Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 141 Stallone punches Frankenstein's monster and stomps on an alien beast.
In the United States, watching movies is a very common pastime, and many people have developed the habit of going to the cinema on weekends.

"Hey Tom, how about we go see 'The Jackal'? Bruce Willis and Richard Gere!" Jerry asked his best friend after class.

"The Jackal" was released last Friday, and its two big stars, Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, are quite appealing to audiences.

Tom shook his head: "But I heard from Tyke that the movie is mediocre. The plot is a complete copy of 'Heat,' but the imitation is not good enough, and the fighting is not intense."

“But this is the only movie worth watching recently. It has two big stars in it, so it shouldn’t be too bad. Do you want to watch Anastasia?” Jerry shrugged.

Anastasia is a newly released Disney animated film, clearly intended for children.

"Of course not! Don't you know Stallone's new movie is out?" Tom retorted.

“Uh, I know, but Stallone is old. He can’t fight anymore, can he? And I saw in the promotion that it’s a sci-fi movie, but his sci-fi movie 'Dredd' from two years ago was really bad. I don’t want to watch his sci-fi movies anymore…” Jerry said, pursing his lips.

"It's not as bad as you say. I watched the trailer, and some of the special effects shots looked really cool. Plus, I've seen media reports saying it's a transformative film for Stallone, and I'm quite curious about how Stallone will transform his image."

Seeing that his friend Tom was clearly interested in Stallone's new movie, Jerry said, "Well, after all, I grew up watching the old guy's movies, so I'm also curious about how he'll transition to a new role."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked into the movie theater.

The same family of three went to the movie theater. George is not a very talkative father, and as his son is about to enter adolescence, communication between them becomes more difficult. However, going to the movies together every month is a habit that the family has developed long ago.

“Hey, gentlemen, what would you like to see?” the wife asked her husband and son.

"casual."

Seeing that her husband and son couldn't say a word and didn't seem to mind, the wife went straight to buy tickets: "Three tickets for 'Frequency'."

Upon hearing this, George looked at the poster for "Frequency".

"Sydney Stallone portrays the bond between father and son, showcasing the interaction between two tough guys!"

Is this a conversation between a tough father and son? George thought it was pretty good, and he also wanted to see how Stallone communicated with his son.

……

Despite the lackluster performances of his previous two films, Sylvester Stallone remains a household name in America, and his reputation hasn't been ruined. His new movie has naturally attracted considerable attention, drawn by a variety of people, including longtime fans, those captivated by the trailer, and casual viewers who simply felt that a film with a big star was more likely to be a hit.

Sylvester Stallone's name, coupled with the promotional efforts of Sony Columbia, made "Frequency" the most anticipated film on its opening day, drawing many viewers to the theaters.

After the theater lights went out, George munched on popcorn while watching the movie. The opening scene showed Stallone as a firefighter, who, like him, had a happy family of three.

But just a few minutes later, the film jumps directly to 25 years later, and the 6-year-old son is suddenly a 30-year-old Hugh Jackman. This scene left the audience, including George, somewhat stunned.

Hugh Jackman becomes a police officer investigating a serial murder case, and through his perspective, viewers learn that Stallone died 25 years ago during a fire rescue!

This immediately piqued the audience's curiosity. Stallone, the protagonist, died at the beginning and for so many years. How would the story continue?

Soon, on a sad night, when Hugh Jackman brought out his father's old radio for nostalgia, he unexpectedly connected with a man, and the audience was shocked to see that the person on the other end was a young Stallone from 25 years ago!

George suddenly realized that this was how tough guys communicated, but where did he get a time-traveling radio?

However, the thought was fleeting, and he quickly became engrossed in the plot.

Hugh Jackman and Sylvester Stallone communicate via radio, their relationship evolving from strangers to friends, then to father and son after discovering the truth—a series of changes that are both lighthearted and humorous, before turning heartwarming. Hugh Jackman then begins to use the radio to alter past events.

