This director is vindictive.

Chapter 258 Life needs a sense of ritual; giving money as a wedding gift can lead to 1 million in box office revenue?
Public opinion was outraged, with netizens jokingly saying that Chen Mo was buying wedding experience vouchers wholesale on the trending topics.

However, the hype was undeniable, and importantly, many fans of the couple were offering their blessings with genuine sincerity.

There will definitely be controversy, but Chen Mo had anticipated it.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."

Of course, this "wedding" is unlikely to be a real wedding ceremony.

To put it simply, it's all about the sense of ritual. Chen Mo's plan is to reenact an ancient wedding ceremony and film it as a promotional video in the form of a pseudo-documentary.

Of course, this is what is publicly stated; in reality, it's not much different from a wedding.

The key is the high level of attention it has garnered, coupled with the promotional video, which has also attracted the attention of cinemas, who see a business opportunity in it.

Zeng Maojun from Wanda Cinemas even made a special phone call.

"Director Chen, congratulations!" Zeng Maojun immediately congratulated Chen Mo.

Although Chen Mo claimed to be filming a promotional video for Huayun Clothing, no one really knew what the situation was.

On the one hand, Chen Mo's actions were not so blatant as to cross the line of morality; on the other hand, they did indeed have a huge promotional effect on Huayun's "Phoenix Auspiciousness" series of wedding attire.

Even now, before the series has been officially launched, there have already been quite a few inquiries.

Therefore, Zeng Maojun's congratulations were not meant as a sarcastic remark.

"Haha, please excuse my poor performance, Mr. Zeng!" Chen Mo laughed heartily.

"Director Chen, how do you plan to release the 'Phoenix Brings Auspiciousness' series of promotional videos?" Zeng Maojun suddenly asked.

"What are your thoughts, Mr. Zeng?" Chen Mo was taken aback. He hadn't really thought much about it at first. How else could it be issued?

It will definitely be uploaded online or broadcast on television.

“I do have some ideas. I think if Director Chen makes a promotional film, it will definitely be released. And since Director Chen himself directed and starred in it, wouldn’t it be a pity if it were just a regular release?” Zeng Maojun said.

Chen Mo nodded. To be honest, although Chen Mo's purpose in using this promotional video wasn't simply as a promotional video, since it had been released under the guise of a promotional video, it was impossible to keep it hidden.

Moreover, the production cost of this promotional video is no less than that of some domestic films. Although the filming process does not focus as much on acting as a movie, in terms of research, it is definitely the top-tier "wedding" documentary of its kind in China.

So far, filming has not even started, but the cost of various preparations has already exceeded ten million!

Furthermore, they specially hired several history experts at great expense to provide guidance on ancient wedding customs and procedures.

This includes the three letters and six betrothal gifts, as well as the formal wedding ceremony, etc.

It's fair to say that many movies don't go into such detail.

Although Zeng Maojun hadn't said it yet, Chen Mo had already guessed what he was thinking.

"Does Mr. Zeng mean to release it in theaters?" Chen Mo asked.

“Great! It could be released in theaters as a documentary. And since the Spring Festival and Valentine’s Day coincide this year, if there’s enough time, I think audiences would be happy to watch this wedding documentary full of classical and traditional cultural charm on that day!” Zeng Maojun said with a smile.

Chen Mo hadn't really thought about it before, even though he did plan to release the promotional video on Valentine's Day.

But I really never thought of showing it in theaters.

However, after Zeng Maojun's reminder, Chen Mo felt that since it was being marketed as a "commercial promotional film," there was absolutely nothing wrong with releasing it in theaters!

Of course, it will definitely cause some controversy, but this thing is really a case of "the more lice, the less you have to worry."

It's not that Chen Mo is short of money, but the impact of this film on the big screen will definitely be much better than on the small screen!
"I need to think about it!" Chen Mo did not give an immediate answer.

Zeng Maojun, however, felt that this matter had great potential and continued, "Director Chen, since it is a commercial promotional film, there is no need to worry about any controversy. After all, releasing it in theaters is also a commercial activity."

What he said makes sense.

