Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 707 Too Optimistic? Film Schedule

When Forbes' article predicting that Interstellar's opening weekend box office could break box office records was translated and reposted on major North American film forums, it didn't just elicit agreement.

A significant number of senior industry analysts and media outlets in North America have expressed cautious skepticism about this.

A column in Variety pointed out incisively:

"Yes, we acknowledge that the joint endorsement of three masters—Spielberg, Cameron, and Nolan—is an unprecedented 'trump card' in the history of film promotion."

But the initial fervor must ultimately be tempered by cold, hard business logic. We must point out that *Interstellar* has a fatal flaw—its runtime of 169 minutes.

"What does this mean? A standard movie has a running time of about 2 hours, while Interstellar may exceed 3 hours."

During the most valuable prime time for cinemas in the evening (7 pm to 11 pm), a single theater can only screen a maximum of less than 1.5 shows.

Compared to its competitors, this is tantamount to cutting off its own arm. No amount of praise can overcome the limitations of physical time. Forbes' prediction may be overly optimistic.

This dose of cold water cooled down the frenzied North American market somewhat.

As direct competitors during the Thanksgiving season, Disney and Summit Entertainment are experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions.

The atmosphere in the Disney Studios meeting room was somewhat somber.

They've invested huge promotional resources in the family-friendly "The Puppet Movie," clearly aiming to make a big splash during this release window.

But Interstellar was a mountain looming over them.

"Pray that those damn 169 minutes will leave us even a little bit of room to survive."

While Summit Entertainment was also feeling heavy-hearted, they weren't as pessimistic, because the fan base for "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 4" was incredibly large.
Wu Chen and the others were naturally unaware of these things.

When their Gulfstream G650, having overcome a twelve-hour time difference, landed smoothly on the private tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport, the midday California sun was intense and blinding.

But they had no interest in appreciating this enthusiasm.

Everyone needs to adjust to the time difference and get some rest so they can be in top form for the grand North American premiere at Griffith Observatory tomorrow afternoon.

Then, on the 18th, it was released worldwide.

However, due to the time difference, movie fans in China will be able to enjoy this feast earlier than those around the world.

At this point, discussions about Interstellar on the Chinese internet had shifted from initial positive reviews to deeper debates.

Among them, the most popular one is a film critic's bold statement that the film will score no less than 9.0 on Douban.

"Really? A 9.0 rating is no joke! I just checked, and even on Douban now, there aren't many movies with a rating above 9.0."

"The person upstairs is being narrow-minded. Every film that scores 9.0 is a masterpiece that will go down in film history. Since Spielberg and the others have said so, I choose to believe them! I'll believe them for now, and join the discussion after I finish watching it at midnight on the 18th!"

"Personally, I think it might be a bit too high," a rational analyst commented.

"Wu Chen may have done a good job directing Interstellar, but it's really hard for a true hard science fiction film to reach a score of 9.0."

Even Kubrick's *2001: A Space Odyssey* couldn't achieve that. Currently, only *Inception* and *The Matrix* have a score above 9.0, even if they're somewhat sci-fi. It's incredibly difficult.

There's been a lot of discussion online, but regardless of their stance, everyone is filled with the highest expectations for the film.

Of course, the biggest excitement and anticipation comes from the major cinema chains.

With a near-vacuum in the release schedule, coupled with a blockbuster film receiving rave reviews, it means they can finally indulge in a frenzy of screenings without restraint.

When the national pre-screening data for November 18th was compiled by the media, everyone who saw the table was astonished.

"Holy crap! Are you sure this data isn't wrong?"

In the editorial department of an entertainment media outlet, a young reporter stared at the screen and exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right! I checked it three times!" His supervisor was equally shocked. "Wanda, 72%! Jinyi, 68%! Hailian Cinemas, 70%! Dadi, 65%!"
They've gone mad! These people have all gone mad!

[Interstellar's opening day screening schedule is out: mainstream cinemas average no less than 68% of screenings, with some exceeding 72%, and the highest reaching 78%]

Upon hearing the news, the entire industry initially fell silent;
Then came endless envy, jealousy, and resentment. "How can anyone compete like this? Damn it, they're getting 70% of the screenings, not leaving anyone else a drop of soup!"

"Thank goodness, thank goodness I dodged the bullet and didn't choose this release date! Otherwise, I wouldn't even be considered cannon fodder, I would have been vaporized!"

"Isn't the higher-ups going to do anything about this? How are other films supposed to survive? This seriously violates the principle of fair market competition!"

Some unknown producers and directors have already expressed their grief and indignation on Weibo.
Regardless of anything else, scheduling represents absolute profit.

A film with positive word-of-mouth, after receiving such an overwhelming number of screenings on its opening day, will see its box office growth exponentially.

China Film Group.

Han Sanping's secretary also placed this newly released film schedule on his desk.

"Fortunately, these people haven't gone completely mad; they haven't allocated 80% or 90% of the screenings."

Han Sanping looked at the glaring numbers and smiled. "Otherwise, Wu Chen would probably have been reported to the General Administration's office."

"It shouldn't be that bad, right?" the secretary asked, somewhat puzzled. "There aren't any significant films scheduled for this period."

"You don't understand yet." Han Sanping leaned back in his chair, squinting like an all-knowing old fox.

"Sometimes, just because you're not in the same time slot doesn't mean there's no competition."

People are easily swayed by self-interest; this principle remains unchanged everywhere.

However, he is not too worried about these things now.

He snapped out of his reverie and smiled at his secretary.

"Where do you think 'Interstellar' will go on its opening day box office in China?"

The secretary was taken aback by the sudden question, a slightly embarrassed expression appearing on her face, and she cautiously replied:

"Chairman Han, you've stumped me. How would I know?"

"Just say it, be bold. There are no outsiders here."

"Well, I'll just guess." The secretary cleared her throat. "I think it shouldn't be lower than the single-day box office record set by Transformers 3 during the summer. It should be able to break 100 million."

However, Director Wu's film is almost three hours long, so the number of screenings per day is almost half that of other films, which may be a limitation.

As a secretary, he knew that in such situations, he had to say what the leader wanted to hear, but not too outrageous, and also leave some room for criticism.

"One hundred million?" Han Sanping smiled and shook his head upon hearing this. "Still not bold enough, not ambitious enough."

Meanwhile, in the office of New Pictures, Zhang Weiping looked at the film schedule circulating online, feeling both angry and extremely envious.

"70%! That's fucking 70%!"

"If this were given to 'The Flowers of War'! I wouldn't be afraid of losing money at all. Those damn theater chains!"

While news of the Los Angeles premiere was breaking, the clock in mainland China had already quietly ticked into the dead of night.

Griffith Observatory is a star-studded place.

The related reports were naturally reprinted back to China.

[Wu Chenjun Arrives in Hollywood! The North American Premiere of "Interstellar" will be held at Griffith Observatory!]

[A Star-Studded Event! Leonardo DiCaprio, Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson, and other superstars were all present to support Wu Chen's new film!]

[Red Carpet Live: Liu Yifei once again dons a haute couture gown, appearing hand-in-hand with Wu Chen, stunning the audience!]

However, at this moment, domestic movie fans are more concerned about something else.

The clock hands are almost touching the dawn.
Interstellar is about to be officially released in mainland China.
(End of this chapter)