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Chapter 337 "Ong-Bak" Released

8 month 8 day.

"Ong-Bak" was released simultaneously in mainland China, Hong Kong, the United States, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and other regions.

Before the premiere, both the distributor and the production company invited Cao Sheng to attend, but he declined because the weather was too hot and he didn't want to go out.

But since he wrote the script for this movie, he also wanted to see how the movie turned out.

That afternoon, around 3 p.m., accompanied by two sports students, Lei Zhen and Sun Liang, he went to a movie theater in the city to buy tickets and watch a movie.

There weren't many viewers in the screening room; the occupancy rate was only 30-40%.

It doesn't look like the opening day of a blockbuster movie.

This led Cao Sheng to estimate that the film's box office performance might not be very good.

This may be related to the fact that the film stars Zhao Wenzhuo.

Looking at all the movies starring Zhao Wenzhuo, have any of them been box office hits? Cao Sheng thought for a while, but couldn't think of any.

reason?

Is it because he's not handsome enough? Or because his kung fu isn't good enough?

Apparently neither.

Zhao Wenzhuo has a good image and his kung fu skills are among the best in the film and television industry. The TV series he stars in have good ratings, but the movies he stars in don't seem to have much box office appeal.

Cao Sheng thought about these things, but his mood was very calm.

Since he did not invest in this film, its final box office performance will not affect his income.

As for whether it will affect his future script prices?
He didn't care; he had never been interested in continuing to write screenplays.

The movie started playing, and the visuals and editing were characteristic of Tsui Hark's films. The visuals were very evocative, and the editing of the action sequences was very sharp.

The movie opens with Zhao Wenzhuo, shirtless and wearing trousers, practicing boxing in the open space in front of a house under the night sky. The low wooden house, the lush vegetation around it, and the old man (played by Gu Feng) smoking welding fumes under the eaves, all set against the backdrop of the open space in front of the house. The tall, long-legged, shirtless Zhao Wenzhuo is muscular and his punches and kicks are powerful and forceful. The moves of Bajiquan, with their expansive and powerful momentum, seem to emanate from the big screen.

After completing a set of Bajiquan, Zhao Wenzhuo was covered in sweat, and under the moonlight, his body seemed to be plated with gold.

Gu Feng, standing under the eaves, spoke up, "Have you heard that the villagers have been very panicked lately?"

Zhao Wenzhuo: "Is it because it hasn't rained for more than three months?"

Gu Feng: "Well, that's the surface reason. The real reason is that all the villagers here are Buddhists, but a scoundrel has emerged in the village. He brought outsiders to the village and stole the Buddha head from the village temple. Today, the villagers came to me and asked me to help them retrieve the Buddha head, but I'm too old to fight anymore. Your kung fu has reached a certain level, so you can go and retrieve the Buddha head for me!"

Zhao Wenzhuo frowned slightly, then bowed and said, "Yes, Master!"

……

The film opens with a strong sense of kung fu movie style.

It not only showcased the male lead's kung fu skills, but also explained what Zhao Wenzhuo was going to do next—find the stolen Buddha head.

The scene shifts to the morning of the next day.

The male protagonist, played by Zhao Wenzhuo, was riding in an oxcart to the city. All the villagers, regardless of age or gender, spontaneously saw him off, putting all kinds of food and drinks on the oxcart. Everyone who put something on the oxcart begged him to find the stolen Buddha head.

Zhao Wenzhuo's expression was solemn, and he could feel the pressure on his shoulders.

He looked down at the things the villagers were putting on the car and remained silent.

The gifts the villagers gave him were not valuable, but they represented the entire village's expectations for him.

The village hadn't seen rain for over three months... the vegetation was withered, the river was dry, the riverbed was cracked, and every villager's lips were parched, some even cracked.

When Zhao Wenzhuo finally arrived in Chinatown in the United States, the plot gradually became more exciting and hilarious.

The exciting fight scenes were handled by Zhao Wenzhuo.

The comedic storyline was handled by Chen Baixiang.

Between the exciting fight scenes, comedic moments were interspersed, eliciting laughter from the audience in the screening room.

Cao Sheng noticed Lei Zhen and Sun Liang beside him, who were staring intently at the big screen. He also noticed the other audience members in the screening room, who were all watching with great interest and no one left halfway through.

Cao Sheng also thought that "Ong-Bak" was well made.

Zhao Wenzhuo's skills did not disappoint him, and the skills of the various villains were also quite good.

Because the story takes place in Chinatown in the United States, the villains appearing are of many nationalities, including Japanese and Korean villains, as well as white and black villains.

