Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 549, Section 547: Twilight

Time ticked towards July 9, 2004.

With the global release date of "Twilight" approaching, the massive marketing network jointly woven by New Line Cinema and Shengying Media has entered its final and most frantic stage of wrapping up.

The marketing budget was like a red-hot iron, continuously being invested, generating bursts of steam and roars worldwide.

In North America, Fan Bingbing's face, which blends classical Eastern charm with modern vibrancy, began to appear frequently in various selections and discussions on "The 100 Most Beautiful Faces in Humanity" and "The 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the World" in Entertainment Weekly, People magazine, and even emerging online media. Her ranking steadily climbed and eventually settled in a very high position.

Titles such as "Oriental Pearl" and "Miracle that subverted Hollywood aesthetics" were carefully crafted and distributed to various channels through collaborations with fashion commentators and columnists.

Behind this is the result of Sheng Ying International Department joining forces with a professional Hollywood public relations team, wielding a considerable amount of US dollars, and precise operation.

The goal was clear: to establish Fan Xiaopang as a globally recognized, highly attractive female Chinese superstar before the film's release, breaking down the long-standing aesthetic barriers dominated by the West.

In the East Asian market, especially in mainland China, this publicity storm was even more direct and intense.

Shengying Media, leveraging its strong on-the-ground promotion capabilities and deep partnership with "China Film Shengshi Cinema Circuit," has ensured that posters and trailers for "Twilight" have been displayed in cinema lobbies, bus stops, and LED screens in commercial centers in almost all major cities.

Online, on Tencent's QQ platform and nascent online forums, topics about the film were constantly pinned and heated up.

Topics such as "Fan Xiaopang's Hollywood Adventure" and "Forbidden Love of an Eastern Girl" are highly persuasive and have firmly captured the curiosity and anticipation of young audiences, especially female viewers.

Ultimately, with the strong push from Sheng Ying Group, major cinemas in mainland China gave "Twilight" an astonishing average opening day screening rate of 60%.

If we include the "giant screen" and "IMAX" theaters that are reserved for better visual effects and are not included in the regular screening schedule, the actual screening share is even close to 70%.

This is a figure that would make any Hollywood A-list production envious, fully demonstrating Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media's absolute control over distribution channels in the current Chinese film market.

In major East Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, the screening rate has remained between 35% and 50%, which is among the top levels for the same period.

Beijing time, Friday, July 9, 2004.

Summer days are long, and it's not until seven o'clock in the evening that the sky gradually turns dark blue.

Inside the newly opened "China Film Grand Cinema" in the eastern part of the city, the lights were on and the place was bustling with activity. Long queues had formed in front of the ticket machines, but the most crowded area was undoubtedly the ticket gate for "Twilight".

Lin Xiaoyue held tightly to her fiancé Zhang Heng's arm as they moved slowly forward with the flow of people.

Her face showed the fatigue of a long day at work, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Luckily we booked tickets in advance on 'Maoyan,' otherwise we definitely wouldn't have been able to buy them." Lin Xiaoyue looked at the huge crowd in front of her, most of whom were young couples like them, or girls who came together, and couldn't help but sigh.

After several years of development, the Maoyan Movies online seat selection platform, with Wang Sheng's continuous investment and technological iteration, has covered mainstream cinemas in major business districts of Beijing. Its convenience has profoundly changed the consumption habits of young white-collar workers like Lin Xiaoyue.

Zhang Heng pushed up his glasses and looked at the huge poster at the entrance of the theater—on the poster, Fan Xiaopang (who plays Bella Swan and Bai Xiaochai) and Robert Pattinson (who plays Edward Cullen) leaned against each other against a gloomy forest background, creating a beautiful yet mysterious atmosphere.

"With such a massive number of screenings, it's hard for it not to be a hit. I just wonder if it would feel a bit strange to have our own people as the protagonists in this Western-style vampire story?"

"Probably not." Lin Xiaoyue, clearly well-prepared, explained, "I saw in the trailer and synopsis that Fan Xiaopang plays a Chinese girl named Bai Xiaochai studying in a small town near Vancouver, Canada. That makes much more sense!"

The two entered the theater after having their tickets checked; the giant screen theater was almost full.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of popcorn and the whispers of young audience members, brimming with anticipation for the unknown story.

The lights dimmed, the dragon emblem appeared, and the film officially began.

The story is set on the west coast of Canada, where the perpetually rainy town of Fox (renamed "Foggy Town" in the film) is shrouded in denser coniferous forests and a more mysterious, oriental mist.

