Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 709 North American Box Office: Who Will Be the New King?
April 11th, Saturday morning.

In late autumn in Beijing, there was already a hint of early winter's chill.

The leaves of the sycamore trees have mostly fallen, leaving bare branches that look somewhat desolate under the gray sky.

In the past, the film and television industry was usually quiet at this time.

Everyone is holding their breath, waiting for the Lunar New Year film season in December to reignite the competition.

But this time, things are different.

Everyone, both inside and outside the industry, is focused on a glaring number.

1.35 billion!
The opening day box office results of "Interstellar" were like a red-hot branding iron, searing the hearts of everyone in the industry.

"Isn't that outrageous? This movie is almost three hours long, and I was thinking that if it could break 100 million, that would be a great achievement. But it's going to rise by another 30 million! So today is Saturday, won't the box office be even more outrageous?"

"Ghost, the box office curve for most movies is usually going up in the first few days, especially now that it's the weekend. If it weren't for the time limit, wouldn't it be heading for 200 million in a single day?"

"Outrageous. Absolutely outrageous!"

The heated discussions among industry insiders are still focused on the business aspect.

Meanwhile, the discussions among ordinary viewers have already drifted to far more distant places.

On Douban, Tieba, and Zhihu, discussions about "Interstellar" have quickly escalated from simply whether it's good or not to the level of physics.

"Seeking expert explanation! What exactly is five-dimensional space? Is the hypercube in the movie really possible?"

"The visual effects of the black hole 'Gargantua' are said to have been achieved with Kip Thorne as a consultant, and are currently the most scientifically sound black hole simulation. Are there any physics experts who can explain the intricacies behind it?"

"Time dilation! One hour on Miller's planet is equivalent to seven years, it's chilling! General relativity is terrifying!"

In an instant, countless science enthusiasts and physics lovers lurking in the public joined the fray.

They used various easy-to-understand metaphors to explain the core concepts in the movie, turning this discussion about the film into a nationwide science popularization extravaganza.

The film's popularity was further amplified during this celebration.

In a villa in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

Yuan Xiaoqin's call has already reached Wu Chen.

"Tickets are really hard to buy. They've all sold out these past few days. We should be able to get some in a few days, and then we can give them a few."

Wu Chen smiled upon hearing this and immediately responded.

For neighbors in the village, this little thing is nothing.

"Oh, these are all minor matters. You and Sisi shouldn't forget the big event in December, okay? Xiaoli and I have been discussing it for a long time."

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll be done with this busy period soon."

"Okay, give the phone to Xixi, I'll talk to her for a bit."

Wu Chen handed it over directly.

Shortly after, Liu Yifei hung up the phone with a smile on her face.

She walked behind Wu Chen, gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and rested her chin on his shoulder, like a lazy cat.

The two of them stood quietly, watching the lights of thousands of homes outside the window.

The dazzling lights converged at the foot of the mountain, forming a flowing galaxy.
"What did you say that made you laugh so happily?" Wu Chen asked softly, feeling the warmth behind him.

I won't tell you.

Liu Yifei's laughter was soft, like a bellflower being bumped by a passing breeze, and it inadvertently touched people's hearts.

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen asked softly, "Do you think we invited too few people? Will the event not be big enough?"

"It's okay. It's just an engagement. It's just for family and friends. It's more comfortable than anything else."

"."

The North American opening day box office figures are not yet available.

As the world's largest box office market, this result will ultimately determine how high and how far Interstellar can go.

Box office statistics in North America are much more mature and faster than those in mainland China.

Almost all cinemas upload their box office data to a central data analytics company called Rentrak after the day's screenings. Rentrak then compiles and releases a highly accurate "Friday box office estimate" between 8 and 9 a.m. Pacific Time the following morning.

This estimate will be provided to all film studios and major industry media as soon as possible.

So, when Saturday morning arrived in Los Angeles, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei got up early as well.

On one hand, they were waiting for the results; on the other hand, they had a full day of promotional activities to attend.

Meanwhile, media outlets in China worked an extra night shift for this.

"Come out! Come out!"

In the entertainment editorial department of a portal website, someone shouted.

"How many?!"

In the office, everyone jumped to their feet as if they had been sprung from a spring.

"Fifty, fifty-nine million six hundred thousand US dollars! Holy crap, almost sixty million!"

"Damn! I'm so annoyed! We failed to break the record for the highest opening day gross for Harry Potter!" a young reporter said, somewhat resentfully.

"Dude, are you crazy?" His supervisor patted his head, both amused and exasperated.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the final chapter of a fan film, with a nostalgia factor. It grossed $91 million on its opening day, that insane record, how could it possibly be broken?"

"However," the supervisor changed the subject, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"For fan-driven films like Harry Potter, the box office dropped drastically the next day, plummeting to just over 4200 million."

Based on the current reviews of *Interstellar*, its North American box office will most likely rise on Saturday! If it maintains that momentum on Sunday, breaking the opening weekend box office record is very possible!

This news instantly ignited the North American media circle.

[$5960 million! Interstellar kicks off Thanksgiving frenzy, setting a new record for the highest-grossing opening day for a non-sequel film!]

[Wu Chen's Cosmic Ambitions: How Can a 169-Minute Film Conquer the North American Market?]

[Weekend Box Office Preview: Interstellar Aims for 1.7 Million – Will a New Thanksgiving King Emerge or a New King of Film History?]

Among them, Forbes is the most dedicated.

A few days ago, their bold prediction article was ridiculed by media outlets such as Variety.

Now, this strong opening performance is undoubtedly the most powerful response they have received.

Forbes immediately published a new article with a title that exuded a triumphant and smug vibe.

Hey Variety guys, how's your math going?

The article states: "Our dear, meticulous, and logically perfect friends were just using a calculator a few days ago to help us calculate how many screenings of a 169-minute movie could be arranged in one night."

Now, the figure of $5960 million tells us a simple truth:

When a film is truly great, audiences will adjust their viewing time accordingly, rather than the film forcing itself to conform to the viewing schedule. By the way, we stand by our previous prediction: 1.7 million. We'll see this weekend.

This fiery rebuttal gave the entire Hollywood a sense of glee, as if they were enjoying watching a good show.

Wu Chen naturally received a congratulatory call from Universal Pictures immediately.

After hanging up the phone, a series of congratulatory messages and calls followed.

At this moment, in New York.

Li An, who had just finished post-production on "Life of Pi," was resting in the editing room.

His computer screen displayed a Hollywood Reporter headline about Interstellar.

He stared at the figure of $5960 million, momentarily lost in thought.

He recalled that on the day filming of "Interstellar" began, he went to the set to discuss 3D shooting technology.
Unexpectedly, this movie has achieved such amazing success.

For a moment, he also imagined what the future would hold for his own film, "Life of Pi," which was also shot in native 3D.

As one of the three most anticipated original 3D films in the global film industry today, Interstellar has undoubtedly made a successful start.

The media had already sensed this excellent topic for hype.

An article titled "In the era of 3D technology, after Cameron, which of the three best directors will be the new king?" has begun circulating online.
(End of this chapter)