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

Chapter 605 The Nation's Anticipation (Part 1)

Following the impromptu meeting convened by the Academy, the public debate surrounding the Oscars, while not completely subsided, at least lost much of its intensity.

The offensive language of the past has almost disappeared, replaced by numerous media outlets singing praises to the nominated films.

The only exception is "12 Years a Slave," which may have been due to excessive hype beforehand, leading to genuine dissatisfaction with the film's marketing strategy.

In recent days, a continuous stream of commentators have published articles criticizing films for restricting the "aesthetic freedom" of the public and judges.

This forced Chen Linfeng to repeatedly assure the academy that he was not up to any trickery.

The college is quite confident in the situation. Not to mention that normal people wouldn't commit such a crime against the wind, the level of discussion in the media and online is actually much lower than at its peak.

This also proves how crazy everyone was about public opinion during that period.

It's almost as big as the US presidential election on a small scale.

After Chen Linfeng explained, he reduced his attention to the matter and began to learn about the situation in China.

At that moment, he had a copy of the box office data for this year's Spring Festival films that Sister Mei had given him.

The most prominent position at the top of the list is that of "Now You See Me" – 28.2 billion.

Then came "The Longest Day in Chang'an," which grossed 14.6 billion yuan.

"About Time" has grossed 14.2 billion yuan.

Chen Kaige actually managed to overtake them again.

Chen Linfeng glanced at the analysis and realized that it was because they were both historical dramas that they had taken over some of the popularity of "The Biography of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty".

No wonder.

It's late February now, long past the Lantern Festival and students' winter break.

Strictly speaking, the main viewing period for films released during the Spring Festival is basically over.

Therefore, the box office figures at this point are not far from the final result.

However, due to the positive reviews of "Now You See Me", its momentum has remained quite strong.

At a time when the market is sluggish, the number of screenings has remained stable at over 30%, and the occupancy rate is also acceptable.

Considering that Kylin Company has received requests from its cooperating investors and cinema chains to extend the key,

Therefore, Maoyan's internal box office prediction is ultimately set at 31-33 billion yuan.

Basically, it's following the high point predicted by various forecasting agencies.

Chen Linfeng pondered for a moment, recalling the situation of the domestic market in his previous life.

This number will not be surpassed until Stephen Chow's "The Mermaid" in 2016 (33.9 billion).

Considering the potential for a butterfly effect, it might even lead to a film like "Wolf Warrior 2".

If they can dominate for at least another two years, that's pretty good.

Chen Linfeng was quite satisfied.

I was filming "Now You See Me" before, but I never expected it to turn out like this.

At the time, I was just hoping to follow the trend of the domestic market; whether I could surpass "Your Name" was still unknown.

This is not him being self-deprecating.

It's worth noting that the first domestic film to surpass 10 billion yuan at the box office, "Lost in Thailand," was released at the end of 2012.

This movie was made just over a year ago.

"Lost in Thailand" still sparked a small-scale movie-going frenzy, and to some extent, it can be considered the "limit" under the norm at the time.

One year is not enough time for the market size of a single chip to double.

In this case, one can roughly estimate the upper limit of "Now You See Me" simply through calculation.

No one can guarantee that every film they make will spark a nationwide movie-going frenzy.

Because Sisi is pregnant, she plans to rest for a while longer, and he is prepared for his record of "Your Name" to be surpassed.

But now it has far exceeded his expectations.

"It's all thanks to 'The Legend of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty' that we made this drama worthwhile."

Seeing the movie data, Chen Linfeng, feeling quite pleased with himself, couldn't help but say to Sister Mei.

“The Legend of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty contributed a lot,” Anita Mui nodded. “But there’s another point: after the Spring Festival, there was a lot of news in China about you competing for this year’s Oscars.”

"This should have contributed to the box office growth to some extent."

"Oh?" Chen Linfeng asked in surprise, "Is it being hyped up a lot by the domestic media?"

"It was quite hot. Actually, it started as soon as the nomination list came out, but it was overshadowed by the popularity of 'The Legend of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty,' and then the Spring Festival season. After the Spring Festival season, the heat of this matter could not be suppressed. At that time, the media was also short of material, so they all rushed to report on it."

Sister Mei has always kept a close eye on the domestic situation. Influenced by Chen Linfeng, she pays particular attention to public opinion. In addition, she has people working in the media and many partners, so she knows a lot of relevant details.

"That's it."

Intrigued by her words, Chen Linfeng temporarily put down his report, turned on his computer, and skillfully searched several popular social and media websites in China.

