[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-in-huayu":3,"chapter-that-year-in-huayu-that-year-in-huayu-chapter-78":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year in Huayu",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2286914,4473,"Chapter 78: Venice Film Sales, *The Equation of Love and Death* Released","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>*The Equation of Love and Death* is about to be released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there aren't many films in the same period, *The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor* is a mountain that every film cannot bypass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Venice Film Festival?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many European and American distributors gave Lin Nan the same advice: he should go to Venice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People from Lionsgate and New Line Cinema told Lin Nan the same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wants to sell the rights to *The Martian* for the best price, the Venice Film Festival is an opportunity not to be missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin, believe us, with your resume of winning Best Director Silver Bear twice, the Venice side will be very happy to provide you with a venue and help you promote the film.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it over carefully and communicating with several people from China Film Group, Lin Nan decided to head to Venice with a copy of the film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Domestic time is six hours ahead of Venice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China Film Group sent staff to set off with Lin Nan, mainly to help out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Departing at eight in the morning, they arrived in Venice exactly at noon local time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't expect that the first time I came to Venice, it wouldn't be to compete for awards, but to sell a film.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan remembers that last year in Berlin, an Italian filmmaker sincerely invited him to come to Venice to attend the film festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe the next time Director Lin comes, it will be to receive an award, haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few people from China Film Group had gotten familiar with each other, and they joked around very casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's contact the organizers first. There is only one week left until the closing ceremony, and we need their help to rent a venue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, we have colleagues here, I will contact them to handle this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mid-level manager leading the China Film Group team said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sanping had instructed that they were here to help Lin Nan solve trivial matters; as for selling the film, it would depend on Lin Nan's appeal at the film festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zhangke is also very well-informed; he invited Lin Nan to dinner that same evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the domestic directors, Jia Zhangke belongs to the type who wanders around film festivals all year round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He can't handle mainstream theatrical films, but in the field of award-contending films, he is an expert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, his short film was shortlisted for the \"Master Exhibition Unit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A master indeed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being able to openly challenge Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke is indeed not far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, please sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Director Jia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan thanked him politely; also at the table was Jia Zhangke's wife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The industry is always lamenting that for Jia Zhangke's films, his wife is indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You came a bit late; many distributors have already completed their purchasing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know, but the big distributors are always the last to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's true, you are different from me; mine are all low-budget.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That *The Martian* of yours is enough for me to shoot twenty or thirty films.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Jia is joking; it's precisely because the cost is high that there are so many things to deal with now,\" Lin Nan said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to be modest. Although I don't get along with Zhang Yimou, I am indeed not as good as him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I used to only lose on commercial films, but now that the Olympics have started, this gap has become even larger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dinner lasted two hours, mainly spent chatting a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zhangke took the initiative to promise that he would introduce some European distributors who have long-term cooperation with him to Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the Venice Film Market had an extra promotional venue for *The Martian*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the director's introduction, the track record was quite magnificent—two Silver Bear awards for Best Director—attracting a large number of distributors to stop by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin? Haha, I didn't expect to see you in Venice too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, it really is fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy in front of Lin Nan was the same brother who tried to buy his rights twice in Berlin but couldn't afford the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When can we watch the film?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait until the evening. We have booked a screening hall specifically for distributors; it's better when there are more people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three major European film festivals are also the world's largest film sales venues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, you can see films of all kinds of themes and genres.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Domestic media are already reporting on the news from Venice, especially the sudden appearance of *The Martian*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coming over at this time, it can't be to compete; it must be to sell the rights.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reliable news: *The Martian* will not be publicly screened in Venice; it is limited to distributors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piracy is impossible to leak out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In two days, more than two hundred distributors watched *The Martian*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the third day, Lin Nan stopped screening it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distributors with any real background had already seen it, and those small distributors were not important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quotes were sent to Lin Nan one after another; everyone knew the news that he would leave on the day of the closing ceremony, so the efficiency was very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So far, a total of 13 distributors have been screened, including 10 from Europe and 3 from North America.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The China Film Group staff handed a form to Lin Nan, and the latter looked at it in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, let's do it like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes of the few people lit up instantly, \"We will go and notify them now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the agreement, these distributors cannot release the film within one month after receiving it; this is also to deal with domestic piracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although such a film only has the best viewing experience in a theater, piracy must be guarded against.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the China Film Group people were busy with contracts, Lin Nan went to keep an appointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jury president for next year's Venice Film Festival, Li An.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two met at a cafe in the Water City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin Nan, has the matter of *The Martian* been handled?