novellhall Chapter 217 Almost Lost! [5000]
Chapter 217 Almost Lost! [5000]
Chapter 217 Almost Lost! [5000]
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire suffered a slump at the box office, with poor opening weekend box office and little subsequent growth.
Let alone reaching $12 billion in box office revenue.
It didn't even reach 10 billion.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has ended its theatrical run worldwide.
The final box office figure was $7.1 million worldwide.
This number would be enough to celebrate for most movies.
But for Lionsgate, which had invested over $3 million in production and global marketing, and was carrying the ambition to surpass its predecessor's $11.18 billion and even reach $12 billion, this was undoubtedly a dismal end.
7.1 billion!
After deducting theater revenue sharing, various taxes and costs, Lionsgate's profit margin for this highly anticipated sequel was squeezed to an extremely thin level.
It might even be just barely enough to break even.
Lionsgate, whose stock price had been soaring due to the first "Hunger Games" film, experienced its first-ever limit down.
The 12 billion yuan miracle and new industry benchmark that was once envisioned in the conference room has now become fodder for ridicule by financial media.
The box office curve chart further illustrates the issue.
After failing to ignite a rally at the start of the week, the subsequent decline was significantly higher than healthy levels.
By the third week, apart from a few core fans, the general public's enthusiasm for watching the movie had quickly waned.
The number of screenings also plummeted, and many cinemas quickly gave up prime time slots to newly released films.
The hardest hit area is undoubtedly the Chinese market.
The film ultimately grossed approximately 5.5 million RMB in mainland China, far below its predecessor's performance and failing to even break the 10 billion RMB mark.
In stark contrast, the two domestic films released during the same period were incredibly popular.
Because of the massive pre-release publicity for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," it did indeed arouse the interest and discussion of many viewers.
However, the subsequent backlash triggered by the Chen Xun incident prevented this interest and discussion from successfully translating into box office revenue.
This, in turn, fueled the competitive spirit of the audience.
Audiences want to see blockbusters, but they don't want to contribute to the box office of Hollywood movies that disrespect their own people.
The release of "The White Storm" and "No Man's Land" at the same time has become a new choice for audiences.
One of these two films is a Hong Kong-style crime thriller interwoven with brotherhood and intense gunfights, while the other is a Western road movie directed by Ning Hao, full of dark humor and absurdity.
Their original box office expectations were only in the range of two to three hundred million.
As "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" received mixed reviews and faced boycotts, more and more viewers, especially young viewers, began to turn their attention to domestic films released around the same time.
"What else is there to watch if not The Hunger Games?"
"Isn't supporting domestically produced films a better option?"
"I heard 'The White Storm' is really exciting!"
"Is Ning Hao's 'No Man's Land' guaranteed to be high quality?"
Theater managers have the best noses.
After its opening weekend, the attendance of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" began to show signs of fatigue, while the average attendance of "The White Storm" and "No Man's Land" was quietly climbing.
The scheduling adjustments were made immediately.
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In the second week, the screening share of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" plummeted from a peak of 35% to 18%, while "The White Storm" and "No Man's Land" saw their share drop.
The combined share of screenings surged from less than 30% to over 45%.
With its exhilarating action scenes and memorable moments and memorable lines from actors like Nick Cheung, "The White Storm" enjoyed a meteoric rise at the box office, ultimately grossing a solid 5 million RMB, more than double its original earnings.
With its unique style and solid word-of-mouth, "No Man's Land" also grossed more than 3 million RMB at the box office, far exceeding expectations.
The Chinese film market, due to a boycott of Hollywood films, unexpectedly provided a huge boost to the box office of two high-quality domestic films, completing a market energy transfer that astonished everyone.
One film critic jokingly remarked, "Lionsgate has become the best wingman for the Chinese film industry this time, using its own expensive tuition to give domestic films a vivid lesson on how to seize the market window."
"So, we're basically riding on Chen Xun's coattails?"
At the celebration banquet for "The White Storm" which grossed over 500 million yuan at the domestic box office, director Benny Chan, holding a wine glass, asked the producer next to him with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
The producer grinned from ear to ear: "You can't say that, Director Chen. This is a market opportunity! Audiences need an outlet for their emotions, and our film is of high quality, so we've caught this wave of attention. But to be honest..."
