I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 341 The Era of Slaughter!
9 month 30 day.

Office of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

The leaders circulated the joint letter, and a subtle silence filled the air.

The autumn sun shone through the window, casting a strange hue on the bold signature on the letter, yet it couldn't conceal the anxiety between the lines.

"Old Chen and the others are still in such a hurry..." Director Wang took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

He recalled the scene at the celebration banquet for "Chrysanthemum Terrace" last month, where Chen Kai raised his glass and talked about "artistic dignity," which formed an absurd contrast with the vehement wording in his letter that "cinema is dead."

The latest box office report was still spread out on the desk. The total box office of films released in September exceeded 600 million yuan, while the highest box office of the co-directors' works in the past three years was only 120 million yuan. An indescribable sense of complexity welled up in my heart.

Film is an important medium for art and culture, but if it remains confined to niche art forms, the entire industry will struggle to survive.

While box office revenue cannot represent the full value of art, it is undoubtedly a direct reflection of the market's vitality.

As the tide of time rolls ever forward, it is regrettable that many older generation filmmakers are still indulging in past glories, failing to notice the dramatic shift in aesthetic trends, and still clinging to the old standards to measure the boundaries of the new world.

Director Li suddenly chuckled and pointed to a signature at the end of the letter: "Last year, Lao Liu filmed 'Urban Night Owls,' in which a close-up shot of a Swiss watch was inserted for a full two minutes. Now he's talking about the length of commercials."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at the filing cabinet, where DVDs of the co-directors' recent works were neatly stacked. The covers mostly featured men and women in suits posing next to luxury cars, just like the "vulgar entertainment" that the letter denounced.

The office fell silent briefly.

"Director Liang and Director Li didn't come," muttered Xiao Zhang, a young clerk.

This statement is like a key, instantly unlocking a certain consensus.

Everyone turned to look at the classic still from the film "Qin" on the wall, a testament to the last time Chinese cinema conquered both box office and critical acclaim.

The photos have long since yellowed, but Li Zhengtao's lonely figure on the Venice Film Bureau's official website is still displayed alongside the news of Zhou Yang's films, "Moon Wars 2" and "The President Falls in Love with Me," which grossed $2000 million each in Europe and America.

"These old fogies..."

"We can't compete at the box office, and we can't win the awards..."

"Nowadays, all they do is flaunt their seniority and seniority, boasting about how authoritative they are..."

"How are we supposed to sign this joint letter? If they have even one advantage over the other side, we'll accept it!"

"Why not just ban Zhou Yang from directing altogether? Why bother writing this joint letter?"

"No, let's just ban [Xuan Shi Entertainment] and all related directors!"

"..."

A sudden commotion erupted in the office.

Several young staff members began to get excited.

but……

Zhang Changlong remained silent throughout.

He frowned when Director Wang looked at him.

"We can sign..."

"Oh?"

"But the prerequisite is that they can produce solid work to prove themselves! We'll sign this joint letter when they can make a truly impressive film. Judging from the failures of 'The Last Supper' and 'Chrysanthemum Terrace' during the summer season, the Chinese film industry really can't put all its eggs in one basket. Since they can't produce good works yet, why not let Zhou Yang give it a try? I heard he's investing heavily in 'The Devil Knight'..."

"..."

Silence fell over the office.

Director Wang put down the joint letter, then nodded: "It wouldn't hurt to let him give it a try. Here's what we'll do: reply to this joint letter first, saying that we need time to study and discuss it. We can't rush things; we need to adapt to the changing times, and then change and reform again… and also…"

"What else?"

"So, there are still more than four months until the Chinese New Year this year, including the Spring Festival film season. In these four months, let them set a target of 600 million yuan in total box office revenue..."

"it is good."

....................................

Before we knew it, it was October.

The tearful joint letter from veteran Chinese filmmakers did not receive the attention it expected from relevant departments; instead, it gradually faded into silence amidst public sighs and condemnation.

Unwilling to give up, the older generation of directors, represented by Chen Kai, collectively launched an effort on October 1st, National Day, announcing their new film plans on social media platforms in an attempt to reverse the decline.

These projects all boast "big-budget productions exceeding 100 million yuan" and cover a wide range of genres, including historical epics, hard science fiction, and Eastern fantasy, which are considered "high-profile" themes.

Chen Kai has not given up his "blockbuster dream" and has personally announced that he will direct the epic war film "Iron-Blooded Great Wall", which is said to have an investment of 3 million yuan to recreate the ancient battlefield.
Another renowned director launched the science fiction project "Future Time Police," claiming to create a "Chinese version of 'Future Detective'"; and someone else initiated the fantasy IP project "Fengshen: Lei Zhenzi," making the bold claim that "the special effects are on par with Hollywood's top level."

