This director is vindictive.

Chapter 207 So, only one competitor remains in the summer blockbuster season: "The Fortress"?
The movie is over.

At the premiere, applause continued unabated.

In fact, at this point, many film critics, viewers, and media professionals had roughly guessed the purpose of Chen Mo's three Weibo posts.

But guessing is one thing, but hearing it from Chen Mo himself is another.

So, after the movie ended, the main creator, Director Jiaozi, was overshadowed by the investor, Chen Mo.

The reporters swarmed around them.

This is perfectly normal. After all, it's an animated film, and unlike live-action films, it doesn't have as many celebrities to interview.

Secondly, because director Jiaozi is truly a newcomer to the film and television industry.

Although many people know that after this movie, everyone may get to know this "super new director" in a new light!
But clearly, at this moment, he is no match for Chen Mo!
"Director Chen, can you now explain why you posted those three Weibo posts?" the reporter who got the first question asked immediately.

At this point, Chen Mo naturally didn't need to hold back or keep anyone in suspense.

Instead, he spoke eloquently.

"I believe that many people would not be able to accept the Nezha image in the animated film before watching the movie 'Ne Zha,' because it is so different from the Nezha in our impression and the traditional image of a lofty and noble deity."

Just like the three Weibo posts he made before, every single one of them was full of disdain, contempt, and incomprehension.

Why is this Nezha image so ugly? Why does it have such an outdated and embarrassing slogan about picking one's toes?

Without Nezha cutting off his flesh to return to his mother and scraping off his bones to return to his father, is he still Nezha?
Ultimately, it all boils down to the theme this movie wants to express: "Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain that even a god can't move!"

In my opinion, the most successful aspect of this adaptation is that it de-labels the Nezha we have in mind and gives him a completely new definition.

This time, Nezha finally didn't have to "cut off his flesh to return to his mother and remove his bones to return to his father."

That evening, Chen Mo's fourth Weibo post was released.

This time, there's only one sentence: "Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain! Who you are is up to you."

This time the discussion was even more heated.

"After watching the preview screening, I suddenly understood why Chen Mo posted those three Weibo posts this time. It's because they reflected the prejudices many of us have against Nezha!"

"That's right, but there's one thing I still have to say: our prejudice against Chen Mo is all your own doing. See, you've really done the opposite of what you intended!"

"I wasn't really interested in 'Ne Zha' at first, but your three Weibo posts piqued my curiosity, so I watched it. Suddenly, I realized how true the saying 'prejudice in people' is.' If it weren't for Chen Mo's three Weibo posts, I might have missed the movie because of my prejudice."

"As expected of you! These three Weibo posts were based on prejudice, and the fourth one revealed the answer. Actually, after watching the movie, you don't really need to look at the fourth Weibo post, because you'll understand after reading it!"

Zhou Xiaobin also wrote a film review with a very interesting title on his personal social media account.

"Chen Mo's three Weibo posts, including 'Ne Zha'!"

"Actually, I've always had a prejudice against domestic animated films. Of course, before this, I didn't think it was a prejudice."

Because in the past, the only thing we could be proud of was "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," and there really haven't been any since.

Therefore, we subconsciously assume that any domestically produced animated film is undoubtedly not worth watching.

Just like how we usually vote with our feet for domestic patriotic films before "Wolf Warrior 2" came out, they were undoubtedly bad movies!
Getting back to the main point, why mention Chen Mo's three Weibo posts?

This time, Chen Sanzhi isn't playing with his fingers raised; he's playing with Chen Santiao instead.

At first, I didn't understand why, when they thought so highly of this movie and valued it so much, they chose to promote it in this way.

After watching the movie, I understood.

The first of these three Weibo posts is about Nezha's appearance! Ugly, the ugliest Nezha in history!
I bet this is the first thing that comes to everyone's mind when they see that promotional poster!

However, they overlooked the simplest one, which we often say: "Don't judge a book by its cover!"

We've known this saying since we were little: "You can't judge a book by its cover; judging people by their appearance is the worst thing you can do!"

But in reality? The first thing we see about beauty or ugliness becomes our standard of judgment!

Second, my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven!
This phrase comes from an online novel, and the meme has been overused. So when you first hear this phrase, you're bound to feel awkward and outdated.

The third point is the deep-rooted impression of Nezha.

Subconsciously, we are unwilling to have our established impressions broken.

These three Weibo posts are actually about prejudice—the prejudices we all have against "Nezha"!

This is also the theme of "Ne Zha": prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain!
What kind of image of Nezha do we have in mind? I believe many people have seen the myth of "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" when they were young!

Just like Li Jing and his wife in the story, it's as if they were meant to be like that!

But many years later, we actually have no concept of Li Jing at all; all we have is the general of Qiantang Pass, not a father.