"Okay, I'll think about it and give you an answer as soon as possible!" Chen Mo said.

"Then I'll be waiting for Director Chen's good news!" Zeng Maojun said with a smile.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Mo couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

And I must say, Zeng Maojun's business acumen is indeed quite sharp.

"Show it in theaters?" Jing Tian's eyes lit up when she heard Chen Mo's idea.

His eyes were practically drooling.

There's no way around it, romance has different levels. If you say Chen Mo did this to make up for their lack of a wedding ceremony, that's one thing, but if it were shown in a movie theater, it would instantly elevate the level of romance to a whole new level.

"Is this okay?" the young heiress asked, somewhat worried.

"What are you worried about?" Chen Mo asked.

"Won't people criticize us?" the young rich woman asked.

"Besides, if this kind of promotional video is released, will anyone be willing to watch it? If the box office is too bad, won't you be laughed at?" she continued.

"Perhaps we can release some information first, or even conduct a survey. What do you think?" Chen Mo asked after a moment of contemplation.

"That's a good idea!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

Chen Mo acted on his idea immediately. This didn't need to be too obvious; sometimes, a little ambiguity was more effective.

Therefore, Chen Mo did not directly and bluntly ask someone to release the news. Instead, he contacted Zeng Maojun of Wanda and asked him to help contact several other cinema chains to add "The Phoenix Brings Auspiciousness: A Complete Documentary of the Classical Wedding Ceremony of Chen Mo and Jing Tian" to the list of films to be shown on the cinema chains' ticketing apps, and mark it as "promotional film/documentary".

The film is scheduled to be released on February 14, 2021, which is Valentine's Day!

Although there is no official ticketing channel yet, you can choose whether you "want to watch" or "don't want to watch"!
The news was quietly released through the movie theater ticketing app, which quickly triggered a chain reaction.

Originally, the trending topic of Chen Mo's fake promotional video and real wedding was still on the trending list, but this news was like adding a drop of water to a raging fire.

It exploded directly.

Of course, netizens were divided into several camps.

A group of CP fans went wild!
The hashtag #ChenMoJingTianWeddingDocumentary# quickly topped the trending searches on social media, with fans of the couple taking screenshots and making fun of it.

"I don't know if it's true, but if it is, I'll definitely buy a ticket to see it. It's practically like giving a wedding gift!"

"This is official, forced shipping!"

"Wow, really? Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual. And it has to be you, Chen Mo. No wonder you're known as a genius. To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to it."

"No, why was it taken down? I was already planning to buy tickets. Watching a movie on Valentine's Day is so boring. It's so much more fun to take my girlfriend to see a wedding and ship couples!"

However, just as Chen Mo had anticipated, this matter also sparked considerable controversy and skepticism.

Some netizens accused Chen Mo of "having no bottom line in his hype": "A promotional video worthy of being shown in theaters? A new way to fleece consumers?"

However, some netizens countered: "It's just a market behavior, what do you mean by 'harvesting the韭菜' (a metaphor for exploiting consumers)? If you don't want to watch, then don't buy a ticket! No one is forcing you to buy one!"

"Heh, all you do is talk about who's ripping off fans, and what's with all this talk about whether they deserve it or not? Nobody says a trailer can't be shown in theaters! If it's not good, then you can't rip people off even if you want to!"

"Compared to those utterly worthless terrible movies, I actually think that theatrical releases should be more diverse, which is quite interesting!"

History enthusiasts, however, took a wait-and-see approach, commenting: "If the research is rigorous, then watch it as a cultural and educational film; otherwise, it's a desecration of tradition."

Although Chen Mo's side has not yet truly decided whether or not to release the film in theaters.

In reality, there was no official announcement or promotion.

However, Wanda's app shows that the film has been marked as "want to watch" by over one million people, far exceeding niche documentaries released at the same time, no, it even surpasses several other blockbuster films released during the Spring Festival.

The comments from netizens below were quite interesting.

"That's great! When will tickets go on sale? My girlfriend and I have already made plans to see this on Valentine's Day!"

"Watching a movie on Valentine's Day just feels a bit off. Watching something new and exciting like this creates a more romantic and special experience!"