With a large number of actors of various nationalities, it's like selecting action actors from all over the world, which naturally guarantees the quality of the action sequences.

After the movie ended, Cao Sheng didn't rush to leave the screening room like the other audience members. He sat in his seat and waited for everyone else to leave before slowly walking out, surrounded by Lei Zhen and Sun Liang.

He could faintly hear the audience members walking ahead discussing the movie.

"Tsui Hark's action movies are really good! Zhao Wenzhuo is going crazy in this movie! So many fight scenes!"

"Chan Pak-cheung is hilarious! Why wasn't he more popular before?"

"Nonsense! Chan Pak-cheung isn't famous? In Hong Kong comedy films, his comedic talent is second only to Stephen Chow, okay? He's not famous? Haven't you seen 'Flirting Scholar'? He played Zhu Zhishan!"

"Zhongyuan Yidianhui is really amazing; he even wrote the script for this movie."

"I thought this movie would be similar to 'Kung Fu Jungle,' but it turns out they're completely different styles! Which do you think is better, this movie or 'Kung Fu Jungle'?"

"I think this movie has too many action scenes and is too bloody!"

……

Listening to the discussions of the audience, Cao Sheng walked out of the movie theater. He had taken precautions to conceal his identity today, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. He only took off his sunglasses while watching the movie, and put them back on just before leaving the screening room.

Once inside the car, Sun Liang started the engine and drove, while Lei Zhen sat in the passenger seat.

Cao Sheng sat alone in the back row, smiling as he asked, "What did you guys think of the movie? Was it good?"

Lei Zhen chuckled, "It's great! So exciting, it makes me want to learn Bajiquan!"

Sun Liang: "I haven't seen a movie with such exciting action in a long time. However, it seems like there aren't many people watching it today, so the box office might not be very good. It might be a movie that gets critical acclaim but not commercial success."

Cao Sheng guessed that they both knew he had written the script for this movie.

Therefore, Cao Sheng didn't dare to fully believe their praise.

But he himself felt that the movie was indeed well made.

The box office... probably won't be very good.

It received critical acclaim but failed to attract large audiences...

He had written novels for many years and had seen some novels receive this kind of evaluation.

Such novels are often referred to as "niche works" or "niche masterpieces".

He had written similar works before.

For example, his several urban novels.

The reputation is quite good.

Many readers say that the value of his works lies in their authenticity.

Some readers also said that his works were based on reality.

Its realism appeals to some readers, providing a strong sense of immersion. However, this same realism also leads some readers to feel the plot isn't exciting enough, which hinders its widespread popularity.

……

the same day.

Beijing.

noon.

After attending the premiere and having lunch, Zhao Wenzhuo put on makeup, went to a movie theater, bought a ticket for "Ong-Bak," and mingled with a group of audience members to enter the screening room.

When the movie started, he noticed that the theater was only 40-50% full, which made him look a little disappointed.

How much did he go to get the lead role in the movie "Ong-Bak"? How many training instruction videos did he film for Cao Sheng? How many kind words did he say to Cao Sheng on the phone?
Then think about the screenplays Cao Sheng wrote before, and the box office performance of the films that have already been released...

"Kung Fu Jungle", "If You Are the One", and "Ip Man".

Every movie did very well at the box office.

Why is it that my starring film, Ong-Bak, only had such a low attendance rate on its opening day?
Is it Cao Sheng's lack of influence? Or Xu Laoguai's lack of influence? Or my lack of influence?
This is a problem we shouldn't be thinking about.

Because the more you think about it, the more upset you'll feel.

Both Cao Sheng and Tsui Hark have proven the box office appeal of their works through multiple films.

Zhao Wenzhuo is the only one who has never proven himself at the box office.

Therefore, the answer to who should be blamed for the poor attendance on the film's opening day seems obvious.

On the big screen, he fought very hard, almost giving it his all.

Looking at himself sweating profusely on the big screen, he felt as if he had returned to the months of filming this movie.

During that time, he worked tirelessly, trying his best to seize this opportunity and make a comeback, just like Donnie Yen did in "Kung Fu Jungle," to prove himself.

With the role of Feng Yuxiu, Zhen Zidan finally broke his losing streak after years of flops.

He originally wanted to emulate Zhen Zidan.

Now it seems that clinging to Cao Sheng's coattails hasn't been of any use.

Even with Tsui Hark and Chung Yuen's combined efforts, they can't lift me up. Do I still have a chance to rise to prominence in the film industry in my lifetime?

In the screening room.

