Six Hundred and Ninety-Two - Cruel War

When the annual summer season in North America begins at the end of June and enters July, it has actually entered the most intense period of competition among various companies.

Whether it is the six major Hollywood giants or small and medium-sized film companies, almost all of them have reserved their top films for which they have high hopes until this time when movie fans are most excited.

Especially since a few years ago, after the summer season was completely dominated by Warner Bros. and Wayne, it is basically impossible to see the scene where blockbusters are released together in the summer season.

On July 1st, "The End of the World" was released by Buenais International, a distribution label under Disney. As soon as it was released, it ended the reign of "Charlie's Angels". The bomb was still the bomb of the summer, and it became a huge hit in North America with its premiere. The box office results of nearly 40 million US dollars announced the beginning of the hottest competition in the schedule.

Immediately afterwards, Warner Bros. released its own traditional sequel film "The 4th" the next weekend. This film, starring A-list star Mel Gibson, attracted huge attention when it was released. It even surpassed "The Last Day", which was extremely popular the week before, in terms of discussion among the media and fans.

The main reason for gaining a good reputation from a large number of movie fans this time is not the performance of the Hollywood superstar, but rather Jet-li, who only appeared for five minutes, had only three scenes and one English dialogue!

Although North American audiences have already seen some of Kongfu's magic in "The Matrix", Jet-li's performance in just a few minutes is no less than a myth in the eyes of North American audiences. The clean, neat, beautiful and powerful action scenes constantly caused screams in the theater.

After many years, kongfu's action style has finally been recognized by mainstream audiences in North America.

The "Hollywood Reporter" had an evaluation of Jet-li that was still circulated on the Internet more than ten or twenty years later: "Jet-li shocked everyone with his skills in just five minutes and appeared dressed in black. It also has a sense of mystery, refreshing the image of the East from the mainstream perspective of the West."

It is this unexpectedly popular action scene that allowed "The Big Bang 4" to receive box office revenue that exceeded Warner Bros.'s expectations, even in the face of the hit "The Last Days" the previous week.

Sometimes reality is more fantasy than the movie. The final box office of "The 4" this summer was 285 million U.S. dollars. Market research and analysis by the producer Warner Bros. showed that movie fans who were attracted by Jet-li and entered the theater. In a way, he is no less than Mel Gibson.

Hollywood, which always attaches great importance to market research data, just used this small supporting role and immediately entered the mainstream production company's vision. Even before 1998, the Warner Bros. film and television production department had already specially created "Romeo Deadly" with jet-li's image and unique Kongfu.

It only took five minutes of supporting role performance in a commercial film to be immediately cast as a starring role in one of the six major Hollywood movies. No matter when it is released, this is a small miracle.

The reason that prompted Warner Bros. to do this is very simple, that is, Jet-li is rarely accepted by mainstream North American audiences, both for his action scenes and his personal image. Another point is that Mel Gibson was paid US$25 million for his role in "The 4", but Jet-li only received US$500,000. With his current salary, Warner Bros. would only be stupid to let him go.

Perhaps the name "The Sky Cannon" will make people feel unfamiliar, but the other name "Lethal Weapon" will definitely be more familiar to Eastern audiences. This film was a "pirated CD" in the late 1990s and early 2000s. and video tapes were circulated wildly in many families in the East.

In fact, sometimes the gap between Chinese and foreign translations is so big that people can’t understand it. Not only "Hangtian Cannon" is translated as "Lethal Weapon" in the East, but also the more familiar "This Killer Isn't Too Cold", the original name in North America is literally translated as "Laian".

There is also the adolescence enlightenment movie for countless people, "The Beautiful Legend of Sicily", which is called "Malena" in the West. Even more outrageous is "Up," because its title in the West is "Up." "Inception" is called "The Beginning", "Maleficent" is called "Maleficent"...

Even the masterpiece in the hearts of countless people, Christopher Nolan's "Batman", the amazing thing is that there is actually no Batman in the North American title...

The summer war is still going on, and it has even begun to heat up. The carnivals caused by "The End of the World" and "The Sky Cannon" successively only lasted for only a week.

When the time came to July 15th, 20th Century Fox's "Crazy About Mary" officially opened in major mainstream theaters in North America. When it was released, it immediately won over most movie fans again. attention.

Also released at the same time was Sony Columbia's traditional IP "Zorro". After these two highly anticipated films were released, the theater market was completely in chaos.

