China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 720: "Superheroes" at the Film Festival

June 6, location North America.

Lincoln Center Theater, New York.

The annual North American Tribeca International Film Festival is held here.

Maybe many people in China have never heard of this film festival, and their first impression is that it is some fake film festival.

In fact, it's really not.

When it comes to North American film festivals, the most familiar ones should be Sundance and Toronto, but in fact, the Tribeca Film Festival is as famous as both.

However, it was founded much later than the previous two and may be slightly less well-known.

But in Hollywood, many insiders still recognize the value of the Tribeca Film Festival.

The Tribeca Film Festival is only 10 years old, but it has quickly become one of the largest and most respected film festivals in the world.

Moreover, it was co-founded by famous Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, film producer Jane Rosenthal and several other well-known film workers.

Therefore, the industry reputation in North America is very high.

Sun Yi came to North America to attend the Tribeca Film Festival this time, not to participate in the awards, nor to serve as an awards presenter or be assigned, he came to promote the movie.

That’s right, it’s the “Ladas Buyers Club” which is about to be released in North America.

In fact, according to Sun Yi's original plan, he was not planning to carry out large-scale publicity for this film.

Because it is a biographical drama, it can basically be classified as an art film, and at the same time it is rated "R", so the upper limit of the box office of this movie is almost visible to the naked eye.

Sun Yi would be very lucky to have $100 million.

If the box office can reach more than 4000 million US dollars and he can recover the cost and make a small profit, Sun Yi will be very satisfied.

That's what he expected from the film.

Even though he has made commercial films worth hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years, he is not a god and it is impossible for him to change the fundamental principles of the film market.

The box office of art films just isn’t selling well, no matter who tries.

Of course, we cannot say anything definitive without discussing individual cases, and there are indeed some extremely special situations.

But it is unknown how many years it will take to produce a film, and Sun Yi does not have the time to bet on that.

Therefore, the publicity plan he made for this film was very simple and basically standard.

Before the release, there will be limited online and offline promotion, a decent and not shabby premiere, some press coverage, and some film critics to say good things about the film, and that's it.

Sun Yi believed that with his own strength, it would be no problem to recover the costs.

His idea was good, but as the release date approached, Leo became a little uneasy.

Leonardo, who is the leading actor in the film and also converted his salary into corresponding investment, is the largest investor in the film besides North American Star Sky.

The total investment accounts for almost 30%.

Logically speaking, Sun Yi's release plan should have been discussed with Leonardo in advance.

Indeed, Leonardo and his manager Rick did agree with Sun Yi's plan.

But the situation changes so much that many unexpected things always happen.

The reason is that the North American box office has been extremely weak in the first half of this year.

According to their own survey, the film market in North America in the first quarter was lacking "blockbusters" like last year's "Avatar" or "Alice in Wonderland" as well as "Inception" and even "Pacific Rim".

The entire film market seems unusually dull.

Not only are there no blockbusters, but the total number of films released has actually increased by 50%. This means that the North American film market is flooded with a large number of films of the same genre and bad films, and there are no excellent commercial blockbusters to be seen.

It also seriously affected the viewing mood of North American movie fans, and caused the entire North American film market to suffer. The total box office revenue in the first quarter of 2011 dropped by 16%, and the number of moviegoers in the first half of the year reached the lowest point in Hollywood in years.

Movie fans' participation and interest in movies have dropped significantly, and the market has clearly entered a period of decline.

This is why Leonardo and his manager Rick hope to change the original promotion plan and strengthen it.

This led to this trip to the Tribeca Film Festival.

Frankly speaking, Sun Yi probably had some foresight about this year's North American film market.

During the economic crisis in 08 and 09, all industries and sectors were hit to varying degrees, except for the film market, which bucked the trend and rose. Many film and television companies seized the opportunity to increase their investment, and various capitals also chose to come to Hollywood to avoid suspicion.

This resulted in a significant increase in the number of films being shot and produced during that period.

In fact, Sun Yi's "Bad Pacific" was also produced during this period, but its filming started much earlier than that of Hollywood film and television companies.

This thing is slow at every step.

I ate all the movies that were finished first and released first.

Throughout 2010, the overall box office of the North American film market rose by one level.

By the time the majority of films had finished filming and were scheduled to be released in 11, all kinds of similar films, some shoddily made to save time, began to flood the market. Movie fans are not fools, so of course they didn't buy them.

If movie fans don't buy into it, it would be impossible for the North American film market to maintain its prosperity.

However, this has little to do with Sun Yi at the moment.

He came to the Tribeca Film Festival to promote his film, and he also relied on Leo's connections.

Sun Yi simply had a little more publicity money, which was not much in total.

Therefore, he did not raise any objections.

For a movie, more publicity is always a good thing.

