Chapter 379 Roasting on the Fire
Zhang Chen says this, isn't he afraid of offending others?
Of course not.
Han Sanping had previously forced them to stop fighting because "The Promise" was competing for an Oscar.
Now that the Oscar nominations have been announced, and "The Promise" is not in it, there's nothing to worry about.
However, he didn't mean to start a new scolding war. He just said it and said it smoothly.
The reporters in the audience applauded, but Chen Xi, who was not far away, put his hand on his forehead but still didn't stop him.
Zhang Chen was still talking on the stage, but the same voice just now sounded weird again: "Director Zhang Chen seems to be deliberately targeting Hong Kong filmmakers. There is not a single Hong Kong actor in the crew of "Painted Skin"~"
This time Zhang Chen finally saw the speaker, a somewhat thin young man wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses. The badge on his chest indicated that he was a reporter for Apple Daily.
This is where I come to find news materials.
"The cast of "Painted Skin" is indeed an all-Mainland cast, but the two masterminds of the behind-the-scenes team, Mr. Zhang Shuping and Yuan Baye, are both Hong Kong filmmakers.
Therefore, it is untenable to say that I deliberately target Hong Kong filmmakers, but I do prefer to use mainland actors. It is very simple. I want to give them more opportunities.
As I said last year, good film resources basically give priority to Hong Kong actors, especially male actors. In comparison, there are too few resources for mainland actors. Since I advocate taking care of mainland actors, of course I must set an example.
Of course, I don’t use good Hong Kong actors. For example, Mr. Liang Jiahui is the male protagonist of "The Rescue", but the premise is that your Mandarin must be at least standard, otherwise you will be in trouble as soon as you speak, then there is no need to talk about acting..."
At the end of the press conference, Zhang Chen knew that he seemed to have bitched his tongue again, and greeted Chen Xi with a smile. The latter looked unhappy. Manager Dong was right, this guy just didn't like Fsky if he didn't cause trouble.
But the next day, the media reports really surprised them.
[Star Entertainment's new work "Painted Skin" has been determined to be an oriental fantasy theme, with Fan Binbin, Huang Xiaoming and Zhou Xun joining the cast]
[Zhang Chen said that he will reopen the door that Chen Kai closed with his own hands]
["Painted Skin", a work used by Zhang Chen to humiliate Brother Chen Kai]
[Zhang Chen bluntly said, I just want to praise Fan Binbin]
Although these are exaggerated, at least they are reliable, at least there are traces to follow, and at most they can be regarded as artistic processing.
But what follows is outrageous, and it is the most outrageous thing in the world~
[Zhang Chen claims that the new movie will break the box office record of 360 million held by "Titanic"]
Zhang Chen was shocked. When did I say I could break the box office record of "Titanic"~
How come I don’t know?
I said it exceeded 300 million. When did it become 360 million?
But it was useless for him to be shocked. The media reported like crazy.
It no longer matters what the truth is.
Some people actually believe it~
A lot of netizens left messages under the news:
Come on, Director Zhang, we believe you can do it~
Support Director Zhang, I will definitely donate a movie ticket when the time comes~
Support domestic movies, and you will definitely be there to support when the time comes~
Domestic films are finally on the rise, support Director Zhang, support domestic films~
Seeing the building getting taller and taller, with no intention of stopping at all, Zhang Chen also panicked.
You guys think too highly of me, that is the big ship of the God of Cards.
Where did the record of the big ship come from?
In 1997, the number of domestic screens was less than 2,000, and piracy was rampant. Under such circumstances, Dachuan grossed 360 million at the box office, which was simply a monster.
A person like Cameron is a child of destiny. Even if a reborn person encounters him, he may not be able to defeat him.
Zhang Chen shook his head, this is too exaggerated.
Breaking 300 million is already suspected of bragging. Breaking 360 million is something Zhang Chen wouldn't even dare to think about.
Who, which bastard concocted this news? Isn't this putting him on the fire?
But people just believe it.
He and Chen Xi looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes.
"Let me call Manager Dong to talk about the situation and see how to deal with it?"
