Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 359, Section 357: Time Flies

Before the scorching heat of July had even subsided, the summer in Beijing was already being pushed to one climax after another by a continuous wave of cultural enthusiasm.

Monday, July 23.

After a weekend of discussion and data compilation, the entertainment sections of major newspapers across the country almost unanimously devoted their front pages to the same protagonist—"Kung Fu Soccer".

……

The China Film News announced with a front-page headline: "Shaolin Soccer raks in 2300 million in its opening weekend! Stephen Chow breaks records, Wang Sheng creates another legend!"

文章详细罗列了数据：“自7月12日上映至7月15日，短短四日，《功夫足球》在全国范围内（主要统计范围涵盖已组建院线的核心城市及重点影院）豪取约2300万元人民币票房！
This achievement not only unsurprisingly broke Stephen Chow's personal box office record in mainland China, but also successfully surpassed the opening weekend record for a domestic film held by "My Sassy Girl," becoming the most explosive box office bomb of the summer season and even the entire year!

The report analyzed the success factors in depth: "The success of 'Shaolin Soccer' is certainly inseparable from Stephen Chow's unique nonsensical comedic charm and his long-cultivated fan base, but what cannot be ignored is the precise and even 'crazy' marketing strategy of the behind-the-scenes promoter Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media team."

By deeply linking the film to the national emotional climax of the Chinese national football team's bid for the World Cup, and proposing a daring gamble of "giving away World Cup tickets if the box office exceeds 100 million yuan," the film, fueled by the jubilant atmosphere of the successful Olympic bid, successfully elevated itself to a cultural event beyond the film itself, sparking a phenomenal viewing frenzy.

……

The entertainment section of Wenhui Daily published an article titled "Wang Sheng's Midas Touch Works Again, Stephen Chow's Mainland Market Experiences a Second Spring," emphasizing Wang Sheng's key role in the project: "With his keen eye for film selection, accurate market judgment, and disruptive operational thinking, Wang Sheng has repeatedly proven himself not only as an excellent director and producer, but also as an indispensable business leader in the marketization of the Chinese film industry."

By choosing to collaborate deeply with Stephen Chow, creating a project that perfectly matches his style and possesses immense market potential, Wang Sheng has once again made the right choice in selecting the right person and doing the right thing.

……

Mainstream media outlets across the country, including Yangcheng Evening News, Yangtze Evening Post, and Qianjiang Evening News, followed suit, using terms such as "unstoppable," "continuing miracle," and "summer box office king" to describe the opening of Kung Fu Soccer, and were generous with their praise for Wang Sheng and Shengying Media.

However, amidst the cheers, there were also sober observations and concerns about the future.

In a commentary titled "Kung Fu Soccer's Amazing Start, Can It Withstand the Return of the 'Mummy'?" published in the Beijing Youth Daily, it was written: "Kung Fu Soccer has achieved a dream start thanks to its first-mover advantage and precise marketing, but the real test it faces is coming soon."

The fantasy adventure blockbuster "The Mummy Returns," produced by Universal Pictures and starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, is scheduled to hit the Chinese mainland market on July 28.

The film's predecessor was a huge success worldwide, accumulating a large fan base, and its visual effects were even more grand and thrilling, making it extremely attractive to young audiences seeking audiovisual stimulation.

Although "Shaolin Soccer" has received rave reviews, its comedy genre differs somewhat from the adventure and fantasy genre of "The Mummy Returns," which is poised to dominate the market and draw away a significant number of screenings and viewers.

Whether Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Soccer' can maintain its strong momentum amidst the sandstorm of 'The Mummy' will be a crucial battle determining its final box office performance.

……

The media's predictions have also captured the attention of countless viewers and industry professionals.

Theater managers began nervously adjusting their screening schedules, calculating the potential revenue from the two blockbusters; audiences debated over whether to continue supporting the "shining light of domestic comedy" or to experience the "Hollywood special effects spectacle."

Meanwhile, industry insiders are closely watching how this first head-to-head collision between Chinese and foreign blockbusters will reshape the summer movie season of 2001 and even the future market landscape.

……

Meanwhile, the most eye-catching "Easter egg" in the promotional campaign for "Kung Fu Soccer"—the giveaway of World Cup qualifier tickets—officially kicked off. On July 24th, Shengying Media, in conjunction with China Film Shengshi Cinemas, announced the winning ticket stub numbers for the first batch of 1000 tickets through partner media and announcements at major cinemas.

Winners must present the original movie ticket stub at the China Film Shengshi Cinema where they purchased the ticket within one week to register and verify their identity. After verification, the staff of the movie ticketing system will deliver the corresponding physical tickets, provided by the Chinese Football Association, to the winners one week before the start of the match.

The news immediately caused a new wave of excitement.

"She really did send it! Sheng Ying keeps her word!"

"I checked my ticket stub number for that show! It's two digits off! Ahhh!"

"Quickly check your ticket stubs, don't throw them away! There will be another chance in the next batch!"

"These are only 200 tickets. There are still 800 more to go, and once we break 100 million, we'll have 100 full World Cup packages!"

Viewers who might have initially been skeptical were completely convinced of Shengying Media's promise after seeing the actual prize redemption announcement.

This commitment to keeping one's word greatly stimulated the audience's enthusiasm for watching the film and their sense of participation.

To increase their chances of winning, many people chose to go to the cinema a second or even third time to support "Shaolin Soccer," while also eagerly anticipating the ultimate prize of "a full World Cup viewing package for every box office gross of 100 million."

Going to the World Cup to cheer for the Chinese team, a dream that was once out of reach, seems to have become within reach because of a movie and a crazy promise.

This strong anticipation, in turn, has provided a continuous source of momentum for the continued box office success of "Shaolin Soccer".

……

Time flew by amidst the media frenzy, the audience's jubilation, and the industry's wait-and-see attitude, and August arrived in the blink of an eye.

On August 1st, partial box office data for "The Mummy Returns," four days after its release, was handed over to Han Sanping by the China Film Shengshi Cinema Data Center.

It only got a 20% screening rate in China Film Grand Cinema Circuit, and its box office revenue was about 100 million yuan in four days.

……

the other side.

Two months passed.

Preparations for "Night at the Museum" are two-thirds complete.

The most important thing is the filming location.

The main steel structure of the 'Chinese Civilization Museum' is 80% complete, and the partitioning of the internal functional areas and preliminary decoration are being carried out simultaneously.

According to the latest report from the construction company, the project is expected to be fully completed by the end of August, meeting the conditions for equipment installation and fine decoration.

(End of this chapter)