Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 556 Heartfelt thanks to the producers of "1939" Liu Yifei went crazy
Vatna Glacier.

In the monitor footage, Matthew McConaughey, dressed in a spacesuit, and Matt Damon suddenly started fighting.

The heavy helmet restricted vision, and the bulky spacesuit sluggished movement.

With each roll, snowflakes and ice crystals were crushed into the gaps in the clothing;

Each punch was accompanied by a gasp of exhaustion.

Matt Damon's eyes conveyed the madness twisted by despair that characterized "Dr. Mann," while Matthew McConaughey perfectly captured "Cooper's" tenacity for survival and his anger at being betrayed.

At this time in China, it was already mid to late June.

As the extended screening of "1939" came to an end, a piece of news quietly ignited the entire film market.

"Defying the trend and breaking 100 million, creating another miracle! The total box office of '1939' has officially surpassed the 600 million mark!"

"During the extended run, '1939' broke the domestic box office record again, surpassing 6 million yuan."

Sina Entertainment's front page headline featured a striking, bright red poster with the number "600,000,000" prominently displayed, making one's heart race.

The last 100 million yuan in box office revenue was almost entirely achieved during the so-called "Black June" period, through "cost price" promotional activities.

This result has made all the cinema chains uneasy.

Many vice presidents and managers of cinema chains stepped forward to congratulate "1939" in the media.

In an interview, Gao Jun, the vice president of New Film Union, expressed the sentiments of the cinema industry:

"To be honest, we greatly admire the decision of the producers and distributors of '1939'. This promotional activity is actually equivalent to the cost price. The producers and distributors are not making a profit; it's just a service fee for the cinemas."

This dismal June has seen over 20 new films vying for market share, with blockbusters like "Toy Story 3," "Robin Hood," and "Shanghai" all grossing between 2000 and 3000 million per week.
In addition, a number of smaller films, such as "31° North Latitude Videotape" and "It's No Joke," were released and taken off the screens in a hurry, none of which grossed over 100 million yuan.

It's truly remarkable that "1939" grossed over 100 million yuan during its extended screening period. I sincerely thank Starry Night Pictures, China Film Group, and August First Film Studio.

Gao Jun's words were quoted by major media outlets, and netizens were in an uproar.

At this moment, the atmosphere in China Film's office was exceptionally relaxed.

Han Sanping was on the phone with Ming Zhenjiang from the August First Film Studio. Although they kept saying "take it easy," they couldn't hide their laughter at that moment.

Netizens offered their sincerest praise for the companies' almost "benefiting the people" approach and magnanimity.

"Chairman Han, should we give Director Wu some good news?"

Ming Zhenjiang asked over the phone, his voice full of joy.

"Haha, I've already messaged him," Han Sanping leaned back in his chair, looking out the window, in high spirits. "But he's still filming in Iceland, and doesn't seem to have much free time. Let's not bother him."

“That’s true!” Ming Zhenjiang nodded.

However, at this time, Xu Li, the vice president of Huayi Brothers, who was preparing for the release of "Aftershock" at the end of July, carefully asked Wang Zhonglei and Feng Xiaogang for their opinions.

"Mr. Wang, Director Feng, I think we should also learn from the promotional activities offered for the delayed release of '1939'."

"Learn my ass!" Wang Zhonglei rejected the idea outright.

"What's the point of making a fuss? You don't make any money, you just let the cinemas and the audience make money. It's not worth it."

Even if the film is delayed, it will still be sold at cost price. At most, a discount of five or ten yuan might be given. Making a movie costs money, so whether there's a discount or not, the actual box office difference won't be significant.

You think "1939" only broke 100 million because of the discounts, but actually, given its trajectory, it would have broken 100 million even without the discounts.

Feng Xiaogang nodded in deep agreement.

His film needs to make money and generate box office revenue, so there's no need for him to take money out of his own pocket and give it to others.

