Chapter 186 Earning [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Zhizhi, I'm also a fan of yours.
On the day the movie was released.
Director Tang Yan, along with the main creative team including Zhou Zilong and Mu Zhi, is currently touring Guicheng.
I visited 7 cinemas, and at each cinema, I went to 23 screening rooms to have post-screening Q&A sessions. In one day, I visited more than a dozen screening rooms.
The creative team heard many post-screening comments from moviegoers at the promotional events:
"The movie scenes are grand and realistic, with various fights and explosions that get your adrenaline pumping and are extremely exciting."
"Watching a patriotic film like this during the National Day holiday is particularly fitting. The film doesn't rely on sentimentality; the pace is fast throughout, keeping you thinking and moved, and allowing you to experience various thrilling and perilous situations alongside the protagonists. This film is very well made."
"The turmoil and dangers depicted in the film made me very grateful that I live in a safe country. There is no such thing as a peaceful life; it's just that someone is bearing the burden for us."
"This movie is very much in Tang Yan's style, always daring in its approach. The bloody scene where Chai Yin's character, a senior translator, gets her head blown off really scared me. It made me truly feel how fragile human life is in a war-torn environment."
"Thank you, Director Tang, for another sincere blockbuster. The acting of the main cast was also excellent. Zhou Zilong's appearance immediately gave me a sense of security; he was brave and fearless, and still as capable as ever, taking on ten opponents at once, haha. I especially want to praise Mu Zhi; was she acting without makeup? I couldn't tell she was wearing any; her skin was amazing."
I recently watched "The Claws," and Ms. Mu Zhi's portrayal of the female assassin was superb; I was amazed by her action scenes. Her role as the translator in this film, Zhou Jingwen, embodies intelligence, beauty, and courage. I absolutely loved the translator Zhou Jingwen, and I also want to express my admiration for Ms. Mu Zhi—a beautiful and talented actress!
......
Many viewers said that watching this movie awakened their patriotic fervor.
At 11 p.m., I finished work and returned to the hotel.
Mu Zhi went online to read netizens' reviews, which were similar to the post-screening feelings of moviegoers.
Because Zhou Zilong plays the male lead in "Golden Globe Building," and the two films are interconnected, "Safe Evacuation" can be considered a sequel. Therefore, many netizens are discussing the two films together...
Regarding the box office of "Safe Evacuation".
During today's roadshow, at every cinema Mu Zhi and her team visited, the cinema managers would proactively mention the company's billions of dollars in revenue when greeting them or asking for photos. At the roadshow's Q&A sessions, the host and media reporters would bring it up, and even on the way to the next cinema, the staff in the car would mention it...
We can see in real time that the film's box office is constantly soaring, with an encouraging upward trend.
Mu Zhi had a rough idea of how well "Safe Evacuation" would fare on its opening day.
When she opened the movie ticketing app and saw today's box office data, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, sounding a bit like someone who had never seen anything like it before.
"Safe Evacuation" grossed 800 million yuan on its opening day?!
Today's box office totaled 900 million yuan, the market has really been squeezed dry.
The three new films released on the same day didn't even gross 100 million yuan combined, just as netizens said, they were simply cannon fodder.
There are also a few movies that were released during the summer vacation and are still showing, such as "Claws and Teeth," which had very little box office revenue today, only a little over one million.
It'll probably be taken off the screens in a few days.
Today is Friday, and more people will go to the movies over the weekend, so "Safe Evacuation" is expected to have even higher box office numbers over the next two days.
After calming down from the shock, Mu Zhiping went online to see what netizens thought of his performance in "All Personnel Safely Evacuated".
The main keywords are: "good acting", "good eye acting", "eye-catching", "can play any role well", "no makeup", "still too beautiful", "standard English", "perfectly held the role", "has good CP chemistry with Zhou Zilong", "a little bit of screen time".
Many netizens have sincerely praised the character, saying she is intelligent and beautiful, calm and decisive, wise, and doesn't hold the male lead back.
While running a promotional event in the evening, Mu Zhi heard from Min Min that there was a trending topic today: #Zhou Jingwen'sSameStyle#. Netizens searched for the same white shirt and trench coat worn by the female lead on a shopping app, and several stores were sold out.
