Due to his identity, Duke couldn’t say much, and even with what he did say, it was uncertain how much the other party would actually take in. As someone who was rational most of the time, this was just a rare moment of sentimentality triggered by past emotions. Duke was well aware that he would not be the one to lead the development of Chinese cinema.
Moreover, he wouldn’t go out of his way to cater to Chinese films or Chinese filmmakers, nor would he foolishly choose Chinese actors and try to make them Hollywood stars.
Not now, and not even in a few years.
Hollywood’s rejection and implicit discrimination against actors and other film professionals from non-English-speaking regions especially those outside the core five ally nations was actually quite obvious. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥
The problems brought about by the entire social environment are not something a single person can change. Anyone with a bit of sense understands that.
After briefly touching on the development of Chinese films, Duke didn’t say much more. The topic between Zuo shandiao and Phil shifted to the many issues surrounding Warner Bros.’ attempts to introduce its films into the Chinese market.
Although he wasn’t very involved in these matters, Duke was still quite attentive to their conversation, as it also concerned the future of his own films.
Phil first brought up the release dates of Warner’s films, stating that once the China Film Group introduced a film, it should determine the release date as early as possible to avoid schedule conflicts with other films.
The domestic film protection month here had always been an issue. Warner hoped to enter the Chinese market even during that period.
On the other hand, marketing was crucial to a film’s success. If Warner could confirm a release date in China, they could send stars to China for interviews and promotional events.
"Both Chinese cinemas and the films themselves would benefit, and tax revenue would increase. It’s a win-win-win situation, as long as the marketing is prepared in advance."
Phil had clearly done enough homework. "Transparency is also very important to ensure that box office revenue returns to the China Film Group, the producers, and the investors."
The conversation between Zuo shandiao and Phil essentially revolved around four main issues protection month, release dates, marketing, and transparency.
In fact, Warner and the China Film Group had been discussing and trying to resolve these four issues for a long time, though progress had been minimal.
Additionally, the two also discussed co-productions, which involved not only Hollywood-style films but also Chinese-language films.
The huge success of Transformers made Warner fully realize how massive this market’s potential was. Capital always seeks maximum profit, and Warner also wanted to truly enter the Chinese-language film industry.
Each year, the number of imported films was limited. Not even Zuo shandiao, let alone the entire China Film Group, could change that—it was part of the U.S.-China WTO agreement.
As such, not all of Warner’s major productions could be imported into the Chinese market.
Compared to making films, Duke paid less attention to this area. Though he had agents in both Warner Bros. and Time Warner and would voice strong opinions when it concerned his own interests, for a significant portion of the time, he didn’t involve himself in Warner’s operations.
Filmmaking and running a movie company were completely different professions.
Those who actually participated in film production in Hollywood made up a relatively small circle. Filmmakers were quite familiar with one another. If you looked at their résumés, you’d find they’d worked on many of the same crews, even in different departments. So in many ways, it was a small community.
This ability to collaborate under high-pressure conditions is what makes a film. It might take a year or more to complete a production, and once it’s done, the crew disperses quickly. It has a kind of gypsy-like feel—highly challenging, with strangers gathering to make a film and spending more time together than with their families.
No matter what, in this world, anyone who creates something wants someone to like it, and then they’ll go on to create the next thing.
Duke was a typical example of this. The movies he made were never just for himself or for a small group of people to watch.
As he had said to Zuo shandiao earlier, making movies was expensive. Some films indeed required minimal budgets, but most quality productions needed large-scale investments to be done well, and that meant involving a lot of people. This was true in both the U.S. and China.
Roughly ninety-five percent of people working in the film industry would never get to walk the red carpet or appear on magazine covers. These people worked diligently behind the scenes, giving their best every single day.
Electricians, carpenters, makeup artists, truck drivers, plumbers... they were all part of making a film. If you stayed a little longer after a film ended, you’d see their names in the credits.
Gathering so many people together and getting them to work hard has never been about art or ideals it’s about real money. Without enough financial return, how can one talk about great filmmaking?
