novellhall Chapter 383 Spider-Man Roadshow
Chapter 383 Spider-Man Roadshow
Chapter 382 Spider-Man Roadshow
Chen Xun was perfectly clear about it.
The previous version of "Joker" relied on its R rating and its profound exploration of human nature and society to ultimately achieve a global box office of $10.74 billion!
It became the highest-grossing R-rated film in film history!
He even won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actor Oscar.
Its success stems precisely from its uncompromising stance and its direct confrontation with darkness and reality.
Finally, Chen Xun dropped the most crucial bombshell: "Don't forget, 60% of the production cost of this film came from my personal investment. Warner Bros. was not optimistic about this project in the early stages, but I brought in the funds, which allowed the project to start smoothly. According to the contract we signed, director Todd and I have the final cut rights for this film, as well as the final decision-making power over the creative content."
"Warner Bros., as the production company, has no right to interfere with our creative process."
This statement effectively shut down all of Warner's escape routes.
The Warner executives in the conference room looked at each other, their faces turning pale and then red, but they couldn't say a word.
What Chen Xun said was true.
Initially, they didn't have high hopes for this dark-themed independent film. If Chen Xun hadn't brought in his investment, the project wouldn't have even started.
It's still unknown when Joker will start filming.
They didn't even have the chance to sit here and spout nonsense.
The contract clearly states that the final editing and creative decisions rest with Chen Xun and Todd, and they have no right to force any changes.
Jeff opened his mouth, but in the end he could only slump back into his chair and wave his hand helplessly: "Since you two insist, then we'll abandon the plan to change the rating. The creative work will proceed according to your ideas."
The tense meeting ended with Warner making a compromise.
Stepping out of the conference room, Todd Phillips let out a long sigh of relief, turned to Chen Xun, and said with gratitude in his eyes, "Chen, thank you. If it weren't for you, they would have definitely forced us to compromise today, and this movie would have been completely ruined."
Chen Xun and he exchanged a glance, and both saw determination in each other's eyes.
From the very first day of the project, they wanted to make a different kind of comic book adaptation movie.
A work that truly touches upon the core of humanity and society.
Even if it's niche, even if it's dark, even if it's not well-regarded.
This original aspiration has never changed.
Just then!
The text reappeared:
[Project Name: Joker (Filming in Progress)]
[Current project completion rate: 85%]
[Overall Performance Rating: S—]
Director's satisfaction rating: S
Teamwork: S
[Global audience expectations: S+ (Breaking the record for global popularity of an independent R-rated film, with social media topic views exceeding 60 billion)]
Overall Rating: S
Phase Reward Distribution:
[Historical Progress] Realm Progress +5%, Current Progress 67%
As expected, audience expectations have been raised to the max.
Joker was filmed as originally planned.
In the set corridor of Cam's Mental Hospital.
Chen Xun, who plays Arthur Fleck, is wearing a hospital gown and walking barefoot on the floor. His steps lightly sway to the melody in his mind, conveying a sense of freedom from being completely freed from shackles.
A faint smile played on his lips, his eyes held a calm that seemed to see through everything, yet concealed an unyielding madness. Step by step, he walked toward the light at the end of the corridor.
Behind the monitor, Todd Phillips held his breath, watching the camera until Arthur's figure disappeared from the light and shadow. Then, he grabbed the walkie-talkie and shouted with all his might, "Cut!!! Joker is officially wrapped!"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire set erupted in deafening applause and cheers.
All the staff and actors put down their work, clapped loudly, and shouted Chen Xun's name, shouting "Clown".
The applause lasted for a long time without stopping.
During the four months of filming, everyone witnessed firsthand how Chen Xun became one with Arthur Fleck.
He filmed dozens of takes for a single detail of a glance, and even after filming wrapped, he maintained the character's state of mind, completely immersing himself in Arthur's world in order to fit Arthur's mental state.
Everyone knows that the film's current level of completion is largely due to Chen Xun. He brought this character, who only existed in comics and scripts, to life in this world.
