novellhall Chapter 331 Art Films Can Also Break 100 Million
Chapter 331 Art Films Can Also Break 100 Million
Chapter 330 Even Art Films Can Break 100 Million (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The commotion at the wrap party continued.
The Disney production team, director Byron, and the recording studio staff took turns toasting Chen Xun, their words full of admiration and recognition.
Everyone knows that Chen Xun deserves a lot of credit for the perfect dubbing in Zootopia.
While calmly responding to everyone's congratulations, Chen Xun had already made a complete plan in his mind.
For the Joker project, he wanted Rob to immediately contact Warner Bros. and Todd Phillips, bring in the budget, and secure the lead actor.
With this inside information, negotiations should not be difficult for Rob.
During the awards season for "La La Land," he needed to prepare a public relations plan in advance to deal with any Oscar mishaps.
The wrap party for "Zootopia" lasted until late at night.
Chen Xun avoided the subsequent drinking party and drove back to his apartment in Beverly Hills.
The evening breeze from Los Angeles, carrying the moisture of the Pacific Ocean, blew through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He casually ripped off his tie, nestled into the sofa in the living room, swiped his phone to open his contacts, and dialed Rob's number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and Rob's excited voice came through: "Bro! Congratulations on wrapping up filming! The production supervisor at Disney raved about your voice acting and is already negotiating the priority rights for the sequel!"
"Put the sequel aside for now; there's something more important I need you to do immediately."
Chen Xun's tone was calm, but Robert sensed his seriousness and his tone also became earnest: "Go on!"
"The Joker project that I inquired about with you before needs to be re-engaged with."
Rob on the other end of the phone was visibly taken aback, his voice filled with surprise: "Joker?"
"I've heard that it's just an R-rated villain solo movie still in the early stages of development; casting hasn't even started yet!"
"I not only know about this project, but I also know about its current situation."
Chen Xun leaned back on the sofa and slowly recounted the core content of the intelligence: "Todd has completed the final version of the script and applied to Warner for a production budget of $6000 million. Warner executives are not optimistic at all and are only willing to approve $2500 million. The project may be canceled at any time."
"Right now, not a single A-list actor within WarnerMedia is willing to take on this lead role; everyone thinks it's a mess that's bound to lose money."
There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.
After a while, Rob's voice came from the other end of the phone, filled with shock: "This is all top-secret information from Warner Bros. I asked an acquaintance in Warner Bros.' production department, and I only managed to find out some of the gist of it!"
However, Rob did not ask about the source of the information.
But Chen Xun must have gone to great lengths to obtain this inside information.
This was originally supposed to be his job.
Rob felt a pang of guilt, his voice tinged with remorse: "Bro, I'm sorry, this is my fault. As your agent, I should be the one providing you with this information. Instead, you're the one telling me it's because my network of connections isn't deep enough!"
"Don't blame yourself!"
Chen Xun was surprised that Robert would start reflecting on himself first.
It's not his fault.
He owns the system, while Rob is just an agent who has started to have a voice in the industry in recent years.
"That's not the point right now. What I want to do is win over the male lead in this project, and also get the biggest say and the largest share of the profits!"
""
Having obtained the intelligence, Chen Xun naturally wanted to maximize his benefits.
Rob instantly composed himself, switching into the professional mode of a top agent, and began to analyze: "If it's really as you say, that Warner has absolutely no faith in this project, or is even on the verge of abandoning it, then we have far too many bargaining chips!"
"Warner Bros. can't find any A-list actors willing to take over, and they can't attract any external investment. Our entry is a godsend for them."
"My idea is to not steal too much money, and even leverage the greatest benefit with the least amount of capital!"
Rob confidently stated, "Warner only agreed to a budget of $2500 million, didn't they?"
"We can personally contribute $500 million, plus your salary, to cover part of the shortfall, and then we'll state our terms!"
"You must be the sole designated male lead, the final version of the script must be approved by you, we will take 15% of the global net revenue, plus a second share from offline distribution and streaming rights —"
Robert paused, then added, "Most importantly, you must hold the title of co-producer and have veto power over the project!"
For Chen Xun now, $500 million is just a fraction of his salary for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
However, this money was able to secure the male lead at a point when Warner Bros. was not optimistic about the project.
At the same time, they can also get a share of the box office revenue and control over the production, which can be described as a top-notch operation of getting something for nothing.
"Let's discuss it along these lines!"
Chen Xun was very satisfied.
Rob's professional skills have never let him down.
"The sooner the better!"
"It would be best to meet with Todd Phillips within three days, talk to the director first, he is the core of this project, once you get him on board, Warner Bros. will be all set."
"Don't worry, I'm flying to New York tonight and will see Todd Phillips first thing tomorrow morning."
Rob's tone was full of excitement.
He was acutely aware of the project's potential!
Even if there's only a one percent chance of getting the Joker, this classic villain in film history, it would be a chance for Chen Xun to achieve legendary status.
"I guarantee I'll get you the best deals at the lowest cost."
After hanging up with Robert, Chen Xun put down his phone.
