Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 708: Midnight and First Day Box Office Results Announced

November 17, 11:50 PM.

Wanda Cinema CBD Store, Beijing.

There are ten minutes left until the midnight screening of "Interstellar".

The entire cinema lobby was already filled with a sea of ​​heads and a deafening cacophony of voices.

Several long queues stretched as far as the eye could see at the ticket gates, the air filled with the sweet aroma of popcorn and an almost frenzied anticipation.

Cinema manager Sister Wang was shouting herself hoarse into directing staff to maintain order over a walkie-talkie while wiping sweat from her brow.
Looking at the scene before me, I felt as if I had returned to the time when "Avatar" and "The Martian" were released.

This time, however, it seems to be even more impressive.

"This spectacle feels even more extravagant than the midnight screening of Transformers 3 this summer!"

A young man in charge of checking tickets was pressing the ticket checker so hard it was almost sparking. "Back then, everyone was just curious. Now, these people have a light in their eyes, like they're on a pilgrimage."

A mini "Versailles" is unfolding in the queue.

"Dude, IMAX?"

A young man wearing a trendy hoodie waved the ticket stub in his hand, the words "IMAX-3D" on it standing out prominently under the lights.

A boy wearing glasses next to me, somewhat embarrassed, showed off his regular 3D ticket stub and said enviously:
"Sigh, I was too slow and only managed to snag a seat in a regular theater. Is the experience that much worse?"

"The difference is definitely significant."

The trendy young man didn't mean any mockery; instead, he patted him on the shoulder with a knowing look on his face.

"But it's okay, the movie itself is awesome, it's worth watching no matter how you look at it! Let me tell you, after you finish watching it, hurry up and go online to grab IMAX tickets for a second viewing, you definitely won't regret it!"

Not far away, a young reporter from China Film News was quietly taking pictures of the various recording cameras in the cinema.
Three o'clock in the morning.

When the first group of viewers emerged from the midnight screening, their eyes red and their minds dazed, the audience for the next showing was already eagerly waiting at the door.

The two groups passed each other, creating a wonderful chemical reaction.

"Dude! How was it? Was it good? Give me a definite answer!" A boy who was about to enter the venue grabbed a spectator who had just come out and asked eagerly.

The viewer who had just finished watching rubbed his sore eyes, his lips moved as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, they all came down to one sentence.

"Don't ask, it's a masterpiece."

He took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision, and said, "Let's go in quickly. Oh, and if your girlfriend is very emotional, you can bring some tissues."

The next day, early in the morning.

While many people were still asleep, the online edition of China Film News had already published a new report.

[Phenomenon-like movie-going: Interstellar ignites midnight screenings, multiple cinemas in Beijing experience another sleepless night]

The article details the massive crowds at major cinemas in Beijing last night, with tickets in high demand and short supply, and includes several photos showing the scene as crowded as a holiday tourist destination.
By this time, Weibo and Douban had already been completely overrun.

Countless viewers who stayed up all night to watch the midnight screening expressed their thoughts in the most straightforward and passionate words.

"I declare Wu Chen a god! After watching it, I sat in my seat for ten minutes before I could stand up. The aftereffects were too strong! When Cooper watched that part of the video, I, a grown man, cried like an idiot!"

"A hard science fiction exterior, but a softest core. It discusses physics, it discusses spacetime, but in the end, it tells me that love is the only answer. Wu Chen, forever a god!"

"Warning! Warning! If you didn't get tickets for the IMAX 3D show, go grab them now, immediately, right now! Otherwise you'll regret it!"

At this moment, many industry professionals are discussing a more practical issue while looking at the comments from movie fans.

"I wonder how much the box office will be at midnight?"

"It's probably not cheap! 3D tickets are already expensive, and with the runtime, a single ticket costs much more than a regular movie ticket, not to mention there are now many more IMAX theaters."

"Just wait, China Film Group is definitely calculating it. This number will probably scare people to death."

Before the morning sun had fully illuminated the city, Interstellar had already stirred the hearts of the entire industry.

Just as the industry was eagerly anticipating the moment, at the headquarters of Gewara Life Network in Shanghai, CEO Liu Yong looked at the data compiled from the backend and an indescribable look of ecstasy appeared on his face.

As the exclusive online pre-sale channel for "Interstellar," their data most directly reflects the market's enthusiasm. Their market share in Shanghai has exceeded 80%.

Meanwhile, ticket purchase data in first- and second-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Chengdu are also growing at an alarming rate.

Some are happy and some are sad.

Beijing, Meituan headquarters.

Wang Xing frowned as he looked at the dismal data from his platform's film division.

With its exclusive access to "Interstellar," Guevara has attracted almost all of Meituan's core movie fans, putting the newly established film division in an extremely awkward position.

“It seems the strategy is wrong,” Wang Xing said, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table.

"There's no rush. Guevara can't always have a trump card like Interstellar."

