Chapter 55

From 1995 to the present, it has been the most difficult period for Chinese cinema, with almost no prospects, widespread losses, and substantial deficits. The media paid little attention to Chinese films, and the film industry shifted focus. Filmmakers turned to television series, film studios became warehouses, and cinemas were converted into dance halls. Male and female actors from films all went to act in TV series.

In this situation, a poor student from the Central Academy of Drama rose to prominence like a comet, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

Not only did the domestic reaction to this phenomenon become intense, but Hong Kong and Taiwan, just a short distance away, also paid close attention.

"The Sixth Sense" was screened in these two regions, and although its box office earnings might not match those of some local films, the quality of the movie and the actors' performances were impeccable. Compared to the film, the Hong Kong media were more enthusiastic about reporting that Chen Tiandu had made a staggering $50 million from the movie. At the current exchange rate, Chen Tiandu had transformed from a poor student from the mainland into a billionaire.

In 1997-1998, Hong Kong was in the midst of a battle to defend the Hong Kong dollar, facing continuous attacks from international currency speculators. Hong Kong had become an "automatic cash machine" for international speculators, but despite the efforts of the Hong Kong government, the exchange rate remained at 7.8 Hong Kong dollars to 1 US dollar. The film industry in Hong Kong was in even more dire straits. 1998 was also the peak year for piracy, and the current box office champion, "The Storm Riders," had a box office earnings of over 4 million less than last year's "A Good Man." To date, there were still fewer than ten films in Hong Kong that had grossed over 10 million Hong Kong dollars. It was a low point in a low period.

Chen Tiandu's "The Sixth Sense" had a global box office of $663.98 million, equivalent to 5.1 billion Hong Kong dollars, higher than the combined box office of Hong Kong over two years.

A sour grapes mentality naturally arose.

"Perhaps it was a fluke, and he has no second film," some Hong Kong media were not friendly, openly doubting his future.

However, when news of Chen Tiandu's second film being in production was released, it immediately countered their reports.

"Chen Tiandu is making his second film, with an investment of over 100 million, and it is a rare domestic science fiction film. Even Spielberg is personally overseeing it."

The news sparked a heated discussion in Hong Kong and Taiwan, with all sorts of opinions.

Then, director Yuan Heping also announced that he had accepted Chen Tiandu's invitation to serve as the action director for the film.

Hong Kong media swarmed to interview Director Yuan Heping, who declared, "This film is still written, directed, and acted by Chen Tiandu. Unlike traditional science fiction films, it will use a lot of action design. The director has promised me a lot of creative freedom in designing the martial arts actions. I can't say more than that." Although the information was limited, it was enough to generate buzz.

Chen Tiandu was unaware of all this; he didn't like reading newspapers recently because the Americans were even less friendly.

Besides "The Los Angeles Times" entertainment section, which first reported the film's information, he also gave an interview to "The New York Times." The first question from journalist Luke Bosie was straight to the point: "Do you think you can make a big-budget science fiction film? To be frank, the gap between a horror film and a science fiction film is quite significant."

Chen Tiandu replied, "I think DreamWorks and Warner Bros. have considered this more. But they still invested in me, which means I am trustworthy."

"How did you decide to make a big-budget science fiction film after 'The Sixth Sense'? What special qualities does it have that made you determined to make it?" Luke Bosie continued to press.

"The idea for the film has been around for a long time; it wasn't a hasty decision," Chen Tiandu said. "My grandmother was French, and my mother is a Christian. I read many Western mythological stories as a child. When I started watching films, like most people, I was amazed by the grand scenes in Hollywood science fiction blockbusters. But as the genre has developed, the definition of a science fiction blockbuster in the audience's mind has become somewhat narrow. They are often forgettable and lack depth. In this film, I will try to combine philosophical themes with science fiction. It will have spectacular scenes and also make you think deeply after watching it. I am confident that even twenty years from now, when people select the greatest science fiction films, this one will have a place."

"That sounds great. Can you talk about what the film is about?"

"Of course," Chen Tiandu was happy to discuss it.

...

"A new work by a Chinese director, a big-budget science fiction film, 'The Matrix'! The young director claims it is a new philosophical science fiction... " The interview content reported in "The New York Times" took up two-thirds of the article. The rest was about how Chen Tiandu came to America to make films and his gradual rise to success. In the eyes of some media, he was still a representative of the American Dream. Of course, there was also coverage of Chen Tiandu's personal life.

Chen Tiandu had no experience in this area and answered all the questions. He even revealed that pursuing Kate wasn't easy, and it took him several months to win her over, and that she was his first love. After seeing the report, he regretted it so much that he wanted to bang his head against the wall.

Soon after this issue of "The New York Times" was published, the interview report appeared online and was quickly reprinted everywhere. Many people in America had seen "The Sixth Sense" and were familiar with Chen Tiandu's face.

"This lucky Chinese kid's last film was already enough to make people jealous." "Will this science fiction film be as good, or will it be a Waterloo?" Regardless of their stance, netizens were hotly discussing it.

After all, "The Sixth Sense" had not yet left the North American box office and was still the only film this year to gross over $300 million in North America. Chen Tiandu's popularity had not waned, and he still had many fans.

Anyway, those who followed Chen Tiandu now knew the news: he was going to make a science fiction film called "The Matrix," a new philosophical science fiction story.

By the way, to make this film, he also acquired a failing special effects company and a small film company, whose names he couldn't remember, but they were small companies.

However, the media's focus was not on his film companies; spending tens of millions to acquire a small company was not surprising in Los Angeles, which was never short of film companies. The media's focus was on the film, his second film, a science fiction blockbuster?!

Can Chinese people make science fiction? Their kung fu films and crime dramas are pretty good, like John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow."

But, does China have science fiction films?

Not only China, but does all of Asia have any notable science fiction films?

Science fiction blockbusters have long been considered a specialty of Hollywood.

Although entertainment media had not yet commented, discussions about this news were already underway online.

"To be honest, this film is worrying. His horror film was good, but he shouldn't be too ambitious. He will quickly spend tens of millions and then fall flat and return to China in disgrace."

This comment was relatively polite. Many comments were outright sarcastic: "He must be overconfident. A Chinese person who can only afford a rented apartment suddenly has millions. It's understandable to be at a loss."

"The Matrix? From the title, it seems to be about hackers. But can that Chinese kid even use a computer? I read a report the other day that their country's politicians are still resisting computers, considering them a scourge and a mental drug that should be banned. Oh, my God, what a terrifying red country. Can someone from such a country make a good science fiction film?"

Chen Tiandu scoffed at this comment.

Perhaps there were indeed such voices in mainland China. Due to rapid development, laws and regulations lagged behind, and there were no sound legal systems. Children were addicted to games and spent their days in internet cafes. Without antivirus software, malware and dubious websites ran rampant, and opening a computer often revealed a row of messy tools. In such an environment, it was impossible to ban pornographic content. Japanese adult films also began to spread through various channels, and a batch of Japanese actresses became popular among Chinese teenagers. Then, some experts who couldn't see the reality began to spout nonsense...

In this era, most netizens were simple.

They could play a single computer game like Spider Solitaire without getting bored, and sending emails with an email account was a fashionable thing. The authors who posted on the Rongshuxia website had simple minds, and their content was very literary and youthful.

The computer skills of netizens were generally low, but "hacker" was not an unfamiliar term to the vast majority of Chinese netizens.

He would show these arrogant and self-important people what "my science fiction blockbuster" means!

(Last week of the ranking, please vote, collect, and support)

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