This situation must be clarified, otherwise it will not be settled in the end.
The phone was connected, but Chen Xi had just told the story, but Dong Jianqiang on the other end was even more excited than them.
"What, you said Zhang Chen didn't say that?"
"Yes, no, what we announced to the outside world is to exceed 300 million. This is what we have decided before. The 3.6 to exceed "Titanic" is purely fabricated by the media..."
"Ah~ But I'm already~"
Seeing Dong Jianqiang's reaction, the two people on the phone suddenly had a bad feeling.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Last night, a reporter interviewed me and said that "Painted Skin" promised to break 360 million yuan. I thought Zhang Chen was bragging again, so I helped him brag a few words."
"You helped me brag a few words? What did you say?"
"I just said that box office records are meant to be broken. If Cameron can do it, why can't Zhang Chen do it?"
Finished~
The two people on the other end of the phone suddenly had black lines on their foreheads. If their mood could be visualized, then there must be two knives poking at their hearts at this moment.
"Did you really say that?"
Chen Xi still hoped that Dong Jianqiang was joking.
But Dong Jianqiang's reply shattered the last glimmer of hope.
"Really."
"What should I do? Is it still too late to withdraw?"
"It's too late. The interview with me happened last night. I guess the press release has been sent out by now~"
Sure enough, when they searched on the Internet, they found Dong Jianqiang's TV interview.
"Manager Dong, Director Zhang Chen claimed that the box office of "Painted Skin" will exceed 360 million, breaking the domestic box office record held by "Titanic". Is it true?"
There was no trace of surprise on Dong Jianqiang's face, and he looked calm. He actually nodded after hearing this: "It's true. Director Zhang has always been a person who is good at creating miracles. Moreover, the purpose of box office records is not to use Come to break?
A foreign movie like "Titanic" has been at the top of the domestic box office list for nearly 10 years. It is not surprising that it is the box office record holder in many countries.
But just in 2004, our neighbor South Korea produced a movie "The Flying Taegeukgi", which broke the record for large ships.
They can, why can’t we? In fact, having a foreign film occupy the first place on the box office list for ten years is a shame for domestic filmmakers. Director Zhang Chen wants to wash away this shame. I think We should support him. ”
Does this count as flattery?
Zhang Chen no longer knew what to say.
Defeat the big ship, what kind of talk is this?
"No, Old Dong, don't you think twice before speaking?"
"It's not you. You talk nonsense every time. The time when he interviewed me happened to be right after the press conference. I really thought that was what you said. What can I do? Am I trying to dismantle you?"
What Dong Jianqiang said makes sense. He didn't wipe Zhang Chen's butt once or twice.
Why does it feel like this time it was specially designed?
"But, didn't you watch the press conference?"
"How could I have that time? "Kowloon Walled City" had just been released, and the box office on the first day was not very good. I was all focused on the movie at the time and didn't worry about the press conference at all. And wasn't there Chen Xi over there?"< br>
"Okay, it's too late to say anything now. It has happened. Let's discuss what to do~"
The deal is already done, so we can only try our best to make amends. Chen Xi brings the two of them back to reality.
But everyone actually knows in their hearts that denying it at this time will definitely not work, as it will become the laughing stock of the entire entertainment industry.
Even if we bite the bullet and fail to reach 360 million in the end, it is still better than talking back now.
Within a few minutes, the three of them had discussed a strategy.
For now, we can only hold on.
Regardless of whether Zhang Chen said this or not, it is already true now.
We can only take one step at a time and see what happens.
Zhang Chen suddenly felt Alexander.
Just as he was about to hang up the phone, Zhang Chen suddenly remembered what Dong Jianqiang said just now: "Did you just say that the first day results of "Kowloon Walled City" were not ideal?"
Dong Jianqiang on the other end said "Hmm": "The box office on the first day was 3.3 million, which is probably still some distance from the 40 million target you set for him. Lu Yang is anxious to get angry now~"
Lu Yang was really anxious and angry now, his mouth was blistering.
"What about "Slaying the Wolf"? How much was its first-day box office?"
