Huayu: As a child star, I just want to be famous

Chapter 551 The Beginning of a Miraculous Journey (6k)

"Chen, what do you think of the current confrontation between "Joker" and "Iron Man 3"?

"In April, we only have two big movies, and they are relatively close to each other, so it is easy for everyone to use them as a topic for hype, which is why we have the current situation."

"Do you think it's a coincidence that the two films mentioned in the newspaper are naturally opposites?"

"Pure coincidence!"

"Which of these two movies do you think will win in the end?"

"I certainly hope that Joker wins."

"..."

Starting from the 12th, the media began to hype this topic.

Since then, when Chen Linfeng participated in promotional activities, the questions he was asked most often were about "Joker" and "Iron Man 3".

The reporters' words and actions were intended to sow discord.

He must try his best to avoid being tricked.

After all, "Iron Man 3" is a Disney production, and everyone has always had a good relationship, and we can't let the things in the play affect the things outside of the play.

And this topic cannot be hyped too much.

Fans of both sides are relatively relaxed right now and find this coincidental comparison very interesting.

However, once the real conflict and emotional outbursts arise, both parties will stop watching each other's movies.

This could result in a lose-lose situation.

Chen Linfeng had a special telephone conversation with Disney executives about this, hoping that everyone would keep the matter to themselves and not make a big deal out of it.

The media departments of both sides began to try to find ways to control the pace a little.

But Hollywood is now made up of six major studios, after all, and it’s not just the two of them that have the final say.

In the media, there are still people who enjoy hyping related topics.

Not only major newspapers, but many tabloids have also joined in.

“…From all the above, it can be seen that Joker is far better than Iron Man 3. There is no comparison between the two in terms of artistry and storytelling. The quality of the Iron Man series has been getting worse and worse since the first one, and it should end here…”

"Joker is a movie that is only suitable for people to watch at home on disc. It is a boring art film that is not worth spending money on. In this respect, it is far worse than Iron Man 3."

"Leonardo has been famous for many years, but he is not comparable to Robert Downey Jr., who can only play Tony Stark."

"One is a global superstar who has starred in every film that can be called a masterpiece, and the other is a rising star who can only play Marvel superheroes. There is a huge difference between them. There is no need to compare them..."

"..."

The comments in these tabloid media are actually quite silly, and the intentions of some of the editors are obvious at a glance.

But the sales volume of tabloids is really not low, and it is definitely large enough to satisfy the public.

It is impossible to have no competitive feeling when you are watching media instigation every day.

Robert Downey Jr. doesn't like this kind of media provocation.

He felt that what the newspaper said was correct: "Joker" was just an award-winning art film.

If Chen hadn't been the director, no one would have believed how much box office it would have made.

Not to mention competing with Iron Man 3.

Although Chen is very good, he is limited by the subject matter and genre of the film.

He really doesn't think "Joker" can compete with "Iron Man 3".

But when the newspapers compared him with Leonardo, they always concluded that he was inferior.

This really pissed Robert Downey Jr off.

You know, he is nearly 10 years older than Leonardo and actually entered the industry very early.

As a result, reporters always describe him as a laggard.

What a bully!
He has emotions in his heart, and when facing interviews with reporters, he will more or less reveal this attitude.

"Joker is an art film. I believe Director Chen's film will be excellent, but art films are not easy to get at the box office, so I am more confident in Iron Man 3."

"No, I think Heath Ledger has played the Joker to perfection. There won't be a better Joker than him."

"Leonardo? His acting is good, but this is not 97. Marvel is the 'big ship' now."

"..."

Chen Linfeng had just finished attending a promotional event and was chatting with other crew members when he saw Leonardo suddenly close the newspaper in his hand and looked unhappy.

"Leo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just felt bad when I saw the reporter writing nonsense."

"Oh? I think with your experience, you shouldn't care about these things."

After being the focus of media for so many years, it should have been calm by now.

"I can't help it. I had too high hopes for my performance as the Joker this time, and my mentality is a little unbalanced."

Leonardo looked apologetic, "I'll try to control it."

He also didn't want to affect the subsequent publicity.

Chen Linfeng took the newspaper from his hand and took a look.

"Robert Downey Jr. says Leonardo DiCaprio is out of fashion, it's his time now."

"Robert Downey Jr. thinks Leo's Joker is no match for Heath Ledger."

"Iron Man has said that the Joker should not even think about getting the golden man."

"..."

Chen Linfeng instantly understood why Leo was angry.

I doubt this is fake.

The Daily Mirror, Hollywood Life, Wetpaint Entertainment and Radar Online are all media outlets specializing in celebrity gossip.

