Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 363, Section 361: Shock

Thursday, June 2001, 9.

Two days prior, Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, Zhou Xingxing, and other key creators and investors of "Kung Fu Soccer" had already learned from the preliminary data that the final box office figures were staggering—an astronomical number that was enough to redefine the ceiling of the Chinese film market.

However, the press conference and grand celebration banquet that were originally planned to be held immediately after the data was confirmed were interrupted by a sudden and even more explosive global news event.

With its immense impact and tragedy, it instantly captured the headlines of all media outlets worldwide and the full attention of the public.

In that atmosphere, any form of commercial celebration would seem out of place.

Therefore, the press conference and victory celebration were wisely postponed.

Although the joy remained, the underlying tone of the celebration was inevitably mixed with a sense of melancholy and solemnity regarding the changing times.

……

However, as September 13th arrived, and the morning newspapers were delivered to every household and office, the box office bomb of "Shaolin Soccer" finally detonated an earthquake within its target audience—the Chinese-language film and television industry—that was no less devastating than the outside world.

China Film News, Wenhui Daily, Beijing Youth Daily... almost all the influential media outlets, in their entertainment sections or even on the front page, used the most eye-catching headlines and the most detailed data to announce the birth of this miracle:

"Shaolin Soccer's box office in mainland China surpasses 200 million yuan! Chinese films have entered a new era!"

"Stephen Chow + Wang Sheng = Box Office Legend! 'Shaolin Soccer' Raves 500 Million Globally!"

"The first domestically produced film to gross 200 million yuan has been born! Its market potential is beyond imagination!"

……

Data is cold, but the impact it brings is intense.

In the residential area of ​​the Beijing Film Studio, some elderly filmmakers, who were out for an early morning stroll, wore reading glasses and repeatedly checked the figures in the newspaper.

"Two...two hundred million?" An elderly director with gray hair adjusted his glasses and muttered to himself, "I've been making movies my whole life, and the total box office of all my films combined doesn't even amount to a fraction of that?"

Another person nearby sighed, "Times have changed, old buddy. Back in our day, selling a few hundred copies was considered a huge success. Now... how many movie tickets would that be?"

……

Inside one of Huayi's offices.

Feng Xiaogang slammed the copy of "China Film News" on the table, making a crisp "smack" sound.

His expression was complex, a mixture of shock, envy, and a hint of barely perceptible frustration.

"That guy is really something..."

He looked at Ge You in front of him, or rather, he was talking to himself, "I knew this movie would be a hit, but this is just too... fucking outrageous!"

He counted on his fingers, "In the first two weeks after the premiere, the average ticket price was at most thirty yuan, and after two weeks it generally dropped to twenty or fifteen yuan... And with that, they managed to make two hundred million yuan? How many people went to the cinema?"

Ge You was relatively calmer and said slowly, "This 'lottery ticket' strategy has hit the nail on the head. This isn't about watching a movie; it's about buying hope and a sense of participation. Public sentiment is aligned, and the film is indeed good, so quantitative changes have led to qualitative changes."

Ge You was fired from the Sheng Ying Group after acting in Feng Xiaogang's film. Currently, he and Feng Xiaogang are mutually benefiting each other.

Feng Xiaogang remained silent for a long time before finally uttering, "He's really figured out this market."

……

the other side.

At the Hengdian World Studios where the crew of the TV series "Heroes" were stationed.

Zhang Yimou remained immersed in his creative world, seemingly unconcerned about the noise from the outside world.

But Zhang Weiping couldn't sit still.

He paced back and forth in the temporary office, newspaper in hand, his face sometimes flushed red and sometimes ashen.

"Two hundred million! Two hundred million!" His voice trembled. "How did they manage that? That kind of nonsensical comedy... is it more popular than our martial arts epic?"

He felt immense pressure, as if an invisible mountain had pressed down on him. The success of Wang Sheng and Zhou Xingxing shattered his original expectation of being "unrivaled." On the other hand, an even stronger, more competitive spirit also emerged.

"This shows the market is huge! Extremely huge! If they can break 200 million, why can't our 'Hero' break 300 million? Or even 400 million?"

He immediately grabbed the phone and called the publicity manager. "Have you seen today's news? We need to readjust our publicity strategy! We need to emphasize that 'Hero' is a perfect blend of art and commerce, a Chinese blockbuster that can go global! Our vision needs to be bigger than theirs!"

