It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 84 The Hierarchical Class Disdain in the Film and Music Industries! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The following morning, at 7 a.m.

The alarm clock had just gone off when, before Lü Rui could even open his eyes, the phone rang.

He fumbled for his phone on the bedside table, and groggily found the answer button and pressed it.

"Hey?"

"Mr. Lu! The box office on the first day was 863 million, and the word-of-mouth is absolutely amazing. This movie has the potential to be a huge hit!"

"When Happiness Knocks on the Door?"

"Correct!"

Lu Rui instantly woke up, got out of bed, dressed, and went to the computer.

Looking around, wow, the word-of-mouth is indeed booming!
Forums and portal websites are filled with trending posts...

"The first hour was very uncomfortable and frustrating for me, as if the protagonist was constantly having bad luck. But when the applause rang out at the end, I felt like I saw what hope really is!"

"This is the best inspirational film of the year, dedicated to those of us who are currently in a difficult situation."

"When you encounter insurmountable obstacles, keep trying! Keep going! Never give up! Happiness will surely come knocking!"

The phone rings again.

It was Han Sanping calling!
"I'm planning to order some more copies. Do you have time to cover a few promotional events?"

"no problem!"

Lu Rui gripped his phone tightly, a smile playing on his lips.

At this point in time, only two films are competing with "The Pursuit of Happyness": "Shanghai Dreams" and "The Big Rice Shop".

The former was touted as a comeback for Joey Wong, while the latter was overseen by renowned director Wang Jianzhong.

Unfortunately, after more than 20 days in theaters, the combined box office of the two films has not yet reached 10 million yuan, failing to make any splash in the market.

In contrast, "The Pursuit of Happyness" earned more than 800 million yuan at the box office on its opening day!

This report card is truly amazing, and it also means that there is definitely the potential for a huge breakthrough!

After ending his call with Han Sanping, Lü Rui immediately called Hou Hongliang and instructed him: "Increase publicity efforts and work closely with China Film Group."

"Yes, Chairman Lü!"

Hou Hongliang's voice was filled with undisguised excitement.

I just joined the company and stumbled upon a potential blockbuster stock. This is a fantastic start, and we must put all our effort into pushing the hype to its peak!

Director Lü Rui's new film, *The Pursuit of Happyness*, illuminates the silver screen with the light of an "inspirational" life!

"Cannes Best Director Film: The Most Heart-wrenching Inspirational Textbook in Chinese Cinema History"

"Wang Zhiwen's Acting Career Peak: A Tear-Jerking Moment of Father-Son Relationship"

Give Yourself a Round of Applause—Life Lessons from When Happiness Knocks on Your Door!

"..."

Hou Hongliang seems to have unlocked his full potential, cooperating seamlessly with China Film Group in terms of media hype.

In the following days, as the number of copies doubled, word-of-mouth continued to rise, and the film's popularity soared, more and more people chose to see this "inspirational art film."

In particular, the scene at the end of the movie where Wang Zhiwen applauds himself made it to the front page of major entertainment news magazines!

The word "inspirational" quickly spread as a symbol of positive energy, and the proportion of screenings in cinemas and the box office curve soared in tandem.

Looking at the overwhelming precision marketing, Han Sanping couldn't help but call and ask curiously, "Where did you find this top talent? His articles are even more ruthless than those of journalists!"

These articles and manuscripts appearing on the internet, forums, and print media were not written by writers under various media outlets, but were written by Hou Hongliang himself, directly hitting the core selling points!

"It was dug from the Yamashita area."

Lu Rui's tone was full of smugness; he hadn't misjudged him after all.

Talented individuals like Hou Hongliang, whose talents have been hidden, can quickly shine if placed in the right position!
With the combined online and offline buzz, coupled with the film's high quality, "The Pursuit of Happyness" grossed over 30 million yuan in just four days.

The initial investment of 800 million was easily recouped, and every penny earned thereafter is pure profit!

The media arrived as scheduled and began reporting:

"After four days of release, 'The Pursuit of Happyness' has grossed 3196 million yuan, and the revenue has already covered the costs."

"After contacting Ruishijie, the reporter learned that the overseas distribution rights fee for the film alone amounted to US$720 million, equivalent to more than RMB 5700 million!"

"The film's total revenue has exceeded 60 million, seven times its cost! It's a critical and commercial success!"

"It is understood that the distribution fees for 'House of Flying Daggers' have not yet covered the costs. Can Zhang Yimou recreate the success of 'Hero'?"

"Zhang Weiping was proven wrong. The box office and critical acclaim for 'The Pursuit of Happyness' have surged, which is seriously inconsistent with his analysis and predictions."

Inside a cinema in the capital, Zhang Yimou, who had just finished watching a movie, looked solemn.

“Wei Ping, we must take this movie seriously; it could very well pose a threat to us.”

Zhang Weiping's face turned ashen.

He never expected that an art film could cause such a huge uproar and heated discussion.

The hype surrounding "House of Flying Daggers" seems to be subtly being suppressed!
"No way!" he decided immediately. "We absolutely cannot let Vision steal the spotlight; we have to get it back. The premiere has to be a huge success! Cancel the planned screening, and let's put on a grand promotional event..."

