~： One hundred and sixty-one - this is a devastating blow to me

Four turbulent days have passed. This time is a carnival day for all media. All media practitioners in North America are about to love that dark madman Wayne Greenberg to death!

During this period of time, as long as everything related to him, there is no lack of topicality, whether it is his achievements in movies, or he changed the face of a "social activist and philanthropist" to appease and help the family of the shooting case. As long as the name appears in the newspaper, sales will absolutely explode the next day.

Ahead of the weekend of the new week, Warner Bros. has invited dozens of leading media outlets, big and small, to hold a press conference on everything that has happened during this time.

The main reason why so many media reporters flocked here today is that Wayne, who has remained silent during this time, will appear at this conference.

Now, whether it is the media or the public, there has been an endless debate on whether the movie should pay for the innocent this time. But the strange problem is here. No matter how fierce the outside world is, the journey of "Joker" in the theater market has not stopped.

At the beginning of Monday, the film once again made a box office of 2.74 million US dollars, which is more in line with public expectations. Affected by public opinion, this decline is already very healthy.

On Tuesday, a traditional discount day for theaters, the film rose slightly at the box office, earning $3.81 million, 2.45 million on Wednesday, 2.41 million on Thursday, and another $11.41 million for four days on weekdays.

By this time, all the media had no time to hype anything else. After three weeks, the box office of "Joker" exceeded 250 million US dollars at an unprecedented speed, reaching 258.61 million US dollars!

And this is not the end of this film. The film's screening scale has not been reduced in any way. Obviously, the theater company will maintain the screening scale of "Joker" until the end of this weekend.

The performance of this film ignoring the laws of the market has completely disrupted everyone's perception of the box office trend of the theater.

Based only on the current healthy decline, "Joker" will definitely exceed $300 million at the box office. It's just a matter of time, not whether it can be done.

Every reporter participating in the press conference, the first thing after entering the conference room is to take a look at the director sitting in the middle of the table in front of him, and then silently blend into the eerie silence of the conference room.

There was no noise or chatter, only the silent sound of the photographers in the back row installing equipment.

It wasn't until nine o'clock in the morning, after the staff closed the door, that the conference room was full of footsteps, and the reporters in the front row began to squeeze forward.

The first to be called out was Wayne's old friend, Bella Grant, who had just been promoted to associate editor of the Los Angeles Times. The beautiful reporter, as always, has a flamboyant figure, and the first question she asked caught the eyes of her colleagues for a while.

"Director Greenberg, what do you think of this shooting, is it the same nature as the 'Reagan shooting', a bad influence caused by the film?"

This lifted everyone's spirits. The "Reagan shooting" happened in 1981, only about ten years later. Back then, Hinkley, who had a crush on "Taxi Driver" actress Jodie Foster, tried to get her attention.

In imitation of the actions of the protagonist Travis in the film, President Ronald Reagan was shot near the Washington Hilton Hotel, causing Reagan to be shot in the chest and several entourage officials were injured.

Although the final court held that Hinkley was seriously mentally ill, acquitted of murdering the president, and sentenced to compulsory treatment, the idea that entertainment, popular culture, and especially violence and **** in movies, can have a major impact on teenagers.

Facing the flashing lights, Wayne approached the microphone with a very solemn expression. "Imagine if there was no violence, **** in the film, so clean that even the most conservative people couldn't ask the question, would the world be a better place? No more violence? The answer may not be known.

But in this impossible imagination, what we can be sure of is how false and empty the human spiritual world will become. All artists and audiences degenerate into demented children, pretending to be in a dream world of pure perfection. Isn't the bankruptcy of the Hays Code in North America enough to explain the problem? "

"So you think this has nothing to do with the movie?" Bella Grant pressed again.

"I think I've made it very clear, I don't think it has much to do with film." After a pause for thought, Wayne continued into the microphone: "Film, like any other art, is realistic. Transform, reflect.

There are indeed many movies that exaggerate or advocate violence, but at the same time, there may also be more movies that make the audience more deeply aware of the seriousness of the violence problem, so that people can be vigilant and reflect on where the violence comes from and where the darkness lies. It is especially obvious in The Clown, so I advocate that the public can watch the movie rationally. I believe that you can feel more treasures from The Clown! "

The purpose of this press conference is still to reverse public perception through the media and promote the films that are still being shown. Wayne must take the opportunity to add private goods, which is also the tacit understanding of the two sides, the reason why Bella Grant was named first.