The scene where Stallone rescues the girl from the fire was thrilling for the audience, and after finally escaping, they couldn't help but feel joy and excitement, proving that history and destiny can be changed!
However, while he saved his father, his mother was gone in the future because the butterfly effect caused the serial killer to survive, and his mother became the killer's target!

Therefore, the father and son once again connected across time and space to join forces to deal with the serial killer, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The killer was cunning, attempting to kill both father and son in both timelines. In the end, 25 years in the past, Stallone shot and shattered the killer's arm. Then, the scene shifted, and 25 years later, the killer's arm, which had been gripping Hugh Jackman's arm, suddenly began to wither and gradually turn to dust.

The special effects in this scene were very well done, giving the audience a great visual impact and naturally making them extremely excited. It was obvious that Stallone had traveled through time to save his son!
But the killer still had a gun in his other hand. Terrified that his arm had disappeared, he hurriedly used his other hand to pull the trigger to shoot and kill Hugh Jackman.

A gunshot rang out!
The audience was on the edge of their seats, fearing Hugh Jackman would be killed. But what they saw on screen was the killer's body flying through the air, and then, following the long barrel of the shotgun, they saw that the person holding the gun was none other than the white-haired Sylvester Stallone!
At this moment, Stallone was holding a gun and staring fiercely at the fallen murderer. Although he had white hair and wrinkles, he was still imposing and domineering!

Yes, 25 years ago, Stallone saved his son once, and then in an instant, 25 years later, the elderly Stallone saved his son again!
Wow! That's so cool!

"cool!"

Although Stallone didn't engage in a large-scale hand-to-hand combat with the killer as is usually the case in movies, this scene undoubtedly made him appear as a tall, mighty, and incredibly powerful father!
The audience breathed a sigh of relief and finally released their emotions, cheering and applauding for Sylvester Stallone's portrayal of the father.

In the end, of course, there was a happy ending, and the protagonist's family became wealthy. Hugh Jackman told his younger self on the radio that he would buy Microsoft stock in the future, which brought a smile to the faces of all the viewers, and the whole place was filled with a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

"Sylvester Stallone was incredibly cool in that final scene. Even though he's old, he's still amazing!"

"I never knew Stallone was such a good actor; I'd never noticed before. Their radio interactions were really heartwarming!"

"Yes, he really has very few action scenes in this movie, his transformation is very successful!"

"Not only Stallone, but I think his son acted very well too. Their relationship is really great!"

"This movie is really good! I wish I had one of those radios."

After the film ended, the audience chattered amongst themselves, and after leaving the theater, when they encountered the investigators, they all gave the film an A or A+ rating.

The audience was relaxed and happy after watching the movie, but the main creators of "Frequency," including Wu Yuchen, Sylvester Stallone, Jeff, Hugh Jackman, and Gretchen, were anxiously waiting. It was past midnight, and they were waiting for the box office results on the opening day.

Wu Yuchen, Stallone, and Jeff remained quite composed, but Gretchen, who was playing the female lead for the first time, couldn't keep up, constantly talking and chatting with Wu Yuchen and asking all sorts of questions.

"Wu, how much did 'The Jackal' gross in its opening weekend last week?"

"More than 1500 million. Don't worry, the movie has already flopped, so it won't have much of an impact on us."

"What box office figure would be considered passing?"

"Our total filming cost was only 3000 million, and with the marketing and distribution costs, it was only 5000 million. If the box office reaches 1500 million in the first weekend, we can break even."

If "Frequency" grosses $1500 million in its opening weekend, its North American box office should be over $4000 million, and with the global box office, it will definitely break even. However, if that's all the results are achieved, not only will he be dissatisfied, but Stallone probably won't be either.

Just then, the publicity manager walked over, holding a freshly released data file. Jeff immediately went to him and asked, "What were the opening day box office figures?"

The PR person smiled and said, "860 million, not bad!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for Sylvester Stallone, who complained slightly, "It's not even over ten million!"

Jeff took the document, glanced at it, and then smiled at Stallone, saying:
"Sylvester, our opening only had 2200 screens, and it's not peak season yet. This is a good result. It was yesterday's daily champion, and the movie received 8% A and A+ ratings. Tomorrow, the number of screens we have should increase."

