Chapter 114 Premiere

The premiere of "Despicable Me" was scheduled to be held in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, which is also one of the places where Hollywood movies often hold premieres.

The main reason is that it is close to the company and Gu Wei is too lazy to make any trouble.

The premiere was not large in scale, but there were quite a few people present and the invitations had been sent out in advance.

In addition to the personnel sent by Warner and Universal Studios.

Will Smith and his good friend Tom Cruise attended the event. This was also the first time Gu Wei and Tom Cruise met.

The movie "Mission Impossible 3" starring Tom Cruise was released in North America on the 5th, a week earlier than "Despicable Me".

Gu Wei was also invited at that time, but due to other things, he did not attend the premiere of the film.

There is also Matt Damon, who stayed at home with his wife after filming "The Departed".

Matt Damon, who got married last year, has been spending time with his family recently and has not been filming any other movies.

"Hey Matt, how's it going?"

Looking at Matt Damon walking towards them, Gu Wei spoke first.

“It’s not bad, life at home is very leisurely.

I'm not like that guy Leon, who is a workaholic and recently went to South Africa to make a movie. "

Only when he heard Matt Damon mention Leonardo did he know where Leon had gone.

I don’t know how long it will take Leonardo to shoot this movie. Gu Wei also plans to invite him to participate in "Interstellar". I will call him after the premiere.

At the entrance of Beverly Hills, the red carpet was ready, and there were a large number of reporters taking pictures on both sides. Stars and filmmakers continued to arrive.

On both sides of the red carpet, there are several huge posters showing the characters in the movie, including a nanny and minions wearing glasses.

Gu Wei looked at the poster and nodded, quite satisfied with the presentation of the characters.

It's just that the cost is too high, which makes him feel a little distressed.

Will Smith, wearing a white suit and sunglasses, came with Tom Cruise.

As soon as I got off the car, I was surrounded by media reporters.

The arrival of the two people brought the red carpet to a climax.

Reporters pointed their cameras at them, with flashbulbs flashing continuously, recording every moment.

Fans stood outside the railings, shouting their idols' names, bringing joy and excitement.

"Will, what do you want to say about this movie?"

A reporter from Los Angeles Entertainment News held up a microphone, approached Will Smith and asked directly.

“I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I believe in Gu’s ability. It will be a classic animated film.”

"Will, what's the status of the filming of I Am Legend?"

"Sorry, I'm here to attend the premiere today, so I won't answer any irrelevant questions."

"Tom, can you please..."

The two of them said a lot of good things about the movie when they were interviewed by reporters.

Then he took a few more questions, and when they were finished, they walked into the hall together.

"Wel, welcome."

"Gu, I will definitely come to support your movie.

Let me introduce you to my good friend Tom Cruise. "

"Hello, Director Gu Wei."

"Hi Tom, Mission: Impossible 3 is great, I think it will become a classic franchise."

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

Gu Wei would chat with every guest who attended the event for a while. Those who came to support him were friends who gave him face.

"Director Gu, congratulations on your upcoming movie."

After Director Li An walked down the red carpet and entered the venue, he saw Gu Wei and started to congratulate him directly.

"Thank you Director Li for your support."

Gu Wei noticed Li An, and then looked at the people behind him. Zhang Ziyi was among them. When did these two get together?

"Director Gu, congratulations on your upcoming movie."

Zhang Ziyi, dressed in a dress, still has some temperament, but her figure is a little skinny.

"Thank you, and welcome to come and support us."

When you come to someone's house, you are a guest, so you still have to observe the necessary etiquette.

As more and more guests arrived, everyone in the venue held their bedding and spread out to chat.

In addition to the guests, there were also many film critics and audiences at the premiere of the movie. The audience members who attended were invited through a lottery.

.........

As the host came on stage, the venue gradually became quiet.

Gu Wei, along with Reid and others, began to answer questions from reporters.

"Gu, do you think Despicable Me will become a classic animated film?"

A reporter from the New York Times asked.

"Of course, this movie is no weaker than other animated films. I put a lot of effort into it."

"Gu, how much do you think the movie will earn at the box office?"

The reporter from Los Angeles Entertainment News asked directly, starting with the box office.

