Billy Lynn's Halftime War is not a money-making commercial blockbuster This investment is only understood Chinese

◎ Per film and television reporter Gai Yuanyuan

November 9, Shanghai, cold wind clear.

Ang Lee's "Billy Lynn's Halftime Battle," which challenges the limits of cinema, will be released nationwide in two days. Yu Dong, the participant of the film and president of Bona Pictures, appeared at the agreed place as agreed.

Yu Dong revealed: "After Bona Pictures returned from the US stock market, it has completed the last round of financing before the IPO. We expect to submit a listing application to the SFC in the first half of 2017. Yu Dong admitted that this was the most important exclusive interview he accepted before the financing disclosure.

The day before the interview, at SFC Shanghai Cinema, Yu Dong attended the premiere of "Billy Lynn's Halftime Battle" in Shanghai, and Jack Ma, chairman of alibaba group, Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun Group, ren Zhonglun, chairman of Shanghai Film Group, and other big coffee came to the scene.

This is a unique film invested by Bona Pictures, and Ang Lee has won many gold awards in his directorial career, challenging the creation and performance of new films in the next 20 years. The highest specification of 120 frames/4k/3d, only 5 theaters in the world can screen, Bona Beijing U-Tang Store and sfc Shanghai Cinema are two of them.

Inevitably, the box office will still be one of the dimensions of the outside world's observation of this film. As of 16:00 on November 17, the film had grossed 108 million yuan. But taking the box office as an important criterion for judging is the logic of commercial films. Yu Dong frankly said, "It is a literary and art film. In the past, many creations have been to adapt novels into movies, but this film is written in a cinematic way, under 120 frames of screen, every detail, the audience is immersive. ”

Measured by the expected box office, many people refer to the film as Ang Lee's adventure. But Ang Lee said, "This is an unprecedented challenge, the new film language is calling me, I want to use a new film media approach, let the audience experience a new way of watching movies." Ang Lee throws bricks and jade, taking the audience to see the prototype of future movies.

And Yu Dong, the heart has a spirit rhinoceros. "My reverence for Ang Lee began when I was a student at the Beijing Film Academy. After "The Fantasy Drift of Young Pi", Ang Lee is changing, trying to change the film with his unique artist touch. I don't think it's an experimental movie, it's an adventure, I think it's a dream. ”

Hollywood's "right to play" system didn't allow Chinese directors to challenge Hollywood's technical standards, so Hollywood's big six studios were reluctant to invest in Billy Lynn's Halftime War. While Bona Pictures participated in the 25 percent investment, Yu Dong said that it is not the Chinese investors whose money does not count returns.

17 years ago, Yu Dong left China Film Group and founded Bona Film Company from scratch. Born in Keban, Yu Dong, a front-line expert in the film market, has a high hit rate of film investment, "Bona produces 270 films, nearly 90% of which are profitable. Boehner raised only $92 million in public listing in the United States, and Yu Dong relied on the production of more than 60 movies to make rolling money for the company to "transfuse blood".

But this time, it's completely different. Yu Dong admitted: "'Billy Lynn's Halftime War' must not be a profitable commercial blockbuster, and this investment can only be understood by Chinese." When he said this, Yu Dong lit a cigarette, and his mind seemed to return to the ten years ago of the entrepreneurial film, step by step to accumulate wealth, so that Yu Dong now easily owned a lot of assets. But in his heart, he hopes to use wealth to realize his film dream, "Chinese producers have a common dream, that is, the Oscars." ”

Ang Lee has won three Academy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globes, two Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Awards and two Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Awards. Ang Lee is the first Chinese director in film history to achieve a "Best Director" slam at the Oscars, British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In Yu Dong's view, investing in Ang Lee's works will add weight to the realization of his dreams. Ang Lee's next film will be the "Battle of Manila" by boxing king Ali, which will use innovative film techniques more skillfully.

Yu Dong said, "Ang Lee's new film, Bona will continue to invest." And every film and television reporter's in-depth exclusive interview with Dong began with the story of Bona Pictures' investment in Ang Lee's films.