The world is in trouble

Chapter 283 Will You Return? A Dream Start!
If we only look at known successful projects for global export, then the choices are actually very limited.

Kung Fu Panda is simply a chosen one, being both Chinese and international.

"2012" was a second-best choice because China could indeed play the role of savior in this film.

In the original version, China's role was fairly significant. In the new version, its role will be greatly enhanced, and its scope will be expanded.

Therefore, it is also a somewhat chosen subject.

Moreover, its box office performance is destined to be a huge hit.

What comes after 2012? Lin Xiao's plan is The Martian.

While the movie Interstellar was more successful, both in terms of box office and critical acclaim, it is actually difficult to adapt it to a Chinese context.

Admittedly, one or two Chinese actors could be added as supporting roles. However, the male lead, Matthew, is virtually irreplaceable.

And its director, Nolan, is irreplaceable.

After the groundwork laid by the films "2012" and "The Martian," Lin Xiao is about to take the risk of appearing in "The Wandering Earth."

Or rather, one of the signs that he wants to push Chinese films onto the global stage is the success or failure of "The Wandering Earth".

Historically, "The Wandering Earth" has been far from a global success.

If it's just the second part, the nationalistic sentiment is very strong, so it might be difficult for it to go global.

However, the first one has a grander scope and a broader perspective.

In Lin Xiao's view, the obstacles to global expansion are not significant.

The key is whether the IP is catchy enough and whether the promotional campaign is large enough.

Of course, whether it will succeed or not, Lin Xiao really doesn't know.

This is not even a five-year plan. According to this tiered plan, the deluxe upgraded version of "The Wandering Earth" will be at least six years away.

Even the upcoming animated film "The Graveyard Book" will reference the world of "The Graveyard Book," but the overall story will be based on "Coco."

In history, this film is the most successful animated film in the world in terms of critical acclaim, box office performance, and ratings.

In the background of the movie's story, Lin Xiao went through countless struggles and weighed his options.

The original story of this movie is set in Mexico, but it could actually be set in China as well.

Because China has the Qingming Festival and the tradition of ancestor worship.

Therefore, this seems to be another rare opportunity for cultural export.

Of course, this involves ghosts, which goes against superstition.

However, if it is indeed set in China, Lin Xiao is now confident that it will pass the review.

The question is, is it necessary?
In the end, Lin Xiao gave up and followed the historical precedent, choosing the Mexican Day of the Dead as the backdrop.

Because this is also the starting point of an IP.

Moreover, after "Kung Fu Panda," production of "The Graveyard Book" will begin immediately.

Neither Sony Columbia nor Oriental Fantasy could afford the failure of a $200 million project.

Moreover, if they really wanted to use China as the story's setting, they could have placed it in the second part of The Graveyard Book.

Given the success of the first season, if the second season were set in a mysterious China, and provided the story is good enough, it would surely be successful as well.

........................

Despite his busy schedule, Zhang Guoshi sought out Lin Xiao.

Now, he is not only busy, but also in the national spotlight.

Because he was the chief director of the Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Although this matter was decided back in 2004, the program for the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics, which he directed, was met with a lot of negative reviews.

At this point, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was drawing ever closer.

He is also attracting more and more attention.

At this moment, he still had absolutely no idea what to do.

As a result, the opening ceremony of this Olympic Games was almost the largest in the world.

Peak level.

Zhang Guoshi also received great honors.

And then what? New Pictures couldn't wait to cash in on this honor, so they made a low-budget comedy, "A Simple Noodle Story," which raked in 2.6 million yuan at the box office.

This is also known as the movie with the ugliest eating habits.

Of course, what truly caused Zhang Guoshi and Zhang Weiping to part ways was after "The Flowers of War".

Because in the past, the big investments in movies were all funded by others, either Jiang Zhiqiang or Columbia Pictures, but for "The Flowers of War", Zhang Weiping actually put in a lot of money.

As a result, the film's box office performance was not as good as expected.

Of course, this led to quite a few minor conflicts between the two sides.

In this world, such friction and conflict arrive earlier and are even more intense.

Zhang Guoshi was determined not to offend the Lightning faction, but Zhang Weiping deliberately offended them to the bitter end.

Moreover, Zhang Guoshi is single-mindedly focused on going international, but his previous films were almost all failures, while Lightning Entertainment is truly going global.

It's not just about globalization; it's starting to resemble a global giant.

Moreover, director He Ping is also taking off again in the Lightning series.

"Mr. Lin, I know you're busy, so I'll get straight to the point," said Zhang Guoshi. "Has the director for '2012' been decided?"

