Chapter 349: 349 Classics of Classics

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As the grandest event of the awards season came to a close, newspapers, magazines, and websites were flooded with news about the 77th Oscar Awards, including the list of winners, red carpet moments, and behind-the-scenes stories. “Million Dollar Baby” emerged as the biggest winner, taking home four major awards for Best Picture, Director, Actress, and Supporting Actor.

Of the six Oscars that Flame Films secured with their 14 nominations across two movies, four were technical awards. Undoubtedly, the most significant was Best Original Screenplay; the others were more like consolation prizes, making Flame Films’ campaign a case of starting strong but ending weak. With winners and losers, Flame Films’ loss didn’t surprise anyone, as the academy’s preferences and the theme affinity meant “Mr. Hughes 2” couldn’t compete with “Million Dollar Baby.” And as the dark horse, “Crash” lacked a bit of momentum. Moreover, Warner Brothers outmatched Flame Films in resources and capability for promotion and lobbying.

When Wang Yang heard the results, he felt a tinge of regret and didn’t know who to curse, muttering “damn it” to himself. The original Best Picture winner for the 78th Oscars, “Crash,” ended up with nothing at the 77th—so what were the chances for “Brokeback Mountain” at the next Oscars? Would the academy dare to award a film supporting the theme of homosexuality? Regardless, Flame Films was already gearing up to promote “Brokeback Mountain” for next year’s Oscar battle.

Although the ceremony was mostly dull, the distancing of the shadows of war and host Chris Rock’s popularity played a positive role. According to Nielsen, the event drew an average of 41.5 million American viewers, making it the most popular awards show of the year, compared to the 16.8 million for NBC’s Golden Globes, 18.8 million for CBS’s Grammy Awards, and only 9.9 million for the People’s Choice Awards.

In the 56 most vibrant viewing markets, this year’s Oscars reached a five-year high in ratings. However, the overall decline in viewership suggests that the 77th Oscars were more popular in big cities than in rural areas.

The peak viewership of the night occurred during the Best Picture award, attracting 42.1 million—only 1.4 million fewer than when “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won the year before. The Best Sound Effects, which seldom reached 40 million viewers, astonishingly drew in 41.95 million when the already popular married Best Director Wang Yang took the stage, showcasing his explosive popularity!

Wang Yang didn’t disappoint the academy or the 41.95 million American viewers. His engaging and humorous speech assured his crowning as the most popular presenter, best guest, and cameo host on various media websites, both in public opinion polls and journalist reviews.

While the cameo host’s all-out assault was one thing, host Chris Rock became the target of criticism, with celebrities and stars he named expressing their distaste, especially for his joke about Jude Law: “If you’re looking for Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law, you know. Who is Jude Law? Why is he in every movie I have seen for the last four years? He’s in everything. One minute he’s in love with a man, the next he’s in love with a woman; he’s an American, he’s a Brit…”

Last year, Jude Law starred in five prominent films, including “Stealing Heart,” yet didn’t receive a single Oscar nomination. The excessive jokes escalated to mockery, and Chris Rock was countered by Sean Penn during his award presentation, saying, “Jude Law is a fine actor.” Afterward, “Stealing Heart” producer John Kelly stated, “A joke is fine, but too much is annoying.” Others like Toby Maguire directed their complaints toward Rock as well.

That day, Jude Law wasn’t at the Oscars; he was vacationing in his English home with his fiancée, Selena. When he learned that he was mentioned and made fun of in such a grand ceremony, becoming the butt of the joke about his acting career, Law didn’t respond directly but indicated through other means that he was hurt and enraged. He thought it was his agent’s outrageous conduct that led to this embarrassment and, according to many media reports, decided to fire his current agent and switch to a new agency to make a fresh start.

Media reviews of Chris Rock’s hosting style were divided. “The New York Times” commented, “Chris Rock was desperately trying to be provocative.” “The Washington Post” critiqued, “Though Rock is a talented, sarcastic comedian, he was astonishingly awkward as an Oscars host and vulgar on a mental level.” There was no shortage of praises said, “Rock was a lifesaver for the Oscars, reviving the seemingly dead ceremony.”

Wang Yang’s intelligence is undeniable, which is why he’s so well-liked in Hollywood. Known to be a die-hard “Friends” fan, he took a clear dig at Brad Pitt, with whom he had a bit of a past but did so without leaving a trace. Whether divorced or not, people didn’t find it offensive but funny instead. Just like the universally popular Steve Martin caused explosive laughter a few years ago as host with his quip, “We’re all gay.”

