Chapter 318: Flop, Flop, Flop

After a while, Wu Yuchen leaned on the head of the bed, his heart calm.

The temptation of Hollywood is just so simple, unadorned, and boring.

Kate leaned on Wu Yuchen, poked him with her finger, and pouted: "It's all your fault, just now I didn't even remember how much the premiere box office was~"

Wu Yuchen laughed and patted her: "It doesn't matter, I remembered it for you, 19.52 million."

Hearing the number Wu Yuchen said, Kate's expression was slightly solemn. For *Fan Haixin*, which invested $160 million, this premiere box office couldn't be said to be very bad, but it just passed the passing line.

The next two days could almost determine the fate of this movie. If the box office for the first three days of the weekend could exceed $80 million, that would be a good result. If it could exceed $70 million, it would be passable, while the passing line was $60 million.

The 19.52 million premiere today made Kate feel that the first weekend of *Fan Haixin* might only be around $60 million.

She asked somewhat worriedly: "Wu, are you optimistic about *Fan Haixin*?"

Wu Yuchen stroked the back of this British wild rose and asked with a smile: "Do you want to fall asleep happily tonight?"

Kate couldn't help but pat his arm upon hearing this: "Oh! Damn it! You said that, I can't be happy anymore!"

Wu Yuchen shrugged and then said: "The North American box office of *Fan Haixin* should be a little bit stronger than *Troy*, and the first weekend should exceed $50 million."

In fact, what Wu Yuchen didn't say was that the fate of *Fan Haixin* wasn't even as good as *Troy*. After all, the overseas box office was less than half of *Troy*.

Kate's mood didn't get much better upon hearing this. Exceeding $50 million, but less than $60 million, isn't that still failing? This made her somewhat irritable and scratch her hair, and she asked:

"How did you make this judgment?"

Wu Yuchen didn't hide it either. He roughly told Kate about his perception of watching the movie before, which was actually his summary of the movie in his past life, making Kate feel colder and colder as she listened. The pleasure produced by the two of them just now was almost gone.

Wu Yuchen rubbed Kate's hair and comforted her: "Don't worry too much. *Fan Haixin* is a big production after all, with good special effects, and with you and Hugh Jackman. Even if the box office has losses, it can be earned back through DVD copyrights."

This comfort didn't have much effect on Kate because this wasn't her first failure. *Zhenzhugang* a few years ago was also a big production, and it was a box office failure.

Afterward, she finally turned around after a movie called *Underworld*, a vampire and werewolf movie with a cost of $22 million, which eventually achieved a box office of $96 million. This gave her the opportunity to be selected for *Fan Haixin*, this big production, again.

If she failed *Fan Haixin* again this time, not to mention being beaten back and downgraded, she would also have a hard time for a while. It could be said that she would basically have no chance with Hollywood big productions because both times proved that she couldn't carry the box office of big productions, even though this didn't necessarily have much to do with her.

In fact, actresses like Kate who have a series of movies like *Underworld* are really lucky. She played a very cool and beautiful vampire female warrior in it, harvested quite a few fans, and could basically rely on this one series to eat for a lifetime. In his past life, this was released to the fifth part.

But actors are all like this. After entering Hollywood, they definitely want to keep climbing up, especially those like Kate who have seen the scenery at the high place and naturally don't want to fall down again.

After *Zhenzhugang* failed, the production cost of *Underworld*, which she starred in, was only $22 million, not even as high as *The Princess Diaries*. From this, it can also be seen that Kate, the heroine, must have taken a pay cut, and her treatment at that time wasn't good.

It was precisely because she had experienced these and climbed back up that Kate didn't want to go down again. Didn't she take the initiative to hook up with Wu Yuchen tonight for this reason?

Thinking of this, Kate twisted her delicate body, squeezed into Wu Yuchen's arms, and asked weakly and longingly: "Wu, do you have any new plans recently?"

Wu Yuchen revealed a smile and said with slight regret: "It's a pity, honey, my recent plan is a Chinese movie, and there is none on the Hollywood side."

"Wu, isn't it said that you have been negotiating the *Batman* project with Warner?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head directly: "I can tell you clearly that this project is something that doesn't exist right now."

