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

Chapter 558: Earth-shattering, Chen and Nolan's collaboration (6k)

It is obvious that the other four directors present do not like superhero movies. Only Chen Linfeng, based on his past experience, may have a different opinion.

As soon as the host said this, everyone looked at him with interest.

Chen Linfeng thought for a moment, then said, "From the perspective of physics, everything in the world will eventually decay, it's just a matter of time."

"Of course, if I really answer like that, it would be sophistry. If we lower the time scale, I also think that what he said might be right."

"Oh?"

"The audience's interest in the same type of movie is bound to be limited in time. When the audience gets tired of it, superhero movies will naturally decline.

I haven’t experienced the decline of Westerns, so I’m not sure about the details, but it should be like what Mr. Spielberg said, there may be similarities between the two.”

"Chen, I originally thought that you would be the type who would be more interested in superhero movies," Spielberg couldn't help but say.

Chen Linfeng nodded and said, "I am indeed optimistic about the current situation of superhero movies, but I am not sure about the future."

Jimmy looked at the other four people and asked, "What do you think?"

Spielberg, Cameron and Zhang Yimou all dislike superhero movies, believing that this form of film will eventually decline, just like other genres that have risen in the past.

Nolan hesitated for a moment and expressed a different opinion.

“I think it will take a long time for superhero movies to decline. This type of movie has a lot of room for imagination, and the various super powers will keep the audience interested.

I think it will always have a place in the future, which is different from westerns.”

Chen Linfeng added, "Superhero movies are not the same as superpower movies. I think what we are discussing now should be the narrow superhero movies like DC and Marvel."

"But it is true that even if superhero movies decline in the future, they will still have a certain share."

Spielberg said, “In fact, superhero movies are so popular now, and logically speaking, we shouldn’t be pessimistic about it.

But at present, its problems are quite obvious, so I say so. "

The four of them nodded, indicating that they agreed with his opinion.

The audience was a little surprised. Marvel is currently thriving, but they didn't expect that these big directors would think there is something wrong with it.

Jimmy asked curiously, "What's the problem?"

"In the form of a story."

“Rhythm homogenization.”

“It’s too routine.”

Cameron, Nolan, and Zhang Yimou each said something that made Jimmy a little confused.

Seeing that he didn't understand, Chen Linfeng helped to explain.

"What the three directors said is actually the same thing. Today's superheroes seem to be in danger of falling into homogeneity. I call it the 'Marvel formula'."

"Marvel formula?"

"Well, the story development logic is almost the same.

As for the origin movie, it's a small person with flaws + setbacks + the excitement of coincidence = a superhero, and in the finale the villain is defeated.

In the sequel, the hero shows off his abilities at the beginning, encounters setbacks, the villain appears, his abilities are enhanced, and he defeats the villain.

Add some humor to the above and you have a Marvel movie."

Several people nodded, indicating that this was what they meant.

Jimmy exclaimed, "I see, now that you mention it, I think it's true."

“Of course, my views are somewhat different from theirs.”

Chen Linfeng adjusted his sitting posture and said casually, “Although there is such a routine formula, there is actually nothing wrong with the formula.

Hollywood movies have been following the same formula for so many years, but audiences don’t get bored of it. All they need is some micro-innovation.”

"I think the real trouble for Marvel in the future lies in its huge movie universe."

Cameron asked curiously, "Isn't everyone in the industry praising the idea of ​​the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Why do you think this is a problem for them?"

"Early plot linkage will make the audience interested in the next movie, which will in turn boost the box office. The spin-off series can also make money. This is indeed a very good idea and one has to admire it."

"but?"

"But when the movie universe is built to a certain extent, the audience will feel that it is a burden."

Chen Linfeng deduced a future scenario.

“In the future, when the movie universe is large enough, if a viewer wants to watch a Marvel movie, they must first understand the content of its prequel or spin-off series, otherwise they may not understand it.

Even if you were a loyal fan before, if you haven't watched it for a year or two, you won't be able to keep up with the subsequent content.

I think this situation may become the norm in the future, which will cause the audience of the entire movie universe to decrease year by year after reaching its peak. "

“There are also uncertainties here. It’s impossible for all the movies that make up the movie universe to be of high quality.

If there are one or two films of relatively poor quality, a large number of viewers will abandon the series and will not want to watch the subsequent plots, which will further accelerate its decline.”

