China Entertainment: Been working as a director since 03

Chapter 563: Association to Support New Directors and Screenwriters

"Ready Player One" was withdrawn from theaters thirty days after its release, and its final box office revenue just exceeded 20 billion.

It turns out that Li Yu's localization of the film was successful.

The fact that this movie is being taken off the screen in domestic theaters does not mean that this movie has come to an end.

The film was released in North America, Silla, Tsarist Russia, France and other countries.

Movies are released in these countries one week to half a month later than in China.

This is normal, as movies are usually released overseas later than in their home countries.

Many Hollywood blockbusters are released in China later than in North America, and only a few are able to be released simultaneously in China and overseas.

Although Li Yu made some changes to cater to Chinese audiences, he still deliberately retained some wonderful foreign elements.

So foreigners can also get the thrill from watching this movie, but the thrill they get is weaker than that of the original version.

In Silla, which is culturally closer to China, this movie earned more than 8 million US dollars in the first week.

The first week's performance in England, France, Tsarist Russia and other countries was over 5 million Euros.

This is the only movie Li Yu has made so far that can be considered a hit worldwide.

Li Yu’s previous films had too many Chinese elements, like “The Great Wall” and “Guan Du”, which might still have some market in Guo Jiali’s Confucian cultural circle in East Asia.

Outside of East Asia, there is basically no market for Guo Jia in other parts of the world.

Unless Li Yu is willing to cater to their aesthetics.

But it's a double-edged sword, there's not so much that can be done both ways.

There are too great cultural differences between China and overseas. If Li Yu caters to the aesthetic tastes of foreigners, he will definitely offend Chinese audiences.

Li Yu has always been very clear about himself. His base is in China, and the domestic market and domestic audiences always come first to him.

This time, the good results achieved by "Ready Player One" in countries around the world have a lot to do with the two elements of science fiction and games.

Foreigners still prefer science fiction films.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that foreigners like all science fiction films.

For example, "The Wandering Earth" is an excellent and shocking science fiction film for Chinese people, but foreigners don't buy it.

It's mainly cultural differences. Many people outside are individualists. They like movies about personal heroism, where one person saves the world, where the protagonist saves the world.

"The Wandering Earth" is about collectivism, a group of people working together to save themselves.

Many foreigners cannot understand this.

The national masters were extremely envious of the achievements of Ready Player One in overseas markets.

A few years ago, he tried so hard to please the Oscar judges and made a movie called "The Flowers of War", but it only made 32 in the North American box office.

Li Yu did not try to please foreigners, and several of Guo Jia's first-week sales overseas were over five million.

Such a comparison can be said to be very ironic.

"Director Li, you are right. The cultural differences between the East and the West are too great. It is too difficult to win the Eastern and Western markets at the same time." The national teacher admitted that Li Yu's previous judgment was correct.

He felt a little regretful. If he had not been so stubborn and had come to his senses earlier, he would have made a few more movies like "Fengshen" (Investiture of the Gods). Why would he have been scolded so much?
Fortunately, it is not too late to turn back now. "Director Zhang, do you think foreigners will consider the feelings of our Chinese audience when making movies?" Li Yu asked back.

"Very rarely, at least I have never seen it. Most foreign directors are arrogant in front of us Chinese people, and they don't consider the feelings of Chinese audiences.

Some people with bad intentions even try to smear Chinese people in their movies. The images of Chinese people and Chinese people in their movies are all vulgar and terrible, and there are never any handsome or positive images. "

As a veteran director who has competed for Oscars so many times, Guo Shi is well aware of the arrogance of foreigners.

“You see, they never considered our feelings and even slandered us in secret, but their films are very popular in China.

Because Hollywood is powerful enough to subtly change people's aesthetics and values.

Is it possible that if you want your movie to go abroad and win the foreign market, you don’t actually need to deliberately please foreigners?

As long as the Chinese film industry can continue to produce good films, Chinese films can catch up with Hollywood or even surpass Hollywood. Then they won’t need you to flatter them. They will understand Chinese culture and will take the initiative to watch Chinese films.”

Li Yu expressed his opinion.

The national teacher pondered for a while, and he admitted that Li Yu was right.

But how easy is it to make Chinese-language films catch up with Hollywood? This is not something that can be done by one or a few people.

In short, there is still a long way to go to complete this task, and we don’t know when it will be realized.

Li Yu wanted to say that although it was difficult, there was still hope.

Because Hollywood has been going downhill in recent years, especially after many strange monsters and ghosts and various zz corrections were born there, the quality of Hollywood movies has plummeted.

For example, there must be a black character in every movie, and the image must be positive.

Otherwise, the director and the production company are discriminating against xx, and this group of people will destroy the movie.

Even Snow White has become Black Snow White, and the mermaid has become a black merman. For the sake of correctness of politics, the audience's aesthetic taste has been rubbed to the ground.

This situation will become more and more serious in the future.

They continue to decline. If many great directors can emerge in the Chinese film industry, there is hope that it will surpass Hollywood.

This is why Li Yu invests in directors with potential, and why he rarely snatches away famous works by Chinese directors.

"No wonder you invested in so many new directors. I've heard that The Wandering Earth is a project led by China Film Group. As the lead, China Film Group only gave Guo Fan 80 million, but you raised 200 million for Guo Fan. It seems that I'm really not as good as you. My vision is not as big as yours, and I don't think as far-sightedly as you do."

When the Imperial Master learned about Li Yu's intention of investing in a new director, he was impressed.

"Director Zhang, don't underestimate yourself. You can also do your part. I have always had this idea that we can set up an association to support new screenwriters and directors in the industry.

If there are screenwriters who write good scripts, we can help them promote them. If there are some new directors with potential, we can invest in their films and give them financial support.”

This is what Li Yu has always wanted to do.

His prestige alone is not enough. If he can bring in the national master and Chen Kaige, and the three great directors work together, the chances of success will be very high.

The Imperial Master's eyes lit up after hearing Li Yu's words. He became interested. If this could be accomplished, it would deserve the praise of being a great meritorious service.

"If you really want to set up this association in the future, please call me and I will definitely join." The national teacher replied immediately.

(End of this chapter)