Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 145 Jalen Weeps Bitterly

"...

I've been playing him for a fool because he idolizes me... Adam, if you see me on TV, stop doing PR, you have a better future.

I speak human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts. I deceive everyone around me, and I deceive newspapers and magazines. They use my lies to deceive even more people.

My suit is fake, my watch is a counterfeit worth a few hundred dollars... I am a huge lie, I should run for president.

"I'm hopeless, Stuschepard is a complete jerk, Kelly, you should find a better man..."

At this moment, Leonardo DiCaprio, standing by the phone booth, broke down in tears as he spoke, then leaned against the phone booth, his limbs giving way, and slowly sat down on the ground.

"Pass! Perfect!"

After hearing Wu Yuchen's voice, applause and cheers erupted from all around. These were people who had come to watch the film crew shooting, and since it happened to fit the needs of the movie's plot, Wu Yuchen didn't ask the crew to kick them out. After signing extra contracts with them, he allowed them to stand in the designated spot and watch. They were all moved by Leonardo DiCaprio's vivid and emotional monologue-style performance.

After Leonardo DiCaprio walked over, Wu Yuchen smiled at him and said, "Leon, your performance of gradually breaking down in emotion was spot on!"

At this moment, Little Li also breathed a sigh of relief, then shrugged at Wu Yuchen and said:
"Director Wu, actually, I just had an emotional breakdown because of 'Titanic,' which was really not a pleasant experience, and I don't want to go through it again. However, it was indeed very helpful for this scene."

Wu Yuchen chuckled upon hearing this: "Every life experience is a valuable asset. Of course, I don't think you'll ever experience that again."

Then Wu Yuchen patted Leonardo DiCaprio on the shoulder: "Leon, take a break and calm down. Next, we'll be filming the scene where you berate the mastermind behind the scenes."

Little Li gave Wu Yuchen an OK sign and then said:

"Director Wu, if you could replace the person on the other end of the phone with Cameron, I guarantee I could perform at 300%!"

During filming, although the assassin never showed his face and spoke to Leonardo DiCaprio on the phone the entire time, it was impossible for DiCaprio to actually perform a monologue over the phone. In fact, the phone was always connected, and a voice actor was specially hired to read the assassin's lines on the other end of the phone to help DiCaprio deliver his performance and bring out his best performance. So far, the effect has been very good.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen burst into laughter: "I can't get director Cameron to act alongside you!"

Although Leonardo DiCaprio was joking with Wu Yuchen, he genuinely imagined the assassin manipulating him as Cameron throughout the entire filming process. During the filming of *Titanic*, DiCaprio was also under Cameron's control as a set tyrant, and now he harbors a deep hatred for the truck driver who ruined his career. He can't wait to film the next scene where he angrily berates "Cameron"!

Although it wasn't Cameron he was talking to on the phone, it didn't stop Leonardo DiCaprio from projecting his emotions onto Cameron. After a few takes, DiCaprio nailed the scene in the next take, getting it right on the second try while still getting it right on the first.

The movie *Phone Booth* didn't need any location changes; it was filmed entirely in chronological order, saving a lot of effort. As long as Leonardo DiCaprio was in good form, filming would go very smoothly. Wu Yuchen had a feeling the film could be completed in 10 days.

……

While Wu Yuchen was filming "Phone Booth," Sony Columbia Pictures gradually began screening "Frequency" overseas.

Driven by the presence of Chinese director John Woo, the Chinese-speaking region was Sony's earliest target for screening. While mainland China has restrictions on foreign films, requiring censorship before import, Hong Kong and Taiwan are exempt. Taiwan, in particular, has become one of Hollywood's backyards.

Although Wu Yuchen's fame in Taiwan is far less than that in mainland China, his film, a Chinese director, has still caused a stir here with its North American box office exceeding $100 million. Coupled with Sylvester Stallone's reputation, "Frequency" attracted quite a few people to theaters in Taiwan upon its release.

At Alpha Music Company, Liu Genghong was not yet an aerobics coach, but rather the visual center of an idol boy group. He rushed in and grabbed a somewhat thin, small-eyed young man, saying:
"Hey Jaylen, Stallone's new movie has been released. I heard it's getting rave reviews and grossed over a hundred million. And it's directed by one of our Chinese directors. How about we go see it together?"

Upon hearing this, Jay Chou's eyes lit up, but thinking of his own wallet, he felt a pang of bitterness. Nevertheless, he held his head high and forced a smile, saying, "I think Stallone is just so-so. He's nowhere near as awesome as Bruce Lee!"

A few months ago, Jay Chou was discovered by Wu Zongxian through a variety show and signed to Alfa Music, where he met Liu Genghong, who was also a young man. However, he is currently very poor, sleeping on the floor at the company every day, with a very low income, and cannot save any money at all.

After spending several months together, Liu Genghong knew Jay Chou's personality all too well. She playfully punched him on the chest and said, "Come on, come on, stop being so cocky. I'll treat you to a show!"

