I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Chapter 317 The Battle of the First Day Box Office

As November draws to a close and temperatures plummet, North America remains bustling with activity.

Black Friday's massive sales have once again set new records for major shopping malls, and movie theaters are naturally a popular choice for relaxation after shopping. However, the Thanksgiving season seems somewhat lackluster due to the postponement of "Gone with the Wind" this year.

In December, snow began to fall in many parts of China, and it was that time of year again when northerners mocked southerners for being unsophisticated. During this period, Lu Ban was busy promoting "Magic Tide" in various parts of the country, which greatly boosted the popularity of the game.

Now, Lu Ban has two paths for publicity and distribution. The first is to hold preview screenings, showing "Magic Tide" in some cinemas in advance to build up word-of-mouth. The second is to proceed step by step, releasing some behind-the-scenes footage from time to time to enhance anticipation.

Lu Ban ultimately did not choose to hold a preview screening because he wanted to leave the suspense until the very last moment.

Moreover, films that are screened in advance are usually those that audiences have little confidence in. For "The Tide of Magic", audiences had high expectations. The first day's pre-sale tickets were sold out a month in advance, and there were also some scalpers reselling them. In the secondary market, the price of pre-sale tickets was inflated to two or three times.

With Christmas just a week away, Lu Ban faced another problem.

That is, will the midnight premiere be held in the country or abroad?

International cinemas invited Lu Ban to unveil a film in Times Square, New York, while domestically, it was Jiangcheng Cinema.

Logically speaking, with "The Tide of Magic" being released globally simultaneously for the first time, and "Gone with the Wind" also premiering at midnight, the clash on the first day overseas is crucial. In order to show that he values ​​the overseas market, Lu Ban should attend the premiere abroad.

However, Lu Ban did not go abroad, but stayed in Jiangcheng.

In Lu Ban's words, the premiere of a Chinese film should definitely be held in China.

Moreover, midnight arrives earlier in China.

In Europe and America, Christmas is a time for family reunions. Christmas trees, Christmas dinners, Christmas carols, Santa Claus—a strong festive atmosphere pervades the city.

On the internet, the debate between "Fast & Furious 11" and "Magic Tide" has reached its most heated stage.

I think we should support "Gone with the Wind" (or "Fast & Furious 11"). It's a movie made in our own country, why should we spend money to watch a foreign film?

Why do I have to discuss nationality when watching movies, buddy? Shouldn't we just watch whichever movie is good, or even all of them?

I've seen the ads for "The Tide of Magic," it seems to be a fantasy film. There aren't many movies like that these days, so I might choose to watch it based on the ratings after its second day of release.

[Why not spend more time with family during Christmas? Don't any of you have girlfriends?]

No, even if "The Tide" is bad, no one would want to see a sequel to "Fast & Furious," right? Ever since they brought back dead characters in the previous movies and made the male lead's wife black, I've thought this movie is hopeless.

So here's the question: would you choose to watch a movie featuring a Black person or a movie featuring an Asian person?

Hey buddy, was what you just said racist?

I don't think either of these works is worth the money. Both are male-dominated, with no room for female empowerment. Does this mean women are incapable of working in modern society? I want to boycott them!

The crux of the debate is probably who should be supported, with both sides holding their own opinions, and there are also fence-sitters watching the show. This kind of situation can occur in any country.

In China, Christmas isn't celebrated with as much fanfare. Aside from some stores offering discounts and special promotions, and some shopping malls displaying Christmas trees, it's just an ordinary year-end celebration.

For many people, Christmas is not as good as New Year's Day, at least New Year's Day has a holiday.

The Jiangcheng Cinema was packed with people.

The midnight pre-sale tickets were sold out long ago. However, according to current box office predictions, "Fast & Furious 11" has far surpassed "The Tide" in pre-sale box office on its first day in places other than China.

After all, it's the last installment in a series that's been going on for over a decade, and many longtime fans are coming to see the premiere out of nostalgia.

Moreover, Lu Ban's previous remarks were very provocative, which made some people wish that Lu Ban would suffer a major setback and be thoroughly defeated by foreign films.

"It should snow in Jiangcheng tonight."

Standing outside the movie theater, Feng Yu looked at the gloomy sky.

