Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven-Something Just Like This.

There was a brief silence in the living room of Greenberg Manor. Bruce Rosenblum had actually just returned to Los Angeles. After seeing the news related to "Jurassic Park 2", he rushed here immediately.

In a way, Ron Meyer, CEO of Universal Pictures, did not play this skill very well, but his timing was just right.

"The Dark Knight" has been undergoing intensive publicity for several months, and its popularity is ranked first among this year's summer movies. However, he chose to announce the release of "Jurassic Park 2" at this time, and then used the media to spontaneously The gimmick of hyping up the showdown between two top directors saved tens of millions of dollars in publicity and marketing funds for the film.

In fact, the reason why the other party dares to play like this is simply because of their confidence in the Tyrannosaurus rex. It can be said that in this year's entire summer season, except for the king of "Jurassic Park 2", there is really no one that can be on the same level as "The Dark Knight" 's film.

Wayne has just received the highest recognition from the Oscars, and Warner Bros. has also been promoting "The Dark Knight" with the name of the new Oscar winner for Best Director. It has even entered the final sprint before its release. You can watch it everywhere to the video information.

It can be said that the more intense the promotion of Warner Bros., the greater the benefits for "Jurassic Park 2" at this time. The media has been eager to hype the showdown between the two great directors since this morning. It is difficult not to attract attention. .

"There is no simple old guy who can be the CEO of one of the six giants." Wayne lit a cigarette with a click and muttered while looking at the newspaper on the table.

In fact, both people present understood that the CEO of Universal Pictures was using public opinion to confuse the eyes of most ordinary movie fans. The biggest purpose was to promote his own films. Revenge, peak showdowns, etc. were just incidental items. .

To put it bluntly, I have enough confidence in my own film. After riding on the popularity of "The Dark Knight", I can ensure that "Jurassic Park 2" will give Warner Bros. a hard slap in the butt the next weekend.

If they didn't have confidence in their own film, they wouldn't have dared to put the film in this schedule, because as long as "The Dark Knight" has enough stamina, it is entirely possible to cause a diversion of movie fans and a lose-lose situation for both parties.

As for the peak showdown gimmick between the two great directors that the media started hyping up this morning, if you think about it carefully, you will find that this is simply a sneaky switch of concepts, because the two films were not released together on the same weekend or in the same schedule. Since they are commercial The duels on the show were not released on the same schedule, so how can there be a fair duel?

"Warner Bros. has been working hard to create and maintain your character. You should know this, right? Wayne."

After a brief silence, Bruce Rosenblum looked at the man opposite him seriously through the drifting smoke. “From the incident of the little boy who drew his own Batsuit to the bank robbery that earned you the Congressional Gold Badge, Warner Bros. has spared no effort to guide public opinion.

In the eyes of the public, you are the representative of the American dream. Although you have a playboy character, no woman has said anything bad about you in front of the media. More importantly, that is your character as a modern chivalry owner! I have an idea, we can start from this aspect, okay, you have to give me a decision quickly. "

As his voice became smaller and smaller, a simple and quick plan was slowly narrated. There were only two of them in the living room now, and he was not afraid that what he said would be heard by others.

Moreover, according to Bruce Rosenblum's understanding of this man, there is a high probability that the other party will not refuse his proposal. As long as the benefits are large enough, he believes that the young Jewish capitalist opposite him will dare to start the Third World War. Yes, the benefits must be large enough.

The living room fell into a brief silence again. Wayne was smoking cigarettes one after another. The expression on his face did not change at all. No one could tell whether he agreed with the idea just now, but one thing was certain for Warner Bros.'s distribution director, that is, he did. It’s about seriously considering the feasibility.

"Two difficulties."

About three minutes later, Wayne put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray on the coffee table, looked at the other person, raised his arm and stretched out a finger, and said. "First, you have to assure me that the child in this matter does exist and was not created by Warner Bros. through some means. Bruce, you also know that I am learning how to be a good father, so I don’t want to hurt any children!”

Seeing the other party smiling and nodding, he frowned slightly, raised his arm and stretched out a finger again. "Give me a team, a team within Warner Bros. It needs to be fast. The core members of my team cannot be here in a short time. They will probably rush back from the vacation before the movie is released. Why not just use Warner Bros. A brother’s man.”