After saying that, he took out two movie tickets from his pocket and showed them to Jay Chou.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhou was secretly delighted and then said:
"I think we should support films by Chinese directors. I really like Wu Yuchen's works. His 'The Night of the Comet' and 'Run Lola Run' are both amazing!"

Liu Genghong admires Xiao Zhou's creative abilities and usually takes good care of him. Today, when she went to buy movie tickets, she happened to think of him.

In the movie theater, Jay Chou initially thought it was an action movie because of Sylvester Stallone, but it turned out not to be. However, he was quickly drawn in by the plot. Having grown up with a single mother, Jay Chou felt a strong connection to the male lead, Hugh Jackman, who lacked a father figure. He was deeply moved when he saw Hugh Jackman and Sylvester Stallone engage in a heartwarming father-son dialogue across time.

Especially the scene where the elderly Sylvester Stallone makes a dashing entrance with a gun to save his son deeply moved Jay Chou. Watching Hugh Jackman and Stallone embrace, Jay Chou couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Liu Genghong was also very excited. The special effects and Sylvester Stallone's stunning entrance were both incredibly cool! Just as he was about to turn around and talk to his younger brother, he noticed that his brother was secretly wiping away tears. He knew that his younger brother, Jay Chou, was very sensitive and concerned about his image, so he could only pretend not to see and continue watching the screen.

After watching the movie, the two went to the restroom together. Liu Genghong exclaimed, "I didn't expect Sylvester Stallone to be such a good actor, it was so touching!"

Xiao Zhou said nonchalantly, "It's not bad, I was a little touched too."

Liu Genghong pursed his lips, wondering who had been crying just now, but he didn't expose them. Instead, he sighed:
"This movie is really good. Our compatriot from mainland China, director Wu Yuchen, is quite talented!"

Jay Chou nodded in agreement and then said, "I want to make a movie on the same theme in the future."

Liu Genghong couldn't help but slap Xiao Zhou on the head: "Hey! So arrogant, what are you slapping me for!"

Xiao Zhou couldn't help but rub his head and argue, "I said it's a music video! It's about ghosts, so be it!"

Then the two chatted and joked as they returned to the company.

……

In the shot, Stallone is wearing a black trench coat, a top hat, and carrying a violin case. His overall look is elegant and sophisticated.

“You don’t need to thank me; no one has ever thanked me. I just hope that the honesty you’ve finally regained can be maintained. If you don’t, I’ll call you again.”

He gave a meaningful smile to Little Li, who had just received his medication and was about to fall into a deep sleep, then turned and left. He walked slowly through the crowd, pausing as he passed the phone booth, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at the phone. "Passing!"

Upon hearing this, Stallone walked over and said with a smile, "So it really was only one minute."

"Of course! Do you think I'm lying to you? I paid 2 million for this one minute of your life!" Wu Yuchen said loudly.

"Come on, kid, you got a great deal by paying 200 million to have Sylvester Stallone appear throughout the entire film!" Although Stallone's scenes on set were finished, he still needed to participate in the dubbing later, which would probably take another three days.

Wu Yuchen didn't refute the old man's words. He was willing to spend 200 million to invite Stallone so that he could promote the story of Leonardo DiCaprio versus Stallone, which would surely attract a lot of people.

After standing up, Wu Yuchen clapped his hands and then shouted to the entire crew, "Filming wrapped!"

The entire crew was stunned when they heard this. Although they had heard that filming would end today, it still felt unreal when the director actually shouted "Wrap up filming," because their movie had only taken 10 days to film so far, or less than 9 and a half days to be precise!
If this were a big film crew, they would have only just started filming, right?
Despite the shock, many people applauded and cheered.

At this moment, Little Li also walked over, his face beaming with joy, and said to Wu Yuchen:
"Director Wu, my agent just told me that the box office performance of 'Titanic' isn't as bad as we thought. Maybe after today it will take its third consecutive week at the top of the box office, and the movie might not lose as much money!"

This was something Wu Yuchen had requested of Leonardo DiCaprio's agent before filming: to prevent DiCaprio from paying attention to Titanic's box office information during filming, so as not to spoil his mood. However, now that filming has wrapped, DiCaprio's agent naturally informed him of this good news immediately.

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded: "Leon, I've also been following 'Titanic.' The North American box office has reached 1.6 million. I told you things wouldn't be that bad. 'Titanic' is a good movie, and your Jack is also excellent. He will win the applause and box office success he deserves!"

"Director Wu, thank you! I need to get to the Titanic set right away. If you need anything from 'Phone Booth,' please let me know!"

Leonardo DiCaprio now feels that after his trip to "Phone Booth," everything seems to be moving in a positive direction. It seems his future is still intact and won't be ruined. This feeling of regaining what he lost has brought him a pleasant surprise.

"No problem, I'll contact you when I'm done with post-production and promoting the movie! Leon, good luck!" Wu Yuchen patted Leonardo DiCaprio on the shoulder and said goodbye.

