Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 360 The "Mars" Era, Igniting the Earth

In just one night, the entire Spring Festival film season, and even the entire Chinese entertainment industry, was transformed into a game-changer.

The Martian has only been shown four or five times in total since its release one night.

Other movies have varying numbers of screenings depending on their length, but generally they all fall within this average range.

Prior to this, "The Martian" did not have an advance screening model, and its pre-sale channels opened relatively late, so its total pre-sale box office had always ranked at the bottom of this year's Spring Festival film season.

It only grossed 1.4 million, and 4 million of that came from the surge in sales after the release of "As You Wish" and the subsequent rush by Ikeno fans after midnight when the film was officially released.

Along with "The Martian," six other blockbusters released during this year's Spring Festival season also saw a surge in box office revenue, with each one experiencing a significant increase.

"The Moon" continues to dominate the No. 1 spot, and by the daytime of the first day of the Lunar New Year, its box office had already exceeded 4 million yuan.

Mahua FunAge Pictures and Shen Bin and Ma Li have even released several posters in a row. Mahua FunAge Pictures, in particular, is overjoyed, as the performance of "The Surface of the Moon" has been as strong as ever since its release.

There wasn't much difference from the preview screenings.

Following "The Moon Surface," "Star Trek 3" closely followed, and this globally acclaimed special effects blockbuster, a top-tier IP, also achieved a super high opening day box office of 3.5 million.

The competition for the top two spots was fierce, and both were big names, which was expected.

Starting from third place, the battle and "unexpected events" suddenly began... To be precise, they weren't exactly unexpected, because "The Martian" was one of the most anticipated blockbusters of this year's Spring Festival season.

only…

The pre-sale date was so late; even among the other six blockbusters, the film that started pre-sales the latest was more than half a month later than "The Martian".

In other words, The Martian accumulated at least half a month's worth of box office revenue less than other films, but overnight it jumped from sixth from the bottom to third place in the Spring Festival box office.

Director Feng's "Dream Lover" was overshadowed, while the heartwarming male star and the four-character actor were surpassed.

Another major international IP, the special effects blockbuster "Super Lizard Man," also faltered, dropping from fourth to fifth place.

There's also Zhang Yimou's "The Nanjing Incident"... and "The Chinese People's Volunteer Army 2," which has been consistently criticized from the beginning until now.

—The Martian's box office revenue is currently 3 million yuan, fourteen hours after its release on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Yes, the box office surged by 1.6 million overnight, a terrifying increase. Cinemas across the country are now in a frenzy for "The Martian," with every theater showing "The Martian" basically packed to capacity.

Currently, the earliest tickets available for "The Martian" online are for the day after tomorrow; tickets for the same day and the following day are already sold out.

The creators of "Dream Lover" were stunned, Zhang Yimou was stunned, and even Shen Bin, Ma Li, and the people at Mahua Film & Television, who were far ahead of other films at the time, were stunned.

No, what's going on?

So "The Martian" has been released, right? Even if you wait for word-of-mouth to spread, it should take some time, right? How could it be so fast?
The most classic case of marketing in the industry is a common sense: any phenomenal work or event needs a certain amount of time to lay the groundwork and ferment. Without this, it cannot be called a phenomenon.

From the time "The Martian" was released until now, only a dozen hours have passed, and most of the time was in the middle of the night... Even if "The Martian" has a good reputation, it is impossible for it to spread so quickly.

Because in such a short time, there is simply not enough time for the film's word-of-mouth to spread.

In fact, this argument is both right and wrong.

The point is that the reason why "The Martian" has such a strong surge in popularity is not because of word-of-mouth, but because of Ikeno's personal box office appeal.

Yes, Chi Ye is now a true top-tier figure in the Chinese entertainment industry, a top-tier star in the film industry. After "Flu", even if his popularity fluctuates greatly, it only affects the so-called data that ordinary people can see.

In the film industry, and in the minds of ordinary viewers, the works that Ikeno is currently starring in are roughly equivalent to getting their money's worth.

This is a level of appeal that countless artists strive for their entire lives. Before this, only a handful of people in China, such as Shen Bin and Wu Jing, had achieved it.

Now, at just over thirty years old, Ikeno has achieved this feat, which is enough to instantly elevate his status.

Secondly, the promotional hype surrounding "The Martian" was indeed quite substantial, touting it as a "representative work of Chinese science fiction" and featuring three young actresses, breaking the convention of avoiding pairings of established stars...

