The Best Director

Chapter 314: Yet the Person Lingers Where the Lights Are Dim

$107 million! “The Hangover 2,” an R-rated comedy with a budget of $50 million, bagged $107 million at the North American box office in just 3 days across 3,251 theaters!

That’s almost twice the $55.73 million opening weekend of “The Hangover,” beating it by a whopping $51 million-plus! The $107 million also set a new record for the biggest R-rated comedy debut weekend of all time.

“How immense was the force of the predecessor to achieve such a crazy result?” Yahoo Entertainment commented with surprise about this week’s box office champion. The entire market was shocked—who else has made it into the hundred-million-dollar club in 3 days? In 2002, “Spider-Man” with $114 million, PG-13; “District 9” in 2002 with $102 million, R-rated; “The Matrix Reloaded” in 2003 with $108 million, R-rated; and then nothing more, the original fourth place, now fifth place “Star Wars: Episode II” took 4 days in the summer of 2002, with $110 million, PG-rated.

Isn’t this madness? Look at those four movies, all sci-fi blockbusters, or like “Spider-Man” and “Star Wars: Episode II,” with massive fan bases; or hugely popular sequels; or cult works & viral marketing. How did “The Hangover 2,” with a change in its creative team, manage such an explosive surge? TheNumbers attributed it to the popularity of “The Hangover,” followed by an excellent marketing campaign, a weak comedy market, and the passable quality of “The Hangover 2” itself.

Indeed, aside from grossing $320 million in North America and $617 million worldwide, “The Hangover” not only had a massive social impact and boosted tourism and beer sales in Las Vegas; its post-release sales were exceptionally hot as well. Its DVD sales alone in North America have reached $183 million, with 11.43 million units sold—it’s the kind of hilarious entertainment film that’s perfect for buying and keeping. Additionally, it performed explosively well in terms of original soundtrack CDs, VCD sales, VHS, and various rentals.

All these sales-generated laughs have been accumulating bit by bit to form an energy akin to a nuclear explosion, finally unleashing this past weekend. Film fan Dafoe-D commented, “The success of ‘The Hangover 2’ makes me wonder, what would the opening have been if Magical Yang had continued directing? Maybe even more insane?” There might have been. But that’s all hypothetical, the spotlight now shines on “The Hangover 2,” Firefly Films, and Paul Feig, Philip Stark, Galifianakis, and others.

Despite a freshness rating of only 46% and 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, the major criticisms pointed to its similar framework. Joe Morgenstern from “The Wall Street Journal” said, “I simply can’t believe that it all happened again, except the location is not Las Vegas. It is predictably vile, shockingly so.” Roger Ebert from the “Chicago Sun-Times” sarcastically said, “The MPAA rated it R for ‘crude and sexual content, including nudity, drug use, and brief violent images.’ Anything else? Maybe their capacity is limited.”…

The audience approval is only a passable 70%, with the review list mostly featuring 3 stars, 3 and a half stars, with only a few 5-star exceptions. Layla S said, “I had no expectations, but I saw a different comedic style from Magical Yang, which brought freshness.” Brandon H commented, “First and foremost, it’s funny. They reused and repackaged the jokes from the previous film, but I must admit I laughed.” There was also half-a-star Stacey G: “A terrible remake of ‘The Hangover’ could give you cancer just by watching it, avoid it.”…

But commercially speaking, “The Hangover 2” has reached a new peak for comedies. Becoming a focal point, Paul Feig accepted an exclusive interview from the “Los Angeles Times” as the box office champion. Despite remarkable predecessors, a three-day box office break of one hundred million is still worth highlighting by media outlets. When asked about past gems, Paul Feig replied, “Our set has inherited the atmosphere from the era of Magical Yang, like an amusement park where everyone can put forward fun ideas. I’ve even been pranked a few times by Zack, Bradley, and the guys—it’s all in good fun. This atmosphere was fantastic; it gave us a lot of inspiration, and it seems that we got great results.”

“Of course, there was tremendous pressure.” Speaking further about the pressure from Magical Yang and his predecessor, Paul Feig candidly said, “He’s like an insurmountable mountain in front of you—you have to muster the courage to go and try to climb over it. Magical Yang played it a bit crazier, with lots of slow motion, special effects, and parody; we took a relatively different approach, with more unexpected details.”

