Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 700: Returning from Interview (Two in One)

The National Day box office grossed 700 million yuan, and then in less than a week, the military-themed movie "Wolf Warrior" successfully exceeded 1 billion yuan.

Following "Lost in Thailand", "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" and "The Wandering Earth", "Wolf Warrior" became the fourth domestic film to break the 1 billion box office mark, and it is also a niche military-themed film.

Seeing this, the movie "One Step Away", which was scheduled to be released on December 12, immediately changed its promotional slogan, and Jiang Wen even boasted of a box office target of 18 billion.

As a result, Xingchen Film and Television Company was forced to follow the pace of Director Jiang and started to get busy.

In order to break the record set by "Let the Bullets Fly", Jiang Wen spent a huge amount of money this time.

The variety show "Running Man"? You must be on it.

Not just the last time, Jiang Wen and Song Ge discussed and gave "One Step Away" two spots specifically for movie promotion.

Ticket subsidies? Of course we have to do it. If 30 million is not enough, then we can start with 40 million. If it is not enough, we can continue to increase it.

Do you want to appear on various interview shows? Of course you have to go.

So Jiang Wen took Ge You, Tong Liya, Zhou Yun and others to go one by one, including Wen Zhang who was idle at home.

Face? Of course not. Without box office and performance, what’s the point of having face? Can it be used to make a living?

Wow, with all the clicking and clacking operations, this period of time can be said to be the time when Jiang Wen has appeared the most recently.

In the end, even Song Ge complained to Gu Wei, saying that Director Jiang might have gone crazy.

"The current publicity and promotion costs have been seriously overspent. If this movie loses money, Director Jiang will probably have to come to the company to work to pay off the debt." Song Ge said dimly.

"Very good, haha." After Gu Wei learned how much money was spent, he didn't intend to stop it.

"Very good? Only you can pamper him like this. If it were anyone else, they would probably curse."

There was nothing wrong with what Song Ge said, but the way he used the word "favor" made Gu Wei feel cold all over and had goose bumps.

After complaining for a while, Song Ge also asked when Gu Wei would return to China.

"There's only one week left at most. The premiere of Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts tomorrow. It will take about three days to finish the two shows, and then two interviews and talk shows, and that'll be enough."

"Okay, the contract for the adaptation rights of the Painted Skin series has been signed. China Film Group was very generous this time and gave a lot."

Song Ge reported a number and Gu Wei was shocked when he heard it. This amount was enough to make a movie.

"Just take it if you give it to me. China Film Group has made a lot of money from us over the years anyway."

"I think so too. The total cost of promoting and distributing so many movies is quite high, not to mention the investment in Hollywood blockbusters."

Song Ge said happily, guessing in his heart that China Film would not intend to compensate Xingchen Film and Television, but on second thought, it was unlikely. In terms of profitability, Xingchen Film and Television Company was stronger than China Film, but China Film was involved in too many films and various channels to generate too much revenue, so it made up for the quality with quantity.

During the conversation, Gu Wei mentioned the postponement of "Wolf Warrior".

It would be fine if he didn't mention it, but as soon as he mentioned Song Ge, he remembered the humiliation he suffered when he went to the General Administration. Some old guys spoke so harshly that they basically pointed at him and scolded him.

“Hey, I would have taken it as a dog’s barking if they had scolded me, but they blocked the process and refused to let me pass, which is simply disgusting.

The key is that some companies are also opposed to the postponement. If Wolf Warrior is postponed, dozens of domestic films in November will have a headache. "

Song Ge has figured it out these days. Maybe someone above him is against the postponement not only because Xingchen Film and Television has made a ban, but also because the company has blocked the financial path of many people.

You know, before, many companies could make a lot of money just by making some bad movies, but that’s no longer the case. The movies produced by Star Films have improved the audience’s appreciation ability.

Many netizens started by saying, "Look at what Xingchen Film and Television shot, and then look at what you shot," and they began to mock.

It is precisely because there are too many such remarks that many people in the domestic entertainment industry regard Xingchen Film and Television as a thorn in their side. This is because the environment is better now, but if it were in the last century, it would have been definitely overthrown and criticized.

