Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 373 Blockbuster Clash
Beside the monitor on set, Chen Kaige picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and was about to put it in his mouth when he caught a glimpse of his wife returning to the scene. He slowly put down his chopsticks and shook his head slightly.

"Do you really need to fawn over Liu Shishi like this? You even went out of your way to prepare special meals for her."

"It's never wrong to be polite!" Chen Hong gracefully sat down on the folding chair, a slight smile playing on her lips. "You're just being stubborn! If you didn't try to please her, would you patiently explain the play to her?"

Chen Kaige blushed slightly and snorted defiantly, "This is my professional ethics. Guiding actors in their acting is the director's responsibility."

"Forget it." A half-smile appeared on Chen Hong's delicate face. How could she not know what kind of person her husband was?

In the past, when filming, there was no time to give supporting actors detailed instructions. If they didn't perform well, it was considered a favor if I didn't scold them with a dark face.

Chen Kai didn't say anything, picked up his chopsticks and buried himself in eating his boxed lunch.

Chen Hong gazed at the busy stage crew in the distance and muttered to herself, "The entertainment industry has become increasingly incomprehensible in the past two years. I wonder if it was right or wrong for us to reject Jiang Wenli's proposal and completely tie ourselves to New Classics Media?"

Previously, Jiang Wenli had visited the couple, hoping to integrate resources in the Northwest film industry and establish a large film and television company based on the Xi'an Film Studio team. However, the conditions offered by New Classics Media were simply too tempting.

Chen Kai swallowed his food and turned to look at his wife: "Without cinemas or distribution channels, what does Jiang Wenli have to compete with the Beijing and Shanghai film and television circles?"

Director Chen looked down on Jiang Wenli's naive ideas. He had signed a seven-film directing contract with New Classics Media, and the company paid him 21 million yuan in signing fees alone.

Moreover, if these seven films are profitable, he can share the net profit proportionally, while losses will be borne by New Classics Media and the investors. Can Jiang Wenli offer such terms?
Moreover, for every film, he received the same director's salary and his wife's producer's salary. With such a sure-fire way to make money, why would he take the risk of collaborating with Jiang Wenli?
Chen Hong nodded in agreement. Her husband's ability to become a top-notch director in the industry and amass a huge fortune was not only due to his filmmaking skills, but also to his considerable wisdom in assessing the situation.

Chen Kaige, shrewd and calculating, said: "As long as we keep that top female star in check and don't offend a behemoth like Tengda, cooperating with Xinli is enough for me to showcase my talents."

"Yes, it's a pity that Tengda focuses on its system rather than famous directors, while also strongly supporting young directors. Otherwise, cooperating with Tengda would be a good choice."

Chen Hong sighed softly, "I heard that Zhang Jiayi has also signed with New Classics Media, so Jiang Wenli's long-cherished Northwest Alliance is probably not going to happen. There are also rumors that Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping have parted ways, and the newly established Le Vision Pictures is in contact with Director Zhang."

"Zhang Yimou should have broken up with people like Zhang Weiping long ago. Filmmaking shouldn't be hampered by businessmen!" Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou have a mutual respect for each other. He believes that in the entire Chinese film industry, only one or two directors like Zhang Yimou can be compared to him, and the rest are not worth his attention!
Chen Hong sighed for a moment, then changed the subject: "By the way, because of Liu Shishi's leaked materials, 'Caught in the Web' is trending on social media. It's currently very popular. Should we take advantage of this surge in traffic?"

"You can arrange it." Although Chen Kaige looked down on hype and other such methods, he had to admit that they were indeed useful and could increase the exposure of the movie. Even if he was self-righteous, he had to bow to the market.

Chen Hong thought for a moment, then asked her husband in a consultative tone, "Aren't Gao Yuanyuan and Zhao Youting dating? Since they weren't planning to hide it anyway, then..."

"Let's give them a heads-up beforehand to avoid any unpleasantness." Director Chen is, after all, a respectable person, not the kind of second-rate director who would do anything for popularity.

Chen Hong smiled knowingly: "Okay, I'll talk to them. If the movie is popular and does well at the box office, they'll benefit too, right?"

Meanwhile, Liu Shishi was enjoying a sumptuous meal specially brought by Chen Hong, consisting of four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes. She beckoned to her assistant, "Xiaoxiao, sit down and have some with us."

"Sister, please eat."

"There are so many dishes, how can I possibly finish them all by myself? It would be such a waste."

Seeing that the lead actress insisted, Su Xiaoxiao respectfully sat down and started eating. Being able to enjoy such special treatment on set was a rare privilege for her.

As the two were eating, a melodious cell phone rang. Liu Shishi looked up and saw the caller ID: "Sister K is calling."

