Huayu: Starting from Fahrenheit

Chapter 439 Wu Zhuo Gets Beaten Up

Some people always think that promotional events like press conferences must create some gimmicks to be effective.

Indeed, this is inevitable for films that don't receive much attention.

But that's not the case for "John Wick".

Because the rapid pursuit itself is just a gimmick.

Yes, the movie itself is a gimmick.

When the press conference was held, Wu Zhuo appeared on the scene, and then the other supporting actors were also top-notch.

This press conference doesn't need to create any other sensational topics.

For the media, their lineup is a very sensational gimmick.

[Two male gods appear together in a once-in-a-lifetime scene; Daniel Wu confirmed to star in Wu Zhuo's new film, The Chase]

Li Bingbing publicly stated that Wu Zhuo is her ideal type.

Thai superstar Tony Jaa joins Fast & Furious.

What kind of god-tier lineup does "Rapid Pursuit" belong to?

Two Hollywood stars join the cast as supporting actors for Wu Zhuo.

That afternoon, news about "John Wick" went viral online.

The online discussion about the film's cast sparked a frenzy that very night, becoming a trending topic.

The main focus of the discussion was whether Wu Zhuo's film could achieve success in the global market.

Because this film is clearly aiming for Hollywood.

Chinese audiences have been paying close attention to Hollywood in recent years and are full of expectations that Chinese actors can once again become Hollywood superstars.

"I think with Wu Zhuo's appeal in the music industry, this movie will definitely do well at the box office."

"That's not necessarily true! Hollywood is different from here; there aren't many singers who become movie stars over there."

Singers are singers, and actors are actors. While some people cross over, very few truly succeed.

"Friend, you probably haven't paid attention to the box office performance of Wu Zhuo's previous movies in Hollywood."

Let me give you a reliable answer.

Currently, Wu Zhuo has three films released in Hollywood: Painted Skin and Ip Man.

Of the three films, "Painted Skin" had the lowest box office, earning only $500 million.

This film is actually one of Wu Zhuo's earlier films. At that time, he had little influence in Hollywood, so the box office was low.

However, since Ip Man, Wu Zhuo's global influence has reached a very high level.

In addition, because this film is an action movie, the two films grossed $3000 million and $6000 million respectively in Hollywood.

Some people may think this number is low, but in reality, it is already quite alarming.

It's worth noting that the original "Hero" only grossed over $5000 million at the North American box office.

That was the pinnacle of Chinese-language films in North America.

The immense success of "Ip Man 2" speaks volumes about its influence.

So, those who think Wu Zhuo's movies have no market in Hollywood can shut up now.

Because the truth is always beyond your imagination.

I predict this film will definitely not underperform at the North American box office compared to "Ip Man 2".

"What the person upstairs said is correct, but you haven't gotten to the point yet."

In fact, Wu Zhuo's films are not limited to the North American market.

His influence in Asia is now at its greatest.

With his star power, as long as the movie isn't utterly awful, its box office performance won't be low.

"To be honest, I am very pleased to see this situation. For a long time before, there was not a single artist from China who made it to the international stage."

Wu Zhuo's emergence can be seen as a beacon of hope for the Chinese film and music industries.

He is the most promising replacement for Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

"Upstairs, Wu Zhuo is no less than them now. According to Nielsen data analysis, Wu Zhuo's global popularity is second only to Jackie Chan among Chinese artists."

I once saw a street interview where Westerners were asked which Chinese superstar came to mind first.

Of those, 49 people mentioned Jackie Chan, and of the remaining people, 30 people immediately thought of Wu Zhuo.

You might think the remaining 21 would say Jack Lee, but unfortunately, the remaining 21 thought of Bruce Lee.

The heated discussion not only brought a lot of attention to the "John Wick" production team.

At the same time, it brought Legendary Pictures back into the public eye.

However, this time it didn't come into the public eye.

Rather, it's the focus of investment institutions and investors.

As I've said before, an entertainment company's product is its works.

Of the projects announced by Legendary Entertainment, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is currently the most anticipated.

Then there's "John Wick," which Wu Zhuo is currently filming.

Many investment institutions believe that these two films have the potential to be huge hits.

Normally, if a film company's movie becomes a box office hit, they wouldn't actually pay attention to it.

