Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 149 Record Breaker

Wu Yuchen invested in two films, one a co-production with Xi'an Film Studio and the other with Hunan Film Studio, and he was quite satisfied with both.

Although "Postmen in the Mountains" may not make much money in China, it will definitely rake in a fortune in Japan, and it can also win a lot of awards both domestically and internationally, such as the Golden Rooster Award and the Five Ones Award.

As for "Stealing Joy in Nothing," it did serve as a reminder to him, prompting him to buy back the TV series rights to "The Happy Life of Zhang Damin," which was quite popular, receiving both critical acclaim and commercial success, and winning numerous awards including the Golden Eagle Award, the Feitian Award, and the Chunyan Award.

Teacher Liang Guanhua, oh, that is, Di Renjie, also known as Fatty Di, is also known to the audience for playing the male lead Zhang Damin in the series.

The "Detective Dee" series is also a huge hit; we can buy it from the screenwriter!
If we bring Zhang Zijian over, and then Di Renjie says, "Yuanfang, what do you think?", wouldn't the ratings soar?
After envisioning these future plans, Wu Yuchen then turned his attention to the company's current projects.

With the production of "The Grand Mansion Gate," Kang Honglei and the producer are already busy working with Guo Baochang. Kang Honglei doesn't need to worry about anything, as Guo Baochang has a wide network of connections and can easily bring in a group of big names to help him.

There's also "The Legendary Twins," which started preparations last year, but due to the season, filming won't begin until this spring. However, the basic cast and crew have been finalized.

Wu Yuchen glanced at the cast list for "The Legendary Twins".

Xiao Yu'er has already reached an agreement with Lin Zhiying. At a low point in his career, he naturally wouldn't refuse the opportunity to play the male lead in Gu Long's representative martial arts novel.

Hua Wuque was cast with Yan Kuan, who is still a freshman in college this year. Li Guoli went to see him and found that his ancient costume look was very good, so he made the decision to cast him.

Tie Xinlan is Li Xiaoran. Wu Yuchen let her choose for herself. He thought she might choose Xiao Lajiao, but she chose Tie Xinlan instead. It's not bad though.

In the previous version of "The Legendary Twins," the most criticized character among the male and female leads was Tie Xinlan. The main criticism was that Chen Derong used the style of Qiong Yao to portray Tie Xinlan, making the character too pretentious and unnatural. Li Xiaoran, on the other hand, is more dashing than Chen Derong, which would likely have a different effect.

For the role of Little Chili, Li Guoli chose Gigi Lai, who played Guo Xiang in the 95 TV series "The Return of the Condor Heroes". Gigi Lai herself is a sweet girl with a quirky personality, and she successfully portrayed the mischievous, cute, and passionate Little Chili.

As can be seen from the main characters mentioned above, the main cast consists of actors from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, clearly indicating that the production team was targeting the markets of all three regions.

Li Guoli followed the same principle when casting other supporting roles. Wu Yuchen had a lot of confidence in Li Guoli; he was experienced and had a good eye for talent, and his casting choices were generally very suitable.

However, one actress caught Wu Yuchen's attention: the actress playing Yaoyue, the Grand Mistress of Yihua Palace, was Zhou Haimei, which was quite different from the original version in his previous life!

Wu Yuchen didn't object to the change of actors. Li Guoli is a Hong Kong director, so it's not surprising that he'd prefer to use more Hong Kong actors. Besides, Zhou Haimei is very suitable for the role of Yaoyue.

Seeing Zhou Haimei, Wu Yuchen still felt a pang of regret, as she had just turned 57 in his previous life before passing away.

Many young viewers may not know Zhou Haimei, but she is hailed as the most beautiful Zhou Zhiruo, the white moonlight in the hearts of a generation. Even Jin Yong said after reading it that he wished he had rewritten the ending of the novel with Zhou Zhiruo, and he actually did change it later...

