I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 315 - 315 314. Fail to meet a commitment_1

Chapter 315: 314. Fail to meet a commitment_1 Chapter 315: 314. Fail to meet a commitment_1 At the moment the giant wolf burst out of the screen, Thomas Lee suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

But soon, the giant wolf vanished, and everything returned to normal, as the colorful advertisements brought Times Square back to that bustling street.

“Special effects, huh…”

Thomas Lee remembered, this should be a screen effect, augmented reality, the application of naked eye 3D, which allowed people to see three-dimensional effects on a flat screen.

However, this application was still quite rare, and it required certain conditions, like just now, when everyone’s attention was drawn before the effect was played for the best result.

He didn’t expect that Director Lu Ban really went all in…

Thomas Lee found it somewhat hard to believe.

However, he did not speak too definitively, as he was very clear that whether “Demonic Tide” truly reached the box office of two billion US dollars would largely depend on the North American reviews after the release of “Cry” and “The Madman’s Mouth.”

Of course, Thomas Lee and the AMC theaters didn’t employ any tactics such as suppressing Director Lu Ban, forbidding his films from being scheduled, or relegating them to unpopular times—no theater chain would turn down an opportunity to make money.

Time quickly advanced to September, and “Cry” officially premiered in North America.

Despite the film already being leaked over the internet and other channels beforehand, many people still waited to watch it in theaters.

The box office results for “Cry” in North America were decent, reaching close to three million US dollars on the first day. Although this couldn’t compare with blockbuster films, for a niche horror thriller genre, especially one that was a foreign film, the results in North America were truly horrifying.

In the end, “Cry” grossed forty million US dollars in North America after a month of playing, and after its premiere, its box office sales unexpectedly continued to grow, outperforming each previous day.

This was thanks to the fermentation of word-of-mouth and its spread among the youth. Young people, keen on fresh and thrilling content, flocked to this kind of genre, quickly making Lu Ban’s name well-known in high schools and universities, with many even beginning to search online for his previous web films and videos.

In October, coinciding with the national holidays back home, “The Madman’s Mouth” premiered in North America. With the groundwork laid by the previous movie, the film’s opening day surpassed five million US dollars, and over a month of showing, it reached a record-breaking box office of ninety-eight million US dollars.

This was a record for a domestic horror thriller film’s box office earnings abroad and simultaneously made it one of the top three overseas box office successes for a domestic film.

In famous international film forums, discussions about Lu Ban, these two movies, and the “Demonic Tide” promotional event in Times Square grew more intense.

[This **** is the real deal, guys. No joke, I couldn’t dare to sleep with the lights off for several nights after watching “Cry.” This stuff is hardcore!]

[“I’m really grateful to Director Lu Ban. After watching ‘The Madman’s Mouth,’ I went to the library to borrow ‘A Brief History of Time’ and finished it. Before that, I would fall asleep after staring at my textbook for three minutes!”]

[“Did you guys see the trailer for ‘Magic Tide?’ The style of this movie seems completely different from the previous two. My anticipation for this one is growing. How can I fast-forward time to Christmas? I simply can’t wait any longer!”]

[“It’s such a strange feeling. The Chinese language films I’ve encountered before were all about people skilled in martial arts, flying around in ancient costumes. But these two movies feel very modern. I wouldn’t have thought that this country could produce modern films that are so interesting. I think I might look for other films to watch.”]

[“First off, I’ve watched those two movies by Director Lu Ban. Secondly, as a total outsider, I’m not very optimistic about ‘Magic Tide’ performing well because he’s a director known for horror and thriller genres, and the new film is clearly about war. I have my doubts about whether he can deliver a story with such a grand scope.”]

[“You guys are overhyping it. Although I didn’t go to the cinema to watch these two movies, based on the trailer for ‘Magic Tide,’ I don’t think the movie will be all that amazing. Are you all paid shills for the theaters or what? Give me a contact. Let’s all make money together!”]

As a professional within the industry, Thomas Lee was watching the miraculous performance of Lu Ban’s two movies with a growing sense of uncertainty.

Could ‘Magic Tide’ really achieve a box office of two billion US dollars?

Just as he was feeling a bit anxious, a piece of news suddenly broke in the media.

“Fatal Speed 11” was postponed from its original Thanksgiving release slot to the Christmas season, setting it up for a head-to-head battle with “Magic Tide.”

“Fatal Speed 11” is an action crime film known for its urban car racing scenes and explosive action. Following the blazing success of the previous installments, the production costs have risen, and this latest one even takes the driving straight into outer space.

Despite the protagonist’s motivation always being for his family, and how they keep dying and coming back to life, which has drawn criticisms and increasingly absurd driving stunts, these high-octane blockbusters are actually the mainstream in the European and American markets. As long as the movie is entertaining enough in the theaters, audiences don’t pay much mind to logic.

Upon hearing this news, Thomas Lee’s first reaction was, “Fatal Speed 11″ is going to clash head-on with ‘Magic Tide’!!!”

The box office drawing power of “Fatal Speed 11” is beyond any doubt, after all, the series once earned over a billion US dollars in box office receipts. Even though its revenue has decreased in recent times, earning five hundred million US dollars is still a certainty. Moreover, this movie is the final installment of the series, concluding a saga spanning over a decade; it’s only logical and reasonable that it receives special attention.

Moreover, this year’s Christmas holiday slate already includes works from other well-known directors. The delay of “Fatal Speed 11” made an already tight release schedule even tighter.

According to Thomas Lee’s knowledge, “Magic Tide” has been allocated ten percent of the opening day’s screenings, which is quite good for an imported film. In contrast, “Fatal Speed 11” had over thirty percent of Thanksgiving’s opening day screenings. Now that it’s been delayed to Christmas, “Magic Tide”‘s screen allocations might be severely squeezed.

Even if his boss, Lex, after watching the movie, believed that ‘Magic Tide’ had great potential, the executives in charge of the cinema chains also valued the box office appeal of well-known sequels. Between a certain hit and an unknown entity, the shareholders, who valued their money more than life, would definitely prefer a more conservative strategy.

Meanwhile, on the internet, there were claims that the postponement of “Fatal Speed 11” was a deliberate attempt to sniper ‘Magic Tide,’ representing the movie production standards of their respective countries, and set to battle it out during Christmas, a holiday for family reunions.

On the internet, fans were divided, endlessly arguing their points. As the center of public opinion, Lu Ban, happened to attend the Yannan University Student Film Festival in November.