บท 39: Chapter 38 : John Wick
"Holy crap! Check this out! Xu Can has a new movie coming out!"
"Wait, is it Spider-Man 2 already? That was fast!"
"No, it's an action movie! It looks awesome! I can't wait to see it!"
"Where did you find it?"
"On Xu Can's Face account."
"Did you hear? Xu Can is starring in an action movie!"
"I saw the trailer—it looks amazing!"
"Xu Can's new movie is coming out soon. You have to take me to see it!"
"Who's Xu Can?"
"Okay, we're done here."
With the rise of Face Ball users, the era of social networking officially began. Many celebrities joined the platform, posting updates on their pages and interacting with fans to boost their popularity.
Stars like Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, and Emma Watson were drawing massive traffic, and while Xu Can wasn't at the very top, he was certainly in the first echelon. With 10 million followers, his posts attracted hundreds of thousands of views daily.
Xu Can regularly posted candid photos and funny memes, his sharp, humorous, and genuine comments endearing him to many fans and making him more relatable.
Then, one night, out of nowhere and without any warning, Xu Can uploaded a brand-new teaser trailer on his Face page—in the middle of the night, no less! The first wave of fans who saw it were confused, as the title didn't mention "Spider-Man 2" like they expected.
"What the heck is John Wick?"
"Is Xu Can promoting someone else's movie?"
There had been only a few reports about Xu Can's new project in the media, so most fans were unaware of his involvement in a new film. Curious, they clicked on the trailer.
Galaxy Pictures presents…
"Daisy, what's going on?"
Xu Can wakes up, looking rough with an unkempt beard. His worn-out appearance caught fans off guard—they barely recognized him! It wasn't until they rewound the trailer that they realized it was indeed Xu Can.
This was a far cry from the high school student Peter Parker he played in Spider-Man. From the moment he appeared on screen, Xu Can gave everyone a jolt.
"I buried almost everything, Daisy was all that was left."
"The last gift from my wife before she passed away."
Directed by David Leitch
Written by and starring Xu Can
"This has nothing to do with what you've done, but rather who you've crossed."
Coming this May!
"I'm not afraid of John Wick…"
"Oh? Well, let me tell you, he once killed three men with a pencil!"
From Spider-Man's Xu Can
"Gather your men and stop him."
"How many?"
"How many do you have?"
Everyone
[Scene of intense hand-to-hand combat]
Should Know
[Scene of a clean shootout]
His Name
"That's right, I'm going out."
John Wick!
Hitting theaters on May 4th!
Sweeping major theaters in North America, 2D/IMAX
The teaser was just 30 seconds long, but it left a deep impression. The fast-cut action scenes were thrilling, but it was the name "John Wick" that stuck with everyone. What's his story? Why were people so afraid of him? Was this a revenge tale?
Fans were left with more questions than answers, but Xu Can's intense, melancholic eyes and ruthless skills were captivating.
After watching the trailer, fans couldn't wait to share it with friends. Thanks to the ease of social networking, the trailer went viral almost immediately, with more people excitedly leaving comments:
"A new movie so soon? I'm in!"
"Why aren't you doing Spider-Man? Where's the sequel?"
"I love these realistic action scenes. Definitely supporting this!"
"I can't believe that's Xu Can—where's the boy-next-door look?"
"He looks so cool!"
"Written by Xu Can too? This is a must-watch!"
"Is the budget low? I'm worried it might be a flop."
"Look closer."
Most fans responded positively, and the buzz reflected in the data.
"At present, the trailer has surpassed 100,000 views, with over 10,000 likes, comments, and more than 5,000 shares. We expect online views to exceed one million within a day. If it becomes trending news, it'll drive even more traffic."
"Good, the online promotion has hit our target. Now we just need to roll out the TV network and cinema ads as planned."
"Mr. Xu, should we grease the palms of film critics and media outlets? For a new movie, it might help create a buzz."
"No need," Xu Can said firmly. "I want genuine market reactions. We don't need to pay people to hype it up."
"The video's quality speaks for itself, and what the media will say is true."
"People can be skeptical. If we overdo it, we'll just raise expectations too high, and that could backfire. I believe the film's reputation will build naturally over time, which will lead to sustainable growth."
Xu Can declined the suggestion to buy favorable media coverage. While media hype can boost early box office numbers, Xu Can had enough confidence in his film. He believed that real word-of-mouth would eventually prevail.
Also, since his film was rated R, it wasn't aimed at a general audience—minors under 17 were barred from viewing it. The box office might not explode like "Spider-Man" did on its opening weekend, but Xu Can was confident that it would have steady numbers over time.
Of course, the "John Wick" in this parallel world was slightly different from the original version. Xu Can wasn't entirely sure if the movie would resonate with the local audience. That question would be answered on release day!
After the "John Wick" trailer dropped, it quickly became a hot topic. Various media outlets picked up the story. Despite some skepticism, Xu Can's popularity kept growing, and soon all of Hollywood was talking about him.
"Xu Can's new film is set to release in late spring. It's an R-rated action-crime movie with a gritty, realistic style, different from his role in 'Spider-Man.'"
"The 'John Wick' trailer has surpassed 10 million views across platforms, but Xu Can's new look is controversial. Some critics are skeptical about whether he can handle such a complex and gritty role."
"Xu Can wrote, starred in, and even took on some directorial duties. Is it too risky for him to invest all his 'Spider-Man' earnings into this new film?"
"As a new actor, he should focus on sequels to solidify his acting skills rather than taking on new challenges."
"This is the kind of ambition young actors should have! If he only did Spider-Man, Xu Can would be pigeonholed into superhero roles. Now, by taking on new challenges, the possibilities for him are endless!"
"The market for R-rated crime-action films is currently oversaturated. The genre peaked in the 1990s, and audiences might be tired of it. The path Xu Can has chosen could be full of obstacles."
While "Spider-Man" was a massive success, most media outlets attributed it to the popularity of Marvel characters, which resonated deeply with comic book fans. They argued that this success didn't guarantee Xu Can's success in a new genre—after all, he was still just a newcomer with one big film under his belt.
However, some media outlets praised Xu Can's willingness to explore new avenues. They noted that it was natural for an actor to want to expand his career, and that this pursuit of growth was commendable.
In short, "John Wick" was receiving plenty of attention even before its release. Everyone was curious to see how Xu Can would perform in this new role.
But then, a media bombshell dropped that shocked everyone.
"Warner has officially announced that after the failure of 'Superman Returns,' they will reboot the 'Batman' live-action series to capitalize on the growing superhero movie market."
"Christopher Nolan, the director of 'The Prestige' and 'Memento,' has officially joined as director!"
"Christian Bale has been confirmed to star as Batman!"
"And the actor playing Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker, has been revealed…it's Xu Can, who played Spider-Man!"
The media and fans were stunned!
Wait, what? Spider-Man is going to play the Joker?
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