Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, starting with the strategy of 95 flowers to counterattack

Chapter 159 Film Hit and Box Office Battle

On December 20th, Xinghe Media officially released a major poster:

"Better Days grossed 2.3 million yuan on its opening day! Setting a new record for domestic youth films!"

This data immediately sparked heated discussions across the internet. After all, "Wolf Warrior 2" only grossed 2.06 million yuan on its opening day, while "Better Days," a youth film with a realistic theme, was able to break the 2 million yuan mark on its opening day, which is truly astonishing.

The topic was instantly flooded with related discussions on platforms such as Weibo, Douban, and Zhihu.
"After the phenomenal hit TV series 'Go Go Squid!', the Tong Yan couple are reuniting for the second time, and another phenomenal movie is about to be born?"

"With 2.3 million on the first day, the final box office might reach 30 billion?"

"This is truly the pinnacle of domestic youth films!"

However, Gu Yang himself was not as optimistic as the outside world.

The high box office of "Better Days" on its opening day is largely due to his personal appeal, the buzz surrounding Zhou Ye's buzz cut, and the recent social discussions about school bullying.

More importantly, it generated tremendous buzz during the recent battle with Jiaxing.

However, the film's subject matter is rather heavy, and compared to a nationwide blockbuster like "Wolf Warrior 2," its potential for further box office growth is limited.

However, he is still very confident that the box office will exceed the original target of 16 billion yuan.

There are quite a few movies currently showing, with three main competitors.

One of them was Feng Xiaogang's "Youth". I even did some promotion with him on "Happy Camp" back then, but it was delayed until December 15th before it was released.

After three days in theaters, the film has grossed 3.61 million yuan.

There's also Tsui Hark's "The Thousand Faces of Dunjia," starring Da Peng, Ni Ni, Li Zhiyan, Zhou Dongyu, and Wu Bai.

The current box office is 2.41 million.

However, the film received very polarized reviews.

Some viewers believe that the film's special effects are grand, the action design is brilliant, and with the collaboration of two film masters, Tsui Hark and Yuen Woo-ping, the visuals and action presentation are of a certain standard.

However, many viewers criticized the film for its weak plot, poor logic, underdeveloped characters, lack of depth, and overall sense of patchwork. They also felt the special effects were exaggerated and looked fake.

On Douban, the film received a low rating of 4.4, indicating that its overall reception was not ideal.

Another one is "Coco," directed by Lee Unkrich.

Released on November 24, it has already grossed over 1 billion yuan at the box office and has a 9.1 rating on Douban, making it a long-term leader in the animated film market.

As for other films released at the same time, such as "Homeland", "Holding a Knife", "The Most Beautiful Performance", "Go Forward", "Santa & Cie", and "Paddington 2", none of them performed very well.

The main competitors of "Better Days" are the batch of films that will be released during the New Year's Day holiday.

"The Ex-Files 3: The Return of the Exes" starring Han Geng, Zheng Kai, and Yu Wenwen.

"Yao Ling Ling" starring Sandra Ng, Shen Teng, and Yue Yunpeng.

The Legend of the Demon Cat, starring Huang Xuan, Zhang Yuqi, and Qin Han.

"Miracles of the Namiya General Store" starring Dilraba Dilmurat, Chen Duling, and Wang Junkai.

Another one is "Hanson and the Beast" starring Liu Yifei and Feng Shaofeng.

The competition is fierce, and whether it can stand out from the crowd of films depends on the word-of-mouth that develops later.

……

A cinema in Hangzhou
"Now let's welcome the lead actors of 'Better Days' to meet everyone..."

Amidst the cheers of the audience, Gu Yang, along with Zhou Ye, Zhang Jingyi, and a group of others, appeared in the theater wearing uniforms bearing the movie logo.

This is the fourth stop of their nationwide roadshow.

A roadshow is when the film crew goes to various cinemas to interact face-to-face with the audience.

Why do movies like to do promotional tours?

This is because it not only allows them to promote the film through media and local channels, thus improving its reputation, but more importantly, it helps them build good relationships with theaters and increase the number of screenings.

The atmosphere at the roadshow was very enthusiastic.

The host joked with Zhou Ye: "Your buzz cut has become your signature look, and fans call you 'Brother Zhou.' What are your thoughts on that?"

Zhou Ye smiled and touched his hair: "It's great, saves on shampoo."

Gu Yang added from the side: "The main reason is to save money on stylists."

The whole place burst into laughter.

An audience member stood up and asked Zhang Jingyi, "You played such a bad character in the movie that my friend said he wanted to hit you after watching it. What do you think?"

Zhang Jingyi calmly replied, "That means I acted well. Director Gu said that a villain is only considered successful if he can make people hate him."

Gu Yang nodded: "Yes, next time we can consider letting her play an even more ruthless character."

Zhang Jingyi: "..."

The atmosphere was electric, and the interaction was incredibly lively.

However, these roadshow events where you can meet big stars are basically arranged, and it's rare to see real casual audience members.

After all, roadshow tickets are much more expensive than regular tickets, so most of the ticket buyers are fans.

The roadshow venue was basically a fan meeting, so how could the atmosphere not be good?

Fortunately, today's roadshow had more non-fans in the audience, and the focus was not on Gu Yang alone.

Gu Yang actually quite likes this; sometimes, fans being too enthusiastic can be overwhelming.