—Although Sister Pliers and Sister Merchant are one stubborn and the other lazy, they have indeed done their best to help with the publicity. With the idol's recognition and the marketing of Chi Ye's team.

This is the first reason for the sudden surge in "The Martian's" box office.

After that... nothing more needs to be said.

Audiences who bought tickets for various reasons were completely dumbfounded after seeing the final product of "The Martian".

This was truly and utterly numbing, numbing from beginning to end—before this, they never dared to imagine that Chinese films could be made so amazingly!
With these special effects, production quality, and acting... if "The Martian" doesn't top the charts, then the entire Chinese entertainment audience and sci-fi fans will be blind!

Wild boars cannot eat fine bran.

This is a Weibo post from a film critic who recently watched "The Martian" three times in one night, and then, with dark circles under his eyes, before he even had a chance to write down his review, he saw online trolls attacking "The Martian".

Once a Weibo post is published, it's like a sudden thunderclap, or like turning on the switch for a melody and the prelude to a storm—the entire Weibo platform, the entire internet, suddenly "comes alive."

A landmark work in Chinese science fiction cinema has emerged.

[Chi Ye – A self-proving figure among the top-tier post-95 generation.]

[With three rising stars on screen and a Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor making his sci-fi debut, *The Martian* is definitely worth watching.]

[Maoyan predicts that the film will gross over 4 million yuan on its opening day, and "The Martian," which is in the final pre-sale period of the Spring Festival season, may become this year's biggest "dark horse."]

[The Xiangnan Cinema was packed; tickets for "The Martian" were in high demand.]

This is a copy-pasted article that was mass-forwarded by ordinary marketing accounts, but below it are all genuine "word-of-mouth" supporters and domestic science fiction fans and viewers who have gone "crazy".

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Everyone go watch 'The Martian' right now! If you don't say 'Holy shit' after watching it, I'll do a handstand and poop!"

"I initially thought it was just another marketing ploy by Ikeno Company's online trolls, but after clicking in and reading the comments, I was shocked. Is it really that good?"

"How should I put it... I feel like after this, Ikeno is really going to be a legend."

"Ikeno, how many surprises are you going to give me? You're such a breath of fresh air in the Chinese entertainment industry. I've never liked a popular idol this much before. You're truly amazing!"

"I'm taking my brother from the front row! He's not just a celebrity; he's a Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor, a Golden Rooster Awards Best Supporting Actor, and a Golden Eagle Awards Best Actor/God of Manhood!"

"I watched several big movies released at the same time in one night. I can only say that the more I looked forward to them, the more disappointed I was. But when I watched 'The Martian' at the end, I instantly felt that the night was worth it. While everyone in the theater was marveling at the visual effects, I felt the charm of Chi Ye himself." "For a celebrity to actually achieve this, Chi Ye's fans don't need to argue with me. 'Celebrity' is a neutral term, and Chi Ye's label as a top-tier celebrity is already deeply ingrained in people's minds. There's no need to rush to debunk it now. I'm not saying this to criticize Chi Ye, but I'm just thinking that at his age, with so much popularity, he can still calm down and make such a film... It's really hard not to be moved."

This is a reply from a well-known film critic, hence the highest number of likes and comments.

Another film critic stepped forward, even giving a brief summary report on the spot:

"After watching the Spring Festival movies, my recommendation index is: 'Super Lizard Man' - 1 star (out of 5), comment: a cash grab and a bad movie. 'Dream Lover' - 2 stars, comment: watchable, but average. It could have been 3 stars, but it uses the sci-fi gimmick without any sci-fi content. It's a case of false advertising."

"The Affairs of Jinling" - 3 stars, recommended. Not really suitable for the New Year's atmosphere. The film is quite tragic, so it is recommended to watch it alone.

"Moon Surface" (3 stars, recommended). It's a comedy, but not a sci-fi movie, not a sci-fi movie, not a sci-fi movie!

"Star Journey" three stars...

"The Martian, five stars, a must-see. Review: Chi Ye is the one who ushered in the first year of Chinese science fiction films."

The reply was originally quite long and clearly biased. Many viewers who had seen one of the films and thought it was actually quite good were very angry. However, when they scanned the replyer's ID, they were all stunned for a second.

Because this is actually a top film critic in the industry. Of course, that's not the point. As we all know, film critics in the Chinese entertainment industry are paid to make a living. It's just that this film critic is a bit special.