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Whether it’s The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon, or The Los Angeles Times, all unanimously praised the marvelous performance by Magical Yang, which, in just a few minutes, drove the atmosphere of the venue to a climax. The Los Angeles Times commented, “The married Yang is moving towards another level of maturity, which can be glimpsed from the transformation of his award presentation speech. His humorous yet deeply philosophical insights into marriage are worthy of the most interesting Best Director in history.” The San Francisco Chronicle hailed him, saying, “Yang taught Rock a lesson.”…

Even something as vulgar as “leg hair” was used humorously by Magical Yang, and not to mention, the life philosophy about the changes in women before and after marriage. Fans were not surprised at all, as both Juno and The Hangover had already explained everything. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also The Big Bang Theory.

Based on media such as Yahoo Entertainment, the buzz about a long-standing rumor has been stirred up again, that the Academy and ABC intend to invite Magical Yang to host the 78th Oscars, continuing the youth and young adult-friendly trend. To know that Magical Yang is better than Chris Rock in many aspects, by countless folds, he would be the first Asian host of the Oscars, and at 26, the youngest host in history…

Film fans and supporters are very much looking forward to this rumor; the Academy and ABC have beautiful dreams, but in fact, they are somewhat like toads wanting to eat swan meat; even inviting him as a presenter has been met with considerable difficulties, let alone a host! A top director and big BOSS would not have so much time for rehearsals, discussions, promotions… Dream on!

People love those who are witty and humorous, which is one of the reasons why Wang Yang is so popular. Among the 41.95 million viewers that day, many laughed heartily and also became interested in Firefly.

This year’s Oscars had a total length of only 3 hours and 15 minutes, making it the shortest since 1986, yet this did not hinder it from selling 30-second commercials for as high as 1.6 million US Dollars each. Due to the Academy’s regulations that movie trailers are not allowed to be Oscars advertisments, summer releases like Kung Fu Panda and Firefly naturally missed the chance to make an appearance. However, just like other distribution companies, Firefly Films has an array of promotional plans prepared and implemented for them: posters, outdoor advertisements, and trailers during commercial times for the “NCAA National Championship” and The Big Bang Theory.

As March Madness rolled around, Paranormal Activity 3 had already finished filming and was close to completing editing, preparing to meet its North American release date on April 1st, alongside other new releases that week like Sin City and Good Hair.

Lionsgate, which had Paranormal Activity 3 in the palm of their hand, took charge of the distribution and promotion, leaving Firefly Films’ distribution department quite busy nonetheless. The urgent task at hand was the global release of Kung Fu Panda on May 13th and Firefly on June 17th. The “wealthy and powerful” Firefly Films was determined, not only seeing Firefly’s promotion costs skyrocket, but also giving Kung Fu Panda the same exceptional treatment.

Kung Fu Panda had begun its global promotion efforts long before, especially in Asia, and even more so in China, where it went all out with publicity. However, contrary to what the Firefly distribution department, and even Wang Yang initially hoped for—a “warm welcome”—things were not so rosy and optimistic. Although he was of Chinese descent, spoke Chinese and could write Chinese characters, many people in the Chinese-speaking regions did not take an interest in this “love letter to Chinese fans”. Instead, they were quite disgusted, deeming Wang Yang’s move as an insult to China’s national treasure and a deceitful commercial act, calling for a boycott of Kung Fu Panda.

Of course, there was a commercial aspect—how else would the entire crew, the animators at Blue Sky Studios, and the Firefly distribution department function? Are they supposed to work to lose money instead of earn it? Is it a great sin for a good movie to perform well at the box office?

Wang Yang knew that he, along with Steve Oedekerk and the entire team, had never had any intention to insult from start to finish. They were all very passionate and fascinated by Chinese culture; the whole film was a product of sincerity and hard work. If those who were clamoring about “nefarious intentions” knew a little bit about the production process behind Kung Fu Panda, perhaps they would be much quieter. The crew had worked on it for three years, spending more than a year on preparations, researching Chinese traditional culture, studying Kung Fu culture…

Many experts and scholars in Chinese culture participated in the work, finalizing the storyline, designing concept art, and action sequences… Every detail of the animated film was worked on diligently to best portray the ambiance of an ancient Chinese town, even the inconspicuous clutter in the corners that don’t focus on the screen and go unnoticed by the audience.

If Kung Fu Panda is successful, it will make people around the world more interested in and fond of pandas, traditional Chinese culture, Kung Fu, and so on. Keep in mind that many of a person’s thoughts and hobbies are shaped by the influences they have as a child. The Kung Fu Panda series can affect countless children. Film fans and audiences get to see a good movie—what’s not to like? Pandas will not be “occupied”; a good movie will perform just as well as it deserves.

