novellhall Chapter 263 Warner Bros. Fraud [5000 words]
Chapter 263 Warner Bros. Fraud [5000 words]
Chapter 262 Warner Bros. Fraud [5000 words] (Bonus chapter tomorrow, please fill my page with monthly tickets, everyone!)
"This fried egg is delicious!"
Christine ate the fried egg in one bite and gave Chen Xun a thumbs up.
Just then.
Chen Xun's phone vibrated.
Chen Xun picked up his phone.
It's Kevin Feige.
His voice was so loud that even Christine across from him could hear him: "Chen! Did you see the data?! My God!"
Chen Xun put the phone on speakerphone, placed it on the table, and continued eating his fried egg: "Not yet, just woke up."
「《古一》首周末，北美1亿2，海外1亿6，全球2亿8！」
Kevin's voice trembled, his tone excited: "Do you know what this means? The second-best opening weekend performance for a Marvel solo origin film, only after *Iron Man 1*! And we only had 22% of the screenings! Our revenue per theater is 1.8 times that of *San Andreas*!"
Christine pointed with her fork at the bacon on Chen Xun's plate, looking at him longingly: "Give me a slice, let's celebrate!"
Chen Xun reluctantly handed her the bacon.
Christine is showing more and more potential to be a foodie!
Chen Xun cooked like crazy these past few days to satisfy Christine's appetite.
After watching Christine finish the bacon, he asked the person on the other end of the phone, "Where's 'Collapse'?"
"They have 1 million."
Kevin paused for a moment, his tone somewhat complicated: "4500 million in North America and 5500 million overseas. To be honest, it's higher than expected, but compared to us, it's still crushed."
"
"Warner Bros. should be crying!"
Christine interrupted.
"They're already crying."
Kevin chuckled. "I just got word that Michael was called to headquarters for an emergency meeting this morning. Apparently, he slammed his fist on the table. They went over budget with their marketing campaign, and now the box office return is looking terrible."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun opened his phone to check the detailed data.
The box office distribution of "The Ancient One" is quite interesting: it was stable in its North American home base, but exploded in Asia!
China contributed $5000 million in the first week alone, while Japan and South Korea were also champions in the same period.
Europe was slightly weaker, but still within expectations.
The opposite is true of "Collapse".
While its North American run was lackluster, it aggressively expanded into markets like Europe, Latin America, and Australia, leveraging Johnson's global recognition and the universal appeal of disaster films to rake in $1 million.
Christine scrolled through her phone and read out a few comments: "The magical effects in 'The Ancient One' are said to give you goosebumps when watched in IMAX. I've already bought tickets."
"My grandma wants to go see it too. She said the bald female sorceress's hand gestures are really cool."
"I got hooked on the movie because of the Ice Bucket Challenge, and it's actually really good—Chen Xun is something else."
"I watched 'San Andreas,' it's a standard popcorn movie, Dwayne Johnson is still Dwayne Johnson, but that's about it."
She looked up at Chen Xun: "You don't seem very excited?"
Chen Xun took a sip of coffee: "The data is good, but Warner won't admit defeat."
"What else can they do? Increase the number of screenings? We'll increase that too."
"More than just screenings!"
Chen Xun shook his head: "They made 1 million in their opening weekend, which is actually a success for a disaster film."
"But the problem is that their previous marketing investment was too large, so large that they needed a blockbuster product to break even, and their current performance is far from being a blockbuster."
"Michael's first project after taking office was completely crushed by Marvel—he couldn't save face."
Christine thought for a moment: "So he'll get even crazier?"
"A cornered dog will jump over the wall!"
Warner headquarters.
Michael stood in front of the projector.
The screen displays a bar chart comparing the box office performance of the two films.
The blue pillars of the Ancient One stand tall.
The red pillars in "The Collapse of the Apocalypse" are shorter.
"1 million in the opening weekend!"
Michael's voice was eerily calm: "We spent 120 million on marketing, heavily promoting globally, touring ahead of schedule, booking entire venues, subsidizing tickets, and using influencers—and this is what we got in return?"
He turned around and looked at the people below: "Can anyone tell me why?"
No one dared to speak.
"Because Chen Xun poured a bucket of ice water on him?"
Michael laughed in exasperation: "Because Marvel took advantage of the situation to do some charity marketing?"
"Is it because the public now feels that watching 'The Ancient One' is equivalent to supporting ALS patients?"
He walked to the window and looked out at the Los Angeles skyline.