The film presents a completely new concept: Why couldn't Li Jing be a good father? Why couldn't Madam Li be a good mother?

Nezha, on the other hand, seemed to be born to be this way or that way; he was given a mission.

There's a saying that some people are born in Rome, while others are born to be beasts of burden!

People who say this are usually "oxen and horses"!
This is actually a kind of prejudice.

Just like Nezha in "Ne Zha".

He was born a Demon Orb and a Spirit Orb.

Just like our prejudice against ourselves, believing that we were born to be beasts of burden!

And then we really became like cattle and horses, never thinking, or rather, never believing that we could change all of this!
If we persist in such prejudices, then aren't we already destined from birth?
So what is the meaning of studying and striving?

But we have all overlooked one point: those who were born in Rome, were their fathers and their fathers' fathers also born in Rome?
For example, Nezha's "cutting off his flesh to return to his mother and removing his bones to return to his father".

But why must Nezha be like this? This character design was created, after all!
Why can't he be the adorably ugly Nezha? Why can't he be a different Nezha?
He was born a demon, and everyone said he was a monster, but he was just a child! Look closely, doesn't Nezha resemble many of our "naughty kids"? Do we really have to explain this by saying that you can tell what a person will be like at three years old? He was naughty when he was young, does that mean he will definitely be a bad person when he grows up?

Nezha shouted, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens! Whether I am a god or a demon, I choose for myself!"

It is actually a struggle against such prejudice, a struggle against so-called fate.

Why must the Demon Orb be a bad guy? Why must he accept this fate?

He has a choice, just as we do. A poor family's son studying is, in a way, the same kind of choice: "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

Unwilling to remain poor, he studied diligently in order to change his fate.

The story of the movie may not be particularly amazing, but why does it resonate with so many people?
Because it's about Nezha, but isn't it about each and every one of us?

When we were kids, could you imagine what the good and bad students in our class would be like in the future?

Good students will always be good students, and bad students will always be worse off than good students.

This is the prejudice in people's hearts. In fact, it is everywhere in reality.

We say in our hearts that we don't discriminate and that we treat everyone equally, but in reality, isn't having this thought itself a form of discrimination and prejudice?

"Ne Zha" may not be a classic, but it is excellent enough in today's context.

Since "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," many domestic animated films have been released, but none have truly lived up to expectations. Perhaps it was precisely because people had low expectations for domestic animated films and harbored prejudices that when this film was released, it turned out to be surprisingly good, greatly satisfying their expectations and contributing to its success.

After its release, "Ne Zha" grossed over 100 million yuan in just 89 minutes and over 200 million yuan in just 15 hours!
It successfully ignited the summer movie season, becoming the first film of the summer to achieve both box office and critical acclaim!

Throughout July, many domestic films were released, but none of them became blockbusters. At this time, "Ne Zha" really had no rivals, not a single one could compete with it!
For a time, everyone was talking about Nezha!

The movie is obviously a hit!

This is something many people never expected.

What netizens are talking about is that Chen Mo, the investment god of the film and television industry, has made a comeback after the flop of "Yunnan Insect Valley".

"Awesome! You can always trust Chen Mo. I have to say, his investment acumen in the film and television industry is truly top-notch!"

"His first time posting three consecutive Weibo posts to promote a movie proved that his judgment was as accurate as ever!"

"I've seen the movie. While it may not be a classic, it far exceeded my expectations! Chen Mo is awesome!"

"Holy crap, Nezha is clearly a blockbuster, and with 'All for the Winner' coming up next, is Chen Mo going to dominate the summer box office again?"

"It really is! But isn't there a super sci-fi blockbuster called 'Shanghai Fortress' coming up next? It shouldn't dominate the charts, right?"

"So the only competitor left is 'Shanghai Fortress'?"

But what's even more amazing is yet to come.

Because the profit models for animated films and live-action films are actually different, live-action films in China usually don't have much in the way of related merchandise.

But animated films are different. For example, this time, "Ne Zha" became the first blockbuster domestic film of the summer season.

As a result, related merchandise began to sell like hotcakes! The adorably ugly Nezha became a unique character at this time.

That's probably the charm of movies: a good movie can redefine a well-known and deeply ingrained character.

Soon after, netizens discovered that Shengshi Pictures' movie merchandise brand, as well as several companies under Chen Mo's name, launched related merchandise immediately after the movie's release.

For example, the ugly Nezha figurine, figurines of other characters from the movie, and the Jiangshan Sheji Tu (a painting depicting the landscape and the state) are all selling like hotcakes on e-commerce platforms!
Before anyone could even react, they started stockpiling goods for sale.

Don't underestimate this point. Why do many domestic movie merchandise items not sell well, even for "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" back then? Because before that, they also didn't have enough confidence that the movie would be a hit.

The domestic film merchandise market is currently still in a relatively short-term phase.

