China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 879 She's a wife, but not stupid!

When Warner Bros.' new CEO Kevin Tsujihara presented the contract to the reporters and officially announced that Sun Yi would take over the company's top IP, "Superman," the press conference seemed to freeze.

The flashes that were just going off wildly have now mostly gone out.

A group of blond-haired, blue-eyed American journalists looked at each other in bewilderment.

Are you kidding me?
What was supposed to be a celebratory press conference by Warner Bros. for their newly invested film taking the top spot at the box office this week turned out to be a major surprise.

Logically speaking, journalists should be happy; their profession is to be afraid that the juicy gossip isn't big enough.

But the problem is, this news is a bit too scary.

It's like, one day, Huayi Brothers suddenly announces that they're going to remake the "Journey to the West" movie, and then they choose an American as the director.

It's hard for people to accept.

This situation remained unchanged for several seconds, then the reporters on the scene suddenly became agitated.

A barrage of questions in English shot towards the podium like bullets.

Moreover, it was clear that some of the reporters at the scene had begun to become emotional.

Upon seeing the scene, Alan Horn's smile froze, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

He anticipated that handing over a national IP like "Superman" to a director from China like Sun Yi would be helpful.

The audience consists of relatively conservative film fans and fans of the original comic book from China.

But to everyone's surprise, the reporters who stepped down from the stage reacted so strongly when the announcement was made at a press conference.

The confidence I had before has now turned into a deep sense of sorrow.

Kevin Tsujihara, sitting in the main seat, remained calm and smiled as he faced the frenzied reporters below.

Clearly, this situation was within his expectations.

After he reported to the board of directors and they approved Sun Yi as the director, he had already considered various possibilities.

Of course, Sun Yi was more composed than Kevin Tsujihara.

He had anticipated both the reporters' reactions at that moment and the insults from some American movie and comic book fans after the news spread.

Just like before Liu Yifei filmed "Chinese Paladin" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes," there was a lot of criticism from online viewers and book fans.

They said all sorts of nasty things.

But once the work was completed, everyone remained silent.

Therefore, if you don't have the skills, don't take on the job.

Of course, there's another point: his English level is only so-so. When there are many people around, when emotions run high, or when the speech is faster, he can't understand them.

Since you can't understand it, just pretend it's nonsense.

Liu Yifei, who was standing right next to him, was starting to lose her temper.

His lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes were wide open, perfectly embodying the idiom "glaring angrily."

You know, this lady is a language prodigy. She heard everything the people in the audience said, so how could she remain indifferent?

It's not that she hasn't cultivated good manners; on the contrary, she has frequently attended important occasions in recent years, so she certainly has that level of refinement.

However, since it concerned Sun Yi, he couldn't contain his anger at all.

Fortunately, Sun Yi noticed her and quickly took the girl's hand, shaking his head slightly.

This calmed her down a little.

After the reporters finished their frantic venting, Kevin Tsujihara calmly gestured with his hand and said, "Dear media friends, please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Today's press conference is for friendly exchanges with you all."

Before he could finish speaking, a reporter with a full beard and wearing a Hollywood Reporter badge stood up, his microphone stand trembling slightly from his hurried movements. "Mr. Tsujihara, is it too risky for Warner Bros. to let a Chinese director take the helm of DC's most classic IP?"

After finishing his speech, the bearded man glanced at Sun Yi, making no attempt to hide his veiled criticism of him.

Sun Yi remained calm and composed, but Liu Yifei remembered the bearded man vividly.

I'll draw a little figure and stab you to death when I get back!
"Thank you for the question. First of all, I would like to reiterate that the appointment of Director Sun Yi was approved by the Warner Bros. board of directors and was made through an invitation."

"I think everyone is familiar with director Sun Yi, so there's no need for me to list his achievements since he entered Hollywood. Whether it's science fiction or feature films, he can perfectly grasp the pacing of a movie's plot. I believe that choosing him was the right thing to do."

"As for the so-called risks, film investment has always been accompanied by risks. Our choice of director Sun Yi was obviously based on a comprehensive risk assessment, and we concluded that he was the most suitable candidate."

"Mr. Tsujihara, has Warner Bros. considered cultural differences? As a symbol of the American spirit, would having a Chinese director direct Superman diminish its core values?"

“We cannot deny the existence of cultural differences, but as I just said, Director Sun Yi’s past achievements have proven to us that he has the ability to perfectly handle these differences, and we trust him.”

"As for Superman's core values, I believe that they cannot be weakened by one or two movies."

After speaking, Kevin Tsujihara nodded politely, indicating that it was time to move on to the next person.

