It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 169 Box Office Success: A Legend Has Been Created! (Two Chapters Combined, Please Vote!)
"Los Angeles, California: The light of hope for I Am Legend has been successfully lit."

"Florida—Miami, a beacon of hope has been lit."

"Illinois—Chicago is lit up..."

...

Since the premiere of "I Am Legend," collecting "doomsday survival kits" and lighting up the city with "lights of hope" has become a craze among Americans.

Lü Rui cleverly used some psychological knowledge and deliberately emphasized "statistical progress of lighting up by state" in the event rules, successfully arousing the competitive spirit among the states.

When California was the first to light up the Light of Hope symbol, New York netizens immediately shouted online, "The Empire State Building will definitely light up tonight!"
Seeing that neighboring states were ahead of the curve, Texans spontaneously organized a "citywide treasure hunt" to ensure that Austin's landmarks caught up with the progress.

This healthy competitive atmosphere quickly took hold.

More and more people are joining in for the sake of their city's "honor".

Some people took time off work and drove hundreds of kilometers to follow clues, while others formed "interstate support groups" online to share their decryption strategies...

Even rednecks who don't usually pay much attention to movies starring Black people can't help but start asking, "How many survival kits does our state need?"

The popularity of "I Am Legend" skyrocketed, and you could hear people chatting about "treasure hunting" and "lighting up" everywhere.

The theater chains astutely recognized this trend and decisively decided to increase the number of theaters where "I Am Legend" would be released from the original 3606 to 3800.

Clearly, they've already sensed a box office explosion!
"Lv, the premiere you designed was absolutely amazing."

On December 1st, on the eve of the movie's release, Dennis approached Lü Rui with a report, his words filled with amazement!

It is no exaggeration to say that the publicity effect of these three days alone far exceeds the cumulative popularity of the previous month.

According to the evaluation team's predictions, "I Am Legend" is likely to achieve an astonishing box office record in its opening weekend!

"As long as it works."

Lu Rui wasn't too excited; after reading the report, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

"Don't let your guard down on the last day," he specifically instructed.

"Don't worry, I understand." Dennis didn't linger, and after a few more words, he hurriedly left.

CNN's broadcast is still ongoing, and there are only five states where the "beacon of hope" has not yet been lit.

Before midnight, even if it involves tampering with them, make sure they are all lit up to reinforce the moment when "the whole of America is witnessing a miracle," thereby triggering secondary dissemination across the internet.

This will greatly boost the box office performance after the official release.

After seeing Dennis off, Lü Rui temporarily turned his attention back to China.

The December Lunar New Year film season has officially begun!

Chen Kexin, along with Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhou Xun, and Zhang Xueyou, made a grand debut with "Perhaps Love".

In 14 days, this movie will clash with Chen Kaige's "The Promise", and another fierce battle is inevitable!
However, at this moment, most people, both inside and outside the industry, were focused on the two directors' wives.

Chen Kexin's wife, Wu Junru, perhaps in support of her husband's new film, publicly criticized it on a radio program, saying that "The Promise" was terrible:

"The movie cast is too weak, it's not good at all, especially the still of Cecilia Cheung covering her chest with her hands. I suspect it's computer-generated. Her breasts aren't that big at all, the big breasts in the photo are definitely fake..."

Hong Kong media, always eager for drama, have been quick to voice their opinions:

Sandra Ng fiercely criticizes the terrible film "The Promise," sparking a public feud over release date clash? Mainland directors seem oblivious to their own folly…

Zhang Baizhi stuffs balloons into her chest, inflating them bigger and bigger.

Sandra Ng supports her boyfriend's new film, subtly criticizing "The Promise" for its lack of surprises: weak cast and unappealing plot; this epic masterpiece is suspected to be a piece of garbage, laughable indeed.

Given Old Chen's high standards, he would never argue with a woman.

But he must be furious!
After all, the movie hasn't even been officially released yet, and it's already being ridiculed as bad by industry insiders, which will definitely affect its subsequent performance.

