The Best Director

Chapter 261: Chapter 261: More and More Mysterious

As the academic life settled down, the North American film market gradually warmed up. The total box office in the first week of September was just $87.6 million, which rebounded to $127.3 million in the first week of October, and prepared to enter the November-December box office peak period for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. On the 3rd, the comedy musical “School of Rock” was released, the crime thriller “Out of Time” was released, and on the 10th, the action thriller “Kill Bill Vol.1” was released, along with the crime thriller “Mystic River.”

On the 17th, the drama thriller “Runaway Jury” was released, New Line Cinema’s horror remake “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” was released, and Flame Films also launched the inspirational dance film “Step Up.”

The competition for ranking on the weekly box office charts was ongoing every day; meanwhile, the “booking” of the North American silver screen for the next one or two years had already begun. Major film companies successively announced some of their schedule plans for 2004 and 2005, partly for publicity; on the other hand, as an unwritten way of probing each other’s intentions, so as to adjust the screening plans in time, to avoid box office bombs or head-to-head clashes.

In 2004, DreamWorks’s “Shrek 2” was released on May 19th, Sony’s “Spider-Man 2” on June 30th, “I Am Robot,” “Troy,” “National Treasure,” “The Polar Express,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”… In 2005, Fox’s “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in May, Warner confirmed the new “Batman 1” directed by Darren Aronofsky in June…

Flame, already the top independent film company, was no exception and revealed its multiple plans for ’04 and ’05 to the media and fans, attracting a lot of attention.

2004 was indeed a big year for sequels. The animated film “Ice Age 2” was scheduled to be released on May 7th, earlier than “Shrek 2” by two weeks; Flame seemed very confident in the completed “Extreme Rage,” scheduling it for June 11th, just in the second week of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’s” release; the Wang Yang-less “The Hangover 2” on June 25th; “Saw II” on October 29th, “Mr. Hughes 2” on December 10th.

In 2005, they announced the yet-to-be-scheduled “Brokeback Mountain,” the summer release of “Kung Fu Panda” in May, “Firefly” in June, and “Step Up 2: The Streets” in October.

Looking at these plans, the media and fans immediately noticed a few unusual things—neither “Step Up” nor “Saw” had been released yet, and it was unknown whether Flame would profit or lose, nor whether the audience would praise or criticize, yet there were already plans for sequels. Based on Flame’s reputation for “promoting without hyping” and never breaking a promise, these two sequels would most likely hit the big screen, with Flame’s confidence bordering on arrogance, and typically, their films really would be that good.

Another point was that 2004 seemed to be a year without any films directed by Wang Yang, something that had happened only once in the past six years in 2001. The following year, he made a “king’s return” with “District 9” and “The Hangover.”

This speculation from the fans was confirmed on Wang Yang’s personal website, where he announced his work plans for the next two years to his fans and stated, “On the silver screen, I will focus on ‘Firefly’; on TV, ‘Prison Break’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory.'” Even though he was involved as a producer in the production of “Extreme Rage” in ’04, he was not the director! Naturally, this news left the fans somewhat disappointed but also even more anticipatory.

What would “Firefly” and “The Big Bang Theory,” projects that Wang Yang takes so “seriously,” turn out to be?

“MIT-21-TEAM” had ended its journey on the silver screen, having been fully withdrawn from cinemas across North America and many other parts of the world. It eventually secured $191 million in North American box office and $367 million in global box office, successfully surpassing the $352 million of “Catch Me If You Can.”

However, its box office ranked only 6th among all seven films directed by Wang Yang in his career, barely surpassing the $323 million of his debut “Paranormal Activity,” and ended the terrifying streak of five consecutive films earning over $200 million in North America and two surpassing $300 million; its overseas performance ranked 5th individually, still maintaining the miracle of each film crossing the $150 million mark and a global total box office of over $300 million.