But the reporter wasn't going to let him off the hook and continued:

"Mr. Tsujihara, regarding my second question, you did not choose to answer it directly. Can I understand that you actually have this concern yourself, but you just dare not say it outright?"

"Uh"

Kevin Tsujihara was momentarily speechless.

That bearded man looks pretty fierce!
Sun Yi realized that it was time for him to step forward.

Before he arrived, he had already prepared himself for a heated debate with the group of scholars, so Kevin Tsujihara's defense of him was beyond his expectations.

"Let me, the Chinese director, explain this issue."

Sun Yi pulled Mike over in a friendly manner, and even emphasized his own identity.

"My friend, I'd like to ask you, could you tell me what the so-called Superman is, the symbol of the American spirit, or what this core value is? Please answer me."

"It's about protection and courage." The bearded man looked at Sun Yi and sneered, as if to say, "You don't even know this, yet you dare to say you want to direct Superman."

"This protection and courage represent heroism that transcends race and national borders, which is the core value of Superman."

Bang bang bang~
"Well said." Sun Yi smiled and applauded the bearded man, then glanced at the audience and said loudly, "I would say that this reporter's answer was excellent."

"If Superman's core values ​​lie in protection and courage, then this spirit truly transcends race and national boundaries."

"If that's the case, then aren't Ms. Iris Chang, who chose to protect the historical truth of the Nanjing Massacre with her life, and the firefighters who risked their lives to rush into the disaster area to rescue people during the Wenchuan earthquake, demonstrating the same spirit of protection? Aren't they also symbols of courage?"

"The Chinese people are not lacking in protection and courage."

Sun Yi's voice echoed in the venue.

The media reporters present were all aware of Iris Chang's story; she had given 36 lectures across the United States, and her books had repeatedly appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

Similarly, they were aware of the world-famous earthquake and admired the Chinese people's courage and unity in the face of disaster.

The room fell silent. The reporters looked at each other, clearly stunned by Sun Yi's speech.

Thinking about it now, it doesn't seem so wrong to have a Chinese director portray the core values ​​of Superman.

The bearded man who asked the question was rendered speechless by Sun Yi's question and sat down with his neck red.

Liu Yifei tilted her head to look at Sun Yi's profile, her eyes practically sparkling with admiration.

My husband is still the best. But clearly, it's not over yet.

The reporters selectively accepted the fact that Sun Yi was about to become the director of "Superman," and then asked him about his specific thoughts.

A female reporter from Los Angeles Entertainment asked Sun Yi a question.

"First of all, Director Sun Yi, I would like to congratulate you on taking over the 'Superman' project."

"Thank you."

"So, I'd like to ask, how do you plan to balance the dark tone of the DC Universe with the aesthetic preferences of the general audience in the film?"

This is a rather technical question.

Sun Yi's face was ashen. After a brief moment of thought, he replied, "Superman is not just a comic book character. I will choose to retain the dark tone of the original work while making him more vivid, or as we Chinese say, down-to-earth."

“I will retain Superman’s divinity, but I will emphasize his humanity even more, just like Tom’s character in ‘Edge of Tomorrow’—Major Cage. He will grow to be very powerful, but at the same time, he also has human fears. That’s what makes a true hero.”

"So, in this 'Man of Steel' movie, would you choose Crystal, who's right next to you, as the main character, or even the female lead?"

Another reporter asked a question.

Upon hearing that Liu Tianxian had been mentioned, Sun Yi smiled, turned to look at the young woman, and then teased, "This reporter, I want to tell you something. This Miss Crystal beside me is my fiancée. You can be more direct."

What are you doing? What are you doing?

Even in a tense situation, you're still showing off your love.

Sun Yi's answer made the reporters laugh.

And you know what? Americans buy into that.

The reporter who had just asked the question quickly apologized, "Okay, let me double-check my words. May I ask, what about your fiancée, Ms. Crystal?"

When the reporter asked the question again, Liu Yifei's face turned bright red, and her toes, hidden under her skirt, started picking at themselves uncontrollably.

Damn it, they even do this in America!
"Okay, I'll answer this reporter's question. For me, when it comes to casting, the only principle is whether it's suitable or not. If the story requires it, and Crystal is suitable, then casting her as the female lead is perfectly acceptable."

"Of course, what I said is based on the needs of the story. Please don't take it out of context. I have truly experienced the prowess of you American journalists today."

After Sun Yi finished speaking, a burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the audience.

A slap followed by a sweet treat.

The Chairman's strategy was absolutely right!
The press conference ended in this atmosphere.