The market environment in hot July is happy for movie fans. After they enter the theater, no matter what they choose, there will be various types of blockbusters that are enjoyable. But for movie companies, it is not so happy. , because blockbusters were released one after another, completely diverting the audience.

It was in such a chaotic scene that at 7pm on July 24th, "Saving Private Ryan," a film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by DreamWorks, and distributed by Warner Bros., opened in Beverly Hills. The Kodak Theater hosted a huge premiere.

This film not only has high hopes from the three giants of DreamWorks, but Warner Bros. is also very optimistic about its box office potential after conducting internal test screenings, so the scale of this premiere is very grand.

Besides, Steven Spielberg’s films are inherently incapable of lacking attention. Under the warm invitation of Warner Bros., not only hundreds of media reporters were invited to the scene, but celebrities from all walks of life also came frequently. On the red carpet, the Kodak Theater was suddenly star-studded, and it was no less than a small awards ceremony.

"Thanks for coming, Wayne."

In front of the Kodak Theater, Steven Spielberg and Wayne, who had just finished an interview, hugged each other warmly.

"Hey, man, don't tell me that anyone would deny face to a good old guy like you."

Wayne patted the old Jewish man's back gently, let go of his hand, shook his head in feigned surprise, and joked: "The great director Spielberg, "Saving Private Ryan" is the film I am most looking forward to this year. You know, I'm very curious now about how you made an R-rated war movie."

While the two were chatting, he shook hands with David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg and nodded politely.

The appearance of the three giants of DreamWorks together has already demonstrated the importance they attach to "Saving Private Ryan", especially Jeffrey Katzenberg. In a short period of time, Wayne looked at it several times invisibly.

"Come on, Wayne."

Steven Spielberg waved his hand, pointed at him and said with a smile: "I invited you several times before "Saving Private Ryan" was even prepared. Even now, I feel that this kind of behavior is cruel. R-rated films about war and human nature, you are the most suitable director in Hollywood."

"No, Steven."

Whether it was business bragging or sincerity, Wayne shook his head politely and said seriously: "You are the best director at showing humanistic care in movies. I still have a lot to learn."

His words caused a burst of hearty laughter from several men. Suddenly, there was a burst of cheers from movie fans on the red carpet. The sound was so loud that it completely drowned out the conversations of several people.

Wayne turned around and took a look. He was about to go in after saying a few words, but he stopped involuntarily.

Not long after, the father of Star Wars walked over wearing a rather formal dress, getting rid of the entanglement of media reporters. Still far away, George Lucas's voice came over first.

"Damn it, if I had known you didn't have a female companion, we, the Grammy "Rookie of the Year" duo, should have walked the red carpet together."

"You know, Nami is still out promoting "Charlie's Angels"." Wayne shrugged and took a step aside. The protagonist tonight is not him, but the person standing in front of the theater. The Big Three of DreamWorks.

After George Lucas exchanged greetings with a few people, the two of them walked into the theater together. There were many guests on the stage tonight, and Steven Spielberg simply couldn't spare the time to accompany him in person. Both of them. The two of them randomly found a seat in the lounge, chatting and waiting for the premiere to begin.

"George, is the new "Star Wars" almost finished?" Wayne asked casually, tilting his head and lighting a cigarette.

"It will take a while."

The father of Star Wars shook his head. "We have to wait until the end of the year at the earliest to complete all the work. By the way, the North American box office of "The Flash" has exceeded 300 million US dollars so early, and the global box office is almost reaching 700 million US dollars, right?"

"It should be soon. It is now US$696 million."

"The Flash" was released in North America on May 19 and landed in overseas theater markets two weeks later. It has been in theaters for more than two months.

The North American box office of the film reached a terrifying US$331 million, and the overseas box office reached 365 million US dollars. This result is definitely incomparable to "The Dark Knight", but when viewed individually, it is undoubtedly a super high box office in this era. .

Judging from its release date, "The Flash" has basically been scheduled to top the North American box office in 1998.

In the North American annual box office rankings, it is difficult to shake the top spot of "The Flash". Although there is still less than half of this year, no one believes that any film can surpass this at the North American box office. score.

In fact, many professionals have higher expectations for the global box office of "The Flash". However, judging from the attributes of the film, even if some numbers can be increased in the future, it is basically impossible to increase too much, let alone 800 million US dollars. It cannot reach 750 million, and it depends on the subsequent screening time.