Sometimes, Wang Yang did indeed feel very frustrated. China wasn’t lacking in funds, talent, or storytelling sources. Chinese stories are imbued with rich, unique elements and emotional components, like in “Kung Fu Panda,” which showcased Chinese Kung Fu, Chinese spirit, master-disciple relationships, and fraternal love. These are different from the emotional expressions and artistic conceptions of Europe and America. It could be said that China’s ancient culture is the best resource for creating animation. He and people like Chris Wedge had discussed this numerous times, and they all believed that as China’s global status rose, the culture of this ancient civilization would inevitably attract the attention and love of people around the world.

There was funding, talent, and stories—all technologies could be learned and improved—but what was lacking was the patience and professionalism most needed for producing films, and there was an even greater lack of an attitude for learning how to tell stories. Always claiming to be humble, but where exactly was this humility? He had thought that the 2008 version of “Kung Fu Panda” faced resistance from some audience members due to the complex factors involving Steven Spielberg. He hadn’t expected that the Flame & Blue Sky version of “Kung Fu Panda” would face the same issue, with some of the criticism being even harsher. Why was that?

He thought that one day, if a Chinese production company were willing to spend three years painstakingly making an animated film, then those who clamored for boycotts today would no longer shout about resistance. Top animation talents like Xu Chengyi would also return, which was the key to solving the problem.

Fortunately, those shouting for a boycott were only a part of the crowd. The voices of the majority were still rational. The audience expressed in surveys their great anticipation for this love letter, which gave Flame Films and Wang Yang continuing confidence in “Kung Fu Panda.”

Last month on February 28, Monday night at 21:45, Beijing time, CCTV-6 broadcasted the 77th Oscars ceremony. That night, three Chinese individuals took the stage: Wang Yang, Yo-Yo Ma, and Zhang Ziyi. Although Zhao Xiaoding, who was nominated for Best Cinematography for “Ambush from Ten Sides,” was present, he fell short of winning. This prompted considerable reflection among the Chinese media. The two gentlemen were Chinese Americans, and Zhang Ziyi, with her stiff expression, only recited two sentences. How should the coverage be allocated? After much consideration, the media still focused on the magical Wang Yang, who was also the focus of foreign media.

The marvelous speech by the magical Wang Yang, the gratitude expressed by Jan Kaczmarek, Natalie Portman’s “confession”… and on lively gathering places such as Tianya Forum and Baidu Tieba, the magical Wang Yang was undeniably the center of attention, despite numerous ‘Yang haters’ engaging in forum raiding activities.

Though four of Flame’s six Oscars were technical awards, they weren’t altogether unhelpful to the box office. By mid-March, with movies like “Mr. Hughes 2” and “Crash” having been released for over ten weeks, their box office outcomes were pretty much decided. “The Aviator” had recently finished its run, with its North American box office locked in at 133 million US dollars and overseas box office currently at 86.82 million. It was only 30 million short of Flame’s projected global box office target of 250 million, and there was definitely hope to reach it.

With over 200 cinemas still screening the award-winning “Crash,” its North American box office had reached 57.19 million and, with a gradually initiated overseas release, an additional 21.68 million. According to analysts’ predictions, there was hope that its global box office would exceed 100 million, or at the very least showcase an excellent performance of over 90 million+, especially relative to its production budget of 20 million (including buyout fees). It was without a doubt that Flame Films was the winner, and its coveted film library had gained one more jewel crowned with an Oscar halo.

Flame Films had a full line-up of six films for release in 2005; in 2006, there were “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” “The Hangover Part III,” “Furious Cars 2,” “Saw IV,” and “The Prestige.” Having 80% sequels was not Flame’s ultimate goal for ’06. Aside from the very promising “The Green Hornet” planned for ’06 or ’07, Flame’s production division’s most recent plan was to persuade Judy Craymer to bring the famous stage musical “Mamma Mia!” to the big screen.

“Mamma Mia!” as a globally popular new musical that premiered in London in 1999 had played thousands and tens of thousands of showings worldwide. With “Chicago” having secured the Best Picture Oscar and the musical film revival of today, it wasn’t without interest from film companies. However, “Mamma Mia!” maintained the tradition of Broadway classic musicals by not readily granting adaptation rights, preserving the independence and uniqueness of the stage version.

Producer Judy Craymer had faced persuasion from various big and small film companies over the years, but she consistently refused to relinquish any rights related to “Mamma Mia!” She said, “It’s true that some musicals become even more popular worldwide after being adapted into films, but once the audience leaves the cinema disappointed, it will be difficult to find them back in the theaters.” She wasn’t averse to bringing “Mamma Mia!” to the big screen but didn’t dare act rashly, fearing ruining this classic stage play.

