Chapter 794 This Summer, Red-Eye Flights
Lu Yanhe had no idea whether he had entered the top tier.
However, strictly speaking by Hollywood standards, it shouldn't be considered one.
Because, all things considered, he has only starred in two Hollywood films that grossed over $100 million each, namely "The Mist".
However, Hollywood's assessment of him is not based on a simple actor standard.
If you include his screenwriting background, then he's definitely a top-tier star.
The release and promotion of "Red Eye" at this time has taken advantage of the current wave of attention.
Lu Yanhe had several scripts successfully developed in Hollywood, but he never expected that the first one to be released would be "Red Eye Flight," even surpassing "Flypaper."
Red Eye Flight was produced and distributed by Midoriya.
In the first half of the year, Midoriya's "Home Alone 2" became the highest-grossing film released by Midoriya this year. Of course, Midoriya was only responsible for the distribution of "Home Alone 2" in Europe and America.
Can this new film, "Red Eye," replicate the miracle of "Home Alone 2"?
"All I can say is that this is a very good movie, without a doubt," Lu Yanhe, Jiang Yuqian, and Eubert Clark stated emphatically in an interview. "To be honest, I've noticed a common misconception in Hollywood: the bigger the investment, the better the movie; conversely, the smaller the investment, the worse the movie is generally. At least for me, I don't think that way. Many of my films have very small budgets, but their box office returns are no worse than those with budgets of one or two hundred million dollars. I don't know how much 'Red Eye' will do at the box office; it depends on how many viewers the subject matter will attract, but it certainly won't be bad. We have a good story and two charming leads, don't we?"
Lu Yanhe signaled to the host that they could steer the conversation toward the actors.
Uber Clark, an A-list actor, is arguably the biggest selling point of this film in the European and American markets.
This actor, whom Lu Yanhe met while competing for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, was invited by Lu Yanhe to star alongside Jiang Yuqian in this low-budget genre film.
When he first took the role, many people thought it was a joke.
After "Home Alone" became a box office hit, no one dared to put jokes in the open anymore.
I'm afraid of being proven wrong.
“Yes, it’s a very… I wouldn’t say it’s charismatic, but it’s a very compelling character.” Uber Clark spoke of the psychopathic villain played by Cillian Murphy in the original timeline, clearly satisfied with the role and with much to share. “He’s completely different from any of the characters I’ve played before.”
Jiang Yuqian said with a smile, "Sometimes, when I'm with you on set, even if we're not filming, I'll be startled by your slightest movement."
Uber Clark nodded.
"I found out, so I'll try to stay away from you from now on."
"Oh, I see," Jiang Yuqian said. "I thought you were deliberately keeping your distance from me so that we could maintain our composure better during filming."
"This movie is almost entirely about the two of you," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "It's incredibly tense and exciting from beginning to end. Didn't you two have any normal conversations on set?"
Uber Clark said, "Our relationship got better later on, but in the beginning, we didn't know each other well, and she looked at me with a bit of fear, so I even thought she didn't like me."
Jiang Yuqian immediately shook her head and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "How could that be? You're Uber Clark, and I don't like you? Are you kidding me?"
Uber Clark and Lu Yanhe both burst into laughter.
...
Red Eye didn't have a lot of promotional activities in North America.
As the screenwriter, Lu Yanhe recorded an interview program with them and then only attended the North American premiere.
Lu Yanhe emphasized this point on almost every occasion.
"This is a wonderful story about a girl who, in a confined space and under intense pressure, escapes from the deadly threat of a thug while remaining steadfast and unyielding."
In the original film, the story is set against the backdrop of counterterrorism, with a touch of American patriotism. The female lead's insistence on not compromising carries a hint of patriotism, as the target of the attack is the US national leader.
When Lu Yanhe was writing the script, he made some changes to this background.
The girl remained a hotel employee, but the attackers' target became one of her idols, the head of an international charity organization.
The reason for the attack has become that an international agreement being promoted by the head of this international non-profit organization would affect the interests of their employers.
With this adjustment, the story's background becomes entirely about counter-terrorism.
It does not affect the framework of the story itself.
In this film, Lu Yanhe, as is his usual practice, invited celebrities to make cameo appearances in some roles.
For example, the female colleague who answers the phone and arranges rooms at the hotel is played by Cai Na in a cameo role.
For example, the head of this international non-profit organization was Arne Bogut, who had worked with Lu Yanhe on "The Mist," made a cameo appearance.
These two characters aren't the kind that just flash by on screen; they actually have some screen time.
Although it cost an extra two million dollars in salary, Midoriya felt it was well worth the money considering the positive impact these two actors had on the film's cast.
-
The final stop of the "Red Eye Flight" promotional campaign was China.
