novelnext Chapter 397 The Era Belonging to Chen Xun
Chapter 397 The Era Belonging to Chen Xun
Chapter 396 The Era Belonging to Chen Xun
Joker premiered at midnight.
The night air in Los Angeles was still a bit chilly.
But the bustling noise on Hollywood Boulevard couldn't be dispelled.
At the entrance of AMC Theatres’ flagship theater, the queue of people stretched from the ticket gate to two blocks away.
It stretches as far as the eye can see.
Young fans in full clown costumes, charity workers holding signs, truck drivers in overalls, and elderly spectators wearing reading glasses —
Most of them came specifically to keep this appointment with ordinary people after watching Chen Xun's interview.
Before ticket checking began for the midnight screening, the cinema manager, holding a megaphone, smiled and shouted to the throng of people, "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's midnight screenings of 'Joker' in all 12 theaters of our cinema are completely sold out! Even the additional 3 AM screening only has front-row corner seats left!"
Thank you all for coming. Please keep quiet during the film. I hope you have a memorable movie experience!
A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.
Others raised their cameras to capture this historic moment.
This is the first time in North American film history that an R-rated movie has sparked such a nationwide viewing frenzy.
Beverly Hills villa.
Chen Xun and Christine sat on the sofa.
The television was showing live box office data from theaters across the United States.
Rob called every ten minutes.
"Bro, the midnight screenings have grossed over 2000 million! That's a new record for midnight screenings of R-rated movies!"
"All screenings on the East Coast are sold out, and box office revenue is still skyrocketing, already exceeding 3000 million!"
"The final figures are in: $4500 million in midnight screenings, more than double the previous record! Bro, we've made history!"
Christine cheered and pounced into Chen Xun's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, cupping his face, and kissing him haphazardly.
He actually did it!
[The midnight screening broke box office records! I dare anyone to say a word against it now!]
This is my man, the best actor in the world!
Chen Xun reached out and steadily supported her waist, his palm stroking the taut lines of her back, and the weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted.
Even though he knew the film's potential.
But when the actual box office figures were presented to him, a burning passion still surged within him.
The kiss ended.
Christine's eyes were red and swollen, and tears fell unexpectedly, landing on his face.
"You really did it."
"Yes, we did it."
Chen Xun gently wiped away her tears and smiled as he ruffled her hair: "I told you not to be nervous."
How can I not be nervous?
Christine sniffed, punched his chest, and said defiantly, "Those trolls are always spreading negativity online, it makes me angry. Now, the data is right in their faces, let's see what they have to say now!"
He was clearly nervous too; he kept tapping the sofa all night, yet he pretended to be calm and comforted me. What an idiot!
Upon hearing his inner thoughts, Chen Xun blushed.
The sky was bright.
Rob presented the final report to Chen Xun: "Final opening day box office figures: $1.87 million!"
"We not only broke the record for the highest-grossing opening day for an R-rated film, but we also broke the record for the highest-grossing opening day for a non-sequel superhero film in history!"
$ 1.87 billion.
This figure not only far exceeds the $39.9 million opening day gross of "Joker" in its previous life, but also directly raises the box office ceiling for Hollywood R-rated films by a full 100%.
This is just an independent film that cost $3500 million to make.
The box office on the first day was more than five times the production cost.
This is an unprecedented investment return myth in Hollywood film history.
While its box office performance exploded, Joker also achieved a phenomenal global critical reception.
On the North American IMDb platform, Joker immediately scored 9.2 points upon release.
It surpassed "The Dark Knight" to become the highest-rated comic book adaptation film in history.
The film has a stable 98% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an astonishing 99% audience score, setting a record for audience reception for comic book adaptations.
Professional film critics and ordinary viewers alike gave it an unprecedented double perfect score.
The New York Times gave it a perfect score: "He brought the Joker out of the comics and made him a real person like us."
"Chen Xun's performance was top-notch; he brought Arthur Fleck to life."
"With just one look, he can make you feel the entire process of an ordinary person going from hope to despair, making us forget that this is a comic book adaptation and only see a soul crushed by society. This film completely breaks the industry prejudice that comic book adaptations are commercially successful but not critically acclaimed. It is a perfect fusion of commerce and art, and a work of cinematic history."