But the report includes the time and place, as well as photos of Robert Downey Jr. being interviewed.

And several companies said so, it seems to be true.

I guess this is why Leo was a little angry.

He frowned and said, "Donnie has also been affected. He starts to speak without thinking."

"You don't have to worry too much about what the media is saying now. The Oscars are still a long way off, and no one will remember these comments by then.

And the movie hasn't been officially released yet, but once the audience sees the movie, your performance will conquer everyone, you should believe it."

Leonardo rubbed his face and calmed down, "I understand that the current public opinion is not important. We still have to wait for the official release to see what the critics and professionals think."

He is really satisfied with his performance in "Joker" this time.

Since Berlin, this film has been seen as a potential Oscar winner next year.

It has been too long, and now he just wants to get that little golden man!
Chen Linfeng was very clear about his obsession, so as long as he gave Leo firm confidence in this regard, he would not be too anxious.

After comforting Leo, Chen Linfeng then called Robert Downey Jr.

"Donnie, I think what you said to the reporter was a little inappropriate."

"I'm sorry, Chen, I was a little angry about the media reports at that time." Robert Downey Jr. admitted his mistake decisively.

He didn't want to make the relationship awkward when facing Chen.

"That doesn't mean Leo is worthless. To be honest, I think his performance was good this time, no worse than Heath Ledger."

"Huh?" Robert Downey Jr.'s eyes widened. "When did I say he was not worth mentioning?"

Well, these newspapers have started to spread fake news.

Chen Linfeng understood instantly, and he repeated what he had seen in the newspaper.

Because of his good memory, he repeated it almost exactly.

Robert Downey Jr. was a little confused. Is this what the newspaper wrote?

He quickly explained, "Chen, believe me, I definitely didn't say that."

Downey quickly recalled what happened when he was interviewed, and then recounted it.

"These words may be a little inappropriate, but they are definitely not meant to disrespect Joker or Leonardo DiCaprio."

Just kidding, no matter how arrogant he is, he would never think that Leonardo is not worth mentioning.

"It turned out to be a misunderstanding,"

Chen Linfeng understood, "You should also know that the current public opinion is not right. There must be other companies behind this."

"Yeah, I heard the rumors."

"So everyone should be more restrained in the future, and try not to leave any room for criticism when facing reporters."

"I understand that this won't happen again."

Robert Downey Jr. behaved very submissively and wanted to make up for his previous mistakes as much as possible.

"How about this, we can do a promotional event together later, and I will explain it to Leo in person, both to dispel rumors and to express a friendly attitude."

"Alright."

Later, when communicating with the publicity and promotion staff, Chen Linfeng informed them of this idea.

"Director Chen, this is a great idea. I will report it to my superiors immediately." Cohen Carlton agreed immediately.

In fact, the two companies could easily think of this method, but no one has mentioned it.

why?
Because of this period, Disney and Warner had some disagreements.

Within Marvel, Kevin Feige is the main person in charge.

But another person who has a say in Marvel is Ek Polmutter, the head of Marvel Entertainment sent by Disney.

The two are at the same level, but Kevin Feige has things to report to Ike.

The provincial governors and the provincial governors supervised each other. Anyone who knows a little about history in China can understand what this is doing at a glance.

But the bad thing is that the two have different views on the future of Marvel.

The conflict between the two was so serious that Kevin Feige began to bypass Ike and report directly to Robert Iger.

Then Warner found an opportunity and wanted to poach talent, so they contacted Kevin Feige.

As luck would have it, it was discovered by Disney.

Marvel is Disney's core asset and outsiders are not allowed to touch it at all.

The two sides had a conflict over this.

This is also the fundamental reason why this public opinion storm has caused such a big stir:
The top leaders of both sides don’t get along!
In this way, it is normal for the movies produced by the company to compete with each other.

That’s why it’s so easy for other companies to succeed behind the scenes.

The news and distribution departments are trying to find ways to control it, but as workers, we dare not really offend our leaders.

The boss is angry, what does it mean by flirting with him?
But with Chen Linfeng as the middleman, things are different.

He has good reputation among the top management of both companies.

No one will say anything at this person's request.

In the next few days, "Joker" and "Iron Man 3" will always be promoted together.

The two sides are not as incompatible as the newspapers say.

Some media outlets took advantage of the situation to hype up the issue. Although there was a lot of coincidental opposition between the two films, the relationship between the two crews was actually quite good in private.

News about the various cooperative relationships between Chen Linfeng and Disney also began to circulate online.

Including Marvel, the relationship between us is actually pretty good.