"I've made an agreement with Mr. La that you should go find him again. It's a good opportunity to take advantage of the fact that the box office of Wolf Warrior has exceeded 1 billion yuan and something like this has happened in the domestic entertainment industry."

There has always been an unspoken rule in the domestic entertainment industry: if a movie wants to apply for an extension key, it must either have high box office or great educational significance. "Wolf Warrior" has both, and there are also government agencies organizing movie viewings.

Gu Wei felt that he would succeed in the end, but the process would be a bit tortuous.

"Understood. I'll do it right away."

.........

At the same time, Wu Jing, together with Yu Nan, Zhang Guoqiang, Gu Zhixin, Zhuang Xiaolong and others, also ended their half-month roadshow.

When the box office of "Wolf Warrior" exceeded 1 billion, Wu Jing organized a small gathering for the main creative staff and staff. As for the celebration banquet, it naturally had to wait until Gu Wei came back, and it would be a big one.

In Wu Jing's words, no one can eat until Director Gu comes back.

Song Ge was in charge of the key extension matter, and Wu Jing was also busy after the roadshow.

After much thought, I decided that we should continue to intensify our propaganda efforts. The revolution has not yet succeeded and we still need to work hard.

But "Running Man" was also on, the ticket subsidy was increased, the roadshow was just completed, and I also went to several talk shows.

Just at this time, several media outlets were planning to do an exclusive interview with Wu Jing. After a little thought, Wu Jing decided to combine several interviews into one large-scale exclusive interview.

In the lounge of Xingchen Film and Television Company, Wu Jing accepted a joint interview from several media outlets including China Entertainment Report, China Film Report, and Penguin Entertainment.

The female host of the entertainment report asked first: "Hello, Director Wu, regarding the film "Wolf Warrior", some people say that Director Gu Wei was in control, while others say that you were in charge. Director Gu Wei and Chen Guofu were just nominal producers. So in your opinion, who should be credited with this film?"

It is said that those who watch the fun are not afraid of trouble. The female host wearing glasses asked an extremely sharp question right at the start.

The question is whose work "Wolf Warrior" should be credited to, the producer Gu Wei or the director Wu Jing.

Because in most cases, audiences and film critics judge the quality of a film based on its style.

For example, Gu Wei was also listed as the producer of "Painted Skin" and "Lost in Thailand". However, because the styles of these two films are very different from Gu Wei's previous works, no one would really regard these two films as Gu Wei's works.

After the release of Wolf Warriors, fans of Gu Wei and Wu Jing quarreled fiercely over whose work the film should be credited to, and they almost killed each other.

Gu Wei's fans believe that "Wolf Warrior" has excellent 3D effects, excellent picture quality, and shocking special effects. It is obviously Gu Wei's consistent shooting style and naturally should be counted as Gu Wei's work.

Wu Jing’s fans believe that Wu Jing had previously filmed the "I Am a Special Forces Soldier" series and had undergone military training in the Jinling Military Region for a whole year in preparation for "Wolf Warrior".

To put it bluntly, the success of "Wolf Warrior" today is the result of Wu Jing's life-threatening efforts.

In the lounge, Yu Nan was also being interviewed with Wu Jing. The two looked at each other, and Wu Jing picked up the microphone and said, "Actually, Director Gu has asked me about this question before, haha."

"Oh, what did Director Gu say?" The reporter acted as a supporting role with great insight.

"Well, Director Gu predicted at the time that he would be the nominal producer, and his name was also written on the script. Maybe after it is released, the box office will be a big hit, and the audience will think that this movie was made by him."

Thinking of this, Wu Jing also felt a little emotional. The director still has a long-term vision. Fortunately, they both talked about some things at the time, so he continued: "Director Gu said at the time that he only helped to revise the script and shoot a few small shots for this movie, and he had no time to participate in most operations."

After he finished speaking, the reporters already understood what Wu Jing meant.

