Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 331: The blockbuster film "Hero"! Breaking 10 million views on its opening day! Breaking 30 million views in its first week! Xiao Ran returns!

"Hero premiere! Gao Yuanyuan makes an appearance in a red dress!"

"A star-studded lineup graces the premiere of 'Hero'!"

Han Sanping stated: "Hero is indeed a blockbuster!"

"The Chinese film market is still very weak. Is there a huge risk in releasing a blockbuster at this time?"

"Foreign institutions have stated that they are not optimistic about Columbia's investment! They fear it will be difficult to recoup the costs!"

The premiere was incredibly high-class, and since the media was already focused on this movie, it was naturally all the more impressive.

Some do on-site reporting.

Some published commentary articles.

Some people are optimistic about it.

Some are pessimistic.

Regardless of the circumstances, the movie "Hero" has generated a huge amount of buzz!

The movie was just released, and almost the entire internet is talking about it.

Faced with this situation, how have people in the industry reacted?

Several bosses have now gathered inside Huayi Advertising Company.

"I never expected that they would actually manage to make it happen."

Zhang Xinming, the coal mine owner, was understandably angry at that moment.

All that work we did before was for nothing.

The attempt to steal the spotlight failed, and subsequent media attention proved futile.

Look at our opponents now, they're riding high!

The Wang brothers were somewhat embarrassed by the coal boss's words.
But these two still have some tricks up their sleeves.

But this move... they turned their attention to the Thirteenth Young Master.

"Everyone, they've certainly made a big splash this time, but the box office results are uncertain."

Looking at this summer's box office, Ma Xun had been making films for two years in a row, and at most, he only made 40 to 50 million yuan at the box office.

The movie "Hero" had such a large investment and such a huge promotional campaign; I wonder how much money it cost.

How much will it gross? Will it exceed 100 million?
Hehe... I don't think that will work.

What he said actually makes some sense.

Upon hearing this, the business owners were at least somewhat pleased.

That's how the domestic film market is now; a film that makes 4000 million is considered the absolute maximum.

Going any higher is extremely difficult; even if you manage to surpass 4000 million, various problems will arise.

Sometimes theaters conceal a lot of box office revenue.

It seems……

"The investment in 'Hero' seems to be thirty million US dollars!"

Qin Hong said this with a smile on his face.

The subtext is simple: they definitely won't make it back!

The bosses were even happier to hear this.

Thirteen continued, "Regardless of whether this investment is real or fake, I personally estimate it will be at least 20 million US dollars. In terms of box office, if it doesn't reach 40 million US dollars, the movie won't even break even. But the problem is, we can't let them make that much money in China!"

That's right. Even if it's the mainland and Hong Kong combined, in their view, it's impossible for it to exceed 4000 million US dollars.

That's over 3 million in box office revenue.

Actually, that's all over the top.

It's calculated according to the latest rule that the production company can get 5% of the profits. We all know that this rule has been issued, but in practice... it will be very difficult to implement.

As a result, the bosses felt even more comfortable.

Thirteen Young Master still has tricks up his sleeve!
"Everyone, I still have one more method up my sleeve, but it's not clear yet and we'll have to wait a while."

What methods? Do we still have to wait?
However, everyone knows that this Thirteenth Young Master is full of bad intentions.

People still have a lot of confidence in him.

Zhang Xinming then added, "Don't keep everyone waiting too long."

Yes, we must put pressure on these thirteen young masters.

He pushed up his glasses and gave a rather strange look. "All I can say is, it's definitely worth waiting for."

What do you mean?
Probably no one except Thirteen Young Master himself knows.

However, the Wang brothers are still very satisfied with this gathering so far.

At least there's a solution now, and the investors have been reassured.

What exactly is Thirteen Young Master's plan...? Let him handle it.

Anyway, this guy is full of bad intentions.

But just then, there was a knock on the door of the conference room.

It's Li Xue.

What is she here to do?
The second son of the Wang family frowned, but had no choice but to gesture for her to come in.

After all, Li Xue is quite famous in the industry, and now that many bosses have noticed her, they might as well let her in.

Something must be wrong.

Li Xue was straightforward and whispered a few words to the second son of the Wang family.

In an instant, the second brother's expression turned somewhat strange.

"What's going on?" Zhang Xinming, the coal mine owner, asked quickly.

The second son knew he couldn't hide it anymore, but when he looked again, Li Xue had already left.

There was no other way but for him to say it.

"Breaking news: Hero has grossed 500 million yuan since its release."

500?
It officially premiered today, but we're only halfway through!
Okay, to be precise, movie theaters usually open around 10:30 am, though some may open earlier, but it's fair to use that as a guideline.

But it's only 2 PM now.

So fast? !

The bosses' faces darkened again.