Zhang Yimou looked over with a puzzled expression. "You don't need to worry about it, I'll take care of it." Zhang Weiping hurriedly left.

He admitted that he had underestimated the art film "The Pursuit of Happyness" before.

If he had known that its release would cause such a huge uproar, he should have prepared in advance. Why is he in such a passive position now?

"Vision Realm? We'll see!"

Two days later, just as "The Pursuit of Happyness" surpassed 4500 million at the box office, a piece of news spread throughout the entire entertainment industry!
The premiere of "House of Flying Daggers" is scheduled to officially launch on July 10. The premiere celebration is expected to cost 20 million RMB and will be held simultaneously at the main venue in the capital and six branch venues in Guangzhou and other cities.

Many well-known singers, including S.H.E., Jonathan Lee, Jeff Chang, Tong Ange, Kelly Chen, A-Do, Han Hong, Park Shu, and Dao Lang, will be present at the premiere to lend their support. Stay tuned…

The industry was in an uproar!

The family was truly surprised that New Pictures was so ruthless, spending 2000 million to host the premiere!
Of course, it's also possible that Zhang Weiping is just bragging.

After all, this guy is just like Zhang Jizhong, a habitual offender of hype!
However, fans and music lovers don't care whether he's bragging or not; they've already gotten excited.

But the music industry was in an uproar because of this list of singers!
They had no problem with other singers, but Dao Lang's appearance sparked a frenzied boycott.

"Those who listen to Dao Lang's songs are all farmers!"

It's unclear which "mainstream singer" uttered this statement, but it immediately sparked a massive public outcry.

"What's wrong with farmers? Did they eat your rice? Or drink your soy milk?"

"We just like Daolang. If you're so capable, come and shut us up."

"To worry about something that doesn't concern you..."

The "class contempt" in the music industry is no milder than that in the film and television industry. Those with formal training look down on grassroots extras, while those who have become famous despise those who came from humble backgrounds. Such examples are everywhere...

The name Daolang is like a thorn, piercing the arrogant mask of the so-called "mainstream".

In an instant, a heated debate about musical aesthetics and prejudices among different circles kicked off with the pre-release hype surrounding the premiere of "House of Flying Daggers".

This is exactly the effect Zhang Weiping wanted!
7月10号，已经上映9天的《当幸福来敲门》票房冲破了6000万，不过单日票房却跌到了500万以下。

The limitations of art films are clearly exposed; their audience is ultimately a minority.

However, Lü Rui was quite satisfied.

After all, it's all pure profit in the later stages!
Based on current performance, after deducting revenue sharing from distribution and theaters, Ruishijie has already made a profit of over 1500 million yuan.

Most importantly, this profit is shared with no one and goes directly into the company's account!

That evening, the lavish premiere of "House of Flying Daggers" took place as scheduled.

Several television stations broadcast the program simultaneously.

On stage, a group of singers sang live, but there was no professional host to control the situation. The guests improvised, and the scene was so lively that it was almost chaotic!

Lü Rui had no interest in learning about the disputes between Dao Lang and the record company, publisher, and pirates.

However, his singing is still quite good.

The premiere did not screen the full film, but instead featured excerpts of highlights from the movie.

Unfortunately, Lü Rui did not get to see a scene similar to the "wind! wind! strong wind" in the movie "Hero".

However, the film's color composition continues Zhang Yimou's consistent aesthetic style, creating a strong visual impact!

With six days to go before the official release of "House of Flying Daggers," New Pictures has launched a massive publicity campaign.

Meanwhile, on the set of "The Prestige," Lü Rui was also filming intensively.

The wife, played by Zhou Yun, eventually discovered the secret between the twin brothers, played by Jiang Wen.

The two had a heated argument!
Jiang Wen felt that she didn't understand him, so he slammed the door and left.

Zhou Yun, in a daze, went to the magic prop room, found a rope, and ended her painful life by hanging herself.

She couldn't accept that her husband had cheated on her!

She couldn't believe that her twin husband would take turns sleeping with her every night!
What is she? A puppet? A tool for the brothers' amusement? Or a prop in a magic show?
At this point, both of the main characters, Hu Jun and Jiang Wen, have lost their wives, and their struggle has officially entered a very intense and heated phase!
Hu Jun arranged for Fan Bingbing, who played his lover, to infiltrate Jiang Wen's life and steal the magic manual.

However, his attempt to steal a chicken backfired and he lost more than he gained.

Fan Bingbing actually developed real feelings for Jiang Wen!

However, to make up for her guilt, she still stole Jiang Wen's notebook and gave it to Hu Jun.

It clearly states that Jiang Wen was able to perform the "Shadow Shift" magic trick because of a Western "magic master"—Tesla!

"Speed ​​up! We need to finish filming this scene before the end of the month, then move on to Hollywood!"

On set, Lü Rui gave the order, which was met with enthusiastic responses from the crowd.

On July 16, "House of Flying Daggers" was officially released.

That evening, after the film crew finished work, Lü Rui drove Jiang Wen, Gu Changwei, Hu Jun, and others to the cinema to watch this "masterpiece" that followed "Hero".

But just then, a phone call came in from Hollywood.

"Lv, company registration..."

(End of this chapter)