He couldn't even keep his composure during a simple interview with Liu Yan before, let alone in the current situation.

Unwilling to sit idly by and wait for his death, he immediately sent his wife, Chen Hong.

"I really don't understand why Hong Kong artists, whether they want to make money or develop their careers in the mainland, would speak so irresponsibly and put others down to promote themselves. It's ridiculous!"
She, Sandra Ng, hasn't even seen "The Promise," so what right does she have to criticize? And she even uses her breasts as an insult! I think now that she has a child, she should be more open-minded; otherwise, it's not good for the child either.

Anyone who hasn't seen the film has no right to make any comments, let alone slanderous remarks!
We can only express our regret towards such people, and we believe that everyone will make their own judgment after the release of "The Promise"...

Director Chen's wife is known for her "refined" mannerisms, unlike Sandra Ng who is known for her vulgarity.

The difference in strength and weakness is immediately apparent.

Wu Junru was naturally unconvinced and frequently voiced her opinions through the media.

Chen Hong also refused to back down, targeting the other party's movies and hiring an online army to quickly launch a counterattack.

Just as the two sides were exchanging blows, to Lü Rui's surprise, Liu Xiaoli also took the opportunity to make a move.

However, her goal was not the movie itself, but Zhou Xun, the female lead in "Perhaps Love"!
Her daughter had suffered some losses at Zhou Xun's hands before, and she hadn't gotten over it.

Now that someone has initiated a team fight ahead, it's the perfect time to counterattack. If we don't join in now, when will we?

However, before taking action, she made a special call to Lü Rui, her tone implying that she couldn't miss this opportunity:

"Director Lü, you've seen the online frenzy, haven't you? Chen Kexin's family has even turned the flames of war onto 'The Promise,' and the two sides are fighting fiercely!"
"As for Zhou Xun... you know what happened before. Qianqian was wronged but never had a chance to fight back. Now the situation is just right. I'm thinking of having the team step in and help her out. What do you think?"

Without much thought, Lü Rui nodded in agreement: "Sure, it was the other party who started it first. Luckily, Rui Vision's PR team is available. Have them cooperate with you, just make sure the pace isn't too chaotic."

Liu Xiaoli visibly breathed a sigh of relief, her voice even brighter: "Thank you so much, Director Lü. Don't worry, I won't make a big fuss. I just want her to know that not just anyone can be touched."

Lu Rui smiled and said, "Zhou Xun will most likely think that it was done by 'Wuji' and won't think about you. Don't worry about it."

"Okay! It's settled then!"

Liu Xiaoli hung up the phone with a smile, a calculating glint in her eyes.

Lu Rui put down his phone, gazing at the Los Angeles night view outside the window, his thoughts churning.

In fact, he always felt that Liu Xiaoli's "vision" was a bit narrow.

Judging from her previous revenge plan against Li An, it's clear that she only intended to teach him a lesson and then let it go.

Isn't this a joke?

This little bit of retaliation is insignificant and won't do any good. Others will still be living carefree lives.

Even when dealing with Zhou Xun, her counterattack plan was merely to expose some of his dirty secrets.

It is conceivable that the effect would be negligible.

In Lü Rui's view, if he wanted to get revenge, he had to do something big! He had to unleash his ultimate move!
For example, his goal in dealing with Li An was to sabotage "Lust, Caution" and steal the rights to "Life of Pi," gradually making it impossible for Li An to continue working in the industry.

As for Zhou Xun, wasn't she the first actress in China to win all three major film awards (Golden Horse, Hong Kong Film Awards, and Golden Rooster Awards) in her later life?
Then let's cut off her path altogether!

What's the point of exposing someone's dirty secrets?
Her background was never glamorous to begin with; at most, it reinforced the public's preconceived image of her, and she can easily clear her name after a while.

In comparison, ending her acting career would be truly satisfying!
Of course, it's understandable for a mother to want revenge for her daughter, and it wouldn't hurt to lend a hand.

