A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1287 The movie is released and the box office is a smash hit! (Please subscribe!)
The first film produced by Tianxia Media is about to be released, and Hua Shier returns to the capital from Suzhou.

In his office, he looked at the newspaper photo of Director Feng looking triumphant, and at the questioning from afar, and Hua Shier couldn't help but chuckle, not paying much attention to it.

Director Feng certainly has the right to be arrogant. After all, in this era, apart from patriotic films, there aren't many film directors who can make money, and he is one of the most successful.

Wang Jinhua sat across from the desk, his brows slightly furrowed, a hint of worry on his face.

Hua Shier put down his newspaper and asked with a smile:

"Why, are you worried?"

Wang Jinhua forced a smile: "That's true to some extent!"

Speaking of the time she partnered with Hua Shier to establish Tianxia Media, although she valued Hua Shier's connections in Hollywood, she also had faith in Hua Shier's creative abilities.

For this film, "My Sassy Girl," the script was written by Hua Shier and the film was directed by Wang Jinhua, a renowned commercial director from Hong Kong. Under any circumstances, Wang Jinhua would not have been worried, because there was no reason for failure.

This time is different. There's Feng Xiaogang's transformative work, the top commercial director in China, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which has already won acclaim at Cannes. It's truly a situation where strong competitors surround us, and we have to survive in the cracks.

How could Wang Jinhua not be worried?
This is especially true since it was the first production of Tianxia Media after its establishment. Although Hua Shier had already arranged for Shuang Bing to play supporting roles in "Final Destination" and Jiang Wen to be an assistant director in Hollywood, thus opening up a path for mainland filmmakers to study abroad.

But if the company fails to gain traction in the domestic film market, the artists under her management might become demoralized.

As a collaborator, Wang Jinhua chose to frankly express his concerns.

Hua Shier smiled faintly after hearing this:
"Sister Hua, you think we're surrounded by powerful enemies? Why don't you think about it from a different perspective? Maybe we're the strongest one!"

"Since I dared to schedule my time between 'A Sigh' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' it means I have absolute confidence in our films. You can rest assured, eat and sleep as usual, and just wait to hear the good news of our defeat of the enemy!"

Sister Hua smiled wryly:

"President Su, you really have confidence. You have no idea how worried I've been. I've even lost a lot of hair these past two days!"

Hua Twelve smiled and said:
"Alright, seeing how anxious you are, let me analyze it for you. It's true that Director Feng's movies make money, but he used to make Feng-style comedies, which are basically commercial films. This time, 'A Sigh' is a transformation work. He has abandoned his most familiar area and insisted on playing with depth. I don't think he will be as successful as before!"

"Don't be fooled by its opening weekend box office of 18 million. It's selling its previous reputation. You can check online forums; many viewers who reviewed the film expressed disappointment after watching it. So I predict that the film's performance will decline further afterward!"

Wang Jinhua also went to see "A Sigh" these past two days and felt quite disappointed. It's not that it was poorly made, but rather that it fell far short of her expectations for Director Feng's films.

Now, hearing what Hua Shier said, she felt that it resonated with her, and it was indeed the case, so her brows relaxed a little.

Hua Shier's statement is based on evidence. In the real world, the movie "A Sigh" earned 30 million yuan at the box office, which is quite a lot compared to other movies. But don't forget that Director Feng's "The Dream Factory" three years ago, with a budget of 4 million yuan, earned 36 million yuan at the box office, and "Be There or Be Square" two years ago earned more than 43 million yuan.

The difference becomes obvious when compared like this.

So, it's perfectly reasonable for Hua Shier to sigh that its momentum is insufficient and it's currently just relying on its past reputation!

Wang Jinhua asked with interest:
"So, Mr. Su, how much do you estimate Director Feng's movie will gross at the box office?"

Hua Shier pondered for a moment: "Less than thirty million!"

Without Hua Shier's involvement in the real world, "A Sigh" could have grossed 30 million at the box office. But with Hua Shier and "My Sassy Girl" as two uncertain factors, Director Feng is destined to fail this time.

Wang Jinhua was somewhat surprised: "So little!"

"Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit. Look what this is!"

As Hua Shier spoke, he took out a VCD and placed it on his desk.

"The pirated version came out so quickly?" Wang Jinhua was somewhat surprised; it had only been released for a week!

Hua Shier chuckled, got up, walked to a VCD player in the office, put in a disc, and turned on the TV. The next moment, the movie started playing, and Wang Jinhua was dumbfounded, completely shocked:

"This...this is the original?"

It's so clear, it feels even clearer than watching a movie.

