During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 785 A New Combination, Boss Wei's Cavalry Charge
After a night of passion, Wei Jin received an email from North America.

The first-week box office results for the film "Fifty Shades Darker," a collaboration with my mentor, are in.

Due to scheduling issues, the number of copies released for this film was significantly lower than that of its predecessor, "Fifty Shades of Grey," with fewer than three thousand copies sold.

Its box office performance was also significantly worse.

Despite grossing $2180 million on its opening day, the film underperformed over the weekend, earning only $4680 million over three days.

The critical reception has also been polarized, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of less than 10%, and audience reviews indicating increasingly extreme tastes and an imbalance between the sex scenes and the plot.
Based on this word-of-mouth and opening week box office, North American professional institutions predict that the final domestic box office may not exceed 100 million!
Fortunately, it performed well in overseas markets. After being launched simultaneously in 51 overseas markets, it barely managed to gross $1.03 million in its first three days.

Judging from the current situation, it's definitely hopeless for this film to catch up with its predecessor, but it shouldn't be too difficult for it to gross 3-4 million US dollars at the box office.

Compared to its production cost of less than 40 million US dollars, "Fifty Shades Darker" is sure to make a fortune.

Moreover, the biggest profit for these R-rated movies is never box office revenue, but rather various copyright income – that's what generates a steady, long-term income.

Even while the movie is still showing, the sect has already proposed developing a sequel, which is expected to start within six months.

Wei Jin didn't have any objections to this, after all, the North American market had been shrinking year after year, and it was time to make money as soon as possible.

In addition, Hunter also reported on his work progress this year in the email.

Hunter has always been very dedicated to the horror film series, and since the beginning of the year, he has successively put "Insidious 4", "A Quiet Place Part II" and "Annabelle 2" into production.

Among them, "Insidious 4" is directed by Adam Robitel, a newly signed "tool" (someone who is not directly involved in the production). The finished film has been released and is scheduled for release in August.

The other two films are still in production and are expected to be released in the first half of next year.

As for the two blockbuster film series, Hunter has also made arrangements.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 was filmed in two parts back-to-back. The finished film has been out for a while, and he plans to release the second part in late November to compete for a popular release date.

The Maze Runner 2 project was initiated last year when China Film Group signed the contract for Pacific Rim 2.

The finished film has been released, and Hunter plans to release it in mid-September, just like the previous film, for good luck.

However, the film "The Revenant," which he co-starred in with Leonardo DiCaprio, has been completed, but because it is aimed at competing for this year's Oscars, it is planned to have a small-scale preview screening in December during the awards season.

As for the global release date, it will be even later, in mid-March, clearly indicating a gamble.

Wei Jin had no objections to these arrangements. Peak Entertainment had already kept a low profile in the first half of the year, and it was time to make a strong push in the second half.

However, Hunter's last few messages in the email stirred Wei Jin's thoughts.
As we entered the latter half of May, the Film Bureau announced the latest batch of approved films, and Lu Yang's "Brotherhood of Blades 3" was among them!

After the news spread through the media, the entire industry was in an uproar.

No wonder, eight years ago during the summer season, "Brotherhood of Blades" burst onto the scene and, in an era when it was difficult to break 100 million yuan on average, it raked in a box office of 3.34 million yuan with overwhelming force!
Even the Hollywood blockbuster "Transformers" was firmly overshadowed by it, failing to become the box office champion that year!
The sequel, "Brotherhood of Blades II," released five years ago, was still a stunning success, even with a change of director. It raked in 3.52 million yuan at the box office during the relatively quiet May Day holiday, sounding the clarion call for a counterattack against imported films that year!
Now, after five years, the third installment is finally coming!

Given the current size of the film market, how much box office revenue will this sharp embroidered spring knife garner?!
Without a doubt, with Shanhe Media producing the film and Lu Yang, who is skilled in martial arts films, directing it, "Brotherhood of Blades 3" is definitely a top-tier production in the industry.

Even though the series will most likely use the original cast, judging from the second film, the new characters are quite outstanding and not to be missed.

Moreover, with the precedent set by "Lost in Hong Kong", who can guarantee that the cast won't be changed?
In no time, countless people in the industry began to take action.
Qingdao, Oriental Movie Metropolis, the film crew of "League of Gods".

As the scene was about to end, the director gave everyone a break. Yang Ying couldn't wait to grab her phone and go to Huang Xiaoming, who was hydrating and resting.

"Honey, look at this! The script for 'Brotherhood of Blades 3' has been approved."