He lowered his voice: "The feedback from the distribution team is that many viewers bought tickets with the intention of supporting domestic films. I paid special attention during the end credits, and many young viewers applauded very enthusiastically."
Louis Koo and Nick Cheung sat at another table.
Nick Cheung was surrounded by a group of people urging him to drink. He finally managed to escape and sat back down next to Louis Koo. He wiped his face and said, "Wow, I really didn't expect this. In the first few days, I saw that there weren't that many screenings, but then it got higher and higher every day. My wife even asked me if we hired online trolls."
Louis Koo slowly peeled peanuts: "An online troll wouldn't have this effect. My assistant said that many people online are saying they're not watching The Hunger Games, but watching our anti-drug operation. We can't encourage such evil practices."
He paused, a rare hint of confusion in his eyes: "Does that Chen Xun really have that much power? I think I've only read his novel, '..."
"Green Lantern's appearance is quite unique."
"Who knows!"
Nick Cheung took a sip of tea: "But thanks to him this time, the red envelope was much thicker. Next time we meet, I'll treat him to tea."
The crew of "No Man's Land".
At a director's association dinner, Ning Hao was teased by several colleagues: "Haozi, you're really lucky! You've made a fortune quietly!"
Ning Hao scratched his head, a hint of helplessness in his smile: "I finished filming this movie and shelved it for several years. The timing of its release was purely coincidental. However, the fact that it did do so well at the box office is indeed related to that trend. Many viewers came with high expectations, and after watching it, they thought it was alright, so the word-of-mouth slowly started to grow."
He lit a cigarette, lost in thought: "This Chen Xun is quite interesting. I specifically looked up clips of him from 'Green Lantern' and 'The Hunger Games.' His acting style is very solid; he doesn't just rely on his looks."
"In Hollywood, for a Chinese person to stir up such a storm, get two major studios to dance to his tune, and ultimately even benefit the domestic box office—this is something no scriptwriter could come up with."
"I heard he used to be an extra?"
A young director asked.
"It's not just extras!"
Another well-informed person chimed in: "He started as an extra, playing corpses. Later, I think he auditioned for Nolan's new film and was chosen, but Warner Bros. was afraid of trouble and kicked him out. He then took on 'Fast & Furious 6.' Now Warner Bros. and Universal are fighting over him, and Lionsgate has also stumbled because of him—this experience is enough to make a movie."
After a few seconds of silence at the dinner table, a senior director, who was also a veteran actor, slowly spoke up: "I asked my grandson to help me find some clips of his performances. Putting everything else aside, his energy is different from some of the young people here who are being fawned over."
He put down his chopsticks.
"Some of our kids are good-looking, have many fans, but they can't endure hardship while filming. They just read their lines out as numbers, use stunt doubles all the time, and still think they're pretty famous."
"Chen Xun worked his way up from the bottom, punch by punch, in Hollywood, a place that values seniority and rules even more!"
"Look at his action scenes, it's obvious he's put in a lot of hard work. He also performs very well in dramatic scenes. Audiences aren't stupid; they can tell who's acting seriously and who's just faking it."
"Why did the audience support him this time? It's not just about national sentiment. They've probably seen too many glamorous but talentless people. When they come across someone who has truly fought his way up, they find it rare and are willing to support him."
These words drew nods of agreement from many people at the table.
Another veteran actor chimed in: "That makes sense. You can't fake acting skills. If you have capital backing you up and fans supporting you in China, you might be popular for a while."
"But in Hollywood, if you don't act well, the director really dares to criticize you, the crew really dares to replace you, and the audience really doesn't buy it. If he can stand firm and even gain influence, that's proof of hard power."
"I think this incident not only slapped some people in the face in Hollywood, but also served as a reminder to us that audiences will eventually return to the works and acting skills themselves."
"Relying solely on marketing and traffic won't get you far!"
These comments from veterans in the industry quickly spread throughout the circle.
at the same time.
