Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 578 Two Bastards, Setting Off
The news that Ning Hao's new script had been approved for production quickly spread within the industry.

Knowing that this belonged to Starry Sky Pictures and China Film Group, I felt not only envy but also jealousy.

In addition, Ning Hao's choice of actors is such that he always uses the same group of people whenever he wants, which makes actors in the industry lose their enthusiasm.

Han Sanping's message came quickly.

"Galloping Horse?"

He was thinking that the extra share could be split equally between China Film Group and Star Cinema, and that Shanghai Film Group, a new producer of "No Man's Land," was not worth splitting with them. However, Wu Chen and Ning Hao brought in a new producer.

"Hmm," Wu Chen didn't explain further, but Han Sanping would surely understand after thinking about it.

"alright."

Han Sanping didn't say anything more.

After all, Xiaoma Benteng is a company that has a relatively close relationship with Xingchen, and the two have collaborated a lot in the field of TV dramas. It's normal for Wu Chen to do a favor for him.

And just like that, November arrived quickly.

The promotional campaign for "Black Swan" in North America is heating up, and Paramount has sent an email to Wu Chen's inbox, reminding him that he needs to fly to Los Angeles before the film's release to participate in several talk shows and television programs for promotion.

However, at this time, the domestic film market was in an uproar over another matter.

With the official confirmation of the release date for Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One 2", the release schedules of the three most anticipated Chinese blockbusters during this year's Lunar New Year season present an extremely strange situation:
On December 16th, Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly" was released.
On December 18th, Chen Kaige's "The Orphan of Zhao" was released;
On December 22, Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One 2" was released.

Three blockbuster films were almost crammed into a single week.

This suicidal scheduling has made both cinemas and the film bureau uneasy.

The cinema chain took the lead in issuing an urgent statement through the media:
"The Lunar New Year film season is the biggest box office market, but even in the box office market, we should make the most of the potential of every film."

The current rush of releases will inevitably lead to a severe shortage of theaters and excessive distribution of screenings, resulting in huge losses for audiences, films, and the market!

The pressure on the Film Bureau is even greater. The annual box office target of 100 billion yuan was set at the beginning of the year, but by November, only 75 billion yuan had been achieved. The remaining 25 billion yuan is almost entirely tied up in the New Year's holiday season.

The three most promising films are competing against each other, and the goal is likely to be unachieved.

"The bureau has intervened and asked the three of us to schedule our meetings accordingly," Jiang Wen's call came to Wu Chen's phone as scheduled.

"So, 'Let the Bullets Fly' is going to change its release date?" Wu Chen asked curiously.

"Change it? Why should I change it!" Jiang Wen's attitude was firm on the other end of the phone. "I was the first to book this date! I'm not changing it! Let them change it if they want!"

Wu Chen was both amused and exasperated; this was truly Jiang Wen's style.

Meanwhile, in Huayi Brothers' office, Feng Xiaogang was also throwing a tantrum.

He recently expressed his gratitude and then complained about having his Olympic bid snatched away; he accepted all of that.

But who is he?

The highest-grossing domestic film actor! Among the only two directors in China to break 600 million yuan, his domestic box office is even higher than Wu Chen's!
Who is he afraid of?

"No changes! It's set for the 22nd!" Feng Xiaogang slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it, do you think I'm afraid of them if I change it? They're not Wu Chen! Chen Kai and Jiang Wen, which one of them has a higher box office than me?"

Xu Li and Wang Zhonglei exchanged glances, neither of them expecting Feng Xiaogang to react so strongly. It seemed that he had been quite angered by Wu Chen last time.

Huayi could only announce: no changes will be made.

The pressure instantly fell entirely on Chen Kaige, who was caught in the middle.

When Chen Kai received the news, he was a little dizzy.

Damn it, those two bastards, Jiang Wen and Feng Xiaogang, haven't changed a single one! So they think Chen Kai is the only one they can bully?

Producer Chen Hong saw things more clearly than he did.

She knew this was a battle of wits between three big directors, but she couldn't let hundreds of millions of dollars in investment be used to vent her anger.

With the IP of the first film as its foundation, "If You Are the One 2" faces fierce competition from "Let the Bullets Fly," and Wu Chen's Starry Night Pictures is also said to have a significant share. With his own "Sacrifice" sandwiched in between, only two days apart, it seems like the party at the biggest disadvantage.