"Oh? So this is the film that was submitted for review before? They did a pretty good job keeping it a secret, huh."

Huang Xiaoming smiled and wiped the sweat from his temples.

The weather in Qingdao in May was quite hot. He played Yang Jian in "League of Gods," and wearing full armor and a hood must have been quite a hardship for him.

"Why don't you call Director Lu now and confirm?"

"Hmm? That might not be a good idea. Director Lu might be very busy right now. It's better to wait for his notification."

Huang Xiaoming hesitated for a moment, but he wasn't actually worried about the project.

Because he was the absolute core of the first two parts, the probability of him being replaced is extremely low!
"Hey honey, it wouldn't hurt to call ahead and confirm the dates, right? Always be proactive!"

"Well, what you said makes sense. I'll play one then."

As Huang Xiaoming spoke, he waved to his assistant, who promptly handed him his phone. Yang Ying then added, "Honey, could you ask if there are any suitable female roles available?"

"You, you, how can you manage so many roles? You know, you can't bite off more than you can chew."

Huang Xiaoming was speechless at Yang Ying's enthusiasm; Shanhe Media would not allow her to film multiple projects at once.

"Hey, just ask! What if the schedule works out? They're actually looking to work with you, aren't they?"

Faced with Yang Ying's coquettishness, Huang Xiaoming couldn't resist and could only nod. Then he put his index finger to his lips because the call had been connected.

"Director Lu, hello"

Huang Xiaoming spoke in a gentle tone and had a bright smile on his face, which made people feel very comfortable.

But soon his smile became forced, and he only sighed after hanging up the phone.

"What's wrong? Isn't there a suitable role for me?"

"Baby, it's not just you, I've lost my role too."

"what?!"

Compared to the disappointment of Huang Xiaoming and his wife, Zhang Yi, who was in Cannes, was filled with joy.

"Tian Tian, ​​are you serious? I have a role in it?"

Wearing a moon-white cheongsam, Fu Guihua, who looked noble and elegant, smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I heard there’s a character named Lu Wenzhao, but I don’t know how many scenes he has. Perhaps Director Guo knows more?” Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi immediately looked at Guo Fan at the same table, as did Section Chief Jia, Dong Zijian, Zhao Tao, and others.

This year's Cannes Film Festival only had two Chinese-language films selected: "Bad Genius" and "Mountains May Depart," as well as the Taiwanese film "The Assassin."

However, after last year's Golden Horse Awards, mainland filmmakers have become less fond of Hou Xiaoxian and are reluctant to interact with him.

With Zhang Yi acting as an intermediary, the crews of "Bad Genius" and "Mountains May Depart" would get together at the hotel almost every night.

"I am not sure as well."

Although Guo Fan and Lu Yang had a good relationship, he had been traveling around and enjoying life since the Spring Festival.

He really didn't know anything about the situation with "Brotherhood of Blades 3".

"Regardless of the size of your role, it's going to be another great movie. Old Zhang, you're being spoiled rotten. You're almost as busy as a top male star, aren't you?"

Section Chief Jia's remarks resonated with everyone at the table.

Dong Zijian, in particular, couldn't hide the envy on his face.

There's nothing he can do. Even if he was born into a good family and has a mother who's a well-known agent in the industry, his treatment is still far inferior to Zhang Yi's!
Zhang Yi himself, however, remained humble, saying, "Director Jia is joking. I can't compare. Didn't you see how glamorous they were on the red carpet?"

"I'm speechless when you mention this. Does anyone think they can walk the Cannes red carpet these days? That floral cotton-padded jacket is just ridiculous."

Everyone at the table laughed as they listened to Section Chief Jia's complaints, including Jing Tian.

That actress surnamed Zhang's outfit was truly an eyesore. A dress that cost only a few hundred yuan caused a sensation around the world. That's really something!
"Produced by Marvel Studios and starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, and others, the Hollywood blockbuster 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' has grossed 12.68 billion yuan in its first 10 days of release, a truly impressive performance!"

"The military-themed film 'Wolf Warrior,' co-produced by Shanhe Media and Dengfeng International, and directed and starring Wu Jing, has grossed 7.68 million yuan in 24 days since its release, with daily earnings falling below 5 million yuan, and 800 million yuan seems unlikely."

"The legal drama film 'Twelve Citizens,' starring He Bing, Han Tongsheng, and others, and adapted from the novel 'Twelve Angry Men,' has received rave reviews, but its box office performance has been poor. After a week in theaters, its cumulative box office revenue is less than 800 million yuan."