"Stop spouting nonsense about 'harvesting leeks' (a Chinese idiom for exploiting others), money can't buy my willingness!"

"This is great, it's full of ceremony! My girlfriend immediately told me that we wouldn't go anywhere for Valentine's Day, we'd go see this movie in Caen! It's a pity we can't book tickets yet!" These people who chose "want to see" may not actually choose to see the movie on that day, but it is enough to show that the theatrical release market has a promising future.

This matter has sparked discussions from all walks of life.

Some industry insiders believe that if "The Phoenix Brings Auspiciousness" is released this time, its prospects are definitely promising.

why?
"The film's release date was deliberately chosen to be Valentine's Day (February 14, 2021), and the content is centered on ancient wedding ceremonies, perfectly matching couples' pursuit of 'romantic rituals'."

Although nominally a promotional video for Huayun's wedding attire, in reality, as everyone knows, Chen Mo's original intention in filming it was to "make up for a wedding ceremony," and the theatrical release would upgrade this private ceremony into a "public romantic event," which would definitely attract couples to regard it as a special Valentine's Day activity.

According to reliable sources, the film presents the entire process of an ancient wedding (including the three letters and six betrothal gifts, the formal wedding ceremony, etc.) in the form of a "mockumentary," with a level of research far exceeding that of ordinary films (costing over ten million yuan and employing historical experts for guidance), satisfying young audiences' curiosity about traditional culture.

The movie-going behavior of young couples is essentially a combination of "festival rituals + cultural curiosity + social dissemination," and the precise scheduling by theaters and Chen Mo's team will inevitably amplify this effect.

Today's young people dislike monotony; on the contrary, novel and ritualistic approaches may yield unexpected results!

Even more interestingly, a gossip forum launched a poll asking, "Would you buy a ticket for this 'wedding documentary'?" The results showed that 72% of participants chose "yes, as a Valentine's Day special." However, the top-rated comment was: "I suggest Chen Mo just do a live stream to collect gift money; that would be more honest than making a film." (This comment received over 5 likes.)
Industry insiders are also discussing this matter extensively.

A well-known producer posted an analysis on Weibo: "Chen Mo has tied commercial interests, personal feelings, and cultural output together, which presents both risks and opportunities. If successful, brand-customized films may become a new trend in the future; if unsuccessful, the backlash will not only affect the box office."

However, judging from the current situation, the probability of success far outweighs the probability of failure!

As the incident unfolded, the topic overshadowed the buzz surrounding other films released during the Spring Festival season.

This excited many of Chen Mo's fans, who flocked to Chen Mo's Weibo to leave comments and discuss the matter.

"It has to be you! Only our genius director could come up with so many amazing and ingenious ideas!"

"Thank you for being there. If the film industry didn't have Chen Mo, where would all these interesting things come from!"

"This movie absolutely has to be released. If it's not, I'll look down on you. The Chen Mo I know is someone who doesn't follow the usual path! I've already prepared the money for the tickets."

"This is a must-watch! Haha! And it would be best if they released one for Valentine's Day and Qixi Festival in the future, so we can collect all six together and summon Shenron!"

"What a wonderful sense of ritual! Is this the ultimate secret of romance?"

"Buy tickets to the movie theater to attend Chen Mo and Jing Tian's wedding? Just thinking about it is exciting!"

"Exactly, consider the movie ticket money as a gift. Those who spout nonsense about 'harvesting the韭菜' (a metaphor for exploiting consumers) can get lost!"

To be honest, Chen Mo had thought that some people might be interested in this, but he really didn't expect that there would be so many supporters.

All I can say is that times have truly changed.

Just as industry insiders have analyzed before, it is becoming increasingly difficult to grasp the preferences of young people these days.

This time, the support rate is surprisingly high, and many young people are eager to go and check it out.

Chen Mo's filming time was actually not long; it was mainly the pre-production preparation.

After all, it doesn't need to be like a specific movie plot where Chen Mo or Jing Tian can just act naturally.

So the promotional video was filmed very quickly and eventually edited into a final cut of about ninety minutes.

