Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 12 Breaking the Record

"The film 'Goodbye Mr. Loser,' produced by China Film Group, Xi'an Film Group, Enlight Media, Wanda Cinema, and others, grossed 28.17 million yuan on its opening day."

"The movie 'Goodbye Mr. Loser,' directed by Chen Shouzhe, a crosstalk performer from Deyun Society, broke the box office record for comedy films on its opening day, grossing 28.17 million yuan."

The overwhelming news coverage meant there was no need for promotion; the film grossed over 28 million on its opening day, breaking the record for a comedy film's opening day and drawing the attention of countless people.

Moreover, with yesterday's premiere, word-of-mouth for the film has already begun to spread, and people in the film industry have taken notice of its success immediately.

I'm angry!

With an investment of 20 million, and over 28 million on the first day, this movie is poised to be a blockbuster.

In an instant, countless calls came in to Chen Shouzhe's phone. Chen Shouzhe ignored the calls and went downstairs instead.

"Master!"

Chen Shou hugged Yu Qian tightly, excitedly holding him close.

"Master, it's done, it's done, twenty-eight million, it's done, waaaaah..."

Only Chen Shou himself knows how much pressure he was under during this period. If it weren't for Yu Qian's help, he would never have been able to complete this movie in his two lifetimes. In his previous life, he was also a crosstalk performer, but he didn't have a master. Now he has a master and a godfather. It feels so good. It feels so good to have someone to protect him from the wind and rain.

Chen Shouzhe cried like a child. Yu Qian patted his shoulder. He knew how much pressure Chen Shouzhe had been under during this period. He had barely slept for three hours a day.

He patted Chen Shouzhe on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, not bad, you did a great job."

Chen Shou cried for a while before looking up and noticing that Yu Qian's clothes were soaked with snot and tears.

"Master, I'm sorry, I..."

"Remember to buy me a new outfit."

"Okay, I'll definitely buy it for you, lots of it."

Yu Qian smiled and went to change his clothes. Chen Shou saw his teacher's wife with red eyes and went up to hug her.

Did you call your godfather and the others?

Master Yu Qian changed his clothes and came out to ask.

"Not yet, my phone is out of battery and hasn't charged yet." Chen Shou had calmed down by now.

"Go give them a call; they'll be even happier than you are."

"it is good."

Chen Shouzhe immediately returned to his dormitory. His phone was still ringing, but it was Shaobing calling. Chen Shouzhe hung up immediately and dialed his godfather Guo Degang's number.

"Godfather."

"Congratulations on taking care of my son."

Guo Degang was very happy on the other end of the phone. He thought he had misread the news when he saw it early this morning. When he called Chen Shouzhe, he found that the call was not answered. He called Meng Hetang and was told that Chen Shouzhe was crying while holding Yu Qian. He knew that Chen Shouzhe would definitely call him and had been waiting for him.

"Thank you, godfather, thank you, godfather. Without your support, I, I, I really don't know..." Chen Shou said, tears welling up in his eyes again.

"It's okay, it's okay. You've had a tough time these past few days. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but the hardest time is over. Don't cry. I've weathered all kinds of storms back then. Have you ever seen me cry?"

"Thank you, godfather, thank you so much. I'll come to your house another day," Chen Shou said, his eyes reddening.

“Okay, your godmother just invited you over for dinner. Come on, your godmother is waiting. Talk to her.” Guo Degang handed the phone to his wife next to him.

Chen Shou chatted with his godmother for a while before hanging up the phone and then calling Director Wang.

"Congratulations on keeping watch."

Director Wang was also happy. He had put pressure on Chen Shou to invest in a newcomer, and now he was finally seeing the return. The company earned more than 28 million yuan on the first day, which was sure to be a box office of over 100 million yuan. With an investment of 20 million yuan, the company would break even with 50 million yuan in box office revenue. The company recovered its costs in two days, and the rest was profit. As the primary producer, he felt a great sense of relief.

I thanked Director Wang, then called Teacher Hou from the academy to thank him for making the connection. After that, I thanked Chairman Wang from Enlight Media, the director from Xi'an Film Studio, Ye Ning from Wanda Cinema, and also Wanda for scheduling the film.

Although the internet is flooded with news about Huayi Brothers' blockbuster films, "Goodbye Mr. Loser" still managed to carve out a niche for itself and successfully grab a large slice of the Lunar New Year film market.

"More than 28 million?"

Inside Huayi's headquarters, Wang Zonglei's expression was not good.

Their disaster blockbuster, "No End in the World," had an investment of 200 million yuan, but only made a little over 30 million yuan on its opening day.

Chen Shouzhe's film investment was ten times less than theirs, but the box office was only a few million less. The difference was too great.

Others break even in two days, but they haven't even seen their investment yet. They need at least 400 million to make a profit. Although their goal is 500 million, the return on their 200 million investment is less than that of a comedy movie, which makes them very uncomfortable.