Hua Shier's smile was strange. How could he not know? This was a remade version of the AI ​​stored in his smart brain.

Okay, that's right, he's the one who started piracy. Now, in major cities in northern China, you can buy pirated DVDs everywhere.

As for the South? Who in the South watches Feng Xiaogang's comedies these days? Selling pirated DVDs of Feng Xiaogang's comedies in the South would likely result in losses!

Wang Jinhua felt shocked and saddened by what she saw.

"President Su, what about our movie?"

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear: if these pirates can pirate Director Feng's movies, they can pirate Tianxia Media's movies too.

Hua Shier waved his hand:
"You don't need to worry about that. I can guarantee that our movie will not be pirated. You won't be able to buy a single copy outside!"

The pirate bosses in various places have all been brainwashed by him. They subconsciously ignore the movie "My Sassy Girl" and never think of pirating it. Even if others bring it up, these people will deny it themselves.

Wang Jinhua took a deep breath and nodded:

"Although I don't know where President Su gets such confidence from, I believe in you!"

She asked again:

"I heard that when 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' premiered in Cannes, it was very well received. At the end of the film, the entire audience applauded and cheered for more than ten minutes. They are releasing on the 13th. Will that pose a threat to us?"

"Especially since it was a movie starring Chow Yun-fat!"

Well, back in the year 2000, Li An wasn't very well-known among mainland moviegoers, but Chow Yun-fat was a golden brand.

Hua Shier walked back to his boss's chair and sat down, saying indifferently:
"If it were a Jay Chou kung fu movie, I might be a little more wary. But is Chow Yun-fat a kung fu movie actor? And Li An isn't either; they're more of an art-house film actor!" "I saw their movie beforehand. It's all catering to Western audiences. The core isn't kung fu at all. Our mainland audiences' tastes for martial arts movies have long been spoiled by Jay Chou. You'll understand once you've seen the full version of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.' In terms of kung fu, it's completely mediocre!"

What Hua Shier said was his true thought.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in later years, and it is famous. However, in terms of kung fu and fighting, it is far inferior to Wong Fei-hung and Fong Sai-yuk, and it can't even compare to Wu Jing's TV series Tai Chi Master. It can only fool foreigners who have not seen much of the world.

If this were shown to mainland audiences who enjoy martial arts films, it would be unbearable to watch!

Indeed, in the real world, despite its immense popularity, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" only grossed 15 million yuan at the box office in mainland China, less than half of what "A Sigh" earned. How can you compare it to "My Sassy Girl"?

Besides, if there are pirated copies of "A Sigh", why shouldn't there be any for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"?
It's a must!

Even if Jesus came, he couldn't stop him; that's what Hua Twelve said!
With Hua Shier's analysis, Wang Jinhua's worried expression finally disappeared, and his confidence increased greatly.

As expected, in the last three days of September, due to high-definition piracy and negative reviews of the film online, the box office of "A Sigh" plummeted every day. Before the National Day holiday, theaters were even considering pulling the film from theaters early.

Director Feng was so anxious and upset that his mouth was full of blisters and his hair was falling out in clumps. During the interview, he was furious and cursed the pirates for being shameless!
Hua Shier wholeheartedly agreed, because he was just a middleman. Well, he sold the remastered films to pirates. What else could he be but a middleman!
On October 1st, the highly anticipated film "My Sassy Girl" was finally released simultaneously in Southeast Asia.

On its opening day, it grossed six million yuan at the box office in mainland China, which surprised everyone.

The moviegoers were mostly young people in their twenties, primarily college students. They were drawn to the theater by the promotional trailers and the tagline "A must-see for couples" displayed on QQ pop-ups.

After watching it, the reviews were polarized. The male audience cursed the film company for being unscrupulous, saying what a terrible movie it was, and that his usually gentle and obedient girlfriend had become wild after watching it.

Some unfortunate guys even walked out of the theater in high heels, only to be met with a long line of people waiting to watch the movie. They were instantly mortified and on the verge of tears. Fortunately, they weren't the only ones wearing high heels.

However, the girls were all moved to tears after watching it, and they watched it a second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time, even in groups. It sparked a viewing craze in Southeast Asia and was reported by news media from various places.

When the film was taken off the screens in November, the box office results were astonishing.

In mainland China, the film attracted approximately 30 million viewers and grossed 120 million RMB, securing its position as the top-grossing film of the year.

In South Korea, the film attracted 6 million viewers and grossed 8 million US dollars, even surpassing the box office performance of the real-life film "My Sassy Girl" when it was released.

In Japan, it grossed 50 billion yen (approximately 3.3 million RMB at the time), making it the highest-grossing romance film of its time.

