novellhall Chapter 120 You Destroyed DC! [4000]
Chapter 120 You Destroyed DC! [4000]
Chapter 120 You Destroyed DC! [4000]
After spending another day with Dakota, Chen Xun returned to Los Angeles.
Post-production on Green Lantern is in its final stages.
Warner Bros. has set the release date for the Christmas season.
This decision means that all aspects of the process—special effects, sound effects, and editing—must operate at full capacity.
According to the contract, Chen Xun's promotional period officially began in October.
The first wave was magazines and print media.
That afternoon.
Accompanied by Robert and a Warner public relations specialist, Chen Xun arrived at a photography studio in downtown Los Angeles.
He needs to shoot a feature article for GQ magazine and give an exclusive interview.
The theme is clear: "New faces, new heroes, Chen Xun and Green Lantern".
Several sets were set up in the photography studio.
One is a futuristic OA Star-style background board.
Chen Xun needed to wear casual clothes but strike a pose similar to summoning the energy of the lamp ring.
The other is a retro Chinatown teahouse style, echoing Chen Xun's background in the movie.
There's also a pure white background, used for taking standard portraits.
Makeup, hair styling, changing clothes.
Chen Xun had already gotten used to this process.
The photographer is an Italian named Luca with a small braid, known for his ability to capture masculinity, and he's probably gay!
As he adjusted the lights, he said in accented English, "Chen, relax. Imagine you really have a ball of energy in your hand, but don't be too superheroic. Be down-to-earth, understand?"
Chen Xun was amused by the description and relaxed.
The filming went very smoothly.
Luca kept pressing the shutter button, muttering to himself:
"Perfect!"
Amazing!
'
"Give me a melancholy look, yeah, like your stocks have just dropped 30%!"
The intervals between scene changes.
A woman in her thirties, dressed smartly, came over with a voice recorder and notebook to conduct interspersed interviews.
She is Lina, a reporter from GQ magazine.
Robert had provided an outline for the interview beforehand, and Chen Xun had already prepared a mental draft, so it wasn't difficult to handle.
The discussion mainly focused on the filming experience, understanding of the character, feelings about working with Keira Knightley and director Martin Scorsese, and thoughts on being a Chinese-American actor in a superhero blockbuster.
Chen Xun's answer was perfectly flawless.
It demonstrated professionalism while also incorporating humor and personal reflections.
Lina nodded as she took notes, clearly satisfied.
"One last question!"
Lena closed her notebook and smiled. "The movie hasn't been released yet, but you've already attracted a lot of attention and debate. What do you think about the doubts about whether you can play Green Lantern well?"
This question is not included in the outline.
But Chen Xun had anticipated this view: "I think any new attempt will be questioned. My job is to answer with my performance and my work. If the audience feels moved by the story after watching the movie, that is more powerful than any explanation."
The interview ended, and the filming was also nearing its end.
Rob glanced at his watch and said in a low voice, "It's almost ready. The car is arranged."
Plans can't keep up with changes.
It's unclear whether the schedule was leaked by studio staff or if fans happened to be waiting there.
When they finished packing and were about to leave, they found that more than twenty people had gathered at the front exit.
There were paparazzi with telephoto lenses, but there were even more young people carrying comics, posters, and even homemade signs.
He's obviously a die-hard DC fan!
"Shit!"
Robert frowned: "Why are there so many people here? Didn't the PR team say they would clear the area?"
Warner's PR specialist also looked displeased and quickly made a phone call.
But the crowd had already seen Chen Xun coming out.
"It's Chen Xun!"
Someone shouted.
Instantly, the crowd surged forward.
Security guards rushed forward to maintain order, but they couldn't stop the chattering.
"Mr. Chen! Look here!"
The paparazzi frantically pressed the shutter button.
The fans' reactions were much more complex.
Several boys who looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old crowded at the front, holding up comics and posters of the classic Green Lantern Hal Jordan, their expressions excited.
"Chen Xun! Do you really think you can replace Hal Jordan?"
A chubby boy wearing black-rimmed glasses asked loudly, his voice filled with dissatisfaction.
"Green Lantern is a US military test pilot, not a programmer!"
His companion next to him echoed, raising the poster in his hand.
"You ruined DC!"
Another slightly older man shouted, holding a thick Green Lantern comic book collection in his hand.
"You've changed classic characters to Asians for the sake of the Asian market; this is a betrayal of the original work!"
The paparazzi's cameras greedily captured every expression and reaction of Chen Xun.
This is excellent news material.
Robert tried to stand in front of Chen Xun to speak, but Chen Xun gently stopped him.