The publicity staff nodded in agreement: "We chose to release the film this week to build up word-of-mouth and prepare for Thanksgiving next week. Otherwise, with our production budget, we wouldn't be able to secure a large number of openings by Thanksgiving."

Next week, during the Thanksgiving holiday season, two films are considered big-budget productions: *Alien 4* with a budget of $7000 million and *Flying Treasure* with a budget of $8000 million, both significantly more expensive than *Frequency*. Therefore, Sony's strategy is to release the film a week earlier to secure positive word-of-mouth.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen felt slightly relieved. With 891 million on the first day, the box office for the first three days of the opening weekend would definitely be more than 15 million. It seemed like it could be close to 10 million more, but the exact amount would depend on the situation.

Wu Yuchen spent the weekend promoting the film with the crew, meeting with audiences at the cinema during the day. The audience's reaction seemed very positive. Although most of the attention was focused on Sylvester Stallone, some audience members still applauded him as the director and asked for photos.

And the box office results did not disappoint them. The number of theaters opened on Saturday increased to 2450, with a box office of 1460 million. Sunday's box office is usually much lower than Saturday's, but it still brought in 968 million.

The box office totaled 3319 million yuan over the first three weekends.

"Frequency" tops the box office in its opening weekend; Sylvester Stallone's heartwarming father-son bond touches hearts!" — Los Angeles Times

"Sylvester Stallone's tough-guy tenderness is deeply moving; his poker face reveals a surprising and successful acting transformation!" — San Francisco Chronicle

"A thrilling soft science fiction film with a captivating story and genuinely moving emotions; recommended for the whole family." — The Washington Post

"Sylvester Stallone's masterpiece, *Frequency*, is a perfect blend of science fiction, emotional drama, action, and heroism." — *Chicago Sun-Times*

"A science fiction film wrapped around a deeply moving world of father and son; a Thanksgiving recommendation!" — The New York Times

At this moment, Stallone looked at the positive reviews in the newspaper and laughed so hard his mouth was crooked—or rather, his mouth was already crooked to begin with.

That's not important; what's important is that he's in a good mood right now!

There were newspapers with negative reviews, but he threw them all away, and that didn't affect the overall situation.

Wu Yuchen and Jeff were also very happy. They were more concerned about the box office results. The film grossed 3319 million in its opening weekend, which is quite good so far. The film has received good word-of-mouth and can continue to spread. Thanksgiving is just a few days away, which may bring them an even bigger surprise. This is a very good start!
Hugh Jackman and Gretchen, the two newcomers, were even more excited. With $3319 million in the opening weekend, the box office has already exceeded the production cost. There is no doubt that the movie is a success, which proves that the two can gain a foothold in Hollywood with this movie, "Frequency". Such a result for their debut work is really remarkable!

After putting down the newspaper, Stallone picked up two glasses of red wine, handed one to Wu Yuchen, and then clinked glasses with him.
"Wu, I knew it was a good story when I saw the script, and I knew you were a really great guy after filming was finished. Cheers!"

Wu Yuchen clinked his lips with his and took a small sip, jokingly saying, "Sylvester, I'll take that as the truth~"

Stallone didn't seem to mind and laughed heartily, saying, "Hahaha! Welcome! You've successfully opened the door to Hollywood!"

Sylvester Stallone has previously achieved opening weekend box office figures far exceeding $33 million, but the situation is different now. He's been in a slump for the past two years, and this is only a $30 million production. Based on his experience, this film could easily break $100 million in North America, allowing him not only to prove himself but also to earn over $10 million in box office revenue. With both fame and fortune at stake, it's natural that he now treats Wu Yuchen with new respect.

Once the weekdays began, box office revenue naturally plummeted. Monday saw 603 million, but Tuesday's cinema discounts led to a rebound to 654 million.

On Wednesday night, the day before Thanksgiving, large numbers of people who were already on holiday flocked to movie theaters.