In an instant, online trolls swarmed out, and all sorts of negative information about Zhou Xun surfaced one after another.

From dredging up old relationship rumors and exaggerating them, to deliberately amplifying rumors of her "diva-like" behavior during filming, even a casual remark she made in an interview was extracted and misinterpreted...

These are all common tactics used by online trolls, purely for the purpose of disgusting people.

What happened next was not unexpected for Lü Rui.

When Zhou Xun saw these negative reports, his first reaction was that it was something the film "The Promise" was up to.

After all, "Perhaps Love" was released at the same time as Chen Kaige's movie, and Chen Hong and Sandra Ng were engaged in a public relations battle...

Given the status of Chen Kaige and his wife in the industry, she dared not easily provoke them, so she had to pretend to be submissive and keep quiet, silently instructing her team to handle the situation discreetly, for fear of escalating the conflict.

"Sister Xun, Director Chen Kexin said she will help you get the Best Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards next year, so you can prepare in advance."

"okay, I get it."

Zhou Xun, who was already in a sorry state due to the negative rumors circulating online, wasn't too excited even after receiving this good news.

Whether they can win an award is still unknown, and the success or failure of the operation depends on how things go.

But the fact that she is currently embroiled in scandals is undeniable, and she has to face them personally.

"Damn it, so what if I've had a few relationships? How does that make me a 'stamp collector'?"

Upon seeing the latest smear article, Zhou Xun's face immediately darkened.

The key issue is that the press release was well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and she didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

She started dating Lei Ming when she was 17, and then went on to date Dou Peng, Jia Hongsheng, Pu Shu, Li Yapeng, Li Daqi...

This romantic history is indeed a bit too dramatic.

She was truly overwhelmed by the smear campaign launched by online trolls...

Liu Xiaoli was satisfied with her goal achieved.

Actually, she didn't have any other thoughts; she just wanted to annoy Zhou Xun and let her experience what it's like to be slandered.

Now that I have successfully retaliated, I feel a sense of peace and satisfaction.

"Sisi, how was it? Wasn't Mommy amazing? I got revenge for you."

Liu Xiaoli rushed to find Liu Yifei, who had just finished work and returned to the hotel, her face beaming with pride.

Liu Yifei had just removed her makeup, her clean face showing a hint of fatigue. Hearing this, she smiled faintly and said softly, "Amazing, Mom is the best~"

In fact, she doesn't care much about the power struggles in the entertainment industry, and even has a detached and indifferent nature.

It is precisely because of this that she was able to portray the ethereal beauty of characters like Xiaolongnu and Wang Yuyan so convincingly that fans called her "Fairy Sister".

However, seeing the joy in her mother's eyes, she also became happy and leaned against Liu Xiaoli, saying in a coquettish tone, "Mom, I want to sleep with you tonight."

Liu Xiaoli was amused by her childish behavior and patted her hand helplessly: "How big of a girl are you? Still clinging to your mother."

Although she said that, she moved her body to the side to make room, "Okay, come on over."

The filming schedule has been intense these past few days. Liu Yifei's breathing became even and long shortly after her head hit the pillow, clearly indicating that she was exhausted.

When she was asleep, her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, and her long eyelashes, like two small fans, quietly covered her eyelids.

Her nose was small and upturned, and there was a faint smile on her lips, as if she was dreaming of something happy. She had shed her cool demeanor in front of the camera and revealed a childlike innocence.

Liu Xiaoli lay on her side, looking at her daughter's sleeping face in the dim light of the bedside lamp, and thought she was adorable no matter how she looked at her.

Although she was over eighteen and a graceful young woman, in her eyes, she was still like a child who hadn't grown up.

She instinctively reached out to brush the stray hairs from her daughter's forehead.

But just as her fingertips were about to touch the strands of hair, a scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

After the Golden Horse Awards ceremony that day, in the hotel, when Lü Rui touched his daughter's head, the movement was natural and practiced, as if he had done it a thousand times...

Thinking of this, her hand paused in mid-air, then gently landed on the quilt.