Chen even made a cameo appearance in The Avengers.

Therefore, even if Inception is outshined by The Avengers, it doesn't really matter. Chen doesn't care at all.

No, actually he does care about this.

These days, I have been listening to the media hype about him being suppressed every day. Anyone would want to turn the tables.

The key lies in this "Joker".

On Thursday evening, April 4, "Joker" premiered in North America.

Right in front of the Grand Theater, there is a large still photo of Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a clown costume, closing his eyes and looking up at the sky in ecstasy.

Like no other character in this movie, the Joker is the absolute centerpiece.

When Chen Linfeng and Leonardo appeared side by side on the red carpet, the volume of noise that erupted at the scene could almost overturn the entire block.

The calls of "Leonardo" and "Joker" are a reflection of the enthusiasm of movie fans today.

The concepts of "Joker" and "Iron Man" have been extremely hot in recent times.

After 10 days of preview, the scale gradually expanded.

More and more people have seen Joker, and the hype on the Internet is getting louder every day.

Another reason is the promotion by other companies, which, to some extent, fueled the audience's enthusiasm.

The sound of the reporter pressing the shutter button has completely disappeared among the human voices.

However, the frequent flashes not only cast a layer of light on the black dresses worn by the two, but also confirmed the excitement of the reporters.

Come to the interview area.

Leonardo talked about his vacation in the southern hemisphere before going to Berlin. "Sunshine, beaches, beauties, it's simply paradise."

Perhaps it was because the audience's feedback had been getting better and better in recent days that he seemed to have completely lost his anxiety.

“Indeed, you can have fun.”

Chen Linfeng smiled and mentioned what Xixi said to him on the phone last night.

"She cheered us on over the phone and said she hoped that your performance as the clown would be recognized by all the audiences."

"Thank you, CC is so cute, it's a pity that she is yours, otherwise I would definitely try to compete."

"Get out." Chen Linfeng cursed with a smile.

After the two finished the interview, they happened to see Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth (Pepper Potts) walking down the red carpet together.

"Chen, Leo, good evening."

Robert Downey Jr. took a few quick steps and apologized to Leonardo DiCaprio with deep regret.

"Leo, some of the things I said in the previous interview were not correct. I hope you don't mind."

"It's okay. I've heard from Chen that it's all just tabloid reporters writing nonsense."

Leonardo patted Donnie on the shoulder and told him not to worry about it.

When we were doing the event a few days ago, we didn’t have a private chat due to the tight schedule, but the atmosphere is no longer so tense.

Now it’s finally out of the question.

Donnie exhaled, "Indeed, those tabloid reporters are too uncultured."

He followed suit and complained about the inhuman reporters.

After entering the theater, several people greeted the many guests.

Chen Linfeng would occasionally exchange pleasantries with people he knew.

No matter what, people come here for your sake, so you have to chat with them for a while.

Sitting in the front row, Chen Linfeng heard Robert Downey Jr. talking with Leonardo DiCaprio about movie schedules.

"Joker is open in more than 4300 theaters. It's almost squeezing out the screenings of other movies, right?"

"Iron Man 3 is still the same."

"It's different. We have to face competition from Joker first, and then there are series of movies like Star Trek 12 and Fast and Furious 6. It's really distressing to think about it."

Chen Linfeng said speechlessly, "If I had heard you say that earlier, why don't we just switch."

"Haha, it's a pity that everything is set in stone now and can't be changed."

Chen Linfeng knew that Tony was joking and didn't take it seriously.

In North America, the schedules for April and May are different, and May is considered the beginning of the summer season.

In other words, "Joker" is not a pure popcorn movie, which is why it is scheduled to be released in late April.

Audiences of art films often choose movies to watch in March and April.

As it straddles the beginning of May, we can reap some of the benefits of the summer season.

Different movies naturally have different strategies.

This premiere not only invited many stars.

Warner also extended invitations to numerous members of the Academy.

After all, it is a film that aspires to win an Oscar next year, and its release in the first half of the year is also intended to allow more Academy judges to see the film so that they can vote.

The college’s new president, Cheryl Isaacs, was there in person.

She is the first black president of the academy and also one of the few women, so she has all the right qualities.

But she has quite a lot of experience, having worked at Paramount and New Line before.

Chen Linfeng chatted with her for a while.

This guy's attitude is pretty good. Relatively speaking, he is much better at accepting new things than those old white men in the past.

In response to Chen Linfeng's questions, she directly stated that she would not be prejudiced against new types of films, and as long as the film was "artistic" enough, she would give it enough respect.