But things are different now, because Legend is going public.

Once the two films are released, their box office performance will undoubtedly cause Legendary Entertainment's stock price to soar.

What will the soaring stock price bring?
Money, of course!
Why do investment firms love helping people go public?
It's very simple; they bought a certain number of shares in the company through financing before it went public.

After going public, whenever the stock price rises, the company's market value also skyrockets.

Then they can sell their shares, and the profits will be multiplied.

In fact, if you happen to find a company whose stock price is soaring, you could potentially earn ten times your initial investment.

Investing 100 million yuan before an IPO can turn it into 1 billion yuan after the IPO. This easy business has long been an essential way for financial institutions to make money.

Therefore, the high level of attention given to "John Wick" naturally attracts the attention of investment institutions.

On April 5, Wu Zhuo and the entire crew rushed to the United States to film "John Wick".

Because Warner Bros. invested in the project, they were responsible for all the filming locations here.

After Wu Zhuo and others arrived, they held a brief script discussion and immediately began filming.

Compared to Wu Zhuo's previous roles.

The character of John Wu is different again.

It's also an action movie, but this character is different from Ip Man, who is a pure martial arts master.

Ip Man's action scenes are all based on solid, hard-hitting kung fu.

In this installment, the action scenes consist mostly of gunfights.

The sharp and concise shooting techniques are actually the main selling point.

Of course, Wu Zhuo's version of the fast-paced chase is different from the original.

In the original version, the fight scenes were poorly executed due to the lack of skill in the martial arts choreography. The hand-to-hand combat scenes looked more like ordinary people fighting and lacked any aesthetic appeal.

Some might say that this drama is inherently realistic.

If that's really the case, then what about the protagonist standing in front of dozens of people with just a gun, without flinching?
Furthermore, in the story, when the gang leader mentioned the protagonist to his subordinates, he said, "I saw him kill two people with a toothpick."

This statement directly demonstrates that the protagonist is highly skilled in both marksmanship and physical combat.

Wu Zhuo recalled that when he watched the movie, after hearing the gang leader's description, he immediately pictured the protagonist swiftly and decisively defeating his opponent.

Instead of a typical fight...

He acts all cool when using a gun, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, he acts like a regular thug. Wu Zhuo thinks this doesn't fit the John Wick cinematic universe.

Just then, Wu Zhuo invited Jackie Chan's stunt team.

Therefore, Wu Zhuo and others made a lot of beautifications to the fight scenes in this film.

If you're looking for a similar character.

That character is similar to the protagonist in "The Man from Nowhere" in terms of his swift and efficient action style.

For Wu Zhuo, this kind of action scene was something he had never tried before, so it was still a bit difficult.

But it's not a big problem.

He has filmed quite a few action movies, so he has a foundation.

After getting used to it for a while, there were no problems.

Of course, this is also related to the training he received in advance.

The training program he started several months earlier included gun disassembly and understanding, Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and racing.

Several months of training and practice, though not enough to make him an expert.

But at least I learned a lot about the relevant actions.

Then the action choreographers from Jackie Chan's stunt team designed the beautiful and visually appealing movements.

Wu Zhuo only struggled for a moment before quickly getting into the rhythm.

“Abel, the next move is a bit difficult.”

My idea is that after he lifts you up, you use his body to get behind him and then use a rear-naked choke...

Finally, there's another move where he'll grab your body and smash you against the glass.

The difficulty of this move lies in the fact that you must be careful to protect your vital parts when you land.

On set, today's scene involves John Wu, played by Wu Zhuo, seeking revenge at a heavily guarded nightclub.

This is one of the highlights of the entire film.

Wu Zhuo needs to fight his way from the entrance to the nightclub, killing a large number of gang members along the way.

Then he gets into a hand-to-hand fight with the bodyguard played by Tony Jaa.

Compared to the original version, this scene features a major battle with the gang leader, who is also the bodyguard.

Wu Zhuo's version clearly has more action scenes, and they are more difficult.

In this fight scene, Wu Zhuo not only has to have a window smashed, but also fall downstairs.

To better showcase the fighting effects, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team gave Wu Zhuo two suggestions.

One is that dangerous stunts are performed by their stunt doubles.