"That must be... just a brother's affection for his sister, right?" she thought to herself.

After all, Lü Rui didn't seem like the kind of person with impure intentions.

Besides, if he weren't a pervert, who would have such wicked thoughts about a little girl? With that thought, the inexplicable knot in her heart gradually dissipated.

She tucked the blanket in and looked at her daughter's peaceful sleeping face, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

……

……

As night falls in Los Angeles, the city lights gradually illuminate the city, echoing the distant "Beacon of Hope" landmark.

As midnight approached, the CNN live broadcast showed the host gripping the microphone tightly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:
“各位观众，倒计时开始——5！4！3！2！1！”

As the last number fell, a truly stunning image instantly appeared on the screen:

Landmark buildings in all 50 states across the US simultaneously lit up with the "green plant" logo from "I Am Legend"!
The green light atop the Empire State Building pierced the night sky, the Hollywood sign was outlined in fluorescent light, and the projection of the Washington Monument stood out vividly in the darkness…

A patchwork map of the entire United States then appears, with 1000 flashing dots marking the final location of the "Doomsday Survival Kit".

The host excitedly pumped his fist and announced, "I announce! All 1000 survival kits have been found! The light of hope for 'I Am Legend' has been lit in all 50 states across the US! The movie 'I Am Legend' is now officially showing!"

In an instant, major social media platforms and websites were flooded with celebratory sounds:
"From New York to Los Angeles, we did it! These three days have been like a celebration. Now, looking at the lights across America, I suddenly feel like crying. It's amazing how a group of people working together towards the same goal can be so wonderful!"

"As the person who found the 998th survival kit, I can brag about this for a year! Just now, when I saw the lights come on at the top of the Chicago Tower, everyone around me cheered. It was such an amazing feeling to create history together!"

"I initially just thought the game was fun, until I saw the Aurora Borealis and the Beacon of Hope in the same frame in Alaska... Turns out we really did something amazing together, to celebrate 'I Am Legend'!!!"

“Three days ago I was complaining that the clues were too hard to find, but now, looking at the map of the whole of the United States, I suddenly understand the meaning of this event. This is not a treasure hunt, but a way to make us believe that ‘we can light the light of hope together.’ Because of this event, I must watch this movie!”

"Located in Miami Beach, I was decoding with strangers until the early hours of the morning. Now, looking at the green light of the lighthouse, I suddenly feel that this movie is no longer just a movie, but a story we all participated in!"

Of course, there were also some discordant voices among them:
"Black people have successfully saved the world! They have brought a ray of hope!"

"Blackie! Go back to picking cotton!"

On the streets and alleys, many young people cheered and jumped for joy, and car horns honked one after another, like a spontaneous celebration party.

If it weren't for the safety concerns at night in North America, the midnight moviegoers flocking to theaters right now would probably burst the entrances of 3800 theaters!

But everyone knew that once dawn broke, the viewing frenzy for "I Am Legend," ignited by the "beacon of hope," would sweep across the entire United States!

That night, Lü Rui watched the entire CNN broadcast.

After confirming that the "beacon of hope" had been perfectly lit, my nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed, and I fell into a deep sleep.

The following morning at 9 a.m., in an ordinary movie theater in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Lu Rui and Dennis walked into the screening room with their newly purchased tickets, contributing their share to the box office of "I Am Legend".

The two chose seats in the last row, their eyes subtly scanning the entire room.

Although it's Friday, not a traditional peak movie-going day, almost all of the hundreds of seats in the theater were full.

Upon closer inspection, the number of white viewers was slightly smaller, with the majority being ethnic minorities, and among them, the majority being Black viewers.

They chatted in hushed tones in small groups, clearly there for Denzel Washington.

This moment perfectly demonstrated the box office appeal of this Black actor.

Dennis leaned closer to Lv and whispered, "Lv, look, movies starring Black actors are taking up more and more of the market these days."

They have a high birth rate, a rapidly growing population, and enjoy good welfare benefits and substantial community assistance. Many of their movie tickets are provided by the community, making them particularly eager to watch movies.