The Hollywood movie starring Jiang Yuqian and Uber Clark—few people pay attention to things like movie investment, but Uber Clark is a true A-list actor in Hollywood.
No one thought she could get the role of starring alongside Uber Clark right from the start.
This is entirely thanks to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe had even heard this sentence from a journalist he knew well.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
"If Jiang Yuqian isn't going to act in this movie, who else do you think could?" Lu Yanhe asked.
"Chen Bige?" the reporter asked.
"The age doesn't match." If Sister Bige were to play the role, the script would have to be adjusted.
"Wen Minglan?"
"Is she famous enough to star in a film aimed at a global market? Would Uber Clarke approve?"
"That--"
“Jiang Yuqian is the only young Chinese actress in recent years who has maintained international exposure throughout the year. She is also the most well-known Chinese actress in Europe and America,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides her, no one else can star in ‘Red Eye Flight’ unless the importance of the character in the script is reduced, turning her into a decorative figure, or the character is changed to a European or American.”
Lu Yanhe truly did not expect that while there were almost no questions in the European and American media about why Jiang Yuqian was allowed to star in "Red Eye Flight," she faced so many questions after returning to China.
With Jiang Yuqian's popularity, fame, and acting skills, even if she is not a top actress like Chen Bige, isn't it enough for her to star in "Red Eye Flight"?
For Jiang Yuqian, it was "The Squid Game" that propelled her to international fame.
Later, several cameo roles, along with the high-intensity work schedule and exposure, helped her maintain the fame and popularity she had accumulated through "The Squid Game" at a relatively high level.
In recent years, apart from a few cameo roles, she hasn't starred in many dramas.
The main reason is that she basically doesn't accept domestic TV dramas anymore, and she's also cautious in her choices overseas, so she's rarely offered any good roles.
There was no other way; in order to maintain her market value and exposure, she had to choose not to act rather than accept roles indiscriminately.
Later, within a year, after receiving the role in "Destruction Day" and then being approached by Lu Yanhe for "Red Eye Flight", she became even less in a hurry to take on other roles.
With these two films, Jiang Yuqian knew very well that her career in Hollywood would definitely undergo a major transformation.
-
Jiang Yuqian is a top-tier celebrity in the country and one of the most popular celebrities.
With the release of "Red Eye" imminent, many negative voices have emerged, which doesn't surprise her.
It's nothing more than those things.
After all these years, Jiang Yuqian would never bother to explain at this point.
She just needs to wait for the movie "Red Eye" to be released and let the results speak for themselves.
However, those who criticized her clearly didn't dare underestimate the film, so they adopted a different approach—
—With a cast and promotional effort like "Red Eye," it would be truly unacceptable if the domestic box office didn't break one billion yuan.
— Jiang Yuqian's last starring role in Lu Yanhe's screenplay "Telephone" only grossed 420 million yuan at the domestic box office. This box office performance can be ranked at the bottom among Lu Yanhe's screenwriting works, right?
Jiang Yuqian has never been able to carry the box office. Her so-called popularity is just due to her ability to manipulate data. If she hadn't latched onto Lu Yanhe, how could she have created the image of an "international star"?
—She's been in Hollywood for so many years, and apart from the roles Lu Yanhe helped her get, all of them have been cameos. Can't you tell how well she's doing in Hollywood? She's just a red carpet star.
—Let's wait and see. I want to see how much box office "Red Eye Flight" can actually make.
...
This style of work is all too familiar.
Praise to death.
Jiang Yuqian tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep.
Being a celebrity means you can never truly lie down without anxiety.
Being constantly watched, observed, commented on, and even criticized—who can remain completely oblivious and single-minded?
I'm happy that a show has become a hit.
Another project flopped, I'm not happy.
One moment it feels like being in the clouds, the next it feels like falling into a valley.
It is extremely rare for someone like Jiang Yuqian to be able to maintain a relatively stable mindset and state of mind.
People say that a raging fire is like cooking oil.
Even someone like Jiang Yuqian, who has already reached this position, still faces immense pressure at this moment.
Aren't you under a lot of pressure?
Who is she trying to impress?
Who can truly understand and empathize with her pressure, and offer her comfort and support?
However, when she woke up again, she saw on the trending topics that Uber Clark praised her, that Lu Yanhe called her the only choice for "Red Eye Flight," and that multiple Hollywood film projects were in talks with her...
In an interview with the movie channel, Lu Yanhe frankly stated: "Actually, I feel particularly fortunate to have Jiang Yuqian, a Chinese actress with global recognition. So, when I suggested that the female lead of 'Red Eye Flight' should be of Chinese descent and that Jiang Yuqian should be cast, Midoriya did not object. To be honest, without Jiang Yuqian, and before Eube Clark was cast, Midoriya would almost certainly not have agreed to have another less well-known Chinese actress play the role. In that case, the character might have had to be a Westerner."
