The Best Director - Chapter 425

Chapter 425: Chapter 425: “500 Days of Summer” is released! (Request for monthly tickets)

“Hey, Kelly! Let’s go watch ‘500 Days of Summer’ tonight, it’s girls’ night out! I’m so excited. I really wish I knew how to quit being obsessed with Wang Yang! Hey? Kelly? HELLO?”

In San Francisco, Evelyn, strolling down the leafy neighborhood street, pressed redial with a puzzled look on her face. Why did the call suddenly drop? Why couldn’t she get through to Kelly? Could it be that this girl didn’t want to go to the movie? Why! Evelyn kept calling, and after a long time and several attempts, she finally got through, “Kelly, don’t tell me you’re not interested in ‘500 Days of Summer’! I’ll kill you!” Kelly’s voice came over the phone, sounding faint, “Of course not, am I the only fan of Wang Yang here?” Evelyn said happily, “So where shall we meet tonight?” Kelly replied helplessly, “Uh, okay! Let me think…”

“Helen, are you guys planning to see Wang Yang’s new movie?” Upon hearing her friend’s inquiry, Helen already had an answer and she replied with a light smile, “Why not? I believe it will be a pretty good movie. Maybe there will be some high school memories. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

Many people had already made up their minds, ready to catch an early glimpse of ‘500 Days of Summer’ on the big screen! What would a PG-13 romance film from Wang Yang look like? Could Tom win back Summer?!

In an earlier interview with the Los Angeles Times, when Wang Yang was asked whether the film contained any kissing or bed scenes, as none of these hooks could be found in its stills or trailers, it seemed he would continue with his usual style—none. This also drew some skepticism: “Is it actually just a high school romance?” “‘High School Musical 4’?” In the interview, Wang Yang answered, “To tell a beautiful love story, sometimes it’s required, other times it’s not needed at all. You’ll find the answer in the movie itself.”

Either way, the film didn’t need such promotional hooks. Despite their absence, as night fell, an undercurrent was surging across North America. Throngs of movie fans, audiences, were happily stepping into theaters, believing the movie they were going to see had a story, laughter, beauty, emotion, insight, and memories. These were what mattered the most.

Even though ‘500 Days of Summer’ was constantly being showcased to the public, Firefly Films actually didn’t spend too much on its promotion, just $20 million, which was more than its $15 million production cost. A large portion of this budget was spent on strict advertising, yet it now had the effect of a $35-50 million blockbuster, all thanks to many media outlets and the public voluntarily doing the soft promotion. With the residual impact of ‘Firefly’ and Wang Yang’s popularity, not to mention the three Golden Globe nominations, the film was in an optimal state for release.

At the same time, the movie market during the Christmas and New Year season was weak, with one bad new film after another being released this week. There were no major new releases being widely screened from December 30th to January 5th until January 6th, when Lionsgate would release a new horror film ‘Hostel’. It could be said that there was no fierce competitor standing in the way of ‘500 Days’. After films like ‘Juno’ in 2000, ‘The Hangover’ in 2002, and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ in 2003, two years later, this was Wang Yang’s fourth Christmas season campaign and the one where his competitors seemed the least formidable. The fans of Yang even rated it as “devastate”.

‘500 Days’ definitely had all the conditions for a big box office hit and breaking records, now it all depended on whether the movie itself had the merit or if it would be Wang Yang’s ‘The Terminal’.

The 23rd was not only a day for cinema fans and audiences; it was also a celebration for the owners of the 3351 North American Cinemas that had introduced a certain monster. “Thank you, Wang Yang!” Members of NATO were jubilant, the savior of the box office had arrived again! The long-lost bustle had returned! The Christmas old man who gave out gifts had come back!

There were no IMAX theaters included because ‘500 Days’ didn’t have an IMAX format copy, although a significant portion of movie fans on Firefly’s official website requested a conversion, arguing that watching in an IMAX theater would be more immersive. However, Wang Yang personally responded, “You’ll see it, but not this time.”