Zhang Chen didn't ask too much about "Kowloon Walled City", but asked about its competitors.
Dong Jianqiang seemed to be looking for information, and after a while he said: ""Slaying the Wolf" is much better than us, 4.22 million~"
Zhang Chen nodded. The box office of the two movies was not high, but it was not low either, just normal.
After all, the star cast of "The Wolf" is much stronger and more attractive than that of "Kowloon Walled City", and because of the stars, the theater chain will support it more.
The first-day screening of "The Wolf" was 25%, while that of "Kowloon Walled City" was only 19%.
"Kowloon Walled City" is indeed too plain. Except for a group of supporting actors who are well-known, everyone else is transparent. No wonder theaters are not optimistic about it.
This 19% is mostly for the sake of Star Entertainment, otherwise it might be even lower than this.
"Wait a minute, I guess after word of mouth comes out in two days, the box office will be better..."
This kind of low-budget film has too little room for hype, so relying on word-of-mouth to counterattack is almost the only way.
"Well, let's wait~"
Dong Jianqiang is quite confident about "Kowloon Walled City", "I browsed the forum today and found that many forums have high praise for "Kowloon Walled City". I believe that the reputation of "Kowloon Walled City" will increase in two days~"
< br>
After hearing what Dong Jianqiang said, Zhang Chen searched for it. Sure enough, the reputation of "Kowloon Walled City" was surprisingly good.
[Oh my god, I’ve finally waited for it, we finally have one that can play in our country]
[I have a hunch that Xie Miao is the second Tony Jia~]
【Finally an action movie that you can watch】
[This kind of punching to the flesh feels so good. Brothers, does anyone know of other films of similar style? Please recommend~]
The reputation of "Kowloon Walled City" is indeed good, and many people are praising it.
In the past two years, the high-flying martial arts style has gradually become less popular. Instead, the physical combat style of punching and punching has become very popular. The most obvious example is Tony Jaa.
His films have suddenly emerged in the past two years and have become popular in most of the world. They have also become the first film in Thai film history to win the weekly box office championship in North America.
"Boxing Fighter" and "Tom Yum Kung" have accumulated a lot of popularity for Tony Jaa.
In fact, it can be seen that these two movies clearly imitate Cheng Long's movies. The scenes of jumping over glass and jumping from carriages are exactly the same as those in Cheng Long's movies.
But just because of the realistic fighting style, almost no one said he plagiarized.
This is the case in the art world. Copying well is called tribute, and copying badly is called plagiarism.
Of course, there are also bad reviews, and film critics gave "Kowloon Walled City" a very low rating.
[A movie about fighting for the sake of fighting, with an old-fashioned technique, similar to the entry-level mode of the 1980s]
[This is a movie without any depth of thought. I don’t know why the director made it. There is no trace of sincerity~]
[It is unimaginable that a farce can be made into a movie, it is simply a blasphemy against the art of film]
[The blockbuster work of a new director seriously doubts the level of Nortel's directing department]
The film critics' evaluations were as sharp as ever, leaving no room for the newcomer, as if not saying so would not show off his superiority.
To be fair, there are some things that are right.
For example, this is a movie about fighting for the sake of fighting.
The plot of the entire movie is so simple that it can be explained clearly in one sentence. The real attraction of the movie is entirely the fight scenes.
The beating was brutal, the punches hit the flesh, and the blood flowed~
This kind of film has a unified name in the West - visual film.
As the name suggests, it is a movie designed to satisfy the needs of the senses without paying attention to any depth of thought.
The "Fast and Furious" series is actually the most typical example.
"Fast and Furious" was actually a purely visual movie from the beginning, without any core, just for the sake of fun.
It's just that the producers were smarter. After the third film, they began to consciously add other elements, such as the concept of logging fatigue, which raised the film's quality to another level.
“Continue to run the publicity that needs to be run, maintain exposure, and the rest will depend on the sky~”
Zhang Chen firmly believes that after surviving the first few days, probably in the second week, and after word-of-mouth fermentation, "Kowloon Walled City" will definitely counterattack at the box office.