Lu Rui didn't reply, but just sat quietly, secretly thinking to himself, "This is nothing."

Only when the future "Obama" comes to power will the winds of change in the whole society truly shift.

At that time, the slaves will rise up, defeat the plantation owners, and become their own masters!

The screen lights up, and the movie officially begins.

The entire room fell silent instantly, everyone's attention drawn to the plot.

During the nearly two-hour screening, Lü Rui noticed that no one left the theater early.

This is undoubtedly an excellent sign!

If a movie can keep the audience glued to their screens for the first thirty minutes, they'll likely watch it to the end and find something of value in it.

Judging from the current occupancy rate, the box office performance in the future will definitely not be bad.

Meanwhile, not far in front of the two, Hollywood Daily film critic Caterpillar's eyes were glued to the screen, clearly completely absorbed by the plot.

As a renowned film critic working on the front lines, watching new films every weekend is an indispensable part of his job.

"I Am Legend" was naturally on his watchlist as well.

Unlike ordinary film critics, Carter, who has been in the industry for six years, pays special attention to cultural, social, political, and historical issues beyond film, and can always read deeper meanings from them.

"boom--!"

Suddenly, flames erupted on the screen. Denzel Washington, playing Neville, solemnly handed the antidote to the white woman and child, then resolutely turned and perished with the Night Demon leader, continuing the legend with his life.

In the end, the woman and child, carrying the antidote obtained in exchange from the Black man, slowly made their way into the survivors' base camp...

"Excellent, very good." Carter nodded repeatedly upon seeing this, and exclaimed in a low voice, "This film is truly fantastic!"

The final scene, in particular, instantly elevates the film's message.

Even though white people still dominate the survivor strongholds, they cannot do without the sacrifices and help of Black people and other minorities...

He immediately decided to highlight this movie in his column.

Although the Black male protagonist died, he single-handedly saved the world.

He is a legend!
As soon as the film ended, a lively discussion broke out in the audience.

Some discussed the danger of the Night Demon, others marveled at the bond between Neville and his dog, but Caterpillar remained unmoved, closing his eyes and replaying the plot in his mind:

From Neville's solitude in guarding New York alone after the outbreak of the virus, to his obsessive research into a cure day after day.

From the perilous struggle against the Night Demon, to the unexpected discovery of hope among other survivors, and finally, the choice to sacrifice oneself to protect the antidote...

Every scene flashed clearly through his mind.

He gradually sorted out his thoughts:

While the film appears to be about post-apocalyptic survival, its core message is a profound questioning of society.

When disaster strikes, barriers of race and class break down, and survival becomes the only goal.

Even so, the barriers and prejudices between people are still faintly visible.

It wasn't until Neville sacrificed his life to secure a possible reconciliation that people were jolted awake: perhaps it wasn't the virus that destroyed the world, but rather that our society and country had already been compromised!

Therefore, there must be a true "legend" to step forward and redeem them. The rights of ethnic minorities must not be taken seriously until conflicts erupt, otherwise the metaphor of the apocalypse will eventually become a reality.

At first glance, this movie appears to be a big-budget action film full of excitement, but it is actually a masterpiece that reflects social realities.

Beneath its commercial exterior, it delves deeply into the complex aspects of humanity, race, and society.

Thinking of this, Carter opened his eyes, got up, and prepared to go back to write his manuscript.

But then, a quarrel suddenly broke out beside me.

A white spectator was swearing at his companion: "Black people saving the world? What a joke! What can they do besides pick cotton?"

A minority person nearby immediately retorted: "The white mother and son were also very smart, but in the end, it was Neville's sacrifice that made them possible! I think black and white should coexist and work together to move forward."

"Black people are too stupid, all they know is how to use force..."

The two argued more and more fiercely, their faces turning red.

Carter looked at their starkly contrasting identities and couldn't help but sigh.

The road to equality is indeed still very long!
But at this moment, he became even more determined to recommend the film in his column so that more people could see its deeper meaning.

