Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 400: The Female Lead Turns to the Enemy? Bingbing Sends a Big Gift!
"You don't understand 'The Promise' now, and that's exactly right!"

This sentence was said by Teacher Chen Kaige.

Because it was released a day earlier than "Warriors of Heaven and Earth", Bingbing, along with Chen Kaige and other members of the main creative team, visited two different cinemas.

One in the morning, one in the afternoon.

The workload that Director Chen is carrying is already quite heavy.

However, the feedback received was still somewhat awkward.

During the interaction, many people said they didn't understand it.

Since the premiere, more and more people have said they don't understand "The Promise".

There were so many that even Teacher Chen had to respond.

As a result, he said those words.

Upon hearing this, Bingbing naturally smiled on the spot.

But to be honest, she knew very well that Chen Kai was probably about to lose his temper.

In the past, given director Chen Kaige's temperament, he certainly wouldn't have offered any explanation, at least not in this way.

So... has "The Promise" already failed?
Although Bingbing knew the movie would fail when she was in Tokyo, she still felt it was going to be a failure.

At least this is Chen Kaige's work, and the entire cast and production budget of the film can be said to be top-notch in Asia today.

It should have a pretty good box office performance, no doubt.

But now, Bingbing is even more panicked.

She felt that the box office might also collapse.

Fortunately, Bingbing made a statement to Brother Ma while she was in Tokyo.

She is now pregnant.

This child... must be named Chengcheng.

Hmm, Brother Ma is a great name. Chengcheng sounds so nice.

However, because of this, Bingbing will be unable to work for at least six months.

This is a very conservative estimate; it could take at least six months, maybe a year, and if the recovery isn't good, it could even take two years.

But that was all she could do.

For my own future, for Brother Ma and the children.

So, what excuse should we use?
Go to school?
Studying abroad?
They told others that they were enriching themselves.

That's a pretty good excuse.

Bingbing thought this was a creative idea, but little did she know that many people in the entertainment industry actually used this excuse to have children.

Well, anyway, it's an excuse.

But, for so long...

Bingbing hopes to take on another role before then.

If he recovers in six months, wouldn't that mean he can maintain his popularity and status in the entertainment industry?

Needless to say, they naturally need Ma Ge to provide resources.

Bingbing has already made up her mind. She plans to throw herself into Ma Ge's arms as soon as her work on "The Promise" is finished.

However, I'm afraid...

As she was thinking, Bingbing suddenly saw the poster for "Warriors of Heaven and Earth".

The poster that appeared at the bus stop was actually a poster of a single person.

Wan Qian.

Yellow Sand Swallow!
Her eyes weren't very big, but they were very bright.

Suddenly, Bingbing inexplicably wanted to watch this movie.

Yes, I hadn't seen it before.

Wait a moment……

Bingbing suddenly thought of many things.

Previously in Tokyo, I watched the movie "Incense" with Ma Xun.

The two girls in this movie are the newcomers that Brother Ma promoted.

This this……

Our entertainment industry is indeed teeming with new talent!
Well, what Bingbing was thinking about was how Brother Ma had played them.

Ahem, that's not the point.

The key point is that Bingbing felt a strong sense of crisis at this moment.

She is actually still very young, but now she has the feeling of being old and faded.

No, absolutely not!
This further solidified Bingbing's determination to watch "Warriors of Heaven and Earth".

Actually, it would be quite risky for her to go see it now.

Although she is also in this movie, she is Yang Guifei.

But she was still the female lead in "The Promise".

But whatever, I can't just not take a look.

Bingbing wanted to see how the newcomer that Brother Ma was currently promoting actually turned out.

So, two hours later, after getting dressed up, she went to a not-so-popular movie theater and watched a movie by herself.

At the end of the year, around Christmas and other holidays, businesses often promote couple's packages, aiming to make money off two people at once.

The cinema also offers a variety of packages.

Bingbing is quite unique, but thankfully, after disguising herself, not many people recognized her.

The movie started shortly afterward.

This film, *Warriors of Heaven and Earth*...

Bingbing was completely stunned from the very beginning.

There's such a long passage at the beginning, and there's no dialogue?!

Although I understand it, it's still too daring.

However, she was truly impressed; this scene really elevated the overall quality instantly!

In fact, our current films need to have enough sophistication, that is, to make the audience feel that they are high-end enough.

Especially for blockbuster movies, this is a must.

If blockbusters give off a low-end vibe, that's absolutely unacceptable.

In the movie "The Promise"... to be honest, Bingbing feels it's a bit lacking.

