Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 424 What's it like to steal the spotlight at an unprecedented premiere?
"A successful comeback! Incense triumphs over 2046!"

"A miracle! A low-budget film has surpassed blockbusters!"

"Reflections on the Success of the Low-Budget Film 'Incense'..."

They made a successful comeback!
"Incense" was a real success!

Compared to ordinary people or movie fans, the media seems to prefer this kind of success.

The "Tell It Like It Is" program may have just been the beginning. After "Incense" surpassed "2046" at the box office, many media outlets went even more crazy.

After all, box office performance is the most important indicator of a film's success.

There have indeed been many examples in the history of cinema where films performed poorly at the box office upon release but later achieved critical and commercial success.

However, even if the subsequent positive word-of-mouth brings considerable profits, it is not as important as the box office success at the time of release.

The most direct reason is that many movies didn't do well at the box office, so if there were plans to make a sequel, then of course there won't be one.

Even though the movie later received great reviews and made a lot of money from other sources, it was still difficult to start a sequel project.

Therefore, the most important thing is that "Incense" has surpassed the box office!
Moreover, there's a 'story' behind it!
The media can go wild; they can write countless stories.

A story of overcoming adversity, inspiring perseverance, the resilience of ordinary people, the arduous struggle during periods of financial hardship, the teamwork among classmates during the creative process, and the discerning eye of investors…

In short, the media can go crazy as they please!

As a result, there are all sorts of articles and opinions about "Incense," what this expert said, what that scholar said, and what new memes netizens have come up with.

A concentrated outbreak!

It's so overwhelming that there's one hot topic after another about "Incense" on the internet.

You can watch movies and stay up-to-date with trending topics at the same time, so you can have something to watch and something to talk about, making it a truly rewarding experience.

This way.

After surpassing 2000 million, "Incense" quickly broke the 3000 million box office mark!
Although the psychological threshold of 3000 million is no longer as sacred as it used to be.

It's nothing short of a miracle that a low-budget film could achieve this.

At this point, the media should have more room to maneuver.

Many netizens have already posted some interesting comments.

"The success of 'Incense' is also due to our efforts!"

"We can say that we were among the first to discover this film!"

"Seeing the success of 'Incense,' do I also feel a sense of success? Is that normal?"

"It's normal. Just like sports fans, a team winning doesn't really have much to do with them. But if it's not my favorite team that wins, I'm happy."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly right! Movie fans and football fans are actually pretty much the same."

You know what, that makes a lot of sense.

It's such a wonderful thing when your favorite movie becomes a success!

What's even more wonderful is that no one had high hopes for this movie before.

Moreover, this feeling is almost exactly the same as the feeling of making a comeback!

The success of "Incense" has indeed given many ordinary people who supported the film a great sense of accomplishment.

Just like when you succeed.

No problem, absolutely no problem.

Actually, we all like this kind of story.

Now, it has grossed 3000 million at the box office, which is an absolute success for a low-budget film.

What's next?
Will the story of "Incense's" comeback continue?

It must be said that many ordinary moviegoers, or simply ordinary people, still want to see this miracle continue.

However, the idea was grand, but the reality was harsh.

Shortly after "Incense" broke 3000 million yuan at the box office, it was as if everything was put on pause!

The previously frenzied media coverage has suddenly decreased.

There's nothing new about the trending topics that used to emerge all the time.

Only a few netizens are still discussing it.

But they were mostly puzzled.

The box office is still rising, but at a slower pace, and the overall hype is visibly decreasing.

In the end what happened?
Some clever netizens have come up with the answer.

"It's July!"

"Oh right! 'House of Flying Daggers' is coming!"

"This is Zhang Yimou's latest blockbuster!"

"I'm so excited for this movie!"

The case is solved! It's finally solved!

No matter how legendary the story of a comeback was, it all had to be put on hold at this moment.

The highly anticipated blockbuster "House of Flying Daggers" is finally here!

Although the film had already announced its release date and had carried out a considerable promotional campaign across many media channels.

For example, the cast.

For example, stories from the filming process.

For example, our director... well, Zhang Yimou, he really doesn't need much introduction.

However, don't underestimate Zhang Yimou's team; they've always been excellent at publicity.

First of all, someone made a documentary about Zhang Yimou!
The documentary about "House of Flying Daggers" was already released before.

Of course, it was definitely made by film enthusiasts, not for promoting the movie, absolutely not.

But that's the effect it will produce.

Moreover, the story here is truly 'exciting'.

One of the most popular topics right now is 'rapeseed flowers'!
This is not your average, simple rapeseed flower.