Miracle Yang’s individual global total box office has now reached $3.2626 billion, averaging $466 million per film, placing him among the highest echelons, and making this figure unimaginable over six years.

Even so, compared to James Cameron’s 14 years of directing six films with a total global box office of $3.0413 billion, averaging $506.8 million, and George Lucas’s span of 25 years personally directing three “Star Wars” films with a total box office of $2.349 billion, averaging $783 million, plus the adjusted numbers for inflation, Miracle Yang still has some distance to catch up. But everyone knows he is just a 23-year-old BABY, with ample time to create new legends.

What craziness will Pokémon bring next? “Firefly” is still too far off, so the eyes and expectations of fans are focused on “The Devil Wears Prada,” set to be released on December 12 of this year.

To everyone’s surprise on the official release schedule of Flame Films, “Brokeback Mountain”!? Yes, the Brokeback Mountain with the male cowboy gay love story! Flame also announced that the film would be directed by Ang Lee, the now unluckiest Ang Lee; before they had time to react, like a bolt from the blue, the cast of “Brokeback Mountain” released confirmed news of actors joining, with Anne Hathaway coming on board to play the female lead Lureen, and Jake Gyllenhaal joining to play Jack.

“This is Jake Gyllenhaal’s stupidest decision ever, ‘Brokeback Mountain’ is going to ruin his otherwise promising acting career,”

immediately after the news came out, such remarks flooded various media commentary; many Hollywood insiders, renowned producers, and agents were also quite pessimistic about Gyllenhaal’s performance. They prophetically shared, “This could spell the end for Jack’s career. If ‘Brokeback Mountain’ fails, his ugly performance could become one of the box office poisons; if ‘Brokeback Mountain’ succeeds, his screen image will become that of a homosexual. Is that not enough?”

“When I read a few pages of the ‘Brokeback Mountain’ script, I knew I had to join it,” Jake Gyllenhaal seemed very determined, fixated on that mountain named Brokeback, saying, “Right now, my only concern is that my acting will not meet Director Ang Lee’s standards and that I won’t be able to play ‘Jack’ well, but I will work hard.”

Oh my! Gyllenhaal’s fans were confused and worried. Could it be that Jack is gay and preparing to come out? Conversely, within the gay community, Jack’s popularity soared straight up, quickly entering the top of the “Most Wanted Date” list, alongside Wentworth Miller, the star of “Prison Break.” Why would such a handsome guy, a 23-year-old Hollywood heartthrob, not take on a superhero role and instead, go work on “Brokeback Mountain”!?

Unless there was some evidence to show that this Brokeback Mountain was related to Wang Yang, with his behind-the-scenes approval and support, then the fans could convince themselves somewhat that “everything will be fine,” reversing the entire situation. Media and fans searched high and low for a connection with Miracle Yang; although he is the boss of Flame, it doesn’t mean he has a say in all the films, especially those low-budget films. Everyone looked everywhere but found no apparent relationship, really no relationship at all?

“No, no, I’m not worried about screwing it up, it’s an unexpectedly great opportunity! The day Yang called me, I accepted right away, without any hesitation.”

Oh! Oh!! Miracle Yang!!! The media and fans have found something, Annie Hathaway slipped up during an interview, it really was related! So, everything is not surprising after all, Jake Gyllenhaal is not new to working with Flame, having previously starred in the independent horror film “Death Illusion,” which turned into one of Flame’s business miracles through post-release sales. At that time, Miracle Yang even praised his peer Jack: “He acted with great feeling.”

“The Big Mouth Princess,” Anne Hathaway, is one of the representative popular actresses he discovered and brought to the big screen. Now he has pushed both of them to Brokeback Mountain. Who will the other male lead, Ennis, be? No matter who it is, Wang Yang’s popularity among the gay community has also skyrocketed, chasing Jake Gyllenhaal on the “Most Wanted to Date” list and even sparking a new gossip theory: “Wang Yang is actually gay, and his relationship with Jessica is just an act. Who is his real partner?”