"The box office is determined by the audience. I am only responsible for film production and showing it."

Gu Wei did not give a high-profile answer that he could achieve a box office of several hundred million. If he failed to do so, he would be slapped in the face.

"Gu, Ice Age 2 will be released next month. Which of the two movies do you think has the better advantage?"

The Los Angeles reporter didn't get the answer he wanted, so he continued talking.

“It depends on the audience’s choice, but Despicable Me is no worse than other animated films.”

Gu Wei continued to practice Tai Chi and did not give a direct answer.

...

Gu Wei then answered a few more questions and shared some interesting stories about the film editing process.

As the interview ended, the film screening began.

The big screen turned on, light gathered on the screen, the picture slowly unfolded, and the eyes of the people in the audience were involuntarily attracted to the movie.

The protagonist of the movie, Gru, is a big bad guy.

Because he started the "Moon Stealing Plan", the shrinking ray he wanted was snatched away by Victor. He also found out that three little girls could enter and leave Victor's castle under the pretext of selling cookies, so he adopted them from the orphanage and used them to steal the shrinking ray.

However, during this period, Gru developed a deep affection for the little girls, so he did not drive them away and began a battle with Victor for the moon.

"The character design is very unique, a bit like the villain in 007, and the plot is also good."

As the movie played, the audience in the audience also started discussing in low voices.

“This is the character image in ‘The Unrivaled Tribulation’.”

A scene in the film where Gru appears in a space suit is an intentional homage to Armageddon (1998), directed by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis.

The appearance of the Minions caused a stir in the venue, and their unique shape attracted everyone's attention.

The ninety-minute film ended quickly, leaving everyone feeling a little unsatisfied.

In the venue, there was applause from the audience, and the guests and moviegoers stood up and applauded.

“Gu, this will be a classic movie.”

“The Minions are so cute.”

Many fans of Gu Wei’s movies shouted loudly.

"Gu, congratulations, another classic work."

Will Smith stood up and walked to Gu Wei to congratulate him.

"Thank you."

"Gu, the movie is great. I think I will take my children to the cinema to watch it again."

"Gu..."

The guests who had watched the movie came forward to congratulate.

After the movie, the cocktail party officially began. People present communicated with each other. This was also an occasion to discuss cooperation.

That night, various reviews and comments about "Despicable Me" quickly appeared on major film forums under the control of Warner and Universal Pictures.

"A very heartwarming movie." "A classic movie that families with children should not miss."

“It goes beyond the production level of previous animated films.”

"Another success for the Oscar-winning director."

...

The positive reviews of "Despicable Me" online have attracted many netizens. Many people have already booked tickets in advance and are waiting for the movie to be released.

In the company, Gu Wei looked at the reviews online and nodded with satisfaction.

The next day, the guests who attended the premiere were reported by the media.

"Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Li An."

Photos of each guest and Gu Wei were posted online.

Leonardo, who is currently filming in South Africa, also expressed his congratulations to Gu Wei on his film through social media, and expressed his hope that the film will achieve high box office results.

"Director Gu is so prestigious. The guests present are all Hollywood celebrities."

"Leonardo even sent a video to congratulate me. I'm so envious."

"When will it be released in China? It's urgent."

"According to the usual practice, it will probably take some time, depending on the speed of the review by the relevant departments."

"It has received rave reviews from the US. I look forward to the movie's release."

...

At this stage, netizens’ thoughts are very simple. As long as the movie is good, they will go to the cinema to support it. No one wants to experience the feeling of spending money to watch a bad movie.

"Senior, when will you come back after the movie is released?"

In the villa, Liu Yifei was barefoot and talking to Gu Wei on the phone.

“It will be soon. After the first weekend of release, when the box office data comes out, I will go back if there are no problems.

How is your preparation for the graduation defense going?"

In the hotel room, Gu Wei was lying on the bed and asked.

"Almost there. Don't you still believe in my strength?"

"Haha, I believe it."

The two chatted for a while, and Liu Yifei asked him to go to bed early and reminded him to take care of his health.

.........

Los Angeles time, May 5, Friday, sunny.

"Despicable Me" opened in nearly 5,000 theaters and officially hit major theaters in North America.