When the two were chatting, she also specifically mentioned "The Social Network", thinking that it was a pity that the movie was made, and if it had been made during her tenure, perhaps it would have been fruitful.

Chen Linfeng didn't know whether she was saying it intentionally or if she really meant it.

Because of their similar ideas, he still had a better impression of her.

Not long after they finished chatting, Harvey Weinstein came over and sat next to him.

"Chen, will Joker compete for the Oscar next year?"

These words immediately caught the attention of Leonardo, who was sitting on his left.

"Of course," Chen Linfeng nodded, "I think Leo's performance deserves a little golden man."

"What about you? Don't you want to compete for Best Director or Best Picture?" Weinstein asked meaningfully.

“Who wouldn’t want it if given the chance?”

"However, I have already taken my fancy to these trophies. Your chances are slim."

Weinstein shook his head and said arrogantly.

"Oh, really?" Chen Linfeng's expression was calm.

"If, I mean if, Chen, you really want to win the award, you can ask me for help. You know, I am always kind to others."

Harvey Weinstein grinned, giving what he thought was a kind smile.

At the just-concluded Oscars, Jennifer Lawrence won the Best Actress award for "Silver Linings Playbook".

When she delivered her acceptance speech, she directly thanked Harvey for helping her defeat her competitor.

Weinstein felt that although the words were a bit explicit, they demonstrated his strength well.

He looked at the other party with a smile, waiting for Chen to surrender to him.

"Thank you, I don't think that's necessary." Chen Linfeng was as calm as ever.

Weinstein's smile froze. "Are you serious?"

"Of course, the Oscars are a very fair platform. Isn't that what you have always promoted?"

Chen Linfeng looked at the other party with a sincere expression.

Weinstein didn't know for a moment whether he really believed it or was fooling himself.

But it is not appropriate to say something too obvious in this situation.

After all, normal people are not as fierce as Lawrence.

“Haha, sometimes there will be some deviations, but this is all within the scope permitted by the rules.

I hope Director Chen can learn more about the stories behind the Oscars, and then you will understand more.”

"thanks, I will."

After the chat, Weinstein stood up, waved his hands in an unlucky manner, and left.

"Chen, just now..." Leonardo hesitated and wanted to say something.

"Haha, you're not taking it seriously, are you?"

Leonardo breathed a sigh of relief. Before the Berlin Film Festival, he had made a special exchange with him. He thought that he would not be so naive as to be so innocent.

"Harvey is quite good at handling Oscars."

"I know the man behind Oscar. I knew him before I came to Hollywood."

Weinstein had contact with the Chinese film industry very early on, and he cheated many domestic filmmakers.

"Isn't that the reason you don't want to cooperate with him?"

Chen Linfeng knew that Leonardo was a little worried, so he explained,
"If he can help me win the award, it's not a big deal to give him some money."

Leonardo nodded. That was what he meant. Winning the award was the most important thing.

"But Weinstein's tactics are gradually not working well at the Oscars."

"Oh?" Leonardo perked up, "What do you mean?"

"In fact, if you count the number of movies produced by Weinstein that have been nominated for Oscars over the years, you will know that there has been a clear downward trend since last year.

Yet, earlier this year, Jennifer Lawrence came out so openly and spoke out about her dealings with Weinstein.

"It's too explicit and too much," Chen Linfeng said with a firm expression, "Even if those people in the academy are served well, they will be unhappy."

Leonardo thought about it and felt that this was indeed possible.

"With this premise, he will not be able to have a chance at the Oscars next year."

"So we can't work with him this year?"

"Yes."

"Not only that, he's a bit too arrogant now. More and more people are dissatisfied with him. I dare say that in a few years, he will be in trouble."

If Chen Linfeng remembers correctly, this year was the turning point. Since then, Weinstein's influence on the Oscars has become less and less than before.

The number of nominated and winning films has dropped significantly, and there are almost no major awards going forward.

Only a fool would give him money and let him operate it.

"Okay, I think you're right. I'll listen to you."

Leonardo also disliked this fat man. He had been blocked by him in his attempts to win the Oscar several times in the past.

Previously, in "Django Unchained", he won the Best Supporting Actor award, but it was not him who won the award.

If you say I'm not angry, you'd be kidding.

Outside the theater, the crowds on both sides of the red carpet gradually dispersed, and those who had gotten tickets for the premiere couldn't wait to enter the theater.

The theater gradually filled up with people.

The movie was about to start, and Chen Linfeng and Leonardo stopped chatting.

It’s no use thinking too much now, everything depends on the quality of the film and the evaluation of the audience and judges.

The lights go out, and the miraculous journey of "Joker" begins.

(End of this chapter)