This is a field of rapeseed flowers that stretches as far as the eye can see!
Zhang Yimou said, "I want this effect; I want a whole field of super rapeseed flowers."

And after these rapeseed flowers have grown well.

yellow!
The entire shot is yellow!

I don't know why he's so obsessed with Huang.

But he is a great director, a great director who ushered in the era of blockbusters!
Listen to him.

Let's plant rapeseed flowers.

Where should we plant it?
Ukraine!
Just listen to this story, isn't it amazing?

For a movie, we rented a large plot of land in Ukraine and did nothing but plant rapeseed flowers.

Isn’t that bold?

The entire movie is about planting rapeseed flowers abroad!

To be honest, it sounds incredibly impressive.

However, some people felt something was off as soon as they saw this.

We have rapeseed fields in China, and they stretch as far as the eye can see.

Simply put, you guys go over there and film it.

That sounds good, but!
no! Absolutely not!
Filming in the country? That won't do!
The story would be over, and the sophistication would be lost too!

How can we then get Zhang Yimou to say: Isn't that very bold?
Therefore, the process of planting rapeseed flowers is also full of hardships.

There are problems with the seeds, and when the harvest comes, it's not as good as expected... all sorts of things.

But, a person with a sound mind would probably have some doubts?

You're filmmakers, why are you getting involved in agriculture?

Why are you playing a farmer instead of being a proper director?

Are you sick?

Of course, these things cannot be said.

Now, going to Ukraine to plant rapeseed flowers is the biggest story point in "House of Flying Daggers"!
Of course there are more!
A major accident occurred during filming!

A renowned photographer almost went blind!

When Kinjou was shooting arrows, the cameraman was so dedicated that, in order to get an extremely positive shot, he had Kinjou shoot directly at the camera, and the result was...

Thankfully, it was just an injury!
To be fair, this is something worth talking about, and there was indeed an injury.

The problem is, it seems like almost a year has passed since this happened, right?
Why are you only bringing this up now?
Why didn't you do this sooner! Clearly, the film's story was strictly 'controlled'.

Regardless, it did have an effect.

All of this means that even before its release, "House of Flying Daggers" has already generated unprecedented publicity!

But this is not enough.

An unprecedented and grand movie premiere is about to begin!

……

Workers' Stadium.

Such a huge stadium, a stadium that can hold tens of thousands of people.

When Ma Xun was here, he had only one feeling.

Zhang Yimou has gotten too big for his britches.

To hold a premiere in such a place, and to invite so many world-renowned celebrities, and to sell tickets at high prices beforehand.

The key point is that this is just a premiere.

For a film, this is unprecedented in scale.

Being able to hold the premiere at the Great Hall of the People is already considered top-notch.

Now you, Zhang Yimou, have broken through the Great Hall of the People and arrived at the Workers' Stadium...

Ma Xun's personal opinion.

It was probably from this point that Zhang Yimou changed.

And right now...

"Hi, Mr. Ma, it's been a long time."

"Oh, hello there, Ms. Zhang."

Ma Xun was surprised that Zhang Ziyi would take the initiative to greet him.

It should be said that it was perfectly normal for the two of them to meet.

But because of everything that happened before, wouldn't it be awkward for the two of them to meet?

So, normally, shouldn't everyone try to avoid it?
Does her taking the initiative to greet me mean she still intends to... do something in front of me?

Then, Zhang Ziyi said with a stiff neck, "Today, I have finally become the leading lady in Teacher Zhang's movie again, and I have to thank Mr. Ma for that."

Ma Xun immediately understood that Zhang Ziyi was showing off to him.

Although Ma Xun is the boss and Zhang Ziyi is the actress, there is a difference in their levels.

However, given Zhang Ziyi's current fame, she can definitely be considered a top-tier star.

She does have some leverage when it comes to protesting.

Moreover, Zhang Ziyi is clearly trying to regain the face he lost before.

Ma Xun smiled and said, "Ms. Zhang, you are so confident and dignified. You must be convinced that this movie will be a great success. After that, you will soar to the top, fly out of China and go to Hollywood to pursue your dreams?"

The sentence ends with a question, but Ma Xun's questioning tone is almost negligible.

Zhang Ziyi could naturally tell the difference, but she was secretly alarmed at the moment.

"I never expected Mr. Ma to know me so well."

Hey, she's really holding it in.

That's right, Ma Xun was absolutely right.

Of course, there was also an element of deliberately trying to provoke Zhang Ziyi.

However, the current performance of this future international star Zhang does have some merit.

