Chapter 609 Fighting for the Right to Remake

Perhaps the mainland audiences have a comparison mentality and want to see what the difference is between the American version of "Alien" and Jiang Heng's version. After watching it, they all said that Jiang Heng's version was too conservative, and the American version was more authentic!

On Douban, Tieba and Tianya Forum, many netizens discussed this film and felt that the American version was more exciting.

Fans were not happy and made various excuses for Jiang Heng. The general meaning is "not a war crime", it's not that Director Jiang is not capable, but he had to do so in order to pass the review!

For example, the interrogation plot after the aliens were captured was also mentioned in Jiang Heng's version, and the "big memory recovery technique" was used.

In the publicly released American version, burning aliens with cigarette butts is only the lightest punishment, how can this be compared!

The same reason, why "SPL 2" and "Detective Chinatown" are set in Thailand, the reason is very simple, if it is set in China, these two movies can't be made at all.

After all kinds of analysis and discussion, a large number of fans left messages on Jiang Heng's Weibo, suggesting that Jiang Heng go to Hollywood to shoot a few more explicit films, which actually became a hot search.

Jiang Heng just smiled bitterly and didn't take it seriously.

Unexpectedly, Columbia Pictures CEO Sanford Panitch called and wanted to discuss with Jiang Heng about remaking "The Matrix" and "Inception".

"Remake, The Matrix?"

"Uh, I want to remake "The Matrix Trilogy" and "Inception"!" Sanford Panitch said solemnly.

After the American version of "Alien" was released simultaneously around the world and achieved excellent box office results, a group of executives of Columbia Pictures immediately opened champagne to celebrate, and were excited that they could make such a film with great box office "money prospects".

Then, everyone began to discuss how to replicate this "success".

The simplest and most direct way is to continue to remake Jiang Heng's movies.

For so many years, Columbia Pictures has been responsible for the distribution of Jiang Heng's films in the North American market, and is familiar with Jiang Heng's works.

After careful and detailed analysis, everyone felt that the most suitable ones for remaking into American versions were "The Matrix" trilogy and "Inception".

And fearing that someone would intercept, Sanford Panitch contacted Jiang Heng as soon as possible and proposed the idea of ​​remaking.

"It's not impossible, but it's really inconvenient to talk over the phone overseas. Let's find a time to talk in person!"

"No problem, I have already booked a flight and will go there as quickly as possible..." Sanford Panitch said in Chinese.

Shortly after hanging up the phone, assistant Cui Zhenzhen came in and said that Warner Bros. called and wanted to buy the remake rights of "The Matrix" trilogy and "Inception" at a high price.

Jiang Heng smiled when he heard this, "They are coincidental, they both like these two!"

It is understandable when you think about it. Among Jiang Heng's works, the plots of "The Matrix" trilogy and "Inception" are Westernized, and there is no sense of disobedience after the remake.

As for the fact that no one has remade it before, it is because Jiang Heng's version is too successful.

Hollywood's film companies, producers and directors are afraid that the quality of the film will not be as good as Jiang Heng's, and the box office will not be ideal and lose money, so no one has ever thought about remaking it.

The great success of the American version of "Alien Path" made Hollywood's film producers realize one thing, that is, the mainland film market is relatively small because there is no "rating".

Then the American version is larger in scale, which will definitely attract more audiences!

Don't say that everyone is treated equally. When "Titanic" entered the mainland film market, the sensitive shot of Jack drawing for Rose attracted many people to the theater!

Of course, because it was too long ago, and the sensitive scenes were deleted during the subsequent re-screening.

When people discussed this matter again later, whether the sensitive scenes in the first round of public screenings existed had become an unsolved case.

Some people swore that they had seen it in the cinema, while others said they had not seen it.

However, looking back at the era when film copies were still used, the distribution was still relatively chaotic. The supply of genuine film copies was in short supply, resulting in the special situation that the genuine dubbing copies issued by China Film, the pirated copies in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and some pirated disc copies were screened in parallel, which also created the amazing viewing craze of "Titanic".

No matter when, "breaking taboos" can always attract attention.

The great success of the American version of "Alien Path" originated from this, and in addition to Columbia and Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal, Disney, Paramount, etc., all sent people to contact Jiang Heng, trying to compete for the remake rights of "The Matrix" trilogy and "Inception".

The so-called friendship is friendship, and business is business.

Even though the cooperation with Columbia Pictures has been good for so many years, Jiang Heng couldn't just sell the remake rights at a low price when so many companies were competing for it.

After these companies came, Jiang Heng organized a temporary small auction, and finally Warner Bros. won the "Matrix" trilogy, and Columbia won "Inception".

Although the other companies went there in vain, they were not discouraged and all extended olive branches to Jiang Heng, hoping that he could develop in Hollywood.

No mistakes, one song, one post, one content, one look!

Jiang Heng didn't refuse it outright, but just said that he would consider it later.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed.

The American version of "Alien Path" won a total of 3.07 billion yuan in the mainland market, which can be said to have barely exceeded 3 billion.

Compared with the "vigorous" opening of the film, the overall box office trend is slightly "lack of stamina".

In fact, this is easy to understand, because the main story lines of the two versions of "Alien Path" are not much different. In terms of special effects, the Jiang Heng version is more shocking and detailed, and the North American version is mainly better in scale.

But there are also many viewers who think it is not worth watching the American version again for a few exciting shots, and the same is true for watching the DVD disc in a few months.

Even so, the mainland box office of the American version of "Alien Path" has reached 490 million US dollars, which is a very good result in the North American annual box office rankings.

Of course, the box office in the North American market is better, and the performance in Europe, Japan and South Korea is also good. In general, it must have made a lot of money.

By the end of January 2016, there was only more than half a month away from the annual Spring Festival.

Jiang Heng's new film "Jingwei Filling the Sea" is scheduled to be released on February 8, the first day of the Chinese New Year, and the premiere will be scheduled on January 30, Saturday, and the venue is still the Olympic venue that has been rented many times.

As for the guests, the organizer did not invite anyone, mainly because Jiang Heng felt that he had made too many films over the years, and the premiere ceremony had been held again and again. It would be a burden for some actors and directors to always invite others.

Yang Mi, on the other hand, felt that this was the first special effects blockbuster starring in her life, and invited many friends in the circle to come and support her. (End of this chapter)