“How does this dress look?” Standing in front of a large mirror, Nancy showcased a black evening gown to herself, speaking out loud. She sized up her reflection in the mirror. Not bad! Even though she didn’t need to walk the red carpet, nor did she buy or rent a trendy evening dress from the fashion show, it was important to be formal—after all, she was the first AD of ‘500 Days of Summer’, her highest position since graduation, and she cooperated with the amazing Wang Yang. She felt a bit nervous yet filled with eager anticipation.

The premiere was scheduled to take place at the Selene Theater, and under the cerulean sky, the exterior of the theater was draped with a long red carpet, filled with a lively scene and atmosphere.

“Ah—!” the fans behind the barricades at the red carpet erupted in a frenzy, chanting the name of the brightest star, Natalie Portman. However, at that moment, the arrival of a black Lincoln seduced away all the attention, and as two figures stepped out of the car, the whole place went into an uproar! Fans screamed themselves hoarse— “Magical Yang! Yang!! Magical Yang—” “Jessica, Jessie! Jessica!” Gradually, only one name remained, as countless fans once again offered him the highest form of welcome: “Magical Yang! Magical Yang! Magical Yang!…”

An even more intense welcome! They wanted to explode with their love for “Firefly” and their love for Magical Yang at this moment, turning the shouting into a rhythmic, unified chorus. A few female fans by the barricade shouted until veins popped on their foreheads, some even excitedly attempting to cross over, but they were stopped by security personnel.

On one side, fans were in a frenzy; on the other, media photographers were just as wild, with relentless flashes not ceasing for a split second, blanketing the sky! They continuously pressed the shutters of their long-focus cameras, their equipment suddenly overworking as if on the brink of explosion!

Recently, Wang Yang often attended ceremonies or events alone, and this was Jessica’s first official public appearance after giving birth to their daughter, as well as the couple’s first joint appearance in a while. Wang Yang, as always, was dressed in a sharp suit, with a black blazer, white shirt, and black tie; Jessica wore an off-shoulder bandeau white evening gown with pleats, her hair arranged in a casual chignon, diamond pendant earrings adorning her ears, and on her left ring finger, an engagement ring, perfectly exuding a beautiful, elegant, and sexy charm. Her slightly fuller figure radiated a captivating maternal glow.

“Ah—!” At this moment, Wang Yang’s friendly smile and wave caused the fans’ emotions to boil over. Jessica, with a radiant smile, clasped his arm with one hand and waved gently with the other but got little response as the place was taken over by screaming female fans waving posters and pictures of Wang Yang: “Ah ah ah— Magical Yang! Ah— Magical Yang, Magical Yang!…”

“He really is popular… too popular,” Natalie turned and looked back, unable to help but smile. She still sported her neat, ear-length hair, dressed in a red evening gown, no jewelry to speak of, yet she looked refreshingly bright and intelligent.

The main stars and their partners and families from “500 Days of Summer” had all arrived: Wang Yang and Jessica, Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zachary Levi with his long-time girlfriend Eileen, Chloe Moretz brought by her brother; along with Harry George, Nancy Reno, Margaret, and Joshua with his girlfriend Alexis, who came to cheer him on. Less than three months after wrap-up, the cast and crew gathered to see how Tom fared post-breakup and to see if it could knock “Firefly” off its perch.

Flashlights were undoubtedly the busiest entities around, but not everyone walked the red carpet. Watching the cool dad and hot mom approach, photographers couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional, surprised at how quickly Jessica had recovered! It was a pity they hadn’t brought the baby! Some journalists began to shout: “Hey, Yang, Jessica, how’s the baby? She’s cute, isn’t she?” “What’s her name?” “When can we see her?”…

Wang Yang actually responded, seeming to be in a good mood, “Thank you all for your concern! The baby is well, intelligent, strong, beautiful, like her mother; she just likes to cry and make a fuss, giving me headaches, but you know me, I’m just that kind of person, and that’s my daughter.” Jessica looked at him thoughtfully with a smile of a virtuous wife and good mother.

