There are always new winners in the film market. Even legendary films like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King only dominated for a time.
In the early summer box office of 2003, the two biggest winners were undoubtedly Pirates of the Caribbean and X-Men 2, while the rest of the films merely picked up the scraps.
By the fourth week of its North American release—also its fourth week in theaters—Pirates of the Caribbean had earned $218 million domestically.
As more international markets opened up, the overseas box office for Pirates of the Caribbean reached $283 million, pushing the global total to $501 million.
Judging by these numbers, Pirates of the Caribbean had already turned a profit.
However, it couldn't be compared to The Lord of the Rings trilogy in terms of longevity. The film's box office dropped significantly by the fourth week.
While new international markets were still releasing the film, they were smaller in scale, so the growth was limited. As the hype faded in the main markets, the overseas earnings began to taper off.
Gilbert had expected this outcome—it was perfectly normal.
X-Men 2 was released a week later than Pirates of the Caribbean and was also seeing a quick decline in momentum.
By week four, its North American earnings were only $181 million. Overseas, though, it had pulled slightly ahead of Pirates, hitting $291 million and reaching a global total of $472 million.
The main reason behind this wasn't that Pirates of the Caribbean underperformed or that Gilbert was slipping.
The crucial difference was that Pirates hadn't yet premiered in several East Asian markets—specifically China and South Korea—while X-Men 2 had already been released there.
The South Korean release had already been scheduled for week five of the summer season, while the Chinese release was slightly delayed, set to premiere after the Shanghai Film Festival.
Even without those two massive markets, the gap between the two films' international earnings wasn't very large. Still, the media seized upon that small difference to claim Gilbert had suffered a setback.
Sometimes, it really seemed like the media made no sense at all.
By late May, the cold wave in Beijing had subsided, and the sweltering summer was just around the corner.
On the tree-lined paths of the Beijing Film Academy, Guo Fan was walking while reading a sci-fi novel, completely absorbed in it.
His fate had taken an unexpected turn. He was originally supposed to study law in college, but that year, the Beijing Film Academy happened to be recruiting in Shandong Province, and Guo Fan was accepted into their directing program.
That summer, he was about to graduate from the academy, though he still had no idea what he was going to do. After all, directing jobs weren't exactly easy to come by.
His advisor had set him up with an advertising company where he could shoot commercials to start.
But that would mean taking a step away from his dream of making movies. Who knew when he'd be able to transition from ads into actual filmmaking?
Feeling a bit down, Guo Fan sighed.
He thought of his idol—director Gilbert—the person who'd first inspired his passion for cinema. It was after watching Real Steel in a theater that he decided to become a director, and a sci-fi director at that.
But unfortunately, the Chinese film industry didn't really have room for science fiction.
Gilbert had made a name for himself while still young. His debut film had already caught Hollywood's attention. But that kind of opportunity was one in a million.
Even with such an opportunity, you needed talent to back it up.
Who else had Gilbert's level of talent? The ability to dream up such stunning stories, backed by refined production skills and a strong personal style?
There was only one Gilbert in film history—no one else came close.
Of course, Guo Fan dreamed of being like his idol. But he knew deep down that it was impossible. He was the same age as Gilbert, but couldn't achieve even a fraction of what Gilbert had.
It had to be said, since Gilbert was the Hollywood director most familiar to Chinese moviegoers, his story of early success was well-known in China.
In fact, Gilbert's story inspired a whole generation of young people chasing the American dream—there were even more people trying to emigrate because of it.
What most people didn't know, though, was that Gilbert's father had deep connections in Hollywood, and that Gilbert was part of the Jewish power circle in the industry.
Yes, he was talented. But without the right background and connections, he never would've made it.
At the very least, Universal Pictures wouldn't have handed millions of dollars to a 21-year-old newcomer. Likewise, without those connections, Spielberg wouldn't have recommended Gilbert to Universal.
Then again, having background without talent was equally useless.
There were plenty of second- and third-generation Hollywood kids with similar connections, but few ever made a name for themselves. Most ended up as spoiled brats living in excess.
It's hard to say whether talent or background mattered more, but one thing was certain—if you had no ability, not even the best background could help you.
Guo Fan didn't really understand all these behind-the-scenes complexities. He'd only read about Gilbert's rise in newspapers and books.
He believed the version where Gilbert's mother died young, he and his father depended on each other, and he was discovered by Spielberg—earning a directing chance against all odds.
The hidden parts of the story were never revealed by the media, which left Guo Fan admiring Gilbert for supposedly rising from hardship.
"Hey, Guo! What are you up to?" a classmate called out from behind.
"Oh my God!" Guo Fan jumped, clutching his chest. He looked back and realized it was his classmate and relaxed. "You scared me to death, Liu Ji! Why'd you sneak up on me like that?"
"Did I?" Liu Ji scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry about that. But I actually came to find you for something."
"What's up?"
"Have you found a job yet?" Liu Ji asked.