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, the European and American distributors have been finalized, and we are signing the contracts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder why Director Li asked to see me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An put down the coffee in his hand and said bluntly: \"I want to invite Director Lin to attend next year's Venice Film Festival.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was stunned for a moment, \"Next year, that's too far away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not far. Regardless of whether you have a film work or not, I look forward to seeing Director Lin at next year's Venice Film Festival.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mainland film talent is abundant, far beyond what Hong Kong and Taiwan can compare to; besides, Director Lin also has fame in Europe and America, doesn't he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan doesn't know Li An well, but he feels that his understanding of film is truly something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without realizing it, the two chatted for a long time, and even mentioned Tang Wei in the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An still has some sense of responsibility, letting Tang Wei go through the Talent Admission Scheme to Hong Kong, so that she could bypass the mainland's ban.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting in the cafe for an entire afternoon, the sky was already a bit dark when he left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Li, goodbye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, take care.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan won't be able to see the closing ceremony red carpet; he and the China Film Group people have already boarded the plane back home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The airport was, as usual, full of a large wave of reporters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, how much did *The Martian* sell for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This question is confidential; I will talk about it at the premiere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you and Director Li An talk about? Was it a film project?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just chatting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Online speculation about the total transaction amount of *The Martian*'s rights is varied, but none of it is based on evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan had planned it beforehand; these figures will be made public on the day of the premiere, and China Film Group must also keep it confidential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just after returning to the company, someone from the marketing department came to find Lin Nan with data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is the box office?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*The Equation of Love and Death* has been released for several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, the data is not very good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be more specific.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The box office for the first three days of the opening weekend was 8 million...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was puzzled. In the same type of film, this should be considered the best result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure this data is not very good?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please let me finish. On the fourth day, the daily box office dropped to below one million, and these past few days it has been six or seven hundred thousand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about *The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor*?\" Lin Nan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"14 million on the first day; it has been released for five days now and has already reached 60 million.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Baoping hasn't contacted Lin Nan; he probably isn't feeling very good inside either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan was alone in his office, flipping through the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some media outlets had already asserted that this would be the second film Lin Nan invested in to lose money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if it loses money, it won't be too much; the total investment is only a little over ten million.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only comfort himself this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the word-of-mouth for *The Equation of Love and Death* was quite good, and he hoped it could attract some audiences later on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ren publicly released a large number of makeup photos and stills for *Chinese Paladin 3*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong's intentions could be seen just from the promotional methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Chinese Paladin 1* was used for comparison and marketing, with the focus being Liu Yifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The new descendant of Nuwa, Tang Yan vs. Liu Yifei.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Linger, Jingtian and Xuejian.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Liu Shishi was brought into the mix with clever phrasing, her temperament compared to Liu Yifei's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an interview, Cai Yinong even stated bluntly: all three actresses have great potential and have the opportunity to follow in Liu Yifei's footsteps and step onto the international stage...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan also admired her; she really dared to say anything. Are you going to follow in her footsteps by relying on TV dramas?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Penguin group chat, people were gossiping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jingchu was truly something; after being lectured by Jiang Wenli, she probably learned a thing or two. A couple of days ago, she had a late-night meeting with Director Gu and was caught red-handed by reporters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facts proved that it really didn't matter much if a man was old and ugly, as long as he had talent and ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wenli wasn't idle; she invited the directors' wives in Jingcheng out one by one for gatherings and meals, likely planning some move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, many teachers and professors at the Film Academy were paying attention to *The Equation of Love and Death*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that Cao Baoping was able to secure ten million in investment from Lin Nan back then really gave many people ideas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't look at how they all teach at the Beijing Film Academy; not many have truly participated in film shooting and production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone wanted to test their skills, but they were troubled by the lack of investors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Nan returned to school, many teachers looked at him with strange eyes, as if looking at a sucker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin Nan, I suppose I've dragged you into a pit; this film is very hard to recoup its costs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Baoping felt a bit embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Cao, it won't lose money, it might just take a long time to recover the costs, after all, the film is truly good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't talk about dragging me into a pit or not. Look at those directors from Hong Kong; even if they truly bankrupt the production company, you'd only see smiles on their faces. You are much more honest than them, haha.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How can you talk like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I really do intend to come to you for investment again next time; don't pretend you don't know me then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combining box office and word-of-mouth, the film Cao Baoping shot was actually already a success, and he would only go further next time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I still believe in Teacher Cao's ability; you can continue to come to me next time, as long as the script isn't bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan promised with a guarantee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes losing a little really doesn't matter; on the contrary, it's more profitable. Favors and connections are built this way.\u003C\u002Fp>",2105,"2026-06-20T03:22:09.099Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","df8fa047e5f4386e0a52b729eb17409e9bd603d1c8c016ae8ab2fa5c74c72ab4","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-79","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-77",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-in-huayu-cover.jpg"]