“Hahaha!” The journalists laughed heartily. Wang Yang continued, “But I love her; she’s my angel.” He looked at Jessica and said, “She’s no longer just mine.” There was another round of laughter and before Jessica could say anything, Wang Yang seriously added with a smile, “She is now the angel for both my daughter and me.” And in his mind, he added, “Also our holy cow.” Hearing his words, a sweetly smiling Jessica’s mood turned even sweeter. Another journalist asked, “What’s the baby’s name?” However, the couple didn’t answer, simply walking forward with smiles.

No matter how intelligent Keke was, she couldn’t know about “recording,” this piece of high-tech, as Wang Yang and Jessica had already personally recorded many fairy tales to lull her to sleep, along with the first few chapters of world classics suitable for her high IQ, like “Jane Eyre” and “Daddy-Long-Legs,” as well as trendier stories like “Harry Potter.”

“Eeyah.” In the crib, Keke listened to the gentle and familiar voices, “Dorothy and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em lived in the center of the great Kansas prairies,” “Uncle runs a farm,” Keke felt waves of comfort and drowsiness and slowly drifted into a sweet sleep.

Outside the Snowland Theater, photographers continued to busy themselves with taking photos, as Wang Yang and Natalie Portman stood together in their usual brotherly poses. In fact, Wang Yang was “harboring grudges,” and made quite a few image-ruining gestures: “Hahaha, Natalie, look at this punch!” His fist swung to the side of Natalie’s face, and as the flashes went off, she laughed heartily with her head tilted back. He then wanted to pose for an arm wrestling picture with her: “Come on, come on!”

Although Natalie realized something was off, she could only play along, suppressing her laughter, “What are you trying to do?” Wang Yang laughed toward the camera, “Revenge! This is just the beginning.”

Then it was Joseph, Zachary Levi, and others. When Wang Yang took a photo just with little Chloe, Chloe Moretz, dressed in a pink dress, congratulated him: “Amazing Yang, congratulations on having a baby. Can she say ‘daddy’ and ‘mommy’ yet?” Wang Yang put his arm around her shoulder and laughed, “Thanks, she can’t say that yet, but she can say ‘wah-woo.’” Little Chloe was a bit confused: “Who’s that?” Wang Yang replied, “I don’t know, kids like to say it.”…

Click! Click! The reporters didn’t miss a single photo opportunity. Just how much does Magical Yang like this little girl? “Paranormal Activity 3,” “Firefly,” “500 Days of Summer,” almost all the films he produced this year featured her—Chloe had virtually replaced Rachel, Jessica, Natalie, and others.

The longer Wang Yang stayed on the red carpet, the longer the fans’ shouts persisted until everyone entered the theater, and the bustling area finally began to calm down.

“I want two tickets for ‘500 Days of Summer.’” “Four for ‘500 Days of Summer.’” “Four for Magical Yang, ‘500 Days of Summer.’” “One ‘500 Days of Summer.’”…

As night fell, all 3,351 North American Cinemas were bustling, showing no signs of the usual off-season slowdown. But the ticket sellers knew well that it wasn’t “The New Money Heist Couple,” not “Cheaper by the Dozen 2,” not “Munich,” nor “The Ruse” that people came to see.

“Excuse me, please!” It wasn’t yet the final countdown to the movie’s start, but the cinema was already full. Evelyn and Kelly, carrying a large bucket of popcorn, came in and immediately knew they were late! They hurriedly found seats and sat down, eyes wide as they looked at the big screen. Evelyn patted her chest, relieved, “The view isn’t too bad!” But Kelly couldn’t relax just yet. She glanced at her bizarre best friend—surely it’s a romantic comedy (Comedy), not a drama (Drama). Evelyn won’t cry tonight; at most, she’ll laugh until she rolls on the floor.