"Two tickets for Despicable Me."

In the cinema, Reid came to the ticket window and shouted to the waiter.

"Three tickets to Despicable Me."

"OK, just a second."

"Two tickets for Mission: Impossible."

"Four copies of Despicable Me, please."

...

While Reid was buying tickets, parents continued to arrive at the cinema with their children.

"Boss, many people bring their children to watch our movies."

Reid, wearing sunglasses, spoke to Gu Wei next to him.

"The situation is better than we thought. Let's go and watch the movie again."

Seeing the situation, Gu Wei nodded with satisfaction, and walked towards the screening room with Reid.

...

Among the movies released in May, there are very few that can stop Despicable Me.

Mission: Impossible 3 and X-Men 3 lacked stamina, but the moviegoers were no less than Gu Wei's movies.

Warner and Universal Pictures received feedback from theaters and stepped up promotion of Despicable Me.

The media have been writing articles, waiting for the explosion of "Despicable Me" in the first three days of its weekend.

Just as Gu Wei had guessed, the movie achieved overwhelming box office success.

On Friday, it grossed $1800 million.

On Saturday, the box office exceeded 2200 million US dollars.

Over the weekend, the film saw an explosion in box office revenue, reaching 3000 million US dollars.

With US$7000 million in its first weekend, it immediately became the weekend box office champion, leaving all other movies far behind.

"Boss, we succeeded, woooo."

In the company, Reid was as excited as a baboon, making strange noises constantly.

"Boss, these are the data sent by the two companies. So far, the movie box office has exceeded 70 million US dollars."

At this time, a company employee came with documents and reported to Gu Wei.

"Ryder, the company is holding a cocktail party tonight, go and notify them.

In addition, all personnel involved in film editing will receive red envelopes.”

"clear."

Reid walked out of the office happily, and soon, cheers were heard outside.

...

"This is probably the biggest surprise for me among all the animated films this year. It's 95 minutes long and not a bit cumbersome. If I could put it this way, it's like having a peaceful and happy dream."

"In this funny cartoon, the word 'despicable' is an exaggeration, but this title is the best choice for both the audience and the film producers, because saying the opposite of what you mean is often more powerful than telling it directly."

"There's nothing to sneeze at about this film, but there's also not much to remember about it. It's cute as hell, which may not be the height of a "message story," but it's still entertaining if used in the right way."

The New York Times reports.

“The story of the film is very creative and simple, the plot is vivid and interesting but not complicated. It can only be completed by a series of seemingly insignificant, absurd but reasonable details that touch the souls of the characters, as well as the conflicts and reversals formed by these details.”

Review of "Animation Art Appreciation".

With the release of the movie, it not only achieved high box office, but major movie websites and media also expressed their opinions.

Maybe this movie still has some obvious shortcomings, but overall, it is a work that can make people go to the cinema, calm down and watch it to the end. It can bring you happiness, it's that simple.

...

“Another high-grossing movie comparable to The Day After Tomorrow.”

"Director Gu has once again achieved success in Hollywood and continues to create a box office legend."

"Yifei, what do you want to say about Director Gu's movie achieving such a high box office?"

At an event in China, Liu Yifei was asked about this topic by reporters.

"Of course I hope the box office is as high as possible, after all, I am an artist of Director Gu's company."

Liu Yifei replied.

The other celebrity artists who were attending the event nearby looked sour when they heard this, and they wanted to grab the microphone and take his place.

"Yifei, congratulations on the success of your company's movie."

"Thank you, Sister Binbin."

"I wonder when Director Gu will return to China."

Fan Binbin asked directly after he finished congratulating.

"Director Gu didn't tell me the exact time, so I'm not sure."

"Okay, I won't bother you anymore."

Liu Yifei watched Fan Binbin leave, then looked down at her chest, feeling a little discouraged. There was still a gap, and she hoped she could develop again.

...

80 million, 90 million, until a week after the movie was released, the box office exceeded 100 million US dollars.

Gu Wei arranged a celebratory reception and, in addition to all the company's employees, also invited some personnel from Warner and Universal.

At the scene, as a large number of red envelopes were distributed, the atmosphere gradually reached a climax.

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(End of this chapter)