The advantage of doing this is that Wu Zhuo will not get hurt.

The downside is that because the action scenes are designed to be very continuous, if a stunt double is used, many shots will be unusable.

Jackie Chan's action scenes are great because he doesn't use a stunt double for many of his films.

Whether he hits someone or is hit by someone, the camera can keep focusing on his face.

However, if a stunt double is used, to avoid revealing the mistake, many more exciting and thrilling actions cannot be included in the shot, and only a back view can be seen.

Another suggestion is for him to do it himself.

The downside of Wu Zhuo going up there is obvious; he might get injured.

Because these actions are indeed very dangerous.

If Wu Zhuo is injured, it could even affect the subsequent filming.

After much deliberation, Wu Zhuo finally decided to go himself.

It's not that he wants to market himself like Jackie Chan does, claiming he doesn't need a stunt double.

He did it purely for the sake of looking good on camera.

John Wick was a very important project for Legendary and for him.

If successful, he will have a global IP series, just like Jackie Chan's "Rush Hour".

Failure, even if he fails in the North American market this time, will not affect his position in the Asian market.

But his box office appeal in North America may collapse overnight.

The quality of a film is entirely composed of individual shots.

To ensure quality, Wu Zhuo had to make every shot perfect.

So he chose to do it himself.

Before filming, Wu Zhuo and Tony Jaa demonstrated the scene several times.

Once both sides confirmed that everything was ready, Benny Chan immediately announced the start of filming.

As soon as the camera opened, the whole scene immediately began to unfold according to the pre-arranged script.

The extras should run away.

Then the extras came out one by one with guns, and Wu Zhuo fired at them in the pre-arranged manner.

Of course, this is a fake gun.

bang bang bang...

Following the plot, Wu Zhuo quickly cleared out the remaining soldiers.

Then, soon it came to the part where he fought Tony Jaa.

Just as Wu Zhuo shot and killed a soldier, and was about to fire at the gangster's son, Tony Jaa suddenly leaped down from a high platform and kicked the gun out of Wu Zhuo's hand.

After landing, he quickly changed tactics, delivering a reverse whip kick to Wu Zhuo's head.

Wu Zhuo was thrown out of the air.

Feeling a bit dizzy as he got up, he couldn't help but shake his head to clear his head.

Before he could even regain his senses, Tony Jaa leaped forward again, landing on Wu Zhuo in a kneeling position.

To be honest, even Wu Zhuo had to admit that Tony Jaa's moves were really cool.

At the same time, this guy's kung fu is really good.

If they really fought, even two Wu Zhuo wouldn't be a match for him.

However, this is filming.

In this movie, John Wu is invincible.

Even though Tony Jaa beat him so badly he looked like he couldn't stand up anymore.

But these are all just settings.

It was to highlight the charisma of Tony Jaa, the villainous character.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity to showcase the protagonist's awesomeness.

First suppress, then elevate.

Using villains to highlight the charisma of the protagonists is a fundamental element of filmmaking.

The same goes for this play.

Wu Zhuo was first brutally beaten by Tony Jaa, and then he counterattacked and suppressed him.

Of course, just like in the original, Tony Jaa was not defeated by Wu Zhuo here.

The two sides were evenly matched.

Well, to some extent, the protagonist suffered a loss.

Because he fell down the stairs.

Then, just as Tony Jaa was about to deliver a Muay Thai knee kick from the second floor, Wu Zhuo picked up a pistol, placed it on his left hand, and fired two shots, forcing Tony Jaa to hide behind a pillar.

It should be noted that, in the original story, John Wu is not only skilled in martial arts, but also an excellent marksman.

Tony Jaa, on the other hand, is a Muay Thai expert who hardly uses a gun.

Therefore, in a fight between the two, the protagonist would actually be no match for Tony Jaa in hand-to-hand combat, but because of his superior marksmanship, he would use that skill to kill the other.

Originally, according to director Benny Chan, he wanted Wu Zhuo to directly fight and kill Tony Jaa's character.

But Wu Zhuo rejected the proposal.

It's not a bad thing for the protagonist to have some flaws.

Besides, Tony Jaa is acting for free, so we can't let him steal all the limelight!

Making his character compelling is not only good for the movie, but also a way to justify his free acting role.

(End of this chapter)