Chapter 889 Return to Satur

When a celebrity calls a fan a "shrew" in public, regardless of whether the fan is actually a shrew, the incident is destined to be amplified by various media outlets through different "textual expressions." It also means that when the incident reaches different people, it will be interpreted in different ways based on their stereotypes about celebrities, the word "shrew," and even the relationship between celebrities and fans, leading to a variety of reactions.

Li Zhibai was never one to compromise.

His fans all know that he has had a privileged life since childhood, with a smooth career and no major setbacks, let alone any major mishaps. Sometimes, it's unrealistic to expect him to compromise on something, especially since you can often see Li Zhibai's fans leaving comments under Lin Suyang's Weibo posts saying things like, "Li Zhibai has a bad temper, please be more tolerant."

Every time Li Zhibai loses his temper—or rather, most of the time, his fans actually have a "that's just how he is" mentality. Even before they know the whole story, they almost prejudicially believe that even if Li Zhibai says something wrong, it's just because "that's just how he is," so—let's be more tolerant.

Fortunately, Li Zhibai's insults were mostly targeted and his temper tantrums were well-founded.

But this time...

Li Zhibai's sudden relationship with Jiang Yuqian truly hurt the hearts of many core fans. In fact, the word "shrew" struck a chord with many core fans who, though they didn't say it aloud, genuinely considered her as their girlfriend. In a sense, those two words were like a boomerang, hitting the mindset of "that's just how he is" and shattering their unspoken fantasies.

Ultimately, Li Zhibai is in a relationship.

-

No one would believe that a young, handsome, and wealthy male celebrity like Li Zhibai could remain celibate at such a young age.

However, it seems that male and female celebrities of this era, especially those who follow the traffic route, deliberately obscure this information with their management teams because of a morbid obsession with "purity" among a portion of their fan base. It's like the entertainment industry's version of Catch-22: whether someone is single, whether they are a virgin, or whether they are single are all in a state where questions and answers are unacceptable.

The fans may not be unaware, but as long as the other party doesn't say it, they can deceive themselves and reach a tacit consensus.

You create my dream, I'll spend your money, and together we'll build a rooftop garden.

-

Li Zhibai has never cultivated this kind of persona, and he has been surrounded by rumors, but he has never publicly acknowledged a girlfriend.

This provides his fans with an objective reality to their fantasies.

What if he really has never been in a relationship with a girl before?

Even though Li Zhibai has stated in countless interviews that he couldn't stay single for the sake of his fans, and that he's not some kind of pure love warrior, those are just words he says. Maybe he's just being stubborn?

People will only ever listen to what they want to hear and see what they want to see.

The media storm surrounding the two of them has now become the focus of attention for onlookers worldwide. The commotion caused by Li Zhibai and Jiang Yuqian's fans in China allowed Chen Yin to breathe a sigh of relief—in retrospect, releasing "Love is Not Blind" ahead of schedule was an absolutely correct decision. Their fans in China are incredibly enthusiastic; now, a large group of people are even flooding rating websites to give the film negative reviews—

Simply because they believed that Jiang Yuqian and Li Zhibai got together through this movie.

Ironically, "Love is Not Blind" is one of the few films that already has a large fan base.

When moviegoers saw that the fans of the two lead actors were giving the film low ratings for reasons unrelated to the movie itself, thus harming it, they stood up to defend the film and started a war with the fans of the two actors—of course, a war of words. Such a war of words cannot be elegant or controlled; it is bound to be turbulent, and a bomb could explode from who knows where.

"Love is Not Blind" was originally scheduled to be released on domestic video platforms around this time. However, due to the current public opinion and after discussions among various parties, it was decided to wait a bit longer. Let's first see how "Love is Not Blind" performs in overseas markets.

From this perspective, things are relatively better overseas. Li Zhibai's fame and popularity overseas are far less than in China, and he doesn't have as many so-called "girlfriend fans." Jiang Yuqian's fans—

In fact, most people are optimistic about this relationship. Jiang Yuqian is beautiful and fashionable, and in many people's eyes, she's an exotic goddess from the East. The fact that she didn't date a wealthy businessman, but instead is with a young, handsome actor who is also a top star in China, highlights her pure pursuit of love.

Strangely enough, in the art world, such qualities are often respected. This is even more true for the general public. If a female celebrity chooses love over marrying into wealth, people are more likely to perceive her as possessing the character of an artist, rather than just an ordinary, vulgar celebrity.

Midoriya had initially planned a very promising opening for "Love is Not Blind." However, after the two leads suddenly revealed their relationship, generating huge attention and buzz, Midoriya realized that this film might be able to open up a new chapter.

Midoriya described the film as: This is not an ordinary, conventional romantic comedy.

Ultimately, "Love is Not Blind" opened in 2,300 theaters—setting a new opening record for a Chinese-language romance film in North America.

Moreover, it was also shown on a large scale in other European countries and regions.