The PR specialist was sweating profusely and whispered, "Mr. Chen, it's best if we don't say anything and just get in the car."
Chen Xun glanced at the group of agitated people.
He could see their favorability rating above their heads, which was generally between 10 and 30.
Although the favorability ratings aren't high, at least they're not negative, so they probably won't do anything drastic!
Moreover, Chen Xun noticed that there were several young people with Asian faces on the periphery of the crowd, taking pictures with their phones. Their eyes showed expectation and support, and their favorability rating was around 60.
This is not the first time he has faced criticism.
However, this was the first time he had faced such an emotional fan group in person.
If you back down or say the wrong thing right now, you could be trending on Twitter in the next second.
The new Green Lantern was speechless when questioned by fans!
"Chen Xun avoids controversy surrounding his role!"
Chen Xun took a deep breath, took half a step forward, and made sure his voice could be heard: "Hey, friends!"
Chen Xun spoke, his voice not loud, but it drew everyone's attention: "I heard you all. First of all, thank you for your love for the Green Lantern character. It is because you love it that you care so much."
Several of the most excited fans were slightly taken aback.
"I never wanted to replace Hal Jordan."
Chen Xun continued, his tone sincere: "Hal is a great Green Lantern, a legend, but the Green Lantern Corps has 7200..."
One member.
"The universe is vast. What we want to tell this time is a new story belonging to this era, the story of an ordinary person named Chen Xun. He may not be the hero you are familiar with, but he is also learning what courage, responsibility and protection are."
He pointed to the goatee-bearded man holding the thick comic book: "You're right, comics are a valuable heritage. We also have experienced comic book consultants on our film team, and we strive to find a balance between innovation and respect for the spirit!"
"And here's some more good news: there will be Easter eggs in the movie that pay homage to the classics, and I'm sure true fans will find them!"
After saying this, Chen Xun turned his gaze to several young Asian people in the audience: "As for why the protagonist is of Chinese descent, the appeal of superheroes lies in their spirit, not their skin color!"
"If someone feels they can become a hero after watching this movie, and can muster the courage to face difficulties, then I think that's the best way to continue the spirit of Green Lantern."
He did not evade the question, nor did he vehemently refute it. Instead, he tried to explain the original intention of the creation and elevated the topic to the spirit of superheroes.
His tone remained calm throughout, conveying respect for the superhero.
The scene was quiet for a few seconds.
The chubby boy with glasses opened his mouth, seemingly not expecting Chen Xun's response, and was momentarily unable to formulate a new attack.
The goatee-bearded man frowned, but didn't shout again.
At that moment, an Asian girl on the periphery mustered her courage and shouted, "Chen Xun, we support you! Looking forward to the movie!"
Her friends chimed in, "Yes! Break the stereotypes!"
Chen Xun smiled and nodded in their direction: "Thank you."
The paparazzi were taking pictures like crazy.
Security guards took the opportunity to increase traffic flow, and Rob and the public relations specialist escorted Chen Xun to the nanny van that had already pulled up to the side of the road.
Before getting on the bus, Chen Xun turned back to the crowd one last time and said, "All the questions will be answered when the movie is released in December. I believe it will provide the best answers. Everyone is welcome to come and see it. Thank you all."
The car door closed, shutting out the noise.
The car slowly drove away.
"Fuck!"
As soon as he got in the car, Robert started cursing.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, still shaken: "You handled it well, Bro, we didn't fall into their trap!"
The public relations specialist also breathed a sigh of relief: "The response was very appropriate. I will follow up on the media coverage. However, Mr. Chen, as the publicity intensifies, there may be more of these offline surprise visits in the future. You should be prepared."
Chen Xun leaned back in his chair, watching the street flash by outside the window.
What he just witnessed made him realize even more clearly that from now until the movie's release, his every word and action would be under scrutiny.
Those who like him will praise him highly, while those who dislike him will relentlessly nitpick.
This is not only a test of the film's success or failure, but also a test of his personal public image.
He recalled the favorability ratings above the heads of those who had questioned him earlier; after his response, several of them had jumped slightly from the 20s to the 30s.
Fortunately, he has a good impression of the media, so at least he knows how to handle things better when facing the media later!
Ultimately, it's the work itself that speaks for itself.
If Green Lantern becomes a huge hit, he will silence all doubters.
If Green Lantern flops, he could fall into a deep abyss and never recover!
Chen Xun glanced at his phone.
News and video clips of him being surrounded by fans have begun circulating on social media.
Comments are polarized.
Some people criticized it, some supported it, and some just watched the spectacle.
Starting with GQ, Chen Xun fully entered his promotional period.
Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety —
It was covered by mainstream entertainment media.
Invitations to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "The Conan Show" have also been on the agenda.
In Rob's words, "Now, if you fart, the media can analyze it into three different deeper meanings."
The price of the surge in exposure was the escalating controversy surrounding Chen Xun's portrayal of Green Lantern!
The anger of comic book fundamentalists and some conservative fans was completely ignited.
The topic "Not my Green Lantern!" remains highly popular online.
A classic image of Hal Jordan was photoshopped with the word "RIP" and widely circulated.
Chen Xun's past has been thoroughly exposed!
Although his academic credentials issue has been resolved, those fleeting glimpses of Asian stereotypes from his early days as an extra have been compiled into a collection.
The headline boldly proclaimed: "Look at the heroes they've forced upon us."
His comedic character Han Lee in "2 Broke Girls" was also brought to the internet, with comparison pictures made with Green Lantern to argue that Chen Xun lacked heroism!
"These people are like they traveled from 2005!"
Rob scrolled through the negative reviews on his tablet, gritting his teeth: "Do they think superhero movies can only be played by six-foot-tall, white, muscular men?"
"Times have changed, old Guhe!"
Chen Xun, on the other hand, remained relatively calm.
Having experienced the online storm of his previous life, he was psychologically prepared for this kind of spectacle.
Some of the more aggressive critics, however, used Marvel characters as their profile pictures.
A cloud fan who is at a loss.
Some people are just blindly following the trend to criticize!
"Look at this one!"
Rob read a highly upvoted tweet: "Warner Bros. has no shame, relying on its Abercrombie & Fitch market. They cast a comedian as Green Lantern. Are they going to cast Kendall Jenner as Wonder Woman next? #BoycottGreenLantern"
Rob rolled his eyes: "What did Kendall do to deserve this?! They were laughing so hard when you were playing Han Lee."
Chen Xun took the tablet and scanned the comments section.
Some agreed with the children, some rationally discussed the legitimacy of the adaptation, and some even retorted.
"You guys were like this when John Stewart (the African-American Green Lantern) appeared in the comics, and what happened?"
In the animated version of "Potato Alliance", he is the most popular character, Prison One.
1
"Give the new version a chance; Chan's acting in '2 Broke Girls' was underestimated!"
Someone immediately retorted: "Comparing Han Li to Hal Jordan? That's hilarious, you're comparing a cheap restaurant to a Michelin-starred restaurant."
Chen Xun twitched the corner of his mouth.
High-profit shop cheese?
That's a pretty Los Angeles-esque analogy.
He handed the tablet back to Rob: "I can understand the core fans' feelings about the original work, but I don't care about those who just follow the trend. The key is those in the middle who are wavering and might be casual viewers who want to see the movie."
To promote Green Lantern, Warner Bros. partnered with DC to hold a small-scale special premiere event for the film in Los Angeles.
Those invited were all veteran comic media professionals, well-known fan site owners, and a group of hardcore fans who were selected by lottery.
The event venue was set up as a small OA Star themed exhibition hall.
A carefully edited preview clip was playing on a loop.
Chen Xun, dressed in a casual suit, sat on the stage with director Martin Campbell, producers, and DC's chief creative officer.
There were about two hundred people sitting in the audience.
Chen Xun noticed that many people in the audience had their favorability rating fluctuating between 30 and 40, indicating that they were mostly in a wait-and-see state.
Only a few fans with a favorability rating below 10 crossed their arms, their expressions serious and clearly hostile!
Thankfully, it wasn't negative!
Chen Xun relaxed slightly.
After the host warmed up the audience, the Q&A session began.
The first person to raise his hand was a middle-aged man wearing a faded green lantern T-shirt and sunglasses. After getting the microphone, he immediately launched into a tirade: "Director Martin, I grew up reading Green Lantern comics."
"Hal Jordan is an adventurer, a pilot; his personality has that typical American romanticism and impulsiveness. Why should we abandon these traits and choose a completely different setting?"
The question is very straightforward!
Director Martin took the microphone and calmly replied, "Excellent question! We have never abandoned Hal Jordan!"
"The Green Lantern Corps is the cosmic police force with 7200 members. We simply chose to tell the story of one of the newest members, a young man living in the modern era."
"The definition of a hero is evolving; courage, willpower, and a sense of responsibility—these core qualities transcend background!"
"What we want to explore is, when an ordinary person—perhaps you, perhaps me—is suddenly given enormous responsibility and weight, what choices would he make?"
Director Martin's answer clearly failed to convince the questioner, unlike the official response from the company.