Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 738 The Inside Story of the Hierarchy of Contempt?

The champagne foam from the victory celebration hadn't completely dissipated yet.

Wu Chen's bold statement, "I have confidence," has already spread throughout the world, appearing on the front pages of major media outlets.

[At the $1.5 billion celebration party for "Interstellar," Wu Chen said: "Surpassing 'Titanic'? I'm confident!"]

[Interstellar's New Goal: Second Best-Selling Film of All Time!]

Universal Pictures' public relations department is working like crazy, eager to amplify the hype to the extreme.

They want to give Interstellar's box office one last boost.

Because everyone knew that there was less than $200 million left to reach Titanic's record of $18.4 billion.

This breath might burst forth, or it might abruptly cease at any moment.

At the final hurdle, it was this spirit that mattered.

However, at this moment, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei were enjoying a rare moment of alone time together in their villa in Beverly Hills.
The California sun is still the same.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunlight spills onto the surface of the pool, creating shimmering ripples.

Wu Chen, wearing baggy shorts and sunglasses, lay on a beach chair by the pool, pretending to sleep.

Liu Yifei, dressed in a bikini, splashed around in the pool like a mermaid.

"Hey, do you think I'm starting to live a retired life early?"

Wu Chen asked lazily.

Liu Yifei popped his head out of the water, shook his wet hair, and water droplets splashed all over his face.

"Dream on." She rolled her eyes at him. "Is the new script finished?"

"Boss lady, this is exploitation, do you know that?" Wu Chen couldn't help but open his eyes.

"You're the one being exploited!"

Liu Yifei's silvery laughter echoed in the swimming pool.

Just then, Wu Chen's phone rang.

It's Jason Blum.

“Wu, I’ve found out, there aren’t many problems.” Jason’s voice came from the other end of the phone. “You can go ahead and get started.”

Your current reputation is really useful; you didn't have to put in much effort.

"Okay, let's meet tomorrow and talk about it."

Wu Chen smiled, understanding the situation.

He can speed things up a bit.

In fact, he had expected this outcome long ago.

With his current status, acquiring the rights to a short story from decades ago is no different from buying a bottle of Coke at the supermarket downstairs.

They only stayed in Hollywood for three days, because Wu Chen had no intention of going to the Golden Globe Awards, since he only had one nomination.
It must be said that Weinstein was indeed a master of public relations.

Even Jason Blum knew that the other party had made the Golden Globe judges very comfortable.

"They only managed to snag one film this year, the French black-and-white silent film 'The Artist,' otherwise they would still be losing money. So, they paid a heavy price for this film to turn things around at the Oscars."

The following day, Jason Blum and Wu Chen finished discussing "The Mysterious Life of Walter Mitty" and then started complaining about it.

"I sense you're a little jealous of her," Wu Chen said with a smile, teasingly.

Jason immediately objected upon hearing this.

“Why would I be jealous of them?” he retorted, sticking out his neck. “If I hadn’t invested in your movies, or won a Golden Globe or an Oscar, that would be one thing.”

Now, my Blumhouse Films also has a glorious history in Hollywood!

Wu Chen burst into laughter at his stubbornness.

In fact, he knew very well that the hierarchy of contempt was everywhere.

Hollywood, to put it bluntly, is a place of fame and fortune, with very clear boundaries between circles.

Those who make art films naturally feel that they have more style than those who make commercial films.

Those who make commercial blockbusters feel they are more sophisticated than Jason Statham, who specializes in B-movies and horror films.

Independent producers like Jason Blum, who specialize in thrillers and horror films, don't actually have a very high status in the industry.

Those mainstream filmmakers, those who make big-budget productions, look down on these "niche" films from the bottom of their hearts, even though they're incredibly envious when they're making money. That's why Jason used to be so enamored with winning awards.

He needs awards to prove himself and to elevate Blumhouse Films' industry standing.

In a way, Wu Chen did indeed help him fill this gap in his knowledge.

Two days later, Wu Chen and Liu Yifei took an international flight back to Beijing.

The Golden Globe Awards are getting closer and closer.

Zhang Weiping also took this opportunity to promote himself extensively in the country.

However, what was unexpected was that "The Flowers of War" performed poorly at the North American box office.

"Zhang Yimou's 'The Flowers of War' was a lukewarm reception in North America, grossing less than $100,000 on its opening day and less than $200,000 in its opening week, a far cry from the success of 'Hero' in its early years."

This news came as a surprise to many in the industry.

"Really? Zhang Yimou isn't doing well in North America either? I was thinking the total box office would at least be a few million US dollars, after all, there's Christian Bale in it."

"Looking at it this way, the box office of Interstellar is even more outrageous. It's so difficult to achieve a global hit."

"Zhang Weiping, chuckle. Now you're a fool, aren't you?"

When Zhang Weiping saw these results, he felt worse than if he had eaten shit.

"The Flowers of War" is very likely to lose money.

The thought of losing money made him feel terrible.

Fortunately, there was still the sweet and gentle Han Xiting on his phone, comforting his wounded "heart".

"No problem, I'll take you all to the Golden Globe Awards this year!" Zhang Weiping was overjoyed and readily agreed.

"Huh? What about the female lead?"

“Ni Ni?” Zhang Weiping sneered. “Isn’t she determined to follow Zhang Yi? Then let her follow!”

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei's return has also caused quite a stir in China.

The main reason is that Wu Chen publicly stated that he was confident of surpassing the performance of "Titanic".

Second in film history.

The media are all eagerly anticipating it.

However, Wu Chen didn't say anything more.

Currently, Interstellar's box office is still slowly climbing.

Ultimately, whether or not we can reach that position is anyone's guess.

If you speak too confidently, you're likely to be proven wrong.

He had barely gotten home and hadn't even settled in when Cao Guowei's phone call came in non-stop.

"Weibo Night? Mr. Cao, has it been renamed?"

“Yes, haha!” Cao Guowei said cheerfully on the other end of the line, “It’s always been called ‘Internet Grand Ceremony,’ but it just doesn’t feel quite right.”

"Hey Director Wu, do you and Yifei have some free time to come over? You could be award presenters, but we haven't finished the internal judging for this year's awards yet."

Wu Chen was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Cao Guowei's words were quite obvious.

Inside story?

No, this is a fucking "dialogue" out in the open.
That's inside information; I didn't have it, I gave it to someone else.

Asking me directly if I want it or not isn't insider information; it's communication!
If Feng Xiaogang knew this, he'd be green with envy.

Last year, the Golden Rooster Awards kept Feng Xiaogang hanging for half a year, but in the end, they just gave him a small technical award.

Isn't Cao Guowei much better than Jin Ji?
"Well, never mind, Mr. Cao. I'm going to Berlin in a few days. What if I learn this trick of yours?"
We'll go again next time we have time, okay? I'll be an award presenter.

Wu Chen's words were quite interesting.

On the other end, Cao Guowei was not displeased at all; instead, he burst into laughter.

"Haha! Okay! Director Wu, let's meet up again next time!"

(End of this chapter)