America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 309, Section 307: Major Revisions, Liu Yifei Shows Her Skills

The original Hunger Games, as a film adapted from a novel, is somewhat similar to Harry Potter.

Having first built a large fan base, the film naturally attracted many book fans to buy tickets, with teenagers and young adults being the main audience.

The most direct manifestation of this is in the box office: of the $7 million global box office, North America accounted for approximately 60%, and overseas for 40%.

For a film with such high box office revenue, this percentage is actually quite illogical.

Blockbuster films like The Matrix, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Transformers all had overseas sales accounting for more than 60% of their total box office revenue.

Ultimately, the novels sell best in North America, but are less popular on a global scale.

The production cost of the original film did not reach Grade A; it was relatively high within Grade B.

This resulted in poor special effects and few large-scale scenes. Instead, the main focus was on aspects that could be cut, such as the romance between the male and female leads, to drag out the time.

It's worth noting that one of the biggest selling points of "The Hunger Games" is its battle royale mode, and many viewers who haven't read the novels are drawn in by this gimmick.

And this is what you show me? What I want is real, visceral combat, fighting and escape, get my adrenaline pumping!

Gal Gadot's version lacks the solid foundation laid by the novel, making it inherently weaker, and it must compensate for this in other aspects.

Therefore, the focus of the film's promotion was the thrilling battles, and MGM invested $1.1 million in it.

If this money had been spent in 2012, it would have been enough to make two Jennifer Lawrence-themed Hunger Games movies.

After the film was completed, he personally reviewed it from beginning to end. Sure enough, the 2004 film, in terms of visuals, sound effects, set design, and props, completely outshone the 2012 version.

Especially in large-scale scenes, it doesn't hold back, and its main selling point is its impressive special effects.

The film industry is a money-burning business. Even if there's a ten-year gap, the technology has already undergone three or four generations of innovation. What's the point of being unwilling to spend money? The effect won't be as good as before.

In response, costume fantasy idol dramas all lowered their heads in shame.

Of course, the film didn't abandon the backdrop of political struggles and war; these are foreshadowing elements for a sequel that will be explored in more depth, only compressed into a shorter timeframe.

A grand narrative can certainly make a story more exciting and profound, but first you have to get the audience into the theater.

Our main audience is teenagers, how many of them pay attention to political struggles?

This isn't something we won't talk about; it's just that it'll be covered in the second part.

Eric did not change the original story framework; he simply made more appropriate additions and deletions based on the real-world situation.

"Um?"

Suddenly feeling his left hand being tightly gripped, Eric turned to look at Liu Yifei beside him. She did indeed look very excited and nervous.

He gently patted the back of her hand, signaling her to relax.

Look at Gadot on the right, her expression is very natural, her attention is entirely focused on the big screen.

Unlike the original, the film opens with a narration style, using one minute to give a general overview of the world background, which is then gradually filled in with details later on.

Natural disasters, man-made calamities, explosions, nuclear peace.

Humanity screams and wails, technological regression, collapse of order, and the re-establishment of new nations.

The grand special effects immediately grab the audience's attention, ensuring everyone understands the background information to facilitate comprehension of the subsequent story.

After explaining the origins of the Hunger Games, the scene shifts to the coal mining area where the female protagonist lives, and adopts a hunting perspective.

Gadot moved nimbly through the forest, the dense trees doing nothing to hinder her.

An arrow is fired, a rapid, melancholic edit, pinning a running rabbit to the ground.

Wow! She's an expert marksman! She looks amazing.

"Katniss is an excellent hunter, didn't you see the trailer?"

"I'm talking about Gal Gadot. Didn't you notice? She did it herself, without using a stunt double. That last jumping and shooting arrow move was extremely difficult; most people couldn't do it."

"Gadot is amazing. I follow her Facebook account and she often posts about working out. Her abs and arms have great muscle definition."

"Really? Can Eric Cooper beat her? She's got that kind of stamina; most men couldn't handle her."

"Shut up!"

Her single appearance was enough to establish Katniss's persona as a master archer and an excellent hunter.

As the female protagonist brings her prey home, the male protagonist and the second male lead also make their appearances.

The male lead, Peeta, was recommended by his father's acquaintance; the actor is Jesse Eisenberg.

Don't recognize him? He's the guy who starred in Now You See Me, Zombieland, and The Social Network.