"."

The box office figures for several films are reported by the media every day as usual, but the industry is already used to it. Anyway, this May will definitely be the month of imported films!
On the contrary, a message released by Ali Pictures this morning has attracted considerable attention within the industry.

"The main cast and crew of the film 'See You Tomorrow,' which is primarily controlled by Ali Pictures, co-produced by Jersey Pictures, directed and produced by Wong Kar-wai, and directed by Zhang Jiajia, has been officially announced!"

Yang Ying, one of the "Four Little Actresses" in mainland China, will be playing the lead role in a big-budget film for the first time, alongside many award-winning actors such as Leung Cho-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Eason Chan. We look forward to her brilliant performance!

"It is understood that 'The Ferryman' will undergo two months of pre-production preparation and script reading, and filming is expected to officially begin in mid-July."

When the news spread, many people in the industry were curious about one thing.

In other words, how much effort did Huang Xiaoming put in to get Yang Ying to play the female lead in such a big production?
It's worth noting that in the past, those who could partner with Liang Caowei, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and others were all leading actresses like Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun.
What makes Yang Ying so special?
Of course, many female celebrities are envious, because since hooking up with Huang Xiaoming, this Hong Kong model has really soared to new heights.

Looking back, in just over twenty days in May, Yang Ying has already filmed three movies in a row. It's like some people are starving while others are flooded with movies!

However, just as these female celebrities were drawing circles and cursing, another piece of news dealt them another heavy blow!
"The sci-fi blockbuster 'Pacific Rim 2,' co-produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Shanhe Media, Summit Entertainment, China Film Group, and Wanda Pictures, with an investment of US$1.5 million, has completed overseas location shooting and filming, and the crew arrived in Beijing today!"

It is reported that the crew of "Pacific Rim 2" will move to the Oriental Movie Metropolis Film Base tomorrow for final filming, and is expected to wrap up filming within the next month, with a potential global release by the end of the year.

Three months later, Pacific Rim 2 has reappeared in the industry's sights, and all the female stars are reminded of the fact that the lead actress and the second lead actress were predetermined to be cast.

The fire of jealousy in his heart instantly shifted from Yang Ying to Fan Bingbing and Bai Bin.

However, Fan and Bai, who had just returned to Beijing, had no time to pay attention to the jealousy of their peers in the industry.

After attending the welcome dinner hosted by the domestic production company, the two women couldn't wait to invite Mr. Wei to enjoy their intimate moments.

How could Mr. Wei possibly refuse?

After all, it had been two or three months since they last met. Both Xiaobai and Fan Meiren were the kind of flowers that Wei Jin favored, and it was time to water them.

Besides, both of them are Bingbing (a nickname for Bingbing), and they have special buffs, so they're bound to take off!
To Wei Jin's surprise, Fan Bingbing, who had always been assertive in the landlord's games, actually got along quite well with Bai Bin.

Their teamwork wasn't exactly seamless, but it was still quite commendable, completely different from when Yang Mi and Zhang Tianai played cards before.

"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"

Wei Jin left Xiao Bai's full moon, tapped Fan Bingbing's beautiful buttocks with his foot, and asked.

"Woooooo~~"

Wei Jin understood and told her to wait until later and not to disturb her meal.

So Wei Jin reached out and patted the swaying full moon in front of his eyes, "Xiao Bai, what's going on here, you two?"

Wei Jin's words were interrupted, for all was darkness before them.
At this moment, he heard Xiaobai's explanation: "Boss, Bingbing and I are very close. We often sleep together on set."

Hearing this, Wei Jin understood. Xiao Bai had a good personality, and he had a good relationship with Wan Qian when they were on the set of "The Four Great Constables".

It's quite normal for the two of them to develop feelings for each other after nearly three months of being in an unfamiliar place overseas.

Moreover, Xiaobai has her own assistant, which makes her incomparable to Yang Mi and Zhang Tianai.

Having been suppressed by Xiaobai for so long, Boss Wei was also a little short of breath and reached out to give him some pointers.

In an instant, Xiaobai's coquettish complaint rang out: "Boss, you're hurting me~~"

"Smack! Who told you to be so greedy?"

Wei Jin slapped it, and the full moon instantly turned white with a rosy hue, creating a wave of flesh.

"Mmm~ I'm hungry~~"

"Hmph, don't rush, we have plenty of time tonight."

~~~
(End of this chapter)