Like Sundance, the Tribeca International Film Festival is more inclined towards independent films and is intended for those unknown film managers, filmmakers and film lovers.

James Wan has participated in this film festival before.

According to him, the overall atmosphere of this film festival is pretty good and professional. There are not a lot of messy people and all the participants are insiders. It has a very good reputation in the circle.

“Dallas Buyers Club” is not here to compete.

Because it is not an encouraging film in itself.

North American Star is now a film and television production company with a certain degree of distribution capabilities. The films produced by it cannot be classified as independent films.

They came this time to promote the opening film of this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

"Hello, Director Sun, welcome to Tribeca."

The honorary chairman of the film festival, Robert De Niro, specifically greeted Sun Yi.

"Mr. Robert, it's great to see you."

"Haha, please let me introduce you, this is... this is..."

"Hello, Director Sun." "Hello, Director Sun, your movie is great, I like it very much."

"Hello!" "Hello!"
Sun Yi is now well-known in the North American film and television circles. He is not a household name, but he is quite famous. He is also considered a top figure in this film festival. Many industry insiders who came to show their support were very enthusiastic about him. Hugging, kissing his cheek, and even saying a few polite words are all normal.

In the entertainment industry, as long as you are successful, you will be surrounded by good people.

In the opening theater, Sun Yi and Leonardo sat together.

The movie hadn't started yet, so they still had some time to chat.

"Why, don't you have confidence in this movie?"

Sun Yi adjusted himself into a more comfortable position, and asked the girl with a teasing look on his face.

Leonardo was a little embarrassed. He knew that Sun Yi was talking about the temporary change of the film promotion plan. He didn't know how to explain it when Sun Yi asked him this.

"It was all Rick's idea. You know, managers like them value the market and data the most. They only believe in those things."

Looking at Leonardo's slightly anxious explanation, Sun Yi raised the corner of his mouth and waved his hand, signaling him to relax. He had no intention of accusing him, he was just chatting.

From a business perspective, Leo's company has invested in the movie, so it's understandable that they are concerned about the film's profits.

"Don't worry, I have a feeling this movie will be a success."

Not only did Sun Yi not dwell on this issue, but he also encouraged Leonardo.

"Of course, my friend, I have great faith in your abilities."

Sun Yi pursed his lips and smiled.

Damn, I believe you even changed the publicity plan!

Sun Yi felt a little indignant in his heart, but did not show it.

I have been in contact with Leonardo for quite some time. He doesn't have any bad intentions, but he is a little soft-hearted and easily influenced by others.

Of course, no one is perfect. If Leonardo was a man of great determination, he would not have been easily persuaded by Sun Yi. These minor issues did not affect their friendship.

"Okay, the movie will start soon."

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it~!"

A video of the North American sky and the logo of Leo DiCaprio's film and television investment company flashed by, and the picture began to change.

The story takes place in Dallas, Texas, where there is everything men love: bullfighting and beautiful women.

The male protagonist Ron Woodruff is an ordinary local electrician dressed in his signature cowboy outfit.

When Ron Woodroof, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, first appeared on camera, the fans at the scene all exclaimed in amazement.

"Oh my god, is this still the same elegant little Leo?"

"He is skinny, sloppy, swears, spits everywhere, and is always ready to fight with others. He doesn't look like a handsome guy at all."

The first shot of the movie gave the audience quite a shock.

And what follows is a passionate scene.

This was the life of cowboys in Texas in the 1980s.

Alcoholism, drug abuse, promiscuity, gambling.
Although Sun Yi was very subtle when filming, it is still possible to see that the protagonist is playing poker with two beauties in sweat. In addition to recording this, the movie also includes a close-up shot of one of the women's arms, which is covered with needle pricks.

This shot foreshadows that the male protagonist will be infected with AIDS.

After this crazy poker game, Leonardo's health began to show abnormalities. He had frequent fevers and suddenly fainted at work.

In the hospital, the doctor told him regretfully that he didn't have much time left.

At most, he won’t survive more than 30 days.

At first Leonardo didn't believe what the doctor said.

"AIDS?"

"Isn't this thing something that only those people can get? Are you kidding? I'm a real cowboy, a straight man."

Although the protagonist's private life was in chaos, he was too stubborn to take it seriously, thinking that he was as strong as a bull and it was impossible for him to get this disease.

He didn't believe what the doctor said, but his deteriorating health forced him to start doubting.

He didn't want to die yet, so he started going to the library to look up information about AIDS.

Eventually, Leonardo discovered that his own physical symptoms matched the description in the book exactly.

He had to believe that the countdown for his life had begun.

What made him even more desperate was that upon hearing that he had this disease, his former friends cut off all contact with him and even ridiculed him in private.

The former tough cowboy is now a frail patient.

Such a big change is unacceptable to anyone.
Leonardo finally broke down.

