madnovel Chapter 46 Moving Forward and Announcing the Results
Chapter 46 Moving Forward and Announcing the Results
The aftershocks of the first weekend hadn't even subsided when the second week's reports arrived.
But this time the key phrase has changed to "less than a week after its release, the cumulative box office has already exceeded ten million."
In 2005, China produced more than 200 domestic films, but fewer than 60 were released in theaters, and less than half of them grossed over 10 million yuan at the box office.
If overseas copyright revenue is taken into account, "A Separation" is already one of the highest-return domestic films of the year so far.
This time, the media has finally begun to shift the focus of discussion from the art film itself to the director.
The Southern Metropolis Daily Weekly dedicated an entire page to a special feature: "Twenty-year-old director with a budget of over ten million – his first feature film broke ten million in less than a week."
Gu Changwei's *Peacock* won the Berlin Jury Prize and grossed approximately eight million yuan domestically. Xu Jinglei's *Letter from an Unknown Woman*, starring Jiang Wen, grossed approximately four million yuan.
Jia Zhangke's "The World" was shortlisted for the main competition at Venice, but its domestic box office was less than two million.
Despite being an art film bolstered by international awards, "A Separation" surpassed other films of its genre in less than a week.
"For a long time, the domestic film market has accepted the assumption that artistic merit and commercial success are difficult to achieve simultaneously. But now, a twenty-year-old director seems to be making a difference for the first time."
The reactions on forums and online communities were more direct than those in newspapers.
A post titled "What does it mean for an art film to gross over 10 million?" on the Tianya Film and Television forum was pushed to the top of the list.
The poster listed a set of data: among the art films released this year, the first-week box office of "A Separation" was more than the other films combined.
The comments below spanned over a dozen pages, with the most popular one consisting of only two lines: Where are those people who said no one watches art films? Come out and show yourselves.
Although there are still some pessimistic reports, the online sentiment has shifted compared to the first weekend, with people starting to care about how high it will ultimately go.
Even on the Beijing Film Academy forum, people started threads to guess who was right.
"Can we reach 1500 million?"
"I think 20 million is a good chance."
"What are you thinking? The national box office is only a little over a billion a year."
"But he's only twenty years old."
He looked at the prediction post on the screen and then closed the webpage.
Fifteen million, twenty million—these figures seemed like a pipe dream in the context of the art-house film market in 2005.
It's not that he doesn't want to, but he has more important things to worry about right now.
Wednesday evening, a quiet bar near Liangmaqiao.
Elizabeth Gabrielle changed into casual clothes this time, looking less business-like than she did a few days ago.
"Sit down." She gestured with her chin toward the person opposite her.
Lin Ruiyang sat down and ordered a glass of sparkling water.
"I've seen the budget framework, shooting schedule, and post-production plan. They're all very good, with no major flaws." She twirled the whiskey glass in her hand.
"I want to talk to you about something before I fly to Los Angeles."
"you say."
"Do you have a choice in mind for Miranda?"
Lin Ruiyang had been preparing for this question for a long time, and the answer had been on the tip of his tongue, just waiting for the right moment to say it.
Meryl Streep.
Elizabeth's eyebrows twitched slightly, not out of surprise, but more like a confirmation of "I knew it."
"What's the reason?"
"Miranda stands in a position that everyone looks up to; every word she speaks is a command, and every glance she gives can silence a room. If an ordinary actor were to play her, the audience would only think she is harsh."
But Meryl Streep can convince the audience that she's not just showing off; she's carrying a weight that no one else can support.
"Most importantly, Meryl Streep never plays stereotypical villains. If she's willing to take on Miranda, it's the least risky option for Fox."
"You've really figured her out."
"That's what screenwriters should do."
"Fox will hold an evaluation and creative meeting before the end of the month. My suggestion is that you secure a letter of intent from Meryl Streep before the evaluation begins. I believe CAA will also be able to help."
"Is ten days enough?"
That's enough.
Elizabeth stood up and picked up her trench coat from the back of the chair. As she reached the door, she turned her head and said:
"Lin, in the past twenty years I have seen three types of directors. One type can tell a story but doesn't understand the market, one type understands the market but can't tell a story, and the other type only listens to themselves."