Todd Phillips rushed over with tears in his eyes and gave Chen Xun a tight hug: "Chen, thank you so much. Without you, there would be no Joker. You created a classic in film history. You made history."
Robert De Niro also came over, smiled and shook hands with Chen Xun, his tone full of admiration: "Kid, your performance will make the whole world remember you, the door to the Oscars is open for you."
Chen Xun smiled and hugged everyone to express his gratitude.
Only he knew that the moment Todd shouted "That's it!", his nerves, which had been taut for four months, suddenly relaxed, and an indescribable weariness instantly welled up from his bones.
He smiled at everyone.
But his body still hunched over unconsciously, his fingers trembled slightly uncontrollably, and he even felt an urge to burst out laughing.
That was Arthur's instinctive reaction when he was ill, and now it had become muscle memory.
Even with the support of a top-tier Joker character card, and even though he had prepared himself mentally, the four months of immersive filming still took a far greater toll on his energy than he had anticipated.
He is like a container.
It contained four months of Arthur's madness, and even after filming ended, the emotions inside the container couldn't be emptied instantly.
The wrap party was held at a top restaurant in Brooklyn.
The entire crew was partying and raising their glasses in celebration.
Chen Xun left the venue less than half an hour later.
Jennifer flew back to Los Angeles early for work and was unable to attend the wrap party with him.
He couldn't fit into the excitement; the louder the cheers, the more he felt like an outsider.
Like Arthur, who stood on the stand-up comedy stage and was ridiculed by the whole world.
Back at his lodgings, he locked himself in the bathroom and, facing the mirror, slowly removed the remaining face paint, revealing his original face.
After filming wrapped, he refused to have his makeup removed by the makeup artist, for reasons he didn't know.
At this moment, the person in the mirror had sunken eyes, a gaunt face, and a lingering gloom in their eyes, completely lacking their usual composure.
The person in the mirror was clearly himself, yet he felt so unfamiliar with him that he felt disoriented.
He tried to force a familiar smile, but the corners of his mouth turned down uncontrollably.
It looks exactly like the crying-laughing face painted on Arthur's face.
Just then!
The apartment door was gently pushed open, and Christine walked in.
She was carrying the Chinese food she had just bought, as well as his favorite iced cola.
Seeing Chen Xun standing dejectedly at the bathroom door, she paused, feeling a pang of sympathy.
She didn't ask anything, just put the things on the dining table, walked over, gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressed her face against his back, and said in a voice as gentle as the evening breeze: "Filming is finished, Chen Xun, you're back."
A simple sentence, like a key, unlocked Chen Xun's heart, which had been tense for four months.
Chen Xun never expected Christine to appear here.
I was deeply moved, but also a little scared.
That almost turned into a clash between two kings!
He turned around and hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, and breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, I'm back."
For the next few days, Christine turned down all her work and stayed by his side every step of the way.
She confiscated all his scripts and materials related to "Joker," took him for a walk on the beach in Long Island, and ran with the sea breeze, pulling him out of Arthur's gloomy world.
She forced him to eat on time and prepared a variety of Chinese meals for him, gradually helping him regain the weight he had lost.
In the evenings, I would snuggle up on the sofa with him, watching mindless comedies and listening to him talk about the emotions he had been suppressing during filming.
Even when Chen Xun couldn't help but let out Arthur-like laughter as he talked, she would just quietly hold him and wait for him to calm down.
With Christine by his side, Chen Xun gradually emerged from Arthur's state, the gloom in his eyes slowly dissipating and regaining its familiar radiance.
But deep down, I still felt weary, like someone recovering from a serious illness.
He originally planned to take at least a month-long vacation to fully adjust his condition before throwing himself into new work.
But plans can never keep up with changes.
Just five days into the holiday, Rob called: "Chen! Great news! Spider-Man: Homecoming has a release date! It's a simultaneous global release, July 7th in North America, and it's also passed censorship in mainland China, set for the same day!"