The colors in the picture are too intense; this kind of picture just gives people a feeling that... well, it's not quite enough.

Sometimes, a simpler shot with a single color scheme can easily give people a sense of sophistication.

It's like Apple's style.

The original setting of "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" was a desert, which naturally had a very simple color scheme.

In this way, they naturally gained an advantage.

In short, this opening scene alone was enough to shock Bingbing.

And next...

The breathtaking scenes in "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" made Bingbing cover her mouth from time to time.

Especially the Battle of Xiangji Temple.

This film is absolutely breathtaking!
But after calming down, Bingbing was a little confused.

Will this scene overshadow the main event?

At this time, there were quite a few people who shared her doubts.

There are many young couples at the movies now.

There was a couple nearby, and the girl raised this question.

"This scene was indeed brilliant, but wasn't it a bit overdone? Did they give us too much plot depth?"

The boy then began his performance, saying, "This is the right way to film it. After the Battle of Xiangji Temple, the strength of the Tang Dynasty was greatly reduced. The troops were drawn from the Anxi Army and other border troops. Wasn't that old man a member of the Anxi Army? Therefore, the Tang Dynasty could no longer pay attention to the Western Regions."

In other words, this great battle was the 'cause,' and the subsequent decades of Guo Xin's solitary defense were the 'effect.'

There is a cause and an effect, and the movie opens with a lotus flower and a monk.

This perfectly illustrates the cause and effect.

"Wow, how do you know so much?"

"Hehe...we guys like history."

"I bet you learned it online."

"Ahem, that's something only those who love history can learn."

This conversation was just flirting.

Bingbing couldn't help but laugh when she heard that.

But then I thought, no way?
Did Brother Ma even think of this?
In other words, "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" is actually quite suitable for couples to watch.

Generally speaking, most girls don't like history, while boys are the opposite, so they can show off their knowledge in this kind of situation.

If that's true, wouldn't Brother Ma be the matchmaker?
How many couples must he bring together?

To be honest, Ma Xun really did consider this aspect.

Because he also knew that a movie's box office performance was often closely related to whether it was suitable for couples to watch.

Many people simply don't understand these things, even those in the industry, even so-called experts, especially many film review content creators later on.

Honestly, the quality of film review content creators in China is really disappointing; it seems like anyone can become a film review content creator.

They're just chasing clicks; whether they understand the film or not, they basically just copy other people's copywriting.

More than 20 years later, our domestic film market is getting worse and worse. At that time, many people were criticizing domestic films, saying how bad they were.

But haven't you noticed that Hollywood movies aren't doing well either?
In fact, the cooling of the film market more than 20 years later is closely related to one thing.

That means that men and women didn't talk much back then.

There's a song that goes something like this: Maybe the God of Love is offline, and love is managed by the God of Wealth.

This song is so popular! It's only popular because it resonates with everyone. We hardly talk anymore, so what's the point of watching a movie?

Of course, this is only one of the reasons.

Back to the present, at the end of 2003, society was thriving, and businesses were using all sorts of methods to make it incredibly easy for people to find partners.

For a movie to achieve good box office results, in addition to high-end appeal, top-notch production quality, and stunning visuals, it must also consider the viewing experience for couples.

Ma Xun actually did a good job in this regard, giving the boys a lot of room to develop.

As for how many couples will form, that depends on your fate.

As for Bingbing, she also solved a mystery in her heart at this moment.

And then... yeah, what was I here for?
Look at Wan Qian... oh wait, and Tong Liya too!
Bingbing then realized that the princess from the Western Regions in this movie was the village girl in "Incense".

Her face is certainly pretty, but the rest...

Hmph! You little slut!
Bingbing's jealousy was almost uncontrollable.

She couldn't help but think about how Brother Ma would play with this little beauty.

Oh, and Wan Qian too.

You must have played them all, and maybe you played them really well...

Fortunately, Bingbing has a sharp eye.

She was certain of one thing: neither Wan Qian nor Tong Liya were as big as her.

The advantage is mine!

But at the very end of the movie, one important character after another dies on the way to Kucha.

Bingbing stopped thinking about those things; she was completely absorbed by the movie.

Until finally... a city full of white-haired soldiers appeared.

Bingbing's big eyes were also full of tears.

She knew that "The Promise" was bound to lose.

But just as the show was ending...

"Ah, isn't this Miss Bingbing?"

"Huh? Sister Bingbing?"

"You're Bingbing! Can we take a picture together?"

"No, why did you come to watch this movie?"

