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

Chapter 393 Epilogue

Chapter 393 Epilogue (Part 4)

The first snow of 2007 seemed to arrive later than usual.

Amidst the anticipation of countless filmmakers, "The Great Wall: Taotie" opened with a box office of 4600 million yuan on its opening day, but failed to generate the expected viewing frenzy.

On the internet, film critics have been speaking out one after another. However, apart from a few paid critics who gave perfunctory praise for the "epic special effects" and "fusion of Eastern and Western cultures," the mainstream film industry has remained almost entirely silent.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, renowned director Liang Xiaogang couldn't help but speak out, criticizing the film as having a "plot so fragmented it's like a Great Wall brick gnawed by a glutton."

Inspired by him, many mainland directors have spoken out, criticizing the film with unprecedented force.

Some industry insiders lamented, "Director Li has truly gone mad this time!"

Since Zhou Yang left, those Chinese filmmakers who had been silent seemed to wake up overnight and stopped blindly praising Western films.

It seems that the battle in "Transformers" woke many people up, shattering the high-and-mighty filter of Western films...

This makes Hollywood movies seem less scary...

not to mention……

This is not a purely Hollywood movie...

Of course, some media figures have pointed out that Liang Xiaogang's attack was premeditated.

With the rise of Zhou Yang's capital group, more and more directors are joining his companies, and Liang Xiaogang has become the leader of these directors.

However, he seems unsatisfied with this and is trying to rise further by attacking Li Zhengtao, taking over the banner of resisting Hollywood after Zhou Yang's temporary retirement, and becoming a leading figure among Chinese directors in the fight against Western films...

While the controversy surrounding "The Great Wall" has yet to subside...

Another film, "The Black Robe 3," however, tore apart the glamorous facade of Hollywood superhero movies in a completely different way, bringing its satirical core to the extreme.

The last one was Spider-Man, and this one is Bat-Man...

Everyone witnessed a scene that subverted the narrative...

After Superman in "Black Robe 2", TD Company created a second superhero, Batman, without superpowers, becoming the second glamorous "superhero" after Superman!
Through the film's narrative, DV Films, the Batman symbolizing justice, is shown to have completely fallen into corruption under the shadow of Gothic architecture, becoming a puppet of the system.

When this former Dark Knight tears off his cloak and transforms into a tyrannical dictator, the entire film satirizes the hypocritical core of Western hero mythology, suggesting that the so-called savior is nothing more than a carefully packaged symbol of the power machine.

Unlike the sycophantic white savior in "The Great Wall" who reigns supreme over Eastern civilization, "The Black Robe 3" allows down-on-his-luck heroes like Spider-Man and Flash to gradually awaken amidst the ruins, hiding in the glittering corners of the city, misunderstood and cursed, ultimately forming a resistance army...

They are no longer lofty gods, but ordinary people dragging their injured bodies. Spider-Man's suit is tattered like a beggar's outfit, and the Flash's nerve damage makes him stagger.

These "losers," rejected by mainstream society, ultimately fought against the hero-monopolistic empire established by the Bat-Man with their own flesh and blood.

The director used slow motion to focus on the moment when the heroes' broken fingers were still tightly gripping the Batman mask, imprinting the word "resistance" into the hearts of all movie fans!
What's even more incisive is the film's deconstruction of Hollywood's heroic narrative.

When Batman shouts "I am the necessary darkness," the camera suddenly cuts to footage of Wall Street elites controlling the battle through monitors. When Spider-Man binds the Statue of Liberty with tattered webs, the collapsing Stars and Stripes in the background becomes the ironic protagonist.

Ultimately, in an epic battle, TD Corporation's conspiracy to manipulate superheroes was fully exposed. However, the truth, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, was quickly and forcefully suppressed by the media machine controlled by financial giants...

This courage to tear apart the truth makes filmmakers in front of the screen feel their blood boil and their blood tremble!
They haven't seen such a breathtaking work in far too long!

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

The 2007 Spring Festival film season was a busy and complicated one for Liu Jiasheng.

He had to take care of his pregnant wife while also juggling work, making his life extremely hectic.

The toys in the house gradually piled up into a mountain, all of which were peripheral products of "Wuhun 4".

As a new film produced by [Xuan Shi Entertainment] for the Spring Festival season, this movie cleverly incorporates the epic battle of martial spirits between Chi You and the Yellow Emperor from ancient mythology into the story of Xiang Yu's fight against a dark monster. Although there is no deliberate preaching, the dazzling fight scenes excited the children, and even Liu Jiasheng himself couldn't resist buying several character figurines.

These toys seem to be silently announcing the imminent arrival of a new life, and the whole family is full of anticipation as they prepare to welcome the new member.

At the same time, Liu Jiasheng felt more and more strongly that an era of change was quietly arriving, and everything around him was undergoing rapid and dramatic changes.