Flame Films was no bit player—they had pioneered the revival of the musical film, a niche known to be their gilded signage. Musical films like the “High School Musical” trilogy, “Sweetheart,” and “Step Up” were very popular among young people and matched the youthful, spirited, and passionate style of “Mamma Mia!” Plus, with the genuine persuasion of the magical BOSS, what did Judy Craymer have to fear? Flame was very confident they could sway her and secure the movie adaptation rights.

“After I’m done with ‘Firefly,’ I’ll start working on a new film that I’ll be directing right away,” Wang Yang said to Mark Strong a few days ago. It’s a low-budget modern romance indie film, scheduled for release during this year’s Christmas season.

Mark Strant had almost completely gotten used to the young boss’s whims, almost being the operative word, as he was still slightly surprised by… a modern love story! There had always been some critics who claimed that the passion for chasing girls and love stories in Wang Yang’s films was lacking, that they were stuck in high school, and that there would never be any kissing scenes. Suddenly, he decided to make a romance film? A low-budget independent film that critics had doubted he would ever make again?

“Yes,” Wang Yang answered Mark Strant crisply, instructing him to keep it a secret for now. There was no need to leak any information to the public, thereby reducing fans’ attention to his direction of the ninth film, Firefly. On the other hand, if Firefly turned out to be a great success, then even minimal promotion for this new film would have a significant 1+1 effect come the Christmas season half a year later. Mark Strant naturally understood; simply writing “From the director of Firefly” on the poster would suffice. Such was the charm of a director, but how many people were there who didn’t recognize the genius of Wang Yang?

In the dimly lit editing room, Wang Yang, Margaret, and Lee Smith quietly reviewed the ending scenes of Firefly, considering different options for the theatrical version.

After months of hard work, the theatrical version of Firefly, brimming with over 1800 special effects shots, was nearly completely edited. Excluding the credits, the film’s total length was 155 minutes, or exactly 160 minutes with the credits included. About these 155 minutes of footage—the shots, the story, everything… Margaret was full of praise. The movie began with a climax, leading with powerful setups to reveal a world of unique charm; the numerous mini-climaxes kept the audience on edge, and the astonishing visual experience gradually revealed the intricacies of the story, making it impossible to look away.

The “Battle of New Shanxi,” the film’s biggest climactic battle, didn’t yet have its soundtrack, but it was already so thrilling that it made viewers quiver with excitement. And then there was the highly impactful ending that brought together everything the movie aimed to convey. No one could anticipate what would happen before the 154th minute, before the last line of dialogue. And then they would be struck by a depressing force that went straight to the heart! Margaret was so eager to participate in the DVD commentary track, she couldn’t wait to exclaim, “This is Wang Yang’s magic!”

Now they were discussing the final shot before the credits, debating whether to end with a close-up of a character or a wide shot. Whichever they chose, the ending would remain the same, but the subtleties differed, leaving the director to make the final decision.

“If we choose the close-up, the short time frame will give a stronger impact…” Wang Yang gently rubbed his chin, intently watching the screen as the two versions played several times. Then he said, “Let’s go with the wide shot! It’s more atmospheric and resonant… Let’s do that!”

“OK!” Neither Margaret nor Lee Smith had any objections. Whether ending with a close-up or a wide shot, Firefly would undoubtedly be a classic in the sci-fi space battle genre, a classic among classics. Seeing Wang Yang stand up and stretch with a sigh, Margaret offered comforting words, “Director, you’ve worked hard! You’ve been so busy these past days, why don’t you take the weekend to rest well?” Wang Yang laughed and shrugged his shoulders, “Thanks, I’m alright.” He pursed his lips, silently and excitedly thinking, “The weekend is finally here, tonight… haha!”

It was now March, and it had been five months since Jessica’s acute nephritis had completely healed. Though not yet half a year, this month was the last chance to have a baby in 2005. If they conceived in mid-March, the expected delivery would be in December, so the couple had agreed to try for a baby this month. Ever since Jessica’s “old friend” visited in February, Wang Yang had been living a life of quiet abstention for half a month—through her friend period, safe period, and the few days before her dangerous period—to ensure “quality and quantity,” storing up energy for this battle.

In the softly lit, elegant bedroom, there was an atmosphere of romantic beauty.

Both Wang Yang and Jessica could feel that tonight was different. This feeling was special, unlike their usual sweet or passionate encounters and not like the first time long ago when their hearts pounded like frightened deer. Instead, there was an unfamiliar shyness and a jumbled heartbeat.

This was a night of creation, as a new life was about to be made.