Kate revealed a frustrated expression upon hearing this.

Wu Yuchen naturally knew why the other party took the initiative to hook up with him. Aside from him being young, vigorous, and good-looking, wasn't it to get an opportunity from him? But what he said was the truth. He really didn't have any plans to start new projects in Hollywood in the short term.

However, Wu Yuchen looked at Kate. Although she was the one who took the initiative to flirt with him today, this was a matter of mutual consent to begin with, and there were no promises made beforehand. He could have easily taken advantage of her for free, but since he had actually enjoyed himself just now, he didn't mind helping her out.

He thought for a moment and said: "The *War of the Worlds* cooperated by Spielberg and Tom Cruise is auditioning for the heroine. I can recommend you to go."

Don't look at Spielberg saying he wanted to retreat behind the scenes before, but in the world, how can it be so easy to retreat? *War of the Worlds* had been established since last year and started preparation this year. Even if he wanted to retreat, he had to finish filming this big production.

Wu Yuchen's relationship with DreamWorks is known to all of Hollywood. It's called a recommendation, but in fact, Spielberg will mostly sell his face. This movie revolves around Tom Cruise, and the heroine isn't very important.

Kate opened her mouth, then shook her head with a bitter smile: "Thank you for your kindness, Wu, but I don't want to play a mother right now..."

The heroine in *War of the Worlds* is Tom Cruise's wife, a virtuous wife and mother role in her thirties or forties.

For Kate, although she just passed 30, she still has the spirit. Once she accepts starting to play mother roles now, it will leave the audience with the impression that she has entered the middle-aged woman stage, and it won't be easy to reverse it again. Therefore, even though *War of the Worlds* is a top project in the industry, she doesn't want to go.

Wu Yuchen shook his head with a smile. He had already offered his kindness, but if the other party didn't accept it, that was the other party's business. Just had a shot, and she wasn't his girlfriend. Although he, Director Wu, has a good reputation, he won't feed the rice into the mouth.

Afterward, Kate kissed Wu Yuchen on the cheek and said in his ear: "Honey, it's not that I don't accept your kindness, it's just that this role really doesn't suit me~"

She still wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Wu Yuchen so that she can use it in the future. Otherwise, wouldn't this shot today be in vain?

Wu Yuchen smiled, rubbed the softness in his hand: "Kate, it doesn't matter, I understand your mood and won't take it to heart. Come to me anytime in the future. I think we still have quite a few topics we can explore together~"

Kate revealed a charming smile upon hearing this, and then lowered her head...

The next day, when Wu Yuchen got up, he was the only one left on the big bed. Kate didn't know when she fell asleep last night, but she went out early this morning. After all, she had to participate in the promotional work for *Fan Haixin*.

Wu Yuchen didn't care about the other party, stretched comfortably, and then washed up to go to DreamWorks to continue his post-production of *Pirates of the Caribbean 3*.

The post-production progress of *Pirates of the Caribbean 3* was much faster than *Pirates of the Caribbean 2*. On one hand, Wu Yuchen was always there, and on the other hand, it was also because of the cooperation of *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* before, which made the post-production team have a tacit understanding, and naturally worked more efficiently.

*Fan Haixin* was also just as he predicted. The first weekend was only 51.75 million. Passing 50 million could only be said to be passable on the face, but it couldn't stop the market from looking down on it.

5 days later, Wu Yuchen attended the premiere again. No way, he wasn't alone in Hollywood. He could say he couldn't come when filming, but now that he was in Hollywood, he couldn't not go, right?

And this premiere was *Around the World in 80 Days* by his compatriot Cheng Long. They were all Chinese, so he had to come to support!

After seeing Cheng Long, this guy gave Wu Yuchen a big hug: "Director Wu, thank you for coming to support!"

Wu Yuchen laughed: "We are all our own people, I definitely have to come to support Brother Long!"

Cheng Long was still doing very well in Hollywood. Quite a few celebrities came to this premiere, even the action superstar Schwarzenegger, who had already gone to be governor, came. He also had a cameo in this *Around the World in 80 Days*, playing a Turkish prince, and the look was very funny.

