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Chapter 138 First Day Box Office!

Upon landing in South Korea, his old classmate Park Jong-hwa was already waiting for him. He looked much heavier than before, clearly enjoying a very comfortable life.

"Xiao Le, the trailer for 'The Thief' is very popular in South Korea, especially among young people."

After hugging Park Jong-hwa, Tian Xiaole looked at his overweight body and kindly reminded him:
"Old Park, you should lose some weight. No girl would like your current physique."

"Hehe~ You don't understand. In South Korea, if you have status and money, you won't lack women."

"As you wish!"

As soon as I exited the airport, a group of fans surrounded me, holding up signs and chanting slogans in unison.

Director Tian Xiaole naturally went unnoticed and was pushed to the edge of the crowd.

Jun Ji-han is very popular in South Korea. Her role in "My Sassy Girl" was a huge hit, propelling her to become a top-tier actress.

The four trailers for "The Thieves" and the promotion by CJ Entertainment have earned Fan Binbin and Tang Yan a number of fans.

"What's going on? How did they know our itinerary?"

After getting into the black Mercedes, Tian Xiaole asked Park Jong-hwa in the passenger seat.

"The company's announcement is also to generate buzz for tomorrow's premiere."

Tian Xiaole absolutely supports anything that benefits the film.

"Let's go first, they'll follow."

The hotel where they stayed belongs to CJ Group, the parent company of CJ.

As a South Korean conglomerate, its main businesses encompass four major sectors: food and beverage, biotechnology, entertainment and media, and logistics.

Originally a subsidiary of Samsung Group, it became independent in 93 and was renamed CJ Group in 96.

Promoting a movie is exhausting, involving constant travel to various cities.

They didn't even rest in the country before rushing over here.

Tian Xiaole slumped on the sofa, deciding to return to China after the premiere and not participate in any further promotional activities.

He wanted to go back to spend the Lunar New Year with his grandmother, who is 84 years old this year and is getting younger with each passing year.

He told Park Jong not to disturb him and to get a good night's sleep.

In my drowsy state, I could hear knocking on the door in the middle of the night, but thankfully the door was locked from the inside.

The following day, the South Korean premiere of "The Thieves" was held at the Samseong-dong Convention Center.

CJ invited half of South Korean actors and stars to participate, while the other half did not attend because they belong to another entertainment conglomerate, ShowBox.

Dozens of journalists and media outlets had set up their cameras early on, and a large number of fans had gathered around the perimeter.

As soon as Tian Xiaole and his team got out of the car, they heard a deafening roar of shouts, mostly calling out the name of Jeon Ji-hyun.

The advantage of operating on home soil is obvious.

The South Korean premiere was full of gimmicks, with a group of tall, leggy girl groups performing, followed by a group of heavily made-up boy groups.

The video didn't start playing until noon.

···
In the afternoon, Tian Xiaole said goodbye to President Jin, whom he had met before. The latter told him that CJ was very concerned about this movie and that its theaters would give it preferential screening.

As for the reason, Tian Xiaole had more or less guessed it.

The script he provided, "Annabelle," is still raking in box office revenue worldwide, and his previous film, "The Shallows," which he personally directed, achieved a remarkable $2 million.

They've never lost in the film market, so it's no wonder they're taking it so seriously.

"Keep in touch, especially during the publicity period, and ensure the safety of personnel."

Tian Xiaole cautioned, "I'm afraid some extreme fans might cause trouble."

"Don't worry about that. CJ isn't someone you can mess with."

Park Jong-hwa patted his chest, very confident in this regard.

"You're in such a rush again this time. Next time you come, I'll show you the real South Korean nightclub culture."

Park Jong-hwa felt a little regretful that he hadn't been able to show off in front of Jeon Si-le.

"Then I'll wait."

Tian Xiaole smiled, patted his shoulder, and walked into the ticket gate with her backpack.

···
A three-hour flight is roughly equivalent to the distance between cities in the country.

Tian Xiaole got into the car his assistant had come to pick him up and instructed that he be taken home first.

The offline promotion for [The Thief] is very thorough; the billboards outside the airport are all movie posters.

In the bustling, retro alley, ten people lined up in a row, exuding a powerful aura.

Fan Binbin's legs, in particular, are very eye-catching!
Jiang Wen's sunglasses and rebellious attitude were also very attractive.

Back home, a sumptuous dinner had already been prepared.

The old lady was very happy and kept putting food on Tian Xiaole's plate.

I thought she wouldn't be coming back for the New Year, so when I received the news in the afternoon, I quickly arranged for the nanny to cook a table of dishes that Tian Xiaole likes.

Old Tian suddenly spoke up, breaking the warm atmosphere.

"You're not getting any younger, it's time to find a girlfriend. There are a lot of scheming female celebrities in the entertainment industry, it's best to find one outside of it."

Tian Xiaole was mentally prepared for this; after all, the old lady was not young and would definitely hope to see her grandson born.

"It's the same whether you're in the industry or not. If I find someone suitable, I'll bring them back."

"As long as Xiao Le is happy, it doesn't matter which circle she's in."

The old lady quickly chimed in, saying that it was fine as long as she could see her relatives and grandchildren.

Old Tian silently ate his meal; he had a lot to say about the actresses in the entertainment industry.

If you can provide her with resources, she'll follow you wholeheartedly; but if things get tough, she'll be the first to run away.

Moreover, their private lives are quite chaotic, and there are many married couples on set.

It's all part of Lao Tian's blood and tears history!

···
On Lunar New Year's Eve, besides having a reunion dinner, the main activity for Chinese people is watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV.

The skit "Talking About Things" by Uncle Benshan, Song Dandan, and Cui Yongyuan is not as funny as before, but it is still a classic.