……

As the Spring Festival box office battle continues, the reputation of "The Great Wall: Taotie" is gradually becoming apparent, and its box office growth is becoming increasingly sluggish.

Despite grossing 4600 million RMB on its opening day, "The Great Wall: Taotie" has been met with a flood of negative reviews due to its chaotic plot and unbalanced cultural core.

As word-of-mouth continued to spread, this big-budget co-production by China and the United States suffered a precipitous drop in box office revenue, ultimately ending with only 3 million RMB, far below market expectations.

This performance has even been dubbed "the worst film of Li Zhengtao's directorial career" by film critics, with some sharp opinions pointing out that "if it weren't for Li Zhengtao's name, this film probably wouldn't even have broken 100 million yuan..."

Ironically, the film also flopped in overseas markets. With a white protagonist and all the Chinese stars serving as supporting characters, the film, which was originally expected to perform well, ended up with a dismal box office performance in North America. Ironically, the 3 million yuan box office in China became its largest source of revenue, a result that shocked the industry.

Since then, criticism has been pouring in from all over the world, and even the two Hollywood stars have been ridiculed for "going to the Great Wall to fight monsters and ending up making a joke..."

Ironically, Black Robe Alliance 3, produced by [XuanShi Entertainment], unexpectedly became a hit in the North American market thanks to its subversive narrative and sharp social metaphors.

This work, which tears away the hypocritical mask of the superhero myth, has surprisingly resonated strongly with North American audiences who have long been suppressed by traditional hero narratives.

The film ultimately grossed 3.5 million RMB, surpassing "The Great Wall" to claim the top spot at the Spring Festival box office.

Even more remarkable is that the film grossed $5000 million in its first week overseas, and its global box office is set to surpass $1 million, making it a benchmark for Chinese films' "counterattack against Hollywood".

Meanwhile, the low-budget production "Wuhun 4" created a market miracle through its ultra-low ticket price strategy of 10 yuan.

Despite being limited by its pricing strategy and unable to reach the top of the box office charts, the film ultimately grossed 180 million RMB thanks to its stable daily average of 10 million RMB and its impressive attendance rate, becoming another exemplary work of [Xuan Shi Entertainment] that achieved great success with a small budget...

……

The mighty tide of time seems to be constantly moving forward...

As a figure caught in the torrent, Liu Jiasheng was both a witness and a participant.

When the news of "The Great Wall's" box office failure came, he expected to see Tianyu Media and Huasheng Brothers fly into a rage as usual, even holding a press conference to denounce the unfairness of the market and the low aesthetic standards of the audience.

This time, however, the two giants remained surprisingly silent, only issuing a few bland statements on their official websites, saying they "respect the market's choice," and then there was no further action.

He clearly remembers that last year, when Transformers swept the market, it was hindered by several of Zhou Yang's films. The senior executives of Tianyu Media hysterically accused Zhou Yang of "breaking industry rules".

I also remember when "Black Robe Alliance 2" was a box office hit two years ago, [Huashang Brothers] bought articles overnight to attack it for "vulgar marketing".

But at this moment, faced with the complete crushing defeat of "Black Robe Alliance 3," they seemed to have lost their backbone, failing to even mount a symbolic counterattack...

Perhaps, they finally realized it.

This time, they lost completely.

After Zhou Yang's retirement, young directors Che Xiao and Shen Long have taken up the torch of the times. With their outstanding performances in "Black Robe Alliance 3" and "Wu Hun 4", they have officially stood at the center of the Chinese film stage and become leading figures of the new generation of directors.

Li Zhengtao, who once dominated the scene, unfortunately became a stepping stone in this transition between the old and the new.

His film "The Great Wall: Taotie" faded into obscurity amidst both critical and commercial failure, seemingly marking the end of an era.

In April, Liu Jiasheng welcomed his child amidst nervousness and joy.

While on vacation, he was immersed in the happiness of becoming a father for the first time, but he also heard some news from inside the industry...

After "The Great Wall," Li Zhengtao seems to have given up his obsession with blockbusters and instead took on a romance film.

According to sources, the film is set against the backdrop of a special period in China during the 1970s, and tells a simple, sincere, yet regretful story of youthful love.

Despite the profound influence of "The Great Wall" on him, this new film has still attracted a lot of attention from movie fans, maintaining high popularity. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what kind of movie Li Zhengtao can make after returning to storytelling...

At the same time, Liang Xiaogang took over as chairman of the China Film Association.

Rumors suggest that the association had invited Zhou Yang to serve as chairman, but he declined, and Liang Xiaogang ultimately took over.

After taking office, he quickly announced the preparation plan for his second film, "Love is Not Blind 2," produced by [Xuan Shi Entertainment]...

Even after gaining official status, he still seemed unable to control his tongue, spewing insults and profanities everywhere, appearing even more unrestrained than before...