At the same time, Wu Yuchen also recalled that Zhou Haimei seemed to have contracted lupus this year, and after battling it for 25 years, she still passed away. Lupus sounds like a skin disease, but it's actually an autoimmune disease that cannot be cured. Wu Yuchen felt helpless about this.

But the cause of this illness is uncertain; it might be related to genetics, or it might be related to the environment. Perhaps if she had rested well during the few days she was already sick, it would have gotten much worse. Wu Yuchen could only hope that Zhou Haimei's participation in "The Legendary Twins" might have prevented her from getting sick.

Wu Yuchen shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the matter any longer and to focus on his own business.

A few days later, Wu Yuchen boarded an international flight and headed to the United States again.

……

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" is one of the most popular shows in the United States and has consistently held the top spot among American talk shows. This show has also transformed Oprah from a poor black woman into the queen of talk shows.

Oprah Winfrey has previously invited many big names and celebrities to her show for interviews, such as pop icon Michael Jackson, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and others.

And now, her show has welcomed the most talked-about man lately—Leonardo DiCaprio, and well, Sylvester Stallone too.

Oprah Winfrey first gave Leonardo DiCaprio a warm hug, then said with a smile, "I think I'm the envy of every woman in the world right now!"

Then Oprah joked with Stallone, "Oh, Sylvester, you know what? Everyone actually wanted Rose to be with Jack, not Rambo!"

Stallone laughed heartily: "Sorry to disappoint you, I've kidnapped Jack from Rose!"

"Wow!" Oprah made an exaggerated expression, and the audience below burst into laughter.

"You mean kidnapping?"

“That’s right, Leonardo is now completely under my control!” Stallone said, extending one hand.

Oprah then looked at Leonardo DiCaprio, who shrugged and made a helpless expression:

"That's right, I'm completely under his control now~"

"What exactly happened?" Oprah cooperated by making a curious and inquisitive expression.

"This brings me to a movie I starred in with Sylvester Stallone, 'Phone Booth'!"

……

At this moment, Wu Yuchen was watching the program being recorded backstage, and he had to admit that the effect was quite good. This is also the advantage of hiring a big company for promotion. If it weren't for Fox, even with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone in the cast, it would be difficult to get on a show like "The Oprah Winfrey Show." This is equivalent to directly advertising in front of 20 million viewers.

Of course, if it weren't for Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone, who are currently enjoying the most popularity, Oprah wouldn't have agreed to let them come. She doesn't accept just anyone; frankly, she also wanted to ride this wave of popularity.

Wu Yuchen didn't care much about whether he could appear on the show. He was the director behind the scenes, and the current promotional focus for "Sniper Phone Booth" should indeed be on these two. It wouldn't make much sense for him to go on.

The promotional campaign for "Phone Booth" went very smoothly. In fact, the promotional methods were no different from usual, including newspapers, television, and posters. However, because Leonardo DiCaprio is currently very popular, it attracted extra attention.

"Leonardo VS Stallone, a showdown of titans!"

"Sylvester Stallone vowed to teach Leonardo a lesson he shouldn't have!"

"Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone have a doomed phone call!"

"Leonardo DiCaprio vs. Sylvester Stallone: ​​A Battle of the Ages!"

Undoubtedly, the promotional campaign for "Phone Booth" focusing entirely on these two actors was very effective, and viewers could basically remember them at first glance.

"Wow! Leonardo DiCaprio has a new movie coming out, I have to go see it!" This is from someone who just watched "Titanic".

"Ahhh! Leonardo, my Jack!" a fan screamed.

"A showdown between Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone? Just thinking about it is exciting!"

"Is this Leonardo DiCaprio fighting Sylvester Stallone? Can he beat Stallone?" some passersby wondered.

Meanwhile, for "Phone Booth," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone, theaters have reported a release date of 3250 theaters. To put this in perspective, "Titanic" didn't even get that many openings, despite being a $2.5 million blockbuster, while "Phone Booth" only cost around ten million to produce.

