indianbanksassociation Chapter 499 Breakup
Chapter 499 Breakup
Zhang Yimou pushed open the door and saw Zhang Weiping leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, the ashtray in front of him piled high with cigarette butts.
Zhang Weiping opened his eyes when he heard the door open.
His eyes were bloodshot, and a layer of bluish stubble had sprouted on his chin, making him look much older.
"Yi Mou, sit down."
Zhang Weiping's voice was hoarse.
Zhang Yimou sat down opposite him, his expression filled with anger.
"What did I say back then?"
We told you not to threaten the theaters, we told you not to threaten the theaters, but you just wouldn't listen.
But since you've already started, why not stick with it?
Why did you suddenly compromise?
"Persist? How can I persist?"
Those guys were all just going through the motions, trying to make me the one charging into battle so they could reap the benefits.
Tomorrow is the release date for "The Flowers of War".
Without signing that agreement, your film won't even get into theaters!
I've staked my entire fortune on this investment of 600 million yuan.
Tell me, how can I persevere!
Sitting there, Zhang Yimou looked at his long-time partner of over a decade and felt genuinely disappointed.
Over the years, the other party has offended many people over money, which has also affected him greatly.
"If only I had known then what I know now."
If you had listened to me back then and hadn't gone through all this trouble, things might not be like this today.
Now, the entire industry sees us as treacherous and despicable.
"It's easy to talk when you're not in the situation. If I didn't make a fuss, how would I recoup the high cost of 'The Flowers of War'?"
That's 600 million!
"Don't mention 600 million to me. Although I didn't participate in the investment, as the director, do you think I don't know how much this film cost?"
As if struck on a sore spot, Zhang Weiping suddenly sat up straight and slammed his hands heavily on the table, causing the ash in the ashtray to fly up.
"Yes, I overstated the costs!"
But who in this industry doesn't do this?
How can we attract attention and secure subsequent investment if we don't expand the scale of the business?
The cost figure is inflated; I included some things that shouldn't have been included.
But Yi Mou, put your hand on your conscience, when I, Zhang Weiping, pushed you, did I ever hesitate?
From "Hero" to "House of Flying Daggers", from "Curse of the Golden Flower" to the current "The Flowers of War", which film didn't I scrape together money for you by selling everything I own?
Your artistic pursuits, your international reputation—weren't they all built with my hard-earned money?
Looking at his excited face, Zhang Yimou's anger suddenly turned into deep exhaustion.
He shook his head, his voice lowering.
"Old Zhang, let's end our collaboration once 'The Flowers of War' is no longer showing in theaters."
Zhang Yimou's voice was soft, yet it struck Zhang Weiping's heart like a heavy hammer.
The office suddenly fell silent, with only the faint sound of traffic coming from outside the window.
The excitement on Zhang Weiping's face froze instantly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just slumped back in his chair.
The last wisp of smoke rose from the ashtray and slowly dissipated between the two.
"Are you... really sure?"
Zhang Weiping's voice was hoarse, and his previous righteous indignation had completely vanished.
"I've made up my mind."
Zhang Yimou looked out the window as the city lights began to illuminate the city.
"Over the years, we've made some good films and gained some fame."
But Lao Zhang, movies shouldn't just be a business, much less a calculation between us.
You always said money was your foundation, but now, money has become the only bond between us.
"Art can compromise, but it cannot be hijacked. My lens should not be mixed with so much cigarette ash and the sound of abacuses."
Zhang Weiping remained silent for a long time.
He lit another cigarette, the flame flickering in the twilight.
After a long while, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I understand."
Wait until this film finishes its journey...
Let's each go our own way.
As night deepened outside the window, two figures who had once fought side by side stood silently facing each other in the gradually darkening room.
On December 15, "The Flowers of War" was officially released in theaters nationwide.
On the first day, it only accounted for 28.7% of screenings.
This number of screenings is not considered high for a film by Zhang Yimou.
Back then, "Curse of the Golden Flower" had over 40% of screenings on its opening day, and "A Simple Noodle Story" had over 35%.
Meanwhile, the imported film "Thor: The Dark World," which was released on the same day, also stole a significant portion of the box office revenue from "The Flowers of War."
As a result, "The Flowers of War" only grossed 31 million yuan on its opening day.
This figure would be impressive for an ordinary director, but for "The Flowers of War," a film with an investment of 600 million yuan, directed by Zhang Yimou, and touted as an Oscar contender, it is far from enough.
Based on this trend, the final box office is likely to stop at between 500 million and 700 million. After deducting the theater revenue sharing and marketing costs, New Pictures will be able to get back less than half of the cost.
Meanwhile, it only received a 7.2 rating on Douban, with the vast majority of reviews being three or four stars.