"It's quite fitting for the occasion."

Wearing a mask to prevent unnecessary harassment, Lu Ban looked at the still bustling movie theater entrance close to midnight and sighed.

Do you think you can achieve your stated goal?

Feng Yu inquired.

"It should be possible."

Lu Ban nodded.

Based on pre-sales, "The Tide of Magic" is absolutely dominant in the domestic market, accounting for 35% of screenings on its opening day and with total pre-sale box office approaching 700 million yuan. This situation was only seen during the Spring Festival season in the past.

As for "Gone with the Wind," it accounts for 20% of screenings in China, and its pre-sale box office is close to 200 million yuan.

The main reason is that the midnight premiere of "Fatal Speed" was based on North American time, so it wouldn't be available in China until noon, which reduced the box office revenue on the first day.

However, overseas, "Fast & Furious 11" had a much higher opening day screening share than "The Tide," reaching 43%, while "The Tide" only had 17%, with a difference of about five times in pre-sale box office.

Judging from the global pre-sale box office, "Fast & Furious 11" should have grossed around 800 million on its opening day, and coincidentally, "The Tide" should also hover around that level.

The difference between the two is hard to discern; until the very last moment, no one knows who will emerge victorious.

Because for films with sufficient pre-release publicity, the opening day box office usually represents the peak, so the battle on the opening day also represents the first confrontation between the two.

In North America, some media outlets have even dubbed it the "ultimate showdown," urging people to leave their homes and go to the cinema. It's hard not to believe that theater chains are behind this push.

Regardless of who ultimately wins on the first day, cinemas will make a fortune, because it means that the domestic box office will reach over a billion yuan on Christmas Day alone. Those cinemas that are struggling to meet their year-end targets couldn't be more grateful to Lu Ban.

"However, there's not much to say about the box office on the first day. To achieve record-breaking box office results, relying solely on regular moviegoers won't be enough."

Lu Ban knew very well that some movies had extremely high opening prices, but then plummeted from the second day onwards, much like energy stocks that had been halved in value. This wasn't necessarily due to the quality of the films, but rather because these movies were only meant to be seen once. No one would go to the cinema to watch them a second or third time. Those who wanted to see them would go as soon as possible, and those who didn't want to see them wouldn't bother to go even after the films were taken off the screens.

To truly break records, you need word-of-mouth, attention to detail, viewers who want to watch the movie two or three times, and to bring in more people who never used to go to the cinema.

Can "Magic Tide" do that?

Chapter 318 Upper Limit

11:00 AM, Jiangcheng Cinema.

The largest screening room was already full of audience members, who were waiting for the release of "The Tide of Magic," a film that had been promoted for several months and belonged to the Chinese people.

After the cinema manager and the president of the Jiangcheng Film Association gave their speeches, it was Lu Ban's turn to speak.

He wasn't wearing a purple suit, just a long trench coat, when he took the microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Lu Ban, the director of 'The Tide of Magic'. Actually, I think many of you are probably thinking, 'Hurry up and finish what you have to say and start the movie.' So I'll keep it brief."

Lu Ban's words elicited good-natured laughter from the audience, and he continued.

"The plot of this movie is very simple. It is about how people in one world save themselves when faced with disaster. Although there are fancy special effects and various settings, the ideas reflected in the movie are the same as those we see in our daily lives."

He took two steps forward and saw the young people sitting in the front row. These young people were probably around Birmingham's age. They were fortunate to be able to grow up in a peaceful and safe environment without worrying about being attacked by monsters.

But perhaps in the future, when monsters from other lands invade this world, they too will take up arms and fight just like in the movies.

"That is, the human will will not succumb to natural disasters, wild beasts, floods and earthquakes. When these disasters occur, we will help each other and overcome difficulties together. Anything that tries to threaten civilization will be stopped by us. Perhaps one day, the scenes in the movie will appear in reality. At that time, I hope that the ideas presented in this movie can support everyone to persevere. This is my small wish."

Upon hearing Lu Ban's words, many people did not think deeply about them, taking it all as Lu Ban's way of helping them immerse themselves in the story. After all, while such natural disasters do exist in this world, the things depicted in the movie are definitely not real; they are just fantasies.

"Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the movie. If you're satisfied, feel free to watch it a few more times; I don't mind."