Some domestic actors, especially the younger generation, who previously only knew Chen Xun's name but didn't know much about him, also began to search for information about him out of curiosity.
When they saw Chen Xun's journey from playing a corpse to gradually obtaining a union card, auditioning for a Nolan film, starring in a superhero movie, and now causing a series of industry upheavals, their feelings were complicated.
In an actor's dressing room.
A young actor who debuted through a talent show and currently has a drama airing is scrolling through his phone when he says to his manager, "Sis, isn't this Chen Xun a year younger than me?"
The agent, checking the schedule without looking up, said, "Yeah, they're in Hollywood!"
"He's so stiff!"
Looking at the photo on the screen of Chen Xun covered in dirt and grime on the set of "Thor," and then at his own perfectly made-up face in the mirror, the young man wondered: "If I went to Hollywood, could I start as an extra?"
The agent finally looked up, glanced at him, and laughed: "Can you handle that kind of hardship? Putting aside everything else, just the filming hours and intensity stipulated by the union over there, and that competitive environment, you'd be crying and wanting to come back after a month."
"At least we have fans protecting us and a company to back us up; everyone has their own path!"
The young man paused for a moment, said nothing, and continued scrolling down.
He saw photos of Chen Xun training in Iceland, where the temperature was minus twenty degrees Celsius, and he was wearing a heavy astronaut training suit with his face red from the cold.
I also saw behind-the-scenes footage from the set of "Fast & Furious 6," where he performed stunts on the roof of a rapidly swaying car, over and over again.
He suddenly felt that his daily worries about billing order, makeup and hair, and fan comment control seemed somewhat pale in the face of a completely different way of life.
The same sentiment is also prevalent among some talented but unopportunistic middle-aged actors.
An actor whose acting skills are widely recognized but who has always lacked opportunities in major commercial films lamented while drinking with friends: "I used to think that Chinese people who made it in Hollywood were either kung fu superstars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, or they were just playing minor roles."
"Chen Xun's approach is different. He seems to have proven that you can carve out a niche in mainstream commercial films and even influence the rules of the game by relying on acting skills and intelligence, without relying on kung fu."
His friend poured him a drink: "What, are you envious?"
The actor shook his head, then nodded: "I envy his opportunities and stage, but I admire even more his ability to seize those opportunities and his ruthlessness."
"Hopefully, after this, the atmosphere here will change. At least the audience will start supporting actors who take acting seriously with their box office earnings, which is a good thing."
The financial statements for the global run of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" were eventually delivered to Lionsgate CEO's desk.
He stared at the meager profit figure, his brow furrowed.
It was a close call that I almost lost money!
This means that the profit-sharing clause based on box office net profit stipulated in the original contract has basically become a mere formality.
Chen Xun and Jennifer, the two highest-paid lead actors, only received their basic salaries.
When the news reached Chen Xun, he was in his London apartment reading the script for the final scenes of "Fast & Furious 6".
Robert called.
"Forget about dividends; there's practically nothing to distribute on paper."
"The base salary is 1500 million. Lionsgate was very generous and has already transferred the full amount to our agency's account."
"It seems they're really scared. They don't dare have any negative financial disputes now, for fear of further stimulating the stock price. I guess the situation is the same with Jennifer."
Chen Xun was not surprised.
Based on the current box office and investment, it would be a miracle if they could even get a share of the profits!
What's truly reliable is a written, black-and-white agreement regarding basic compensation.
$1500 million, before tax, is a reasonable market price for his current status and the scale of this film.
After deducting taxes, the amount received will be approximately $800 million.
That's not bad!
Chen Xun was quite satisfied.
That's over 50 million RMB!
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun looked at the London street scene outside the window and felt a little more at ease.
With this money in his account, his copy can be restarted!
Having money in hand means you won't panic about anything.
Chen Xun opened the panel:
[Highly praised by 82%]
It seems we're not far from the next stage!
What will be unlocked?
Chen Xun was somewhat expectant.
The "Cultural Influence" feature on the panel has also been upgraded!
[Your portrayal of Chinese characters has become even more compelling, making it easier for your performances to evoke deep resonance and emotional projection from the audience when dealing with cultural traits, identity, or confronting prejudice.]
