One Hundred and Fifty-Four - He Is Going to Break the Record

A film, especially one based on a character that everyone knows well, will inevitably encounter sporadic disagreements no matter how many supportive voices appear.

Among the fans who were interviewed at the entrance of the theater, there were several staunch opponents who fiercely criticized "Joker" to reporters and cameras.

"The film pursues too much logic. There are several scenes that made me feel sick. The scenes of Arthur killing people are too bloody. I don't understand why a kind-hearted person should be added to the chaotic clown..."

"A villain movie that was overly beautified by Wayne Greenberg. He is ruining the classic character in DC comics!"

However, these stubborn fans are few after all, and most of them gave the film full recognition, especially the long queue at the entrance of the China Grand Theater, which can be seen from the popularity of the film.

After the press conference, the crew went to the Hilton Hotel booked by Warner Bros., which was used to entertain the guests who came to support the press conference today.

Wayne's main job was to entertain the two Jewish bosses, and he accompanied them to find a table to sit down on the airy balcony.

"George, Steven, thank you for coming to help me stand up." He picked up the wine glass, clinked it with the two of them, and took a big sip of champagne. "How does this film make you feel? It doesn't matter. If you have anything to say, you can just say it."

"Shocking!" Spielberg looked at him with admiration in his eyes. "I won't say too much praise. I'll just talk about the shooting techniques. The strong color contrast conveyed the message well to the audience, and the shaping of Gotham City can also be said to be very successful."

He raised his glass to the good old man again and nodded reservedly. Hearing the praise from this film master made Wayne feel particularly enlightened.

"Have you had time recently?" George Lucas suddenly asked.

Even facing the invitation from the father of Star Wars, Wayne could only shake his head regretfully. "Maybe not. I will lead the team to New York before dawn tomorrow. The film's promotion schedule is very tight. I will fly to the UK in a week, and I estimate that I will stay overseas for nearly a month!"

There was no disappointed look on George Lucas's face. He touched his beard and suddenly said: "I originally wanted to wait until you have time to have a good chat. It seems that you will have a lot of work arrangements, so I will Just say it!"

He glanced at his old friends next to him, and then glanced around. After finding that there was no one else except the assistant named Nina, he continued very cautiously:

"I don't know what your plans are for your next project, but based on your work efficiency in the past few years, you will probably start your next film soon, right? Don't deny it in a hurry!

Now I am only extending the invitation to you through personal connections. If possible, you might consider directing a Star Wars movie for your next project. How about that? Think about it. "

Not to mention Wayne who was sitting opposite, even Spielberg and Nina, who didn't understand anything, had incredible expressions when they heard this. What does Star Wars mean in North America? This is a question about national culture.

Even after decades, this is still the world's number one IP series in 2021. "Star Wars" is a symbol of North American cultural symbols and a spiritual pillar that two to three generations have grown up with!

With Star Wars, George Lucas became the richest man in Hollywood. Even when the father of Star Wars retired, Lucasfilm sold more than 5 billion US dollars. Why did Disney spend so much cash on the acquisition? The main reason is this big IP.

Compared with the world's largest IP, things like Industrial Light and Magic and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" can only be regarded as a tie-in.

The old Jewish man looked at his old friend in shock. "George, are you serious?"

He felt that George Lucas was too impulsive. Even though he had seen his compatriot's films, he was still too young. Being young means instability and the level will fluctuate.

If he messes up the Star Wars series, this young man will be scolded to death by hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans!

Ignoring his old friend's questions, George Lucas took a sip of champagne with interest. "Young man, how are you? I believe you will become a god because of "Joker", and this film will even crush the summer movies. But this is not enough. If you want to quickly reach the position of Steven and me, Star Wars It’s a shortcut for you to prove yourself!”

If there is a Jew with the best reputation for supporting younger generations, it is undoubtedly Steven Spielberg, but everyone has overlooked one thing. Spielberg was promoted by George Lucas!

The courage of this old Jewish man is evident. Even if he only met Wayne once, he dared to let him take over his Star Wars!

"George, I need time to think about it. I already have my own plan!" Even Wayne couldn't keep a cool head at this time. He didn't grow up in North America and would never know what Star Wars means! "And, my shooting style..."

"Don't worry about style, Wayne. Do you think Star Wars can't adapt to its dark and serious core?"

When he said this, several people around him nodded subconsciously. Star Wars can indeed be suitable for these, provided that the director can make changes with confidence!