She walked over to Chen Kai, who was sulking, and gently advised him:
"Old Chen, we can't just let this get to us."

You know Jiang Wen's temper. Feng Xiaogang is probably holding back his anger right now. He was probably driven crazy by Director Wu a while ago.

We squeezed in with them; that would be a brawl among brutes, not the kind of vision a fifth-generation director should have.

We moved the release date forward to early December, both to warm up the market and to set a benchmark for the Lunar New Year film season. This isn't called backing down; it's called 'seizing the initiative.' If we succeed, we'll lead the entire Lunar New Year film season. Even if we don't, they'll remember this; they owe us a favor."

Online, some netizens who understand the situation are also offering advice.

"The Lunar New Year film season is so long, why do we have to compete in just one week? If all the films come out at once, there won't be any big movies left, and the box office will plummet."

"Three movies a week is too crowded! It's a 'sandwich schedule,' and the one sandwiched in the middle is definitely at a disadvantage."

"Two comedic Ge Yous sandwiched between a tragic Ge You! After watching 'Let the Bullets Fly' and 'If You Are the One 2' and laughing out loud, who would be in the mood for a tragedy?"

"Who do you think changed the file?"

In the computer lab of Starry Sky Visual Effects, Guo Fan and Lu Yang were discussing the post-production footage of "Ex Machina" while watching it.

Wu Chen walked over at this moment, and seeing the two of them whispering to each other, asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"

"Brother!"

Guo Fan and Lu Yang immediately stood up. "Perfect timing! Which of these three films do you think will be rescheduled for the Lunar New Year season?"

The industry is very curious about this.

Which of these three renowned directors will back down first?

The bureau was also urging them to quickly find a new partner.

Wu Chen glanced at the screen, which was displaying a special effects shot from "Ex Machina":
The mechanical girl has delicate skin on one side of her face and a translucent mechanical skeleton on the other, with countless blue data streams flowing slowly within it. Her eyes are filled with human curiosity and confusion.

Not bad.

He withdrew his gaze and analyzed:
"If you ask me, it would be most reasonable for Director Chen's 'The Orphan of Zhao' to be released earlier."

Its subject matter is tragic, requiring viewers to have a calm and composed mindset.

If a film is sandwiched between two comedies, the audience's newly formed comedic impression will severely hinder their ability to connect with the tragedy. Releasing it earlier can actually avoid this problem.

“So there’s such a thing.”

Guo Fan nodded repeatedly, secretly making a mental note of it.

Then the release date of his film "Ex Machina" will need to be carefully considered.

Sure enough, just two days later, the production company of "The Orphan of Zhao" officially announced that the release date would be moved up to December 4.

The official reasons given were also quite plausible:

"In response to the fervent anticipation of movie fans and to kick off the 2010 Lunar New Year film season early, thus igniting a movie-going frenzy."

The storm has subsided, and the schedule is now much more reasonable.

Wu Chen was also preparing to head to Los Angeles at this time.

Paramount has already booked him for several top North American television programs, including The Tonight Show and The Daily Show.

"By the way, I won't be able to attend the premiere of Jiang Wen's 'Let the Bullets Fly'."

This guy's been wanting me to go, and he even wanted me to predict the box office numbers for him. You go in my place, give me the prediction, and I'll send it to you on the day of the event.

Wu Chen smiled as he spoke in the airport parking lot.

A few days ago, he went to see the finished film of Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly". The latter was already bursting with confidence and determined to dominate the entire New Year's film season, aiming to become the highest-grossing domestic film. He even clamored for him to comment on the box office.

He originally planned to postpone it to the premiere, but it obviously clashed with the release of "Black Swan".

Although one film was released in China and the other in North America, they were released on the 16th and 17th respectively, so they missed each other in terms of release date.

He has to promote the movie he made.
"Uh-huh."

Liu Yifei smiled and stood up slightly, leaving a lipstick mark on Wu Chen's right cheek, waving her hand, "Come back soon!"

"rest assured."

Wu Chen nodded and smiled.

It feels so good to have someone waiting for you to come home.
(End of this chapter)