"Marvel's marketing team has scheduled the entire global roadshow. It officially kicks off on the 1st of next month, starting in New York, then London, Paris, Berlin, Beijing Time, Shanghai, and Singapore—a total of 12 cities, lasting for a month! You and Kristen, as the male and female leads, must participate throughout the entire trip!"
Chen Xun pinched the bridge of his nose, leaned back on the sofa, and sighed helplessly: "I just finished filming 'Joker' and haven't had a chance to rest yet."
"I know you're tired, but there's nothing I can do about it!"
Rob chuckled wryly on the other end of the phone: "The trailer's hype is still building, and global audiences are incredibly excited. Marvel and Sony are pinning their hopes on this film to be the summer box office champion. The roadshow schedule has already been arranged with major theaters and distributors, and there's no way to change it."
He paused, then added, "There's something else. The dubbing studios in mainland China have contacted us and need you to personally dub Peter Parker's lines in Chinese. After all, you're the lead actor, and mainland audiences want to hear your original voice dubbing. The time is set for the latter half of this month, just in time to finish before the roadshow starts."
After hanging up with Robert, Chen Xun looked at the densely packed roadshow schedule on his phone and couldn't help but shake his head.
For the first four months, he was Arthur Fleck.
For the next month, he will completely transform into the sunny and cheerful high school student Peter Parker, flying all over the world, standing in the spotlight, and meeting countless audiences.
The two roles are completely different, and his life will undergo a complete transformation in just a few days.
"What's wrong? Is the roadshow confirmed?"
Christine walked over with two glasses of juice, handed him one, and glanced at his phone: "My agent also told me that we're starting a global roadshow next month. Don't you want to go?"
"It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that I'm a bit tired after filming 'Joker'."
Chen Xun took the juice and took a sip: "And to switch from Arthur to Peter Parker right after coming out of Arthur's state is too big of a leap."
Christine sat down beside him with a smile, reaching out to ruffle his hair: "You can even play Arthur well, so why are you afraid of not being able to play Peter Parker well? Besides, don't you have me with you? It's better for the two of us to run together than for you to run alone."
She paused, then gave him a sly look: "If all else fails, I'll handle the reporters' questions during the roadshow, and all you have to do is look cool, okay?"
Chen Xun was successfully amused by her, and the fatigue and irritability in his heart instantly dissipated.
Spider-Man Chinese dubbing studio.
The voice director was already waiting inside. Seeing Chen Xun enter, he immediately greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Chen Xun, it's an honor to meet you! We were all surprised that you could personally dub the Chinese lines. Mainland audiences will definitely be thrilled!"
"Of course, since it's the role I played myself, and using my own voice would be more fitting for the character."
Chen Xun smiled and nodded, put on his monitoring headphones, and walked into the recording studio.
But when the voice director yelled "Action!" and Chen Xun's first line on the screen, showing Peter Parker in his school uniform joking around with Ned in the high school corridor, stunned the voice director.
His tone carried a subtle somberness and gloom, completely lacking the sunny and carefree spirit of a 16-year-old high school student. Instead, it sounded just like Arthur Fleck's cautious tone when trying to please someone.
Chen Xun was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
After four months of immersive filming, Arthur's character had become ingrained in his instincts. Even though he knew in his mind that he was to voice the sunny and cheerful Peter Parker, the moment he opened his mouth, he would still unconsciously bring out the shadow of Arthur.
"Sorry, let's try again!"
Chen Xun gestured to the dubbing director outside, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed Peter Parker's life trajectory.
The high school student who got bitten by a spider, the shy boy who had a crush on MJ, the boy next door who wanted to be a superhero but always got into trouble.
At the same time, the Spider-Man character card is activated!
When he spoke again, his tone had completely changed.
The teenager's carefree, shy, and slightly smug mutterings perfectly matched Peter Parker's expressions and movements on screen.
The voice director's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly shouted into the microphone, "That's it! It's perfect!"
The subsequent dubbing work went exceptionally smoothly.
Chen Xun completely switched back to Peter Parker's mode, effortlessly exuding youthful charm.