"Okay, I'll go back and prepare now." Bruce Rosenblum smiled and nodded again, stood up and prepared to leave the manor to make preparations quickly. "By the way, there are reporters all over the door of the manor. If you want the effect to be good, you'd better not accept any media interviews. It doesn't matter if you let Universal Pictures laugh for a few days first."

"etc."

Before the other party could reach the door of the living room, Wayne seemed to suddenly remember something and suddenly sat up straight from a relaxed state. "I have other ideas, you need to make more preparations..."

When he was the only one left in the living room, he carefully thought about it from beginning to end, making sure that there would be no mistakes. The corners of his mouth gradually began to turn up. If Naomi Watts was around, she would know immediately that this man must What kind of great bad taste is there? It is usually a bad taste that is difficult for outsiders to understand.

"Nina!" Wanting to understand everything, Wayne shouted twice into the study upstairs. "Dear Ms. Klein, I remember there is a good article in the pile of information in the safe. Please help me get it."

"What?!"

At the corner of the stairs on the second floor, the assistant lady looked confused, looked at the suddenly nervous boss downstairs, and asked again. "what?"

Wayne simply stood up, seemed to be in a particularly good mood, and whistled a rare whistle. "Forget it, I'll find it myself, and you can continue to calculate those damn financial statements."

On this day, almost all North American media were filled with the news that Wayne Greenberg's "The Dark Knight" was about to face off against Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park 2". This was a big deal for the two film companies. I can't say whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, but for the media and fans, it's an out-and-out carnival.

In May, at the beginning of the summer vacation, there were two rare showdowns between kings. Fans felt extremely happy. Countless teenagers were counting their pocket money carefully and couldn't wait to prepare and enjoy this show. A movie viewing feast.

"I believe that most fans who pay attention to movies still remember that as early as the summer of 1993, a similar peak showdown had already been staged. Back then, "Joker" was a dark horse, several years ahead of the North American theater market. It grossed more than 310 million U.S. dollars in one week, and also earned more than 1 billion U.S. dollars at the global box office.

Just when people couldn't wait to pay homage to Wayne Greenberg and exclaimed that no one could surpass this box office record in ten years, it was still in 1993 that Steven Spielberg brought "Jurassic" The first part of "Park" broke this record in a short period of time. The influence of the big dinosaur was so terrifying that countless people once again worshiped it.

So far, the top two places in the North American box office rankings are still Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park", Wayne Greenberg's "Joker" and "Forrest Gump" This film, which also grossed more than 300 million U.S. dollars at the North American box office, originally had high hopes from countless people, hoping to catch up with the previous two films. Unfortunately, it fell short in the end.

This is also the only film in a few years that has almost caught up with the box office records of "Jurassic Park" and "Joker". Subsequently, not to mention threatening the position of the first two in the North American box office rankings, Hollywood Even the North American box office works with a box office of over 300 million are very few. This also calmed down countless media and filmmakers, confirming once again that if a work that exceeds the box office of those two films appears, I am afraid we really have to wait another ten years.

However, after the two internal preview screenings of "The Dark Knight", whether it is the film selection experts of the three major theaters, media critics, or fans who were lucky enough to see the movie in advance, they all affirmed that this Weird movie will be a success. The quality of Greenberg's ambitious superhero work is no less than that of 1993's "Joker", and is even better.

The famous film critic Todd McCarthy of the Los Angeles Times, after watching the internal test screening, once vowed to the media that the North American box office of "The Dark Knight" will definitely exceed 300 million US dollars, and he is fully capable of completing the "Joker" ” and “Jurassic Park” beyond.

Various comments about "The Dark Knight" are becoming more and more noisy day by day, and at the same time, people's expectations for the film have been raised to the highest level. However, before the movie fans could be happy for too long, another news that drove them crazy was also announced. The Tyrannosaurus rex that once caused a sensation around the world is back, and "Jurassic Park 2" will be released after "The Dark Knight" A week later, he officially met with fans.

Now it seems that this peak showdown is very likely to continue the grand spectacle of 1993. Whether it is Steven Spielberg or Wayne Greenberg, these two great Jewish film masters are very likely to personally Breaking each other’s box office records and pushing the numbers on the North American box office list even higher..."

George Lucas put down the newspaper in his hand with a smile, and gently touched the finely trimmed beard on the side of his face with one hand, his eyes full of smiles.