The female protagonist, Bai Xiaochai (played by Fan Xiaopang), is an independent and somewhat aloof Chinese international student. Due to her mother's remarriage, she transfers from the bustling metropolis to this remote town and lives with her father, whom she has not seen for many years.

She possessed an Eastern composure and resilience that set her apart from other children her age in the small town. On her first day of school, she met the Karen family for the first time in the school cafeteria—a family with pale skin, striking appearance, and exceptionally elegant and mysterious manners.

Especially the adopted son, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), whose deep golden eyes held a deadly attraction and an indescribable, painful restraint.

The two became partners in biology class. Edward initially showed a strong aversion to Bai Xiaochai (in reality, he was attracted by the "fragrance" of her blood, and was also troubled and curious because his mind-reading ability was ineffective against her).

The film retains its core storyline: Edward repeatedly defies family precepts to save Bai Xiaochai from danger (such as an out-of-control truck), revealing her vampire identity and the Cullen family's "vegetarian" stance (only drinking animal blood).

However, the romantic storyline incorporates more Eastern-style subtlety and inner struggles.

Bai Xiaochai was not a girl passively waiting to be saved. After learning about Edward's inhuman identity, she experienced fear and confusion, but was eventually moved by his protection and inner kindness, and took the initiative to bravely approach this forbidden love.

Her background in Eastern culture gives her a different understanding and tolerance of those "not of our kind" than Western girls, and even a philosophical sense of exploring destiny.

At the same time, the film incorporates the legends of the local Quirut tribe.

Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who has known Bai Xiaochai since childhood and is like an older brother to her, is still a descendant of werewolves.

The film cleverly combines werewolf transformation with the legend of the tribe's guardian deity, suggesting that the root of the feud between werewolves and vampires lies in protecting the tribe from the "blood drinkers."

Jacob's feelings for Bai Xiaocha are a mixture of childhood sweetheart protection, vigilance against "external threats," and instinctive opposition to the Karen family.

The climax of the plot is still James (the wandering vampire) hunting Bai Xiaochai, and Edward and his family joining forces to fight against him.

However, in the final showdown at the ballet studio, some Eastern elements were added—Bai Xiaochai was not entirely helpless; she used Eastern decorations in the scene (such as peach wood swords and talismans) for limited self-defense, demonstrating the character's wit and resilience.

Ultimately, to save her, Edward had to risk injecting vampire venom to neutralize James's venom. The emotional tension of this scene was amplified by cultural differences.

At the end of the film, Bai Xiaochai does not directly become a vampire, but instead dances gracefully with Edward at the school dance.

The scars on her neck were still faintly visible. Her eyes held both the relief of surviving a disaster and uncertainty about the future, but more than anything, they held the unwavering and unyielding love for Edward.

Sunlight streamed through the stadium's high windows, and Edward's skin shimmered like diamonds in the interplay of light and shadow—a scene that remained beautiful and breathtaking.

The final shot shows the two embracing and dancing, with a lush, misty forest outside the window in the background, foreshadowing that this love that transcends race, culture, and life and death will still face unknown storms.

Inside the theater, the audience's reaction was direct and enthusiastic.

When Edward first revealed his "diamond skin" in the sunlight, a suppressed murmur and exclamations rippled through the theater.

When Bai Xiaochai rushed towards the danger to try to distract James, a girl nervously grabbed her companion's arm.

When Edward and his family members displayed superhuman speed and strength in a fierce battle against James and his gang, the rapid editing and sharp action choreography drew gasps from the young audience.

Whenever Edward and Bai Xiaochai have intimate interactions, whether it's exchanging glances or making careful touches, there's always a slight commotion and suppressed excitement from the audience.

The film ends, and the lights come on.

Many viewers, especially women, still wore expressions of lingering enjoyment.

Lin Xiaoyue let out a long sigh, leaned back in her chair, and said to Zhang Heng, "It seems... it's quite good? Fan Xiaopang acted well, not as silly as he seemed. It's just that he didn't turn into a vampire in the end, which left us a little uneasy."

Zhang Heng objectively commented: "The special effects and atmosphere are indeed good, and the vampire setting is quite novel. The female lead is Chinese, which makes it feel less jarring, and the story is also self-consistent. It's just that the love line... is still a bit too dreamy."

"Isn't the point of watching movies to create a fantasy?"

(End of this chapter)