novellhall Will the audience buy into Chapter 92?
Will the audience buy into Chapter 92?
Chen Xun felt a little sweat on his forehead.
He looked at Christine, his eyes asking:
"What should we do?"
Christine was taken aback for a moment, then a playful smile appeared on her face.
She walked to Chen Xun's side, nudged him lightly with her elbow, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"It seems even underage girls can't resist the charm of this certain Eastern wizard!"
"What do we do now, Master Chen?"
Chen Xun glanced at her helplessly, then looked at Ellie, who was pleading, and Dakota, who was full of apologies.
Is it appropriate to make a minor girl, Dakota's sister, sleep on the sofa or the floor?
If this gets out, what will the Hollywood tabloids say about him?
He didn't even dare to think about it.
"You can stay here!"
Chen Xun sighed and said to Ellie:
"You and your sister will stay in the guest room. You can't sleep on the sofa, and you definitely can't sleep on the floor. You have to listen to your sister!"
Ellie's face instantly lit up with immense joy, and she nodded repeatedly:
"I promise I'll be good! Thank you, Brother Chen Xun! Thank you!"
She was so excited she almost lunged at him again, but Dakota pulled her back in time.
Dakota also breathed a sigh of relief and gave Chen Xun a grateful look:
"Thank you, Chen Xun. I'm so sorry to bother you."
And so, what was originally a world for two inexplicably turned into a temporary stay for four.
Christine found it quite amusing and helped Dakota settle into the guest room.
Ellie followed Chen Xun like a little tail.
She excitedly looked around the villa, especially curious about the books on acting and scripts in Chen Xun's study, as well as the few training coins he casually placed on the table.
But she behaved herself and didn't move around.
In the evening, the four of them had a simple meal of the takeout Christine had ordered.
At the dinner table, Ellie started talking non-stop.
She kept asking Chen Xun how those funny scenes in "2 Broke Girls" were filmed.
Chen Xun answered patiently as much as possible, occasionally interjecting with anecdotes from the set, which made Ellie giggle.
Seeing his sister so happy and lively, Dakota's gaze softened, and he felt more favorably toward Chen Xun's thoughtfulness and patience.
[Dakota Fanning's favorability +5, current favorability 65]
Ellie Fanning's favorability +10, current favorability 75
Two more attribute orbs dropped:
[Affinity +3]
[Fan Faith Power +6]
One blue and one purple!
Chen Xun absorbed it quickly.
He discovered that ever since the two sisters got together, the timing of their affection level increasing and the timing of their attribute orbs dropping seemed to be the same!
Could these two sisters, who are several years apart in age, also have a telepathic connection?
Unfortunately, Chen Xun cannot study this in depth now; he can only wait for the opportunity to study it in the future!
……
The conference room was filled with smoke.
In addition to Greg Silverman, Martin Campbell, and Sarah, who had previously met with Chen Xun, there were several more senior executives and creative representatives from DC Comics.
The Green Lantern project was plunged into an unprecedentedly heated debate after Chen Xun's brainstorming session.
The previously relatively unified approach to rebooting Hal Jordan has now been forcibly split into two separate paths.
"Mr. Chen Xun's idea is very creative!"
Robert Allen, the vice president in charge of global marketing, was the first to speak out, banging on the table:
"But ladies and gentlemen, let's be clear-headed! This is a crucial part of the DC Extended Universe project, with an investment exceeding $1.5 million!"
"This is our first project! Casting a Chinese-American character as the main character is far too risky!"
He looked around, his tone becoming more serious:
"Look at the market data! Look at past cases! What kind of superhero image do mainstream audiences, especially in overseas markets, habitually accept?"
"It's Christian Bale's Batman, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man! A traditional white hero!"
"Chen Xun is indeed funny in '2 Broke Girls,' but that's a sitcom!"
"Have an actor who plays a comedic Chinese-American boss put on a bodysuit and go save the universe?"
Will the audience buy into it?
Will theater managers buy into this?
A creative consultant from DC Comics next to him adjusted his glasses and added:
"From the perspective of IP purity, Hal Jordan is synonymous with Green Lantern, having accumulated so many years of fans, and suddenly he becomes a programmer named Chen Xun..."
"This could anger the core comic book fanbase! We can't gamble the success of the entire DC Extended Universe on an unconventional concept!"
Some people in the meeting room nodded silently, clearly agreeing with this conservative and seemingly safe viewpoint.
Are Asian actors now carrying A-list productions in Hollywood?
It certainly sounds like a fantasy.
"I disagree!"
Greg Silverman stood up; he had been a skeptic before, but now he was one of the strongest defenders of Chen Xun's proposal.
"Times are changing! Audiences' tastes are changing too! The success of '2 Broke Girls' proves precisely that the new, culturally distinctive Eastern image represented by Chen Xun can be accepted and even loved by mainstream audiences!"
"They like Han Lee not because he's of Chinese descent, but because he's authentic and charismatic!"
He pointed to the key points Chen Xun had outlined on the whiteboard:
"And look at the framework of 'Rise of the Azure Dragon'! It's not just about changing skin color! It offers a completely new perspective, fresh humor, profound cultural clashes, and philosophical reflections!"
"This could allow us to carve out a completely different path in the arena that Marvel has already established!"
Director Martin Campbell also spoke, his voice steady and authoritative:
"From a creative standpoint, Chen Xun's version of the character has more layers, and the story has more tension!"
"How an ordinary person struggling with a unique cultural background can understand and harness the power of the universe is itself a compelling core conflict."
"This resonates with modern audiences more than a naturally fearless test pilot! As the director, I feel more confident in telling this story!"
Casting director Sarah added:
"Furthermore, we cannot ignore Chen Xun's rising popularity!"
"The combination of '2 Broke Girls' audience base, his unique personal charm, and this role tailor-made for him may create a chemical reaction that is greater than the sum of its parts."
"The risks certainly exist, but the potential rewards could be enormous!"
The meeting reached a stalemate.
Conservatives worry about the market and tradition, while innovators are optimistic about creativity and potential.
Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, and neither could convince the other.
After arguing for hours, with their throats practically burning, Megan Ellison, another veteran producer who hadn't said much, offered a compromise:
"Since we can't reach a consensus, and both sides have valid reasons, let's just do this..."
Everyone looked at her.
"We have prepared two plans!"
Meghan calmly said:
"One approach is an optimized Hal Jordan storyline based on the original script, and the other is the concept of 'Green Lantern: Rise of the Azure Dragon' proposed by Chen Xun!"
"and then?"
Robert Allen frowned.
"Then we filmed the test footage!"
Megan continued:
"For the original Hal Jordan, we can contact Ryan Reynolds to film a few key scenes! And for the new version, Chen Xun will perform the core segments."
She looked at the crowd:
"Let the camera speak for itself! Let the final product tell us which version is more appealing, which character resonates more with the audience, and which story has the most potential!"
"We'll make our final decision based on facts and data, not endless arguments here!"