It's clear that the audience really likes this character.
Judging from the box office performance of "Safe Evacuation" on its opening day, it is guaranteed to be in the top three of the domestic box office rankings and may surpass director Tang Yan's previous film, "Golden Globe Building," which grossed 5 billion yuan.
Although Mu Zhi's role was small, as the female lead, she made an appearance in a movie that grossed billions, which made audiences who went to see the film for director Tang Yan and the lead actor Zhou Zilong notice her after watching the movie. They all gave her positive reviews and recognized her performance.
Many movie fans have even expressed their hope that if directors Tang Yan and Zhou Zilong collaborate on their next film, the original cast and crew will return, and that Mu Zhi will continue to play the lead role.
For an actor, this is a tremendous affirmation.
Mu Zhi chose to take on this role not only because she genuinely liked the character #Zhou Jingwen# and because the film crew was excellent, but also because she saw the potential for the film to boost her national recognition.
Now it's proven that taking on this role was a very wise choice, and she really benefited from it.
With the film's release and the end of its promotional roadshow.
Mu Zhi can finally return to the film set and focus on filming.
Early the next morning.
Mu Zhi and her group flew from Beicheng to Qionghai, the filming location of the movie.
In the four months since joining the team for "Doomsday Virus", Mu Zhi has lost count of how many times she has left the team and flown away.
The film has entered the second half of its shooting phase.
Next, Mu Zhi will stay in seclusion on set to film until her scenes are completed.
After returning to the film set and filming for a week.
That evening, we finished work.
As soon as Mu Zhi returned to her hotel room, she received a call from her agent.
"Zhizhi, 'All People Safely Evacuate' has grossed over 3 billion yuan in its first week of release."
Hearing her manager's happy and excited voice on the other end of the phone, Mu Zhi thought to herself: Every time her manager calls, it's because he has something important to discuss...
She only returned to the set to film for a week and just wanted to stay on set and finish filming. Could it be that she has some important event to attend and needs to take leave?
Mu Zhi heard Ji Binghe ask her if she had seen the movie "Safe Evacuation".
It seems like he just wanted to chat with himself about his recent situation?
Mu Zhi smiled wryly: "Not yet. I haven't had time to see 'Claws' either. The movie has already finished its theatrical run. I can only wait for it to be released on video websites before watching it."
As for "Everyone Evacuated Safely," there's no rush. By the time my current film wraps up, which will be at the end of November, it will definitely still be showing in theaters.
The movie "Claws" ended its run yesterday, with a final box office of 2.3 billion yuan.
Ji Binghe spoke with great interest: "This afternoon, I went to see 'Safe Evacuation'."
"Zhizhi, your performance in the movie was fantastic and very eye-catching. The collaboration between actor Zhou Zilong and director Tang Yan, plus the hype of a sequel to 'Golden Globe Building,' both of them have strong box office appeal."
However, Zhou Zilong's big-screen image is so deeply ingrained and fixed in the minds of many viewers that it's difficult for him to break free from that tough-guy, action-oriented image.
Ji Binghe and Mu Zhi have been working together for 5 years and are quite familiar with each other. Ji Binghe has also watched all of Mu Zhi's works.
This time, I still felt that Mu Zhi in the movie was unfamiliar. She was just a translator, and as netizens said, she could play any role convincingly.
In the past week, Ji Binghe has been paying attention to netizens' comments about Mu Zhi. Many viewers have noticed that Mu Zhi is currently filming the movie "Doomsday Virus" and are interested in this disaster-themed film, which is also directed by the renowned director Wan Zhou.
In addition, every film starring Mu Zhi has been a success, with excellent box office returns and critical acclaim.
Currently, audiences generally have a positive view of Mu Zhi's works, believing that the films starring Mu Zhi are of guaranteed quality and will help boost the box office of her next film, "Doomsday Virus".
This is the boost that making a good film gives to an actor; the reputation of being a "box office miracle" is even more widespread.
Almost every moviegoer knows Mu Zhi, an actress who acts very well. She not only has a growing fanbase, but also a large following of moviegoers...
