Chapter 824 Record-breaking and Adapted Script
Hakone, 90 kilometers away from Tokyo, is a world-renowned hot spring resort and health resort.
Due to its beautiful natural environment and unique hot spring resources, it has attracted many tourists from all over the world. At the same time, many celebrities and wealthy people have bought local properties and used it as a great place for vacation and leisure.
In the morning, in a Japanese-style hot spring villa in the wealthy area of Nehak.
On the big bed in the bedroom, Aragaki Yui slowly woke up from a deep sleep.
"Awake?
Good morning.”
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the handsome face opposite her. When their eyes met, Gu Wei greeted her gently.
"Good morning~
When did you wake up?
"It's been a while."
"Why don't you get up and just look at me like that?"
Gu Wei looked down at her arms that were hugging him and her thighs that were riding towards him.
"I was afraid of waking you up."
Only then did Aragaki Yui react, and moved her arms and legs away, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Gu Sang is really a very gentle boy~"
Gu Wei smiled and said, "Yui-chan was too tired last night, I don't want to disturb your rest."
After he said that, Yui Aragaki thought about the craziness they had together last night, and her fair and tender face turned slightly red.
That's just her personality, a little introverted and shy. She's very relaxed when she's with Gu Wei, but she gets embarrassed every time it's mentioned.
After arriving in Tokyo, Gu Wei held several fan meetings with other Japanese actors of "Detective Chinatown 3" as arranged by Toho Co., Ltd.
The effect was very good and caused quite a stir in the entire Japanese entertainment industry, especially online. Many young Japanese people were looking forward to the movie "Detective Chinatown 3".
After the promotional event ended, Gu Wei and Aragaki Yui, who had not seen each other for a long time, expressed their longing for each other.
Then the two of them went to Nehako, not far from Tokyo, and stayed there for two days without being disturbed.
The hot spring villa here was bought by Gu Wei when he came to Nehak for vacation with Aragaki Yui last time. The address is located deep in the rich villa area, with beautiful and quiet environment. Ali Lao Ma's manor villa is not far from his house.
"The box office of Detective Chinatown 3 has been crazy these days. It's been a long time since a foreign film has achieved such a good box office result in the Japanese film market."
Not long after getting up, the two of them washed up and had breakfast in the restaurant on the first floor of the villa. Aragaki Yui took a bite of the toast with jam in her hand and said while looking at her mobile phone.
Thanks to the support of Toho, Japan's leading film company, "Detective Chinatown 3" started filming in 1,046 large-scale and well-known cinemas across the country, represented by Toho Roppongi Cinemas, the day after Gu Wei arrived in Tokyo.
The box office performance continued to rise, and soon became the number one box office hit among the films currently being released in the Japanese film market.
"The current total box office is only 1 billion yen~" Gu Wei did not care too much about the excellent performance of "Detective Chinatown 3".
The Japanese market is still too small.
Even the top ten movies in film history only have a box office of around 10 billion yen.
Moreover, Japanese people love animated films, and the best-selling films in this market must be cartoons.
For example, the three highest-grossing movies this year are "Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End", "Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet" and "The Dragon and the Freckles Princess".
Among them, the third-ranked "Dragon and the Princess" had a total box office of only 300 million yuan.
[Detective Chinatown 3] Even if this kind of foreign film is more popular, the total box office will not be too high. Even though it has earned 1 billion yen at the box office just a few days after its release, Gu Wei feels that the final box office will hardly exceed 3 billion yen.
Converted into RMB, it is less than 150 million.
"It's already very impressive. Judging from the current situation, Detective Chinatown 3 is likely to become the highest-grossing foreign film this year.
It's all thanks to Gu Sang. You have a great appeal in your country!"
Yui Aragaki spoke in an exaggerated tone, looking at Gu Wei with eyes full of admiration.
Gu Wei shook his head slightly.
“I do have some fans in Japan, but their support is far from enough to achieve the current box office success.
"[Detective Chinatown 3] has an almost all-Japanese cast, including Satoshi Tsumabuki, Honami Suzuki, Tadanobu Asano, Tomokazu Miura, and most importantly, Yui-chan. Your performances and the good story are the reason why the movie can get such a good box office."
Gu Wei knew that he had considerable influence in Japan, but he also knew that this alone would not make the movie a big hit.
Just like Hollywood invites domestic stars to star in movies for the Chinese market, the star-studded cast of "Detective Chinatown 3" and the story taking place in Tokyo will surely resonate well with local audiences.
After hearing what Gu Wei said, Yui Aragaki smiled brightly and did not refute.