As for the arrogance and domineering film critics, Zhang Chen really wanted to say a few words.
But Chen Xi disagreed.
"You've already made a mess of "Painted Skin", so just let "Kowloon Walled City" go~"
What he said was as if Zhang Chen was a natural disaster in human form, and whoever got it would be unlucky.
……
The next few days turned out to be exactly what they expected.
The term "Painted Skin vows to break the record of "Titanic"" successfully topped the Baidu search list.
No one cares about other issues such as the conflict between Zhang and Chen, the three-way collaboration of "Painted Skin", the investment scale of over 100 million, and even the cast.
What everyone is concerned about is one thing - can "Painted Skin" break the record of Big Boat?
Even Han Sanping called to ask.
Zhang Chen felt like he was being forced into a dangerous situation.
But it's not without good news: "Kowloon Walled City" had a counterattack at the box office on the second day.
The box office on the first day was 3.3 million, the second day it doubled to 6 million, the third day was 5.9 million...
The first weekend's three-day box office was 15.2 million, which was directly tied with "Slaying the Wolf". The latter's first weekend box office was 15.3 million, with a difference of only 100,000.
Dong Jianqiang was still puzzled at first. Logically speaking, word-of-mouth shouldn't ferment so quickly. It had to be almost the same next week, so why did it explode the next day?
Later, I found the answer in "Zhang Chen Bar".
It turns out that it was the bar owner ‘Qingcheng Wuji’ who organized fans of “Hurricane Rescue” to watch the movie, which boosted the box office of “Kowloon Walled City”.
After asking about it, I found out that the reason was actually Zhang Chen's promise - if the box office of "Kowloon Walled City" exceeds 40 million, Lu Yang will be asked to direct a companion piece to "Hurricane Rescue".
If possible, they would of course prefer to watch a legitimate sequel directed by Zhang Chen, but Zhang Chen is just digging holes and not burying them. Seeing that there is no hope, fans have no choice but to settle for the next best thing. A companion chapter will be a companion chapter.
The box office performance of "Kowloon Walled City" was so unexpectedly unexpected.
Dong Jianqiang looked at the box office data and was delighted. This at least meant that Zhang Chen already had strong box office appeal.
I simply bought another wave of water troops and brushed this matter over again.
Overnight, stories appeared on various forums about fans of "Hurricane" helping "Kowloon Walled City" to boost the box office in order to see a sequel~
These two years have been an era when fans have become very popular.
In 2005, fans of "Super Girl" had just contributed all kinds of sexy tricks. In the blink of an eye, in 2006, Zhang Chen's fans began to boost the box office of "Kowloon Walled City" again.
For a time, the discussion on this topic surged.
It is actually getting worse.
Gradually, "supporting the box office of "Kowloon Walled City" for the sequel of "Taken" actually became a hot trend, and many ordinary viewers who were not fans of "Hurricane" also joined in.
They may not necessarily like "Taken", but they like to play it~
Everyone seemed to enjoy the feeling of personally pushing history forward.
When Zhang Chen heard the news from Chen Xi, he really didn't know how to describe his feelings.
What is this?
Are the earliest fans economical?
When I announced this news, I just wanted to inspire Lu Yang. Of course, I also had some thoughts on riding on the popularity of "Hurricane", but I really never thought it would develop into what it is now.
In the blink of an eye, the second week of the year is here
The morale of "Kowloon Walled City" is high, but "The Wolf" is not bad either.
The box office data of the two movies has always been very strong.
The theater chain admitted that they initially miscalculated the potential of "Kowloon Walled City" and later improved their film schedule.
But "The Wolf" itself is indeed up to par. It has always had the upper hand in the pursuit of "Kowloon Walled City", and it only earns tens of thousands more box office than the latter every day.
It's not very harmful, it's very insulting.
Lu Yang feels pain and happiness every day. When "Kowloon Walled City" was becoming popular, he continued to perform road shows every day.
According to the current trend, completing the 40 million bet is not a big problem.
This is what makes him happy.
