As the big screen faded to black and the lights illuminated the ceiling once again, the theater erupted into a wave of applause—prolonged and enthusiastic.
Along with the clapping, the buzz of excited discussions filled the air.
Many fans who had come in groups to the premiere couldn't hold back their excitement and began talking about the film they had just watched.
"So cool! American muscle cars and muscle men—an absolute perfect match."
Lin Feng overheard the conversation from someone to his left.
"Every one of Matthew Horner's films is solid."
On Snow White's side, there were people clapping and chatting at the same time.
"I came because Matthew Horner speaks fluent Chinese, but it turns out his movies are really great too. I'm going to go online later and find all his past films to watch."
"I already liked him just because he can speak Chinese!"
Even an older, seemingly more composed fan to the right was nodding in approval, saying, "Pretty good, really exciting!"
These comments also reached Nini's ears. Was such a simple and straightforward movie really that popular?
Sitting among the average audience members, Nini could feel their reactions most directly.
It seemed everyone really liked Matthew Horner, and it was clear that this Hollywood star, who could speak Chinese, would probably ignite a massive craze here.
If that were the case, anything related to Matthew Horner would become a hot topic in the domestic entertainment media for quite some time.
Nini had already made up her mind, but now she was even more resolute. Maybe exporting films with a local twist and bringing them back could truly be a shortcut.
The premiere concluded, but the film crew's activities were not yet over. Disney Greater China had organized a reception at a nearby hotel.
"That went really well."
As they entered the hotel, David Ellison turned to Matthew and said, "The fans were incredibly enthusiastic, almost fanatical."
Matthew shrugged. "For this type of movie, as long as it's explosive and exciting, audiences on both sides of the Pacific will enjoy it."
The North American film market was mature, but one shouldn't overestimate the sophistication of its audience. In many ways, mainstream viewers on both sides of the Pacific had similar tastes. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many bad films that grossed high numbers, or films that raked in over two billion purely based on nostalgia.
David Ellison asked, "Do you think we can hit $100 million at the box office here?"
Matthew walked along, considering it seriously for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "It's difficult. The market here is just getting started; it's still in development."
David Ellison looked a little disappointed but added, "Even if we did hit $100 million, we wouldn't get much. Thirteen percent of the box office share? That's outrageous!"
"It's okay," Matthew said more optimistically. "We're doing this for the future."
He lowered his voice and said, "I've heard that both sides will soon begin another round of trade negotiations, and film will be one of the topics. The MPAA is lobbying Washington, so box office shares should increase significantly in the future."
David Ellison nodded. "Let's hope so."
When they reached the elevator, Matthew said no more. The box office share might be low here, but it didn't include taxes or promotional expenses, which were covered by China Film Group. So, that thirteen percent was almost pure profit.
After arriving on the fifth floor, Matthew and David Ellison approached the banquet hall entrance. Suddenly, they noticed Gal Gadot being stopped by someone who handed her a small blue box. Before she could react, a photographer began snapping photos wildly.
"Let me check what's going on," Matthew said, opting not to follow David Ellison into the banquet hall. Instead, he approached Gal Gadot and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Gal Gadot showed Matthew the cyan-colored box and pointed to a middle-aged man with glasses, saying, "This gentleman says he's a fan of mine, loves my role in the film, and wanted to give me a gift and take a picture with me."
The middle-aged man, upon seeing Matthew, briefly flashed a smile of joy. As if performing a magic trick, he pulled another cyan-colored box from his pocket and extended his right hand, speaking in broken English, "Hello, Mr. Horner, I'm a fan of yours as well."
Matthew glanced at him and said, "Hello, we can speak in Chinese."
The man quickly switched to Chinese and, holding the box with both hands, said, "This is a small specialty from my hometown, and I'd like to give it to you as a gift, Mr. Horner."
Unlike Gal Gadot, Matthew noticed the photographer out of the corner of his eye and didn't accept the box. Instead, he said, "Thank you, but I must politely decline the gift."
The man's expression showed some surprise, but he didn't give up. Instead, he persisted, "This gift represents the heart of a fan and isn't expensive. Please, accept it."
Matthew took another look at the box. The brand name, clearly emblazoned on it, reminded him of a certain notorious advertisement, one where two famous Brazilian soccer players had been duped into holding up a similar box for the cameras.
Given how bizarre that advertisement was—especially with one of the players—it had stuck in Matthew's memory.
"No, thank you," Matthew said firmly, not only refusing the gift but adding, "I assume the photographer is with you?"
Without waiting for confirmation, Matthew continued, "There should be no photography here. Please turn off the camera."
The man, realizing Matthew wasn't going to take the gift, reluctantly withdrew the box.
"Gal," Matthew said, extending his hand. Gal Gadot immediately handed over the box she had been holding. Matthew passed it back to the man and sternly said, "Please do not use any of the photos you've just taken for commercial purposes. That would violate Ms. Gadot's and the Fast & Furious crew's image rights."
After saying this, Matthew politely nodded and said, "Goodbye."
He motioned for Gal Gadot to follow, and the two of them entered the banquet hall.
Outside the hall, the photographer approached the man with glasses and asked, "Boss, what should we do?"
The man glanced at the banquet hall, noting the black-suited guards at the door. Without an invitation, he couldn't get in.
"Do we still use the photos?" the photographer asked again.
"Let me think about it," the man hesitated. "Do you think they'll keep an eye on us?"
The photographer replied honestly, "Hard to say. Disney has a branch here, and since our ads will air on TV, it's unlikely they won't notice."
The man weighed the potential advertising benefits against the possible legal trouble, unsure of what to do.
"Excuse me!"
At that moment, hotel security approached and sternly informed them, "No photography allowed here. Please leave."
Seeing the large, imposing security guards, the man quickly motioned for the photographer to pack up and go.
Inside the banquet hall, Gal Gadot glanced back curiously and asked, "What was that all about?"
Matthew didn't hold back and explained, "Probably someone trying to sneak in an ad."
Gal Gadot immediately understood. "So they wanted to take a picture of me holding the box and then use it for advertising?"
"That's my guess," Matthew said casually. "Could be something else, though."
He didn't dwell on the topic, as he'd benefited from pirated content in the past. Most of the movies he'd watched were pirated HD downloads from the internet.
For the most part, people like him had little awareness of copyright, let alone any intention to protect it.
Thinking of Gal Gadot and recalling those famous soccer players flashing their big smiles as they held up branded boxes for years, Matthew knew he couldn't let the same thing happen to the Fast & Furious crew.
It would drag the entire production down.
After chatting briefly with Gal Gadot, Matthew found Sean Tang and told him about the situation and his suspicions, asking him to look into it.
Sean Tang, having received direct instructions from Disney headquarters, was particularly attentive to Matthew's concerns. He immediately promised to track down the company's contact information and send them a legal notice.
Nowadays, any legal dispute involving a foreign company was no small matter.
With Sean Tang taking care of it, Matthew felt at ease and set the issue aside. Gal Gadot, still concerned, came over to ask again.
"No problem," Matthew reassured her. "Disney's local branch will keep an eye on things. As long as they're not foolish, they won't mess with our image rights."
"Good to know." She smiled, adding, "Thanks for looking out for me."
Matthew waved it off. "It was nothing, really."
Before they could say much more, Sean Tang returned, accompanied by two middle-aged men.
Matthew glanced at them. The first man, with slicked-back hair, was unfamiliar, but the second man was instantly recognizable—even if you hadn't seen his films, you'd definitely heard his name.
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