*Around the World in 80 Days* is one of the most popular works by French science fiction writer Verne. The movie alone has been remade many times. It tells the story of the British gentleman Fogg and his friends betting to travel around the world in 80 days. He and his Indian servant "Passepartout" experienced many difficulties and obstacles on the journey and finally returned to the starting point in the last second.

Cheng Long played the role of Passepartout in this movie. However, the identity was specially modified in the movie, not Fogg's servant, but his friend. From this, one can also see Cheng Long's face.

This movie can be said to have specially followed the setting of the double male lead in Cheng Long's previous *Rush Hour* series, and it also took the comedy mode. Moreover, the original protagonist was the British gentleman Fogg, but the male protagonist in the movie became Cheng Long. It can be said that the production side gave Brother Long enough face and treatment.

But Wu Yuchen looked at this movie and thought to himself, perhaps it was these that buried the seeds of failure for this movie.

No matter how you adapt it, it still bears the name *Around the World in 80 Days*, so quite a few book fans came to watch this movie, only to find that the entire movie had been adapted beyond recognition.

On the other hand, in fact, Cheng Long had already shown a decline in Hollywood in the past two years. The box office of several funny kung fu movies in Hollywood had gradually declined. Simply put, his set of funny kung fu was repeated too much, and the Americans had already passed the fresh period.

If Cheng Long were young, it wouldn't matter, but now Cheng Long was old and couldn't fight as hard as when he was young, doing various adventure actions, which also made the attraction of this action star decline further.

So this kung fu comedy adventure movie bearing the name of the original work neither pleased the fans of the original work, nor was the comedy aspect something people were tired of watching, and the adventure and action aspects were not powerful. It was conceivable that it would eventually head toward a failure.

What Wu Yuchen could do was actually just come to support Cheng Long, and then say a few good words to the reporters, such as the movie showed very beautiful scenery along the way, which was very attractive and could let the audience follow the movie to appreciate the great scenery of traveling around the world. As for the quality of the movie, he didn't mention a word. Who wouldn't play Tai Chi?

How miserably did *Around the World in 80 Days* fail?

Production cost $110 million, but its first weekend box office was only 6.8 million. Not the premiere day, but the total box office for the first 3 days of the weekend!

Wu Yuchen could imagine how discouraged Cheng Long was now. This time he should have completely made up his mind to return to Chinese movies.

However, it wasn't just Cheng Long who was miserable this week. In addition to *Around the World in 80 Days*, there was also a big production of over $100 million, *Catwoman*, released in the same period. The lead star was the first black Best Actress, Black Pearl Halle Berry.

It was a bit stronger than *Around the World in 80 Days*, with 16.72 million in the first weekend. But compared to the $100 million box office, it was still a huge loss!

This movie *Catwoman* also directly made major studios re-examine superhero movies, and also generated serious doubts about the box office carrying ability of black actresses, and even exposed how weak the box office carrying ability of female stars was.

Wu Yuchen smiled after seeing it. It wasn't ten years later yet. If it were ten years later when feminism and Black Lives Matter were more prevalent, this *Catwoman* might have met a different fate.

But to be honest, although the movie wasn't filmed very well, Halle Berry wearing a tight Catwoman suit jumping around looked really sexy. She could really be counted as a great beauty among black people!

In fact, the total box office of these two movies was about the same. *Catwoman* had 82.10 million globally, and *Around the World in 80 Days* had 72.18 million. Halle Berry's strength compared to Cheng Long was that she still had her black compatriots supporting her, so she could continue to be chic in Hollywood.

Two big productions of over $100 million that were originally considered the boss and second of this week flopped super miserably at the same time. The result was that a small-cost comedy sports movie of $20 million, *Dodgeball*, won the box office championship with a result of 30.07 million, which made the entire Hollywood drop its jaw.

Everyone sighed at the same time that this *Dodgeball* had explosive luck. Such a thing that is hard to meet in ten years was encountered by it. This was also the lowest first-weekend box office champion since entering the summer season this year, but it also made it famous in one fell swoop and won the first prize.

Wu Yuchen didn't have the heart to care about how Cheng Long was now. His *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* would be released in two weeks, and it had already started a large-scale promotional mode. ===== CHAPTER 319 =====