The best time to sell a movie is when it's in theaters, but often, due to insufficient preparation, by the time it's finally released, the hype has already died down.

"Holy crap, Chen Mo is really making a killing! 'Ne Zha' hasn't even been officially released yet, and Shengshi Pictures' movie merchandise factory is already operating at full capacity."

"Yes, in fact, the Fanxing Medical Equipment Factory's Fanxing e-commerce flagship store had already put related Nezha-themed masks on its shelves before the movie was released!"

"Not only that, there are also figurines. They've already been distributed nationwide even before the movie was released."

"That eye for quality is amazing! It's even faster than piracy!"

Indeed, this was the case. Because the film was not initially well-received, it actually benefited Chen Mo, who obtained the necessary licenses at a relatively low price.

Then they started full-scale production very early on.

As a result, the movie became a hit, and sales skyrocketed.

Breaking 100 million on the first day and 500 million in three days, it definitively declares that the ugly-cute Nezha is a bestseller.

Moreover, it has received excellent reviews, with a score as high as 8.8, which can be said to be the highest score of domestic animated films at present.

The biggest beneficiaries are undoubtedly Enlight Media and Shengshi Pictures.

In particular, Shengshi Pictures also acquired the peripheral products and made advance arrangements for the products.

The fact that they got the hottest bite of meat resulted in a direct surge in the company's stock price, hitting the daily limit.

Because of the box office success of "Ne Zha", the related merchandise has also shown tremendous potential.

The movie grossed 500 million yuan in three days, and according to statistics, the sales of various peripheral products, including masks, figurines, dolls, mouse pads, clothing, etc., also approached 100 million yuan in the same three days!

Moreover, it's conceivable that as the film continues to be a hit, these sales figures will continue to soar.

This has left the media and netizens in awe.

"Your grandpa is still your grandpa, the god of investment, still the same god of investment!"

"It turns out that 'Yunnan Insect Valley' was really just an accident!"

"It's just the praise from the media. In reality, Shengshi Pictures didn't invest a single penny in that movie; it was just an investment in the copyright. There might have been losses, but it really wasn't a good thing, was it?"

"Even Buffett wouldn't dare say he's guaranteed to win every time, let alone Chen Mo? He's still human, not a god, and that's already impressive enough. If he could really succeed every time, that would be absurd."

"Isn't it outrageous enough that it's already like this? His eye for talent in the film industry is truly amazing. Take merchandise for example. If this movie flops, then all the merchandise prepared in advance is basically wasted. That's why everyone is afraid to start doing it in advance. It's just that Chen Mo, once he sets his sights on a target, goes straight for it, and as a result, he deserves to make money!"

However, Nezha's box office phenomenon has only just begun.

On July 30th at 4 PM, "Ne Zha," on its fifth day of release, had surpassed 1 billion yuan in box office revenue, overtaking "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" to become the highest-grossing domestic animated film. By early morning on August 1st, "Ne Zha" had surpassed 13 billion yuan in box office revenue, exceeding "Coco" to become the second highest-grossing animated film in the domestic film market.

However, as August began, Ne Zha also started to face competition.

The Bravest has been released.

While the film received mixed reviews, its box office performance was undeniable.

However, Chen Mo's mind was no longer on this movie; instead, he was focused on the final promotional push for his own film, "All or Nothing."

It's worth mentioning that Chen Mo initially thought that the anti-fraud app mentioned in the movie would only have a real-world impact and cause it to appear earlier, once the movie was released.

Unexpectedly, when the film was submitted for review, Chen Mo was called in and had an in-depth discussion with relevant departments about the idea of ​​this anti-fraud app.

The official departments' execution capabilities are indeed impressive.

Just before the release of "All or Nothing," they announced the upcoming anti-fraud app!

Even the official departments specifically tagged "All In" and Chen Mo on social media to express their gratitude!
Many netizens exclaimed, "Here he comes again!"

From his earliest film, "Caught in the Web," to "Dying to Survive," and then to "Article 20," Chen Mo's realistic films have consistently managed to change reality.

Even before the movie "All or Nothing" was released, it began to have an impact on reality, directly driving the emergence of anti-fraud apps.

"I've already downloaded the app. It might not seem like much to us young people, but it's definitely a great anti-fraud measure for the elderly in my family!"

"That's right, I installed it on my parents' phones immediately, and they both say it's great!"

"Chen Mo is awesome! He directly spurred the creation of anti-fraud apps even before the movie was released!"

The promotional tour for "All or Nothing" was also quite unique, with the "hat uncles" (a group of men dressed in hats) making an appearance.

Interestingly, many people didn't initially believe these were real hat uncles until the hat uncles repeatedly told them that they actually collaborated with the hat uncles on this roadshow.

Of course, the main theme remains anti-fraud, while also promoting anti-fraud apps!

(End of this chapter)