Of course, most of the credit should go to Leonardo DiCaprio, who is currently enjoying immense popularity, and a small portion to Sylvester Stallone, who is also a household name and a veteran star, and who just had a high-grossing film, Frequency.

Another reason is the film's length. "Phone Booth" is less than 90 minutes long, which is a highlight for theaters. Think about it: showing one 190-minute "Titanic" is equivalent to showing two "Phone Booths" – theaters are naturally happy with that.

……

February 20th, Friday, is the release date of "Phone Booth".

Tom and Jerry walked into the movie theater carrying a bucket of popcorn. As they walked around, they heard many girls excitedly discussing it.
"Leonardo is so handsome! I absolutely love his Jack!" "Oh! My heart broke when Jack sank into the water!"

"Have you seen the poster for Leonardo DiCaprio's movie? Although his look is a bit different from Jack's, I'm still captivated by his roguish charm!"

"Yes, Leon is just as charming no matter what!"

Tom couldn't help but purse his lips after hearing the girls' discussion. To be honest, he didn't have a very good impression of Leonardo right now.

His girlfriend dragged him to see Titanic three times already!

The first time was when it was first released. After watching it, he thought it was fantastic and deeply moving!
He went again a week later, after all, the movie was very good and worth watching again.

The third time was last weekend, Valentine's Day, February 14th. His girlfriend insisted on watching it again, and he had nothing to say. However, that night, while his girlfriend was excited in bed, she actually closed her eyes and called out "Leonardo!"
This infuriated Tom! How could he possibly have a good impression of Leonardo?!

Therefore, he didn't come with his girlfriend this time, but instead dragged his best buddy Jerry along, since Jerry is a huge Stallone fan. He'd also heard Stallone say on a show that he really humiliated Leonardo DiCaprio, so he wanted to see the movie properly.

His friend Jerry, after sitting down, said to him with great interest:

"I can't believe I'm getting to see a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone so soon! I really want to see how they go head-to-head!"

Tom said with a sour face, "I hope Stallone can beat Leonardo's face to a pulp!"

“Hey buddy, I think you’re just jealous of him,” Jerry said with a laugh.

"No way! Only those infatuated girls would like that kind of pretty boy! A real man should be like Sylvester Stallone!" Tom clenched his fist and said.

Jerry shrugged, not arguing with Tom. Didn't he see the girls around him glaring at him with hostility?
Soon, the lights in the theater went out.

At the very beginning of the film, when the suave and charismatic Leonardo DiCaprio made his dashing entrance, many girls in the theater screamed.

"So handsome!"

"So handsome!"

"So captivating!"

However, as the plot quickly progressed, the audience became immersed in the film, and these sounds disappeared.

This time, Leonardo DiCaprio's character Stu is completely opposite to Jack in "Titanic". He is not faithful in love at all, has a lover and is full of lies, which surprised many viewers.

Soon after, when he unexpectedly answered a phone call in the phone booth, as Stallone's voice rang out, Leonardo DiCaprio's punishment and judgment began.

A sniper rifle was aimed at him all around, and it even killed a thug, scaring the initially disbelieving Little Li out of his wits.

A person died in the street in a busy downtown area. The police and the media arrived, but Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't hang up the phone, otherwise he would die, and he would become a murder suspect.

He became the focus of the entire city through the live television broadcast, and his wife and mistress naturally rushed to the scene as well...

All viewers were captivated by the film's plot and the tension and suspense it created, their emotions rising and falling with Leonardo DiCaprio's, and they watched intently to see how things would unfold.

The movie ended with Sylvester Stallone giving a meaningful smile next to the phone booth on the screen.

Tom breathed a long sigh of relief, while Jack beside him exclaimed excitedly:

"This movie is absolutely fantastic! I never imagined that an entire movie revolving around a phone booth could be so full of twists and turns!"

Tom nodded in agreement: "I was really looking forward to when Stallone would appear, but he didn't show up until the very end."