Chen Linfeng spoke with certainty, as if he had seen such a scene in the future.

Cameron sighed, "The strongest point could also be a weakness. Indeed, what you said is very likely to happen."

Nolan also expressed amazement, "This may indeed be the fatal flaw of the movie universe."

Spielberg looked at Chen Linfeng strangely and said, "I've always heard that you have a lot of ideas and a long-term vision that you can almost see the future. Now it seems to be true."

Zhang Yimou smiled slightly. He had experienced this many times before.

The audience below could be heard whispering, and it was obvious that this point of view was convincing enough for them to start discussing it as well.

Jimmy felt that this was enough of the conversation, and continuing would be impolite to Marvel and DC, especially DC.

We were clearly talking about superhero movies, but in the end we ended up talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Is it that my DC's name is not qualified to appear?

He looked at the tika in his hand and asked the next question.
"In Emily Ken, superhero movies are gradually becoming mainstream, while in China, there are all kinds of movies in recent years.

Such as director Zhang's epic war film "The Song-Mongol War" and "The Flowers of War" which looks back to the past;
Director Chen’s love movie “Your Name” and the action movie “Taken”.

Others include detective films, ancient films, inspirational films, literary and artistic films, etc. ”

Jimmy gave many examples, many of which were movies that the audience had either heard of or seen.

He continued, “With so many different types of movies competing to be shown and the box office in the movie market getting higher and higher, it reminds me of Emily Ken’s 8090s and s, which was the golden age of American movies.

Some people say that Chinese films are rising rapidly and are likely to become a major competitor to Hollywood in the future.

I would like to ask you, what do you think about this matter? "

Cameron was the first to answer this time, "The Chinese film market is growing very fast, and it is very likely to be equal in size to the North American market in the future.

Under such circumstances, all types of films can find their own audiences, and I envy their current situation."

"It's really enviable," Spielberg nodded, "but I don't see any sign of it becoming a major competitor to Hollywood."

Cameron added, "Chen's previous special effects efforts on Your Name and Inception were very good, and Zhang's performance on The Song-Mongol War was also amazing.

If all Chinese directors can be as successful as these films, it would be a real threat, but right now it seems that Chen, Zhang and others are still in the minority.”

Nolan picked up the microphone and said, "I agree with the two directors. We can't see anything right now. Maybe in a few years, the situation will be different."

Nowadays, the gap between the two countries in terms of film is still too big, no wonder they don’t care about this issue.

Jimmy looked in another direction, "What do you two directors think of this issue, and what are the opinions of the three above?"

Chen Linfeng spread his hands and said, "I have always been very confident about the future of my country. I believe many people know this."

"So you don't agree with the three directors?"

Chen Linfeng did not respond directly, but talked about another matter.

"At the end of last year, I participated in a program where I made a bet with someone. I think it can prove my confidence in the future of Chinese films."

"Oh?" "What kind of bet is it?"

Both Nolan and Cameron looked over with great interest.

"In the next 12 years, will China produce a movie that can earn more than $10 billion in a single market? My answer is 'yes'."

He looked at the others with interest, "How about making a bet on this question?"

"Wow, interesting suggestion."

Jimmy was in a good mood. It would be boring if they just chatted, so it was better this way.

He began to stir up trouble, "Hey guys, Chen has challenged you."

"I think it's unlikely. The highest box office record for Chinese films is still less than $3 million, created by Chen. Unless there are major changes in the exchange rate between the two countries in the future, I will stick to my point of view."

Spielberg was cautious, "According to the current exchange rate, $10 billion is 60.2 billion RMB.

Chen, do you want to bet that a movie's box office in the Chinese market alone will exceed this number?"

"Yes."

After making this calculation, Zhang Yimou shook his head.

For him, the 21 billion figure for "Your Name" was already very high, and now it is going to be raised to 60 billion. No matter how you think about it, there is no movie with such a high box office.

He smiled bitterly and said, "I give up this bet."

In such a situation, we must not show that we have no confidence in our own country, but it is not good to talk nonsense either, so it is better to give up.

"Wow, it seems your compatriots don't have enough confidence in this."

Nolan said, "I bet not."

Spielberg: “Me too.”

Cameron: “Ditto.”

"One person has abstained, and now the situation is 1:3. Are you all willing to stop regretting?" Jimmy confirmed again.