In public, Lu Yanhe reduced his own say in the film in order to elevate Jiang Yuqian's role in the film.
Jiang Yuqian understood perfectly why Lu Yanhe would do such a thing.
"This is a genuine Hollywood commercial film. Of course, that doesn't mean the quality is low. I've seen it, and it's excellent, very entertaining, with no dull moments," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "What I mean is, it's actually very difficult for a Chinese actress to play a leading role in a genuine Hollywood commercial film, and not just a supporting role. Even though I was the screenwriter and invested some money, to be honest, I couldn't possibly have all the power to make all the decisions myself. There are so many Chinese people and so many Chinese actors. I hope that more and more actors like Chen Bige and Jiang Yuqian can be recognized and appreciated internationally, not just in Hollywood, but also in Europe, other Asian countries, or other places. I hope that Chinese actors can participate in all kinds of film and television projects and go to various places to showcase the charm of Chinese actors."
It is not uncommon for Lu Yanhe to stand up for Jiang Yuqian so openly.
Everyone knows that the actor Lu Yanhe has worked with the most is not Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, nor Chen Bige and Shang Yongzhou, but Jiang Yuqian.
However, on the other hand, it can also be said that Jiang Yuqian was present at every stage of Lu Yanhe's life.
Lu Yanhe's debut work, "The Golden Age," was recommended to Luo Yuzhong by Jiang Yuqian.
In Lu Yanhe's screenwriting work, "The Squid Game," Jiang Yuqian was the most popular actress at the time, without a doubt. Despite not being the lead, she was willing to play a supporting role to Jiang Jun, clearly drawn to Lu Yanhe's work. Regardless of the outcome, her initial decision was a disadvantage. But she still came.
Jiang Yuqian accepted the role in Lu Yanhe's screenplay "Telephone," which featured two female leads, one of whom was Wang Jing, whose status and fame were far inferior to hers at the time.
In the early stages of the Jumping Theater, Jiang Yuqian directly performed a play called "Love Negotiation," completely disregarding whether the theater would be successful.
Then, from Doomsday to Red Eye.
It can be said that Jiang Yuqian, a top-tier actress who was already popular enough to demand that Lu Yanhe write a leading female role for her like he did for Chen Bige, and not play supporting roles for anyone else, only got to play a leading female role after playing so many supporting female roles and dual female roles.
Lu Yanhe knew perfectly well how much trust, or rather, support, Jiang Yuqian had placed in him behind this.
When the project "Squid Game" was first proposed, everyone said it was a copy of "The Seventeenth Floor." He wasn't yet the "screenwriting genius," and amidst the doubts, Aurora Video required the series to have A-list stars in leading roles. Jiang Yuqian readily agreed to join—
Everyone only saw what Jiang Yuqian gained after the show aired.
It's okay, others can't see it, but Lu Yanhe saw it himself.
-
In July, "Red Eye" was released simultaneously worldwide.
The film grossed 160 million yuan in China and 25 million US dollars in North America in its opening weekend. Including the opening results in other regions, the global opening weekend gross exceeded 60 million US dollars, directly taking the top spot in the global opening weekend box office.
The original film, *Red Eye*, was released in 2005, opening its first weekend in North America with $16.5 million in 3,079 theaters. It ultimately grossed $57.89 million in North America and $96.25 million worldwide, a huge success.
In this timeline, thanks to the involvement of screenwriter Lu Yanhe and A-List writer Euber Clark, the film is no longer a top-tier genre film as it was when it was originally released. It not only boosted its opening weekend box office in North America but also achieved outstanding global opening weekend box office results through its performance in China.
Without the box office in China, the global opening weekend box office would have been just over 30 million US dollars.
Lu Yanhe once again sent a separate email to Schmidt Lowry about China's contribution to the box office of "Red Eye," and wrote: "Green Valley really should use more Chinese actors in his future films, as they can help Green Valley's films achieve better box office performance in China."
As for whether this would make people think he was ulterior motives or something else, Lu Yanhe didn't care at all.
The facts speak for themselves.
If you're so capable, then don't care about the Chinese box office market.
Of course, the most crucial thing about this movie is—
The female lead's character in this movie is so well-developed.
She is quick-witted, intelligent, brave, and righteous.
Jiang Yuqian's performance in the film has garnered widespread praise.
This wasn't a particularly complex character to begin with.
Jiang Yuqian performed her task exceptionally well.
It can be said that after "The Squid Game", Jiang Yuqian has ushered in another role that has gained her a large following.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