Reaching out and swiping the screen, I turned on speakerphone, and Cai Yinong's familiar voice came through the receiver: "Shishi, is filming in Harbin going smoothly?"

"All is well! Everything is fine."

After asking a few questions about Shishi's life on set, Cai Yinong got down to business: "Director Tsui Hark's 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' and Director Zhang Yimou's 'The Flowers of War' are both scheduled for release on the 15th of this month. Both have invited you to attend the premiere. Shishi, which one do you want to go to?"

Liu Shishi paused, slightly surprised, with her chopsticks in hand: "The issue of box office revenue sharing for 'The Flowers of War' has been resolved?"

"It's still the same, the producer's 43% share of the box office remains unchanged." Cai Yinong's tone was somewhat sarcastic. "Southern cinemas simply don't buy into Zhang Weiping's ideas!"

With the joint boycott from the other seven major cinema chains, the production company faced immense pressure to recoup its investment if the situation dragged on, forcing New Pictures to concede.

The top female star was united in her indignation and had a very poor impression of Zhang Weiping of New Pictures: "If you had known this would happen, why did you have to make such a fuss!"

Cai Yinong asked in bewilderment, "It's strange, both films are big productions, and their simultaneous release will inevitably affect each other's box office performance."

Why would Tengda Culture choose to pit its film against "The Flowers of War"? That film stars a national treasure! Big-budget productions clashing in release will only result in mutual destruction.

Liu Shishi understood and revealed some inside information to Sister K: "Sister K, you don't know this, but Tengda Culture has assessed that 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' has huge potential to break the box office record for Chinese films."

That's why "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" was released in December. It's always better to compete against the director, the "National Master," than against one's own people.

Previously, Liu Rong and director Ma Xin had discussed that since there were no major films being released in January and February next year, "Goodbye Mr. Loser," as a family-friendly comedy, would have an extremely high box office performance with no competitors.

"Can it really break box office records?" Cai Yinong's voice suddenly rose, unable to hide his surprise.

Their own top stars have achieved remarkable success on the small screen. If they could create a blockbuster hit on the big screen, it would be an immeasurable boost to their careers, propelling them to the forefront of A-list celebrities.

Liu Shishi shrugged: "Anyway, that's what Tengda Culture planned, otherwise they wouldn't have sacrificed the box office potential of 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate'!"

"That's great!" Cai Yinong exclaimed excitedly. "Tengda Culture's market analysis has always been accurate when it comes to movies. Since they are so confident, it's probably very close to the mark. I'll instruct Hu Ge to fully cooperate with the film's promotion right away."

He paused, then sighed with a hint of regret: "It's a pity that Tangren doesn't have film resources. Otherwise, if Hu Ge could take advantage of this opportunity and star in one or two more movies as the male lead, as long as the box office is decent, he could establish himself on the big screen."

Liu Shishi dismissed it: "If you want to make a movie, just invest in it." "Shishi, making a movie isn't that simple," Cai Yinong said with a wry smile. "Let's not even talk about whether the movie will be released in theaters after we spend money to make it. Even if it is successfully released, the break-even rate for domestic theatrical films is less than 30%, and the box office profits are concentrated in a few top films."

Cai Yinong felt helpless. Film production is a typical high-risk, high-reward industry. Although she favors Hu Ge, she would not use the hard-earned wealth of Tangren Media to pave the way for the top star's big screen.

"Then just focus on filming TV dramas. As long as the ratings are good, you can still become popular if you act well."

Liu Shishi picked up a piece of broccoli, speaking casually. She didn't seem as fixated on the big screen as other actors, believing that a good performance in a TV series could be just as captivating and popular.

Cai Yinong shook his head inwardly. Making TV dramas is not so easy. Not to mention the extremely long payback period, no film and television company can guarantee that every TV drama will have good ratings. Tangren is no exception!

After all, the top star is high and mighty, and in some ways still out of touch with reality. Cai Yi-nong didn't want to talk to her much on this topic: "We've gone off on a tangent. Which of the two movies are you planning to attend for its premiere?"

"I don't want to go anywhere! I'd rather spend this time at home with my husband. I haven't seen Mr. Song for a week!"

Liu Shishi pouted, revealing a rare coquettish expression. At this moment, she was filled with intense feelings for her husband, feeling as if a day apart felt like three autumns.

"It's up to you. If you don't want to go, I'll help you cancel."

"Then let's turn it down. Anyway, I'm not familiar with the lead actors of either movie, so I won't join in the fun."

A few days passed quickly, and on December 15th, while Liu Shishi was focused on filming "Caught in the Web," the film market ushered in the most intense New Year's film season competition of the year.

The first-day box office report shows that "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" slightly outperformed "The Flowers of War" with 23 million yuan, thanks to the high ticket price advantage of IMAX 3D technology.

