China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1105: A Huge Success on the First Day; Effortless and Composed
Zhou Yutang carefully perused the book for more than half an hour, lingering for a moment on the "Gantang Post Station" section.

This story, which blends the strange tales of the inn with the unpredictable nature of humanity, was indeed quite to his liking.

During the meeting, several key questions were raised, and Guo Jingyu and Wei Fenghua answered them fluently, clearly having done their homework.

"good."

Zhou Yutang closed the tablet with satisfaction. "The overall direction is fine, and the script doesn't need major changes. For the subsequent budget and casting, you can directly contact Director Jiang."

With the script finalized, all that remained was casting, budget approval, and special effects follow-up from Vision Media.

For Jiangdong Entertainment, which now has a mature system, these are all standardized procedures.

"Understood, Mr. Zhou."

Guo Jingyu and Wei Fenghua exchanged a glance, their joy evident in their eyes.

Emerging from the office, both of them walked with lighter steps. Seeing Guo Jingyu's beaming face, Wei Fenghua couldn't help but tease him:

"Old Guo, just laugh if you want to. It's so uncomfortable to hold it in."

"Is it that obvious?"

Guo Jingyu touched her face.

"Your smile is practically reaching your ears."

Wei Fenghua teased, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you won the lottery."

"Hahaha!"

Guo Jingyu finally burst into laughter, waving his hand triumphantly, "Winning the lottery? What's that? With Jiangdong backing me up this time, I've never fought such a lucrative battle in all my years in this industry!"

Zhou Yutang's casual remark seemed to have gilded the project.

In today's film and television industry, the phrase "produced by Jiangdong" is almost equivalent to a gold standard certification for an S-level project, a guarantee of a blockbuster.

In the past, Guo Jingyu would work hard on projects, and after finishing them, he would have to beg and plead with platforms to schedule broadcasts, enduring all sorts of awful treatment.

Now that it's associated with Jiangdong, once the project is approved, various domestic TV stations and video platforms will likely be scrambling to buy it.

On the same day, Dapeng rose from the wind and lifted up to 90,000 miles.

With the great support of Jiangdong, what worries do we have about the future?

……

For Perfect World Pictures and Guo Jingyu, "The Record of Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty" is probably the most important project in the next two years, and they will definitely devote 100% of their efforts to it.

For Zhou Yutang, it was just a minor episode in his life.

The most important thing right now is that "The Wandering Earth" will be officially released on December 28th.

Prior to this, Jiangdong had gone all out across all channels, and its promotional efforts had been fully mobilized.

Zhou Yutang personally led the team, including Wu Jing, Lu Han, Wu Mengda, Zhao Jinmai and other main creators, to launch a nationwide roadshow.

The roadshow itinerary was all booked in advance, covering the top ten ticket-producing cities in the country.

Their first stop was Beijing.

In addition to the usual cinema screenings, the team also specially arranged exchange meetings with Peking University and Tsinghua University, two of the top universities in China.

Zhou Yutang's popularity among young students is at its peak.

With the addition of Wu Jing from Wolf Warriors and Lu Han, the top of the four kings of popularity, the auditorium at Tsinghua University was packed to capacity.

Even the outer passageway was packed with people, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

After the usual movie screenings, it was time for the much-anticipated Q&A session.

A quiet girl with black-rimmed glasses was chosen by Zhou Yutang, and suddenly all eyes in the room were focused on her.

Happiness came so suddenly that she stood up as if in a dream, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Zhou, hello!"

"Hello, classmate."

Zhou Yutang smiled gently, indicating that she shouldn't be nervous.

"I was deeply moved after reading your 'The Wandering Earth'!"

The girl with black-rimmed glasses quickly calmed down and said, "Mr. Zhou, I'm also a film and television enthusiast. My current dream is... to become a director in the future. Do you have any good suggestions?"

What's your major?

International relations.

"This major has a very good future."

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Yutang offered some sound advice: "You can have your cake and eat it too. You can continue to delve deeper into your professional field, and pursue 'how to become a qualified director' as a hobby. Love speaking and expressing life."

As for the specifics of how to do it, I won't go into too much detail here. There are many detailed video tutorials on Bilibili and Douyin. I suggest you start with short videos.

Bilibili and Douyin are now the two leading video platforms in China, offering a wide variety of professional tutorials.

"Short video?"

The girl and many students present were stunned for a moment.

"Yes."

Zhou Yutang nodded and smiled, "Now we are in the mobile internet era, and short videos are the lowest-cost way to try and fail, as well as the most intuitive practice platform."

"Perhaps in the future, domestic film festivals may add awards related to short videos."

"Of course, the most important thing is to take action."

Zhou Yutang gave this classmate a bowl of chicken soup, saying, "Keep going, and I hope your dreams come true one day."

Thank you for your suggestion! I will seriously consider it!

The girl bowed deeply and then sat down.