……

Within China Film Group, some voices that had previously disagreed with Han Sanping's strong support for Wang Sheng, his vigorous promotion of cinema reform, and his production of special effects blockbusters have now completely fallen silent.

Data speaks louder than words.

"Shaolin Soccer" not only made a fortune, but also greatly boosted the industry's confidence in domestic films, proving the feasibility of the model of modern multiplex cinemas + high-quality (or targeted marketing) domestic content.

On Han Sanping's desk lay a more detailed internal report. Looking at the numbers, a calm and gratified smile appeared on his face.

He made the right move. Wang Sheng, this pawn, or rather, this student and partner, has proven far more valuable than expected.

……

Compared to the complex emotions of their mainland counterparts, Hong Kong filmmakers, upon learning the news, were more deeply shocked and felt a sense of urgency that "time waits for no one."

In a tea restaurant in Central, Hong Kong Island, several film company owners and independent producers gathered together, the newspapers in front of them already wrinkled from being turned over.

"Are you crazy? Two hundred million RMB? That's almost two hundred million Hong Kong dollars!"

One shop owner slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming incredulously, "Even if all the cinemas in Hong Kong screened this film for a whole year, we might not reach this number!"

"Stephen Chow is amazing, but the key is the market!"

Another person was more sober: "The mainland market is truly enormous! I used to think that the mainland dominated investment and there were too many restrictions, but now it seems that if you don't go north, you're just waiting to die!"

"Wang Sheng... this young man is truly a Midas touch," the third person exclaimed. "He not only knows how to act, but he also knows how to sell his films! Winning World Cup tickets? That's a brilliant move!"

……

Xiang Huaqiang sat in his office, looking at the briefing his assistant had brought him, remaining silent for a long time.

He picked up the phone and dialed his wife, who was currently active in mainland China: "Ayi, have you seen the news? Think of a way to arrange a formal meeting as soon as possible. We need his connections and his insight."

……

Inside Xu Ke's studio.

The "old eccentric" director was staring blankly at the dismal box office statistics report of "The Legend of Zu" (released on August 9).

After a month in theaters, the box office revenue in Hong Kong Island was just over ten million Hong Kong dollars.

Compared to an investment of HK$1 million, it can be described as a disastrous failure.

The film's box office failure was a major blow to him.

The success of "Shaolin Soccer" in mainland China rekindled his great hopes.

To avoid the dominance of "Shaolin Soccer" during the summer movie season in mainland China, "The Legend of Zu" has not yet been released in mainland China.

"I must pay a visit to Mr. Wang. Ah Zhi seems to know him quite well. I'll give him a call and ask..."

Xu Ke took out his phone.

……

Lin Xiaoming of Huanyu was more pragmatic. He directly called his contact in Beijing: "No matter what method I use, I need to secure Wang Sheng's first meeting slot after the celebration banquet. We can revise the scripts for all the projects we have on hand according to the requirements of the mainland. The terms... can be even more favorable."

Other Hong Kong filmmakers are also frantically searching for a way to meet.

Cai Yinong's phone and Li Xiuxiu's phone were bombarded with calls.

As Cecilia Cheung's agent, Li Xiuxiu frequently travels around Hong Kong Island and has built up a network of connections.

Because he was Cecilia Cheung's manager, and Cecilia Cheung was personally recruited by Wang Sheng, people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle still respected and feared Li Xiuxiu and Cecilia Cheung.

……

Mainland China.

Managers of major cinema chains, especially China Film Shengshi Cinema Chain, were overjoyed.

The high attendance rate of "Shaolin Soccer" made them personally experience the real money that comes from high-quality films.

Many cinemas' monthly and quarterly revenue reports have become exceptionally impressive because of this movie.

They began to look forward to "Night at the Museum" even more, anticipating the next miracle created by Wang Sheng and Jackie Chan.

In internet cafes across the country, the popularity of "Legend of Mir" continues to intertwine with the lingering warmth of "Shaolin Soccer".

Many of the young people who went to the cinema multiple times because of the ticket lottery have become legendary players.

While they were slaying monsters, they were also discussing the movie's box office miracle and the crucial match that the Chinese national football team was about to play in the World Cup qualifiers.

For them, this summer was filled with passion, dreams, and a sense of participation.

On this day, the entire Chinese-language film and television industry underwent a collective refresh of understanding due to the final box office figures of "Shaolin Soccer".

It is no longer just a successful commercial film; it has become a symbol, a sign, a clarion call announcing the arrival of a new era of huge potential and innovative approaches in the Chinese film market.

……

(End of this chapter)