At the premiere of The Dark Knight, the creative team was answering questions from the media and audience.
Everyone was so enthusiastic that even the host did not know who to call on first.
Hands rose everywhere, waving eagerly under the lights.
"Hello, I'm an ordinary DC fan and also a fan of Xu Can. In the hospital bombing scene, was the Joker's reaction written in the script?"
The media was also very interested in this question.
Xu Can did not answer directly. He simply smiled and handed the microphone to Director Nolan.
Nolan smiled and said, "That part was not in the script. There was a problem with the remote control, so part of the explosion did not go off immediately."
"Since the scene was shot in real time, and the hospital was really blown up, the camera only had one chance to capture it. The actors had to react freely."
"Xu's performance was excellent. He saved the scene completely and made it even more dramatic. His performance was perfect."
Nolan's praise revealed two facts.
First, the hospital explosion had been filmed practically. No special effects were used.
Second, Xu Can's improvisational ability had reached a terrifying level.
The reporters and audience members were so shocked that they were briefly speechless.
"Hello, I'm a reporter from Hollywood Daily. I'd like to ask, since the Joker does not die at the end, will he appear in the third film?"
Regarding this question, Xu Can only smiled mysteriously.
"Let's wait and see. Maybe one day in the future, the clown will suddenly appear in an unexpected way."
Perhaps because everyone had just watched his Joker, Xu Can's current smile made the reporter shiver.
"Okay… I have no problem with that."
At the beginning, Spider-Man had been rushed by fans to a 9.9 rating on IMDb. Later, it gradually returned to normal and settled at 8.9.
But The Dark Knight opened with a 10/10 on IMDb.
A rare perfect opening.
If this were The Godfather, people might have accepted it.
But how could a comic book adaptation reach such a level?
As more and more viewers rated it, The Dark Knight gradually dropped to 9.5.
Even so, it had actually surpassed The Godfather, which had long held the top spot.
The Godfather, famous across film and television history, held a score of 9.4, while The Shawshank Redemption had 9.3.
How could The Dark Knight reach this level?
When the media exposed the news, audiences who had not yet seen the film were stunned.
What kind of miracle was this?
The box office also proved the shock wave The Dark Knight had brought to Hollywood.
Its first-day box office reached 65 million dollars, breaking the 57 million first-day record set by Spider-Man the previous year.
It also easily crushed this year's first-day box office champion, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
In its first weekend, the film earned 170 million dollars, more than 40 million higher than Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
With a narrow advantage of 2 million dollars, it successfully surpassed Spider-Man's first-weekend record.
The New York Times, which had always liked to question Xu Can, could not help praising his achievement.
"After Xu Can single-handedly created the revival of comic book movies and revitalized Marvel, he has once again used a god-level performance to create the most charming villain in history."
"For the first time, the villain in a movie has overwhelmed the decent Batman in every aspect."
"Batman may be the absolute protagonist of Beginners, but in The Dark Knight, the Joker is the only protagonist."
"Whether it is the plot, the scenes, the editing, or the performances, The Dark Knight has enough strength to attack the Oscars."
At Disney headquarters, CEO Bob Iger was listening to reports from his subordinates.
If the biggest winner in Hollywood in 2006 had been Spider-Man, then Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 2 had held the annual box office championship for most of the year.
It had easily defeated Spider-Man.
Disney, as the producer, naturally did not want to give in.
They worked overtime and quickly launched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in the summer of 2007.
Although its global box office of 961 million dollars did not surpass Spider-Man, it was at least enough to steadily compete for the 2007 annual box office crown.
They had never believed Warner's Batman could compete with them.
A movie series that had failed repeatedly in reputation—what threat could it pose after a reboot?
Sure enough, Beginners had a good reputation, but its box office was still under 500 million.
The only true competitor for Pirates of the Caribbean 3 was Paramount's Transformers.
To limit the Christmas season box office, Disney released several films in succession.
Tangled and National Treasure 2 were both scheduled during the Christmas season, clearly intending to seize part of The Dark Knight's market.
The former was a princess animated film created by Disney with a large budget, the kind of work Disney was best at.
The latter was a blockbuster sequel starring Nicolas Cage.
The previous National Treasure had earned nearly 400 million globally, and the sequel might also exceed 400 million.
The two films, released before and after The Dark Knight, would definitely have an impact.
As long as Disney won the annual box office championship, they would achieve this year's goal, restore shareholders' confidence, and drive up the company's stock price.
However, The Dark Knight was creating a myth they could not understand.