Under his deliberate guidance, the Q&A session mainly revolved around the actresses. The enthusiasm of the audience in asking questions clearly revealed the differences in popularity among the lead actresses.

As the female lead, Zhou Ye is naturally the focus.

Since her role as Tong Nian in "Go Go Squid!" became a hit, her popularity has remained high.

Her breakthrough performance in "Better Days" has made her stand out among the post-90s actresses. Although she still has a gap compared to the post-85 actresses, she is already one of the best among the new generation of actors.

Surprisingly, newcomer Zhang Jingyi received just as much attention.

Although the character Wei Lai she played was a complete villain, the complexity and tension of the role actually won her many fans.

The audience was also very strange.

Although both are villains, Rong Momo makes people hate her so much that it even affects the actress herself.

However, when young actresses like Zhang Jingyi play villains, the audience is very forgiving.

"My Jingyi is such a good actress!"

"Does she have some unavoidable difficulty?"

"All of Wei Lai's problems stem from family issues; you can't blame her!"

"Garlic Bird, Garlic Bird, stop scolding her. It's not easy for anyone. She's so beautiful."

The main reason is that Zhang Jingyi is pretty!

Beauty is justice!

Try using someone uglier and see if the audience criticizes you.

"Better Days" has a strong box office performance!
On December 21, after three days of release, the film had grossed 610 million yuan.

On December 25th, after seven days of release, the film had grossed 12.3 billion yuan.

On December 28, the film's tenth day of release, its cumulative box office reached 16.9 billion yuan.

Among Chinese-language films released this year, it ranks only behind "Wolf Warrior 8", "Never Say Die" and "Kung Fu Yoga". Including the imported film "The Fate of the Furious", it has also made it into the top five of the year.

Industry insiders predict that this film's final box office is very likely to exceed 25 billion!
Breaking into the top three for the year!
Gu Yang, who directed and starred in the film, became an instant sensation in the film industry.

Film Weekly: Gu Yang, the perfect balancer of commerce and art.

"In a time when youth films are rampant, Gu Yang's 'Better Days' proves that commerce and art are not mutually exclusive."

"The film explores profound social issues while maintaining the entertainment value of a commercial film, as evidenced by its opening day box office of 2.3 million yuan. Even more commendable is the director's remarkable guidance of the actors—Zhou Ye's transformation with a buzz cut, Zhang Jingyi's portrayal of the villain, and his own breakthrough performance as Xiao Bei all demonstrate his directorial skill."

Entertainment Frontline: From popular young actor to accomplished director, Gu Yang's remarkable transformation.

"Gu Yang, who rose to fame through idol dramas, completely shed his 'traffic star' label with 'Better Days.' In the film, he plays Xiao Bei, a rough and real character, completely subverting his previous image. As a director, he precisely controlled the narrative rhythm, making the heavy topic of school bullying both cruel and moving. Industry insiders generally believe that this film marks Gu Yang's official entry into the ranks of first-tier directors."

Variety International: Gu Yang, a new hope for Chinese cinema.

"In the context of globalization, Gu Yang's 'Better Days' showcases the international vision of young Chinese directors. The film's portrayal of adolescent psychology is delicate and insightful, and its social critique is on par with excellent South Korean films on realistic themes. Hollywood producers have already extended offers to him, but Gu Yang said he 'would rather delve deeper into local stories'—an attitude that may be exactly what Chinese cinema needs most."

Of course, Gu Yang didn't take these excessive praises too seriously.

That's just how the entertainment industry is; just take it with a grain of salt.

When you are successful, you are surrounded by good people.

If Gu Yang's next movie flops, those people will probably hurl more insults than anyone else.

……

The premiere of "Miracles of the Namiya General Store" in Yanjing.

The lights were dazzling, the red carpet was laid out, and screams from fans echoed outside the cinema.

As one of the most anticipated films of the year, the premiere of "Miracles of the Namiya General Store" attracted a lot of attention.

The main cast, including Dilraba Dilmurat, Chen Duling, Wang Junkai, and Dong Zijian, were all present. Under the flashing lights, the stars smiled and waved, creating a lively and extraordinary atmosphere.

Dilraba looked stunning in a deep V-neck black dress, attracting countless camera shutters with every step she took on the red carpet.

Chen Duling opted for a simple white dress, exuding a cool and aloof aura, which contrasted sharply with Dilraba Dilmurat's style.

The two stood together, one like a blazing fire, the other like ice and snow, yet both were equally dazzling.

On-site interview segment.

The host asked Dilraba with a smile, "The role you played this time is very different from your previous ones. Were there any special challenges?"

Dilraba tilted her head slightly, revealing her signature sweet smile: "Actually, this character has a lot of inner monologues and many delicate emotional expressions, which is indeed a breakthrough for me. However, the director and crew gave me a lot of help, especially Du Ling. We had many scenes together, and she was really super professional!"

The camera then pans to Chen Duling, who smiles faintly: "Dilraba is too modest; she acted much better than me."

The two smiled at each other, eliciting screams from the fans at the scene.

at this time--

"I have a question!"

A deep male voice came from the back of the audience.

The camera panned across the scene, revealing a mysterious man wearing a black baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask, raising his hand high.

He was completely wrapped up, looking like a suspicious person.

(End of this chapter)