The last time Lu Ban came to Yannan was during the Yannan College Student Film Festival.

At that time, he was still a fledgling film director who had only had experience in online movies before. Now, just one year later, Lu Ban can no longer be a contestant and can only attend as a judge.

Seeing that the judges who commented on him last year have become his colleagues this year, and the young directors who were his competitors last year are still contestants this year, Lu Ban has a feeling of being in another world.

But for many directors, they seem like a world away.

Lu Ban, who had only made online movies last year, has become one of the top ten directors and actors in the domestic box office in just one year. His new movie will also be released worldwide, competing head-on with "Speed ​​11".

We have all seen prolific directors who make two or three low-cost bad movies a year to get by, and we have all seen high-quality directors who spend three or four years meticulously polishing a movie.

But we have never seen a director as prolific and high-quality as Lu Ban.

What’s even more frightening is that Lu Ban’s film production speed is even faster than that of the copycats.

"The Wailing" has just made hospital-themed horror movies popular, and "In the Mouth of a Madman" has brought about the trend of deconstructing the fourth wall. The copycat online movies haven't even been edited yet, and a new movie is about to be released. How can this be possible in this world?

Moreover, the performances of the actors in Lu Ban's movies are all excellent. Any minor role has acting skills that are at the level of an award-winning actor. Coupled with the amazing special effects, it is really hard to imagine how he got such good resources.

In the lecture hall of Yannan University of Communication, Lu Ban is participating in an academic salon, which is a program where the host chats with directors. During the College Student Film Festival, he has a conversation with a different director every day to discuss issues such as the development of film.

This program has many college students as audiences, and the show is also broadcast live online. Due to Lu Ban's presence, the number of viewers is several times more than usual.

“…We are honored to have invited Director Lu Ban as our first day guest.”

The host's name is Cao Song, and he is the official host of Yanan TV Station. This time he returned to his alma mater to be responsible for this program, which can be regarded as a way to repay his academic training.

"Hello, Director Lu Ban. Your film "The Devil's Tide" has attracted a lot of attention. It is the only Chinese-language film to be released simultaneously around the world in recent years. Do you have anything to say to the audiences who are looking forward to this film?"

Hearing the host's question, Lu Ban picked up the microphone.

"This movie is very good. I hope everyone can go to the cinema to watch it. It would be best if you can go a few times to see the box office."

There was a good-natured laugh from the audience.

"So, Director Lu, you are very confident about the box office of this movie, right?"

The host asked following Lu Ban’s answer.

"Not entirely. I think that if Tides of Devil can earn 13 billion at the global box office, it will be considered a success."

Lu Ban spoke the truth.

"That's an impressive goal, 13 billion votes...wait, 13 billion???"

The host realized it later and confirmed the number.

Not 1.3 billion, but 13 billion.

"Director Lu, are you kidding me? Thirteen billion is not a small number. You know, the previous box office champion in our country was 5.6 billion. Thirteen billion is more than double that. This is not a small goal."

The host Cao Song was a little surprised.

If Lu Ban said that his goal was to surpass his previous films, then that is a reflection of his pursuit of excellence.

But it is really hard to understand why they directly reported a number like 13 billion which makes no sense.

"This time the film is released simultaneously around the world, and we have done so much pre-promotion work in the hope of making a breakthrough at the box office."

Lu Ban answered immediately.

"Speaking of this, 'Fast and Furious 11' was postponed to the Christmas season, and will face off against 'The Devil'. Some people say that the box office of these two films will represent the production level of the new generation of films from both countries. What do you think about this?"

Seeing that Lu Ban didn't seem to have any intention of explaining the 13 billion box office, the host changed the subject.

There's no point in arguing at this time, so it's better to continue the conversation along this topic.

"I am also looking forward to "Fast and Furious 11", which is the finale of the series and should give the series a good ending."

Lu Ban replied.

"We respect those who came before us who created these wonderful films, but now it's our time."

"Director Lu, you sound very confident. Do you think Tides of Devil May Cry can surpass Fast & Furious 11 at the box office?"

Host Cao Song asked further.

"It's not a question of whether it can surpass others. I think the box office of a film is not the only criterion for determining the quality of a film. Some commercial films with a wide audience will definitely have higher box office than niche art films or films with vertical themes, but can we say that these commercial films are better than other films in all aspects?"

Lu Ban asked back.

"Director Lu thinks that even if the box office of "The Devil's Tide" is not as good as "Fast and Furious 11", the things behind "The Devil's Tide" are more valuable than "Fast and Furious 11"? "

Cao Song smiled.

Although what Lu Ban said was indeed true, mentioning it at this time inevitably gives one the feeling that he should prepare a way out in advance in case his box office performance may not be as good as that of the other party.

"No, what I mean is that even if the box office of "Fast and Furious 11" is not as good as "Tides of Destiny", it doesn't mean it is a worthless movie."

Lu Ban corrected him.

"?"

This person is a bit crazy.

Cao Song had heard that Lu Ban should be a very kind person who is easy to talk to, but now it seems that although he does not have the airs of a big director, he is actually very arrogant at heart.

This kind of director generally has two outcomes: either his work is a failure and he becomes a laughing stock.

Or he actually accomplished what he said and succeeded in pretending to be cool, which would make people exclaim, "He succeeded again."

If it was any other goal, Cao Song might think it was possible for Lu Ban to achieve it, but this 13 billion goal was the last in a classic work that had lasted more than a decade, so it was impossible no matter how he thought about it.

"Director Lu, it seems that you have high expectations for the box office and reputation of The Devil's Tide. I want to know what impact you think The Devil's Tide will have on the domestic film industry?"

The host sighed.

"This is not an expectation, but a goal. I am a down-to-earth person and will not do anything that I cannot do or am not sure of."

Lu Ban replied again.

"As for the impact of The Devil's Tide on the development of the domestic film industry, I think the release of The Devil's Tide means that this type of film will no longer be exclusive to Europe and the United States. China can also make such epic blockbusters. This is probably the impact on domestic peers."