Whenever he thinks about the head-on collision between his old friend and his little friend, it is difficult for him to remain calm. These two Jewish directors can be said to be the two most popular in the industry in the past two years. The two have great similarities, that is, they are both typical quick shooters among directors. They can always work on one film a year while still having the energy to be producers and supervise other projects.

Of course, there are more differences. The two are completely different in terms of the types of films they specialize in, but this is also the most exciting point. Strictly speaking, Steven Spielberg has a greater chance of winning. The overlord The influence of Dragon is too great, and the film is the most suitable for selling tickets for the whole family, and the release date is also a little clever.

On the other hand, although the type of film Wayne is making is not the R-rated films that he has often seen before, and the audience is much wider, it still suffers a little compared to the family fun that is deeply ingrained in people's minds. However, Batman His popularity and influence cannot be underestimated by anyone. In the end, it is really difficult to judge who will be better.

"Ding. Bell, bell, bell, bell, bell..."

Just as the father of Star Wars was enjoying a moment of bad fun after his busy work, his personal phone rang. He was stunned for a moment. Unless it was a close friend or family member, no one would know this number. Who would know it? Call during your working hours?

He answered the phone in confusion, and after hearing the voice on the other end, George Lucas's face broke out into a smile again.

"...I know you are very busy now, and all your time is spent preparing for the new Star Wars. However, there is something I still want to ask you if you are interested."

"What's the matter?" The old man turned around and leaned on the desk, looked at the scenery outside the window, and joked: "Don't expect me to help you find information from Steven. This is a matter between the two of you. You know, just now I was looking forward to the box office showdown between you two! Don’t worry, boy, I’m on your side mentally.”

"Hey! Come on, don't be like this, listen to me." The voice on the phone was filled with helplessness, and then the voice gradually became smaller. "George, do you still remember the joke we made at the last alumni reunion? How did you say it? The two of us formed a band and entered the Grammys together. I have a plan. I believe you will be interested. In a few days Time is all, do you want to have some fun?..."

As the voice on the phone gradually became quieter, the father of Star Wars' eyes became brighter and brighter. Until long after the phone was hung up, he kept touching his beard with one hand, and the emotion in his eyes revealed Quite emotional and interesting.

After a while, he picked up the phone on the table without hesitation and dialed his secretary's number. "Mary, Mary. Tell the special effects team for me that I need to take a few days off. Yes, just a few days. Damn it, it won't delay the work on "Star Wars Episode I", just a few days."

In the next few days, the media compared "The Dark Knight" and "Jurassic Park 2" in various aspects. Countless so-called film experts began to analyze the outcome of the two movies, starting from the screening. From the scale to the number of screens, from the cast to the behind-the-scenes team, the two upcoming movies have been analyzed from head to toe by countless people before they officially hit the theater market.

Ron Meyer is in a particularly good mood these days. With his unexpected plot, he successfully saved tens of millions of publicity and promotion funds for "Jurassic Park 2". Moreover, after a year, he was able to make people who have been under pressure There's nothing more satisfying than having Warner Bros. feel bad for everyone.

Even as one of the six absolute top executives, he has rarely accepted several media interviews in the past few days. In front of cameras and recorders, his self-confidence has almost reached the point where everyone knows it.

Taking advantage of this sudden national discussion, the distribution department of Universal Pictures followed suit and started the final publicity sprint for the film in North America to match the scale of Warner Bros.'s promotion. For a time, various aspects of the two films were News, gossip, etc., flood all channels through which people can receive information.

Compared to the high-spirited Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. is not that excited, as if it has not been interrupted by the other party at all. It is carrying out the final publicity before the release step by step, through TV advertisements, newspapers, magazines, Film critic columns and the Internet are constantly releasing information related to the "Dark Knight" film.

Sometimes it's a few new posters, sometimes it's a short new trailer. In the past two days, interviews with leading actors such as Christian Bale have also been added. The unhurried attitude has made countless insiders confused. What on earth were they thinking.

No one believes that Warner Bros. would be willing to let Universal Pictures take advantage of this, and then indifferently follow the plan designed by the other party. People are waiting.

But it was destined to disappoint the spectators. After a few days, the media was full of all kinds of information, almost all hyping up Wayne vs. Spielberg, and Warner Bros. did not say anything on this matter. view.

Countless reporters from the media are following Wayne, trying to get some explosive stunts from him. Unfortunately, for the past few days, he has been hiding in his car and not showing up. The major media sent the information to his agent Jimmy. Interview invitations also fell into disuse. No one knew what his attitude was now.