However, the latter demonstrated stronger audience appeal, consistently leading in occupancy rates. Astute theaters quickly adjusted their strategies, allowing "The Flowers of War" to soon surpass it in screen share.

When the first week's box office figures were revealed, the tide had turned: "The Flowers of War" narrowly defeated "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" with 150 million yuan, while the two films together devoured 97% of the market share, almost monopolizing the box office for the entire period.

Faced with the box office slump, director Xu Ke couldn't sit still any longer and urgently dispatched producer Shi Nansheng to Beijing to discuss countermeasures with the investor, Tengda Culture.

President's Office, Zhongao Building.

Liu Rong was receiving this veteran Hong Kong film producer: "President Shi, why did you have to come all this way? You could have just made a phone call and it would have been fine."

"Thank you." Shi Nansheng accepted the tea offered by Liu Rong, showing no airs of a senior in the industry and remaining humble.

"Mr. Liu, currently, the number of screenings for 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' is 10% less than that for 'The Flowers of War.' At this rate, the total box office will probably be difficult to break the 6 million mark."

Liu Rong slowly sat down opposite Shi Nansheng, her expression calm: "President Shi, it is a fact that the attendance rate of 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' is not as good as that of 'The Flowers of War,' and it is inevitable that theaters will adjust their screening schedules."

Shi Nansheng held the teacup, feeling the warmth of the cup against his palm, carefully choosing his words:

"Mr. Liu, after all, 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' is a project fully invested by Tengda Culture. We still hope that you can come forward and communicate with the major cinema chains to stabilize the screening schedule."

"If the box office surpasses 6 million, it'll basically be the year's box office champion. You'll have something to be proud of, won't you?"

Liu Rong shook her head slightly. After a week of market testing, the box office potential of "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" is basically clear and can be predicted that it will be difficult to break 6 million.

If it weren't for the discounts offered by the group's Tiangong Special Effects team, which saved 1000 million yuan in costs, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" would definitely not have been able to break even on domestic box office alone.

Judging from the current situation, they can barely break even, but fortunately, with the overseas copyrights, they can make a small profit.

Seeing Liu Rong's clear attitude, Shi Nansheng still refused to give up: "President Liu, if 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' hadn't been released at the same time as 'The Flowers of War,' its box office performance would definitely have been more than this."

Business analysts generally believe that the box office performance of both films in their opening week fell short of expectations, far below the 1.8 million yuan opening week box office of "Let the Bullets Fly" last year. Moreover, the number of screens at the end of this year has increased significantly compared to last year. Clearly, the clash of big films has resulted in a lose-lose situation for both.

Liu Rong frowned slightly, clearly displeased: "If you want to blame someone for this, blame Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping. The release date for 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' was set a long time ago."

Tengda Culture meticulously plans how many films it releases each year and when they will be released, so how could it arbitrarily withdraw them?

If it weren't for Zhang Weiping's unexpected actions and last-minute change of plans, "The Flowers of War" would have been released in early November, and wouldn't have clashed with "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate."

Seeing Liu Rong's tone turn cold, Shi Nansheng's heart tightened, and he quickly explained, "President Liu, you've misunderstood. That's absolutely not what I meant."

Liu Rong said calmly, "President Shi, there's no need to say more. Tengda Culture is guaranteed to make a profit on the 'Flying Swords of Dragon Gate' project. You and Director Xu don't need to worry too much about whether the box office can go even higher."

We've witnessed Director Tsui's box office appeal once again, and we hope to have the opportunity to collaborate again in the future.

Shi Nansheng smiled bitterly. For Tengda Culture, this was just an investment that would break even and make a small profit, but for her and Xu Ke, "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" was a complete failure.

Directed by a renowned director, with kung fu legend Jet Li at the helm, and starring A-list celebrities Zhou Xun and Chen Kun, the film was distributed by Tengda Culture, one of the most powerful film distributors in mainland China. However, the box office only barely broke even.

This undoubtedly shatters the industry myth that "big director + big star = box office guarantee." It is foreseeable that major film and television companies will re-evaluate the market and adjust their strategies.

Liu Rong personally escorted Shi Nansheng to the elevator and watched her step inside. As the heavy alloy doors slowly closed, her expression subtly changed. She understood the reason for Shi Nansheng's anxiety, but wasn't this also a test for Tengda Culture?

If "Goodbye Mr. Loser" can sweep the market as expected a month later, it will be enough to prove that the "IP + traffic star" model is the mainstream of the future.

If the combination of Tsui Hark and Jet Li is already like this, how much box office appeal can so-called big directors and big stars still have? At that time, why should Tengda still rely on these traditional resources?

(End of this chapter)