But the unwilling reporter asked again: "But there are rumors that the entire film fully reflects Director Gu's will and that he decided the filming style. Director Wu, you are just an executor?"

Wu Jing laughed, obviously anticipating the reporter's question, and continued, "You also said it was a rumor, and these words were said by Director Gu himself, and in front of all the crew members, so there is nothing to dispute about this question, next one!"

Yu Nan also spoke up at this time, "That's true. Many of us heard it at the time, and the entire film was basically shot according to Director Wu's wishes, including the post-production editing, which was also the responsibility of Director Wu."

Seeing the two people say this, the reporter could only nod and change the topic to continue the conversation.

A reporter from Penguin Entertainment asked: "Hello, Director Wu. Now that the box office of Wolf Warrior has exceeded 2012 billion, it is even stronger than Avatar and 4. How much do you think Wolf Warrior will eventually get in China? Can it surpass Avatar and Transformers in the first half of the year?"

Wu Jing laughed and said, "What I want to say is that it is very possible. But how high it can reach depends on the support of the audience and the media friends."

Seeing Wu Jing giving face like this, all the reporters present smiled, and then heard Wu Jing say: "As for how much the movie will get at the box office in the end, I can't predict it. After all, new movies are released every day, and the average daily box office of "Wolf Warrior" is also declining."

Next is a reporter from China Film Report: "Hello, Director Wu. Wolf Warrior is the second film you have directed. The box office is very high, exceeding that of most directors. You are also an actor who has transformed. Do you think the mainland market has entered the era of a new generation of directors?"

This is another sharp question, and it is also an issue that netizens often discuss recently.

When Wu Jing heard this, he immediately waved his hands and said he didn't dare, "I'm not a real director. Not to mention compared to Director Gu, Director Zhang, Director Chen, Director Jiang, and Director Feng, even compared to Director Ning Hao and Director Lu Yang, I'm far behind."

The reporter thought Wu Jing was being modest and immediately praised him, saying that in terms of box office alone, Wu Jing was no worse than these big directors.

"Really, I can't compare with them." Wu Jing said in a firm tone.

“Look at Director Gu, his cumulative global box office performance is in the tens of billions, and he has won numerous awards.

Director Chen, Director Zhang, and Director Jiang are similar. They are all big directors with successful achievements and box office success.

Besides, Director Ning Hao and Director Lu Yang have done much better than me. To be honest, I am a complete rookie in the directing field and I have a lot to learn.”

Seeing the reporter nodding continuously, Wu Jing continued with a smile, "We new directors just caught up with a good era. When it comes to filmmaking techniques, we really can't compare with big directors like Director Gu.

For example, when Director Gu was filming The Wandering Earth, Lu Yang and I went to the set to watch it. To be honest, I couldn’t understand a lot of the equipment and filming techniques. It was the kind of situation where you didn’t know how to use them even if they were given to you, haha.” The reporters were also amused and kept asking for details.

Wu Jing also gestured with his hands and feet, and after he finished speaking, he sighed: "Director Gu and his team are really amazing. When I encountered difficulties during the filming of Wolf Warrior, I gave him a call and he was able to point out the problem in just a few words. The difference is huge."

Hearing this, the reporter nodded involuntarily. Compared to the new generation directors such as Guo Xiaosi and Han Han, Wu Jing was indeed the most humble director he had ever seen.

Then the reporter asked: "Now that the domestic market is getting bigger and bigger, and movie box office records are breaking new highs, in your opinion, when will domestic films be able to go one step further and enter the 4 or 5 billion box office era?"

As soon as this question was asked, all the reporters stared at Wu Jing.

To be honest, the reporters felt that this question would be most appropriate to be interviewed by Gu Wei, after all, he is the most successful Chinese-language director.

Unfortunately, Gu Weiren was not in the country, so the reporter could only follow the director's instructions and interview Wu Jing directly.

Wu Jing smiled first, then said: "With the rapid development of the domestic economy, the film market is also expanding rapidly, and the number of screens and newly built cinemas are increasing rapidly.