After seeing off Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone, Wu Yuchen treated the crew to a simple wrap party before immediately throwing himself into editing "Phone Booth." He also had James arrange the subsequent post-production work, as he wanted to get the film out as soon as possible.

When the box office results for "Titanic" were released for its opening weekend, everyone was laughing at them.

Even when it took the top spot at the box office for the second week, people were still unimpressed. Although it was surprising that its box office over the weekend rebounded compared to the opening weekend, it was still very difficult to break even.

However, after it topped the box office for the third week, the media ridicule of it decreased significantly. Moreover, good news came from overseas: the film was a huge hit in Europe, especially in England.

When Titanic took the top spot at the box office for the fourth week and reached $2 million in North America, the media and public opinion instantly reversed!

Four consecutive weeks at the top of the box office—everyone knows what this means: a phenomenal film!
Moreover, we have received a lot of enthusiastic feedback from the audience. The word-of-mouth for "Titanic" is simply phenomenal, and it has generated a lot of buzz.

Many media outlets spontaneously contradicted themselves, singing praises for "Titanic," while Fox also resumed its efforts, with Leonardo DiCaprio, James Cameron, and other cast members embarking on another promotional tour.

As expected, the box office rebounded again in the fifth week, surpassing 40 million again to reach 4263 million, and remained the top-grossing box office in the sixth week. The total North American box office is about to break 300 million! And judging from the current trend, 400 million is definitely not the end; it may even reach over 500 million!
Titanic is now a complete phenomenon, discussed throughout the United States and even the world. Jack and Rose's fairytale romance has become a topic of conversation, and Leonardo DiCaprio has become the idol of every young person—he's incredibly popular! Neither Tom Hanks nor Tom Cruise can match DiCaprio's popularity!
Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen spent nearly three weeks completing post-production on "Phone Booth," and the finished film is now available. He immediately informed all eight major Hollywood studios that he had a film starring the newly minted Leonardo DiCaprio, and that it would be a showdown between him and Sylvester Stallone!

As soon as the news broke, all the Hollywood distributors sprang into action and flocked over. In fact, it wasn't just distributors; several major theater chains also sent representatives.

"Leon, congratulations! You are now the most popular man in the world!" Wu Yuchen said with a smile into the phone.

From the other end came Leonardo DiCaprio's excited laughter, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor: "Director Wu, this is all unbelievable, it's like a dream! I mean, everything that's happened this past month feels like a dream!"

“Leon, this is what you deserve. The film ‘Phone Booth’ is finished, and there will be a screening tomorrow. The film distributors will all be there. Do you have time to come?” Wu Yuchen asked.

"So fast?" Leonardo DiCaprio was genuinely surprised by Wu Yuchen's speed; the filming was completed in 10 days and the production was finished in less than a month.

He immediately replied, "Of course, Director Wu, I will definitely be there tomorrow. I'm the absolute male lead!"

Little Li knew that Wu Yuchen wanted him to go and support him. He remembered Wu Yuchen's help in his time of need, and although he was no longer troubled, he would not forget the kindness.

The next day, a fairly large movie theater was almost full. Several people from mid-sized distribution companies met and chatted among themselves.

"Wu Ke really hit the jackpot. I heard that his movie only started filming a month ago, and he signed Leonardo DiCaprio for 3 million! Even if it's a terrible movie, he can make a lot of money by reselling it now!"

This kind of thing is no secret in Hollywood; anyone who's interested can find out.

However, another person said:

"Oh, come on, just a month ago everyone was criticizing 'Titanic,' who would dare to hire Leonardo DiCaprio to make a movie for 300 million?"

"Yes! How dare he?!"

The people in the back were whispering among themselves, while in the front row, Wu Yuchen and Leonardo DiCaprio greeted each other with a warm hug, making it clear to the film distributors and theater representatives that the two had a very good relationship.

Wu Yuchen smiled at Leonardo DiCaprio and said, "Leon, thank you for coming!"

"Isn't this my responsibility? I'm also very concerned about how my latest movie is going!" Leonardo DiCaprio replied enthusiastically to Wu Yuchen.

Besides Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone was also present. He filmed for less than half an hour on set, shooting only one minute of footage, but the post-production dubbing took four days. Wu Yuchen followed him throughout the entire shoot, making him redo scenes when his emotions weren't quite right, which made Stallone quite impatient.

However, now that the movie is out, he has been invited to the event. Stallone glanced at Leonardo DiCaprio; when he joined the crew, the guy was on the verge of not making it in Hollywood, but unexpectedly, in just a few weeks, everything had changed dramatically.

At the same time, he was also thinking to himself, how lucky Wu Yuchen was to find Leonardo DiCaprio to be the male lead?

When the distributors saw Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone sitting in the front row, they realized that both of them were top Hollywood stars and had just had blockbuster movies. They thought that a movie starring the two of them would definitely attract a large audience and the box office would be no less than expected!

Soon, the lights in the theater went out, the screen lit up, and the movie began.

(End of this chapter)