"Hey, man, can you tell me, your next plan won't really be Superman, right?"

After observing the surrounding environment, George Lucas looked mysterious, turned his head and asked in a low voice. But as soon as he said the words, he immediately shook his head slightly and whispered. "No, it could also be "Wonder Woman"..."

To be the richest man in Hollywood, the father of Star Wars is not stupid at all. After the release of "Charlie's Angels", Warner Brothers paid great attention to this film, and they have already guessed something.

But in terms of market and popularity, Superman Clark Kent is the first choice, there is no doubt about it. After several years of preparation and accumulation, if Superman is produced at this time, it will definitely detonate a big bomb in the global theater market. No, perhaps it should be described as a nuclear bomb.

"No need to guess, George."

Breathing out a large cloud of smoke, Wayne smiled and said mysteriously: "I can only remind you, don't take "Star Wars" and learn from Universal Pictures and Sony Columbia. Otherwise, we will definitely lose both sides and form a double-edged sword. A losing situation.”

Listening to this hint that sounded like a joke, George Lucas looked into his eyes and nodded seriously.

Yes, "Star Wars" is the most popular movie series in North America, and he will not be afraid of any head-on competition. However, if he knew that the choice of release date would lead to a lose-lose situation, the father of Star Wars would never be so stupid that he would not make money.

Everyone knows that the release time of Wayne's DC series will not be later than late May every year, which can be said to be the beginning of the summer season. If the new "Star Wars" is released during this period, no doubt the only people who will be happiest are other movie companies who are watching the excitement.

"Okay, it's almost time."

While the two were chatting, Nina, who had been following him, raised her wrist, pointed at her watch to her boss, and signaled. Wayne turned around and observed, and found that the guests had begun to enter the screening room one after another. He greeted the father of Star Wars, and the two of them got up and walked downstairs together.

"Steven has said no less than twenty times that he hopes you will direct this film. You are the most suitable director for this type of film."

Under the guidance of the staff, the two sat in the middle of the third row. George Lucas glanced at the creative team in the first row, turned his head and joked: "Maybe God knows why an R-rated movie Director, go and create some kind of superhero."

After hearing his friend's complaints, Wayne shrugged and didn't explain anything. He will not tell the other party that as early as when he became famous and when he started cooperating with Warner Bros. by chance, he had already attracted the attention of the DC movie series.

It's okay for Batman. After all, Bruce Wayne's superpower (money) means that even if special effects are needed, it will not exceed the limits of this era.

But starting from Wonder Woman to Superman, the subsequent DC series have relied heavily on CG production, which is one of the reasons why Wayne has been patiently laying the groundwork. With the development of time, as there are more and more special effects blockbusters in Hollywood, the technology of CG special effects has become relatively mature. The result of waiting is that the funds required to produce special effects are decreasing year by year.

If we say that in the early 1990s, Industrial Light and Magic needed to spend 30 million US dollars to produce special effects, by the late 1990s, the price had been reduced by almost half. Only in this way can we maximize the number of shots for big scenes.

And don’t forget, Wayne still holds more than 30% of the shares of Weta Special Effects. He believes that after the training of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, this special effects company will grow rapidly. As long as in the next two years, DC series films can use their own special effects companies to further control costs in this area.

"here we go!"

"call......"

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the lights in the entire screening room were turned off one after another, and the logo of Warner Bros. and DreamWorks began to appear on the big screen. The North American premiere of "Saving Private Ryan" officially began.

At the beginning of the film, it gave all the audience a strong shock. For a full twenty minutes, Steven Spielberg used the lens to almost restore the real World War II scenes.

War, a topic that basically cannot be avoided by human beings, appeared in front of more than a thousand viewers, a cruel scene that was so real that it was immersive. If I could describe this opening scene in one word, it would be hell on earth.

Some soldiers held their severed hands, some covered their stomachs that had already come out of the factory, and some soldiers took off their helmets. They were thankful that the helmets had just saved their lives when they were flown out of nowhere. The bullets that come are shot to make up...

Steven Spielberg seems to be using every possible means to remind the audience watching the film that this is World War II and this is a real battlefield.

It is not only a visual shock to the audience, but also a shock to the soul as the camera shakes from Captain Miller's first-person perspective.

The gunfire of World War II, the roar of tanks, and the roaring background music, combined with those real first-person shots, captured the hearts of all viewers in an instant.