Therefore, the domestic single-film box office will definitely get higher and higher, and I believe it will come one day in the near future.

Maybe all it takes is a good quality film, a suitable release date and the sentiment that can arouse the public's enthusiasm for watching movies, and it won't be too far away! "

"Could that be your work?" the reporter added.

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Wu Jing smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I will try my best, but it will most likely be Director Gu. After all, he is too strong, haha."

The reporters laughed again, and the subsequent questions were not so sharp. After all, this interview was to promote "Wolf Warrior", so they had to say a few good words.

.........

When Wu Jing was interviewed by reporters, many celebrities in the domestic entertainment industry were speechless and remained silent.

After several companies led by Xingchen Film and Television Company jointly issued a statement to ban artists with bad records, dozens of companies led by Huayi publicly refuted it.

Some of the old guys above also took the opportunity to stir up trouble and cause trouble.

Well now, the son of a big boss in the Beijing circle turned around as a prodigal two and a half years ago, but secretly he has done it again so many times.

Even this time he harbored others and was caught on the spot?

What's next? Isn't this just slapping yourself in the face?

"Where is Guoli? As a father, he didn't know anything about this matter in advance? Why didn't he inform us when something happened?"

In the Huayi Company office, Wang Zhongjun frowned and asked Wang Zhonglei in a stern voice.

Wang Zhonglei was somewhat helpless, and sighed, saying, "He's going to prepare for the media meeting. What can we do if he tells us about this kind of thing?
Can we still help him solve the problem? Otherwise, the company might get dragged into it again.”

After hearing what Wang Zhonglei said, Wang Zhongjun's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Yes, can you come forward to solve it?
These people in the circle have become somewhat lawless, with all kinds of things popping up one after another. Others knew to avoid the limelight during the crackdown period, but they go against the wind and commit crimes, fearing that they will not be wiped out fast enough.

Moreover, it is impossible to predict to what extent the online public opinion and the resentment of ordinary people will develop after these events.

"Mobilize the internet trolls again and continue to suppress public opinion. We must not let the higher-ups keep paying attention to this matter, otherwise a ban will surely be issued, and it may even be enforced." Wang Zhongjun said while gritting his teeth, sighing in his heart that it was raining cats and dogs, and some people's heads were filled with shit.

"I understand, but I don't think the effect will be very good. Let's make arrangements early." Wang Zhonglei, who was usually arrogant, felt a little scared. When the trend came before his eyes, it was almost impossible for human power to resist.

"Go ahead and do it. Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Wang Zhongjun was a little tired at the moment. What a bunch of pig teammates he could not lead.

At the same time, I was also thinking that the higher-ups really had to adapt to this plan and Huayi couldn't continue to take the lead in the boycott. Otherwise, if anything happened in the future, netizens would definitely blame me.

the next day.

After Wu Jing’s interview was exposed, the popularity of "Wolf Warrior" increased significantly.

At this moment, "Wolf Warrior" is sweeping the schedule, crushing all the films released during the same period with its invincible posture, which is simply driving fans who like this movie crazy.

The 14 National Day holiday, or the entire month of October, was completely dominated by "Wolf Warrior", and anyone could see that it was a dark horse that was even more powerful than "Lost in Thailand".

Various media have also begun to analyze the reasons why "Wolf Warrior" became popular.

Putting aside the story, special effects, pictures and other factors, the perfect amount of patriotism that inspires the people's national self-confidence and pride is obviously the main reason for the film's box office success.

Under the influence of "Wolf Warrior", "Black & White 2" became the only one that could make some money, and at least there is some box office revenue every day.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Gu Wei on the other side of the ocean also finished the premiere of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and participated in two talk show interviews.

At the Los Angeles airport, Reid looked at his boss reluctantly, which made Gu Wei feel creepy.

"I told you the wedding time, come early then."

From their first meeting to now, Gu Wei and Reid have known each other for more than ten years. It can be said that each other is a witness to the development of their careers and relationships.

Reid's hair is now white and he looks much older.

"Don't worry, Boss. I'll go with Leonardo and Matt when the time comes."