The audience laughed from time to time. When action scenes appeared on the big screen, they watched intently, many with expressions of surprise, seemingly unable to believe that the movie could be so exciting.

Zhao Wenzhuo saw the audience's reactions, but he didn't feel gratified; instead, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

He recalled that when the movie "The Blade" was released, many viewers had similar reactions, but the movie's box office was a complete flop.

After the final box office results were released, the investors and Tsui Hark became bitter enemies.

Xu Ke had also almost fallen out with Zhao Wenzhuo.

If it weren't for the screenwriter Cao Sheng's insistence on casting him in the lead role of "Ong-Bak," Xu Ke probably wouldn't have even considered him.

……

After three days of release, box office figures for "Ong-Bak" have been released in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, and other regions, with daily box office figures in each region not performing well.

It seems lukewarm at best.

However, the online reviews of this movie are very positive.

Cao Sheng saw some posts about this movie in the book review section of "The Legend of the Primordial Era".

For example: "Just finished watching 'Ong-Bak,' written by the boss, it was so enjoyable! As expected of the boss's work, Zhao Wenzhuo must be laughing in his sleep right now. Being able to star in this movie written by the boss should be the best opportunity he's had in recent years!"

"The title 'Ong-Bak' is really cheesy. If it weren't for Ah Hui writing the script, I definitely wouldn't have bought a ticket to see it. But after watching it, all I can say is, it was worth the price of admission! Super worth it! Brothers who haven't seen it yet, hurry up and go see it! It's really great!"

"Is this Ah Hui's first Sino-foreign co-production? The actors are white, black, Korean, and Japanese. But to be fair, kung fu movies made as co-productions are really good. The physiques and muscles of the white and black people are visually striking!"

"It's been a long time since I've seen a kung fu movie with such realistic, hard-hitting action. The last one I saw was 'Kung Fu Jungle,' written by the author. I really hope the author can write more kung fu movie scripts! It's so exhilarating!"

"As a disciple of Bajiquan, I sincerely thank Ah Hui for writing such a script, and I also thank Zhao Wenzhuo for working so hard to make this movie. It was so well made, showcasing the charm of our Bajiquan to the world. Thank you so much!"

……

In the comment sections of some news articles related to "Ong-Bak", Cao Sheng also saw a lot of positive reviews.

However, the news reports about Ong-Bak for three consecutive days were all negative.

For example: "Is the script for 'A Little Gray in Central Plains' really worth an exorbitant price? 'Ong-Bak' performed poorly at the box office!"

"Kung Fu movies are outdated. Even a mix of Zhongyuan Yidianhui and Xu Ke won't work!"

"Zhao Wenzhuo was drinking heavily late at night, possibly because of the poor box office performance of 'Ong-Bak'!"

"Even before its release, it's safe to say that 'A World Without Thieves' will surpass 'Ong-Bak' at the box office!"

"A touch of gray in the Central Plains is not a box office magic bullet; 'Ong-Bak' performed poorly at the box office!"

"With 'Ong-Bak' flopping, what will happen to 'A World Without Thieves'?"

"A sky-high script fee cannot guarantee script quality; Zhongyuan Yidianhui's new film suffers a Waterloo!"

……

and many more.

Similar news headlines appeared almost everywhere online for three consecutive days.

Surprisingly, the comments section under these news articles mostly praised Ong-Bak.

For example: "I haven't seen 'Ong-Bak,' confirmed!"

"Hey editor! Your mom's calling you home for dinner! Stop spouting nonsense!"

"Jealousy makes people repulsive! The editor must be jealous of Zhongyuan Yidianhui's achievements. Even if the movie's box office is not good, it doesn't prove that the movie is not good."

"The poor box office performance of this movie only shows that there are too few discerning viewers, or that the movie's promotion efforts were seriously insufficient!"

"How can a reporter criticize such a good movie? Have they no shame?"

"It's tragic! The fact that such news can be published only shows how pathetic the domestic film industry is. Good movies have actually come to this end!"

……

Cao Sheng feels quite complicated every time he sees news or comments like this.

If the movie is poorly made and the box office is bad, he can accept that.

But even though the movie is very well made and has good reviews, the box office just won't pick up. Who can you complain to?

If, 20 years from now, a movie receives excellent online reviews, it can drive up its box office revenue and turn a potentially disastrous film into a box office success.

But it was 2001, and the number of people online in China was still very small. Online word-of-mouth had little impact on actual movie box office revenue.

Cao Sheng subconsciously overlooked one issue: In this era, there are few netizens in mainland China, but there are quite a few netizens in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States.

Especially the number of internet users in the United States.

(End of this chapter)