"But his voice remained constant, keeping Leonardo under control throughout, which was really cool! And Leonardo's performance was also outstanding, especially that confessional monologue during his breakdown, it was absolutely brilliant!"

Tom pursed his lips upon hearing this, but didn't refute his friend's words. Although he disliked this pretty boy, he had to admit that his performance in the movie had completely moved him. This pretty boy's acting skills were really good; he could play the affectionate Jack and also handle this kind of scoundrel.

Meanwhile, the female audience members who came specifically for Leonardo DiCaprio were also chattering amongst themselves:

"Leonardo is absolutely amazing!"

"Although he made some mistakes at the beginning of the movie, he eventually turned over a new leaf, and his monologue made me cry!"

"I will always support Leon!"

……

Inside the room, Wu Yuchen, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others were waiting for the first day's box office results. Sylvester Stallone was not there; he had gone back to be with his daughter.

Compared to the tension and anxiety he felt two months ago while waiting for the opening day results of "Titanic," Leonardo DiCaprio is now remarkably relaxed. Even if the film fails, it won't have a significant impact on him; it's just a small-budget production costing tens of millions. After all, he carried the lead role in a $250 million blockbuster!
Moreover, with his discerning eye, he could see that "Phone Booth" itself was excellent, and he believed the box office would be good. To put it bluntly, Leonardo DiCaprio believed that with his current star power, this movie was guaranteed to make money; the only question was how much.

Wu Yuchen was also in a good mood. He smiled and asked Leonardo:

"Dear Leon, now your Titanic is facing a serious challenge from Phone Booth. How do you feel?"

"Nothing at all."

Leonardo DiCaprio shrugged, looking completely calm:

"No matter who wins, I'll still be the box office champion this week!"

"Leon, you know what? You look like you're asking for a beating right now!" Wu Yuchen laughed.

Leonardo DiCaprio also gave a smug smile.

Titanic has now held the top spot at the box office for 10 consecutive weeks, grossing over $4 million in North America. In my previous life, this record would have lasted 15 weeks, or three and a half months!
Just think about it, from the start of your school year to the end of your final exams, it's been the box office champion for a whole year, that's terrifying!

Moreover, just last week, due to Valentine's Day on February 14th, its weekly box office actually rebounded by nearly ten million compared to the previous week, which is truly remarkable.

To be honest, Titanic's success was a combination of perfect timing, favorable circumstances, and a confluence of factors. Its exceptional quality was undoubtedly the fundamental guarantee, but it's also important to acknowledge the lack of other high-quality films released during that period, which allowed it to dominate for 15 consecutive weeks. Keep in mind that in the last two weeks, its box office dropped below 2000 million per week, yet it still managed to take the top spot.

However, Wu Yuchen is not going to make Titanic's record of 15 weeks possible again. 10 weeks is already good enough. He is going to be the record breaker!
Soon, a staff member came over with the box office data. Wu Yuchen took the document and smiled as he looked at it.

Seeing Wu Yuchen's expression, Leonardo DiCaprio asked curiously, "How much did it gross?"

Wu Yuchen handed him the document directly, and Leonardo DiCaprio stared at it intently:
Phone Booth, 1668 million.

Leonardo DiCaprio also showed a happy expression, clenched his fist and felt excited. Titanic only made a little over eight million on its opening day, but now it has almost doubled that!

This proves that even after leaving Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio can still achieve remarkable success with low-budget films that rely solely on box office numbers.

Previously, Leonardo DiCaprio had some doubts about whether he was a top Hollywood star and could join the $2000 million club. However, after seeing the opening day box office of "Phone Booth," he wants to loudly declare that his salary will never be less than $2000 million again!
Following Friday's strong box office performance, the number of screens for "Phone Booth" was increased by another 10% on Saturday, and its box office reached 2012 million. On Sunday, the number of screens remained unchanged, and the box office dropped normally to 1345 million.

With 5025 million in its opening weekend, it was the undisputed box office champion.

When this result came out, the entire Hollywood and the media were in an uproar!
(End of this chapter)