First of all, he is a member of a top circle in Beijing's elite circle, which is the same relationship as that between him and Ikeno, who is considered a "sworn enemy".

Secondly... not long ago, or rather many times, this was a representative figure who had been constantly criticizing Ikeno.

The reason is simple: many fans who follow the entertainment industry have heard about Ikeno's relationship with the Kyoto circle, and everyone thinks it's "understandable."

But this time... he actually recommended Ikeno's work, and even gave it "five stars"?
Is the sun rising in the west?
Not only them, but many people in the industry were also dumbfounded, shocked and astonished, wondering if this person had lost his mind. Feng Kuzi even angrily called: "Old Lin, what do you mean by this? Did you take money from Chi Ye?"

"And another thing, you can praise him if you want, but why are you insulting me?!"

The film critic, known as Lao Lin, paused for two seconds before saying, "Kuzi, I have indeed criticized Ikeno quite a bit, but this movie really can't be criticized, and it 'must' be praised."

Feng Kuzi was taken aback.

Old Lin glanced at his computer. He had just posted the message on his computer. He had logged into WeChat on his computer, and the latest chat history was what he had said to Wen Ma's ex-husband, who hadn't appeared in a long time.

After the other party "descended to earth" to target Ikeno once, they almost never appeared again.

At that moment, the all-powerful Ke Ying only said one sentence to Lao Lin: "The big leader watched Chi Ye's new movie and said it was good three times."

Old Lin got goosebumps all over his body.

He knew what Ke Ying meant, so... he had no choice. This time, the opponent went all out from the start, making it seem like whoever tried to stop them was doomed...

Moreover, to be fair, he is also a science fiction fan who loves science fiction movies. He has naturally seen "The Martian," one of the most anticipated science fiction blockbusters during this year's Spring Festival.

can only say…

Anyone who has experienced the quality of the finished film "The Martian" would find it hard to honestly say that it was bad.

Beyond the special effects and plot, what's more important is... this is domestically produced science fiction.

For a domestically produced sci-fi film to reach this level... it can no longer be described as merely "good." Rather, it carries a certain special significance and deserves a level of acclaim befitting its quality.

If they don't show up, then let the dissenters "disappear" first...

Old Lin's statement this time, in a sense, is not only for his own "conscience," but also to remind many old brothers in the circle, and at the same time to remind himself that this is not a contest of equals.

To save one's life.

Hearing the silence on the other end, Feng Kuzi suddenly understood something. Because of competition with other films released at the same time and because he didn't have time, he hadn't gone to see "The Martian" at all.

But he understood what the other person meant.

"Another 'Wolf Warrior 2' or 'The Battle at Lake Changjin'?"

He subconsciously wanted to find out something so that he could have a better understanding of the situation and also inform more people.

Old Lin paused, then shook his head: "More than that."

Feng Kuzi was taken aback.

Wolf Warrior 2 and The Battle at Lake Changjin are two highly representative works in the history of Chinese cinema. In terms of box office, both have created a legend that is difficult for other filmmakers to match.

But those in the industry know perfectly well how much of this myth was actually "fueled" by others.

For various reasons, it can only be said that both films were indeed riding the wave of popularity.

Feng Kuzi originally thought that "Firepower Pool Wild" was going to go back to his old ways, but unexpectedly, the result seemed to be a little different from what he had expected...

Could there be anything of a higher "level" than these two films?
Old Lin knew that Lao Feng usually focused too much on profit, and given that no sci-fi masterpiece of this caliber had appeared in China for so many years, his first reaction was probably incomprehension... which is understandable.

He could only whisper a reminder: "Science fiction knows no borders, but Wolf Warrior has borders, you pants."

Upon hearing this, Feng Kuzi froze instantly.

……

The first day of the Lunar New Year, in the evening.

The promotional campaigns for "The Martian" have been extensive across all major online platforms, including Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu.

In less than 24 hours, from the end of the Spring Festival Gala to the evening of the next day, which should have been a time when the Spring Festival Gala program dominated the trending topics and generated a lot of buzz, and was also the time when everyone was most enthusiastic about "complaining" about the program.

But now everything has changed.

It became "The Martian," and turned into a "science fiction movie."

The era of "Mars," just like its name suggests, ignited this Spring Festival and will soon ignite "Earth."

(End of this chapter)