Lin Xiao: "No!"

Director Ning Hao has three projects planned for the next five years.

In the next five years, Chen Sicheng also had two movies and one TV series.

Director He Ping also has two major TV dramas and one movie.

Lin Xiao thought for a while and concluded that, purely in terms of the visual presentation and the imposing presence, the Grand Preceptor Zhang in front of him was indeed very strong.

However, the movie "2012" required a lot of computer-generated special effects.

He thought for a moment and said, "Director Zhang, if you're willing to come, then this film will be yours to direct."

"Of course, this movie needs to be filmed all over the world, including the United States, India, China, and so on."

Zhang Guoshi: "Should we sign with Flash Entertainment or Dream Vision?"

Lin Xiao: "That depends on your wishes."

Master Zhang: "I would prefer a dreamlike vision."

Lin Xiao said, "Okay!"

"Happy cooperation!"

National Advisor Zhang: "It's a pleasure working with you!"

As for how Zhang Guoshi would explain things to Zhang Weiping, Lin Xiao didn't care.

........................

Two days later, Lin Xiao flew back to the United States.

Because Amy Pascal threw a high-end party specifically for him.

And this time, one of the important guests invited was Nolan.

At this point, he had not yet achieved legendary status. Although he had already had relatively successful films such as "Batman Begins" and "The Prestige," the films that would truly cement his legendary status, such as "The Dark Knight," "Inception," and "Interstellar," had not yet been released.

This guy is a pure genius; he filmed "Memento" in just over twenty days.

Of course, Lin Xiao was once very fond of this kind of movie a long time ago and watched them all.

Such as Memento, Mulholland Drive, Trainspotting, Fight Club, and so on.

This feeling is quite strange; there's an inner need to show off, so I need to watch these so-called niche movies.

It took me three or four years to watch more than two hundred movies of this type.

However, I stopped watching it later, as my tastes became more and more like those of the general public.

I don't really like these pretentious Riddler movies anymore.

The same applies to games.

He also dislikes those Souls-like games that pretend to be profound and mysterious, with plots that are vague and deliberately unclear, even though he highly recommends Elden Ring.

But his favorite games are those with strong narratives, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, The Witcher 3, and Cyberpunk 2077.

The two talked for a long time, mostly about movies.

We talked for over two hours.

“I love the Interstellar script very, very much, it’s even my favorite,” Nolan said. “Amy and Susan have both talked to me about it, and I am very, very willing to direct this project.”

"Even when I finished reading this book, my whole body was trembling slightly."

"Because my mind has already started to visualize those planets, I've already started to imagine the impact of those emotions."

"It's a script that you can only come across once in a lifetime."

"However, I cannot direct this work for the time being. Another work is more urgent, because I have been conceiving it for many, many years."

Lin Xiao: "Is it about dreams?"

Nolan: "How do you know? After filming 'Memento,' I had a very vague, fuzzy concept in my mind. Then it gradually took shape and was gradually perfected."

In fact, Nolan's next film was "The Dark Knight," which achieved unprecedented success due to the death of Heath Ledger, the actor who played the Joker, and the fact that the film itself was of even higher quality.

The global box office has surpassed one billion US dollars.

Lin Xiao was about to ask if he could take a look at the script, but he stopped himself immediately.

Nolan is now considered a director at Warner Bros., though not entirely tied to them, as he has collaborated with other Hollywood giants.

Historically, the film *Inception* was a collaboration with Warner Bros.

As a result, the other party simply handed over a notebook.

He has been writing about Inception in bits and pieces for many years, but it will take almost two years before production actually begins.

Therefore, the script is still incomplete.

After Lin Xiao finished reading the script, he began to discuss it with him.

They even ignored everyone around them and started discussing, and even arguing about, certain plot points, logic, or scenes.

........................

When the party ended, Amy lay lazily on the sofa.

“I didn’t expect you to value him so much. In Hollywood right now, he’s not a super director,” Amy said. “He may be very talented, but he hasn’t fully proven himself yet.”

It was only after the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight that Nolan became a top director in Hollywood.

Furthermore, he had been working with Warner Bros. for a long time, so Lin Xiao never had any designs on Inception.

Interstellar was released several years in advance.

"Lin, I heard you chose Zhang as the director for '2012'?" Amy: "That might be a bit risky. The safest choice would be Roland Emmerich."

Lin Xiao: "I know."

Roland is the true king of disaster films.

He was the creator of Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, and 2012.