In the silent viewing atmosphere of the screening hall, there were constant exclamations of "God" and "Oh God". For the first time, countless viewers saw what a real battlefield looks like.

Although he had seen the movie several times in his previous life, Wayne now turned his attention to the big screen. When people mention Steven Spielberg, they always first think of "Jurassic Park", "Schindler's List", "et" or "Jaws" and "The Terminal".

But in his heart, he always felt that "Saving Private Ryan" could be ranked at the top of all the old man's works. It was just a personal favorite.

This movie is called "Saving Private Ryan". In fact, when Private Ryan appeared in the movie, more than half of the movie had passed. Just when the rescued protagonist appeared, George Lucas, who had been watching the movie intently, relaxed his upper body and leaned back on the chair.

"It doesn't matter who you save, what Steven wants to express is the meaning of saving people."

"That's right."

Hearing his friend's sigh, Wayne withdrew his gaze from the big screen, turned around and whispered: "The last thing people need to worry about is Steven's sensitivity to the market. Watch it, George, this movie The discussion the film will generate will never be lower than that of my "The Flash."

It doesn't matter who is saved at all. It can be Ryan, of course it can also be Jack, Rose, or anyone. Importantly, the film's themes are extremely consistent with North American values ​​and are bound to spark a lot of discussion.

Especially as the film comes to the end, the members of the rescue team die one after another. Everyone knows that this kind of arrangement is a crude slap in the face that has been popular in Hollywood for decades, but the reason why this kind of slap scene has been popular for decades is because the audience has always accepted this trick.

"To be honest, if I were the CEO of Paramount, I would hate you to die."

When the movie ended and the fans burst into applause while sobbing, George Lucas raised his arm, lightly poked Wayne next to him, and joked: "No matter if it's Steven Spielberg, The DreamWorks created by the three of them was a piece of cake for Paramount Pictures, but now it has become Warner Bros.’s because of you..."

"Hey, George."

Before the other party could finish speaking, Wayne reluctantly interrupted his teasing. "Warner Brothers is just the publisher of DreamWorks. As for whether DreamWorks will be sucked, it has nothing to do with me."

The father of Star Wars glanced at him, shrugged and whispered. "Ha, well, at least Warner Bros. exploited it a little less..."

The moment the film was screened, many people predicted that this World War II epic would most likely be a success, which is why George Lucas teased Wayne.

The premiere was over, and the audience lined up to leave. After sending their blessings, the guests who came to the platform were led by the staff to attend the regular reception after the premiere. In such an occasion where celebrities, film company executives, and producers gather, socializing is always the first theme.

People dressed in formal wear were greeting each other politely in the banquet hall. Whenever this scene appeared, Wayne felt a sense of trance.

In fact, he never likes to socialize, and he never likes to deal with those fake smiles, but he also understands very well that a lot of cooperation in this circle is completed at parties and cocktail parties. And there is no difference between myself and those people who are constantly testing under the light.

As soon as he entered the banquet hall, George Lucas went to say hello to his old friends. Wayne sat alone in the corner near the balcony, preparing to say hello to Steven Spielberg later and go back to rest early. .

Although he was sitting in the corner near the balcony, there were not many eyes on him. As one of the main actors in "Saving Private Ryan", Matt Damon did not attract too many eyes, even though he had already He became famous thanks to "Good Will Hunting". After all, the cast also includes Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

"To be honest, man, I don't like him."

In the banquet hall not far from Wayne, Matt Damon held a glass of champagne and whispered to his friend: "Wayne Greenberg is a nice guy on the surface, but he is too domineering in private."

Hearing his friend's words, Ben Affleck shook his head helplessly. He knew that his friend still had a grudge against Harvey Weinstein. Both of them knew that half of the new film "Shakespeare in Love" currently being produced by Miramax was "invested" by the Hollywood boss.

In fact, from a neutral perspective, isn’t Harvey Weinstein not overbearing but a good person? But when people look at things, they will always inevitably stand in favor of their own perspective.

I am afraid that in the eyes of most people, it is simply that Harvey Weinstein kicked the iron plate and had no choice but to bow his head. Maybe most people would even be happy to see that fat guy suffer.

"Harvey himself said it was over, Matt."

Ben Affleck patted his friend's shoulder and pursed his lips in Wayne's direction. "Come on, let's go over and say hello."