Just then, a wave of publicity from Hollywood had already swept through Shanghai.

The promotional campaign for "Inception" is entering its final sprint. China Film Group has initiated the terms signed when it acquired the Chinese distribution rights, and Warner Bros. has arranged for Liu Yifei and Marion Cotillard to travel to Shanghai to attend a special segment of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
This sudden news caught the domestic actresses completely off guard, leaving them feeling extremely upset. "We already invited Gong Li, and now Liu Yifei and Marion Cotillard are also coming... how are we supposed to compete?"

"Now the focus has been stolen again, and we don't get any attention at all."

"Can we not go now?"

They fully realized what "the power of a Hollywood A-list production" truly meant.

Recently, Liu Yifei, as one of the main creative team members, has been enjoying top-tier global publicity resources and star treatment.
The same applies to the Shanghai International Film Festival today.

This year's Shanghai International Film Festival boasts an exceptionally star-studded lineup: Oscar winners Brody and John Cusack, along with Li Lianjie, Gong Li, Zhao Wei, Fan Binbin, Li Binbin, Yao Chen, and Miao Pu.
However, when Liu Yifei and Marion Cotillard appeared side by side at the end of the red carpet, the atmosphere instantly shifted.

The two were dressed in contrasting colors, one in black and one in white. Liu Yifei wore a simple white dress and seemed to radiate a glow.
Marion appeared in a black deep-V long dress, exuding elegance and a cool, aloof charm.

The flashbulbs were going off like crazy, and the host's voice was filled with excitement.

Gong Li

Liu Yifei spotted Gong Li in the crowd and went up to greet her.

"Yifei, congratulations! Is Director Wu still busy in Iceland?" Gong Li replied with a smile.

"Yeah, they're probably moving to another location soon."

Marion smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Gong Li, with whom she was quite familiar in European circles.

Zhao Wei, Fan Binbin, Li Binbin, and the others stood a little distance away, watching the three talk, their hearts filled with mixed feelings.

Because there seemed to be an invisible wall there, forming a barrier that made it difficult for them to approach.
Fan Binbin and Li Binbin exchanged a tacit glance at each other at that moment, but did not speak;

But both of them knew that the other's belief in wanting to break free and seize every opportunity had become stronger than ever before at this moment.

Just days after the Shanghai International Film Festival ended, in Vatnajökull Glacier, as the final "Cut!" sounded, the screen in front of the monitor froze on a vast expanse of white.

Matthew McConaughey and Matt Damon, dressed in spacesuits, staggered to their feet in the snow, their masks fogged up from their panting breaths.

Wu Chen breathed a long sigh of relief.

Filming for all scenes on "Ice Planet" has been completed, which also means the trip to Iceland is over.

The set immediately erupted in excitement.

The main reason is that this place is definitely not a place for humans to live.

Wu Chen stood up, took the megaphone handed to him by his assistant, and bowed deeply to everyone: "Thank you all! You've worked hard! Tonight, it's on me!"

"Haha, as long as I can get out of here, that's all that matters!"

"Indeed, the scenery is beautiful, but it's too uncomfortable to stay here for too long. It's too easy to contemplate life here!"

"."

Everyone laughed.

The news was quickly picked up by Icelandic local media.

The next morning, several newspapers in Reykjavik prominently featured the following headline on their front pages:

"Interstellar completes epic filming in Iceland! Director Wu Chen praises it as 'a landscape belonging to another world!'"

"Wu Chen's 'Interstellar' has finished its arduous filming in Iceland and entered the next stage of production, once again demonstrating his ultimate pursuit of location shooting."

Just as the main crew was resting and transferring equipment as planned before moving to another location, Wu Chen quietly boarded another Gulfstream G550 private jet that was already waiting at Reykjavik Airport in the early hours of the next day.

His destination wasn't the next filming location, but the foggy city on the banks of the Thames.
London.

(End of this chapter)