"Our pioneering Lunar New Year film season has become his wedding dress? If it weren't for the investors like China Film Group and Enlight Media, I would really want to strangle these lousy comedians. Ignore them, keep promoting, let Director Feng and his team continue. It's not New Year's Day yet, there's still a chance."

As soon as the box office figures came out the next day, all the major cinema chains sprang into action.

The fact that the film grossed over 40 million yuan on its second day meant it had become a hit.

It's not just about making 100 million; word-of-mouth is spreading, and many people are recommending the movie online. "A movie worth watching two or three times."

"It's hilarious, especially when Yuan Hua came out, I couldn't help but laugh."

"In memory of my dead youth."

"Who wouldn't want to be reborn and go back to the past, to plagiarize songs and become a big star?"

"It has a good plot and a good story, and the story that follows is fantastic."

"I, for one, was moved to tears while watching it."

"Can anyone tell me why Charlotte got sick?"

"No regrets in youth, a simple and peaceful life is true happiness."

"From now on, we'll address each other separately. You'll call me Dad, and I'll call you Brother, hahaha."

"Qiuya~~~"

A whole bunch of jokes appeared online, and people who weren't interested before could hear them all on this day.

"I'm asking you, is it really good? I'm not saying it's made by crosstalk comedians; what else can they do besides toilet humor and ethical jokes?"

"Same question. I like Guo Jingming and Yu Xiangqian's crosstalk, but their movies are really not good."

"I highly recommend it. It's a really interesting movie. It would be a real shame to miss it. I even want to watch it three times because there are so many details I didn't see clearly."

"The movie wasn't directed by Guo Yu, but by their juniors, students who graduated from the directing department of Beijing Film Academy. I think it's very good and has a lasting impression."

These days, it's really frustrating to be out of touch with trends. Everyone's doing it, but you're clueless and it's like you're itching to join in.

When the box office results came out on the third day, Chen Shouzhe's phone was ringing off the hook again.

More than 65 million yuan, and this is not even before the New Year's Day holiday. The box office jumped three times in three days, which stunned countless people in the industry.

Those who initially spoke ill of Chen Shouzhe have now shut their mouths, and some have even started deleting their posts, pretending nothing happened.

Director Wang of China Film Group felt like he was walking on cotton. He never expected that his action would lead to such a windfall, with box office revenue exceeding 65 million yuan in a single day and 100 million yuan in three days. After deducting costs, he had already made 30 to 40 million yuan.

Although it's only 20%, it still brings in several million, and money keeps coming in, several million a day. The profits are expected to be even higher than those from the film "No End of the World," which I mainly invested in this year.

A tenfold difference in investment! I regret it now. If only I had bought all 20 million, it would all have been his.

"Director Wang, Chairman Han wants to see you," the secretary said as she knocked on the door and entered.

"Come here."

He knocked and went in. Han Sanping was sitting on the sofa. He smiled at Director Wang and said, "Congratulations, Director Wang."

"It's you who has worked so hard. If you hadn't withstood the pressure, I probably would have withdrawn my investment," Director Wang quickly said.

Han Sanping knew how difficult the process was, but once the results were out, everything was fine, and those old guys had already shut up.

"With the marketing and distribution progressing smoothly, this film's box office may surpass that of 'No End in the World'," Han Sanping said.

"I agree. Comedy films clearly have an advantage during festive occasions like the Lunar New Year," Director Wang nodded.

"It seems we need to take better care of the newcomers in the future. We can't keep letting them take all the money. Otherwise, China Film Group will become theirs in the future."

Han Sanping's eyes flashed with a shrewd light. Director Wang knew his boss all too well; he wasn't the kind of person who was easily swayed.

"Tomorrow is a holiday, so the box office will probably be even higher," Director Wang said with a smile.

"Keep a close eye on things. Oh, and let them know that if the box office exceeds 200 million, I'll throw them a celebration banquet."

"Okay, they're putting all their effort into promoting it now."

……

After three days of pre-release hype, the film's box office and popularity soared, becoming an instant hit online, especially with Chen Shou taking Shen Teng on a trip to the city.

The fourth day, which is January 1st, is New Year's Day, a day when the whole country has a holiday.

The box office figures are finally out.

This time, the commotion was even greater, with countless people focusing their attention on Chen Shouzhe.

"The comedy film 'Goodbye Mr. Loser,' directed by Chen Shouzhe and starring Shen Teng, Ma Li, Yin Zheng, and Liu Yan, grossed 114.31 million yuan on New Year's Day, breaking the record for the highest single-day box office for a domestic film."

The sheer magnitude of this news made countless companies envious. A comedy film with an investment of 20 million yuan, grossing over 240 million yuan in just four days, broke the record for domestic films, and a group of previously unknown actors suddenly became the hottest stars in the country.

Those film and television companies that had rejected Chen Shouzhe were filled with regret. As a result, managers from several companies were transferred, and Chen Shouzhe's phone received many unfamiliar calls.

(End of this chapter)