Amid the laughter of the audience, Lu Ban returned the microphone and walked offstage.

People always feel that danger is far away from them.

In the darkness, Feng Yu smiled.

"Death will not come when you are ready."

Lu Ban replied with a single sentence.

"The matter in the Western Pacific is temporarily over, but perhaps there are already chosen ones from other realms visiting this world. Perhaps some of them have been to the ruins, the wasteland, the Night Kingdom, and the island. If they see my movie, they will recognize my identity and come directly to me."

Lu Ban cannot find all the hostile chosen ones who have descended into this world by himself. So, as long as he makes his works known to every household, so that anyone who comes to this world can see them anywhere, then they will soon know Lu Ban's identity and find him.

Although there is no theory that the chosen ones are attracted to each other, Lu Ban's actions draw the chosen ones closer to his position, thereby protecting others.

The movie has started, and music is playing in that familiar dark forest.

Lu Ban didn't leave. Instead, he went upstairs to a private room with Feng Yu and watched the movie attentively.

As the cast list played, Lu Ban noticed that Feng Yu still had tears streaming down her face.

Lu Ban handed her the tissue without asking any further questions.

Feng Yu's journey as a traveler, traversing endless time and space, must have its own reasons.

After Feng Yu wiped away her tears, the two put on masks and left the private room.

At this moment, the audience who had just finished watching the premiere had not yet dispersed, and a second wave of moviegoers gathered in the hall. Although it was past 1 a.m., it felt like the busiest and most lively time of day, with crowds surging around.

The audience members who had finished watching the movie gathered together, and regardless of whether they knew each other or not, they were all enthusiastically discussing the plot.

"This movie is so good. I even had the illusion that I was watching it for the first time. The forest scenes and the wolf pack scenes are simply amazing."

"The scenes of those mages burning themselves to light the flames were so powerful, I don't know how to describe them. I felt like I was witnessing the true spirit of human selflessness. Compared to that, those cool and sassy stories of one person saving the world don't seem so exciting anymore!"

"I think, just like Director Lu said before, although this film looks like a multicultural exchange, its essence is actually our own national spirit: fearlessness in the face of difficulties and pioneering spirit. This is the first time I have seen such a spirit reflected in a film, and I feel a strong sense of resonance."

"I'm so glad I came to the premiere today. I can almost feel the storm-shrouded fortress and the flickering torches when I close my eyes. But I'm getting a little cold."

"Is this movie really special effects? Those scenes are so realistic! If people hadn't died, I would have thought it was real footage. No, no, those wolves and stuff must be special effects. I feel like these scenes alone are worth the ticket price."

"Waaaaah, my Birmingham, such a cute little boy..."

"Am I the only one who noticed the actors' performances in this movie, especially in the fortress and the town, in those shots where dozens of people appear on screen at the same time? Those actors are so dedicated, it feels like they are really living in the movie world."

"I don't think there's much to spoil about this movie, but there are many details worth noting. I'll probably watch it a second time."

"Looking at the harsh conditions in the movie, and thinking about our own situation, let's cherish what we have now!"

"This movie should share the same universe as the previous interactive video, and there's also that female mage who appeared before. So, what exactly is the structure of the Night Kingdom? Where did the magic come from? And where did these demonic tides come from? It feels like we could study that..."

Many people are discussing this movie, and at the same time, these viewers have not forgotten to rate "The Tide of Magic". It can be seen that in just over ten minutes after the premiere, the number of people rating "The Tide of Magic" on the ticketing app quickly exceeded 10,000, and the rating was as high as 9.9!

Unlike some websites where ratings can be given arbitrarily, the ratings on ticketing apps are only available to those who have purchased tickets, making them genuine user reviews.

A decent movie usually scores between eight and nine points, slightly higher than the ratings on rating websites, but a score of 9.9 is a rare find.

What's even more outrageous is that this app doesn't have any 10-point works by default. In other words, even if everyone gives it a 10, the rating will still show as 9.9!

For many movies, a score of 9.9 is earned because the quality reaches 9.9. But for Lu Ban's "The Tide of Magic," a score of 9.9 is earned because 9.9 is the absolute maximum score!

Chapter 319 Opening Champagne at Mid-Game