Sarah cautiously began, "Actually, in terms of absolute box office revenue, we didn't lose by too much. 'The Ancient One' had Marvel's existing fanbase and the support of the Asian market, while our film is a disaster movie, targeting a different audience—"
"I don't want to hear that."
Michael interrupted her: "The board looks at the comparison, at the winner of the same period. Now we have two movies released in the same period, and we're being suppressed. That's a loss!"
He walked back to the table, placed his hands on the surface, and leaned forward: "I'm going to turn things around in the second week, no matter what method I use."
Someone whispered from below, "But the screening schedule has already been set!"
"The theaters adjusted their occupancy rates based on the first week's attendance. They increased 'Ancient One' to 28%, while we reduced it to 30%—the difference is very small."
"Then let's improve the occupancy rate!"
Michael's voice was low.
The meeting room suddenly fell silent.
"You mean—"
Sarah's expression changed.
"Ghost Field".
Michael uttered the phrase: "Lottery blocking, reputation maintenance, rating manipulation—do I need to teach you these tactics?"
"But this is very risky; if it gets exposed—"
"Then let it not be exposed!"
Michael stared intently at her: "Do it cleanly! Buy tickets separately, with different accounts and different IPs."
"The focus is on overseas markets, especially Europe and Latin America, where regulations are less stringent. If we can achieve good attendance in the second week, theaters will naturally increase our screenings."
He looked at the data team: "Regarding word-of-mouth, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, give the scores where they should, and flood the comments where they should. Doesn't 'The Ancient One' have Eastern elements? Hire some trolls to say they don't understand it, there's a cultural gap, and that magic films are too mystical. Disaster films are so simple: explosions, rescues, heroism—"
"That cost—"
The finance person hesitated.
"Move it from the subsequent marketing budget!"
Michael stated unequivocally: "Now is not the time to save money, it's the time to save lives."
After the meeting, Michael kept Sarah behind alone.
"There's one more thing."
He lowered his voice: "Find me a hacker!"
Sarah was taken aback: "Why would you need a hacker?"
"Let's find some dirt on Chen Xun and expose it!"
Sarah felt a chill run down her spine: "This is illegal—if it gets prosecuted—"
"We don't need to post it; let the hackers post it themselves. The source isn't with us."
Michael chuckled: "The audience doesn't need the truth, they just need something to talk about."
He patted Sarah on the shoulder: "Go do it, and remember we have no way back."
"The pre-sale data for the second week is a bit off."
Chen Xun received a call from Kevin, the head of Marvel.
"In overseas markets, especially in places like France, Germany, and Brazil, there was a sudden surge in ticket purchases for the evening and morning screenings of 'Collapse,' but strangely, the level of discussion on social media didn't keep up."
Chen Xun frowned, recalling a common tactic used by capital: "locking in the market?"
In the past, many movies used this method to inflate ratings and fabricate data.
Kevin shared this thought: "Warner Bros. might be starting to play dirty tricks. The Ancient One's rating on IMDb suddenly gained hundreds of one-star reviews overnight, with comments saying it was incomprehensible and too obscure. Rotten Tomatoes showed a similar situation."
"Can you handle this?"
"We are cleaning up the online trolls on the contact platform, but it will take time."
Marvel's data team confirmed the anomaly at 3 a.m. on the third day.
"In Munich, Germany, a chain cinema with eight screens sold out of all seats for the 10 a.m. showing of 'San Andreas' on Tuesday."
The analyst pointed to the heat map on the screen: "During the same period, the cinema parking lot monitoring showed sparse customer traffic, and the infrared monitoring of the theaters showed that the occupancy rate was less than 30%."
Kevin stood in front of the big screen, his face calm: "The venue has been locked out!"
"Not just Germany!"
Another person pulled up data: "Similar situations occurred simultaneously in eighteen key overseas cities, including Paris, France; São Paulo, Brazil; and Mexico City."
"The screenings are concentrated on weekday mornings and midnight, which are usually the lowest points for box office revenue."
"The method is outdated."
The data analysis director pushed up his glasses: "They use a large number of fake ticket purchases to inflate pre-sale data, creating a false impression of popularity, and inducing theaters to increase screenings. When the actual screenings take place, the seats are empty, but the box office data has already been entered into the system."
"What about the cost?" Kevin asked.
"A rough estimate suggests they spent at least eight million dollars on locking down the venue this week."
7
Financial Interface: "This does not include the costs of hiring online trolls and maintaining ratings."