He also played Lex Luthor in the DCEU, does that ring a bell?

Although it was a case of getting in through connections, Eric thought it was quite suitable. Jesse Eisenberg had been in the industry for five years and had acting skills.

Eric had also seen his niche film "Dual Personality," in which the young man delivered a performance with a stark contrast between his earlier and later scenes.

Considering that the male lead, Peeta, will be brainwashed later and has a lot of scenes of extreme struggle, like a mental patient, it would definitely be fine to use Jesse Eisenberg's words.

The second male lead was chosen through an open audition, and the winner was Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in Marvel.

He just debuted this year and auditioned with a try-it-out mentality. Unexpectedly, he was incredibly lucky and was selected. I heard that his agent is already treating him like a treasure and nurturing him.

He humbly approached Eric on the red carpet and said a few words, even asking a reporter to take a photo of them together. He looked incredibly happy and silly, like a little fanboy.

Little did people know that the original actor was his brother, Liam Hemsworth. After all the twists and turns, it ended up in their family, which shows that the two characters "Ham" are inseparable.

If he performs well in this movie, promoting him to play Thor next year would be a good choice.

Then, a futuristic spaceship landed in the coal mining area, making the audience realize that this was actually a science fiction film, and marveling at the stark differences in development between the regions.

The Queen of Hearts' appearance, with her exaggerated Elizabethan-era attire, made this supporting character unforgettable at first glance.

The younger sister was chosen by lottery, and the female lead took her place. Just ten minutes into the story, the plot had already entered the capital city phase.

Then came the phase of promoting the on-screen couple. The various commercial operation models in the film made the audience wonder, is this a death game or a variety show?

Liu Yifei also made her first appearance on the training field. Her weapon was a pair of swords: a longer Tang sword suitable for slashing, and a shorter Nepalese kukri suitable for close combat.

It ultimately received a high score of 10 in the test, second only to the female lead Katniss's 11.

This also revealed her weakness; during a talk show interview, the host revealed that she couldn't distinguish between blueberry jam and strawberry jam.

The film also showcases life in the capital region, a modern metropolis where people live extravagantly, creating a stark contrast with other areas.

Watching the people of the capital region open betting shops and treat the Hunger Games like an amusement park is disheartening.

For any civilized world, treating living human lives as a gamble or a game is unacceptable and crosses the line of morality.

Interspersed throughout are brief flashbacks of the male and female leads, making the audience realize that Peeta does indeed have feelings for Katniss.

The conversation between the president and the designers revealed the true nature of the Hunger Games.

Why must there be a winner in a game?

"If we just wanted to intimidate the people in District 12, we could have made them sacrifice two people every year and then publicly executed them."

"This would not only save time and effort, but also have the most direct deterrent effect, so why did we choose to hold the Hunger Games?"

"The answer is hope!"

"Hope is more terrifying and more manipulative than fear."

"Give them a glimmer of hope, let them enjoy the last bit of warmth in their despair, and they will not rebel."

"But if we drive them to a dead end with fear, the rebellion in District 13 will be repeated."

"But you have to be careful with the timing; too much hope can be dangerous."

"Let's start a spark, but don't let it ignite a prairie fire!"

After watching this sequence of scenes, teenage viewers didn't feel much, but film critics were immediately impressed.

This movie seems to be getting more and more interesting, mixing more profound thoughts into commercial elements, and being eye-catching without overshadowing the main attraction.

The Hunger Games officially began 40 minutes into the movie. The original version dragged on for over an hour, and the audience was getting impatient.

"One minute left!"

"60!"

"59!"

"58!"

In the video, people in the capital district are shouting wildly and continuing to bet on the opening.

People in other districts wore expressions of grief, knowing they would soon watch their children die.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

As the countdown ended, a group of people rushed to the center to grab resources. The protagonist, Peeta, who had been hiding his abilities, was the first to escape.

The female protagonist carefully followed her mentor's advice: it's okay to pick up the scraps, but don't rush in directly; you're a hunter, not a melee expert.

District One and District Two, as an alliance, were both bloodthirsty and very strong. They immediately hacked the three to death in a pool of blood.

But they weren't the scariest; the camera then focused on Liu Yifei.

As a contestant from the Textile District of District 7, she was even more powerful and quickly grabbed a suitable weapon.