The sounds of fireworks and firecrackers outside added to the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year.

News from the film industry is also constantly emerging. The films "The Banquet" and "A Battle of Wits," both invested and produced by Huayi Brothers, have entered post-production.

The new "Mou Girl" will be announced at the end of February.

[Project Baby] filming wrapped up in Hong Kong.

These films will all be competing fiercely in the new year.

The most noteworthy news right now is that "The Thieves" has been released nationwide.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Tian Xiaole got up very early and glanced at the various New Year's greetings text messages she received on her phone, including one from Tencent.

After replying to a few acquaintances, I stopped caring about the others.

After washing up, he couldn't stay still and decided to go to a nearby cinema, otherwise he wouldn't feel at ease.

There's no traffic at all on the road. Are they all staying at home, or have they all gone back to their hometowns?

The cinema was packed with people, many of whom were families or young couples.

Tian Xiaole felt much more at ease, adjusted her hat, and went inside.

Without a doubt, the audience came to watch "The Thieves' Alliance," directly attracting over 90% of the viewers.

As for "Huo Yuanjia", it's already nearing its end.

The Hollywood blockbuster "King Kong" is already halfway through its run and poses no threat.

China Film Group's cinemas are really generous, giving them 45% of the screenings. If it weren't for concerns about public opinion, the percentage would probably be even higher.

Wanda also gave us a lot of support, allocating 57% of the screenings. After all, there were no other films that could attract audiences at the same time, and private enterprises don't have as many concerns.

Tian Xiaole wanted to contribute to the box office, but was told by the staff that there were no tickets left for the afternoon showings, and only tickets were available for the evening showings.

Although he didn't get a ticket, he was very satisfied with the result.

I went to other cinemas and found that they were all in similar situations.

There are simply too few entertainment options during the Lunar New Year. Rather than staying at home, it's better to go out and watch a movie for some fun.

There was no precedent for a movie being released on the first day of the Lunar New Year, so many media outlets staked out locations in major cinemas to report on it.

Within just one afternoon, photos of packed cinemas appeared online.

Ten people were randomly interviewed on-site, and all ten came to see "The Thieves' Alliance," highlighting the advantage of having no competitors at the same time.

The message kept flashing on Tencent's QQ, with many familiar and unfamiliar people saying they had contributed to the box office.

Many celebrities also posted their ticket stubs on their online accounts, recommending that their fans go see the movie.

At the end, of course, Tian Xiaole's account was tagged.

Tian Xiaole didn't pretend she didn't see them and replied to each one.

"Thank you for your support, Sister Binbin. If there are suitable roles in the future, we can work together."

Li Binbin was delighted to receive the reply. She had already seen the movie premiere, and helping with the promotion was just a casual move. Tian Xiaole's reply made her think a lot.

Other actors and celebrities couldn't sit still either, and they all posted their ticket stubs online.

The same persuasive sales pitch was used, and of course, Tian Xiaole's account was tagged.

Tian Xiaole expressed his gratitude briefly, but didn't tell everyone about the opportunity to cooperate, as that would be too cheap.

I glanced at the movie review by Rotten Egg.

The ratings haven't been released yet, but audience comments are available.

Not bad, at least the initial word-of-mouth didn't cause any problems.

"Fan Binbin is such a treasure! It's rare to find an actress who is beautiful, has a great figure, can do action scenes, and is also so cute and funny. I'll protect her!"

"A fantastic action-crime film that deserves applause. Director Tian has created very vivid characters, making it a must-see ensemble piece!"

"I just came out of the theater and couldn't wait to log in to leave a comment. Fan Binbin is simply a goddess, she's stunning! That South Korean actress is also great, she's beautiful and hot too!"

The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with only a few negative ones appearing occasionally, but they were quickly buried.

The news was reported by the media.

"The movie 'The Thieves,' which was released on the first day of the Lunar New Year, drew many residents to the cinema."

"【The Thieves】is perfectly positioned for release, with no competitors in the same period, making it a one-man show!"

"The film scheduling is unfair, firmly occupying 70% of the market and monopolizing the Spring Festival season!"

Both online and offline, the scene is thriving.

News also came from CJ that the attendance rate was also very high and the enthusiasm for watching the movie was very high.

To cater to South Korean viewers, South Korean dialogue was specially added.

I don't expect it to be as exaggerated as the original film, but at least half of the audience would be satisfied.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the box office figures for the first day of "The Thieves" were released.

China Film Group sent the compiled data to Tian Xiaole immediately.

Received 23.4 million!
It broke the first-day record of 2112 million held by [Wuji].

Tian Xiaole was very satisfied with the result, which surpassed the achievements that Director Chen had earned over decades of reputation.

For the investors, this was already a cause for celebration.

The box office revenue on the first day, plus advertising and brand sponsorships, has already recouped the costs; all subsequent box office revenue is pure profit.

Immediately afterwards, China Film Group released the data to the media, and the news quickly appeared on major websites.

"【The Thieves】 grossed 2340 million yuan on its opening day and received consistently positive reviews from audiences!"

Given this performance, it's not impossible for Tian Xiaole to achieve a box office of 3 million yuan.

Many people in the industry offered their congratulations during interviews, showing that everyone was eager to help.

This movie is destined to be a huge hit.

When the news from South Korea reached China, it stunned many people.

What does 27 moviegoers on the first day mean?
It's a blockbuster!

The happiest person was Han Sanping. Besides the high box office revenue, this was definitely a form of cultural export, which was a political achievement.

Hong Kong Island also performed admirably, earning HK$230 million on the first day!
The film achieved phenomenal success, surpassing the level of many local Hong Kong films.

(End of this chapter)