Entertainment from Divorce

Time, like film reels in a movie theater, slips away quietly amidst the changing light and shadow, leaving a lasting impression on audiences worldwide, carrying the warmth of "Interstellar".

In the days following its release, cinemas around the world seemed to be transformed into palaces bathed in starlight. The fervor showed no signs of abating; instead, it snowballed, creating a cross-border movie-going frenzy.

In New York, the lines at AMC theater ticket windows stretched like a long, winding dragon, from the lobby all the way to the snow-covered street.

The cold wind whipped up snowflakes that stung people's faces, but it couldn't dispel the anticipation in their eyes.

An elderly woman in a mink coat wrapped her scarf tightly around herself, her thermos steaming in her hand; a boy in a hoodie stamped his feet to keep warm, while the trailer for "Interstellar" played on his phone screen.

The couple held hands, the girl burying her frostbitten nose into the boy's scarf, while the two excitedly discussed the concept of five-dimensional space.

The cinema manager had to temporarily add ten staff members to maintain order. The electronic screen kept refreshing the showtime information, and the red words "sold out" were as dense as stars, almost covering the entire screen.

In a century-old cinema in London, the dark red velvet seats were sold out, and even the aisles were packed with people. The audience in the back rows stood on tiptoe, like a flock of swans stretching their necks.

When the scene of Cooper traveling through the wormhole appeared on the screen, the flowing light, like silk soaked in tears, gently wrapped the spaceship. The entire audience erupted in a unified gasp of amazement, a sound that seemed to penetrate the walls of the cinema and reach the streets of London, intertwining with the chimes of Big Ben.

After the movie ended, people lingered, discussing the details of the film under the streetlights outside the cinema.

The situation in China is even more astonishingly hot.

Outside the IMAX theater at the China World Cinema in Beijing, scalpers were inflating ticket prices to three times the original price, yet people were still scrambling to buy them.

Moviegoers in Shanghai spontaneously organized a "space-themed movie-watching group." They wore T-shirts with spaceship patterns and held banners that read "Our journey is to the stars and the sea," taking photos together in front of the cinema.

One cinema even launched an "Interstellar Combo," with popcorn buckets shaped like black holes and Coke cups printed with Cooper's classic lines.

Interstellar has a screening rate of over 60%, yet tickets are still hard to come by, with many people bringing their parents and children to see it two or three times.

In movie theaters, you often hear conversations like this: "Dad, look at this black hole, isn't it just like the one you saw in the astronomy magazine before? Even the halo of the accretion disk is exactly the same!"

"Mom, you said last time that you didn't understand five-dimensional space, so this time I'll explain it to you properly—it's basically turning time into something tangible."

On social media platforms, discussions about "Interstellar" remain highly popular, with new topics trending every day.

From Deng Gaofei's trembling fingertips to the Pu'er tea cake in the spaceship, from the interpretation of the plot to the scientific knowledge behind it, it covers everything, like a cultural feast for the whole nation.

A week later, the International Cultural Center's official website released the latest global box office figures.

When the figure of $2.381 billion was announced, the entire film industry held its breath.

Interstellar continues to hold the top spot at the box office with an absolute advantage, leaving the second place far behind, with a gap of almost twice.

This number was like a bombshell, causing a huge sensation in the global film industry. The news dominated the headlines of major media outlets, with headlines filled with words like "miracle" and "legend."

Just as it was nine o'clock, the start of the workday, Brilliant Entertainment Company was already bustling with activity.

The employees walked briskly, but their faces were filled with undisguised smiles. The chatter in the break room was all about the latest developments of "Interstellar".

Holding a thick report, Engineer Wu strode towards Tan Yue's office, his leather shoes making a crisp sound on the marble floor, like playing a cheerful melody.

The blush on his face hadn't faded yet; he had just come from the data center and his excitement hadn't subsided.

"Mr. Tan, look!" As soon as Engineer Wu entered the room, he handed the report to Tan Yue, his voice trembling with excitement. "The popularity of 'Interstellar' is astonishing! This is a summary of the domestic and international popularity data and related discussions on social media platforms over the past few days. It took three boxes of paper just to print it out!"