Meanwhile, both *Alien: Resurrection* and *Flying Treasure* were released in theaters simultaneously. *Frequency* saw a 15% reduction in screen count, which was unavoidable and only due to its strong performance; some films had their screen count halved or even completely eliminated.

This time, Wu Yuchen, Jeff, Stallone, and others are still waiting for the box office results. The Thanksgiving holiday is very important and plays a crucial role in the total box office.

When the publicity staff arrived with the data files, the group knew from their smiles that the data should be good.

"The top-grossing film on Wednesday was 'Flying Treasure,' with 1133 million. Second place went to 'Frequency,' with 1017 million, and third place to 'Alien 4,' with 742 million!"

"Yes!" Jeff waved his hand forcefully, and on the very first day of release, "Alien 4" was crushed by their "Frequency"!

Wu Yuchen immediately asked, "What about reputation?"

The publicity manager said with a smile:
"The survey shows that half of the audience was disappointed with Alien 4, Flying Treasure received good reviews, but of course, the best-received film is our Frequency!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled. From this perspective, Alien 4 is not a threat at all, and the only competitor they can face is Flying Treasure.

The film "Flying Treasures" stars Robin Williams, best known for "Dead Poets Society" and "Jumanji" in 95, which was very popular with children. This time, "Flying Treasures" is still a comedy, in which he plays a group of quirky science professors, making it a family-friendly film.

Upon hearing this, Stallone laughed heartily and then said boldly, "Guys, they are nothing in front of Stallone!"

Stallone spoke with great confidence, and as it turned out, he wasn't just blindly praising it. As soon as theaters saw that "Frequency" performed significantly better than "Alien 4," they immediately increased the number of screens showing "Frequency," even more than before.

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, also saw the highest box office revenue, with "Frequency" grossing 1550 million, "Flying Treasure" 1230 million, and "Alien 4" 531 million.

The movie "Frequency," which has been in theaters for several days, has overtaken two new films and topped the daily box office charts despite having a relatively small number of releases!

Thanksgiving is a day for family gatherings and friends to get together, and without a doubt, "Frequency," which tells a story of father-son relationships, is the most appealing.

With positive word-of-mouth spreading and snowballing, "Frequency" dominated the next three days, earning $1220 million on Friday, $1005 million on Saturday, and $856 million on Sunday. It undisputedly claimed the Thanksgiving box office crown!
Moreover, after ten days of release, "Frequency" has grossed 1 million yuan, successfully breaking the 224 million mark!

The media outlets directly provided the following headline:

"Sylvester Stallone punches Frankenstein's monster, stomps on alien monsters, and wins the Thanksgiving championship!"

"Frequency" topped the charts for two consecutive weeks, grossing over 3000 million yuan in just 10 days with a budget of 11 million, becoming the biggest dark horse of November!

"Sylvester Stallone is still going strong, making a powerful comeback!"

"Hollywood newcomer director Wu Yuchen creates a dark horse legend!"

Even though Wu Yuchen had somewhat anticipated this good result, he was still overjoyed to hear that it had surpassed 100 million in 10 days. The female lead, Gretchen, was so excited that she jumped into Wu Yuchen's arms and started kissing him. Fortunately, they were all on the same side, and in such an exciting moment, no one paid attention to this.

To be honest, Frequency was much better than the original version, which was due to a variety of reasons. One reason was that the movie was released several years earlier, and the earlier the release, the more interested people were in this kind of time travel theme.

Then there's the cast. It has to be admitted that with Stallone in the cast, the movie's appeal has increased by at least one or two levels. Coupled with the heavy promotion, the effect is incomparable to the original cast in the previous version.

Another issue is the release date. In its previous form, Frequency was basically not available for holidays, but now it's being released during Thanksgiving, which is the perfect time for this kind of story.

These factors directly contributed to the box office success of "Frequency".

Stallone simply opened a bottle of champagne and started spraying it all around him and into the air, patting himself and shouting, "That's Stallone! The invincible Stallone!"

Even though he sprayed them all over, no one cared and they were all caught up in a frenzy of celebration.

(End of this chapter)