"Not yet. But my advisor said there's an advertising company I could join. How about you?" Guo Fan asked in return.
Liu Ji clapped his hands. "Forget the ad company. It's not worth it. Come join a film crew with me!"
"A film crew? What kind of crew?" Guo Fan asked curiously. "It's not one of those underground crews, is it?"
"Underground crews" referred to those funded by foreigners who made films that deliberately portrayed China in a poor, backward, or ugly light. They weren't like the so-called Sixth Generation directors, who pushed boundaries but still operated legally.
Liu Ji immediately looked serious. "What are you talking about? You think I'd do that kind of thing? This is a legit film crew—a big Hollywood production."
"A big Hollywood production? You have connections to something like that?" Guo Fan was stunned. He'd shared a dorm with Liu Ji for four years and never knew he had those kinds of connections.
"I don't!"
"Then why are you saying it's a Hollywood film crew? Are you trying to scam me?"
"How could I?" Liu Ji raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you heard of the Shanghai Film Festival?"
"Of course I've heard of it. What about it?" Guo Fan blinked.
Liu Ji glanced around. There were lots of students walking by, so he leaned in and said to Guo Fan, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere to eat."
"Sure!" Guo Fan nodded in agreement.
The two went to a small eatery outside the campus. They ordered a few dishes and two bottles of beer, eating while they talked.
Liu Ji spoke in a mysterious tone, "I heard some news—Director Gilbert is coming to Shanghai to attend the Shanghai International Film Festival."
"What's so special about that? I've heard it too," Guo Fan replied indifferently, thinking it was old news.
Liu Ji waved his hand and said, "Hey, what you heard was all the official stuff. It's fake. What I heard is different."
"How so?" Guo Fan was intrigued.
Liu Ji motioned for Guo Fan to lean closer. He whispered in his ear, "I heard it from our class advisor. The department head and President Wang have been discussing sending a batch of interns to a Hollywood film crew—and it's Gilbert's crew!"
"Are you serious?" Guo Fan was shocked. "How come I haven't heard anything about this?"
"Pfft," Liu Ji scoffed, "You think they'd tell you? The list is already decided, alright? I kept telling you to build a good relationship with the class advisor, but you never listened."
"When something good comes along, do you really think they'd consider you?"
"It's only because I'm your buddy that I couldn't bear to let you miss this chance. That's why I'm telling you."
Guo Fan looked grateful. "Thank you so much. I really didn't expect this. This meal is on me."
"That's more like it," Liu Ji went on, "You've seen those guys who worked on The Lord of the Rings, right?"
"They're all in high demand now, pulling top-tier salaries."
"The National Master even poached a bunch of them at high prices. Now he brags his team is a full-on Hollywood crew."
"Get yourself some credentials like that, and you'll be on their level when you get back. How great would that be?"
Guo Fan nodded. It was true—no matter the industry, people with overseas experience naturally had an edge these days. That international background added a whole extra layer of prestige.
If he could intern with Gilbert's crew, that would be way better than working at some ad agency.
However, Guo Fan still had one concern.
"But Pirates of the Caribbean just came out. Isn't Director Gilbert taking a break? He's already starting another project?"
Liu Ji gave him a look like he was clueless. "He's not just a director—he's also a producer, remember? Jackie Chan's Mystery of the Talisman is about to start filming."
"That film's got a strong Chinese cultural vibe but it's being made to Hollywood standards."
"Having us interns join the crew and gain experience makes perfect sense."
Guo Fan was still a little skeptical. "Our school's really that capable? We can arrange something like this?"
"What are you saying?" Liu Ji rolled his eyes. "Gilbert is our school's honorary principal, you know. There's even a photo of him with former President Zhu hanging in the small auditorium!"
"With a connection like that, he's got to throw us a bone."
"You've got a point," Guo Fan admitted, though he was still worried. "But my advisor never mentioned it to me. How can I fight for a spot? I thought the list was already set?"
"Don't worry," Liu Ji finally got to the point. "Sure, the school picked its own people internally, but the Hollywood crew also has its own requirements."
"At the Shanghai International Film Festival, Gilbert will be giving a lecture. After the lecture, there's going to be a test. Anyone from the public can join."
"You can go through that public route. Once you graduate in June, you're technically part of society—not a student anymore—so it doesn't break any school rules."
"They're accepting outsiders?" Guo Fan was still surprised.
"When they say 'outsiders,' they really mean people working in the film industry. As long as you can provide proof of employment, you're eligible to participate," Liu Ji explained.
"But I don't have any work documents. What should I do?" Guo Fan was a little lost.
"Oh come on, who really does? Just make one up. Easy," Liu Ji said casually. "Everyone does it."
Hearing that it was common practice, Guo Fan relaxed a bit.
He and Liu Ji chatted a while longer and agreed to meet at the Shanghai Film Festival.
The festival wasn't far off, and Guo Fan still needed to make some preparations. He didn't want to miss the opportunity without realizing it.
...
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