“I was just saying, it’s up to you.” Amy shrugged.

Because "Kung Fu Panda" was a huge hit, it became the king of Hollywood.

Lin Xiao was essentially using his past successes to take a risk.

He has once again fulfilled his dream of globalizing Chinese cinema.

Some things, if you don't do them during your peak, you'll never have the chance to do them again.

And some things, if you don't do them today, you may never have the chance to do them again tomorrow.

In ten years, or even less, perhaps seven or eight years, the international environment will continue to deteriorate.

By then, it won't even be possible to do it anymore, even if you want to.

Amy: "You'll have to repay that huge dollar loan in two months. Have you saved enough money?"

Lin Xiao: "Still a little short?"

Amy: "How much less?"

Lin Xiao: "About $2.3 million."

Amy: "MY GOD!"

She didn't mean that there was still so much money left to pay back, but rather that Lin Xiao had managed to raise so much money in such a short time.

Six months ago, Lin Xiao was penniless, with over 900 million US dollars in cash and nowhere to spend it.

As a result, they have now raised 7 million.

The global box office revenue from "The Hunger Games," along with the exclusive rights to the videotapes and DVDs, was sold to Sony for over $300 million.

The two shows, "The Squid Game" and "Breaking Bad," grossed nearly 100 million.

Fallout 3 was a huge hit, selling over ten million copies in just a few months, generating over 700 million in sales. After deducting channel commissions, the company earned over 300 million.

Amy: "I'll find a way to get you the money within two months."

Lin Xiao: "Okay."

Amy laughed and said, "Now, as soon as you open your mouth, countless Hollywood moguls will be waving checks at you and begging for your help."

Lin Xiao couldn't help but recall what Li Lianjie had said: "In Hollywood, when you succeed, people will kneel down and lick your shoes; when you fail, even dogs won't pay attention to you."

Fortunately, Lin Xiao did not encounter such an extreme situation and has remained dignified until now.

................................................

Next, Lin Xiao flew to Krakow, Poland.

Because over the years, the development costs of The Witcher have been rising continuously.

The other party kept asking him for money.

As a result... he is now one of CDPR's largest shareholders.

But the two founders, Marcin Ivinsky and Mika Tsitsinsky, didn't feel anything was wrong. Because until now, they were just small game developers, originally unknown.

Historically, in order to make The Witcher, they begged and pleaded with countless investors, exhausting all their power to raise just a few million dollars.

Because of insufficient technology and funding, the historical version of The Witcher was, strictly speaking, only a half-finished product, with an unknown amount of content cut out.

In this world, Lin Xiao has every opportunity to make investments.

If you want money, give money, if you want people, give people.

They transformed a small company into a top-tier team.

After three and a half years of development, the game is now nearing its end.

To help bring this game to a close, more than 300 people have participated in the final stages of the game.

Half of them were outside helpers that Lin Xiao found.

Speaking of finding outside help, I can't help but think of the lessons learned from Liao Feng's experience in finding outside help to develop "Perfect World".

Therefore, Lin Xiao made it very clear this time. No matter how strong your abilities or how high your qualifications were on the PS platform, at EPIC, or at Er Gou Game Studio, once you come here, you must completely obey orders.

Do whatever you're told.

This time, Lin Xiao was there as the big boss to inspect the game. The two founders stared at Lin Xiao with extreme tension, fearing he might utter the words, "No good, send it back for a restart."

Because this is already the third version.

Lin Xiao was slightly taken aback after entering the game.

Then he glanced at Marchin, and then at Soye, the boss of Er Gou Studio who had accompanied him.

"Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel that the graphics of The Witcher are actually better than those of Fallout 3?" Lin Xiao said.

Fallout 3 is already the top game of the year.

The key point is that although its budget is many times larger than in previous years, it is still slightly less than that of Fallout 3.

Moreover, the same applies to developing an engine.

These Europeans are something else.

Historically, The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 were released in the same year, but The Witcher 3 had much better graphics.

Marcin: "We were clever in this respect."

"Because it's a fantasy work, we have a lot more room for creative expression."

"So we were able to be bolder in our coloring. In the game, we added a filter-like feel similar to oil painting."

"Therefore, it will be purer in a single color block."

It's just a beauty filter!
It feels both real and beautiful.

Unlike Fallout 3, it has a sharp and realistic feel.

That's why the Witcher's graphics seem superior at first glance.

Next, Geralt arrives at an inn where there are girls who he can pursue.

then……

A familiar scene appeared.

It's very explicit, and quite large.

Everything has been exposed.

