Chapter 21: Superman Returns? Warner And Sony Fight!
Until the premiere ended and fans began to walk out of the theater, everyone was still in a state of shock.
At the end of the question-and-answer session, Xu Can's dazzling moves shocked everyone from ear to ear.
Even director Marc Webb.
He thought that Xu Can just made a few moves to show his meaning.
He didn't expect his brother to come for real!
Can you do those tight-fitting stunts in a suit?
kung-fu is so awesome!
After Xu Can finished his performance, he didn't even take a breath and still asked the reporter in a steady voice:
"Well, do you have any questions?"
The female reporter from the New York Times quickly sat down, wishing she could dig a crack in the ground and bury herself.
Her aggressive questioning attitude just now was gone.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that with Xu Can's skills, who is qualified to be his substitute?
The audience ended the premiere in shock. After they came out, their emotions recovered, and they couldn't help but talk about the movie they just saw.
"Spider-Man is so handsome! It fits the comics perfectly."
"I'm finally relieved, the previous movies were simply adapted ridiculously!"
"Although this one has also been adapted, it's very enjoyable to watch!"
"Yes! And the casting of Spider-Man is really amazing! The actor is simply a genius!"
Leonard was extremely excited. This was really the most perfect live-action Spider-Man movie in his mind.
"What do you say, guys?"
"Are you still hesitating? Just start walking!"
Howard led the way with a wave of his hand.
Of course, they didn't go home but turned around and walked to the ticket office nearby, planning to buy more movie tickets and watch a second showing!
They really couldn't get enough of watching it once!
However, there were many fans who had the same idea as them.
The queue at the ticket window had no end.
"Damn, are these people moving so fast?"
"That's outrageous! Why!"
"It's all your fault for making you go to the toilet!"
Leonard blamed Sheldon for wasting time.
"Huh? I defecate regularly every day. Besides, if you're in a hurry, go ahead and line up. Why are you waiting for me?"
"Hey, forget it, let's grab the tickets for tomorrow."
At this time, an old man walked by and said:
"Don't think about it. All the tickets for next week are sold out. Try another theater."
"ah?"
Online ticket booking is not popular these days, and movie tickets are basically purchased at offline windows.
Moreover, mobile Internet access is not yet popular, there is no mature social network, and the range of face recognition is also limited.
No one can grab tickets online or release the news immediately.
The outside world has yet to feel the influence of "Spider-Man."
A few blocks away from the Galaxy Theater, there are theaters that don't require queuing at all, leaving outsiders basically in a wait-and-see mode.
"How about watching a night movie today? How about "The Pursuit of Happiness"?"
In a relatively empty theater, a young man and woman were watching a movie.
"I've heard that it's a drama. I want to see a movie with big scenes."
"'Casino Royale'? It's not released yet. It's quite good."
"I watched it. I watched it with you last time. Did you forget?"
"Uh... "Happy Feet"? Wait, there's also "Spider-Man"?"
"Wow! The male protagonist is quite handsome, let's just watch Spider-Man!"
"Don't watch it. An Asian plays Spider-Man? Don't be ridiculous. I won't even watch it."
The white man looked contemptuous.
Before the two of them could decide, a crowd of people suddenly rushed out of the door.
The white man was startled and thought the group was here to rob.
"No, no, no, please tell me what you have to say."
Unexpectedly, this group of people just rushed to the ticket window.
"Spider-Man! 3 tickets! Show at 0 o'clock!"
"Me too, Spider-Man 2!"
"Spider-Man 6 tickets!"
"Don't crowd the queue!"
The white man was dumbfounded. Are these people crazy? Do they want to watch Spider-Man played by an Asian?
"Brother, is it really that good?"
"Nonsense, why should we grab tickets if it doesn't look good? It's simply the best movie in the past five years! Go ahead and don't block me."
"ah?"
The white male was skeptical and planned to queue up to buy tickets, but the queue was already very long.
"Jessica, how about we go back?"
"Humph." Jessica sneered, "I just bought the tickets, so I bought one. Don't you want to see it? You can go back by yourself."
"ah?"
The white man's guts were filled with regret. If he had known, he would have bought the ticket just now. He would still be able to play third base after watching the movie at night.
It's probably ruined now.
He was wondering, is "Spider-Man" played by Asians really good? Why are these people going crazy to grab tickets?
Not only theaters near Hollywood in Los Santos but also theaters in other areas are increasingly buying zero-point screenings of "Spider-Man" for fans.
…
In the Time Warner headquarters building, CEO Dick Parsons is listening to reports from his subordinates.
"So, what do the media at the scene think?"
"Mr. Parsons, I'm afraid our "Superman Returns" has hit a rough patch."
Compared with Marvel selling copyrights everywhere, with a hammer in one place and a stick in the other,
DC copyrights are owned by Warner Bros.
There are advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that Warner's large scale makes it easier to develop IP.
The disadvantage is that the management requirements are relatively high. If the management is not reliable, the entire DC universe will rot in Warner's hands.
Relying on the live-action movies of "Superman" and "Batman," Warner really started the craze of live-action comic adaptations before the 1990s.
Michael Keaton's "Batman" became the last swan song of superhero movies.
The combination of three bad movies, "Batman Forever," "Batman & Robin," and "Catwoman," severely damaged DC's vitality and completely destroyed the live-action comic book movie market.
The DC IP has been almost destroyed.
While Sony is preparing for "Spider-Man," Warner Bros. is actually not idle either.
They started investing in the filming of "Superman Returns," hoping to re-ignite the live-action comic book market.
It's just that the news about "Asians playing Spider-Man" is relatively hot, while "Superman Returns" doesn't have much news for the time being.
The filming of the film has been completed and the quality is quite satisfactory.
If "Spider-Man" didn't cause trouble, "Superman Returns" might still be on the top 10 box office lists of the year.
However, just when they were scheduled to release at Christmas, "Spider-Man" suddenly attacked and caught Warner by surprise!
CEO Dick Parsons could only rely on Spider-Man's reputation. If the reputation was bad, Superman would still be able to turn around.
"Don't worry, according to our theater information, the pre-sale box office of "Spider-Man" is not high, and I'm afraid it won't even make it into the top five in North America. Our "Superman" has the power to fight."
"Let's do some statistics again and see what the attendance rate was on the night of the premiere!"
Dick Parsons had an ominous premonition that this battle between "Superman" and "Spider-Man" would not be very good.
…
On the other side, Sony headquarters.
Howard Stringer, chairman of Sony North America, is also anxious.
"What's going on? Isn't the reputation very good? Why is the attendance rate still not high on the first day?"
"There is no way, mainly because we are too disadvantaged in the early stage, Asian Spider-Man, and the live-action movie is weak, so everyone needs some time."
"Okay, we don't count on the box office on the first weekend, and we will strive for subsequent growth."
Howard Stringer conducts resolutely:
"Work harder and get more exposure. Shopping mall ads and TV ads are all over the place! Collect media reviews and let's do another wave of publicity!"
Just when Sony executives were nervous and worried about the box office performance of "Spider-Man."
Many of the first viewers at the film's premiere have already gone home.
The first thing they do when they get home is empty their bladders. The movie is really exciting and the theater toilets are packed with people.
The second thing!
Open social networking sites, open face, open blogs, open online chat rooms, open comic fan forums, open movie forums!
In short, the first batch of fans who have watched "Spider-Man" have a lot to say!
It's the kind of feeling you get after watching a super, super good movie and not feeling unhappy!
Before the 0 o'clock premiere of "Spider-Man," the movie's reputation is about to explode!