Such people either die the most tragically or go the furthest.
She opened the door, and the night breeze blew in, causing the candlelight on the bar to flicker.
"I'll tell you once I know which one you are."
The door closed gently behind her. Lin Ruiyang finished the last sip of sparkling water in his glass, took out his phone, and sent a text message to Roger.
"Fly to Los Angeles in five days and make an appointment with Meryl's agent for me."
Rogge replied half a minute later.
"finally."
He placed his phone on the table, and the screen's backlight dimmed. Jazz music was still playing in the bar, and the saxophone lazily circled a few repetitive notes.
He didn't get up immediately, but sat there and went over the entire conversation from beginning to end.
In Hollywood, Elizabeth's meaning was clear: Your script moved me, your production plan is fine, but to get Fox to hand you the director's chair, you need to take another step forward.
That was the step that secured Meryl Streep's tentative contract.
Meryl Streep.
The name swirled in my mind, carrying a heavy, substantial feeling.
Inviting Meryl Streep to play a supporting role in a commercial comedy in 2005 was itself a highly risky and somewhat arrogant act.
By this time, Meryl Streep had already won two Oscars and received countless nominations. She was synonymous with Hollywood acting and a living fossil of the so-called method acting school in the modern era.
To cast such a queen as a powerful and sharp-tongued fashion editor? To many, this is simply a form of artistic entertainment.
But Lin Ruiyang knew that Meryl was in a delicate transition period at this time.
She needs a role that proves she can not only act in tragic melodramas, but also dominate the commercial big screen.
And "The Devil Wears Prada" is that ladder.
He remembered that in his previous life, Meryl Streep initially wanted to withdraw from the film due to salary issues, but Fox immediately doubled her salary, which allowed her to successfully star in the film.
"Salary + different roles from her past performances + Oscar nomination = Meryl Streep joining the cast?"
Perhaps he could think about how to make use of these conditions, Lin Ruiyang pondered carefully in his mind.
In the following days, the box office trend resembled a river that had passed its peak. Screenings were significantly reduced due to the pressure from "National Treasure," and "A Separation" was relegated to the margins of some cinemas in first-tier cities. However, the occupancy rate remained stable.
The cumulative box office steadily surpassed 13 million by the end of the second week, slowly advancing towards even higher figures.
Media attention on box office performance was largely diverted by the strong opening of "National Treasure".
The entertainment section's headline was replaced with a photo of Nicolas Cage at the Los Angeles premiere, while the difficulties faced by art-house films in terms of screenings were reduced to an inconspicuous news item in a corner of the entertainment section.
Before we knew it, it was March 21st.
Lin Ruiyang went to eat alone at the Sichuan restaurant outside the school.
I had just sat down and ordered when a few students at the next table started chattering away on their phones. One of the girls couldn't help but raise her voice:
"The results are out! The results are out! Quick, check the forum!"
He glanced to the side and saw that everyone at the table was looking down at their phones. After about half a minute, someone shouted "It's over!" and someone else went out to make a phone call.
The boss peeked out from the kitchen, seemed used to the scene at this time of year, and then went back inside to continue cooking.
Lin Ruiyang turned his gaze away.
When the boiled pork slices were served, he thought of someone.
On my way back to school after dinner, my phone vibrated. A text message from Yang Mi popped up, even the punctuation marks seemed to convey barely suppressed excitement:
"Senior! I passed!! I got the highest overall score!!!"
"I told you you would pass."
Less than five seconds after I sent the text message, I received a reply: "How come you're always so calm?!"
"Because you passed as I expected, but getting first place overall is still something to celebrate."
A long string of periods popped up on the screen, followed by two words: "Thank you."
About ten seconds later, she added another message: "I'm starting school in September. I'll treat you to a meal then, senior. You can't refuse."
"OK."
Lin Ruiyang put his phone back in his pocket and continued walking.
There are still six months until the start of school in September, so let's prepare a back-to-school gift.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he quickly brought it back.