But one thing can be foreseen, that is, the collision between "The Dark Knight" and "Jurassic Park 2" is bound to happen. There will be no more surprises. What makes people more interested now is who will be the last one. Victor, this means too many things.

Even many unscrupulous media have prepared two press releases in advance. If "Jurassic Park 2" has a higher box office in the end, they are ready to blow Steven Spielberg to the sky. If "The Dark Knight" ultimately wins, they will describe it as a handover of power between old and new Jewish film masters in Hollywood. Anyway, the media will never give up on this explosive stunt.

Just as both companies are making the final impact before the film is released, time is also slowly advancing. Before the official arrival of mid-May, the core creative team members of "The Dark Knight" have returned one after another and begun to work on the distribution department of Warner Bros. Under the arrangement, the final promotion of the film began.

What makes all fans and media confused is that Christian Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne in Batman, Nicolas Cage, who plays the Joker, and the main actors Samuel L. Jackson, Naomi Watts, and Michael Key Well, Ralph Fiennes, and Charlie Sheen, who is constantly showing off his prodigal son character in the media, all began to appear frequently, but the film director has never appeared in public.

It would be a pure joke to say that Wayne does not attach importance to this film. No one believes that he will not stand up at this critical juncture and use his huge influence and the limelight of the new Oscar-nominated Best Director to cheer for the film. , such a situation is simply not in line with the rules.

Perhaps Universal Pictures feels that it has an advantage. It has been promoting everything about "Jurassic Park 2", and its CEO Ron Meyer has frequently appeared in the media. However, Steven Spielberg has always maintained a fairly low profile when facing the media. He attaches great importance to his competitors. With their friendship and mutual understanding, he knows that whoever wins and who loses is likely to win. .

The good Jewish man understood quite clearly that Wayne had always been a smart man, and when faced with Universal Pictures' sudden move, he would never be willing to let the other party kick his ass in vain.

Although he had a lot of copyright income from the movie "Jurassic Park 2", when interviewed by media reporters, he even jokingly said: "Whoever wins and who loses has a chance. It's possible. I beat him with the previous game of "Jurassic Park" in 1993. Who knows if he will beat me with the sequel of "Batman" this time?"

Everyone knows the relationship between these two Jewish directors. Many people in the industry know that the reason why DreamWorks will hand over its distribution business to Warner Bros. after this year and simply abandon Paramount is because of Wayne’s previous Matchmaking gave DreamWorks a breathing space. It was too difficult to get this good old man to say something unfavorable to the other party.

In fact, Steven Spielberg's feeling was right. When the time came to May 13th, only two days left before the premiere of "The Dark Knight", people finally knew what he had done. .

"This is the NBC Universal News Channel. At the end of the program, we received the latest news." At about 7 pm on May 13th, which is also the so-called prime time of the TV station, under the gaze of countless North American families, the NBC Universal News Channel Before the end of one of the news programs, the white female anchor spoke quickly and reported the latest developments.

"This year's North American summer movie market is particularly anticipated. As we all know, "The Dark Knight" that countless movie fans are looking forward to will premiere on the evening of the 15th, that is, Thursday. This is the new Oscar-winning best director. , the latest masterpiece directed by Congressional Gold Medal recipient Wayne Greenberg, but just before the film was released, countless fans discovered that the film director disappeared."

As the white female host made the announcement, the TV screen quickly switched and the host's voice gradually became quieter. A little boy who had nothing to do with the news appeared in front of the TVs in countless families in North America.

Just when everyone felt inexplicable, as the music slowly played, the host's voice was clearly audible again: "In early May 1997, in order to fulfill the dream of a terminally ill little boy, around Ventura County, Los Angeles All residents of a small town participated under the organization of Wayne Greenberg, who had completely disappeared from the media's sight for a long time.

His name is Thomas. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was one and a half years old. His parents asked him if he had any wishes that he wanted to realize. Thomas said that he wanted to become Batman and save the world! When the Greenberg Charitable Foundation accidentally learned of the situation, it immediately notified Wayne Greenberg, the creator of Batman.

Wayne, who was busy working on the release of "Batman: The Dark Knight", immediately stopped all work at hand and took the initiative to let his foundation contact the little boy's parents, hoping to realize the little boy's death within his limited time. The boy's wish. He then contacted his good friend George Lucas, and the two of them planned a complete set of plans in this small town surrounding Ventura County..."

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