He then turned around and killed one of them with a single slash. He picked up his backpack with his Tang sword, slung it over his shoulder, and swung his Nepalese kukri, which pierced the head of one of the male contestants.

She coldly drew her kukri, facing the professional tribute siblings in the area before her without fear, and stylishly twirled her blade at them.

Even though the brother and sister were armed, they were intimidated by her murderous aura and dared not attack her directly.

The other contestants even avoided the three and ran away.

It wasn't until the two players from Zone 2 joined in that Liu Yifei, facing a four-on-one attack, feinted a move and quickly disappeared into the woods.

Before leaving, he suddenly turned back and stared coldly at the four people who were carrying out a joint killing, as if he had already regarded them as his biggest rivals.

This segment is specifically designed to highlight Xiao Liu's skills, establishing her as the most capable fighter by intimidating the group of four.

The effect is also immediate.

Wow! She's absolutely stunning!

"This actress is so cool, especially the way she used the long sword to pick up her backpack—it was elegant and beautiful. What's her name?"

"No wonder she got a 10; her close-combat ability is truly explosive."

"The four of them were all terrified by her. She was so ruthless when she killed, but how can the female lead possibly win against such a formidable opponent?"

"The female lead is an archer, and archers are strong against melee fighters, so she'll definitely be shot to death!"

"The shot of Crystal Liu turning around is really cool; she looks like she's got her eye on the group of four."

"I watched the trailer. In the story, the character is called Fansia Ghost, and she is of Native American descent. The actress is Crystal Liu, and she starred in Supernatural."

"Wow! This battle royale looks really exciting, half of the players were eliminated right away."

"Well done!" Eric praised, pinching Liu's thigh.

"Hehe. My leg was poked by my co-star while filming this scene, and it hurt for several days."

"Hmm? Why didn't you say so?"

"I'm sorry, I don't want the crew to think I'm a delicate princess, and it's not that serious."

Although the two were speaking softly, Gadot could hear them.

She hadn't realized that Eric and Liu Yifei were already having an affair. As someone who had worked with her for several months, she still had a good impression of the humble and pretty Liu.

"Liu, you should speak up about this; it's an actor's normal right."

"Besides, there are doctors on the crew, and we all have insurance. If something really happens, the crew won't thank you; they'll blame you."

"Huh? Why?"

"Even if you don't mention the time wasted, the union will cause trouble, and in the end you'll offend both sides and be disliked by both."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Gadot."

"The rules in Hollywood are different from those across the border; you have to learn to adapt," Eric said.

The story then unfolds from Katniss's perspective, fully revealing the brutality of the game.

As the female protagonist was pushed in front of the group of four by the staff, her strategy of surviving to the end failed.

The audience also saw through the organizer's shameless behavior.

Katniss was chased all the way up to the tree by the four, and she was especially saddened to see that the male protagonist had also betrayed them and joined the group.

Some viewers couldn't help but curse Peeta for being a traitor, saying that his so-called love for the female lead was all fake.

but it is not the truth.

The original version handled this scene very poorly; the four men, armed with weapons, were completely helpless against a female protagonist climbing a tree.

Even if you're mentally challenged and can't throw anything, you can't even do something as simple as setting a fire?

We are indeed a commercial film, and we don't strive for excessive rigor, but such a plot that challenges the audience's intelligence is still too trashy and shameless.

So this part of the plot was changed, and the male protagonist, Peeta, left marks along the way, secretly luring the strongest hunter, the Ghost of Vansia, to the scene.

Because when he first seized the supplies, he realized that Fansia would definitely not tolerate the group of four and would definitely try to kill them.

The revised plot vividly showcases Peeta's wisdom.

Sure enough, just as the four-man team was about to take down Katniss, one of the female team members was suddenly shot in the head and fell to the ground, with the Nepalese kukri sticking out of her eye.

Immediately afterwards, a cheetah-like figure darted out of the bushes, slicing off a male team member's arm holding a gun with a single stroke and kicking him to the ground.

With such severe injuries, he definitely won't survive.

The sudden turn of events threw the scene into chaos. Taking advantage of the fighting, Pita shouted and ran.

He helped Katniss up from the tree, and the two hurriedly hid, secretly watching the battle and preparing to scavenge for any spoils later.

(End of this chapter)