First, there's Weibo. The moment I clicked in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of trending topics.
[Breaking News] Chen Linfeng's final Oscar push: 11 nominations set to make history!
[Hot] Can Leonardo DiCaprio, the "Joker," realize his dream? Director Chen is the key driving force!
[Hot Topic] Can Chen Linfeng win Best Director again? Will he shine as a shining star of the Chinese people and make history once more?

……

Since Chen Linfeng submitted his suggestions for Weibo's rectification to his superiors, it is no longer possible for Weibo's trending topics list to be filled with news from the film and television industry.

But it's really a bit exaggerated that his name is at the top three of the overall trending topics.

When you look at the film and television section, apart from one entry for "The Legend of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty" and two entries for "Now You See Me," everything else is directly related to the Oscars.

The comments below disappear as soon as you refresh the page; you can't find them at all.

Weibo's servers seemed to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of discussion.

"Wow, what a spectacle..." Chen Linfeng scrolled through the screen, even though he was used to all sorts of things, he was still taken aback by the overwhelming enthusiasm of the domestic media and netizens.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was Chinese New Year and everyone was surfing the internet at home.

Some commenters are also discussing the level of interest, so it seems he's not the only one surprised.

"The hashtag #ChenLinfengOscars# has already surpassed an astonishing 20 billion views and millions of discussions as of yesterday. Why is everyone so enthusiastic?"

"It's perfectly normal. With Sissi's pregnancy, 'The Legend of Zhaolie of the Southern Song Dynasty', 'Now You See Me' which is about to break 30 billion, and 11 Oscar nominations, the hype has only just exploded now. It's already considered late."

"Come on! Place your bets! How many Oscars will Director Chen win this time? I'm betting on Best Director and Best Actor!"

"If we win three or five more technical awards, we'll have six or seven Oscars. Or, to exaggerate a bit, we could break into the top ranks of film history. Speaking of which, how many awards did those top ten Oscar-winning films win?"

"Good luck with your jinx! I'm taking my Feng-ge with me; I'll just support him quietly!"

"Exactly, aren't you afraid of causing your baby to have an upset stomach?"

"Impossible, with 11 nominations, it's impossible for them to fail."

"Director Chen's expedition leaves nothing but desolation! That's the kind of spirit that won him the award for 'Sunset' back then!"

"..."

Well, these netizens are more confident than he is.

He's still watching "The Beautiful Country Scam," and he doesn't want to sit at the same table with it.

Ignoring the comments from netizens, he clicked on the accounts he followed. Since official media outlets began to enter Weibo last year, he has followed many of their accounts.

Even though some of them might be seen as traitors in hindsight, he still gave them some face.

This is the opinion of a domestic public relations team. If everyone else pays attention, and only a very few are overlooked, then the targeting would be too significant.

So many people are paying attention to his every move, it's undeniable that they take this matter very seriously.

The first thing I saw after clicking in was a report from a second-rate daily newspaper.

Chen Linfeng's renewed bid for the Oscars: A confident answer to the industrialization of Chinese cinema.

He glanced at it briefly and then noticed that the style of the article was quite different from his previous works.

The opening remarks highly praised his growth trajectory from screenwriter to director, regarding the Best Director award for "Sunset Glow" as a milestone for Chinese filmmakers "going global".

Chen Linfeng became more serious.

"The fact that Chinese films are returning to the Oscars with 'Joker' in a stronger form this time symbolizes the significant progress that Chinese films have made in industrialization, genre development, and international expression."

......"

"...This is not only a personal honor, but also a vivid manifestation of the enhanced strength of China's film industry and the strengthening of its cultural confidence."

We look forward to Director Chen Linfeng once again composing a brilliant chapter for Chinese filmmakers on the world's highest stage of cinema!

This was almost a definitive statement supporting him, something rarely done so openly in the past.

[Is my hometown really that supportive?]

Chen Linfeng was finding it a little difficult to adapt.

Looking at other official media reports, they are not much different. They are basically based on articles from second-rate newspapers and maintain almost the same tone.

In addition, there are blog posts from various film and television weekly publications.

Starting in mid-February, most film magazines urgently released special Oscar editions of "Joker".

On Weibo, many of the related covers are stills of Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie. Chen Linfeng casually clicked the mouse and saw several pictures of Arthur dancing wildly.

It seems that scene has truly resonated with people.

In addition to images, many film and television media accounts have published in-depth analyses of the film.

Some have dissected the script structure, audiovisual language, performance art (especially Leonardo DiCaprio's "godlike" performance), and profound social metaphors of "Joker".

Some also brought in major competitors from the same year, such as "12 Years a Slave," "Beautiful Country Scam," and "Dallas Buyers Club," for a comprehensive comparison.