Although many media outlets still don't fully agree with Sun Yi, at least they're no longer blindly boycotting him, which is clearly enough.

After the press conference, Sun Yi and Liu Yifei returned to their small home in Los Angeles.

"Are we not going to the subsequent promotional roadshows?" Liu Yifei was still paying attention to the promotional roadshows for "Edge of Tomorrow".

“My silly girl, why are you still going?” Sun Yi feigned shock, as if Liu Yifei was dumbfounded. “You saw today’s press conference. Even the reporters were so emotional. Those restless fans of the original work must be even more frantic. There’s no need for them to go there themselves.”

"Let's just treat this as a break in the US. We'll see how the publicity goes. Let's leave it to Tom Cruise for the next few days. Isn't that great? We can enjoy some time alone together."

Sun Yi said bluntly, "I'll just sell it to Tom Cruise."

Unexpectedly, Liu Yifei's focus wasn't on that; instead, she puffed out her cheeks and hurriedly retorted:
"Who wants to spend time alone with you? Besides, who's calling you a silly girl? I'm not."

"Oh, not stupid, not stupid, it's a girl, alright?" Sun Yi chuckled.

"She's not a girl either."

"what is that?"

Sun Yi deliberately teased Liu Tianxian, and sure enough, she got anxious again.

"You, you just said it at the press conference, no, you didn't say it?"

"That's...my fiancée?"

Liu Tianxian proudly raised her face.

"I get it, that's the silly wife~"

"You!" Liu Yifei turned around and punched Sun Yi, loudly emphasizing, "She's my wife, but not stupid!"

Just as Sun Yi had predicted, Warner's press conference caused a huge uproar in the United States as soon as it was reported by the media.

On American social media, the topic instantly topped the charts.

The comments below are divided into two camps.

As expected, fans of the original work and some comic book readers protested.

"Warner Bros. is playing with fire. Superman is an icon etched into the DNA of Americans. Does a Chinese director understand Americans? Does he understand the confusion of young people in small towns? Does he understand the faith under the Stars and Stripes?"

"That's right, did he read the Superman comic series? Did he really grow up in that kind of environment?"

A barrage of questions flooded the screen.

However, where there is resistance, there is also support.

Since Sun Yi entered Hollywood, movie fans who have paid attention to his work, or those American fans who have been captivated by his films, have also been speaking up for him.

"What's wrong with Chinese directors? Wen Ziren and Li An are both Chinese directors. Even John Woo, the director of Mission: Impossible 2, is Chinese. I don't think it matters at all. As long as the movie is good, that's all that matters."

"Yes, Sun Yi's directorial ability is worth looking forward to. Not to mention the recently released 'Edge of Tomorrow,' how shocking 'Gravity' was at the beginning of the year, and last year's 'Dallas Buyers Club,' for which Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscar for Best Actor. Who dares to say that this movie is not good?"

"That's right, 'Dallas Buyers Club,' a masterpiece in my mind. As a Texan, I have to stand up and admit that even American directors might not be able to make such an authentic Texas film. Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio crying helplessly in the car, preparing to shoot himself, who can say that he wasn't shocked???"

"Yes, yes, and I've also seen Pacific Rim, The Invisible Guest, and The Basement. They're all excellent. I dare say, director Sun Yi is the next Nolan!"

The online debate shows no signs of abating; on the contrary, it has intensified, with both sides sticking to their own arguments.

But it's clear that the fans who support the film have the upper hand.

Because, the opposition can only seize on the fact that Sun Yi is not a local director, while the supporters have various of Sun Yi's past works as evidence.

Many opposing fans, unable to argue with him, got angry and chose to either rent or buy the film, or subscribe to it on Netflix and watch all of Sun Yi's past films.

I was originally planning to experience it for myself and then have a reason to rant and rave.

Unexpectedly, after watching it, many people shut up and even secretly looked forward to it.

Perhaps, maybe, it seems, possibly, it would be feasible to let Sun Yi, a Chinese director, give "Superman" a try.

Sun Yi had thought of this and that in advance, but he never expected that this wave would also bring a surge of popularity to past films.

According to reports from Starry Night North America, searches and clicks for his movies have more than doubled recently.

What surprised him even more was that it also boosted the box office of "Edge of Tomorrow".

Moviegoers who went to see the film with critical intent ended up loving it after watching it.

The box office data followed an unusual curve, and surprisingly, it was able to rise against the trend after only 6 days of release.

It grossed $1.3 million in its second week, retaining its title as the top-grossing film in North America.

No wonder those movies generate all sorts of buzz and scandals as soon as they're released.

Wow, the box office is coming in really fast!
(End of this chapter)