After talking about two topics concerning Magical Yang, he was pushed aside, and Paul Feig shared a lot of on-set anecdotes, behind-the-scenes production secrets, and aspects of his personal life with “Los Angeles Times” questions. Discussing the huge success of “The Hangover 2” and its impact on his life, Feig laughed and said, “It’s huge! It’s like a gust of wind sweeping through, affecting me and my family deeply. Overnight, everyone was calling me ‘I saw ‘The Hangover 2,’ it’s so funny,’ ‘Paul, you blew this gig,’ haha! The proudest I’ve been is hearing my son say, ‘Dad, I just realized how funny you are.’ That truly makes me proud.”

Finally, when it came to his future work plans, and the news about “The Hangover Part III,” Paul Feig told the reporter, “I hope there will be a ‘The Hangover Part III’ and that I can direct it, continuing to work with this crew of old pals. But currently, everything is still very uncertain, and I just want to enjoy this summer to the fullest.”

Flame Films seemed to have little doubt about the success of “The Hangover Part III,” unsure about an opening box office of $107 million?

To help boost box office numbers, the highly efficient Flame Films announced their plans for “The Hangover Part III.” Spokesperson Fiona Hasson joyfully told the media, “We are extremely, extremely surprised to see ‘The Hangover 2’ burst forth with a strength that surpasses the original. According to the exit poll data we have gathered, over 65% of the audience is aged between 17-35. We are delighted that it remains a favorite among the youth. ‘The Hangover Part III’ is an inevitable project for Flame, and although the story format might change, we will strive to bring back the cast from the second film to go on another hilarious journey.”

Beyond the definite production of “The Hangover Part III,” the market is also abuzz with rumors that Flame Films intends to sign a 1+1 deal with Paul Feig to invite him to direct and produce another R-rated comedy project; at the same time, giants like Warner Brothers and Paramount are also eyeing this versatile 41-year-old rising star director.

Over the weekend, “The Hangover 2” irresistibly grabbed the crown while “Furious Cars” kept its strong momentum. After adding 326 screens, the number of theaters rose to 3,316, and with a rebound box office of $31.41 million, it secured the runner-up spot. The North American total rose to $131.4 million in 17 days, surpassing last year’s “2 Fast 2 Furious” at $127 million, now just $12 million shy of “Fast & Furious” at the top of the car movie category with $144 million.

“We wrecked a total of 200 cars, it was insane—many of which we fixed and then wrecked again. So, in the film, you can see over 300 cars.” During this period, Lin Yibin became an even brighter new star than Paul Feig, with non-stop interviews in newspapers, magazines, and online media. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he replied, “I love cars, but I’m not a car fanatic, let alone a racing fan.”

This rising Chinese-American director naturally captured the attention of Asian-American communities throughout America and the Chinese-speaking community in Asia. Meanwhile, “Furious Cars” was gearing up for an overseas promotion to land on China’s big screens, leading Lin Yibin to conduct several interviews with Chinese media.

Migrating to the suburbs of Los Angeles at the age of eight, where his family ran “Lin’s Chinese Restaurant,” Lin Yibin joked in an interview with that his background isn’t extraordinary. Still, his parents were very enlightened and trusted and supported their son’s passions from the beginning, making his path to UCLA’s School of Film both warm and happy. Education there taught him what making movies entailed, but after graduation, how to make a film was a different matter.

“As an Asian filmmaker wanting to break into the industry, I faced greater challenges. I had to find ways to prove my abilities to others. Low-budget independent films were a good path. I maxed out a few credit cards and borrowed some money, but it wasn’t enough. I had to either continue maxing out cards or find backers. Then luck intervened, and I met Wang Yang in Las Vegas. He gave me enough starting capital, which I used to make ‘Better Luck Tomorrow.’

Sitting in his bright and elegant office, hearing the question posed by the reporter on the phone, Lin Yibin thought for a moment and then smiled, “I also enjoy making mainstream Hollywood blockbusters because they offer a greater challenge. With big-budget productions like ‘Furious Cars,’ Wang Yang wouldn’t handle me with kid gloves, demanding global box office returns, which is a responsibility. ‘Furious Cars’ taught me a lot, and I grew rapidly because of it.”

Computer screens displayed clips of edited footage; he was currently planning the DVD release for “Furious Cars.” After answering several questions about the film itself, he heard the voice of the reporter over the phone again, “You went to America as a child, does your Asian background have any influence on your film production? Will there be more of an Asian perspective?” Lin Yibin chuckled, having once been confused by the common second-generation immigrant question of “Who am I?” but not anymore.