"Chen's Gotham films, with their oppressive and explosive atmosphere, directly address reality. His aesthetic style has become a system of its own, possessing strong authorship and universal appeal."

This is a perfect blend of art and commerce, depth and entertainment, and its 11 nominations are well-deserved.

It must be said that Director Chen is indeed a strong contender for both Best Director and Best Film awards.

These kinds of technical analysis articles are designed to satisfy movie fans' desire for in-depth knowledge (and a desire to show off). They are full of detailed data and high-level theories, and they do seem to have a solid foundation.

However, most of the article was fine, but some parts went too far.

Even the director himself didn't expect this.

This made him blush somewhat.

Chen Linfeng maintained his unique third-party perspective as a time traveler and did not believe that the film's influence was really that great.

As the author of "Her" in particular, he is especially wary of the emergence of information cocoons.

I've been taking precautions since I was little, and it's become a habit.

But in reality, he underestimated the enthusiasm and expectations in China for his Oscar bid.

Because Anita Mui kept a close eye on the domestic public opinion situation throughout the process and had data to support her understanding, she actually had a more specific understanding as an observer.

Chen Linfeng's bid for the Olympics has now become a nationwide celebration.

It's even more exaggerated than the hype surrounding Zhang Yimou's bid for the Olympics back then.

After all, the mobile internet, which acts as an amplifier of public opinion, is no longer available.

It's not just official media and netizens on social media that are putting in the effort; entertainment media, local media, and independent media are all following up and creating momentum.

From what she understands, the social media feeds of film industry professionals, media people, and movie fans are almost entirely filled with posts about the Oscars and Chen Linfeng.

Posting a picture of a ticket stub for "The Heist" with the caption "Waiting for Director Chen to make history again";

Forwarding and commenting on in-depth analysis articles;

Even a simple "Go Chen Linfeng!"

There are countless examples.

Regarding the forum.

On platforms such as Douban Movie Group, Baidu Tieba (Movie Bar, Hollywood Bar, Chen Linfeng Bar), and Zhihu, posts on related topics are being published at an astonishing speed.

Technical analysis of the awards, gossip about Chen Linfeng and his wife's activities in the US, and sentimental reflection on Chen Linfeng's film career.

Various polls have been posted, the most typical one being, "How many awards do you think Chen Linfeng can win?"

It appears on almost every forum, and people repost it every day or two.

People continue to participate, and the activity remains highly popular.

This is no longer just an entertainment event; it has become a cultural event and a point of emotional resonance.

From a more professional perspective, that is, within the industry, the commotion is quite significant, and it can be said that the entire domestic film and television industry chain has been shaken.

The box office phenomenon of "Now You See Me" (28 billion+) coupled with Xiao Feng's huge reputation at the Oscars has led the capital market to value the name "Chen Linfeng" at an unprecedented level.

Her inbox was overflowing with offers of cooperation from investors, film and television companies, and platforms.

This isn't even the Oscars ceremony yet.

Everyone started to get anxious.

Indeed, almost everyone understands that a Chinese director who has a phenomenal box office record and can win major awards at the Oscars will have a dominant commercial value and industry status.

Even if an extreme situation occurs this time, and ultimately there is no harvest.

It's hard to say whether Xiao Feng or the Oscars themselves will be affected in terms of reputation in China.

Lately, she's not only been busy with Hollywood, but also keeping track of Xiao Feng's schedule.

Back in China, the QQ and WeChat groups she joined with directors, producers, and actors all revolved around Xiaofeng and the Oscars.

Thinking of this, Sister Mei remembered something she hadn't mentioned yet, so she said, "Xiao Feng, Gregory called me today."

“Gregory?” Chen Linfeng recalled briefly. “Oh, the producer of The Walking Dead, right? He’s here to talk about Sissi, isn’t he?”

"That's right. First, I inquired about Sisi's health, and then I wanted to schedule the filming for the second half of the year."

Mei said sarcastically, "Judging from his tone, he can't wait for Qianqian to join the crew immediately without even having a postpartum period."

"Well, that's normal, after all, that's how Americans are."

I used to think it was because Westerners didn't have this habit, but after the cross-strait financial reconciliation began in my previous life, I realized that it was simply because of the money aspect that they couldn't afford to lose.

If they dare to rest too much, the supply will be cut off immediately.

Mei continued, "Sissi and I discussed it and decided to stick to the planned schedule. We'll skip this year and start filming at the end of the year or the beginning of next year, as long as it doesn't delay the broadcast next fall."

"Yes, no problem." Chen Linfeng nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

(There will be another chapter tomorrow to build up the atmosphere, and then it's time for the Oscars.)
(End of this chapter)