But if we're talking about the ugliest one, it has to be the Thirteenth Young Master.

5 million from day one so far, wouldn't that mean it'll break 10 million on the first day?!

If this goal of breaking 10 million on the first day is really achieved, it will not only be a matter of box office momentum, but more importantly, it will also bring even greater attention!

And now...

Thirteen Young Master felt a slight pain in his face.

That's a real slap in the face!
……

Can it break 10 million on the first day?

Nobody knows.

Meanwhile, Ma Xun, as the main investor, was attending a dinner party.

It was done by Zhang Weiping.

It was quite clear that this dinner was a dinner for the investors of the movie "Hero".

Other participants included Jiang Zhiqiang, Ge Luming, and Harvey.

Well, this Harvey is indeed a bit strange.

But let's look at another one: Quentin Tarantino and Jiang Wen.

That's not surprising.

In fact, there was another investor, but he didn't come; that was Han Sanping.

It's understandable that a high-ranking leader like him wouldn't come; after all, he's busy.

And these investors gathered together... first they drank, first they ate, first they chatted about romance.

This is a standard business banquet; in fact, business dinners rarely involve discussing serious matters.

If you're going to talk about all sorts of random things, especially if it's a men's group, then talk more about women.

"Hey everyone, I'm sure you all know who the hottest female celebrity in the world is right now, right?"

"Sweetheart?"

"Bingo!"

"Haha... Mr. Harvey, what do you mean by mentioning her?"

"Actually, we've always been making movies, which is a bit monotonous. Since it's profitable anyway, why not do something else? For example, what if Britney Spears could come to China for a concert?"

Wow! This is definitely going to be profitable!

It has to be said that Harvey is quite something; he was actually talking about women, but he ended up combining women with business.

Ma Xun spoke much less in this setting, but he had to admit it.

Britney Spears is definitely the hottest star right now, the most popular celebrity in the world, unmatched by anyone.

However, the possibility of her holding a concert in China is still very low.

Harvey is clearly still trying to fool people.

At that moment, Zhang Weiping's eyes fell on him, the meaning clear: Brother, say a few words.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "Britney Spears is indeed very popular, but if we're really going to hold a concert like this, Mr. Harvey, it would be better to invite Michael Jackson to perform in China."

“Oh, this…” Harvey did indeed have the intention to deceive people, but Ma Xun’s suggestion really embarrassed him.

That's Michael Jackson, he's so hard to get.

But thankfully, there's a reason behind it.

“Mr. Ma, you should know that this person is really not a good person.”

Everyone understands what Harvey meant by that.

Michael Jordan's reputation in the United States is currently in dire straits, as he is embroiled in numerous scandals.

But Ma Xun knew in his heart that it was all because MJ was too normal.

That's how it is in America; it's very difficult to be a normal, good person, especially if you're also very rich.

But Ma Xun gave Harvey a sharp answer: "But it's for the money."

What he said was quite interesting.

"That's right! Mr. Harvey, if we can get Michael Jackson here, it'll be a huge profit!"

"Mr. Harvey, you seem to have a lot of connections." "Mr. Harvey, I have high hopes for you."

Harvey was in a very difficult situation.

It's true that he has connections, but how could he possibly get MJ to come?

Zhang Weiping secretly gave Ma Xun a thumbs up for his move.

He had also heard of Harvey's reputation as a big swindler.

This guy is such a smooth talker.

Fortunately, we have Ma Xun, that big conman.

Competing against everyone, you're still a bit out of sorts.

Since the conversation has already reached this point, let's talk business.

"Thank you so much for your support of the film 'Hero'!"

Zhang Weiping started it by raising a glass of wine.

Okay, I understand.

Speak freely.

"A blockbuster! We have to spare no expense!" Jiang Zhiqiang set the tone first.

His subtext is: He's not afraid of losing money!
In business, being willing to pay any price is almost synonymous with not being afraid of losing money.

This allowed the investors to speak freely.

Ge Luming was actually very happy, saying, "I'm still very much looking forward to the future of the US market."

Yes, Columbia Pictures took the North American rights.

At least in Ge Luming's view, the deal was worth $13 million.

That's what everyone else said next.

But Ma Xun remained silent.

Zhang Weiping turned his gaze over again.

"Brother Ma, what are the prospects for our film..."

He had just started speaking when Ma Xun took over.

"Everyone! I am full of confidence, and I would also like to share my personal expectations with you."

Personal expectations?

Is this important?
But then Ma Xun said, "We did so much work on the movie 'Hero' beforehand, and I believe that our efforts will pay off."

Therefore, I'm optimistic that the box office will break 3000 million in its opening week!

what? !

Breaking 30 million in the first week?!

The directors present were stunned.

You're way too confident!

Interestingly, someone suddenly said something.

"Awesome!" Quentin gave a thumbs up.