Bingbing has been discovered!

How to do?
Suddenly, Bingbing had a flash of inspiration and came up with a great idea.

"I also have a role in this movie. Actually, actors usually don't see the movies they make. I only made a cameo appearance this time..."

Okay! Admit it openly!

And the best thing would be to let this matter be reported in the newspapers!
That's right, Bingbing is going all out now, so I'll support "Warriors of Heaven and Earth"!

This is yet another display of loyalty to Ma Ge, isn't it?

With such generosity, the other audience members had nothing to say; everyone took photos and signed autographs, and the cinema even joined in.

That's great, it'll definitely make the news.

After leaving the cinema, Bingbing naturally rushed back to her house.

But then she happened to see a food stall on the way.

This food stall is interesting; it sells sesame seed cakes, but these sesame seed cakes...

Bingbing covered her mouth and laughed. Then, she simply got off the bus to buy some sesame cakes and even took a picture.

……

Breaking news! The female lead of "The Promise" supports "Warriors of Heaven and Earth"?

"Qingcheng betrayed us? Bingbing prefers 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth'?"

"Something terrible has happened! The Promise is doomed!"

Sure enough, it wasn't just reported in the newspapers.

This has already spread online.

Bingbing's surrender is tantamount to defection!

This made netizens laugh.

However, in that sense, "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" does indeed outperform "The Promise".

The female lead has betrayed us.

But what's even more interesting is Ma Xun's side.

The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival is still ongoing, and Ma Xun has not left Sanya.

Besides, he has beautiful women by his side, isn't that great?

It's almost the end of the year, so coming to Sanya for the winter is a normal choice for people from Northeast China.

Well, actually, Ma Xun planned to rest here for a while before flying to the United States.

We're going to attend the Sundance Film Festival.

As for whether she can rest... well, Jingwen definitely needs to rest.

Brother Ma is too strong; she's a bit petty and intolerant.

However, on this day, "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" had already completed its first day of screening.

Brother Ma doesn't seem to care much about the box office; he's watching...

"This, what is this?"

"Bingbing."

Yes, there was a photo in the email.

It was sent by Bingbing.

When Jingwen saw this, she became jealous.

Because Ma Xun was smiling.

"Brother Ma, why are you laughing like that?"

"You...you didn't notice?"

"I...I really didn't notice."

Jingwen was telling the truth, because the photo showed a food stall.

Is there anything special?
Ma Xun had no choice but to point to the sign and say, "Look at this, read it aloud."

"Read it aloud... okay... a sesame seed cake wrapped around bits of beef... what's wrong with that?"

Jingwen used a Taiwanese accent, of course, and that's how she read it.

Ma Xun couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He was behaving really strangely.

Jingwen quickly asked, "What exactly happened?"

"You're not from Northeast China, so you wouldn't understand."

"what?"

Ma Xun then whispered something in Jingwen's ear, and the result was...

Jingwen was so embarrassed that she even playfully punched Ma Xun's chest with her little fists.

What happened?

It's actually very simple; Ma Xun just explained 'guo zha zha'.

Well... those who understand Northeastern dialect will understand.

Ahem, that sesame seed cake, no explanation needed, right?

but!

"This Bingbing is so sexy!"

Jingwen felt a lot of pressure.

Actually, Bingbing is under even more pressure; she even posted this picture.

Ma Xun understood perfectly well that this was Bingbing's latest attempt to pledge her allegiance.

Moreover, it's obvious that Bingbing is...

Forget it, let's focus on the present.

"I'm going to America, will you come with me?"

"Of course I'll go, but... Brother Ma, aren't you concerned about this Lunar New Year film battle?"

Ma Xun simply laughed and said, "We've already won, what else is there to care about?"

"Won?"

Clearly, Jingwen didn't understand what was going on.

As of now, "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" has grossed 600 million yuan on its first day of release.

This box office figure is equivalent to the combined box office of "The Promise" in the previous two days.

Don't forget, there's also The Matrix Revolutions.

Although this Hollywood blockbuster was released earlier, it is still a blockbuster.

This movie will gross at least 3000 million.

Under such circumstances, our film "Heroes of Heaven and Earth" has achieved such results.

Won!

We absolutely won!

In fact, the box office miracle of this movie has only just begun!
"Warriors of Heaven and Earth" held its own against its competitors for two days on the very first day.

And after the first week of release.

With a box office of 1500 million, "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" completely crushed "The Promise"!
This blockbuster competitor has less than ten million in revenue...

(End of this chapter)