[Additional effect: In specific situations, it can slightly enhance the perception and performance of actors in the same production team on related issues.]
Chen Xun strongly suspected that Lionsgate's decision to exclude him from the roadshow had such a significant impact.
It is closely related to his attribute of "cultural influence".
Although he had a decent influence before, it was mainly due to the support of his Chinese fans.
Chen Xun's public image is actually just so-so.
Since the last upgrade of his "cultural influence", his public image has also improved.
This has had a tremendous impact.
This upgrade is very useful, especially since he is likely to continue playing culturally significant roles in the future.
Putting away the panel, Chen Xun focused his attention back on the script.
These are the last few scenes; we can't let our guard down.
A few days later, filming for "Fast & Furious 6" in London officially wrapped up.
The final scene was filmed on that huge, abandoned airport runway, after the main characters successfully prevented the villain's plane from taking off.
After the grand scene, director Justin Lin, holding a megaphone, announced with a sigh of relief: "I hereby announce that filming for the London portion of 'Fast & Furious 6' is now complete!"
Cheers, whistles, and applause immediately erupted from the crowd.
The stunt team members bumped fists at each other, the makeup artists and costume designers hugged each other, and the actors high-fived and hugged each other.
Months of intense filming, pressure, fatigue, and occasional friction all transformed into a sense of accomplishment in jointly completing a challenging task.
Justin Lin hugged each of the main actors. When it was Chen Xun's turn, he patted Chen Xun on the back forcefully: "Chen, well done! You brought something new to this series. Looking forward to working with you again."
Vin Diesel walked over.
He handed me a small box containing a custom-made watch with the words "FAST6" and "Chen" engraved on the back.
"A souvenir for everyone!"
It had a strong sense of ceremony.
Paul Walker, Jordana, Sung Kang, Michelle —
Everyone received a similar wrap-up gift.
This is part of the film crew culture, and it also represents recognition of this temporary family member.
The wrap party was held at a well-known steakhouse in London, with the entire second floor booked.
The atmosphere was lively, with everyone eating, drinking, and chatting about interesting things that happened during filming.
After the wrap party, Chen Xun returned to his apartment and began packing his luggage.
He opened his mobile banking app and saw the after-tax payment of $823 million that had just been deposited into his account.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, Chen Xun first gave himself a two-week break.
In his Beverly Hills house, he spent most of his time sleeping and exercising.
Christine came back once in between, and the two missed each other very much after not seeing each other for a long time.
Christine felt particularly apologetic for not being by Chen Xun's side when he was kicked out of the production by Warner Bros.
They were not there for Chen Xun when he was wronged.
Chen Xun expressed his understanding.
We are all actors, and this is the nature of our work. Often, we don't have control over our time.
Chen Xun held Christine in his arms and slept soundly in the room for three days and three nights.
He had always felt he had plenty of energy, but he never expected to feel so tired after stopping.
Rest is rest.
Rob's work hasn't stopped.
Every day, new script summaries, project briefings, and letters of intent for business cooperation were sent via email, and soon a small stack of them piled up on Chen Xun's coffee table.
He looked at it slowly.
The effects of the falling out with Warner Music are beginning to show.
In the past, Rob always managed to get advance notice of Warner Bros.' DC Comics-related projects or A-list production scripts that clearly showed Warner Bros.' investment intentions through various channels.
These channels have now been largely abandoned.
The scripts sent in were either from major studios like Universal, Paramount, Sony, and 20th Century Fox, or from less prestigious but ambitious companies like Legendary and MGM, or from independent productions with decent budgets.
Lionsgate doesn't seem to have recovered from its damaged box office performance and hasn't sent any scripts recently.
DC projects, especially those featuring core characters like Batman, Superman, and The Flash, have completely disappeared from Chen Xun's potential shortlist.
Rob had privately inquired and found out that there was an unwritten agreement within Warner.
Any DC projects that have recently come into contact with Chen Xun or his team require special reporting.
To put it bluntly, it's a temporary ban.
Warner Bros. needs to maintain its unchallengeable authority in this way, even though the failure of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" has, to some extent, proven Chen Xun's capabilities.