“Whether I want to think about it or not, I have an Asian perspective,” Lin Yibin articulated thoughtfully, echoing Wang Yang’s words with a serious tone, “But facing big productions and the entire market, you can’t only think of the Asian perspective. Everyone has their own focal points, and an outstanding director needs to have a broad range of focal points, to focus on things that others might overlook. Moreover, when filming, the actors and crew are diverse, from various places and races. You need to integrate them, so the Asian perspective is an advantage for me—I can see more.”

This was indeed excellent advice and experience passed on by Wang Yang and a big reason he could be so bold and uninhibited. Lin Yibin reminisced about his past self, always obsessed with taking “the most unique path,” but if you look from above, aren’t all paths just paths? Whether it’s an Asian, European, or American perspective, there’s no need to oppose any. Only by attempting to understand and grasp them all can you become clearer about your own thoughts, your own needs, and make better movies.

“I really like showing views from children of Asian families. Although there aren’t many Asians in Hollywood, that doesn’t mean you’ll get more opportunities because of this,” Lin Yibin said, pausing. Even Flame Films wouldn’t, he continued over the phone, “You have to do well before others will recognize you. You don’t need to talk about whether you’re good or not, it will naturally show in your work.”

The Sina interviewer asked again, “So, uh, there aren’t too many well-known Asian directors in Hollywood, and many netizens think you have a limitless future, calling you the next miracle Yang and comparing you with Wang Yang, Ang Lee, John Woo, and others. Do you think this is the case?”

“Hahaha!” Justin Lin couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head repeatedly, saying, “This question is too much, way over the top! No no, I don’t dare compare myself with Wang Yang, Ang Lee, John Woo; they are masters, and I can only hope to work hard in the direction they have paved.” He hadn’t had much contact or worked with Ang Lee or John Woo, but as for Wang Yang? Be it on or off the set, they were completely not on the same level in every aspect, except that he was older than Wang Yang in age numbers.

“My career has just begun, I’m still a baby who needs to walk carefully and slowly, and I hope one day to become a person like them. But for now, we can’t be compared.” Justin Lin didn’t want to dwell on this topic. He sincerely admired miracle Yang, joking that if he were a woman, he would fall uncontrollably in love with Wang Yang, whose personal charm was too powerful. That joke could be seen as coming from an Asian perspective!

However, the Sina interviewer wanted to delve into these topics. Despite often being drowned out by a barrage of criticism from Wang Yang’s detractors, the entertainment section knew that with miracle Yang came click rates; out of every ten visitors, not even one might recognize Justin Lin, but at least eight would recognize Wang Yang. So, the interviewer took the opportunity to ask, “What kind of person is Wang Yang in your eyes? As both of you are Asian filmmakers, can you talk about the differences?”

“There’s a lot to that, Wang Yang and I have two different personalities. I came to Los Angeles with my parents at the age of 8, and Wang Yang wasn’t even born yet, so we have completely different life experiences.”

Justin Lin smiled. For instance, he wasn’t very passionate about sports like the NBA or the NFL. Frankly, he knew he was a nerd trying to break through barriers and shatter stereotypes, otherwise, he wouldn’t have finished graduate school before embarking on filmmaking. “I’m a more traditional and rule-abiding Asian,” he reflected, “which means you’re often overlooked; but as far as I know, Wang Yang is into a lot of things, has many crazy ideas, is humorous and cordial, and strong, haha! He’s the kind of person that’s very popular.” He laughed, “Different life experiences also directly lead to completely different attitudes toward things.”

“We’ve heard that ‘Furious Cars’ is going to have a sequel; will you continue to direct it?”

Unless it was completely pulled from theaters immediately, ‘Furious Cars’ was a certain hit as the number one box office racing film. A week earlier, Flame Film had joyfully announced plans for its sequel, revealed to be helmed by the original team including Justin Lin and Chris Morgan, with contractual details surely needing further negotiation, as everyone involved had certainly moved up the ranks. It was understood that Flame Film also intended to sign a 1+1 contract with Justin Lin to complete the production of ‘Furious Cars 2’ and ‘Furious Cars 3’ within the next five years.

It looked like miracle Yang was following in the footsteps of a young Steven Spielberg, who had recognised and supported filmmakers like Robert Zemeckis and Chris Columbus. Wang Yang and Flame Film had launched several promising box office champion directors, such as Christopher Nolan, James Wan, Justin Lin, and Paul Feig. But now there were no long-term contracts, nor would filmmakers readily commit blindly to one company; major studios like Universal, Sony/Columbia, and Fox, as well as numerous smaller companies, were keen to invite Lin, who had proven his abilities, to direct new films.