“Has he lost his mind? If his purpose is to save Ang Lee’s career, he should really find another script instead of charging into a taboo,” “This is Wang Yang’s stupidest investment yet.”… Neither the media outsiders nor Hollywood insiders are optimistic about Brokeback Mountain; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so many years and not even a five million investment could be secured. The discreet Flame Corporation did not respond, only Brokeback Mountain producer James Schamus said, “Ang Lee knows how to make it a great film, and we all cherish the opportunity.”

Of course, Brokeback Mountain is currently just an unknown entity, not causing any hot debates or protests on social topics. Films on the silver screen about homosexuality are not uncommon, with this year’s Oscar favorite and winner of Best Actress, The Hours, being about lesbianism; and the ’96 comedy film The Birdcage and the ’94 horror film Interview with the Vampire both achieved North American box office revenues of over a hundred million.

Compared to sexual orientation, religion appears to be an even more “frightening” and untouchable theme. Set for release next February, The Passion of the Christ has faced controversy right from the start of its planning and preparation. Catholic and Jewish organizations have had their objections, and during the filming, James Caviezel, who plays Jesus, and assistant director Jan Michelini were struck by lightning once and twice respectively. Is this a warning from God? In any case, James Caviezel’s acting career has been internally declared: “finished.”

“No one wants to see Jesus’s face in a cinema,” the media says. As for the producer and director Mel Gibson, some gossip media has also suggested his career is over; nobody will work with him again, as he has made a film that should not have been made.

While entertainment media and fans are paying attention to entertainment news, some business activities of the Flame Corporation have caught the attention of finance, investment, and fintech. It has recently completed an acquisition, taking over women’s community website Ivillage.com. IVillage was founded in 1995, targeting the female internet audience. Its stock price reached its peak at 134 US dollars in 1999, and after the NASDAQ dot-com bubble burst in 2000, coupled with mismanagement, its share price plummeted to a historic low of 69 cents in November 2002.

At that time, Flame Corporation, which had determined its acquisition target, had already been absorbing its shares in the market. Until the recent completion of the purchase from the board members, it spent a total of 120 million to gain an absolute controlling interest of 60%.

Just after the acquisition in September, a stream of positive news came pouring in. First, it reached a cooperation agreement with Microsoft’s MSN.com on content concerning beauty, fashion, clothing, personal relationships, family, food, career, and financial management; then, it reached multiple cooperation agreements with Blogger.com on community and blogging. Wang Yang, the chairman of Flame Corporation and Blogger.com, personally stated, “It’s a win-win acquisition. Flame has taken an important step in internet sales, and Ivillage has found the strongest support. By acquiring IVillage, we will be able to provide our programming to a broad base of beautiful women.”

As a result, IVillage’s (IVIL) stock price rose and rose, reaching 3.15 US dollars by mid-October, a 57% increase from 2 US dollars per share before Flame Corporation announced its absolute controlling interest.

In fact, after years of development, IVillage has developed and integrated several successful women’s websites. In the realm of “female media” on the internet, the only one that could rival it was Disney-Hearst’s Lifetime.com. However, like many well-known websites, it has been perennially unprofitable and unable to find more ways to make a profit. Plus the shadow of the dot-com bubble meant that no one was interested.

But this is just the first step in Flame Corporation’s internet strategy. Wang Yang believes that female internet users will become active because computers and the internet are the absolute mainstream that no one can avoid in the future. Women have more enthusiasm for consumption and entertainment than anyone. No print media can match the amount of information and speed of news updates on websites; moreover, traditional media lacks “community interaction” capabilities, and discussing gossip, fashion, and the like are other characteristics of women.

In other words, IVillage has a bright future, and it will always turn losses into profits; it’s also a vital member of the new marketing system network that Flame Corporation wants to build. Once the marketing network is formed, coupled with popular television channels, no one will be able to make things difficult for Flame Corporation in terms of publicity.

