When Zuckerberg arrived at the cinema for the second time to rewatch the movie, he noticed that the audience in the same cinema at almost the same time had significantly increased.
The first time he came, the cinema, which could accommodate over 100 people, had less than 10 people. Now, there were about 20 people, doubling the audience size.
However, Zuckerberg was not surprised by this. The movie itself was of excellent quality, and in terms of special effects, Zuckerberg even believed the effects were a notch above those in "The Lord of the Rings."
The special effects in "The Lord of the Rings" were not particularly difficult because the fantasy level was not very high; it was more of a low-magic world. The orcs and other creatures were not produced by special effects but by special makeup techniques.
As for the orcs that required special effects, their screen time was quite limited, less than 10 minutes in total. Many instances showed obvious computer-generated traces. However, this movie's special effects were different. Almost half of the movie was dedicated to showcasing various kinds of special effects.
This was because the battles in the movie were not fought on the ground, nor even on Earth, but on various wondrous planets.
For example, the movie's climax took place in a place called Star Palace, a vast world resembling a starry sky, with the entire scene entirely built from special effects.
Not to mention the epic battles between cultivators. In "The Lord of the Rings," the battles between wizards looked dazzling, but they were essentially just a barrage of lights with little complexity.
However, the battles between cultivators were entirely different. These cultivators would first manifest battle armor, followed by various flying magical artifacts. For instance, when Hua Mei Niang was fighting, every flower fluttering around her was a terrifying, life-ending weapon. Each of these flowers had to be rendered with a special effect that made them appear both real and illusory, which was an incredibly demanding visual effect that made Zuckerberg, a professional,'s scalp tingle.
He roughly estimated that the special effects for the entire movie would not have cost less than two hundred million dollars. He couldn't imagine who the financial consortium behind this movie was to be so willing to invest such a sum.
Beyond the special effects, the movie's world-building was undoubtedly exceptional. Transforming the entire universe into a cultivation realm was a level of creative world-building that gave Zuckerberg the same feeling he had when he first saw "Star Wars."
To be honest, the world-building of "Misty Journey" had some similarities to that of "Star Wars." Both depicted constant battles between planets within a vast universe, where the protagonists relied not on technological power but on mysterious supernatural forces.
The protagonists of "Star Wars" were Jedi Knights, who wielded not technological power but a mystical force called the Force. This power could even defeat an entire fleet, rendering technological might insignificant before the Jedi. The entire story of "Star Wars" could essentially be renamed "Jedi Wars," as it boiled down to the grudges and entanglements between a few top Jedi Knights.
Additionally, there was another famous sci-fi IP in the West called "Dune," also set in a future world with inter-planetary battles. The protagonists here also relied not on technology but on a mental superpower derived from spice, using that superpower to gain fame across the universe. The entire story's conflicts revolved around these superpowers, with technological advancements merely serving as transportation.
"Misty Journey" was similar, showcasing the battles of cultivators using their supernatural powers.
However, this world-building was even vaster than that of "Star Wars," and the special effects were even more outstanding. Since Americans could accept "Star Wars," they would naturally be able to accept the world-building of "Misty Journey," and perhaps even be more excited about it.
This was not just talk. After all, the traditional impression of cultivation for Chinese people involved finding a cave and meditating for hundreds of years, eventually achieving immortality. This was quite different from fighting in space wearing sexy battle armor, a scenario that might be difficult for traditional Chinese sensibilities to accept.
In summary, in Zuckerberg's opinion, this was a movie with excellent special effects and a grand world-building, although the story was slightly weaker. Yet, even the story was better than "The Lord of the Rings," which, in its simple quest to deliver a ring, dragged on for seven or eight hours.
Of course, "The Lord of the Rings" had a much more detailed overall world-building than a web novel like "Misty Journey" could compete with.
For instance, the author of "The Lord of the Rings" even created a language specifically for Middle-earth.
However, during the cinematic adaptation, a dedicated team enriched the movie's details and world-building. Otherwise, the original text would not have been able to present a rich world. In this process, numerous details were filled in, and the production team even created an entirely new writing system based on oracle bone script.
Therefore, after the cinematic team's enrichment, "Misty Journey" had developed a world structure not inferior to that of "The Lord of the Rings."
It could be said that this was a movie that, apart from its fame, surpassed "The Lord of the Rings" in all aspects! At least, that was Zuckerberg's personal opinion.
Especially after rewatching the movie for the second time, without the influence of Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg was able to immerse himself completely in watching the film.
Moreover, having seen it once, he could temporarily set aside the plot and focus more on the numerous details presented in the movie. This made him even more impressed, convinced that it was an unprecedented fantasy film, one that could surpass "The Lord of the Rings."
So, after the movie ended, even on his second viewing, Zuckerberg couldn't help but stand up and applaud. He spontaneously inspired the emotions of other audience members in the cinema, and everyone applauded together, bringing the atmosphere in the entire cinema to its peak.
It was precisely because of this applause that Zuckerberg made a new discovery: after about three minutes of movie credits, there was a completely new scene, showing Li Qiang facing a monstrously large sea beast.
"This is the second part! There's a second part!!!" Seeing this scene, Zuckerberg became instantly excited.
He was certain that this scene was not a mere Easter egg but a preview for the second part. The special effects for this sea beast were extremely intricate, and the model alone would likely have cost millions of dollars to produce.
This sea beast had not appeared in the first part of the story at all. Therefore, this was definitely not an Easter egg edited from footage of the first part, but a completely new major plot point, which could only mean it was a plot for the second part.
Initially, Zuckerberg had worried that there would be no sequel after this movie ended. Now, it seemed he didn't need to worry. At least there would be a second part to watch. At this moment, Zuckerberg was already eagerly anticipating the release of the second part.
"Sigh, but the second part will probably take at least two to three years to come out!" a nearby audience member lamented.
"Not necessarily. Don't forget, the director of this movie is Peter Jackson. His "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed all at once and released one movie per year. So, I think we might see the second part around this time next year," another person said.
"But that's still next year, isn't it? I want to watch the second part tomorrow!" this person sighed.
"How is that possible? You must be daydreaming!" another person snorted, though he knew he was indeed daydreaming.
"Gentlemen, it's not necessarily true. Perhaps the second part will be released in half a month!" suddenly, someone in the cinema spoke up. Everyone looked closely and saw that the speaker was a black man sweeping the floor.
"Are you telling the truth? Don't mess with us!" someone asked.
"I gain nothing from messing with you. What I'm saying is true. Yesterday, I saw a promotional poster in the office, the poster for the second part, but it's not allowed to be released yet!" the cleaner mumbled, and then realizing he had let slip a secret, he quickly hurried away.
"He's just joking with us. If the second part is released in half a month, I'll eat my shoes!" this person grinned.
"I'm not as crazy as you. But if there's a second part in half a month, I'll treat everyone in the company to watch the movie, I'll book out the entire cinema!" another person said, patting his chest.
"Okay!" Hearing the two of them say this, Zuckerberg felt a sudden surge of excitement, and his anticipation for the second part became even more urgent. He couldn't help but say, "If the second part is really released in half a month, I'll book out this entire cinema for three consecutive days and let everyone come in to watch for free!!"
"..." Everyone looked at Zuckerberg as if he were crazy. This made Zuckerberg feel a bit annoyed. He didn't argue back, but in his heart, he secretly decided that he would definitely fulfill this promise. After all, the cost of booking out a cinema was merely a drop in the bucket for his income!