The Chinese film industry seems to be changing as well. Of the three former top directors in China, two have temporarily left big-budget productions and turned to themes that are closer to the audience.
Chen Kai, however, continues to insist on making blockbuster films, seemingly trying to prove himself in this way.

He traveled extensively seeking investment, even visiting [Xuanshi Entertainment] multiple times and personally meeting with Zhou Yang several times, seemingly adopting an extremely humble approach, but ultimately failed to achieve his goal...

……

Liu Jiasheng discovered that the world was quietly changing.

The battles in the capital markets are intensifying, with one business war after another erupting...

The e-commerce battle between Baotao.com and Xuanshi Online Mall has reached a fever pitch, with both sides launching various promotional activities every day and fighting fiercely.
The battle for public opinion between Kuaibo and Weibo continues, with Kuaibo holding a clear advantage, but Weibo is putting up a stubborn resistance...

What's even more noteworthy is that Yang Bo, Li Dongqiang, and others who followed Zhou Yang in his early days have now become prominent figures in the internet industry.

They frequently appear in the media, casually discussing current affairs.

In particular, Li Dongqiang has repeatedly clashed with Jack Ma at the New Era Internet Conference, and their heated debates have always become the focus of the entire event…

Meanwhile, the Chinese auto industry also descended into chaos.

With the successful launch and sales of the Qinzhou G2 family car, the market competition between Zhou Yang's brands and overseas automakers is intensifying, and the battle continues to escalate...

……

After May 2007, a series of Hollywood blockbusters were released. Films such as "Reboot" and "Aliens" seized the market with their high-concept science fiction themes and maintained their box office advantage through limited-edition merchandise marketing and IMAX format.

Meanwhile, the Chinese film market is quietly undergoing changes...

Although still facing suppression and countermeasures from Hollywood, the market landscape has gradually become more virtuous and competitive.

Traditional film companies such as Tianyu and Huasheng Brothers are still resisting the expansion of Xuanshi Entertainment, and the outcome seems to be predetermined, but the way they compete has clearly changed.

It seems that under the influence of the younger generation at [Xuan Shi Entertainment], the older generation of directors have begun to re-examine market rules, no longer blindly pursuing big productions and exaggerated publicity, but paying more attention to the needs of the audience.

Li Zhengtao's comeback film "Love Under the Banyan Tree" and Liang Xiaogang's "If You Are the One 2" were released one after another, helping to maintain a considerable market share for Chinese films.

Meanwhile, the new generation of directors cultivated by Zhou Yang's system continue to make great strides, creating works covering a variety of genres such as romance and horror, with diverse styles and full of creativity.

Although the core directors who followed Zhou Yang in the earliest days still maintain strong box office appeal, the works of other emerging directors, while performing relatively steadily at the box office, have generally remained profitable, continuously supplying fresh blood to the Chinese film industry.

……

With the booming development of China's film market in 2007, modern cinemas sprang up all over the country like mushrooms after rain.

With the increasing popularity of IMAX giant screens and laser projection technology, 3D cinemas, once a rarity, are now a standard feature in newly built cinemas.

Amidst fierce competition between the cinema alliance and the three major cinema chains, the total number of screens nationwide has exceeded 10,000, and the daily box office record has soared from 40 million RMB at the beginning of the year to 60 million RMB.

During peak weekend seasons, long queues form at cinema ticket counters as audiences enthusiastically discuss the latest releases while holding their tickets.

This movie-going boom has not only spurred more high-quality local productions, but has also forced Hollywood studios to re-examine this promising emerging market!
More and more Hollywood filmmakers are coming to China to promote their new films, and the star-studded scenes on the red carpet have become the norm.

From laser projection in IMAX theaters to newly built multiplex cinemas in small county towns, the Chinese film market is ushering in its own golden age at an astonishing pace...

but……

During that year, Zhou Yang seemed to have truly disappeared.

He has not appeared in public since, and there is not even a trace of him.

No one knows where he went. Some say he went to Hollywood to do something secretly, some say he is secretly preparing a new film, and others say he will reappear soon...

……

until!

Late February, 2008...

Breaking news from Hollywood – Karl Karlov, the world's highest-grossing director and global box office record holder, is about to release his groundbreaking 3D epic, "The Arda".

Just as this news caused a stir in the global film industry, Zhou Yang, who had been silent for a year, suddenly made a high-profile return to the public eye.

He brought four films...

Three 3D movies...

An animated film...

Upon seeing the movie's title, everyone fell silent instantly!
They are...

3D special effects blockbuster "Adar: King Kong Shoots Down Planes"

3D special effects blockbuster "Adada: God of Monsters"

The 3D visual spectacle "Avatar: Rim of the Pacific"

The animated film "Alpha: Robot Wali"

……

When these film titles were revealed at the press conference, their striking similarity to Karlov's new work plunged the room into an eerie silence.

Immediately afterwards...

Everyone trembled violently!