Even the breathing sounds during high-difficulty action scenes and the lines when damaged in battle were perfectly matched, and even the most difficult improvisational scenes were completed in one take.
The voice-over work was completed in just two days.
Holding the finished product, the dubbing director excitedly told Chen Xun, "Mr. Chen Xun, your dubbing skills are better than many professional voice actors. Mainland audiences will absolutely go crazy when they hear your original voice!"
As Chen Xun stepped out of the dubbing studio, he looked at the sunlight outside and felt completely relaxed.
He finally emerged completely from Arthur's world and returned to being Chen Xun.
Just then!
[Project Title: Joker (Filming completed, now in post-production)]
[Overall Performance Rating: S+]
Director's satisfaction rating: S+
Team Collaboration: S+
[Industry's expected award rating: S+ (Locked in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, top favorite for an Oscar acting award)]
[Global Audience Expectations: S+ (Breaking the record for global popularity of an independent film)]
Overall Rating: S+
[Final Reward for Completion: [Historical Achievement] Realm Progress +5%, Current Progress 72%]
[Unlock achievement "One Person, Two Faces", a permanent boost to top-tier acting ability in both commercial and art-house films]
The next day, Chen Xun and Christine boarded the flight for the roadshow together.
The tropical evening breeze, carrying the salty sea air, swept across the waters of Marina Bay in Singapore, carrying the cheers from the SkyPark on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel far and wide.
This is Singapore's most prestigious urban landmark, with an infinity pool suspended hundreds of meters in the air. Below you are the lights of the entire city, and in the distance, the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay are shimmering with light. The entire Singapore skyline unfolds before your eyes without any obstruction.
This rooftop garden, which is usually only open to hotel guests, has been completely booked by Marvel and Sony and turned into the venue for the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" fan meeting in Singapore.
The venue was packed with fans who had traveled from all over Southeast Asia.
At first glance, the red and blue Spider-Man suits look like a continuous expanse.
From young children to seasoned movie fans with white hair, almost everyone wore a Spider-Man mask and held up a support sign.
Fans chanted Chen Xun's name in Chinese, English, and Malay.
The cheers nearly lifted the roof off the roof of the Sky Garden.
Half an hour before the meeting started, the lights in the venue suddenly went out, and only the spotlights next to the infinity pool suddenly turned on, shining on the transparent glass railing at the edge of the pool.
The next second, Chen Xun, dressed in a full red and blue Spider-Man suit, slowly walked out from the side door.
Before he even took off his mask, he walked to the railing and stood on the edge of the 57th floor, facing the evening breeze. Below him was the city suspended hundreds of meters in the air, and behind him was the dazzling lights of the Lion City.
As the camera zoomed in, he raised his hand towards the city below, making Spider-Man's classic web-shooting gesture, instantly eliciting deafening screams from the crowd.
Fans frantically pounded on the railings.
Spider-Man!
"Chen Xun!"
The streets below the hotel were packed with fans who couldn't get in, frantically taking pictures of the rooftop garden with their phones.
This scene was captured by the media at the scene, and it spread across social media platforms around the world as soon as the press conference ended, with countless netizens leaving comments such as: "My God! Facing the city skyline from 57 stories high, this is so breathtaking! This is the real Spider-Man, scaling walls!"
"Chen Xun standing there is Peter Parker himself!"
Only after the cheers subsided slightly did Chen Xun remove his mask, revealing a smiling face. He waved to the fans below the stage and greeted them in fluent Chinese and English, saying, "Good evening, friends in Singapore! I am Chen Xun, and also your good neighbor Spider-Man."
As soon as he finished speaking, Christine walked over with a smile.
Wearing a sleek silver halter-neck dress, she glanced at the densely packed Spider-Man suits below the stage and couldn't help but exclaim into the microphone, "My God, everyone is wearing Spider-Man suits! This is insane! I've been to so many movie promotions, and I've never seen such a well-organized fan group."
The fans in the audience immediately erupted in another round of screams.
Shout at Christine:
"MJ!"
Some people even waved posters featuring the two of them together, completely igniting the atmosphere at the scene.