This brought Lu Yanhe a huge surprise, something he had originally wanted to achieve with "The Fault in Our Stars"—a Chinese-language romance film being screened on a large scale in major markets around the world. It was quite good that "Love is Not Blind" could serve as a pioneer in exploring this market.

Li Zhibai and Jiang Yuqian attended premieres in several cities including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Hamburg, and Toronto, promoting the film in a traditional promotional manner. The backlash from extreme fans following the revelation of their relationship became a key focus of their promotional trip. Thanks to this, Li Zhibai and Jiang Yuqian had ample channels to communicate their thoughts to their respective fans.

"I acted impulsively at the time. I shouldn't have used such insulting language to curse a woman in public," Li Zhibai frankly admitted his mistake.

In any case, no matter how much resistance or anger there was, the exposure of him and Jiang Yuqian did not diminish at all. Domestic media kept bringing back content from overseas media, and under the strong exposure, they unexpectedly created the impression that the two were highly regarded and welcomed overseas.

An actor needs to maintain their own style. You can't become famous through sensationalism; that might make you very popular, but it also easily turns you into a despised internet celebrity. This also means that if an actor wants to truly become famous, they must rely on their work if they only rely on traditional paths. A representative work, a representative role, is an actor's most iconic calling card.

The global release of "Love is Not Blind" brought its two lead actors exposure to top-tier media worldwide. This exposure was legitimate and acknowledged. Despite the overwhelming fan activity, it didn't seem to affect their careers; in fact, they thrived overseas. As time passed, the general public lost interest, and the fans' energy largely dissipated. Whether they left the fandom or stopped following, the uproar eventually subsided.

Most importantly, the movie "Love is Not Blind" grossed $2.15 million in more than 2,000 theaters in North America on Friday, and then nearly $4 million in the weekend, for a total of more than $6 million in its opening weekend, which was an outstanding performance.

The film performed even better in overseas markets outside North America, especially in Europe. The UK and France each contributed over $3 million to its opening weekend box office. This romantic film, written by Lu Yanhe and starring Jiang Yuqian, has attracted attention and discussion from critics for its unique style and expression.

Based on current data, this film has the potential to gross over $50 million overseas.

Compared to those blockbuster hits that easily fetch hundreds of millions of dollars, this number seems small, however—

However, its very existence was a pleasant surprise. Before filming, no one thought it could achieve such box office success overseas. It was certain that overseas distribution wouldn't be a problem; whether on DVD or streaming, the names of Jiang Yuqian and Lu Yanhe would guarantee a good price. But how could theaters, cinemas, and audiences actually buy tickets to generate $50 million in box office revenue?

Even in Hollywood, very few romantic movies can achieve this level of success each year.

Midoriya bought the remake rights to "Love is Not Blind" almost immediately.

-

"This movie has already been released worldwide, and now Midoriya is making an English version? Do they think it will do well at the box office?"

"Critics have given high praise to the script of 'Love is Not Blind,' and as you know, although it's a global release, it's still a Chinese-language film. If they had invited A-list Hollywood stars to star in it and remade it into a romantic comedy, it would have been profitable."

"I don't think anyone can adapt this movie well."

"Who knows? It's a remake, so they might not use the original exactly as it is. The most important thing is that 'Love is Not Blind' is doing very well in Europe and America right now, and the opinions from major media outlets all say it's worth watching."

...

The discussions surrounding this film in Europe and America were not diminished even by the Oscars ceremony.

Although Jiang Yuqian and Li Zhibai did not attend the Oscars ceremony, they did attend the after-party held by Vanity Fair.

Their public appearance, coupled with their relationship, garnered enormous media attention. No matter the year, dating always attracts attention. The gene for gossip exists in every human being.

The continued buzz surrounding the film is also reflected in its long-term box office performance.

The box office performance of "Love is Not Blind" far exceeded expectations. So much so that Linghe and Lügu were considering having the film screened at the upcoming Situ Film Festival. However, after evaluation, they abandoned the idea. The film was already familiar to the public, and showing it at a film festival at this point would have little impact on box office performance.

On the contrary, "My Sassy Girl" received an invitation from Satur to have its world premiere there.

After asking Lu Yanhe for his opinion, Chen Yin refused.

The reason is that this film is not suitable for Situ.

It's not just film festivals that have stereotypes about many filmmakers; filmmakers have the same stereotypes about film festivals.

Lu Yanhe has never believed that commercially viable works are suitable for premiering at Citour.

Just like an Oscar favorite, it might not be favored by the four major international film festivals. Everyone has different tastes.

"My Sassy Girl" is a typical example of a classic film. Leaving aside the filter of its era, its instant success was due to its novel subject matter and innovative character design. Now, a sassy girlfriend is no longer a novelty, and this film focuses on the daily interactions and romantic details of this couple.

