industry.

This is a matter of market potential, and it's what China Film Group needs to do: lead the entire industry in a positive direction.

Just before the meeting ended, he gestured with his hand and softened his tone:
"Go back and make arrangements. We need to see a concrete mechanism by today. Let's give it our all first. If we succeed, we won't need to work this hard in the future."

The meeting ended, and everyone stood up.

Han Sanping did not leave immediately, but walked to his secretary and whispered instructions:
"Contact the distribution department and prepare the application documents for extending the key in advance. Use a template from the previous film 'The Promise,' but don't copy it exactly; update it with current data where necessary."

When talking about "The Promise", Han Sanping couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly. Fortunately, "The Martian" did not become a film that was incomprehensible.

The secretary nodded quickly, feeling quite surprised herself.

It's worth noting that film production usually involves submitting the application documents in the third week, but this is only the second week.
On the morning of the following day, Los Angeles time, media outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Box Office Mojo released the North American weekend box office figures.

—The Martian's opening weekend gross: $7360 million!
These figures exceeded the industry's previous conservative estimates, ranking first in North American box office that week.

Major media outlets ran it as a headline.

Many organizations are updating their box office predictions for "The Martian".

The box office performance in the first week can actually reveal a film's potential for growth, because there is historical data to rely on.

Generally, popcorn blockbusters or superhero movies have a box office of 2-3 times that of their opening weekend, because they have a strong opening weekend but a slightly weaker follow-through.

While those with rave reviews may not see a huge surge in the first week, they have a strong long tail.

Animated films, however, follow a different logic.

Therefore, it's clear that "The Martian" will gross at least $200 million in North America, and may even have a chance to reach the crucial $300 million mark. As the weekdays begin, North American box office revenue has entered a period of stagnation, typically halved, while box office revenue in mainland China remains stable.

After touring North America and London, Wu Chen and his team arrived in Japan and South Korea for promotional activities, which was also the last stop on their promotional tour.

As soon as the flight landed, the area outside the airport was already packed with media and fans.

Security guards had already set up a cordon, but fans in the distance, holding banners and wearing custom-made clothing, were still shouting Wu Chen's name.

As soon as Wu Chen stepped out of the passage, he was surrounded by the sound of camera shutters and shouts in Korean.

Director Wu Chen!

"Director Chen, I love you!"

"The best!"

The sound of camera shutters was like a sudden downpour, wave after wave, with shouts in Korean mixed with calls in Chinese, leaving even Jiang Wen, who was standing next to him, stunned.

"You have that many fans in South Korea?"

"I do not know."

Wu Chen was slightly taken aback, his expression quite surprised.

When he came to South Korea to promote "Now You See Me" last time, it didn't seem this exaggerated.

The delegation that received Wu Chen was a joint publicity team composed of Universal Pictures' Korea office and CJ Entertainment.

CJ arranged a very high-profile itinerary for this trip:

Interview with Kim Nam-joo on a KBS special program;

Lee Byung-hun, Song Hye-kyo, and others accompanied the cast and crew to the premiere as special guests;
They also specially coordinated with SM Entertainment's new group Super Junior-M as their promotional ambassadors, striving to expand their popularity among young people.

That evening, the Seoul premiere of "The Martian" was held at COEX Cinema in Gangnam.

The auditorium was brightly lit, and the red carpet was lined with half of the South Korean film and television industry, from Ha Jung-woo, Jang Dong-gun, Won Bin to Han Ga-in, Son Ye-jin, and Kim Tae-hee—it was almost an industry-wide mobilization.
One by one, they lined up to shake hands and chat with Wu Chen.

When the news and photos reached China, the mainland media were somewhat surprised.

"You have quite a few fans. By the way, Li An didn't receive this kind of treatment when he went to Korea for promotion last time, did he?"

"It seems a little short, but Lee An has quite a few female fans. It's said that 'Lust, Caution' made Lee An the most discussed director on Korean women's forums."

"Is this the treatment internationally renowned directors receive?"

"."

The media were abuzz with discussion, and reports continued to emerge.

[The Korean premiere of "The Martian" was a massive success, with CJ Entertainment sending half of the film industry to support Wu Chen!]

[South Korean media: Among Asian directors, Wu Chen has the most global appeal!]

Wu Chen has an astonishing number of fans in South Korea.

【.】

Mainland directors watched with deep envy, and of course, the one who envied the most was Feng Xiaogang.

Among the big directors, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Li An, and Wu Chen always have a huge publicity campaign when they go to South Korea, and they have many fans. But when he went, almost no one knew him.

At night, at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, the suite offers a view of the bustling Gangnam skyline.

Wu Chen had just finished showering, while Liu Yifei, wrapped in a bathrobe and having just removed her makeup, was nestled on the sofa organizing the gifts she had brought with her.

Suddenly, she pouted, held up a pink support sign, and waved it.

“Look,” she said softly.

Wu Chen glanced at it and froze.

It was a pink support sign with her name printed in Korean and Chinese, and a lip print next to it, clearly put there by a female fan on the spot.

"Your female fan gave it to you."

Wu Chen chuckled, speechless: "You're jealous of this too?"

"Hmph." She raised her head, her little nose wrinkling slightly.

Wu Chen smiled and reached out to hug her, tapping her forehead with his finger: "Alright, I'll give you a chance. The real person is right here. Feel free to kiss or hug me."

Liu Yifei chuckled and lightly patted him, saying, "You're shameless and narcissistic."

"Fine, if you won't come, I'll come by myself."

After Wu Chen finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her. The next second, the sensation of their lips met.

The sofa sank slightly, and he was half-reclining, his plain white robe slipping down, revealing a few wrinkles at the hem.

Her long, shapely legs appeared full and rounded under the light, as delicate as silk.
The toes curled up, with a slight, uncontrollable tremor.

"You're not jealous anymore, are you?"

"Bah"

A mist welled up in Liu Yifei's eyes, her cheeks flushed red from behind her ears down to her neck, and she responded softly, her voice trembling slightly.
(End of this chapter)