However, behind the diverse array of project proposals lies a sense of haste and imitation...

There was neither a complete script to be released nor a mature technical team; all that remained were increasingly outrageous budget figures.

However, these exaggerated figures seem to have caused some aesthetic fatigue among countless Chinese movie fans, and they can no longer create the same shock as when "Chrysanthemum Terrace" was first promoted!
"Chrysanthemum Terrace" exhausted the enthusiasm and yearning of Chinese movie fans for "blockbusters." On the morning of October 1, these movies still had some popularity, but by the afternoon, they had no popularity at all.

era……

It seems that something is quietly changing.

The only constant seems to be the influx of Hollywood blockbusters!

Countless filmmakers across China are staring at the National Day Golden Week holiday in October, a sense of despair rising in their hearts.

October saw a bloody harvest season for Hollywood blockbusters in the Chinese film market.

With the end of the National Day holiday, seven films under Zhou Yang's umbrella, including "The Overbearing CEO Falls in Love with Me," have been pulled from theaters, and the entire market has instantly become a slaughterhouse for Hollywood.

The three super IPs, "Batman: Origins," "Magic Academy 2," and "Glass 2," are like three sharp blades, tearing the last line of defense of Chinese films to shreds.

After suffering box office flops with projects like "Catwoman" and "Green Lantern," DV Pictures has finally bounced back with "Batman: Origins."

This $9000 million superhero movie received rave reviews during its preview screenings in North America. Director Kieran reimagined the classic IP with a dark aesthetic, and the film grossed $1.2 million in its opening week.

The established comic book giant used this opportunity to stabilize its market decline and even announced plans to develop a Batman trilogy...

In China, "Batman: Origins" sparked a movie-going frenzy on its opening day, with IMAX theaters in major cinemas packed to capacity and long queues of hundreds of meters forming at the ticket counters for midnight screenings.

Fans held up glow sticks and cosplayed as Batman, and social media was flooded with topics such as "Kieran becomes a god" and "dark aesthetics explode".

It raked in 2.3 million yuan at the box office in its opening weekend, squeezing out domestic films from the same period to only 20% of the screenings.

The cinema manager exclaimed, "I haven't seen such a frenzy in ten years! The enthusiasm of Chinese audiences for Hollywood blockbusters has not diminished at all!" In the cinema, when audiences saw "Batman: Origins," they couldn't help but think of the dark style of "The Black Robe Alliance."

Unfortunately, Shen Long, the director of the "Black Robe Alliance" series, is currently under a six-month ban by Zhou Yang due to the Venice Film Festival controversy.

Although there have been rumors that Shen Long is secretly working on "Black Robe Alliance 3: The Fall of the Batman," this news has never been officially confirmed...

……

For all filmmakers in China, early October was nothing but despair, while October 20th became the watershed moment marking the end of Chinese cinema.

When the last film produced by [Xuan Shi Entertainment], "Golden Wedding," was withdrawn from theaters, eight of the top ten films at the daily box office were Hollywood movies.

The 400 million yuan box office record, once considered an insurmountable barrier by "Chrysanthemum Terrace", was easily crushed by "Batman: Origins" in 20 days. "Hogwarts Returns" even launched the hashtag #HogwartsHomecoming on social media and raked in 270 million yuan in a single week.

Looking at the box office figures!

Chinese directors are collectively speechless. The heights they could never reach with their life's work are now being crushed by Hollywood movies as basic data.

November arrived quickly!

The fighting in November was even more brutal.

"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets," which had just finished its North American run, suddenly appeared in the Chinese market, taking up 35% of the screenings on its opening day.

Film critic Liu Jiasheng wrote in his diary: "Walk into any movie theater and you can hear English dialogues coming and going. Our screens are like colonized territory, and even the cleaning lady is humming the theme song of 'Batman' while mopping the floor."

Ironically, while "Chrysanthemum Terrace" barely surpassed $1000 million at the overseas box office, "Batman" had already soared to an astonishing 4.2 million RMB at the Chinese box office, creating a historical peak for Chinese films that was truly awe-inspiring...

Meanwhile, Magic Academy 2 surpassed 400 million RMB on November 8th...

The super IP "Glass 2" was released a little later, on October 15th, but after more than 20 days in theaters, it has already grossed 390 million yuan, and breaking 400 million yuan seems to be no problem at all...

In this data-driven late autumn, Chinese filmmakers have finally seen the bloody reality!
As Zhou Yang put away his sickle, Hollywood's harvester roared past.

Those film critics who once mocked the vulgarity of "The Domineering CEO" are now staring blankly at the scene in "Glass II" where the monster destroys the Oriental Pearl Tower. Compared to the absurdity of being tamed by capital, cultural crushing is a more penetrating pain...

The cold winds of November swept through Chinese cinemas, and the screens were filled with the end credits of Hollywood blockbusters.