Facing the huge temptation, Wayne still suppressed his restless heart. "That's it, I need to think about it, George. I'll give you an answer after I finish my overseas promotion!"

This is not only a huge shortcut, but also a huge sinkhole. Wayne understands that one of the criticisms of "Star Wars" by fans is George Lucas's script. In terms of director and screenwriter capabilities, he does have some shortcomings of his own.

Of course, none of this can conceal the greatness of Lucas, but if someone else were to film it, it would be a completely different story!

At the cocktail party that day, Wayne fell into difficulty in making a choice. Even when he faced the crowd congratulating him later, he seemed confused. But after the cocktail party, there was no time for him to continue thinking about it. The busy promotional activities would start at five o'clock the next morning.

"Ha, that's interesting!" The Warner Bros. building was brightly lit. In order to wait for the results of the film, Jeff and CEO Kevin did not go to the premiere.

Jeff Robinoff pointed to the recovered investigative report. "Kevin, look here, 98% of the audience gave it an A or A+, but there are a very few C's!"

This happened once before, and it caught Jeff's attention again. Kevin Tetsuhara had been staring at the phone. After hearing what he said, he glanced at it and said expressionlessly:

"This is normal. People who love Wayne's movies will love them to death, but there are always unsuitable fans who insist on buying tickets to watch the movie. Don't worry about these people!"

"Ding ding, ding, ding, ding, ding..."

The phone rang, and Kevin Tesuhara looked at the time, it was just past midnight. He remained silent after picking up the phone, and hung up the phone after more than ten seconds.

Jeff looked at his face and asked anxiously: "How's it going? How much was the box office on the first day?"

"The box office on the first day was US$39.35 million. There were a total of 3,538 theaters showing the film, and the single box office exceeded US$11,000. He broke the record!"

Kevin Tetsuhara leaned back on the large chair, leisurely picked up a cigar from his collection, cut it thinly, lit it with a blowtorch and took a nice puff.

When Jeff heard this number, the fat all over his body trembled violently. "He will definitely break the box office record for R-rated movies. It depends on the final number! Maybe it will be more than just R-rated movies..."

"Jeff, tomorrow you push for overseas distribution. This is our chance! I want this film to be released in all major overseas box offices next week!"

Different from Wayne who goes back to sleep peacefully, and Kevin Tetsuhara who smokes a cigar elegantly. Sony Columbia film and television executives Paul Turner and Renny Harlin looked at the fax in front of them with a gloomy look.

"The Last Day" invited many celebrities to support the show, and the promotion also highlighted Sylvester Stallone. However, the box office of the film on the first day was only 7.67 million. This result obviously did not meet expectations.

"A box office of more than seven million US dollars is not the end of the world, but what I'm surprised about is that the fans who have seen it are applauding, why the box office just can't go up!" Paul Turner slapped the fax.

Renny Harlin frowned, he had already thought of being run over. "The reputation of "Joker" has exploded both professionally and among fans, but I just don't know how their box office performance will be..."

"Don't think about it, the news just came that the box office on the first day exceeded 30 million US dollars!!"

"He's going to break the record?!"

The two looked at each other and saw despair in each other's eyes. This is no longer a competitive situation. Not to mention their "Jumanji", other films in May will be crushed by "Joker".

If this situation continues, "Joker" will definitely not have such a good reputation that it will rise and fall.

"Bang!" Paul Turner slammed the table hard. "That dark madman is going to be killed! Let's think about how to tell Silvio Berlusconi."

Silvio Berlusconi, the main investor in this film, also has another identity, the chairman of Serie A giant AC Milan.

Early the next morning, while Wayne was still on the plane, news media across North America were already filled with all kinds of news about "Joker".

In terms of film critics, the well-known film critic group headed by Roger Ebert basically gave it good reviews. He has received public relations from Warner Bros. all year round and knows what to say and what not to say after the film is released!

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times commented in a column: "'Joker' is a majestic, dark and serious Gotham fantasy. Every fan who watches it can find his or her own shadow in it!"

"This is not a good "Joker" movie because it deviates from the unpredictable and chaotic nature of the clown character and gives the clown a tragic but traceable origin. But this does not prevent it from being a good movie. This is a surreal crime movie that transcends the DC world view, mind-f**king the audience all the time! At the end, everyone is happy! "Joker" is a movie viewing choice that cannot be missed in this era!" --- -- David Denbigh, The New York Times.