Ji Binghe revealed: "Zhizhi, I am also your fan."
"Being a fan and a moviegoer is truly a blessing."
When Mu Zhi heard her manager mention fans, she smiled and thought that just a couple of days ago, the hashtag #MuZhiFans# had trended on social media.
Netizens said that as fans of Mu Zhi, they were really happy because all of their idol's movies were box office and critical successes, and they were carried along by her.
Mu Zhi's fans know that Mu Zhi and her team are not flamboyant people. Following their idol's example, they asked not to overpraise her, humbly stating: Mu Zhi is just a serious actress who doesn't have any films in the pipeline except for the one she's currently filming.
Their fans only ask that Mu Zhi film one or two more dramas a year.
She didn't join the netizens in making a fuss about #Muzhi's eye for choosing roles is divine#, but understood that in the entertainment industry, the more popular an idol is, the more low-key the fans should be, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.
The fans kept their tails between their legs, not daring to flinch.
Mu Zhi feels quite happy; her fans are mature and adorable.
However, Mu Zhi was a little unaccustomed to her manager's sudden "confession".
To be honest, she and Ji Binghe mostly talked about work and rarely revealed their personal feelings to each other. Such tender moments were extremely rare.
Because neither of them are people who like to be sentimental.
Ji Binghe continued to ask with concern, "Zhizhi, is it getting harder and harder to find a script for your next project?"
Ji Binghe felt that if it were her, she would find it difficult to maintain a calm and composed attitude.
The honors and glory brought by the success of each work can easily make people arrogant. Even if they don't get arrogant, once they reach a certain height, they will feel pressure and anxiety in order not to disappoint the ever-increasing expectations of fans and audiences.
Mu Zhi honestly said, "This year, three of my works were released, and together they received a lot of praise and applause, both online and offline."
But these past few months I've been busy filming and promoting two movies, running back and forth with a very full schedule. My thought is: once I finish filming, I need to stop and take a good rest."
It didn't even have time to expand.
"By the way, I finally managed to finish reading the scripts that Sister Ji sent me last time this week."
Ji Binghe smiled wryly and said, "I waited for you to finish your promotional tour and return to the film crew. I waited several days before calling you, just so you could take some time to look at the script."
Based on Ji Binghe's understanding of Mu Zhi, if there is a satisfactory script, Mu Zhi will take the initiative to call and discuss it after reading it.
"It seems there's still no script that satisfies you."
No, not really. Some scripts have overly ambitious frameworks and unrealistic settings; some are just rough outlines; and some female leads are overly paternalistic...
Perhaps because these scripts featuring leading ladies were prepared in a hurry, they all had one thing in common: none of them were well-polished.
It's a bit like getting something for nothing. If Mu Zhi is interested in the script and decides to participate, the production company can use Mu Zhi as the lead actress as a gimmick to attract investment and prepare for the project, while simultaneously polishing the script.
However, Mu Zhi always decides whether to accept a role only after seeing the final script. This was the case when she accepted her own company's production, "Doomsday Virus." She submitted the script several times and only accepted it when she was satisfied with the revisions.
This is a safer approach, as it avoids wasting everyone's time, which is probably one of the reasons why the projects she takes on are highly profitable.
Mu Zhi: "Sister Ji, you called to talk to me about the script, is there a new script?"
"You can see through everything. I had just come back from dinner with a director before I called you. I haven't even seen the script yet. She said she wanted to meet with you to discuss it and hand you the script in person..."
Mu Zhi sensed a hint of hesitation in Ji Binghe's tone: "Is there a problem?"
"She is a Chinese-American female director who works abroad, named Wendy Sheh."
Mu Zhi was somewhat surprised: "I've seen the films she directed; she's a very talented director."
Ji Binghe could tell that Mu Zhi admired this director: "Then shall I arrange for you to meet this director?"
“Okay, but I can’t ask the crew for leave. I can’t get away. I’ll have to trouble her to come to Qionghai.”
Two days later.
Ji Binghe and a female director named Xie Wendi flew together to Qionghai.
After finishing her work, Mu Zhi and her team took a car to the restaurant they had arranged to meet.