"Warner is in a panic!"
There was a moment of silence in the conference room.
Someone asked, "Should we also—"
"No!"
Kevin shook his head: "We don't need to. If this kind of tactic is exposed, it will be a devastating blow to the brand."
Chen Xun held a tablet in his hand, which displayed social media sentiment monitoring.
"The rating for The Ancient One on IMDb has dropped from 8.2 to 7.9, and 70% of the new one-star reviews are from new accounts registered in the last three days."
He swiped the screen: "The Rotten Tomatoes score has also dropped from 92% to 88%, and the negative reviews are mostly about not understanding the Eastern magic or the obscure plot."
"Typical online troll rhetoric."
The PR director frowned.
"But ordinary viewers will be affected."
Chen Xun placed the tablet on the table: "People have a herd mentality. When they see a bunch of people saying it's bad, they'll hesitate before buying a ticket."
"So what's your thought?"
Kevin asked.
"Expose them!"
"Once exposed, 'Collapse' will be doomed!"
"We need to think about it."
Kevin looked troubled.
Even if it is exposed, it will not be done through official channels.
But for capital, the ultimate gains and losses must be considered.
Chen Xun naturally understood.
The group discussed follow-up publicity matters before adjourning the meeting.
It was 9 p.m. that night, Los Angeles time.
Chen Xun started a live stream from his study at home.
He was wearing a simple gray sweatshirt, with a bookshelf in the background.
Ten minutes before the broadcast, he posted a status on Twitter and Instagram: "Let's chat for a bit, half an hour."
The number of viewers online surged to 50,000 the moment the broadcast started.
The live chat started scrolling: "Here it comes! Here it comes!"
"The Ancient One is great! I've watched it twice!"
"I heard you got hacked?"
Is Warner Music resorting to underhanded tactics?
Will the Ice Bucket Challenge continue?
Chen Xun looked at the camera and smiled: "There are quite a few people here. I see the questions. Let's address them one by one."
He took a sip of water, speaking casually as if he were video chatting with a friend: "First, let's talk about 'The Ancient One.' Thank you to everyone who went to see it. Whether you liked it or not, buying a ticket is a form of support."
"Some people say the movie is obscure and they can't understand Eastern magic, which is normal."
"Just like when I first read 'The Lord of the Rings,' I didn't know the difference between Gandalf and Saruman. I only understood it after reading it a couple more times. Cultural products require a bit of patience."
One viewer in the live chat asked, "So, are the hand gestures in the movie actually from Tibetan Buddhism?"
"Partly true, partly adapted."
Chen Xun said, "We hired a Tibetan studies consultant, but a movie is a movie after all, and it needs to have a visual impact."
"For example, the last hand gesture of the Ancient One does not actually exist in religion; it was added by the director for the sake of visual effect, but the gestures before it all have their origins."
He casually gestured to the Void Seal, a hand gesture often used by Karuru in the movie: "This represents containment, meaning that the mage's heart should be like the void, capable of bearing all things."
The comments section was filled with "666" and "I've learned it".
"As for those who say I've tarnished Marvel—"
Chen Xun paused for a moment, then smiled: "I didn't create Marvel. I'm just an actor, I get paid to do my job, and I try my best to play the role well."
"If the movie is successful, it's thanks to the team; if it fails, I'll take the blame. But to tarnish that word is too harsh; I suggest you look it up in the dictionary first."
Someone commented in the comments section: "But 'San Andreas' has caught up at the box office!"
Chen Xun saw it: "I'm also looking at the box office data. In the second week, the other side made a push in the overseas market. Film competition is like a race. Some people start fast, some people accelerate in the middle. In the end, whoever reaches the finish line first depends on their overall strength, not the data of a single week."
He didn't spell it out clearly, but the industry insiders watching the live stream all understood.
Will the Ice Bucket Challenge continue?
Chen Xun read the next comment: "Yes, but it won't be mandatory. The ALS Association's donation channel is always open. Everyone should contribute according to their ability. Ten dollars is not too little. The important thing is to pay attention to the ALS community."
"Peter Fratzs will be in Los Angeles next week for a medical conference, and I will meet with him. I might even do a short live stream of it if he wants."
The live stream lasted for 25 minutes, and the number of online viewers peaked at 300,000.
At the end, Chen Xun said, "One last thing: watching movies is supposed to be a happy experience. Don't let arguments about data affect your mood. If you like it, watch it; if you don't, just choose another one. Keep it simple."