When he said this, Reid had tears in his eyes, which made Gu Wei's scalp tingle.

Zhang Yimou next to him smiled and found that Reid had the feeling of an old father.

Afterwards, after saying a few words to Reid, Gu Wei walked into the waiting room without looking back.

The flight would take more than ten hours, and Gu Wei and Zhang Yimou were not sleepy, so they talked about recent events in the country.

"Did you receive the call?" Zhang Yimou asked first.

"Yes, Director Tong called personally and said that he was going to have another meeting in China. He knew that we were going to return soon, so he changed the time to a few days later."

"Well, you have the most face. The person who called me was a director, and many people also called to advise me. The implication of their words was very clear, that is, don't meddle in other people's business." Zhang Yimou shook his head. He was different from Gu Wei. Gu Wei was young and had his own connections and influence in the country, but he had personal connections with many people and there were some things he could not get rid of at all.

Gu Wei took the juice handed to him by the flight attendant, took a sip and asked, "So what do you think, Senior Brother?"

The cooperation between Xingchen Film and Television Company and its directors has gradually evolved in recent years into supporting them to set up their own studios, with the company taking a stake in them, giving the directors a certain degree of autonomy.

"I support the ban." Zhang Yimou said in a firm tone. It's not that he didn't have his own opinion, but he needed to follow Gu Wei's voice.

But during the six months in Hollywood, Zhang Yimou discovered that although China was developing rapidly, the gap with Hollywood was still huge, not only in hard power but also in soft power.

Zhang Yimou has experienced various periods of domestic entertainment. He knows that the country is in a mess and it has reached the point where he has to intervene.

"I see. Have a good rest. I guess we'll have to attend meetings back to back when we get back to China."

……

at the same time.

Gu Wei's return trip had been announced in advance, and since Zhang Yimou, who had disappeared for nearly a year, also returned to China, the domestic entertainment media naturally focused their attention on them.

The Hong Kong media also reported on the return of Gu Wei and others. Ever since Gu Wei won over the top figures in the Hong Kong circle, Hong Kong's celebrities and artists have performed very well recently.

Not only did they slightly let go of their condescending attitude, but a group of Hong Kong stars led by Jackie Chan and Andy Lau also spoke out in support of the ban on artists with bad records.

However, there are still a small number of Hong Kong media that have seized on the pain points of the mainland entertainment industry, bluntly stating that the quality of domestic entertainers is worrying and that they treat illegal and criminal activities as commonplace.

This time, netizens did not object, which was rare. Why did they object? Is there anything wrong with what they said? It's just that their quality is low, which is shameful.

However, Gu Wei noticed the attitudes of Hong Kong stars and planned to let some Hong Kong artists participate in the next movie. He revealed this news to Cheng Long.

The eldest brother was naturally very happy about this. He not only recommended several candidates, but also mentioned his own son inadvertently in his words.

Naturally, Gu Wei was not polite and directly rejected the other party's request.

Are you kidding me? They are both involved in drug-related crimes, but can they be let off the hook just because it involves Cheng Long's son?
Gu Wei's answer made Cheng Long silent for a while. Obviously, this was not the answer he wanted.

It's a pity that Gu Wei's attitude is just like that. He felt a little emotional after hanging up the phone. He had implicitly reminded Cheng Long a few years ago, but he didn't expect that he still couldn't avoid this.

At the same time, the No. 1 and No. 2 leaders of various official and semi-official institutions and associations in the film and television industry once again received a notice from the General Administration: hold a meeting!
The General Administration’s meaning is very clear; the higher-ups are preparing to take drastic measures.

The industry learned the news first, but there were still a lot of people who opposed it, and even more than 90% of people were opposed.

Especially that group of old guys, they immediately went to the leaders of the General Administration to argue. The meaning was that if there was a violation of the law, there would be legal sanctions and they could not interfere privately.

Although he speaks so righteously, he is actually unable to give up his privileges, and will never let others destroy his job.

But the growing public opinion from the outside world has forced the top leaders to tip the balance.

.........

(End of this chapter)