On the way home, he stopped the car and pulled out a pistol.

The cold barrel of the gun was pressed against his throat. Leonardo started out crying silently and ended up breaking down and crying. In just a dozen seconds, he portrayed the final struggle of a desperate man vividly.

Some female audience members even started sobbing when they saw this.

Sun Yi also sighed secretly,

It has to be said that these short dozen seconds are the highlight of Leonardo's personal acting in the whole film, and can even be regarded as a famous scene in film history.

Even better than Matthew McConaughey in the original film.

When shooting this scene, Reiner tried several times but couldn't find the feeling of wanting to die but not daring to die.

Finally, he had no choice but to ask Sun Yi to shoot with a real gun and load it with bullets, so that he could truly experience the feeling of being on the brink of death.

Sun Yi firmly disagreed at first.

Just kidding, that's a real gun. Who knows if he will go crazy while filming? If he's not careful, it might go off. He really won't be able to see clearly and will be gone.

Whether this movie will be filmed or not, whether Sun Yi will still be able to stay in the circle or not.

But Leonardo insisted, and Sun Yi had no choice but to secretly have the bullets removed before he agreed.

Leonardo thought it was a real gun loaded with bullets. When the muzzle of the gun was against his throat, the real fear from the soul immediately touched him, making him burst into tears and sob uncontrollably.

"I heard that you asked someone to replace the bullets, is that right?" Little Leo at the side suddenly asked in a low voice.

Sun Yi glanced at him, pointed at the movie screen, and chuckled, "This question is no longer important, Leon, the result is perfect, isn't it."

"Yeah, it's really great. I didn't expect that I would perform like this."

Back to the movie.

On one side is accepting death, on the other side is struggling to survive.

In the end, Leonardo chose the latter due to his strong desire to survive, or the fear of death.

At this point, he seemed like a different person. He began to regain his confidence and decided to fight the disease.

However, there was no specific drug to treat AIDS due to the medical conditions at that time.

By chance, he discovered that the hospital was promoting a drug called AZT.

But this drug is still in the clinical trial stage, which means that its efficacy and safety cannot be guaranteed.

As a result, Leonardo bribed the hospital nurses in order to obtain AZT.

Although it was effective, it caused more damage to his body.

Moreover, in order to make money, pharmaceutical companies continue to promote this effect and are even willing to increase the dosage.

This made Leonardo's health worse and worse.

On the 29th day set by the doctor, Leonardo embarked on a journey to Mexico, where he was going to look for a cure for AIDS.

God helps those who work hard. After being treated in Mexico for a period of time, his condition was under control and he lived for several months longer than the survival limit set by the doctor.

He saw a business opportunity and started to buy medicines on behalf of others.
However, according to Texas law, any drug that is not approved by the FDA is considered a counterfeit drug and is not allowed to be circulated on the market regardless of whether it is effective or not.

Moreover, the approval process for new drugs takes at least 10 years, which is too long for Leonardo.

Since formal channels didn't work, he started smuggling.

He also found Ryan, a fellow patient he met in the hospital, and the two formed the "Dallas Buyers Club."

The club does not sell drugs directly, but adopts a membership system. Members only need to pay a monthly membership fee of US$400 to receive "fake drugs" specially provided by the club for the treatment of AIDS patients.

Not only that, he also asked each member to sign an authorization letter, stating that he would not be responsible for any consequences of taking the medicine.

However, his "fake medicine" is not only more effective than AZT, but also has very few side effects.

As a result, more patients came to Ron than went to the hospital for treatment.

On the surface, he seems to be a profit-driven businessman.

In fact, the fake drugs he provided were not only cheap, but also shipped from all over the world at great risk.

More importantly, every time there is a new drug, he will experiment on his own body, and only after confirming its efficacy and safety will he distribute it to club members.

In the movie, the most intuitive data is described.
The mortality rate of members of the "Dallas Buyers Club" has dropped to 10%, and most of them have been able to return to their normal lives.

On the other hand, in hospitals, 90 percent of patients will die within a few months.

However, by doing so, he affected the interests of three groups: hospitals, drug regulatory authorities, and pharmaceutical companies.

The club was forced to close.

However, for the sake of the members in the club, Leonardo chose to take legal action to protect his rights.

Although they are marginalized people abandoned by mainstream society, they should also receive due respect and recognition.

Reiner took the Food and Drug Administration and the hospital to court.

Although he ultimately lost the case, his fight saved millions of lives.

After his death, all the "fake drugs" he had used were approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the same time, relevant agencies have also accelerated the approval process for related drugs and included this provision in relevant laws.

The last shot of the movie shows Leonardo riding his beloved bull again.

He ultimately lived seven years.

Ron Woodroof is just an ordinary man, but he lives like a "superhero"!

(End of this chapter)