In Hong Kong Island, the HK$4000 million box office surpassed the HK$3521 million box office of Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng's "Needing You...", taking the top spot for the year in Hong Kong Island.

In Taiwan, it grossed NT$2.5 million, setting a new box office record for Taiwanese romance films.

In Malaysia and Singapore, it also achieved remarkable results, sweeping across Southeast Asia with its unstoppable momentum.

What? Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?
This is an interesting story.

On October 7th, a week after the release of "My Sassy Girl", high-definition pirated versions of "My Sassy Girl" began to appear in major cities across the country.

It seems as if the tragedy of "A Sigh" is about to be repeated in "My Sassy Girl"!
This made Director Feng, who had been paying close attention to the matter, breathe a sigh of relief. Why should I be the only one who suffers? Do you know what it means to be concerned about inequality rather than scarcity?
I need everyone to be unlucky for me to have balance; 'savagery' and 'hidden talents' are both necessary.

Director Feng was immediately pleased. He pretended to be pleased and personally went to the street to buy a pirated DVD of "My Sassy Girl" to watch.

He happily put the disc into the VCD player, then used the remote control to play it. After a while, Director Feng burst out laughing!

The title is "My Sassy Girl," which is fine, but why are there Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat dressed in Qing Dynasty clothes? And if you fast-forward, there's Zhang Ziyi too. Isn't this just "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and in HD at that?

Li An organized a screening at the Central Academy of Drama, and Director Feng also went to see it, so he saw the content and was certain that it was "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

This is a case of false advertising!

That's fine, but the most crucial thing is that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" hasn't even been released in mainland China yet. What the heck is going on?

The mainland release date for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is set for October 13th, but it's only October 7th yet.

Director Feng was initially surprised, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. It didn't matter if he was unlucky; he would be happy as long as he saw someone even more unlucky!
He quickly sent his assistant out to buy more pirated DVDs of "My Sassy Girl" from various areas of Beijing, and then played them one by one. It turned out that they were all just a sham, with the core content being "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Director Feng felt that Li An was about to cry!

But then he sensed something was wrong. Why were there pirated copies of "A Sigh" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but not "My Sassy Girl"? The momentum in the first week was getting out of control, and there was definitely something fishy going on.

The piracy incident quickly escalated, and Li An also learned of it. Before the film was even released, high-definition pirated copies were already available, so he immediately called the police.

The investigation revealed nothing; they did manage to catch a few pirates, but they were all middlemen. The pirate factories were nowhere to be found.

Then Li An found Director Feng and together they went to find Chairman Han, asking him to put pressure on Tianxia Media and demand an explanation: why are their movies pirated, but Tianxia Media's "My Sassy Girl" isn't? This is unfair!

Hua Shier was amused when he received Han Dong's call. Could he admit that he was the mastermind behind it all? Of course not.
"We've done a good job with our security measures! They leaked the source material themselves, allowing someone to get a high-definition copy. What do they have to say to me?"

Han Dong relayed his original words, but Director Feng and Li An both felt something was wrong. The problem is, without a high-definition version, you won't even have any pirated footage!

In the end, the matter was dropped, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was released as scheduled. However, this time it didn't even make 15 million at the box office, only 2 million before being pulled from theaters. It was an even bigger flop than "A Sigh".

At Tianxia Media, "My Sassy Girl" was a huge hit, sparking a savage craze that swept across Southeast Asia. Girls began imitating Li Lianhua from the film, and lines from the movie became classic quotes passed down through generations, such as always drinking coffee in a coffee shop and never drinking cola or orange juice, and if she hits you, you must pretend it hurts a lot, and if it really hurts, you must pretend it doesn't.
Even the CCTV Evening News reported on the film, saying that it contributed to the export of Chinese culture.

Director Feng: Savagery is a contribution? That's what I meant by contribution. My protagonist cheated on his wife, never mind!
Li Lianhua became a top Asian actress overnight thanks to this film, and her gratitude towards Hua Twelve was like a surging river, overflowing and unstoppable.

If Hua Shier hadn't been so vigilant, this girl would have almost defiled him several times.

Fan Xiaopang was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, regretting her past actions. She felt she should have asked for the movie's resources in the first place; then she would be famous now. This girl called Hua Shier:
"Boss, when can I get acupuncture and massage?"

Hua Shier asked in surprise, "Haven't you gotten rid of your baby fat already?"

Fan Xiaopang: "It's because I'm so envious and jealous of others becoming so famous that I'm a bit angry, and my face is all swollen from holding it in."

Hua Twelve:
Thanks to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you very much.