That's exactly what I'm looking for!
yeah!
While the original Witcher series did have this plot, there were no related scenes.

Now we not only have full-view footage, but also close-ups.

In this era, there weren't many mods available, and big-budget games didn't contain much explicit content.

And now... we have it!
One of a kind!
Lin Xiao played for six or seven hours, while the several BOSSes around him sat and watched him play for several hours.

Lin Xiao then stayed for four days.

I actually played through the entire game.

Wow!
Satisfy!

This is the complete version of The Witcher 1.

Especially the final episode, with its explosive suspense and impact.

Although it's only the first installment, its plot has the epic feel of a third film.

It is far more complete than in history.

In particular, the development of the character Jacques de Edsberger, as well as the use of time distortion, are far superior.

This version corrects almost all the previous shortcomings.

“We plan to release it globally in April,” Marchin said. “Do you have any instructions regarding the publicity before then?”

The marketing and promotion of Fallout 3 was considered a classic.

Lin Xiao: "This time, the major gaming media outlets should be more objective, right?"

Marcin: "It will be objective, even very objective."

Lin Xiao: "Using internet video websites as the main promotional focus means repeatedly playing clips of exciting scenes from the game, especially the erotic parts."

Back then, Cyberpunk 2077 used this very tactic to lure countless players worldwide into becoming fans.

This time, the hype is even greater.

This AAA game has such great graphics that you can seduce several girls, and they're all fully nude.

This is so explicit, you've never seen anything like it before, it's a first in the gaming world.

Let The Witcher be awesome ahead of time!
..........................................

After the data showed that "Kung Fu Panda" grossed 2.9 million yuan in its opening week in China, the entire market fell completely silent.

And then... came the revelry.

Because everyone knows what this means.

Another milestone has been reached in Chinese cinema.

A new box office miracle is about to occur.

How high it can fly is up to you, the audience.

Moreover, it's an animated film, so it's suitable for the whole family.

Previously, the main audience for Chinese films was white-collar workers in big cities, followed by college students.

This time, a new group of people appeared: parents bringing their children into the venue.

Everyone seemed to have tacitly launched a box office offensive.

This charge continued until around January 31st, because the Lunar New Year was just a few days away.

The domestic box office performance of "Kung Fu Panda" is basically set.

8.9 million RMB.

This... is already an astronomical figure.

It has more than doubled the box office record set by "The Last Day" three years ago.

Even excluding box office figures after 2008, the Chinese film box office in 2007 alone exceeded 43 billion yuan.

Compared to historical levels, the market size has increased by nearly 10 billion.

Thanks to Lin Xiao's efforts, the Chinese box office market grew by 30%, and the box office ceiling for a single film was raised to three times the original record.

The film industry was almost completely stunned into silence by this data.

Whether it's the Beijing circle or the Hong Kong circle, they were shocked to discover this.

Wow, the Chinese film market is huge! Even when calculated in US dollars, it can generate box office revenue exceeding $100 million?
But when Lin Xiao saw this data, he sighed softly to himself.

Originally, he thought it could exceed one billion!

It can create even more magnificent miracles.

It seems incredible that the highest box office record has soared from over 4 million to around 9 million. Aren't you satisfied yet?
It's unimaginable.

In fact, Avatar was released in 2009!
Then, its box office in China soared to 14 billion!
Lin Xiao could even sense that if he had his previous peak reputation, the box office of "Kung Fu Panda" would have been even higher, definitely exceeding 10 billion, or even higher.

However... this number has already been met.

Meanwhile, the North American box office results were already set.

Kung Fu Panda grossed $3.3 million at the North American box office.

This number, however, stunned Lin Xiao.

This is about $1.2 million higher than in history.

He didn't even know where the box office figures came from.

The movie is indeed more exciting and thrilling than the historical version, and the visuals are also more magnificent.

But... that was an alteration Lin Xiao made to please the Chinese market.

As a result, North America seemed to be his home turf.

The $1.2 million more than in previous years, when converted, is exactly the total domestic box office, which he finds somewhat puzzling.

Then this scene unfolded: the number one box office hit in North America that year was "The Hunger Games," followed by "Spider-Man 3" in second place and "Kung Fu Panda" in third.

Surprisingly, two of the top three works are from the fantasy genre.

Historically, Kung Fu Panda's global box office totaled $6.32 million.

In this world, the emergence of the Chinese market as an incremental factor, coupled with an additional $1.2 million from the US market, has contributed to this growth.

Even in the Japanese and South Korean markets, box office revenue has exceeded historical highs.