He waved and ended the live stream.
The screen recording was immediately captured and disseminated.
The tone of the comments section began to subtly shift: "He speaks so down-to-earth—unlike some celebrities who are all about PR statements."
"Passersby said they were captivated and would go buy tickets this weekend."
"Am I the only one who noticed how incredibly cool he looked when he made that hand gesture?"
Chen Xun had just finished his live stream when Kevin called.
"The evidence has been submitted!"
Kevin got straight to the point: "Written testimonies from three European theater managers, along with our data team's analysis report, were sent to the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the regulatory bodies of several major markets at 5 p.m.
"What was their reaction?"
-
The sound of typing came from Kevin's end: "The German media have already gotten wind of this; there should be reports tomorrow morning."
.
"The key point is that AMC and RegaI just issued an internal notice to suspend adjustments to the screening schedule of 'Collapse' pending the investigation results."
"So fast?"
"The cinemas were already aware of it; our evidence just gave them a formal reason."
Kevin paused for a moment: "Warner's stock price fell three percent in after-hours trading."
Chen Xun walked into the living room and turned on the TV.
CNBC is currently broadcasting a post-market analysis, with the host speaking very quickly: "Warner Bros.' recent major project, 'San Andreas,' has been accused of falsifying box office figures, and the Motion Picture Association of America has launched an investigation."
"As a result, Warner's stock price fell in after-hours trading. Analysts said that if the allegations are true, it could face claims from theater chains and reputational damage."
The camera cuts to the studio, where a financial commentator is saying, "This isn't the first time Hollywood has been embroiled in box office fraud controversies, but if it's a systemic, multi-national practice of locking up screenings, then the nature of the problem is serious."
"Audience trust is the cornerstone of the film industry; once it is shaken, the cost of repair is extremely high."
Chen Xun changed the channel several times.
Entertainment news outlets are also following up, using cautious language but with headlines that are quite direct: "Collapse" embroiled in controversy over alleged fabrication; Warner Bros. remains silent.
On social media, the hashtag #DoomsdayCollapseLockdown# began to trend.
A netizen posted a heat map comparing "empty seats and sold-out cinemas," and the number of reposts increased rapidly.
Comments section: "Is it confirmed?"
"Warner's move is so lame—"
"So the comeback in the second week was due to buying?"
"No wonder I felt something was off. The movie theater next to my house was packed for midnight screenings, but the parking lot was so empty you could play football in it."
"@WarnerBrothers, come out and explain?"
Chen Xun scrolled through his phone for a while, then put it down.
The bathroom door opened, and Christine came out drying her hair, wearing one of Chen Xun's old T-shirts and athletic shorts.
"Did you see the news?" she asked.
"Watching it now."
Christine sat down next to him, picked up the remote, and flipped through a few channels, stopping at the entertainment news channel. The screen was showing an exterior view of Warner Bros. headquarters, with a reporter reporting from the entrance: "As of now, Warner Bros. has not officially responded to the allegations of fabrication, but internal sources say that project manager Michael has been asked to cooperate with the investigation—"
"Michael's in trouble!"
Christine took a bite of her apple: "He's only just taken office and this is already happening; the board won't let him off the hook."
How do you think he will handle this?
"Two possibilities."
Chen Xun said, "He shifted the blame to the execution team, claiming he was unaware of the situation."
"They'll either fight to the bitter end, sticking to the data without a problem, and then accuse us of framing them!"
"Guess which one he'll choose?"
"The first one!"
Chen Xun was certain: "He's a professional manager, not a reckless madman. Protecting himself is more important to him than protecting the project."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Kevin called again.
Kevin's tone was somewhat ambiguous: "Warner Bros. issued a statement."
"How so?"
"Let me read this to you: Warner Bros. has always adhered to the principle of honest operation. We take the recent questions about the box office data of 'San Andreas' very seriously and have initiated an internal audit."
"The project's marketing strategies are all executed by a professional team in accordance with laws and regulations. If there are any operational errors, we will deal with them seriously. The film is currently showing normally. Thank you for your support."
"Standard PR nonsense," Chen Xun commented.
"They'll definitely hire online trolls to spread rumors that Marvel is using any means necessary to suppress its competitors for box office success. Be careful these next few days and don't say anything careless on social media."
"clear!"
After hanging up the phone, Christine nudged him: "You're so calm."
"Otherwise what?"
Chen Xun smiled and said, "I've done what I needed to do. The rest is up to time."