Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 675 The Impatient and Strange Golden Rooster (Trailer for "Interstellar")
After completing the final stages of all copyright transactions in Venice, Wu Chen, Liu Yifei, and the others declined all media interviews and celebratory banquets, and boarded a plane back to China.

The plane pierced through the clouds and flew steadily eastward.

However, compared to Wu Chen and Liu Yifei's low profile, Bona Film Group's Yu Dong and others returned to Beijing a step earlier.

Undoubtedly, the arrival hall of Beijing Capital International Airport was already packed with media reporters who had gotten wind of the situation.

Facing a barrage of cameras and microphones, Yu Dong was clearly in high spirits, beaming with joy.

"At first, we really didn't expect to win an award!" Yu Dong smiled broadly at the camera. "The overseas rights for 'A Simple Life' sold very well this time!"
However, the exact amount sold is, for now, a closely guarded secret! All I can say is that the revenue from overseas copyrights alone has already fully recouped our costs!

Yu Dong was truly relieved this time.

Winning the award not only brings fame, but also increases the price of overseas copyrights, resulting in real profits.

"Mr. Yu, do you know anything about Director Wu's situation? Will he be back today? How are the rights to '30 Days of Warmth' selling?"

Upon seeing this, a reporter immediately turned the question to Wu Chen.

"Director Wu..." Yu Dong pondered for a moment, then smiled meaningfully and said slowly.

"In theory, I shouldn't say anything. But you can think for yourselves about how popular Director Wu is overseas."

The copyright fees for his films will only be higher than ours, not lower.

In his mind, the scene from yesterday—at the copyright trading market—was flashing back, showing Wu Chen surrounded by top film distributors from various countries, like a star being fawned over.

The scenes of deals being concluded so casually are truly enviable.

The media outlets, having obtained the news they wanted, were overjoyed and ready to go back and publish their stories.

Even before Wu Chen and Liu Yifei returned to China, reports of the resounding success of the Chinese film trade at the Venice Film Festival had already spread across the internet.

[The overseas rights to "A Simple Life" sold like hotcakes! Yu Dong joked: The costs have already been recouped just from the rights sales!]

[Returning from Venice! Yu Dong, Ann Hui, Andy Lau, and others arrive in Beijing, basking in the limelight!]

[Yu Dong confirms: Wu Chen's new film's overseas rights price will "only be higher, not lower!"]

Many domestic film companies were extremely envious after seeing these reports.

When Wu Chen returned to the capital, it was already evening.

Xiang Zhuo drove to pick him up from the airport.

Li Xiaowan also made a special trip to pick up Li Qin herself.

"By the way, Brother Chen. The company received a notification from Universal Pictures that the first global trailer for 'Interstellar' will be released simultaneously worldwide tomorrow."

They said they've sent the final encrypted version to your email address.

“I know, they messaged me.” Wu Chen nodded, then added, “By the way, could you get a replica of that Silver Lion trophy made for me and send it to the school?”

I'm not going back to school tomorrow.

Wu Chen nodded and said this specifically.

He had previously provided a proposal online for the first trailer of "Interstellar," and now there are only two months left until its release. For a blockbuster, a promotional period is normal.

A little over a month is not enough to reach a global audience.
The news that the first trailer for "Interstellar" is about to be released has naturally spread among movie fans in China.

Fans who have been following this movie are full of anticipation.

"It's finally coming! A two-and-a-half-minute trailer! This time it looks like they're serious!"

"I've been waiting for almost a year! They said it would be finished filming last year, and now it's been delayed again! It's my number one anticipated film of the year, bar none."

"I wonder if there will be any alien scenes in the trailer? I'm so curious!"

The next morning, Wu Chen had just returned to Starry Pictures and hadn't even settled into his seat when there was a knock on his office door.

"Mr. Wu, Vice Chairman Kang Jianming of the Film Association has arrived and says he wants to see you."

"Huh?" Wu Chen was taken aback upon hearing this.

People from the Film Association? Coming to our door at this time, the meaning is all too obvious.

However, since they've already come, I can't very well say I won't see them. That would be a bit unreasonable.

"it is good!"

Wu Chen nodded helplessly; it was clear that the other party wasn't planning to give him a chance to politely decline if they didn't call.

A short while later, Kang Jianming walked into Wu Chen's office with a big smile on his face.

Today he was wearing a slightly worn Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he wore black-rimmed glasses, looking like an old-fashioned intellectual.

But behind those glasses, in his slightly narrowed eyes, a shrewd glint would occasionally flash.

"Director Wu! Congratulations! Congratulations!" As soon as Kang Jianming entered the room, he warmly extended both hands to shake hands with Wu Chen. "You've really brought glory to Chinese-language films in Venice this time!"

"Chairman Kang, you're too kind."

Wu Chen stood up, shook hands with him symbolically, and then asked him to sit down.

"Director Wu, I'm here on behalf of the Film Association and several senior leaders of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles to discuss something with you."