Ultimately, Kung Fu Panda grossed $9.1 million worldwide.

It not only surpassed The Hunger Games' $7.3 million, but also ranked second in the global box office charts.

Sony is absolutely dominating the game.

Its animated scope has had a fantastic start.

but……

Lin Xiao's reputation in the country has still not been restored.

Just don't know why.

Although many people went to the cinema to support "Kung Fu Panda," and the box office was unprecedentedly successful, they also knew that it was the work of the "Master Er Gou" (a popular online figure).

But... this sentiment still didn't take hold among the vast majority of people.

The banner of Er Gou's reputation has still not been raised.

He can no longer act like before, when someone tries to smear or slander him, and countless fans would swarm towards him like a tidal wave.

That overwhelming dominance, that invincible momentum, has yet to materialize.

There was no sense of having thousands of troops standing behind him, fighting for him.

..........................................

Before we knew it, 2008 had arrived.

At this time, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala production team once again extended an invitation to Lin Xiao.

Because in everyone's eyes, it was time for Lin Xiao to return.

They've returned to the public eye.

The trendsetter "Kung Fu Panda" was a great success.

Not only did they bring Lightning Entertainment back to its peak, but they also doubled the ceiling for Chinese film box office revenue.

Such great success is enough to bring you back.

And this year is different!

2008 was not only the year of the Beijing Olympics, but also a milestone in China's rise, ushering in a new and dreamlike era.

Therefore, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala was the best opportunity for him.

They reappeared with immense honor and glory.

However, Lin Xiao still refused.

He arrived at the X Research Institute in the middle of the night. The place was still brightly lit, and hundreds of people were still working overtime.

He went directly to Wu Di's office.

This guy is no longer handsome; his face is covered in a beard.

It's not that I don't even have time to shave, but rather that I just let it grow back uncontrollably.

He has truly found his way back to his life.

It's more than just being able to handle things with ease.
He has left the operating system development department; this chief scientist began designing a new generation of chips several months ago.

Because he felt that this was more difficult and more challenging.

"What are you looking at?" Wu Di suddenly asked.

Lin Xiao remained silent.

Wu Di: "What the hell are you looking at?"

Damn, ever since this guy became more and more awesome, his temper has also become more and more explosive.

Then, he grabbed a can of cola from the side and chugged it down.

Looking at his somewhat overweight upper body, Lin Xiao couldn't help but say, "You should drink less cola."

Wu Di: "Bullshit, using your brain a lot just requires replenishing sugar."

Then, he suddenly looked up at Lin Xiao and said, "I know what you're thinking! Don't even think about it!"

Lin Xiao sneered, "You're not a mind reader, how would you know what I'm thinking?"
Wu Di: "You just want me to replace you in the future and release the quantum phone, right? Impossible!"

"Perhaps for the third or fourth generation, I can stand in for you at this press conference."

"But do you know what the first generation of quantum phones meant?"

"It means you're waging war against Google and Microsoft!"

"This signifies the beginning of a mobile internet revolution in China."

"You must have this triumphant return!"

"Isn't it just arrogance in your heart? Do you think you still haven't regained your reputation?"

"Does it matter? Does it matter?"

"We only do cool things, we only do awesome things."

"As for the others, let them die."

"You taught me this, you genius!"

Then Wu Di slowly said, "Lin Xiao, you are our leader. This return of the king is not only something you need, but something we need as well."

"Would you like me to perform a Roosevelt-style standing pose for you?"

Roosevelt was also paralyzed from the waist down. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in order to express to the world his determination to fight against Japan, he stood up directly from his wheelchair.

Lin Xiao: "Get lost!"

Then, he looked at his watch; it was already 3:30 a.m.

"Alright, you should go to sleep now." Lin Xiao: "Your mother has called me several times, asking me to keep an eye on you so you don't stay up all night. Also... she asked me to tell you not to ignore her calls."

Then, he stepped forward, pushed the wheelchair, and was about to take him back to his room.

Just then, Lin Xiao's phone suddenly rang.

Lin Xiao glanced at Wu Di, then went out to answer the phone, when Wu Lingxi's voice came through.

"Dog, were you serious about what you said before?"

"Whether you're serious or not, I'm officially informing you."

"You flew to America to spend the Spring Festival with me."

"I am ready."

"They even calculated the dates."

........................

Note: I'm leaving on a long trip early tomorrow morning, so I'll seize every opportunity to write! To those who have monthly passes, please continue to give me your support and encouragement. Thank you!

(End of this chapter)