Since everyone was so supportive, he naturally didn't hesitate, and the "mockumentary" quickly obtained a release permit.

Regardless of the controversy from the outside world, Chen Mo's status and position are undeniable, and the film itself has no problems, so things went very smoothly in this regard.

However, Chen Mo never expected this, and he never imagined it at all.

After Wanda APP and several other cinema chains, including Dadi Cinemas and Maoyan Ticketing, officially opened the pre-sale channel for "The Phoenix Brings Auspiciousness: A Complete Record of the Classical Wedding Ceremony of Chen Mo and Jing Tian".

The first batch of screenings was released, and within just a few hours, tickets for February 14th were sold out!
The pre-sale box office exceeded 50 million on the first day.

If compared to other blockbusters released during the Spring Festival, such as "Detective Chinatown 3," this amount of pre-sale box office revenue is really nothing.

The problem is, this is just a promotional video, a mockumentary!

The audience's enthusiasm was surprisingly high, which was quite astonishing.

However, something even more unexpected happened next.

Soon, netizens shared screenshots of their successful booking confirmations.

"On February 14th, witness the blossoming of 'My Love from the Star'!"

"This Valentine's Day is full of rituals!"

"I gave a wedding gift, did you give one?"

"A new level of romance, looking forward to it!"

"I've bought it, you can do whatever you want with it!"

Suddenly, the "ticket-sharing" trend swept across the internet.

This has even led many netizens to reminisce about the days when "Love is Not Blind" was released, and the scenes of people sharing their "heartbreak stories".

Once a trend starts to become popular, the only remaining question is how popular it will be.

Couples even started taking pride in getting tickets, while netizens who couldn't get tickets flocked to the official Weibo accounts of several cinema chains to leave messages asking for more screenings.

"Who do you think you are with such a small number of screenings? They're sold out before we even bought tickets! Hurry up and add more screenings!"

"Sold out for 50 million? Could it be any more low-class? How much do you look down on Professor Do and Cheon Song-yi?"

"Hurry up and increase the number of screenings! Don't you know how to make money?"

For a moment, the crowd seemed "indignant."

The cinemas certainly wouldn't pass up a chance to make money; in fact, most of the pre-sale tickets are for Valentine's Day.

The theaters had already overestimated the market acceptance of this "documentary" and "promotional film," but they clearly underestimated it.

Many of them allocated screenings based on the highest number of screenings previously given to documentaries, but clearly, these screenings are completely insufficient to meet the current trend that has been hyped up.

Even when showing off pre-booked tickets became a trend, the desire to have what others didn't made many couples very unhappy.

As a result, several cinema chains quickly increased their screenings on Valentine's Day and even cut screenings of some other movies.

This increase in investment is quite substantial.

However, they underestimated the popularity of this trend, and the popularity that had been promoted as a Valentine's Day activity.

They continued to release 50 million screenings, but this time it was even more outrageous; the films sold out in an even shorter time than before.

If 50 million in pre-sale box office revenue is only enough to make some people take a second look, then when the pre-sale box office revenue exceeds 100 million...

Even Chen Mo was a little dumbfounded.

This is completely different from simply clicking "want to watch" or "don't want to watch" before.

Because it's free, everyone can just click on it casually.

But pre-sale tickets are movie tickets sold directly in advance! They've already been paid for.

Previously, when the box office pre-sales exceeded 50 million, some people sourly said things like "harvesting the韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting consumers)" or "hype."

However, when the pre-sale box office exceeded 100 million yuan, and the pre-sale only covered tickets for Valentine's Day, those voices disappeared instantly.

Simply put, when anything is done to its extreme, reaching an unimaginable height, then quantitative change will transform into qualitative change.

Successful people are always more likely to be admired!
Moreover, Chen Mo is different from others; he is successful enough on his own.

A true prodigy in the film and television industry who "started from scratch"!

From an unknown actor to a top director, from obscurity to a net worth of billions.

It can be said that Chen Mo has taken every step very steadily along the way.

Therefore, when the pre-sale box office of "The Phoenix" exceeded 100 million yuan, the topic quickly became a trending topic, and the public opinion also changed!

(End of this chapter)