Chapter 46

With the success of the film, many behind-the-scenes stories were uncovered.

For instance, Chen Tiandu's script was not ignored; several Hollywood companies were interested from the start.

This eerie, profound, haunting, and chilling style is actually very popular in Hollywood. The first person to help the film was actually Tom Hanks.

"I deeply felt the power of the story in the script and recommended it without hesitation to director Steven Spielberg, who was filming 'Saving Private Ryan' at the time," Tom Hanks said.

Jeffrey Katzenberg also recalled, "To get a glimpse of the script, I canceled all my Monday morning meetings and immediately flew to Ireland. At that time, Chen Tiandu was still working as an assistant director in an Irish production. Initially, we were hesitant to let him direct because he had to direct and act in the film, which made it hard for us to decide. In the end, the excellence of the script and Steven's appreciation led us to make the decision. I admire his talent and courage."

Subsequently, Spielberg and Vin Diesel also joined in. The former said, "Such a script is truly rare. It has elements of horror and drama, with unique and rich characters, and their mental characteristics are vividly portrayed."

Vin Diesel, who was filming "The Iron Giant," also said, "I knew Chen Tiandu was very talented. He invited me to be one of the producers because we had already developed a good friendship on 'Saving Private Ryan.'"

...

This wave of follow-up publicity came just in time.

At this point, the film had been released, and some spoilers and reviews naturally appeared.

Even though most people, even if they knew the ending of the last five minutes, still found great surprises when they watched it again, it was inevitable that some potential viewers, after learning the ending, would have their expectations for the film reduced.

So, whether to watch or not was a fifty-fifty decision.

—But if someone thought that the magic of "The Sixth Sense" should stop here, they would be greatly mistaken.

Perhaps thanks to this round of intensive publicity, the fourth week of screenings saw a surprising increase in box office revenue. The $32.8 million box office performance left everyone at DreamWorks speechless.

The box office not only did not decline but actually increased, a phenomenon seen only in "Titanic" this year, not even "Saving Private Ryan" had this honor.

It achieved a four-week box office championship, with a cumulative box office of $149.36 million in North America.

"The Sixth Sense" was疯狂掠夺北美票房，口碑更是爆棚，消息也传回了国内。

When people saw the reports in the newspapers, they all felt like they were reading a book from another world. "Is this real? Are you kidding me?"

The Central Academy of Drama (CAD) was almost driven mad. That guy who hadn't even received his graduation certificate had actually made a name for himself. For over a year, the school had almost forgotten about such a person, and now he was back. The leaders of the directing department should be relieved that they didn't expel Chen Tiandu, otherwise, it would have been a huge embarrassment.

During this period, the school had undergone significant changes.

Mei Ting dropped out to act, and the media speculated it was due to a male teacher at CAD who had engaged in inappropriate behavior.

Zhang Ziyi was fortunate to be chosen by Zhang Yimou and was filming "My Father and Mother." This was her first attempt at the big screen, where she played a simple village girl. She enjoyed being in front of the camera and cherished the opportunity to work with a renowned director. Whether filming or studying, she was very fulfilled and didn't think about Chen Tiandu, who had disappeared from the scene.

Unexpectedly, Chen Tiandu had transformed himself and returned in a way that no one could have imagined.

"A student from the directing department of the Central Academy of Drama, who hadn't graduated, single-handedly entered Hollywood. In just over a year, he became the director and lead actor of a film that grossed over $100 million in North America and became a hot contender for the next Oscar."

"Wow, what an inspiring example."

Even the leaders of the Central Academy of Drama were half-believing and half-doubting, feeling dazed.

"Either this guy has incredible luck, and once his luck runs out, he'll show his true colors, or he has real talent and ambition, and will surely become a formidable figure in the future," Feng Xiaogang and Ge You, who were preparing for the promotion of "Not One Less," also talked about this remarkable person in the industry.

The most excited was Kong Yiji. He had recently connected with a friend through Huang Bo and was preparing to shoot his company's first film, "Get in the Car, Let's Go." He planned to make it the first hit for his Wushuang Film Company.

Who knew that Chen Tiandu, who had been out of touch for months, had actually made a name for himself in the United States.

Over $100 million, in dollars?! Wow, what a high-profile return!

"Bro, I bow to you. When will you give me a hand?" He saw the news in the newspaper and quickly called to flatter him.

Chen Tiandu didn't hesitate, "First, learn English well. If you have time, visit the martial arts masters in China and find information on the masters of Bajiquan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, and Taijiquan. If you can find them, I'll let you be the producer of my next film. Also, go to Hong Kong and visit director Yuen Wo-ping to check his schedule. I need him to be the martial arts director for my new film. I'll send you some film materials later."

"Got it, leave it to me."

Kong Yiji readily agreed, thinking, "This kid is really something. He's made it big but hasn't forgotten his friends. He's a good brother."

Huang Bo, seeing his beaming face, asked, "Boss, what good news? You're smiling like that. Share it with everyone."

"It's you..."

Kong Yiji grinned and shook his head, "First, learn your English. Otherwise, I won't be able to take you along in the future."

Huang Bo was flustered, "I'm learning, who can learn it from birth?"

Kong Yiji quickly stopped him, "Forget about that for now. Finish shooting 'Get in the Car, Let's Go' first. I don't understand why you're so lucky, and you're the lead again."

"..."

The magic continued, and the charm of a good film, after "Titanic," left the whole world in no doubt. "The Sixth Sense" was a film that could be called a classic, and some things were unstoppable.

In the fifth week, the magic continued.

$28.3 million, with a cumulative North American box office of $177.66 million, it retained the weekly championship, achieving a five-week consecutive win. This record matched "The Empire Strikes Back."

A true dark horse, with minimal publicity compared to big-budget films, yet it repeatedly set new box office records.

The media predicted that the North American box office for "The Sixth Sense" would be around $210 million, unable to surpass the annual box office record of "Saving Private Ryan."

However, comparing the films that grossed over $200 million this year, "Saving Private Ryan" and "Armageddon," followed by the comedy "There's Something About Mary" starring Cameron Diaz at $170 million, which "The Sixth Sense" had already surpassed.

If you consider that the production cost of "The Sixth Sense" was only $30 million, it's even more astonishing, all profit.

Oh my God, a 23-year-old Chinese director, who, a year ago, hadn't even graduated and single-handedly entered Hollywood. Looking at Chen Tiandu's young and spirited face, everyone found it unbelievable. This kid had created the biggest dark horse of the year, with a box office of $170 million, and breaking $200 million was just around the corner.

The Guinness record for "Youngest Director in Hollywood" was held by Stephen Paul at 20, but his "Love Again" didn't even gross $30 million, let alone $200 million.

The highly respected American film critic Michael Tait described it as "a miracle happening" and "a classic born unexpectedly." He praised "The Sixth Sense" as unparalleled, an innovation in film language, creating an unparalleled suspense structure in a horror film. The film's structure, camera work, and acting were all handled with ease, and the suspense techniques were pushed to the limit. The layers of conflict in the story were all a portrayal of reality, with no hint of a novice director's awkwardness.

"‘The Sixth Sense’ is a horror film that children can watch. Unfortunately, our lead actor Haley is not yet 13 years old and cannot go to the cinema to watch the film."

The future "The Sixth Sense" was indeed released the following year, and that film was also an anomaly that achieved high box office with minimal publicity. Although it was released a year earlier, it seemed to make no difference.