Moreover, given the current expansion rate of cinema chains, the purchasing power of consumers in second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities will soon increase. These consumers are more price-sensitive, which is precisely the core target of Meituan's "group-buying low-price" model.

After thinking it over carefully, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Movies are just a traffic entry point for Meituan, not its core business.

“However,” a glint of light flashed in Wang Xing’s eyes, “we still need to find some time to meet Wu Chen of Xingchen.”

Even before the midnight box office figures are in, the rave reviews from the North American premiere have already swept across the Chinese internet like a tsunami. Variety: [A soul-stirring odyssey: Interstellar receives rave reviews at its Los Angeles premiere!]

The Hollywood Reporter: [Wu Chen's space epic, amidst tears and standing ovations]

IGN: [Interstellar Review: A heart-wrenching masterpiece. Score: 10/10, Epic!]

On IMDb, based on initial ratings from media and critics, it immediately soared to an astonishing 9.7!
The freshness of the rotten tomatoes is as high as 98%!

After the premiere, excited North American audiences gave interviews outside the theater and contributed numerous memorable quotes.

"I never imagined I would be so moved by a science fiction movie."

"Visual effects? Oh God, that wasn't just visual effects! When they went through the wormhole and Gargantua appeared, I swear, I felt my soul leave my seat! I've never had a movie-watching experience like that before!"

Blumhouse Studios, at Jason Blum's home.

He had just attended the premiere and couldn't wait to open various rating websites as soon as he got home. When he saw the overwhelmingly positive reviews, he immediately dialed Wu Chen's number.

"Wu! You've created another classic! Oh, no, you've created a film that's more classic than all your previous works combined!"

Jason's tone was filled with genuine excitement.

"Really? That's good." Wu Chen's voice sounded calm, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

“Buddy, you can completely relax!” Jason laughed. “Based on the current reviews, I see no possibility of Interstellar failing! The only question now is how much it will gross at the box office.”
By the way, has Han compiled statistics on your Chinese midnight box office? Your market is huge; maybe this time, it can unleash tremendous potential.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Chen smiled as well.

He knew that the entire Hollywood was now keeping a close eye on the Chinese film market.

"not yet."

Wu Chen had just finished saying those two words and hadn't even hung up Jason's call when another call came in.

Caller ID: Han Sanping.

Wu Chen told Jason to wait a moment and switched to another call.

On the other end of the phone, Han Sanping's voice carried an barely suppressed excitement.

"It's broken 20 million!"

Wu Chen's eyes lit up when he heard the number.

Twenty million!
It's worth noting that this summer's blockbuster "Transformers 3" made history with a midnight screening box office of 1200 million.

Interstellar raised this record by almost double!
"The length of your film has its downsides, but it's actually an advantage for midnight screenings," Han Sanping analyzed with a smile. "Ticket prices are significantly higher, plus the added bonus of IMAX. It'll probably be a long time before anyone breaks your record."

This news was leaked, intentionally or unintentionally, to familiar media outlets by China Film Group almost the instant the call ended.

[2000 million! Interstellar's midnight screenings break box office records, more than double that of Transformers 3!]

[Midnight Frenzy! Interstellar Begins a Crazy Money-Making Journey, Breaking 100 Million in a Single Day is No Doubt!]

When these two news items appeared on major websites, the entire industry fell into an eerie silence.

"A direct doubling? Breaking 100 million today seems like a done deal."

"The scariest thing is the IMAX 3D screenings! My friend told me that even the very last seats in the first row of his theater were sold out! What kind of purchasing power is that!"

At this moment, Yuan Xiaoqin, who was far away in her hometown of Guangzhou, was also surrounded by her neighbors.

"Sister Qin, could your son Wu Chen possibly get us a few IMAX tickets? My kid says he can't get any online and keeps talking about wanting to go see it."

"Yeah, wow, this is the first time I've ever heard of a movie ticket being so hard to get. After hearing what you guys are saying, I'm tempted to go see one myself."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiaoqin was both amused and exasperated.

"This ticket really isn't in our hands."

Domestic audiences were the first to see the finished film.

But as time went on, North America and Europe also saw the film's theatrical release.

For a time, Interstellar created an unprecedented wave of movie-watching worldwide.

Saturday, April 11.

The box office figures for "Interstellar" on its opening day in mainland China have finally been roughly tallied amidst much anticipation from both industry insiders and the general public.

In the conference room of China Film Group, Han Sanping looked at the final figures handed to him by his subordinates, and his hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

He took a deep breath, a bright smile spread across his face, and waved.

"Let's announce it. Let everyone be happy."

Within moments, major media outlets rushed to report on this figure, which is enough to be recorded in the history of Chinese cinema.

[A new box office record! Interstellar raks in 1.35 million yuan on its opening day in mainland China!]

[Unstoppable! Wu Chen's new film breaks Transformers 3's opening day record, setting new records for both opening day and single-day box office in mainland China!]

[1.35 million! Interstellar begins its box office rampage; is the billion-dollar target no longer the final goal?]

【.】

(End of this chapter)