Batman: Origins ultimately closed its run at the box office with a remarkable 4.4 million RMB...

However, the end of "Batman: Origins" did not give the Chinese film market any respite. In mid-November, new North American films "Star Age" and "Comic Book Superman" followed one after another.

With a budget of $1.2 million, "Star Age" created a visual spectacle. On the IMAX screen, the quantum engines of the interstellar warships spewed out streams of eerie blue particles. Every frame of the space battle burned through $3000 million in special effects, giving countless viewers a visual feast and leaving them breathless with excitement. In its opening week, it broke the record set by "Batman: Origins," raking in 3.1 million RMB at the box office...

As the spaceships of "Star Age" sailed off the screen in their opening week, the red cape of "Comic Book Superman" covered the last gap in the movie schedule.

Amidst deafening explosions in the IMAX theater...

Several low-budget Chinese films that were released all died in obscurity, becoming tragic witnesses to the decline of Chinese film box office.

Hollywood film box office revenue, which was put on hold during the "domestic film protection month" of the past few months, has been frantically impacting the Chinese market, and this continued into December without any sign of abating.

In December, "Future Cops 3" hit the market with a promotional budget of 200 million yuan, crushing all Chinese films in the Christmas season in its opening week, including several romance films made under the [Xuan Shi Entertainment] system, all of which flopped!
Theater managers mechanically change Hollywood posters, while the names of domestic films on the screening schedules are becoming increasingly rare, like endangered species.

Film critic Liu Jiasheng wrote in his year-end summary: "In the past six months, we have gone through the whole process from resistance to numbness. When the owl of 'Magic Academy 2' flew over 4.2 million yuan at the box office, even the most stubborn old director silently put out his cigarette."

Film forums are filled with posts declaring "Chinese-language films are dead," while on the Oscars red carpet across the ocean, Kieran is holding up his trophy and announcing that "The Batman 2" is about to begin filming.

Despair, like the gloom of winter, shrouded the Chinese film industry at the beginning of 2006. Everyone in this cultural colony lost the strength to shout.

In this atmosphere of despair, everyone's last hope rested on Zhou Yang...

They discovered that Zhou Yang had disappeared again over the past few months...

Rumors suggest that Zhou Yang invested approximately 2.3 million RMB in the film "The Demon Knight," not only starring in it himself but also attempting to collaborate with top global special effects teams.

However, due to the other party's excessively high price, no agreement could be reached. In the end, Zhou Yang turned to several top special effects companies in China to participate in the production. During this process, many conflicts arose, and the "Demon Knight" project was temporarily shelved. Later, it was said that relevant departments intervened to reunite the projects...

However, these reports have not yet been officially confirmed.
By February 2006...

Finally, there's new information about Zhou Yang's film.

However, it's not a Chinese film, but rather the Hollywood film *Fast & Furious*, for which Zhou Yang personally participated as screenwriter and producer, and which is produced by Universal Pictures, that has officially announced its March release date...

........................

February 18, meeting room of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Zhang Changlong flipped through the box office reports of the past five months, from the dazzling figure of "Batman" sweeping 4.4 million yuan to the dismal curve of domestic films' daily screenings falling below 10%. Half an inch of cigarette butts accumulated in the ashtray. The cold wind howled outside the window, chilling him to the bone.

It seems like all Chinese films have died in the past five months!

In 05, for the entire year, apart from "Chrysanthemum Terrace," Chinese cinema didn't produce a single decent film.

Li Zhengtao was disheartened by the failure of "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and has not announced any new film plans to date.

While other directors' new films have been approved one after another, the investments, often exceeding 100 million yuan, coupled with the changing times in the Chinese film industry and the increasing rationality of investors, mean that unless a performance-based agreement is signed, they simply cannot secure any investment...

This is a...

A bleak and chilling winter for Chinese cinema!
In this darkest hour, a phone call pierced the gloom.

Zhou Yang's hoarse voice came through the receiver: "Boss, 'Devil Knight' is scheduled for release in March!"

Zhang Changlong was taken aback upon hearing this, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the microphone.

Over the past six months, he has witnessed firsthand how Hollywood blockbusters have ravaged the market, and he has also seen the futile struggles of the older generation of directors.

At this moment, the controversial director has finally made a comeback, bringing Zhang Changlong a long-lost warmth in the midst of winter.

"Do we need policy support?" Zhang Changlong's voice was filled with barely concealed tension and anticipation.

"Give me as many as you can! This time I'm going to take down Hollywood movies fair and square!"

Which one specifically?

""fast and Furious"."

"Oh, that's good. Wait, isn't this the movie you were in?" Zhang Changlong was stunned.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "When I get ruthless, I'll even hit myself. Is there a problem with that?"

"."

(End of this chapter)