Take a movie like The Shawshank Redemption
In Hollywood, no matter what type of film it is, the reason studios invest in production is to make money and to make it as quickly as possible.
Time is also a cost, and inflation is a factor that cannot be ignored.
If Hollywood studios were asked to choose now between Cars and WALL·E, they would, without exception, pick the former, not the more classic latter.
Later on, Duke also added a few comments about the protection month and release dates.
The farther the release date of a film overseas is from its North American release, the greater the potential loss.
Anyone whose film makes it into the Chinese market would certainly want it to be released during the July–August summer holidays, the December holiday season, or the Spring Festival slot. The next best choices would be the May Day or National Day holidays. If a Hollywood blockbuster could be released during these times, it would undoubtedly generate even higher box office revenue.
But right now, that’s impossible. The Domestic Protection Month prohibits the premiere of foreign commercial blockbusters. In other words, imported films that are already being shown can continue to screen, but no new imports are allowed to premiere during this time.
Of course, this excludes imported films whose screening rights were purchased outright by China Film Group.
Duke definitely wants his film to enter those release windows, but that takes time—something that can’t be resolved in the short term.
After meeting with Zuo shandiao, Duke participated in several other promotional events in major Chinese cities. After spending his third weekend in China, he boarded a business jet bound for Tokyo.
Transformers had also been screening in China for exactly two weeks.
After raking in a massive 325.6 million RMB in its first week, Transformers experienced a slight drop in momentum during its second week, but still swept through the Chinese film market. In just the seven days of the second week, it easily took in another 296.24 million RMB.
Within just two weeks of screening, Transformers had already set a new record for the highest box office earnings in Chinese film history 621.84 million RMB.
China Film Group and Chinese media quietly adjusted the film’s box office projection to 1 billion RMB.
Just as Duke landed in Tokyo, Warner Greater China sent in the latest update—China Film Group is highly likely to obtain the extension key for Transformers, which means the film could end up setting a terrifying box office record in China.
The film’s popularity wasn’t limited to China; it was a global sensation. Although it wasn’t a sequel like The Dark Knight, as the beginning of a series, Transformers had a lighter tone and more explosive visuals, making it even more accessible to audiences.
Even in the relatively mature North American market, this popcorn-heavy film was no exception.
And any somewhat rational media outlet wouldn’t treat a commercial blockbuster as if it were an awards contender.
Thanks to Warner Bros.’ PR efforts, mainstream media praised the film’s 3D and special effects rather than focusing on the largely ignored professional critics.
The Chicago Tribune said that watching Transformers gives you the same feeling audiences in 1933 had when they first saw King Kong. The Los Angeles Times stated that whether viewers choose 3D or the regular format, Transformers delivers shock and awe worth experiencing, and it offers an unprecedented visual impact. The Detroit News praised the film as unparalleled when it comes to real cinematic special effects. Empire lauded Transformers for providing audiences with a stunning experience, claiming the new technology allows directors to shoot films like a sandbox simulation...
The latest issue of the North American edition of Time magazine featured Optimus Prime on its cover and offered this commentary Transformers is essentially a film we’ve seen before, but its bold production approach makes it feel like something we’ve never witnessed. It is the Star Wars of our time.
The scorching sun baked the campus of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Two students in their twenties hurried through the reddish-brown corridor toward the classroom, walking quickly. Unlike the usual practical sessions, today was a theory class.
USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is one of the most important talent pools for Hollywood. Students’ academic journeys here are closely tied to nearby Hollywood.
The two students chatted as they walked, and their conversation focused on the subject of today’s theory class an individual and his films.
"Joseph, if Transformers can pull in $311.21 million in North America in just two weeks and over $670 million globally, and it’s still considered a failure, then what counts as a successful movie?"
The student named Joseph shrugged and replied with a question of his own, "Carter, is that even a movie? It’s basically a commercial strung together with special effects!"
Carter wanted to respond, but they had already reached the classroom. He held his tongue for now and took a seat closer to the front. Then, both students looked up at the projection screen, where the topic of the lecture was displayed—What Makes Duke Rosenberg So Unique!
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