Fortunately, whether male directors or female directors like Annie Fletcher and Sara Schulman, they were all working happily with Flame Film for the time being.

From June 25th to 27th, the weekend box office’s third place belonged to the long-absent Lionsgate. Since ‘Paranormal Activity’ in 1998, Lionsgate hadn’t tasted the flavor of a single film breaking a hundred million in North American box office returns. Unlike Flame Film, which went for big marketing budgets in cinemas and the refined FF brand distribution of test films, the development-starved Lionsgate seemed more indiscriminate and had released 11 films to cinemas this year.

The smallest was ‘Snow Walker’ in March, shown in only 16 cinemas; it wasn’t ‘Paranormal Activity’, and disappear with a hasty curtain call of $52,000 after one week. Their big-budget production ‘Punisher’, which cost $33 million, only made $33.81 million in North America and $54.7 million worldwide, going down as a box-office flop. Jon Firthmeir was growing increasingly regretful of what happened with ‘Paranormal Activity 2′; souring relations with miracle Yang meant missing out on what could have been billions in profit.

But it seemed that good luck had come again! The R-rated documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11,” produced on a budget of 6 million, grossed 23.92 million from 868 theaters! It recouped its investment in just 3 days! Even more gratifying was its 84%, 82% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the papers were full of praise for the film, which, like “Paranormal Activity,” caused a huge social reaction upon its release; the audience approval rating was also a solid 71%. This time, they really hit the jackpot!

The documentary, directed by Michael Moore and reflecting certain aspects of the current U.S. government, tried to explain why America had become a target for terrorist activities and was always involved in wars, thereby criticizing the Bush administration. Ever since Michael Moore ferociously cursed George Bush with a stream of humiliating words at last year’s Oscar ceremony, he had not suffered any retribution. Instead, the self-proclaimed “asshole who can do anything” was becoming more invigorated with each battle.

His “Dog-Eat-Dog Films” production company, along with gutsy distributors like Lionsgate, as well as Miramax, IFC Films, and several other independent studios with stakes in the film, released “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which not only made Republicans lose face but also generated a huge profit for Lionsgate.

“This is the most comprehensive attack on the Bush administration in history,” said Peter Rainer of New York Magazine. “A huge film, an angry film, a flawed film, but it’s a very, very interesting movie,” said Andrew OHehir of Salon. Nell Minow of Yahoo Entertainment said, “The best controversial documentary for adult youth.”… However, many Republicans were already furious, denouncing the damned fatso for talking nonsense! Although the film had been in theaters for only 3 days, numerous Republican leaders were already claiming they intended to charge Michael Moore with defamation and take him to court.

Indeed, the cinemas this year were far from lacking in excitement. “The Passion of the Christ” had just exited the public eye when “Fahrenheit 9/11” began to dominate newspaper pages. One act followed another, providing a spectacle for movie fans and the public alike.

With “Fahrenheit 9/11,” everyone at Lionsgate, from the bosses to the employees, was overjoyed, and Jon Feltheimer genuinely felt less nostalgic for Wang Yang. The idea for “Paranormal Activity 3” could also be shelved for now. Although Wang Yang’s news would still be followed and reprinted by the Chinese internet this summer, his presence was becoming increasingly scarce in the English-speaking media, often mentioned only in passing during others’ conversations, as if recalling a memory.

“Hahaha!” The cinema roared with laughter during the packed screening of “The Hangover Part II,” with Evelyn laughing so hard she was almost in spasms, saliva spraying out; “Bang, bang! Boom!” The thrilling screening hall of “Furious Cars” made the first-time young viewers’ blood boil; the audience of “Fahrenheit 9/11” frowned, “Little Miss Sunshine” and “DodgeBall” shared sporadic laughs; “The Notebook,” without Rachel McAdams, still moved people to tears, but its audience approval was only 85%, with a mere 52% and 49% freshness rating, Clair wiped her eyes and typed her review on her film blog, “Before going to the movies, I was prepared for a tear-jerker; but I never expected that it would be an utter gusher of emotion…”

The bustling summer continued, with “The Hangover Part II” and “Furious Cars” shining brightly without the magical Yang’s Flaming Films; a variety of amazing worlds on the big screen made fans both laugh and cry, lost in this intoxicated state, even die-hard fans like Evelyn and Clair were no longer missing Wang Yang that much.

And far from the limelight, far from interviews and flashes, Wang Yang was in the sparsely populated southwest of Texas, near the Rio Grande bordering Mexico, leading a team to shoot “Firefly.”

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