Its first-weekend box office had broken Spider-Man's record and created a new Hollywood peak.
IMDb score: 9.5.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% positive rating.
Media outlets and film critics from all circles had given it five-star praise from top to bottom.
If this momentum continued, it would not be difficult for The Dark Knight to hit the one-billion-dollar box office mark.
Disney's films would be suppressed again.
The stock price would definitely fall a lot by then.
Disney CEO Bob Iger could not bear it anymore and quickly summoned the media executives for a meeting.
"Go and arrange it. There is no way this movie is perfect. You can definitely find points of attack."
"Boss, even so, it'll be hard to stop them."
"No, I'm not trying to stop it. I'm just delaying it a little. As long as its global box office does not exceed Pirates of the Caribbean 3, we will succeed."
High-end business wars were often conducted in the simplest way.
For example: grabbing official seals, lowering scores, writing hostile manuscripts, and executives scolding each other.
Sure enough, two days later, the entertainment section of the Chicago Daily News published ten columns of commentary.
Because The Dark Knight was genuinely high quality, the review could not attack it too directly.
The article first praised Director Nolan's visual language and the profound issues explored in the story.
Then the pen changed direction, and the target turned to the Joker.
"This version of the clown certainly performs a kind of madness, but it does not seem to fit the original clown."
"In the old version of Batman, the Joker, played by Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson, remains an unsurpassed classic."
"Xu Can added a great deal of his own understanding, but it may not be the Joker in the hearts of true DC comic fans."
"This may be a pity for The Dark Knight."
"After all, Jack Nicholson is the better actor. He has a deeper portrayal of the character. Young Xu Can still needs to learn more."
In addition to this review, media outlets such as the Miami Daily, the San Francisco Post, and Hollywood Movies also published similar film reviews.
In the eyes of these media outlets, the old versions of Batman and the old version of the Joker were better shaped than the new versions.
The only advantage of the new version was that the story was excellent and the scenes were shocking enough.
Michael Keaton over Christian Bale.
Jack Nicholson over Xu Can.
That was their argument.
Amid the initial praise, similar film reviews sprang up like mushrooms after rain, causing huge controversy online.
Netizens quickly divided into two groups.
Supporters of the old and new versions of Batman argued with each other, and the topic became extremely hot.
"Can this even be controversial? Xu Can's performance isn't enough? Have you actually watched the movie?"
"Xu Can is a god. His Joker is simply one of the best villains in film history. How can anyone criticize him?"
"The most dazzling character in The Dark Knight is the Joker. If this is not success, what is success?"
The other group only talked about feelings.
"Michael Keaton's version is the real Batman. It is very consistent with the comics, and Nicholson's Joker is deeply rooted in people's hearts."
"Xu Can's performance is great, but it's hard for him to surpass Nicholson."
"Jack Nicholson is an Oscar winner. What awards does Xu Can have?"
"The old actors are all great. Bale is not as good as Michael Keaton, and the same is true for the Joker."
"Nicholson's clown fully shows madness without losing the humor of a clown. His body language and facial expressions are great. As for Xu Can's version, it always feels strange."
Some of the voices supporting the old Batman were indeed newly created accounts used to stir conflict.
According to another group of netizens, many of them seemed to be older, more traditional viewers with very conservative tastes. Some comments even carried obvious prejudice.
In the end, more and more netizens joined in to express support for Xu Can's performance.
Anyone who had seen the movie would fall in love with the character.
Fewer and fewer people supported the old version, and those who did could only point to the past achievements of the actors.
A young actor who had not yet won an Oscar was being compared to award-winning veterans.
After a wave of ups and downs, a group of people suddenly began giving low scores to The Dark Knight on IMDb.
Under the banner of protecting The Godfather, they brainlessly lowered the score of The Dark Knight.
"The Godfather is obviously the best film in history. What does it mean if it has to be replaced?"
"Let's talk after watching The Dark Knight."
Fans of The Dark Knight were filled with indignation and went back to give The Godfather low scores.
As a result, the two sides grew more and more passionate, and the ratings of The Dark Knight and The Godfather both dropped to 9.2.
The Shawshank Redemption quietly benefited and climbed to the top spot on IMDb.
Two consecutive blows also made Warner executives notice something was wrong.
"Obviously, someone is targeting us. I suspect it's Disney."
"I think so too, but there's nothing we can do."
"Can we just watch the movie get smeared for no reason? Xu Can is innocent. His performance is the most perfect I have ever seen."