Clair also sat with her boyfriend Adam in front of the big screen. Audience seats were equally rare to find empty, and she was somewhat lost in thought.

As an online film critic, Clair understood that “500 Days of Summer” wasn’t going to be the kind of commercial light comedy like “The Devil Wears Prada.” It should have the fresh quality of an indie film similar to “Juno,” not because both had production budgets of 15 million, but because this time Magical Yang clearly wanted to embarrass those who said he couldn’t make romantic art films and to make them admit their wrongs or shut up. Now it was time for the “profound” part. The last time she watched “Juno,” she did something regretfully naive. Would it happen again this time?

“I would be happy as long as you know how to behave yourself properly.” Although she had cursed her boyfriend Seth a lot because of “Brokeback Mountain,” Linda still came to watch the movie with him today for a pleasant experience, issuing a few warnings first, “Pay attention!” Seth replied helplessly, “I take Wang Yang’s movies more seriously than you do.”

“Quick setup, low budget, weak genre … what’s he going to come up with this time?” In the audience of many cinemas, there were some big-name fan celebrities, especially in Los Angeles and New York, including “Magical Yang admirers” like Rachel McAdams, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and others who were indeed very interested in Wang Yang’s declarations of love. Not to mention countless actors and movie stars who wanted to join “500 Days” but failed before the competition even started, as well as filmmakers, movie critics…

Some people hoped it would flop terribly — a magical hit or a disastrous miss, opinions varied — but it was certain that the youthful avant-garde, including an eager Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Pitt, and Jamie Bochert, certainly weren’t among them.

“If the film is good, Wang Yang wins ten in a row; that would be the best Christmas present he’s given me this year!” “If the film is bad, Wang Yang must have really banged his head. That would be the best Christmas present he’s given me this year!”

“Yang, it will definitely work!” Six months ago, Nancy Reno, casting premiere aside, silently wished “Firefly” well just as she did now. Then she witnessed a shocking spectacle she will never forget. What about tonight? Gazing at Wang Yang’s silhouette in the front row, Nancy took a deep breath. She had already seen on the set, in the script, and in the storyboards how excellent this film was. Now, dear magical Yang, let me fully experience the charm of “500 Days of Summer”!

“Hopefully, it won’t disappoint.” Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times, Claudia Puig from USA Today, Christy Lemire from Associated Press, David Wiegand from the San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Ordona from the Los Angeles Times, A.O. Scott from The New York Times… Although “Firefly” was praised to the skies by film critics, if this film bombed, no doubt they’d instantly turn into Yang detractors. As for the long-oppressed old Yang detractors, they’d either seize the chance to burst forth or continue to suppress their disdain.

At the Xuelan Theater, the lead actors and filmmakers sat in the front row. Natalie vaguely heard Wang Yang asking Jessica beside him, “Those recordings should be effective, right?” Jessica nodded. “No problem, they work during the day, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t at night.” Out of curiosity, Natalie couldn’t help asking, “Excuse me, I overheard, what recording?” Wang Yang turned his head to look at her, willing to share, “Keke insists on sleeping to the sound of our voices…”

But before he could say much more, the whole audience fell silent. Guests of all sorts turned their eyes to the big screen. It had begun!

The audience in 3,351 North American Cinemas perked up. Helen smiled slightly, it must be interesting… Under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes, “500 Days of Summer” was here!

Soothing music began to play; on the big screen, a pale-yellow moth flew in the darkness, darting into the blazing flames. The scene suddenly brightened, transporting to a world of beautiful pastures under blue skies and white clouds. The moth, wings shimmering, danced with the colorful butterflies, twirling into the sky where amidst them, a fire started, and beneath the flames appeared the English letters of “Flames-Films.”

“Directed by: Yang Wang, Written by: Yang Wang, Produced by: Yang Wang, Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Natalie Portman…”

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PS: A new month has arrived; I humbly ask for everyone’s monthly ticket support. Let’s surge, surge! Thank you! (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to come to Qidian () to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)