The painful thing is that he really wanted to kill "Slaying the Wolf", but he has never succeeded, and it always weighs tens of thousands of dollars every day.
……
Sun Entertainment
Huang Baigao, Yip Weixin, Donnie Yen and others opened champagne to celebrate~
Pour the wine red liquid into the goblet
"Come on, everyone, I wish our "Slaying the Wolf" a big hit at the box office~"
Huang Baigao suggested, his tone seemed to be scolding Fang Qiu.
Everyone raised their glasses noisily, and the red liquid flowed down the esophagus into the stomach, stimulating blood circulation and making everyone's faces look red.
The box office performance of "Slaying the Wolf" is absolutely amazing for them~
Based on the fact that the first weekend box office generally accounts for one-third of the total box office, the final box office of "Slaying the Wolf" is estimated to be between 40 million and 50 million.
This is already a good result that is difficult for Hong Kong movies to achieve.
For Hong Kong movies to enter the mainland, 30 million is a hurdle, and many movies stop at this figure.
"Slaying the Wolf" can achieve the current results, which makes them unhappy.
Especially Huang Baigao. "Slaying the Wolf" is a project he led and it was also the first work of Sun Entertainment to enter the mainland. It was a great success, which is a good sign.
It’s not in vain to kowtow to Mr. Guan, it’s really effective~
Hong Jinbao laughed along with him, but he was not very happy in his heart.
The result he wanted was for "Sha Po Lang" to sweep across "Kowloon Walled City", rather than the current deadlock.
Being in a stalemate actually means losing.
What is the lineup of "Sha Po Lang" and what is the lineup of "Kowloon Walled City"~
Can the combination of Donnie Yen + Hong Jinbao + Simon Yam beat Xie Miao?
……
Ningxia
A group of horse bandits roared and galloped on the Gobi Desert. The leader of the horse bandits laughed loudly. There was a woman wearing a white gauze on his horse.
Long shot, medium shot, close shot, close-up~
Ka~
Zhang Chen's voice came from the loudspeaker, and the actors playing the horse bandits gradually stopped.
Zhang Chen watched the replay in front of the monitor, and after a while: "Okay, that's it, get ready for the next one~"
The camera was adjusted and the prop staff helped. At this time, Chen Xi came over with a phone and handed it to Zhang Chen.
The call was from Dong Jianqiang, reporting on the box office performance of "Kowloon Walled City" during its first weekend.
The score of 15.2 million in the first weekend is actually not bad.
It's not bad to be tied with "Sha Po Lang".
He has watched "Slaying the Wolf" and it was really good.
Yuan Kong, "Slaying the Wolf" and "The Fuse" are all Hong Kong movies' revered works.
At that time, Hong Kong kung fu movies were no longer good. The most popular in the world were Thai kung fu movies, such as "Boxing Fighter" and "Tom Yum Kung".
"Slaying the Wolf" and "The Fuse" were made by Hong Kong filmmakers to compete with Tony Jaa.
"The Fuse" was not bad, taking in a box office of 34.5 million yuan in the mainland, but "Slaying the Wolf" was not released in the mainland at all due to censorship issues.
Thinking of this, Zhang Chen suddenly thought of a question: "Old Dong, please check, is the version of "Slaying the Wolf" released in the mainland and Hong Kong the same version?"
Dong Jianqiang immediately understood: "You doubt them..."
"Yes, I suspect they are playing dual versions."
In fact, dual versions have always been a thing, and Star Entertainment has done it before. Later, the General Administration clearly stipulated that it was not allowed, but it still happened, but it was a state where the people did not raise officials and did not correct them.
Zhang Chen remembers that in the original version, Wilson Ye cut two versions. In the mainland version, Donnie Yen killed Hong Jinbao alone and that was it.
But the version in Hong Kong was much darker. Donnie Yen finally defeated Hong Jinbao, but in the end he was attacked by a sneak attack, thrown downstairs and tragically died on the roof of a car.
What’s even darker is that the people in the car happened to be Sammo Hung’s wife and children.
In other words, Hong killed his wife and children with his own hands.
A very dark ending.
(End of chapter)