He was determined to get the Joker role.
This is a role that could be an Oscar contender!
While Rob flew to New York overnight to work on the Joker project, thousands of miles away in China, the film market was experiencing a frenzy of art-house films.
"Crosscurrent" has officially premiered in theaters nationwide.
The previous version of "Crosscurrent" was criticized for its obscure subject matter, small audience, and lack of top-tier actors.
Even after winning international awards, the final box office was only a little over 300 million.
It's a classic example of something that's critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful.
But in this life, everything is completely different.
On its opening day, the film had a 12% screening rate, far exceeding the 3% of its predecessor.
All of this stems from the popularity of Chen Xun and Xin Zhilei.
With the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival, Chen Xun's popularity in Hollywood remains high.
His titles as a Marvel and Disney leading man make him a unique figure in the Chinese entertainment industry.
Its fan base and national popularity are far ahead of the competition.
Xin Zhilei's stunning performance in "Crosscurrent" and the official announcement of her participation in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" have propelled her to become one of the most watched and talented actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, with her popularity soaring.
#The only Chinese-language film nominated for Berlin Film Festival#
#Chen Xun's Art Films Become Gods#
Related terms have consistently topped the trending searches, and clips shown at the premiere have received rave reviews, drawing countless viewers to the theaters out of curiosity.
On its opening day, the film grossed over 1200 million, surpassing the total box office of its previous life.
What shocked the industry even more was the film's soaring reputation, with its Douban score immediately reaching 7.9.
The audience rating has also remained above 8 points.
Countless viewers left comments in the comment section: "I originally went to see it because of Chen Xun, but I was completely moved by this movie. Every frame is poetry. The romance and sense of destiny of the Yangtze River directly penetrated the screen."
"Chen Xun's acting is absolutely superb. Gao Chun and Xingjue are completely different characters; there's not a trace of mixing up the roles. His eyes are full of emotion. This is true acting prowess!"
"Finally, a film I can watch with a calm mind. Xin Zhilei's portrayal of An Lu is so captivating, and the scenes between the male and female leads are full of tension. Winning the Berlin Film Festival award is well-deserved!"
The positive word-of-mouth led to a remarkable box office comeback.
The screening rate rose from 12% on the first day to 18%.
Its occupancy rate consistently ranks among the top three for films released during the same period.
On weekdays, daily box office revenue has remained stable at over 800 million, and on weekends it has even exceeded 2000 million!
Countless art-house film directors and industry professionals were stunned.
No one expected that an art film with a poetic style could achieve such an incredible box office performance amidst the onslaught of commercial films.
It's worth noting that in the 2016 mainland Chinese film market, an art film was considered a success if it grossed over 10 million yuan, and grossing over 100 million yuan was something no one even dared to dream of.
On its 22nd day of release, "Crosscurrent" officially surpassed the 1 million yuan mark in total box office revenue!
The news sent shockwaves through the entire Chinese film and television industry.
Numerous media outlets rushed to report on it, claiming that "Crosscurrent" had created a box office miracle for Chinese-language art films.
"This has truly brought art-house films out of their niche audience and made them accessible to a wider viewers!"
At the roadshow, director Yang Chao's eyes welled up with tears as he watched the box office figures surpass 100 million yuan on the big screen. He bowed deeply to the audience, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, Chen Xun. Without him, there would be no 'Crosscurrent'."
This is not an exaggeration at all.
When the funding for "Crosscurrent" ran into trouble, Chen Xun didn't hesitate to fill the biggest funding gap, which allowed the film to be completed smoothly.
In the investment agreement signed at the time, Rob secured a 40% share of the film's net profit.
With box office revenue exceeding 100 million, after deducting 3.3% for special funds and taxes, 52% for theater revenue sharing, and further subtracting 15 million for production costs and marketing expenses, the film's net profit reached a substantial 28 million.
This means that Chen Xun could receive 1120 million yuan just from the box office revenue share.
This does not include revenue from subsequent streaming media rights, television broadcasting rights, and overseas distribution.
His investments not only earned him awards at the Berlin Film Festival, but also solidified his position as a respected actor.
When the news reached Los Angeles, Chen Xun had just finished a global promotional meeting with the Disney team for "Zootopia".
When the domestic team sent him the good news that the film had grossed over 100 million yuan and the revenue sharing details, he was on the phone with Robert, listening to the latest developments of the "Joker" project.
"Director Yang just sent me a message: 'Crosscurrent' has surpassed 100 million yuan at the box office."
Chen Xun smiled and spoke, his tone full of satisfaction.
This film is the culmination of three months of hard work by him and his entire team on the Yangtze River. The fact that it has been recognized by the audience and achieved such box office success is more gratifying than any amount of salary he received.
Congratulations, bro!
Rob laughed and exclaimed on the other end of the phone, "Right now, all the art-house film directors in your country are probably scrambling to work with you!"
""
"Let's put that aside for now. How's the negotiation with Todd Phillips going?"
Chen Xun was more interested in news about the Joker movie.
After all, his character card can't be wasted!
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