Halfway there.
Minmin said somewhat nervously, "This Chinese-American director, Wendy She, is amazing. Some of her films are written and produced by herself. Also, all of her films are told from a female perspective!"
I've seen her movie "The Hunter Game," which did quite well at the box office and received positive reviews both domestically and internationally, but...
"Sister Zhizhi, if you take her role, will you have to film abroad?"
Mu Zhi: "...I don't know yet. We'll talk about it when we meet later."
Thinking back to her experience filming in Z country, Mu Zhi was a little worried about the food.
“I’ve seen an interview with director Wendy Sheh before. She seems to speak English and her Chinese isn’t very good. Do you think there might be communication problems?”
Mu Zhi: "...We've arrived at the restaurant."
The question Minmin asked will be answered when she meets Director Xie Wendi in person.
Mu Zhi and her group arrived at the door of their reserved private room, led by a waiter.
Two minutes ago, Mu Zhi received a message from Ji Binghe saying that she and Xie Wendi and others had arrived.
As soon as the door to the private room was pushed open, Ji Binghe, her assistant, a middle-aged woman with long blonde hair, a foreign-looking man in a suit who looked like a secretary, and a man wearing glasses who looked like a translator were sitting inside.
Mu Zhi's gaze fell on the middle-aged woman with long blonde hair, and she recognized her at a glance as Director Xie Wendi.
"Muzhi? You are very beautiful. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Xie Wendy spoke Chinese, but her pronunciation wasn't very accurate. She didn't offer Mu Zhi a cheek kiss, but instead extended her hand to shake hands.
Mu Zhi greeted him with a polite smile: "Director Xie, hello."
After everyone sat down, Wendy Xie said that she grew up abroad and only knew a little Chinese, and asked if they could communicate in English.
Mu Zhi nodded.
In fact, Mu Zhi had many doubts about why Xie Wendi, a Chinese-American director, wanted to invite her to act in his film.
Wendy Sherlock grew up abroad and has been making films and working with foreign actors.
Mu Zhi didn't know why the other party had contacted her this time.
Mu Zhi was well aware that she had no influence abroad, so when Xie Wendi asked her to act in a movie, the script and the role became the key.
Sherwin quickly explained to Mu Zhi.
The gist is that Wendy's maternal grandmother left behind a novel manuscript, in which her grandmother expressed her regrets about life, fantasizing that if she had made a different choice, she could have lived a different life instead of being confined to the inner quarters and living with regrets for the rest of her life.
Two years ago, Wendy had a dream in which she saw her maternal grandmother, whom she had only ever seen in photographs. She remembered the stories her mother had told her about her grandmother when she was a child, and she felt that her grandmother had appeared to her in the dream.
She had an idea: to combine her grandmother's story and the stories her grandmother had written into a movie script, and she was determined to make it into a film.
Mu Zhi thought it sounded a bit like a Republican-era version of "Back to 17"?
Wendy Sherlock revealed that the film project has been in preparation for a year since the script was completed, and is scheduled to start filming next March.
Originally, they were going to cast a famous actress, but they've changed their minds.
Wendy: "I think you're more suitable; you're younger."
Mu Zhi: "..."
Ji Binghe: "......"
On the spot, Xie Wendi handed the script she had brought to Mu Zhi. It was a Chinese script, and she invited Mu Zhi to play the female lead in the movie "Mirror Flower Water Moon".
Mu Zhi said she would take the script back to read and give a reply after considering it.
Xie Wendy was slightly surprised. After all, the actress she had previously approached was deeply moved by her story and immediately agreed to star in it without even asking to see the script.
However, Xie Wendi had heard from the staff that Mu Zhi was currently the most popular and talented actress in China, with excellent acting skills. She had also seen Mu Zhi's performance in "The Edge of the Blade," and her image perfectly matched the female lead in the film.
When the dinner ended and everyone said goodbye.
Xie Wendy said to Mu Zhi in broken Chinese, "I look forward to good news."
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:47:25 on October 19, 2022 and 23:44:26 on October 20, 2022!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Jiu and Ye Zhirou (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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