Chapter 145: After entering the pass, there will surely be a great scholar to expound the classics for me

In the Beimei film market of 2002, those that could rank in the top five of the yearly box office were probably all special-effects blockbusters.

Currently in first place is Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man, with a Beimei box office of 4.03 billion.

In second place is Fox's Star Wars Episode II, with a box office of 3.1 billion.

Third place is Splendid Sodium Company's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with a box office of 2.61 billion.

According to media forecasts, Spider-Man's position as the yearly box office champion should be unbreakable.

It's uncertain exactly where The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Matrix Reloaded will end up.

However, judging by how quickly they reached a hundred million, The Matrix Reloaded actually has a slight edge.

She hopes to soon release Pacific Rim 2, but Jiang Heng has delayed responding.

Pascal said: "You can hire a writing team, you know—here in Hollywood they all use writing teams; there's no need to work yourself so hard. With all that money, you can just enjoy yourself!"

Recently I also heard from China regional president Zhou Lixian that Jiang Heng is preparing to register a company in Beimei to film a new movie and vie for the Oscars.

Jiang Heng was speechless upon hearing this; he didn't expect this person to be so perceptive—he really is quite bored.

Pascal said: "What should be done—I could actually do more, but you're not giving me the chance!"

Since Pacific Rim, the two companies have not launched any new co-production.

Jiang Heng, however, has been releasing special-effects blockbusters at roughly one per year since The Matrix premiered in Beimei in 1998; this year he even has two works: Splitting the Mountain to Save Mother and The Matrix Reloaded.

Second, he wants to make a film similar to Heroic Legion, pursuing a sci-fi military route.

"If you say that, then I'll have other things to keep me busy!"

"Thank you for your kindness, but I think I can handle everything."

And what surprised the Americans, who are adept at public opinion wars, was that the tides have turned: twenty years later, an app from a developing country, in just a few short years on American soil, has garnered users exceeding half the population, crushing the old-media giants and forcing them to resort to state power to suppress it.

Jiang Heng naturally can't reach that level, but his popularity in Beimei is comparable to that of a top-tier star; he has a large fan base, and these fans post supportive articles on various forums, helping to expand the influence of The Matrix Reloaded.

Although business cooperation is never easy, many partnerships are only reached after prolonged negotiations.

He simply said: "I really have no idea for a Pacific Rim sequel—I haven't even written a script!"

Columbia Pictures CEO Amy Pascal, after hearing her assistant report the latest box office numbers for The Matrix Reloaded, merely said expressionlessly, "I see," and then had someone leave.

Jiang Heng thought to himself, "The original script is a pitfall, the original itself is a pitfall; to do Pacific Rim 2 I'd have to rethink it from scratch, and for now I don't have any good ideas."

Jiang Heng laughed: "Pitiable may not be true, but I believe your wealth is certainly real."

If that's the case, then likely we wouldn't need Columbia Pictures' help at all, and Pacific Rim 2 might not even be able to participate, since the film's full rights are in Jiang Heng's hands.

"Good thing Amy Pascal, the CEO, called at this time; she probably has good news to tell me."

"Indeed, I have good news to tell you: The Matrix Reloaded's box office surpassed one hundred million USD last night—congratulations, the film's total Beimei box office should be able to exceed three hundred million."

After thinking it over, Pascal decided to still call personally to ask.

Pascal laughed, saying, "If that's the case, then on Earth there's no director wealthier than you; compared to you, I'm merely a pitiful wage‑worker."

Second, when the original The Matrix Reloaded was released, the Wachowski brothers had gained some fame, but they didn't have many works, and what audiences knew best was still The Matrix.

Yet as a former collaborator of Jiang Heng, they also don't really want the box office to be too high.

In an era when domestic military weapons are still under development, putting on the big screen a super‑shocking image of an aircraft carrier squadron sailing in the South Sea would surely be quite inspiring, wouldn't it!

And these are merely some of Jiang Heng's ideas; he hasn't even decided which to film first, let alone tell Pascal about them.

The so‑called 'After entering the pass, there will surely be a great scholar to expound the classics for me'—this principle is actually universal.

It's a feeling of both fearing that one's brother will suffer and fearing that one's brother will drive a Land Rover.

"Do you need my help?"

"Okay, okay, I can't win against you, Director Jiang Heng—I guess you still don't have a girlfriend, right? Otherwise why would you be chatting late at night with an old woman like me for so long?"

"Okay, last question: how are you considering Pacific Rim 2? If we wait a few more years, I might already be retired!"

Jiang Heng laughed: "Let's talk about these later; shall we leave it at that for now?"

When the domestic economy rises and people's horizons broaden, these digests and magazines also start to "collapse" one after another.

When Neidi's economy was lagging, certain digests and magazines appeared on the surface to be the magazines' white moonlight, but in reality they were poisonous chicken soup of worshipping foreign things.

Speaking of new films after Inception, he currently has only two ideas: one is Oppenheimer, whose nuclear explosion scenes in the original are very shocking.

Jiang Heng hurriedly said: "That's not it; I just want to produce a Hollywood film and see if I can win an award!"

There are two reasons: first, Jiang Heng made the special effects more exquisite and shocking during post‑production.

"Hey, dear Director Jiang Heng, I hope I haven't disturbed your rest!"

As the film's distributor, she naturally hopes The Matrix Reloaded will sell big, because she earns distribution fees.

Moreover, large numbers of fans who don't particularly feel anything for Jiang Heng but are wildly enthusiastic about the Matrix setting have driven The Matrix Reloaded's box office to soar, quickly surpassing one hundred million USD.

Because of the time difference, Jiang Heng is currently in a spacious luxury apartment in Jingcheng, lying on the sofa, boredly watching TV.

Compared to famous directors like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, Jiang Heng's output of special‑effects blockbusters is absurdly high, naturally earning him a large fan base.

"I want to discuss some work matters; I heard you're planning to develop in Hollywood?"

Pascal knows this lobbying attempt has failed again, and she inevitably feels a bit discouraged.

But Jiang Heng's side doesn't really need Columbia Pictures; if she doesn't handle the film distribution,

Jiang Heng hurriedly laughed: "Don't say that—you're the CEO of a big company, I'm just a director!"

"Oh, that's truly inspiring good news—thank you, and you also deserve a share of the credit."

Apart from Warner Company, the other several will all rush in madly.

He sighed: "Alright, then let's part for a while and meet again in Hollywood."

(End of chapter)