"No!"*4
"OK, things are getting interesting. It's 13 now, and 12 years from now it will be 2025. I can't help it. I want to travel back to that time immediately to see who wins and who loses."

Chen Linfeng raised his hand, "I saw the result. I won, and I won by a huge margin."

$10 million?
Two billion dollars is about right.

"That's not necessarily true," Nolan retorted immediately, "I just traveled back from 2026. In fact, you lose, Chen."

"That's right, we both just got back, Chen, you lose."

"Haha, yes, that's right, you lose."

A group of directors played with the time-travel plot, which is considered a classic movie genre.

The atmosphere became lively as the topic got to this point, and Jimmy took the opportunity to ask about controversial topics.

"What do you think of the rise of 'technological theory' in Hollywood?"

The typical example of this technology theory is James Cameron's "Avatar".

Cameron crossed his arms across his chest. As the director in Hollywood who attaches the most importance to technology, his attitude is self-evident.

Spielberg shook his head and said, “Technology is important, but the story is the core.”

Chen Linfeng couldn't help but say, "Hollywood has taken the global market by storm, relying on technology. The original Jurassic Park was the beginning. Is Director Steven standing on the other side?"

“Yes, I value technology, but I am not a technology purist.”

Chen Linfeng said, "I think so too. Nowadays, everyone is pursuing 3D, but in fact, some movies are more suitable for 2D, such as "Joker"."

Nolan was even more blunt, "Avatar is a bad example. It pays too little attention to story and too much attention to technology."

"That's right," Chen Linfeng nodded. "It would be better if Director Cameron put more effort into the story. If that were the case, I might not be able to compete with him for the Oscar that year."

Cameron couldn't help but glare at me. How dare you say that?

Chen and Zhang's "Sunset" defeated the Camerons at the Oscars that year and is still a hot topic in film and television forums.

Now that all three of them are here, it looks like they’re still having a lot of fun.

"Maybe you shouldn't remind him, otherwise it will be difficult for him to win the next Oscar against Cameron." Zhang Yimou also joked.

"Maybe we should avoid him and compete with Director Bigelow."

haha~
The audience laughed.

The atmosphere became completely lively. Everyone was no longer restrained towards each other and said whatever they thought.

……

"How do you choose your topics? I've seen all of your directors' films are very popular with the audience. Do you have any tips on this?"

Everyone looked at Chen Linfeng. In this regard, he was the most exaggerated and had never failed so far.

Cameron is actually similar, but his output is much lower than Chen's, which is relatively normal.

Chen Linfeng hesitated and said, "Generally speaking, the stories I like are often the stories that the public likes, and I have always done so.

In addition, try to think of new stories, freshness is important. "

Spielberg couldn't help but cover his face. "This is a genius approach. Normal directors don't do this."

"Then how did you do it?" Chen Linfeng asked back.

“We absorb and improve classic Hollywood films, so that a story that is easy for the audience to understand and accept, as well as a real and meaningful concept, can be presented on the big screen in a natural form.”

Oh, learned something.

Chen Linfeng kept it in mind and then went to ask Cameron.

He was back in study mode.

……

A program with the participation of many top directors, including Spielberg, Cameron, and Nolan, each of whom has many fans, including top global stars like Chen Linfeng.

The video went viral online and quickly attracted the attention of netizens.

In the video, several directors talked freely and expressed their thoughts on movies and the entire industry.

"What do you think about the decline of original films?"

"I think Hollywood might decline because of this," Spielberg said.

"I agree." Chen Linfeng answered based on the perspective of the future.

Other directors are not so exaggerated.

Cameron: "Original films are a bit sluggish nowadays, but there are still directors trying to make them."

He glared at Chen Linfeng and said, "Aren't you one of them? Why are you so unconfident?"

Chen Linfeng in the video has an innocent expression, "It's just that after struggling, I felt that the future was uncertain. Now it's moving towards a series of movies and IPs."

……

"What do you think a movie should do to be attractive?"

Cameron: "Depending on the ultimate visual presentation and the right story."

Spielberg: "To achieve emotional resonance with the audience, I think the recent Joker is a good example."

Chen Linfeng said, "Movies are the product of collective creation. If you want to attract people, you must have a strong point, either the story is novel, or the performance, picture, action, at least one of them must be able to make the audience exclaim."