Just when Warner executives were at a loss and reluctantly prepared to spend money on public relations, the nominations for the 69th North American Film and Television Golden Globe Awards were suddenly announced.
Known as the "Oscar bellwether," the Golden Globes had given The Dark Knight its first recognition from Hollywood's mainstream awards circle.
The film was nominated for two Golden Globes: Best Original Score and Best Supporting Actor.
Xu Can, who had originally been controversial, was nominated by the organizing committee.
That nomination itself became powerful evidence.
"Look, Xu Can, who you said was good for nothing, has been nominated. His performance has been recognized by professional judges."
If Xu Can could win the Golden Globe, it meant he had a real chance of receiving an Oscar nomination.
A young Asian actor, with only three films to his name, had been recognized by the Oscar circle through a live-action comic book adaptation.
It was almost like collecting every debuff and turning them into proof of strength.
It was enough to show everyone that Xu Can's performance was obvious.
It was not something that could be erased by a few dirty comments online.
Of course, all this still required Xu Can to win the Golden Globe first and then secure an Oscar nomination.
Facing this situation, Xu Can himself was a little confused.
"Xu. You're nominated. Great."
Taylor Swift was the first to call and congratulate him.
"Congratulations to you too. You were nominated for a Grammy."
Swift's Fearless received two Grammy nominations at the 49th Grammy Awards: Album of the Year and Best Country Album.
The single Love Story broke into the top four on the Billboard chart and stayed on the chart for fourteen consecutive weeks. It had become a true hit song.
Many passersby around the world fell in love with Swift because of that song.
2007 was a special year for both Xu Can and Swift.
The two of them debuted in the North American entertainment industry at almost the same time and became famous almost together.
This year, they had both achieved brilliance in their respective fields.
The awards in early 2008 might become a confirmation for them both.
They were happier for each other than for themselves.
"Would you like to come to my house tonight? I'll cook you some Chinese food, and we can celebrate together."
"Okay."
Speaking of Chinese food, Taylor somehow remembered the porridge Xu Can had made for her last time.
That had been the first time she drank millet and pumpkin porridge, and the first time she tasted Xu Can's cooking.
In the daze of fever, the sweetness in her mouth had driven away much of her chill.
More importantly, the moment she was held in Xu Can's arms and fed porridge, she felt as if she were being pampered by heaven.
She had never experienced anything so warm before.
Taylor suddenly had the urge to write a song for Xu Can.
Of course, it would not be a breakup complaint, but a melody filled with happiness and sweetness.
The day after he fed her porridge, Swift's cold and fever had eased a lot. After drinking some chicken soup, she quickly recovered.
As a result, she became very interested in Xu Can's cooking skills.
This would be her first time going to Xu Can's house.
To avoid an accidental Shura Field, Xu Can made a special call to Emma Stone before inviting her.
Emma also congratulated Xu Can for being nominated for a Golden Globe.
"Baby, I'm really happy for you."
"What are you doing? Why do you sound out of breath?"
Xu Can suddenly remembered some scenes from the video.
Could it be that?
As a result, the call ended, and a FaceTime video call came through.
After he answered, Emma Stone's fair face appeared on the screen.
Behind her was a large mirror, and she stood alone in a dance studio.
Sweat dripped from her forehead.
"I'm practicing dancing. I'll dance a piece for you later. Please help me."
Since the last time Emma had confessed affectionately, she had said she wanted to become "Gwen Stacy" again.
She no longer clung too much to Xu Can or lost herself easily.
Instead, she rediscovered the optimistic and cheerful Emma Stone she had once been.
She still missed Xu Can very much, but she spent more time improving herself, reading, exercising, and practicing dance.
Her complexion had improved a lot, and her figure had become much tighter, which made Xu Can feel tempted to move.
"You've been practicing that hard?"
"Of course. To star in a musical with you, I have to work hard. What's the reward?"
"I'll reward you the whole night."
"You dirty boy. You're dirty."
"Don't get too tired. After New Year's is over, we'll look for opportunities to start shooting early next year."
"Okay. I have a yoga class in the evening. After class, I'm going to have a drink with my little sister. You can stay in that empty room by yourself."
"Hey, if you don't come, what's the point of buying such a big mansion?"
Xu Can deliberately looked sad.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow and make you hungry all day long."
Emma smiled wickedly and hung up the phone.
This little girl—had she learned how to pull him in now?
Sorry, but that was exactly what he wanted.
Xu Can could no longer hold back the corners of his mouth.
Swift was coming in the evening.
This time, wasn't the little sheep walking straight into the tiger's mouth?
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