Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 697 A Bet or Nothing?

Xu Dong's words were like a depth charge, exploding in the smoke-filled conference room.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Zhang Hongsen, who had remained as steady as a rock in the main seat, trembled almost imperceptibly in the hand holding his teacup.

Han Sanping, standing to the side, also felt his eyelids twitching.

When he was communicating with Wu Chen, Wu Chen didn't mention this at all. He was just thinking about how much "The Flowers of War" had asked for, and how much "Interstellar" had asked for.

As a result, he received a large one.

Gao Jun from Jingxin Film Union pushed up his glasses, wondering if he had misheard.

"Ten billion?"

"Mr. Xu, could you say that again? Did I hear you correctly?"

"Our CEO, Mr. Wu, said that the watershed moment for 'Interstellar' was one billion yuan."

Xu Dong repeated himself to everyone's astonished gaze, a professional smile on his face.

The meeting room erupted in chaos.

"Director Wu, you can't be joking with us, can you? One billion! This year, Transformers just made a little over one billion, and Avatar only made 14 billion."

"The total box office revenue of the Chinese film market has only recently exceeded 10 billion yuan! Does 'Interstellar' really think it can take away one-tenth of that?"

"."

On the theater side, everyone's expression was complicated.

The main issue is that this number has exceeded their expectations.

Zhang Weiping sat opposite him, initially feeling smug about having secured the 500 million yuan watershed.

He was completely dumbfounded when he heard Wu Chen's offer.

Damn it, compared to that treacherous Wu Chen, I'm practically a philanthropist!
"Mr. Ye, isn't this a bit too high? Should you talk to Director Wu about the specifics?"

Seeing that no one in the theater chain had expressed their opinion, Ye Ning, as the leader of the private theater chain, could only speak first.

"Can you get in touch with Wu Chen?"

Zhang Hongsen thought for a moment, then asked.

The price made it difficult for those present to make a decision, but he had promised to give a result today, so they couldn't just sit there idly.

"It should work, I'll give it a try."

Xu Dong responded in just one second.

Wang Zhonglei's gaze sharpened slightly.

He felt that Xu Dong had come with a script.

Especially when contacting Wu Chen, he stared at Xu Dong and didn't see the slightest hesitation on the other's face.

"hehe."

Wang Zhonglei sneered inwardly.

However, reaching an agreement on this tiered approach will also benefit them in the future.

However, this kind of leadership task should rightfully be done by Huayi, but now both sides are at Xingchen's mercy, which makes him somewhat uncomfortable.

The call was answered after only four or five rings.

Xu Dong even put the phone on speakerphone and briefly explained the situation to Wu Chen.

"Leaders, executives," Wu Chen greeted with a light laugh, "One billion."

Seeing Wu Chen hesitate, the theater representatives quickly spoke up.

"Director Wu, one billion is too much. Please reconsider. We're not saying that Interstellar won't break one billion, but the risk is very high. If we lose 2% of our box office, it will be difficult for theaters to release it."

"That's right, Director Wu. Think about it, you're in the business of running a cinema chain. You know the costs are definitely not as simple as just putting in a few chairs."

"."

“I know,” Wu Chen said softly, immediately silencing the room. “But ten billion is an idea I’ve been thinking about for a long time.”

"Trust me, everyone. With 1 billion, the cinemas won't lose money. Everyone will make a profit. Of course, it's not easy to convince everyone with just a few words. How about this, we can make a bet."

Of course, if the bet is made and *Interstellar* succeeds, the theaters will offer significantly more than they have now. Perhaps you can wait and see what tomorrow's 'Interstellar Day' brings before making a decision.”

"Director Zhang, what do you think? How about you be a witness for Xingchen?"

“No problem, as long as you can solve it.” Zhang Hongsen nodded.

The problem with "The Flowers of War" has been perfectly solved, so naturally, "Interstellar" cannot be left out.

The additional 130 billion yuan box office target set after this year's National Day holiday hinges on these blockbusters. "We still believe in Director Wu, let's see tomorrow."

"."

For the sake of their own interests, everyone naturally didn't want to gamble recklessly and preferred to wait for a clearer outcome.

With so many bigwigs present, the news of a billion dollars was naturally impossible to keep secret.

As soon as the meeting ended that day, all sorts of rumors spread like wildfire within the industry.

Breaking news! Interstellar is reportedly set to surpass one billion at the box office!

[Today's closed-door meeting marks the most expensive turning point in history! Is "Interstellar" aiming to become the highest-grossing film in Chinese film history?]

[Rumor has it that Wu Chen made a bold statement over the phone, setting a target of 1 billion yuan for "Interstellar"!]

The incident shocked both inside and outside the industry.

"Really? Where did this news come from? A billion?"

"Isn't Wu Chen still in Europe doing promotional work? How come a 1 billion yuan bet has come out here in China?"

"Holy crap! If it's true, Wu Chen is fucking amazing! How much confidence does he have in his own movie?!"

At this moment, Yu Dong had mixed feelings after inquiring about the news of today's meeting.

Although "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" won the favor of theaters, it also permanently lost the 45% share it might have received.

Huayi Brothers.

"Mr. Wang, is Wu Chen sure he wants 1 billion?" Feng Xiaogang opened his mouth wide in disbelief when he heard Wang Zhonglei's words.

"It's true, he seems very confident."

Wang Zhonglei took a deep breath. This was a watershed moment—a billion yuan mark—not just representing a billion yuan in box office revenue. It meant that Wu Chen wanted more.

"Why don't you go check out that event tomorrow?"

Wang Zhonglei looked at Feng Xiaogang, wanting him to go and find out the truth.

Of course, Feng Xiaogang wasn't the only one who learned of the news.

Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and others also heard about it.

Chen Kaige was only slightly taken aback, his gaze seemed to waver a little, but then he continued to lower his head and work on his storyboard.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yimou was listening to Zhang Weiping muttering in his ear the whole time, and his head was about to explode.

After muttering to himself, Zhang Weiping seemed to think that the current approach to "The Flowers of War" wouldn't work, so he started thinking about new promotional plans.

However, when he looked at Zhang Yimou, his eyes seemed inexplicably guilty.

Driven by a mix of true and false news, the upcoming "Interstellar Travel Day" is becoming increasingly popular.

Moreover, because it was free, many people's enthusiasm was pushed to an extremely high level.

August 11, early morning.

The National Science and Technology Museum in Beijing boasts Asia's largest giant screen.

The sky was still barely light, carrying the chill of late autumn.

But the entrance to the science museum was already packed with people.

The dense crowd stretched from the closed gates all the way to the distant square, winding around several corners, with no end in sight.

In the line, there were students wearing thick down jackets, shivering from the cold;

There were media reporters carrying "long guns and short cannons" and looking excited, as well as science fiction fans from all over the surrounding areas with eyes shining with a pilgrimage-like light.

At the very front of the line, several young men, wrapped in military overcoats, huddled on small stools, their breath steaming in the air.

"Hey buddy, what time did you get here?" asked a man dressed similarly next to him.

"Don't even mention it. I came straight here after watching the game last night. I didn't sleep a wink all night."

"Awesome! You really love Wu Chen for those ten minutes!"

"Nonsense! Those are Wu Chen's ten minutes!"

Occasionally, bursts of commotion and discussion erupted from the crowd.

Everyone was excitedly discussing and speculating about what that mysterious ten-minute segment would be like.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The sky gradually brightened.

The science museum's enormous spherical building, bathed in the morning light, resembles an interstellar spaceship about to set sail.

And those thousands of people waiting were its first passengers.
(End of this chapter)