“For example, in Taken, which I worked with Van Loon on, he was always able to design extremely exciting fighting scenes, which is what makes the movie so attractive.

If more effort is put into character creation and story arrangement, the audience may like it more.”

He still didn't forget his original purpose and took the opportunity to place an advertisement.

"In fact, your story is the most important point."

Spielberg couldn't help but sigh, "Sometimes I really want to pull you over to write a story for me. You really deserve the title of the best screenwriter in Hollywood."

Nolan immediately raised his hand and said, "I want to, too. Several years ago, I pursued Chen's Inception script, but unfortunately I didn't get it."

"So there is such a thing,"

Jimmy immediately perked up. He looked at Chen Linfeng and said,
"Chen, they all want to pursue your script. Do you want to cooperate with the two directors?"

Chen Linfeng looked hesitant.

Cameron couldn't help but said, "If it's Chen's script, I can accept it."

The output can also be mentioned.

Zhang Yimou looked around but was too embarrassed to say anything.

He has been working with Xiao Chen.

Chen Linfeng frowned and said, "It's not impossible. I have a script here that should be quite suitable for Nolan."

Nolan's eyes lit up, "What kind of story is it?"

Spielberg and Cameron couldn't help but look regretful.

They hadn’t had high hopes, but now that they heard that Nolan might get the script, they felt a little upset.

What Chen Linfeng was referring to was naturally the movie "Interstellar".

"Chen wants to cooperate with Nolan?"

When netizens saw this, they immediately became excited.

"These two are my favorite directors. It would be the most wonderful thing in life if they could work together."

"Fuck, if these two directors get together, will there be any room for other directors to survive?"

Professionals in the film and television industry were shocked and felt that the situation was not good.

Disney and Warner were immediately interested.

Chen/Nolan, but they are my dearest friends and relatives, so I am sure there must be a share of Disney/Warner.

Once the two of them confirmed their collaboration, the subsequent topics seemed to lose their appeal.

The most widely publicized news about this program is that the two directors are about to collaborate.

In fact, this news spread in the circle earlier.

Just after finishing the show on the 20th, Chen Linfeng received a call from Pete on the 21st.

"Chen, are you going to make a movie with Nolan?"

“Yes, I have this intention.”

"Can I ask what kind of movie it is?"

"sci-fi movie."

Pete was instantly excited, "Will this... cooperate with Disney?"

If he cooperates with Disney, he will have the hope of becoming a producer, which would be a big deal.

"Everything is still uncertain at the moment. I might play the leading role, or serve as a producer or screenwriter. Now it's just at the intention stage, do you understand?"

"I understand, I understand. Mr. Iger asked me to tell you that Disney will always be your loyal partner."

"Uh," Chen Linfeng said helplessly, "I will seriously consider it."

As soon as the call was hung up, Alex came to ask.

"Chen, I heard..."

"I understand what you want to ask. We haven't confirmed the partner yet. Nolan and I have just finalized our cooperation intention. He hasn't even read the script yet."

"Chen, Warner has always had a pleasant cooperation with Nolan. Warner also showed us enough respect on the Joker project. Please consider us."

Alex still thought it was not enough and continued to add, "Mr. Barry Meier personally promised that the payment for Joker will be in place by early next year at the latest. If we have any future cooperation, it will be at the same speed."

Chen Linfeng was really tempted.

When working with these big Hollywood companies, the payment collection process is often slow. If it could be faster, it would indeed be a good condition.

However, these conditions can be negotiated by Sister Mei, and he will not interfere too much.

"I don't have too many opinions on the partners. I'll let Sister Mei discuss the specific matters."

Alex was a little disappointed. This woman was not someone who was easy to talk to.

During the previous negotiations, her sharp words left a deep impression on him.

However, it would be nice to have a chance to negotiate.

In fact, it is not just Warner and Disney. Universal and Columbia have also expressed their willingness to cooperate through various channels.

After "Inception" and "Joker", Chen has become completely popular.

In some ways, he is more popular than Steven Spielberg in this era.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Steven has entered a period of creative decline.

Chen may still be in his rising stage. No one knows whether he has reached his peak or how high his ceiling is.

Even at the current level, it is enough to feed all companies.

Therefore, Chen and Nolan’s new project is something they are determined to win!
(End of this chapter)