In some ways, it's a heartwarming, fun film that leaves you feeling comforted. Stripped of its historical context, many aspects of it don't stand the test of time as deeply as the unrequited love depicted in *Love Letter* or the exploration of values ​​regarding love and relationships in *Love is Not Blind*. However, one thing remains constant: the film's portrayal of the details of a couple's relationship is timeless and resonates with audiences no matter when you watch it.

However, this requires word-of-mouth from the audience, not from critics.

Critics will only think this movie is too vulgar.

It's not sharp enough; it can't satirically expose some masks and pretenses like "Love is Not Blind," nor can it use poetic cinematic language like "Love Letter" to construct a song of unrequited love that can stir everyone's heartstrings.

-

Just look at films like "The Boat," "Tropical Rainy Season," and "Three Mountains" to see what kind of movies Satur likes.

It is highly artistic, but beyond the content of the film, it is also commercially viable—for example, it has a famous director, big-name movie stars, and extremely personalized subject matter and style, making it unique in the world.

Rarity is also a form of commercial value.

Lu Yanhe did not go to Xituer with Luo Yuzhong and Yu Mengling.

He went alone.

Luo Yuzhong, Yu Mengling, and Wen Shengming will meet together in Xituer two days in advance.

Lu Yanhe could only attend the premiere and the subsequent media conference. After these two events, he had to rush back.

Fortunately, the filming of "The Original Father" was completely unaffected.

If he's not in the right frame of mind, Huang Tianlin is still capable of making Lu Yanhe act out a scene for three days straight.

It was incredibly exaggerated. Lu Yanhe was thinking at the time that even Liu Bige wouldn't make him film a scene for such a long time. He was really pushing him, forcing him into a state of physiological irritability and frustration, in order to capture that moment of returning to simplicity.

Therefore, Lu Yanhe doesn't need to worry that his two-day trip away will affect his performance when he returns.

Huang Tianlin's decision not to rush the production schedule is indeed a blessing for the actors.

Many actors are dissatisfied with their performances after filming and want to do a retake. However, there aren't that many opportunities to redo scenes. Redoing costs extra money, and directors who are willing to let you redo scenes repeatedly are, in a sense, throwing everyone's resources at you, hoping to achieve a resounding success.

For films like "Hurricane 2" or "Godless," which have significant budgets, how can they afford to spend three to five days filming a single scene just because your performance wasn't good? They have the time but not the money to burn through money on you. Every day of delay is a day's wages.

-

As for how "The Boat" will be received in Situ, Lu Yanhe didn't know what was going on this time. Perhaps it was because he was a little overconfident after too many successes. He always felt that the movie "The Boat" couldn't possibly have a bad reception.

It perfectly matches the film festival's aesthetic standards.

And this film text happens to exude a literary quality. It must be acknowledged that, just as literary works are more likely to receive praise when they are well integrated with philosophy, films that have literary elements are often more welcomed and recognized by critics.

On his flight to Situ, Lu Yanhe reread the script of "The Boat." He wondered what the final version of "The Boat" would look like.

However, Lu Yanhe knew very well that it would be difficult for "The Boat" to win any acting awards. This was because it was a film featuring three actors forming a three-way power struggle, and Luo Yuzhong's filming style on set wasn't conducive to showcasing the actors' overall character development. The numerous fixed camera positions, even placing the actors far from the camera, making them merely elements in the composition, including Lu Yanhe's own character, felt to lack depth and three-dimensionality.

However, if the final film is exactly as Lu Yanhe imagined on set, he feels that although the film is unlikely to win acting awards, it could still compete for major film awards.

And individual performance awards—

Lu Yanhe vaguely felt that if he really wanted to make a breakthrough, among the directors he had worked with, only Liu Bige and Huang Tianlin had the ability to push him to deliver a performance that even he himself could not have imagined. And in the film "The Boat," even though Luo Yuzhong was his teacher and the mentor of the film "The Golden Era," deep down he didn't feel that his performance was particularly groundbreaking.

He simply delivered a superb performance as he was expected to.

-

The Situ Film Festival clearly places great importance on the film "The Boat".

It was scheduled to be screened on the sixth day after the opening.

This is the prime time during a film festival.

When Lu Yanhe was driving to the hotel, he was surprised to see himself appearing on three different billboards, all of which were enormous.

All of them are brands he endorses.

The last time I visited Situ, the city didn't have so many of his billboards.

Of course, Situ has always been regarded as the beginning of the international route of the Luyan River, and also as a blessed land of the Luyan River.

Lu Yanhe rose to international fame with "Three Mountains", and later won the Best Actor Award at the Situ Film Festival for "Tropical Rainy Season", making a strong entry into the North American awards season, and finally winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

This time, many domestic media outlets have been calling for Lu Yanhe to win the Best Actor award at the Citour Awards for the second time in four years.

Lu Yanhe silently thought to himself, "I'm overthinking it."

He was just curious why the brand he endorsed would invest so much in advertising in Situ this year.

The key issue is that during his visit to Situ, he couldn't spare a single minute to spend with these brands.

Of course, the PR departments of all the brands had no objection to this.

(End of this chapter)