Tan Yue took the report and calmly flipped through it.

The report details Interstellar's box office performance, screening schedule, audience reviews, and trending topics, discussions, and likes on social media platforms around the world.

Every set of data speaks volumes about the film's success: it grossed over $800 million in North America, $600 million in Europe, $500 million in Asia, and over $400 million in other regions.

Audience satisfaction reached 98%, a new high in recent years; global social media discussion exceeded 10 billion, and related videos were viewed over 100 billion times.

Judging from the data, the popularity of "Interstellar" shows no signs of declining; on the contrary, it continues to rise, like a flame that burns ever brighter.

"Foreign media are still reporting on Interstellar."

Engineer Wu added from the side, his finger rapidly sliding across the report.

"The New York Times devoted a full page to analyzing its success, saying it 'redefined the heights of science fiction films'; The Times called it 'a film that audiences will remember for a lifetime, with new discoveries every time they watch it'."

He paused, took a sip of water, and continued, "On social media platforms, discussions among overseas netizens are also very lively, with many sharing their viewing experiences."

"Not to mention the situation domestically."

Mr. Wu's tone became even more excited: "The trending topics on major social media platforms are almost entirely dominated by 'Interstellar.' Topics such as 'Deng Gaofei's acting is divine,' 'the scientific knowledge in Interstellar,' 'the details discovered during the second viewing of Interstellar,' and 'the tear ducts touched by Interstellar' have all generated a lot of discussion, with readership often reaching billions."

After reading the report, Tan Yue placed it on the table, his face showing little surprise, as if it were all within his expectations.

He picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. The warm tea flowed down his throat, bringing a comfortable warmth.

"Well, I see."

He said calmly.

"Such popularity is to be expected. After all, we put a lot of effort into this film, from script polishing to special effects production, from casting to post-production editing. We deserve this reward."

"Yes, Mr. Tan, this is all thanks to your and the entire team's hard work," Wu Gong echoed, his eyes filled with admiration. "From project initiation to release, it's been a full three years, and you haven't let up for a single day. We've all seen it." "Keep an eye on the discussions you've asked us to follow up on," Tan Yue instructed, his tone becoming more serious. "Audience feedback is crucial. Whether it's praise or criticism, we must take it seriously. We need to understand their thoughts from these discussions, see what went well and what areas need improvement, and accumulate experience for future works."

“Okay, Mr. Tan, I understand.” Engineer Wu nodded and replied with a confident smile. “Don’t worry, I have experience in this area and will keep a close eye on it and report to you in a timely manner. I have already set up a dedicated team to collect information by region and platform, and will compile it into a daily report for you to review.”

Mr. Wu has been engaged in film market analysis for many years and has witnessed the rise and fall of countless films. He has extensive experience in tracking film popularity and collecting audience feedback.

He knew that the success of a film lies not only in its box office performance, but also in its influence on the audience. These voices from the audience are an important standard for measuring the influence of a film and an important reference for future creations.

In an office within the artist management department of Brilliant Entertainment.

Deng Gaofei was sitting on the sofa, holding a script in his hand, his brows furrowed, and his knuckles were white from gripping the script so tightly.

He is 37 years old this year and has been working in the entertainment industry for more than ten years. He once became famous all over the country with a period drama and was inundated with offers for film and television. However, he was too eager for quick success and took on several poorly made films, which caused his popularity to plummet and he almost had no roles to play.

At the worst point, they couldn't even get minor roles.

The success of "Interstellar" was like a ray of light, illuminating his long-dormant career, increasing his fame, and bringing him a flood of film offers, with more than a dozen scripts being sent to him every day.

The agent sat in the chair opposite Deng Gaofei, looking at his expression, and said cautiously, "Gaofei, the production team for this script is pretty good. Would you like to consider it? The salary they're offering is quite considerable."