"Is Gu Sang going back home this afternoon?"
"Yes, there's still a lot of work to do back home. This trip out to promote the movie has already wasted quite a bit of time."
“Happy times are short after all”
In fact, when they first arrived in Japan, Gu Wei had already told her that she could stay for a few days, but facing the imminent departure, Aragaki Yui still seemed very reluctant.
Gu Wei smiled and touched her head.
"There will be opportunities in the future, and if Yui-chan is not busy, you can come to China. I will treat you well."
He returned to Tokyo from Nehak at noon, and in the afternoon Gu Wei had already boarded the flight back home.
Unlike the grand fanfare when he came, he was very low-key when he left and did not attract anyone's attention.
After separating from Gu Wei, Yui Aragaki returns to her home in Tokyo.
If we were to say who benefited the most from the hit of "Detective Chinatown 3" in Japan, it would be none other than the leading actress.
Yui Aragaki has always presented a sweet and lovely screen image. Since her debut, she has played many pure and beautiful roles. She is loved by many Japanese otakus and is rated as the female star that most people want to be their wife.
This was the reason for her early fame, but it has gradually become a shackle that has imprisoned her over the years.
Yui Aragaki has long been aware of this and has been trying to change in recent years, taking on roles that are quite different from her own image and temperament, but the response has not been very good.
This situation is very normal for actors, it is the so-called transition pain period.
[Detective Chinatown 3] was a hit in Japan, not only reaping considerable box office revenue, but also the actors in it received praise from audiences and critics.
Among them, Yui Aragaki is undoubtedly the one who received the most praise.
The character she plays, Anna Kobayashi, appears gentle and upright, always standing on the side of justice. However, she is actually the big boss behind the entire locked room murder case and a truly intelligent criminal.
Especially the final scene where she confronts the protagonist Qin Feng, Yui Aragaki's performance is simply perfect, showing Kobayashi Anna's white and black character to the fullest, and the look in her eyes at the end of the film is the finishing touch.
This kind of queen character who is a little bad and a little crazy is exactly what the Japanese like, so both the audience and the media praised Yui Aragaki's performance in "Detective Chinatown 3".
Everyone also realized that she is not only capable of playing cute and innocent roles, but can also play the role of a villain who is both good and evil very well.
The transformation that Yui Aragaki has always wanted seems to have been unexpectedly achieved because of "Detective Chinatown 3".
While she was happily spending time with Gu Wei these days, she also didn't forget to pay attention to the reviews of the movie on the Internet.
The result is that "Detective Chinatown 3" seems to have broadened her acting career, which makes Aragaki Yui happy and more grateful to Gu Wei.
"Gakki, did you have a good rest during these days of vacation?"
After returning home, Aragaki Yui was cleaning the house when she suddenly received a call from her agent.
“Fortunately, vacation always makes people feel very happy.”
"Although I really don't want to disturb your vacation, I do have something important to do.
I just received two movie scripts, both from very famous directors in the circle, and they want you to play the female lead.
I took a quick look at the scripts, and both are literary dramas. If I perform well, I have a good chance of winning an award."
"That's great, I can't wait to see the script!" The agent's words made Aragaki Yui excited.
The opportunity that she had been seeking but unable to obtain before finally came to her on her own initiative. This was definitely a surprise to her.
"I have to say that the movie Detective Chinatown 3 that's currently in theaters has really given you a lot of support.
Many people have seen your explosive acting skills, and everyone knows that in addition to the innocent and sweet roles you have played in the past, you can also play deeper and more complex roles.
Are you at home in Tokyo so I can send you the script?"
The smile on Yui Aragaki's face remained unchanged.
"I'm here, just come over."
After hanging up the phone with her agent, the joy in her heart slowly subsided, and Aragaki Yui thought of Gu Wei who had left today.
She sat on the tatami and looked out the window at the blue sky with white clouds floating in it.
"It seems I won't have time to go to China in the near future, but I will definitely thank you very much next time we meet!
Gu Weisang."
"Currently, the total box office of Detective Chinatown 3 outside of China has exceeded 400 million RMB, bringing the film's global box office to 6.27 billion RMB, surpassing Wolf Warrior 2's 6 billion RMB to become the new Chinese-language film box office champion."
On the private plane, Yang Dan was reporting to Gu Wei on the current box office situation of "Detective Chinatown 3".
The release time of movies in different regions abroad is different, some are earlier and some are later. The real-time box office of some is easy to count, such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong Island, and Taiwan, while some are difficult to count and can only wait for the local cooperating companies to provide data, such as some African countries.
