Chapter 411

After understanding the script content of "Joker," Anne Hathaway finally chose Sophie, the female neighbor of the male lead Arthur.

Actually, this character can also be considered Arthur's girlfriend, or can be considered Arthur's imaginary girlfriend, it just depends on how you understand it.

This film is a bit like "Inception" in the setting of suspense; at the beginning, when Arthur is stating his condition to the psychiatrist, the time is 11:11, and at the end in the mental hospital, the time is still 11:11.

This time appeared three times in the film.

Careful audiences seeing these will very likely have questions: what is real, what is fictional? The boundary becomes even more blurred.

It can even be said that the whole film is Joker's delusion, which is also fine.

There are also many similar details in the film.

Just like Arthur and the female neighbor Sophie, according to the film's plot, he and the female neighbor Sophie lived together, and Sophie loved him very much.

However, later when he entered Sophie's home, Sophie was clearly terrified, as if seeing a stranger.

According to the degree to which Sophie worshipped and loved him in the film, this reaction shouldn't have appeared.

Actually, the original intention of setting such a plot is very simple: it can blur the film's boundary, make the audience have doubts, and increase topics and discussion.

Even if guided well, these can become hot spots for online debate, thereby exploding the film.

Since Anne Hathaway chose Sophie, Cao Yang thought for a moment and left the psychiatrist character to Fan Bingbing; the scenes aren't many, but it can consolidate her status and increase her class.

Among Cao Yang's many female... friends, those who won Best Actress at the three major European film festivals are almost all developing domestically; only Fan Bingbing is taking a route similar to Zhang Ziyi.

And only Fan Bingbing doesn't have the title of international film queen.

Hmm, then let her act in more high-box-office films.

The male lead Arthur's idol, talk show host Murray, Cao Yang gave to "Old Magneto," "Gandalf" Ian McKellen.

Cao Yang collaborated with Ian McKellen in "District 9"; he played the male lead's father-in-law at the time, and his acting was still very good.

The remaining characters, including Arthur's mother, who has quite a few scenes, and "Batman's" father Thomas, Cao Yang handed over to Warner and the casting company to conduct auditions first.

Then, Cao Yang returned to China.

When "The Fault in Our Stars" was released in North America and some countries around the world, China didn't choose to release it simultaneously.

Although this film was making a big splash here in the US because of the "Wish" activity, Cao Yang didn't let it be hyped domestically, so the popularity wasn't high.

Even if Cao Yang is the producer and screenwriter, the film's director, Josh Boone, has no fame domestically, and even the two male and female leads are unknown young people.

Relying on Cao Yang's fame, it is possible to get a certain base of box office domestically, but wanting a high box office is very difficult.

At that time, after China Film Group, Beijing Film Studio, Columbia, and Cao Yang discussed it together, they decided to wait until after the Oscars to release it.

They believed that Oscar nominations or awards could bring higher attention and topicality to the film, thereby enhancing box office potential.

Sure enough, "The Fault in Our Stars" didn't let them down; it won Oscar Best Picture, and plus this is Cao Yang's third film to win Best Picture, and he is the producer who has won the most Oscar Best Pictures...

Isn't the popularity here now?

In this era, Oscar Best Picture is not only concerned by the whole world, but it is also "high-end" domestically.

February 29th is a Friday; "The Fault in Our Stars" held a grand premiere in China and decided that after the premiere ended, it would be officially released in major cities across the country.

Hmm, you didn't read it wrong, it is February 29th.

2008 is a leap year; a leap year has 366 days, so February will have one extra day, having the 29th.

By the way, except for centennial years like 1900 and 2000 which are not necessarily, the remaining common years are basically leap years as long as they are divisible by 4.

The director of "The Fault in Our Stars" and those few main actors all came to China to promote the film after the Oscars ended.

Only Cao Yang stayed in Los Angeles for a few more days because of the male lead of "Joker."

Now it is '08; United Airlines hasn't stopped the direct flight from Los Angeles to Beijing yet; it will wait until '10 to stop flying for some reason, and it won't resume navigation until '25.

The flight Cao Yang took was exactly the direct flight from Los Angeles to Beijing by United Airlines, which only takes about 13 hours to arrive.

The premiere of "The Fault in Our Stars" attracted much attention.

Media big and small came in sixty or seventy, CCTV broadcast it directly on the movie channel, plus the long red carpet, making it look like a film festival.

However, after all, it is a co-production, and Cao Yang himself is not the director, so he didn't agree to the proposal by Han Zong and Hou Yuan to hold the premiere at the Great Hall of the People.

Actually, this "The Fault in Our Stars" has already made China Film Group and Beijing Film Studio very satisfied; not only did it have the name of Oscar Best Picture, but it also made a big profit at the box office.

According to the meaning of Han Zong and Hou Yuan, they wanted the "Manchester by the Sea" directed by Cao Yang to be released first, and then let "The Fault in Our Stars" be released.

Cao Yang didn't agree.

"Manchester by the Sea" doesn't lack popularity; after all, it is directed by Cao Yang and cultivated Jackie Chan's Berlin Best Actor, so the attraction has always been there.

And "The Fault in Our Stars" is different; it needs to borrow the influence of the Oscars when it is released first, taking advantage of the current popularity.

In addition, there is another important reason, and that is the film content.

"The Fault in Our Stars" counts as an inspirational romance film, and currently everyone generally believes that "Manchester by the Sea" is an extremely romantic romance film with special significance.

Everyone watching "The Fault in Our Stars" first will look forward to the "romance" in "Manchester by the Sea" even more.

If they watched "Manchester by the Sea" first... I guess no one would look forward to romance, and I guess "The Fault in Our Stars" would also be affected, and everyone might not even feel that this is an inspirational romance film.

Hmm, affected by "Manchester by the Sea," perhaps after watching "The Fault in Our Stars," they will feel that this is an alternative "Butterfly Lovers."

Moreover, in terms of "romance" films, Cao Yang has a criminal record.

"Secret Sunshine" back then was also interpreted as "Sweet Sunshine," thinking it was a sweet romance film—everyone who walked into the cinema with this idea came out crying.

"Director Cao, congratulations, congratulations, you are now awesome... ah, anyone who can create history is an awesome person."

Feng Xiaogang originally wanted to say "fucking awesome," but when the words reached his lips, perhaps he felt that saying it this way was a bit too rude, or perhaps he felt that this was a bit disrespectful to Cao Yang, so he changed his words.

"Old Feng, welcome, welcome. What creating history? I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants."

Cao Yang said with a smile.

"Humble, you are being humble."

Feng Xiaogang grinned with a big mouth, "Grand Slam of Best Director at the three major European film festivals, record holder for Oscar Best Picture—which of these honors didn't create history? You are our China's number one film person."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it."

Cao Yang accompanied Feng Xiaogang for a while and didn't stop until he was almost at the hall, saying: "Alright Old Feng, you go in first, we'll talk later, I still have to go over there to take a look."

"Understood, understood."

Feng Xiaogang said with a laugh: "You go get busy first."

Not only did Feng Xiaogang come, but Zhang Yimou also came.

However, he came in a hurry, chatted with Cao Yang for a few sentences, and after answering a call, left in a hurry again.

With the Olympics imminent, he is at his busiest time now, and also under the greatest pressure; it can be clearly seen that he has aged and become haggard quite a bit.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong also came.