After Kang Jianming sat down, he got straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen inwardly sighed in dismay.

Good grief, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles has also joined in.

The main problem is that he's not close to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles at all. He can't do anything about what Kang Jianming says, so he has to call the leaders of the Federation to verify the truth of his words. "That old fox!"

Wu Chen sighed inwardly, but said aloud, "Go on."

"Director Wu, as you know, this year's Golden Rooster Awards will be held in Hefei soon." Kang Jianming rubbed his hands together, a troubled look on his face.

"Many of the judges in our film association really liked '1939.' They felt it was a masterpiece with substance, warmth, and sentiment."

Therefore, we all hope that this film can be submitted for this year's Golden Rooster Awards. Time is tight, and the task is urgent, Director Wu.”

Wu Chen knew exactly what Jinji was planning.

"1939" is a film about the War of Resistance against Japan, and politically, it is absolutely correct. It also won the Golden Bear for Best Director and the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Not long ago, I even went to attend the Huabiao Award organized by the State Administration of Radio and Television.

If such a heavyweight film fails to appear on the Golden Rooster Awards nomination list, the one who will be ashamed is not the film itself, but the Golden Rooster Awards.

Especially in recent years, the credibility of the Golden Rooster Awards has been declining sharply due to various "double yolk" and "triple yolk" results.

I'm already being scolded to no end.
If this time it's the same old mess, there's bound to be some people who'll be unhappy.

Before Wu Chen could think of a reply, Kang Jianming continued.

"Director Wu, this time the situation is actually a little different. Several senior leaders of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles have given your film '1939' very high praise."

They felt that in this special year of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, it would be a huge regret from every perspective if such an excellent work reflecting our national spirit were to be absent from our country's highest film award.

Kang Jianming's words were perfectly watertight.

He cleverly brought up the "leaders of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles," and given that it was a special year, he started to elevate the issue to a higher level.

This is where Kang Jianming's cunning lies.

He knew that, given Wu Chen's personality, forcing him wouldn't work.

Then we'll have to resort to a softer approach.

Lower your stance, bring out your superiors, and you won't be able to refuse.

Looking at his "sincere" appearance, Wu Chen pondered for a moment.

He knew that the Film Association had indeed humbled itself this time.

Otherwise, given their past practices, they would never have made Kang Jianming make this trip in person.

Ultimately, they were also afraid of embarrassing the General Administration.

"I see," Wu Chen finally relented. "I'll think about it. As you know, I just got back from abroad and have a lot of things to take care of."

"Director Wu, could you speed things up a bit? This list is almost ready."

Kang Jianming seemed very anxious. Wu Chen was stunned for a moment. He remembered that the list wouldn't be released so soon; there was still quite a bit of time.
However, Wu Chen insisted on waiting two more days;

Seeing this, Kang Jianming seemed to know when to stop. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, he stood up and took his leave.

"Strange"

Wu Chen muttered to himself, feeling that something was off about Kang Jianming's urgency, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Shortly after Kang Jianming left, the first global trailer for Interstellar was officially released to the world through Universal Pictures' official channels.

Accompanied by Hans Zimmer's grand, solemn, and apocalyptic organ music, an epic story about human civilization facing extinction in the future and having to travel across distant interstellar space to find a new home slowly unfolds.

Withered cornfields, sandstorms that blot out the sky, a rusty Earth...

Every shot in the trailer is filled with a suffocating, apocalyptic sense of despair.

When the spaceship named "Endurance" roared into the sky and soared into the boundless universe, the emotional impact of the entire trailer reached its peak.

A wormhole is like a giant, radiant pupil, slowly opening in the universe.

The spaceship passed through Saturn's magnificent rings.

A colossal alien ocean, with towering waves, unleashed surges powerful enough to swallow mountains.

At the end of the trailer, Liu Yifei, who plays the female lead, is wearing a heavy spacesuit and stands on a completely unfamiliar planet covered in ice and snow. She looks at the communicator with a determined gaze, as if she is saying something.

However, the scene abruptly ended at that moment.

The movie title appeared on the black screen.

Interstellar

Universal Pictures’ social media monitoring department compiled the first wave of data and feedback from the global network within just one hour of the trailer’s release.

"Boss, the data is in! On YouTube, it surpassed five million views in just one hour! On Rotten Tomatoes, the 'Want to Watch' rating has skyrocketed to 98%!"

"On Twitter, the hashtag '#InterstellarTrailer' has topped the global trending list!"

David Lyndon listened to the staff's report and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

This blockbuster, costing nearly two hundred million dollars, cannot afford the slightest mistake.
"Look at these comments!"

"Oh my god! This is real science fiction! After Kubrick, finally someone dares to film space like this!"

"I can't even imagine how magnificent the 3D visuals of Interstellar will be, it's amazing!"

"What kind of story does Wu's film tell? After watching the trailer, I'm really looking forward to it."

(End of this chapter)