Black and white should never be a relationship of enslavement and being enslaved, but rather partners walking side by side!

That afternoon, several film critics, including Caterpillar, published their reviews of "I Am Legend" in various columns.

Unlike ordinary viewers who simply enjoy watching the film, they interpret many profound social issues from it.

For example, in The Hollywood Reporter's column, Carter wrote: "When Neville, a black scientist, gave his life to bring a cure to a white mother and child, the firelight on the screen not only illuminated the apocalyptic ruins, but also revealed the ills of real society."

The film uses the 'Night Demon' as a metaphor for neglected social contradictions, and the coexistence of survivors suggests the possibility of racial reconciliation.

It tells us that the real disaster is never the virus, but prejudice and division; the real legend is never a lone hero, but the courage to break down barriers; in the current social context, such a narrative serves as a sobering wake-up call!

When Lü Rui saw this comment, a bunch of question marks instantly popped into his head.

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ? ? ?
"Wait, is this still the script I wrote? What the hell are you guys analyzing?"

At that moment, he finally understood the power of "reading comprehension" in Chinese language teaching.

The group of left-leaning white film critics lauded the film, praising it for "facing social ills head-on."

Those on the right, however, launched various attacks, arguing that the excessive emphasis on racial issues was a deliberate attempt to appease...

Fortunately, most viewers had a simple viewing mindset, and the reviews did not become severely polarized.

However, the film critics' analyses made Lü Rui quite uneasy.

He secretly rejoiced that this was Hollywood; if it were in China, his uncle would probably have come to his door that very night to have a heart-to-heart talk with him!
Just as he was hesitating whether to come out and "explain" a few words, the IMDb rating and the box office results for the first three days of the opening weekend were released one after another:
7.6 points!
1.2 billion US dollars!
At the start of the new week, Peter stormed into the office with the reports in hand, his voice trembling with excitement: "LV! This...is this the movie we produced? $1.2 million in its opening weekend?"

Upon hearing this result, Lu Rui, who was sitting behind his desk, unconsciously clenched his fist. An overwhelming joy surged through his body, almost causing him to cheer on the spot!
This achievement is enough to prove that the success of "I Am Legend" is a foregone conclusion; the only difference is how high it will ultimately reach.

“At this rate, the North American box office will definitely not be less than $3 million!” Peter shouted excitedly.

Although Ruixing Film Studio has had many successes before, the taste of victory in big-budget films is far sweeter and more addictive than that of low-budget productions.

This also means that Ruixing can now officially enter the realm of big-budget productions and strive for top-tier blockbusters, rather than being confined to the small-budget circle of independent productions.

This is the industry practice: initial success often leads to more success!

“Peter!” Lu Rui suddenly spoke, reminding him in a serious tone, “Remember, our production cost is $1.5 million, and we haven’t recouped our costs yet.”

If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way, otherwise how will you convince investors to invest more next time?
Peter instantly realized what he meant and nodded hurriedly, "Right, right, I almost forgot! We need to reach $4.5 million in global box office revenue to break even!"

Lü Rui nodded in satisfaction.

Peter is such a sensible guy!
“Oh, right,” Peter suddenly remembered something else, and changed the subject, “Warner Bros. called this morning to ask how much production budget ‘300’ would require?”

In an instant, many memories flashed through Lü Rui's mind.

In its previous life, this film had a budget of $6500 million and ultimately grossed nearly $5 million worldwide.

So in this life...

A slight smirk played on his lips as he immediately made an outrageous demand: "Tell them it has to be $1.5 million! This kind of epic blockbuster has to be a big production; our goal is to gross over $5 million worldwide!"

Such a great opportunity to make money, if you don't seize it now, when will you?

At the same time, he had another goal.

In short: to break the curse that Wu Yu proclaimed, that Chinese directors are bound to fail when making epic blockbusters!
The box office failure of "Windtalkers" is because he made a bad film, it has nothing to do with "Chinese people".
(End of this chapter)