Ma Xun still smiled and said, "This kind of thing is easy to guess, isn't it? It's just a matter of 'people strive to rise higher, water flows downhill'."

Zhang Ziyi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Could it be that Mr. Ma also thinks the United States is superior?"

Ma Xun, however, put away his smile and said seriously, "If we look at the present, the United States is indeed stronger than China, and I believe anyone would admit that. But I value the future more."

"The future? What will the future hold?" Zhang Ziyi asked arrogantly.

Ma Xun stated unequivocally, "The future will definitely be bright for China!"

He was naturally confident in this. In fact, any normal person living twenty years in the future who has a real understanding of China and the United States would agree with Ma Xun's point of view.

Especially for us Chinese, in America it's really... If you don't have money, it's one thing, but if you do have money, you're just lambs to the slaughter.

Zhang Ziyi, however, was different. She laughed and said, "The future? How far away is the future? 30 years? 50 years? By then we'll all be old."

Clearly, Zhang Ziyi's vision is limited to this.

However, we cannot say she was wrong at this point.

In fact, many Chinese people today don't even believe that China's GDP can surpass Japan's.

Of course, Ma Xun didn't intend to argue with Zhang Ziyi about this topic.

"Isn't it better to be old? The older you get, the more you should stay in a good place, right?"

That was a powerful counterattack.

Zhang Ziyi knew she couldn't win an argument with Ma Xun, and this time, she actually had a different purpose in raising him.

Suddenly, she moved closer to Ma Xun.

“Mr. Ma, why can’t we join forces? I know you also have business dealings with Hollywood, and I’m also planning to go to Hollywood. We actually have common interests.”

After saying that, she took a step back and a smile appeared on her face.

It was only at this moment that Ma Xun realized that Zhang Ziyi wasn't trying to provoke him, but rather wanted to find someone he could rely on in Hollywood.

She must have been well aware that going to Hollywood would be a completely unfamiliar environment for her. She was a complete stranger in the world, and even if a Hollywood company signed her, she would still be all alone.
If I could be with Ma Xun...

Ma Xun shook his head and laughed, "Us? But it seems like I'm the one who's at a disadvantage. What benefits could I possibly gain?"

Zhang Ziyi offered what she personally considered to be an excellent 'condition'.

“We can date, we can even get married. I can be Mr. Ma’s wife. If I win an Oscar for Best Actress in the future, then Mr. Ma will have an Oscar-winning actress as his wife. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Wow! That's really something!

Ma Xun burst into laughter after hearing this; he simply couldn't help it.

However, Zhang Ziyi misunderstood the smile, thinking that Ma Xun had considered this possibility.

But then...

"Then I'll be at a huge disadvantage!"

Lore!

A decisive and ruthless kill!

Zhang Ziyi was furious!

"Hmph! Don't be so complacent!"

He uttered a harsh remark and then turned and left.

Zhang Ziyi looked quite dazzling in her gorgeous evening gown today.

Ma Xun was naturally smiling.

He had never considered marriage, and marriage with Zhang Ziyi was even more out of the question.

However, judging from Zhang Ziyi's current behavior... she is actually quite interesting.

Well, Ma Xun never thought Zhang Ziyi was a bad person, it's just that this girl has had it too easy.

So far, at least, she has not encountered any major setbacks.

Forget it, I'd rather not think about these things.

In Ma Xun's version of "House of Flying Daggers," the real key lies in... oh, here it comes from over there.

The creative team behind "Kung Fu Hustle"!
That's right, we agreed before that we would help with the promotion.

Now is a very good time.

The premiere of "House of Flying Daggers" was rather empty in terms of content, especially considering the film itself.

The only truly impressive performance was by a well-known Black female singer, but this woman unexpectedly raised her price, which made everyone quite unhappy.

And now, I, Ma Xun, have brought Stephen Chow to this premiere!

When the Kung Fu team appeared in the center of the Workers' Stadium, the entire venue erupted in cheers!
Stephen Chow, Uncle Da, the landlord, the landlady, Leung Siu-lung, Wan Qian... and others made an appearance.

Especially Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat, their popularity is truly amazing.

Clap clap... Applause rang out, one wave higher than the next!
Moreover, it has stood the test of time!
Wait a minute, what's going on here?
Did Kung Fu steal the spotlight from House of Flying Daggers?
Ma Xun, who directed all of this, had a smile on his face the whole time.

I wonder what expressions Zhang Yimou, Zhang Weiping, Zhang Ziyi, and the others are wearing right now...

(End of this chapter)