The Hollywood Reporter stated bluntly: "Chen Xun has redefined the ceiling for comic book adaptations with 'Joker.' We can be certain that he's already locked in for next year's Oscar for Best Actor."
On the Chinese Douban platform, "Joker" immediately scored 9.4 points, with over 90% of users giving it a five-star rating.
Countless viewers in the comments section expressed their resonance: "After watching the movie, I sat in the theater for half an hour without moving. When Arthur was beaten on the subway, I was reminded of the days when I was harassed by clients and scolded by my boss, but I still had to smile and apologize. Chen Xun is not playing the Joker, but every ordinary person struggling in life."
"Who would have thought that I, someone who never watches comic book adaptations, would cry throughout the entire movie? Chen Xun's acting is truly divine. When he laughed, I felt even more heartbroken than he did, and when he cried, I shed tears along with him."
"It's truly a source of pride for a Chinese actor to produce such work in Hollywood! From Spider-Man to the Joker, from commercial films to art films, he can play any role, and he can bring every role to its fullest potential. That's what a true actor is!"
on Weibo.
#Joker Breaks Opening Day Box Office Record#
#Chen Xun's acting skills are considered divine#
#Joker (9.4 rating on Douban)#
More than a dozen related terms directly dominated the top twenty of the trending search list.
Eight of the top ten are related to "Joker" and Chen Xun.
The topic garnered over 300 billion views in a single day.
And those previously overwhelming articles criticizing and smearing him vanished without a trace overnight.
The parent organization that had previously incited the boycott quietly deleted its joint boycott post.
The rivals who bribed anonymous accounts to spread rumors have been completely silenced.
Even the negative trending topics they bought earlier were taken down overnight.
Those anonymous accounts that claimed "Joker" would incite violence and that the movie would definitely flop were exposed one by one by netizens and publicly executed online.
One netizen created a long image juxtaposing these accounts' previous rumors with the current record-breaking box office success and critical acclaim of "Joker": "They've been slapped in the face, haven't they?"
"You used to say their movie was a huge loss, but now it grossed 1.87 million on its opening day. Doesn't it hurt your face?"
This Weibo post was forwarded millions of times, and the comments section was full of netizens' mockery: "The more enthusiastic they were before, the more swollen their faces are now. Why aren't the haters saying anything? Come out and show yourselves?"
"They thought they could ruin the film by boycotting it, but it broke box office records instead. They've been thoroughly humiliated, haven't they?"
"Chen Xun is always like this: he doesn't argue or debate with you, he just shows you his achievements, and that's the most ruthless way to slap you in the face."
"Now, there isn't a single negative comment on the internet anymore; all that's being said is praise and recognition for Chen Xun."
From Hollywood insiders to ordinary viewers, everyone knows that an era belonging to Chen Xun has truly arrived.
That afternoon.
In an ordinary movie theater in downtown Los Angeles, tickets for the afternoon showing of "Joker" had just been checked and people were entering.
Two figures wearing baseball caps and masks, heads down, quietly walked down the aisle of the cinema and sat down in the corner of the last row, without attracting anyone's attention.
It was Chen Xun and Christine in disguise.
The moment she took off her mask, Christine leaned close to Chen Xun's ear and whispered with a laugh, "I never thought the male lead of America's hottest movie would sneak into the theater to watch his own movie."
[I really wanted everyone in the audience to know that the actor they were praising so effusively was sitting in the last row, listening to their evaluations.]
Chen Xun smiled and squeezed her hand, replying in a soft voice, "That's what makes it interesting, to hear what the most authentic audience has to say."
The lights dimmed, and the screen lit up.
The entire theater fell silent instantly.
Chen Xun sat in the darkness.
He didn't look at the screen; instead, he looked at the audience in the theater.
They kept expressing their feelings about Arthur's plight, and he suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction he had never felt before.
The movie ended, and the end credits lit up.
The entire audience applauded spontaneously, and the applause lasted for a long time.
When the lights came on, Chen Xun and Christine had already put their masks back on and were slowly walking out, blending into the dispersing crowd.
All around me were the lingering chatter of the audience: "Chen Xun's acting was phenomenal! I completely forgot he was Spider-Man; all I could see was Arthur Fleck!"