But no matter what, the total box office of "Detective Chinatown 3" has officially surpassed "Wolf Warrior 2", and the box office of the movie has also become a new box office record for Chinese entertainment films.
"The second-highest-grossing country is actually Thailand?
I thought it would be South Korea."
Gu Wei held a data sheet in his hand and said with some surprise after reading it.
The country with the highest overseas box office is naturally Japan, where he just did some promotion.
“Maybe it’s because of Tony Jaa.
He is very famous in Thailand, and he was very active in promoting Detective Chinatown 3 when it was released there."
Gu Wei nodded after listening to Yang Dan's explanation.
After returning to China, Gu Wei did not return to the "Changjin Lake" crew but returned to the Beijing company first.
This time he took leave, in addition to going to Japan, he had some other things to do. The crew had already been notified, and it would not affect the filming progress.
"How are the talks with Lionsgate going?"
After returning to the company, Gu Wei first found Yang Liwen and discussed some recent matters with her.
"After several rounds of negotiations, we've pretty much tested each other's boundaries, and both sides are pretty clear on what their bottom line is.
What can be agreed upon at the moment is the investment proportion of the film. Lionsgate is willing to give up 30% of its shares, and the total investment of the film is 120 million US dollars.
Chad Stahelski is still the director.
Because it’s a co-production, some of our staff will also join the crew. In addition to starring in the film, you, Boss, will also be a producer.”
Gu Wei listened to Yang Liwen's words and nodded slowly. He was surprised that Lionsgate could make such a big concession. He also admired the courage of the senior management of Lionsgate.
The "John Wick" series has always been a B-level movie with small investment, and the first three films made money starting from the first one.
In fact, as long as the fourth film is shot normally and makes money, it won’t be a problem.
Judging from the box office of the first three films, although this series of movies did not lose money, the profit was not much.
The combined box office of the first three films was just over 500 million US dollars, which is far behind those global blockbusters.
Lionsgate chose to work with Gu Wei in order to make a big move, hoping to use his power to open up the Chinese market.
"Detective Chinatown 3" starring Gu Wei has grossed over $800 million in the Chinese market, far exceeding the global box office of "John Wick".
So they are betting that the other party's participation in "John Wick" will make this film a big hit in the Chinese market.
"Where's the script? That's the most crucial thing. How did they respond to my request to have two male leads?"
Gu Wei asked the most crucial question.
"This is something I emphasized during the negotiation process. Lionsgate has already sent us the revised first version of the script and is seeking our input."
Yang Liwen said as she handed over the script that had been prepared long ago.
Gu Wei took it and started reading it.
The content of this script is not much different from the original time and space of "John Wick 4".
It is still a battle between top killer John Wick and the High Table.
The character played by Gu Wei is named Kane, a top killer like John Wick. He is hired by the new leader of the Gaucho Society, Marquis Vincent de Gramont, to kill John Wick.
The two fought, but no one won.
John learned that Kane was forced to serve Marquis Vincent because his sister was in his hands.
So he proposed to help him rescue his sister, and the two of them would work together to deal with the big boss, Marquis Vincent.
Finally, through joint efforts, the two rescued Kane's sister and killed the leader of the High Table, Marquis Vincent."
The plot is actually quite old-fashioned. There are also some side plots where John asks his friends for help, but his friends also get hunted. Overall, it still follows the routine of traditional gun battle action movies.
But the routine is not afraid of getting old, it depends on how you shoot it.
"The main plot is okay, but Kane's storyline could be more fleshed out and the character less flat.
You take the script to the screenwriting department and ask them to revise it according to my suggestion, and then show it to me when it’s done.”
This version is a slight modification of the original time and space Zhen Zidan version. The kidnapped daughter is changed to a younger sister, and the blind killer becomes a normal one, but he is good at using cold weapons.
Then, as one of the two male protagonists, Kane's role was increased a lot, and his screen time was almost comparable to John Wick.
From this point of view, Lionsgate is indeed sincere.
Looking at Yang Liwen taking the script, Gu Wei suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, how much did Lionsgate offer me?"
"Ten million US dollars"
“They are quite generous~”
Although Gu Wei's salary in the domestic entertainment industry is high, he has never proven himself in the international market, especially the North American market.
The reason why I can get such high pay is not only because of the Chinese market, but also because I am an investor. After all, the wool comes from the sheep.
"The highest paid actor in John Wick 4 was Keanu Reeves, who got $15 million, which is a bit more than you, boss.
But when he made the first movie, his salary was only $2 million, and it only went up after all three movies became profitable."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