Deng Gaofei slammed the script on the table with a loud "thud," shook his head, and said firmly, "I won't take this script; the quality is too poor."

The agent picked up the script, flipped through it, and asked, puzzled, "I think it's alright. The plot is quite lively, a mix of comedy and science fiction, which should attract the audience. Look at this scene, aliens come to Earth to steal milk tea, how creative is that?"

“A lively story doesn’t equal a good script.” Deng Gaofei said seriously, picking up the script and pointing to a section, “Look at this plot, it says at the beginning that aliens are afraid of water, but then they have them fighting in a swimming pool. The logic is chaotic. The characters are also very thin. The main character is just showing off and being funny, without any depth.”

Deng Gaofei continued, "I finally regained everyone's recognition with 'Interstellar,' and now when audiences mention me, they think of Cooper, a character with flesh and blood. I don't want to ruin my career again by taking on such a bad movie."

Deng Gaofei's eyes were filled with determination, as unwavering as a rock.

He knew that this opportunity was hard-won; Tan Yue had given him the chance to stand up again, and he had to cherish it.

During the filming of "Interstellar," he experienced the true charm of cinematic art and understood the importance of a good script and a good role for an actor.

He no longer wants to accept low-quality scripts just to make money, as he did before. He wants to make works that are truly meaningful, can move the audience, and can stand the test of time.

Seeing Deng Gaofei's determined eyes, the agent knew he was serious this time and nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you. Actually, I also think this script isn't that great, but I'm afraid of missing the opportunity."

Deng Gaofei stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside.

The sun was shining brightly, and the sky was a deep blue, like the beautiful starry sky in "Interstellar," clean and vast.

He took a deep breath, and the fresh air filled his lungs, making him feel refreshed.

My heart was filled with anticipation, like holding a seed that was about to sprout.

He knows that his acting career is still long, and he will take each step carefully, repaying the audience's support and Tan Yue's trust with better works.

Tan Yue stood at the window of his office, looking down at the bustling traffic below.

The morning sun shone on him, warm and comforting, like a mother's hand gently stroking his back.

He recalled the details of the filming process of "Interstellar":
Those nights spent working late into the night revising scripts in the conference room, coffee cups piled up like small mountains, and whiteboards covered with dense annotations.

Those days spent discussing the shape of black holes with the special effects team, arguing heatedly over the angle of a lighting effect.

The actors diligently studied their characters. Deng Gaofei, in order to portray Cooper's forbearance well, stayed alone on set for an entire day without saying a word...

All the hard work paid off at this moment, like a farmer looking at a bountiful harvest, his heart filled with a sense of peace and joy.

He knew that the success of Interstellar was just the beginning, and there was still a long way to go.

For Chinese films to reach the world stage, they cannot rely on just one film; they need more excellent works and more talented, ambitious, and responsible filmmakers.

He is willing to be a part of it, to contribute his strength to the development of Chinese cinema, like a star, illuminating the way forward with his own light.

At this moment, Chen Ziyu walked in with a cup of coffee, the aroma of which filled the air with a hint of sweetness.

She laughed and said, "What are you thinking about? You were so engrossed that you didn't even hear me come in."

Tan Yue turned around, took the coffee, and felt a warmth rise in his heart as his fingertips touched the warm cup.

He said with a smile, "I'm thinking about the future of Interstellar, how far it can go, and how much more it can move the audience; I'm also thinking about the future of Chinese films, what kind of works we can still make, and what kind of stage we can still stand on."

"It will get better and better."

Chen Ziyu looked at Tan Yue with eyes full of trust and support, like a clear spring.

"With directors like you, so many outstanding filmmakers, and so many supportive audiences, Chinese films will surely shine even brighter on the world stage, allowing the whole world to see our stories and hear our voices."

Tan Yue nodded, took a sip of coffee, and the rich aroma of the coffee filled his mouth, with a hint of bitterness, but mostly a sweet aftertaste.

His gaze returned to the window, his eyes resolute and full of hope, as if gazing upon a starry sky brimming with infinite possibilities. (End of Chapter)