"Seriously, the change in his eyes, from initial timidity to final madness, was absolutely brilliant. He deserves the Oscar for Best Actor!"
"I thought it was going to be a superhero action movie, but I ended up crying my eyes out after watching it. His performance was so relatable. Who hasn't had moments like Arthur's in real life?"
Christine found these words amusing.
Seeing something online and hearing it in person are two different experiences.
-
She leaned close to Chen Xun's ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe: "Listen, everyone is going crazy for you."
They only saw his brilliance on screen, but only I know how much he suffered for this role. He deserves all the praise and glory.
In the dark cinema corridor, amidst the comings and goings of people, Chen Xun quietly tightened his grip on her hand, his fingers intertwining tightly with Christine's.
Just like any ordinary couple.
He turned his head and whispered in her ear, "The only thing I care about is that you are proud of me."
Christine's ears turned red instantly. She secretly pinched his palm, but instead of letting go, she gripped his hand even tighter.
We walked out of the movie theater.
The trailer for "Joker" was playing on a large screen on the street, and passersby stopped to take out their phones to film it, discussing the movie that had broken box office records.
The first week after Joker's release.
Hollywood and even the global film industry have been completely overturned by this R-rated film with a budget of only $3500 million.
Everyone thought that the film's box office success and critical acclaim on its opening day were the pinnacle of its success.
But no one expected that this was just the prelude to a storm that would sweep the globe.
As the afterglow of the film spread from the theaters into real life, "Joker" has long transcended the realm of commercial blockbuster movies, evolving into a global social phenomenon.
Originally, only domestic fans of Chen Xun started holding charity events.
Now, North American audiences have also started a "See Arthur in Your Neighborhood" charity campaign.
The person who initiated the event was just an ordinary nurse in the Bronx, New York.
That same night after watching the movie, she posted a long message on Twitter: "After watching the movie, we were all discussing Arthur's tragedy, but there are countless Arthurs around us—the homeless sleeping in the subway station, the neighbors suffering from mental illness with nowhere to turn, the night shift workers crushed by life but still forcing a smile. What they need is not just empathy from a movie, but to be truly seen."
This tweet was quickly shared by netizens.
Countless viewers who watched the movie were instantly touched in the softest part of their hearts and responded to the call to support the film with their own actions.
New York audiences spontaneously organized themselves, driving around Manhattan and the Bronx with cars full of thermal blankets, instant food, and bottled water, delivering the supplies to every homeless person.
In Chicago's subway stations, young people set up small charity booths, offering a cup of hot coffee to cleaners, delivery drivers, and truck drivers who were finishing their shifts in the early hours of the morning.
Los Angeles movie fans, in conjunction with local mental health NGOs, launched a free mental health hotline.
In just three days, they received thousands of calls for help, helping countless people trapped in emotional abyss find a way out.
In just one week, this charity event, which originated in movie theaters, swept across more than 30 cities in the United States, with audiences spontaneously raising over $520 million for homeless shelters and mental health institutions.
Countless people have entered shelters to become volunteers, chatting and eating with those forgotten by society, and listening to them tell their stories.
The concept of public welfare in China has long been elevated to the level of ideology.
The hashtag #RejectVerbalViolence# on Weibo garnered over 260 billion views and 8000 million discussions within a week, becoming the hottest topic online.
Countless netizens shared their experiences of being hurt by verbal abuse in the topic.
The student was called "useless" by the teacher because of poor grades and was isolated by his classmates. After watching the movie, he realized that those casually uttered harsh words were the hand that pushed him into the abyss.
The office worker was subjected to psychological manipulation by his boss and ridicule from his colleagues. Despite giving his all, he was still told he was useless. He saw a reflection of himself in Arthur.
Some people said that they had spoken ill of others before, but after watching the movie, they realized how much harm their casual remark might have caused. They apologized in the discussion and promised never to hurt others with words again.
The discussion spread from online to offline.
Hundreds of primary and secondary schools across the country launched the "No Verbal Violence on Campus" campaign, with teachers leading students to watch movie clips and discuss the power of language; countless companies launched the "Reject Workplace PUA" initiative, focusing on the mental health of working professionals.
Many netizens even sent belated apologies to those they had hurt with their harsh words after watching the movie.