It's perfectly normal for a foreign director to be a bit eccentric.

But the other bosses... were just about to say something joking.

Harvey couldn't hold back any longer, "Mr. Ma, I've also done some research on your Chinese film market. Thirty million in the first week? That's impossible."

His chance had come; he had been tricked by Ma Xun before.

Ma Xun laughed heartily, "Mr. Harvey, let's make a bet."

"How do we gamble?" Harvey really loves gambling; he's a regular at casinos in the US.

So, upon hearing Ma Xun's words, he immediately perked up.

Ma Xun knew this guy would take the bait, so he said confidently, "It's simple. If we can't break 3000 million in the first week, I'll lose you whatever the shortfall is!"

Great! This betting method is interesting!

Harvey immediately understood, "How much more, and I'll lose to you by that amount, right?"

"That's right!"

"OK!"

The two high-fived, and the bet was made.

All the investors were witnesses, and everyone burst into laughter.

Then drink!

But just then, Zhang Weiping's phone rang.

"I'm sorry everyone..."

But not long after, his complexion immediately improved!

"Haha! I have some great news to share! Our game 'Heroes' has now surpassed ten million players!"

what?
It's around 9 PM now, and it's already ten million?!

Although there's not much time left today, given the current situation...

"Brother Ma! Hahaha..."

“Mr. Harvey, this bet of yours…”

"Ha ha……"

The atmosphere immediately became lively, with the bosses chatting and laughing.

Could it really break 30 million in the first week?!

Anyway, Harvey's face, which was as fat as a pig, was covered in sweat.

I don't know if it's because I'm afraid of losing money, or because it's hot...

……

Achieving 30 million in the first three weeks was actually a goal Ma Xun set for himself.

He is still very confident in achieving this goal.

This confidence wasn't something he imagined; it came from a series of market surveys.

Even during the previous preview screenings, Ma Xun didn't just casually hold those screenings.

Instead, market research was conducted simultaneously.

Since it's a preview screening, it's perfectly fine to conduct a questionnaire; the audience members themselves know this.

This is even in line with international standards; that's how Hollywood does it.

So, the feedback we received was...

The scene was magnificent!

An unprecedented visual experience!
The martial arts are spectacular...

That's right, that's all the positive feedback!
These reviews are already incredibly impressive, which guarantees that "Hero" will achieve the same huge success as "Primal Sky"!

And let's not forget that Ma Xun also added his own elements.

Don't underestimate those subtitles; they can definitely help more viewers understand the plot more deeply.

In addition, there's the film scheduling situation this time... We have the experience of a successful summer movie season, as well as the experience of a successful pilot reform of the cinema chain system.

I need a huge queue!

This is even part of the marketing!
Ma Xun is determined to seize this high box office in the first week, to let the whole country know that our movie has broken 30 million in the first week!

This will definitely create a sensation!
And then, things become much easier.

Ma Xun was in a very good mood after the banquet.

Harvey, you old swindler, just wait and see you lose money.

But when he returned to his courtyard, he drunkenly felt two large, soft mounds.

"Boss~"

"Huh? Xiaoran, are you... am I hallucinating from drinking too much?"

"Oh no, you, you shouldn't inhale..."

Xiao Ran, whom he hadn't seen for many days, suddenly returned, and Ma Xun was really straightforward and unceremonious.

Xiaoran was not angry at all; on the contrary, she liked it very much.

He's just drunk... or rather, Ma Xunzhen is really drunk?
Why worry about so much?

……

The next day, which was Sunday.

This day is crucial for "Hero".

But a piece of good news broke right in the morning!

"What? Breaking 10 million on the first day?"

"It wasn't the first day! Actually, it includes the box office revenue from the previous preview screenings!"

"Really? Even with the added preview screenings, it's already broken ten million in box office revenue. That's amazing!"

"Breaking news: A big shot has revealed that the movie 'Hero' may break 30 million in its first week!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

The media buzzed about it, and it broke ten million views on the first day, which is truly astonishing!
Even with the preview screenings... can't it break 30 million in the first week?
Wait a minute, what does this mean?
In fact, even now, many people are unaware of a problem.

Some netizens commented: "Hero is a blockbuster! Isn't it normal for it to gross over 10 million?"

Yes, a blockbuster!

It seems that, subtly and gradually, the movie "Hero" has left a mental imprint on many people's minds.

This is a blockbuster!
In fact, there has never been a single Chinese film that said that before!

And so...it's here! It's really here!

Before 10 PM on Sunday, the official Heroes account posted a poster on Douban!
thirty million!
thank!

The internet was instantly abuzz!

The success of "Hero" is certainly cause for celebration.

But what is Ma Xun, who orchestrated all of this, doing now?
In the small courtyard.

Head, two big buns...

(End of this chapter)