The advertising for “The Devil Wears Prada” has omnipresently blanketed iVillage.com, and what’s making female netizens squeal with excitement is the viral marketing campaign held collaboratively by iVillage, Flare, and Prada! It offers the chance to win an array of enticing prizes, including Prada handbags, suitcases, premiere tickets to “The Devil Wears Prada,” Prada discount coupons, and the ultimate grand prize – a limited edition beautiful clutch designed especially for “Prada” which not even Hollywood stars possess!

Like the “Refer-a-Friend” tactic used by Blogger.com to earn activity coins, which includes both sweepstakes and competitions, the variety of activities have attracted countless female netizens. Consequently, “The Devil Wears Prada,” Prada, and iVillage are all reaping the benefits.

Of course, its promotion isn’t limited to online viral marketing; the real-world poster campaign has also kicked off. As for the trailers, there’s no need to worry, as Flare is now a VIP customer of NBC. The movie’s main poster, featuring the iconic red high heel with a devil’s trident for the heel, is highly eye-catching without displaying the three lead actresses; while the sub-poster features the imperious Meryl Streep, the snarky Emily, and the clueless Jessica.

Just as female cinephiles and fans had been eagerly anticipating “Step Up” and looking forward to “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Firefly” dropped an expectedly stunning piece of news that caused an uproar among fans who only had a name and two concept images of the series to cling to.

“‘Firefly’ announces the first actor to join the cast; Robert Downey Jr. will play Captain Mal.” — Yahoo Entertainment; “Downey and Yang to team up for the leading role in ‘Firefly’ for the second time!” — Hollywood.com…

“I can’t begin to express how excited I am right now!” Downey joyfully told the media. Since making his comeback with “District 9,” winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination, he hadn’t landed any major film roles due to concerns about Wikus’s tragic image and the possibility of another drug relapse scaring off producers. He had only shot a $10 million budget suspense-comedy “The Singing Detective,” which was also scheduled for release on October 24th.

Downey excitedly said, “We are going to rush the big screen again! It truly makes me feel moved, like I’m back in my younger days, and it’s fantastic to be able to play this role. I’ve read my character’s script, and Captain Mal is incredibly charming, much like me. I can’t wait for it to start filming.” Then he also “lamented,” “But before that, I need to work out, put on more muscle, and make myself even more handsome; not to mention attend martial arts training classes to improve my fight scenes.”

Martial arts training! This means that “Firefly” will have fight scenes; could it be “The Matrix” style kung fu!? Is the martial arts master Yang finally going to try kung fu in a movie?!

All this made “Firefly” seem more and more mysterious in the minds of the fans, with seasoned moviegoers sensing an unusual air around it, suggesting it to be a very, very big deal.

“I don’t want Yuan Heping.” In the quiet corner of a classy restaurant, while eating spaghetti, Wang Yang nonchalantly spoke into the phone to Joss Whedon: “The Matrix was him, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ was him, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ was him… Isn’t there anyone else? Joss, you know, I don’t just want a martial arts director who stands out just for the sake of it. It’s not that Yuan Heping’s choreography isn’t beautiful, but his style is set, no surprises. I want something new, something top-notch.”

“Yuen Cheung-yan? No, what’s the difference from using Yuan Heping?…” Listening to Wang Yang rejecting one name after another, Joss Whedon was somewhat moved. In the past, having any of these top martial arts directors would’ve made him laugh with joy. He asked, “Yang, why don’t you just do it all yourself?”

Wang Yang stretched out his hand to beckon the waiter to settle the bill, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said with a laugh, “I will definitely design it myself; I’ve had many ideas since I was young, but I need work experience and assistance; I need a team. Right, maybe I don’t have to focus on these top martial arts directors. As long as it’s practical and can help me, that’s good enough.” He paid the bill with a tip, stood up, and said, “Let’s leave it there for now, Joss. I have to return to the editing room.” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)