A reporter with the "Washington Post" on his chest took Bella's microphone and asked: "As we all know, Director Greenberg, since your debut, all the films you have made are full of dark style and violence, death , twisted and struggling humanity, crazy shouting, do you think this will affect the young fans who like you?"

"Not at all!" As soon as the reporter's voice fell, Wayne gave a firm answer. "In fact, it is the film that dedicates the most intensely critical scenes of unprincipled and worthless violence, from the suggestion that a shotgun is aimed at an innocent deer in "The Deer Hunter" to the horror-driven science in "Apocalypse Now" The horror that Ci murmured before his death! Horror!

I think "Joker" also shows you these things, and some of them can even be understood by children. It tells us the most basic truth is that violence cannot solve any problems, it is only a last resort for the oppressed! "

At this point in the press conference, in fact, what Wayne wanted to express was clear enough. He waved to stop the reporter who wanted to continue to ask questions, and approached the microphone to prepare the final statement.

“I am convinced that cinema is one of America’s greatest art forms and an important way for us to share stories and have a good time through the screen. The cinema is like my home, yet there are people in this pure and hopeful place To unfold such an intolerable act of brutal violence is devastating to me."

After speaking, he stood up and bowed slightly to the media reporters, looking at everyone magnanimously.

The photographer faithfully recorded this scene through the camera lens and various types of cameras. The reporters invariably clapped their hands and gave Wayne a warm applause.

Standing on the huge mountain that seemed to jump off her shirt at any time, Bella Grant shouted: "Director Greenberg, the Los Angeles Times will publish your final statement verbatim, and it will appear in On the special issue that was issued urgently at noon!"

This beautiful reporter, who is pleasing to the eye, has a perfect understanding of the world. Wayne smiled and nodded to her, and walked out of the large conference room.

"Thank you, thank you!" The staff took Wayne's microphone and said to a room of media staff: "Thank you again for coming to the press conference, Warner Bros. has prepared some small gifts for you, please don't leave before you go out. Forgot to get it."

This tacit understanding generally understands what is going on. After receiving the "gift" prepared by Warner Bros., don't rely on speculation anymore when you go back. It's better to publish Wayne's final statement word for word!

Of course, you can also accept things and do nothing, and still go your own way, but basically, such reporters and media organizations will not get any latest news in the future, and the circle will squeeze your living space together.

Everyone is exiting, and in fact, they still have a lot of unanswered questions about the movie box office, but compared to what Wayne said about the shooting today, it is enough for these people to write a few articles.

After receiving the small gift package from the staff of Warner Bros., Bella Grant had no scruples, and opened it in front of many colleagues. Everyone is a crow.

The contents of the pouch are very simple, yet there is a little surprise for everyone. Bella was holding a Macy's coupon worth two thousand dollars. She glanced at the photographer Bob who came with him, and they were all two thousand dollars.

"Warner Bros. is a big deal!" Bob, the photographer, whistled, shaking off the shopping coupons. "I don't have to worry about Dylan's football kit. This kid recently joined the varsity team."

"Bob!" She also threw the shopping coupon and Bella handed it to her old partner. "Buy a few more pairs of shoes for little Dylan. I heard that teenage children are particularly prone to breakage when they play football!"

After taking the shopping coupon from the female reporter, Bob didn't feel any embarrassment. He wouldn't ask how much the smart girl Bella made. The video of Wayne flying to save the black girl was edited by Bella and sent. to Warner Bros.

That's the woman's ability and sense of smell, and she got the amount that she can satisfy, and that's enough!

"Don't be embarrassed to spend it, Bob." She told her honest partner before getting into the car. "Today's interview is like that video, who knows how much more box office it will bring to Warner Bros. and Wayne Greenberg's movies!"

After finishing speaking, I got in the car and rushed to report back to the agency. The editor-in-chief was still waiting for her manuscript. She hesitated for another thing, Wayne Greenberg, the playboy, to thank her for providing that clear video, inviting her over to her house for Chinese food next Monday!

"Should you agree?"

Everyone is an adult, and some invitations know what they mean!