After the exchange meeting, Zhou Yutang and his team headed to the next roadshow location.

Several vans drove along in a long line. Chen Duling sat next to Zhou Yutang, reporting on the upcoming itinerary, and couldn't help but ask:
"Boss, you seem to really like that girl from earlier?"

I wouldn't say I'm very optimistic about it.

Zhou Yutang leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and said, "What's wrong with supporting the dreams of young people?"

The recent hit drama "The Story of Minglan" on both TV and online platforms has made Liu Yifei an unstoppable force, and she seems to have suffered a bit of a shock, becoming quite demanding lately.

Even someone as valiant as the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, after days of cultivating immortality, was finding it difficult to withstand the attack.

"dream?"

“You should always have dreams. What if they come true?”

Zhou Yutang chuckled softly.

In this era, there are indeed quite a few directors in the film and television industry who are not from professional backgrounds.

Apart from the well-known aerobics athlete, most of the students who are admitted to Tsinghua University are outstanding individuals.

At the very least, in terms of intelligence and learning ability, he is definitely one of the best among his generation.

Of course, encouragement is one thing, but reality is ultimately harsh.

This industry looks glamorous to outsiders, and people are scrambling to get in, but only a few can actually succeed.

Ultimately, it's 99% talent, plus 1% effort and luck.

Looking at the three veteran directors of Chinese online games, whether it's Chen Yimou, Zhang Yimou, or Zhang Qiling, their talent is undeniable.

The three outstanding generals of Jiangdong who are emerging now—Wen Muye, Lu Yang, and Guo Fan—are also exceptionally talented among the younger generation.

The promotion of "The Wandering Earth" is in full swing and has reached its final sprint stage.

Many directors and stars in the film and television industry, both at home and abroad, have unanimously helped promote the film on their social media.

The neighboring drama "The Story of Minglan" is also currently airing and is enjoying high ratings and generating a lot of buzz.

Today, Earth didn't wander; the Grand Commander wandered to Tianjin. He had just finished a roadshow and returned to his hotel suite when he received a call from Zhang Ruojun. "Brother Tang, my dad is driving me crazy."

The voice of the dog on the other end of the phone was full of exhaustion and suppressed anger, unlike its usual cheeky self.

"How to say?"

Zhou Yutang raised an eyebrow, turned off the video of the little vixen, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window with his phone.

"It's all because of his 'Huo Qubing'!"

"It's a great subject matter, so what?"

Jiangdong itself is also developing similar projects involving legendary historical figures, such as Zhang Zhendie, a well-known figure in the industry.

His vision was indeed unique; he managed to snatch the prize.

"I have no idea where he found his connections to bring in several investors, and now he insists that I cancel all my other commitments to play the male lead!"

"Weren't we supposed to be preparing for this? What, the script's out?"

"I only got really angry after the script came out."

"."

Zhou Yutang had heard of the project, but knew little about it, only listening to Xigou complain bitterly.

It is said that Zhang Zhen's father, in a moment of youthful exuberance, wanted to strive again, so he put together a project to recreate Huo Qubing.

They even hired a so-called famous screenwriter to write the script, setting their sights on their own son.

"Was Empress Wei jealous of Huo Qubing's great achievements and plotted to frame him?"

"Huo Qubing ventured deep into the desert, exhausted, and was captured by the Xiongnu, where he developed a romantic relationship with a Xiongnu princess."

Zhou Yutang took the script from Xigou, casually flipped through a few pages, and immediately laughed in anger.

Pointing to the absurd plots in the script, he chirped tirelessly, "A screenwriter of this caliber wouldn't even be able to get a meal at the Jiangdong Creative Center."

Who was Huo Qubing?
At seventeen, he led eight hundred cavalry deep into the desert; at nineteen, he commanded the Battle of Hexi; and at twenty-one, he accomplished the monumental feat of sealing the wolf's lair.

What a spirited young hero he was, a war god of the Western Han Dynasty who struck fear into the hearts of the Xiongnu.

The script now has such a ridiculously stupid plot; it really treats the audience like complete idiots!

When the times abandon someone, they don't even say goodbye.

Veteran figures in the film and television industry like Zhang Zhen's father have long been out of touch with the times.

They are still stuck in the old model of "building relationships, organizing parties, and inviting big names," completely unaware that the market has already changed.

Jiangdong Entertainment has raised the bar for audiences' aesthetic standards by producing a series of blockbuster films and television dramas.

In the present moment, only a solid story can provide a foundation for success.

……

Time flew by and the 28th arrived, and "The Wandering Earth" was officially released.

The entire film industry is focused on the box office performance of this movie.

This naturally includes the major film and television companies vying for the Lunar New Year film season.

Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, was the first to be removed from the box office. At this point, the daily box office of "Weather Forecast" had dropped below eight million, making it a complete cannon fodder and slinking away to make way for the other films in the New Year's season.

The remaining representatives—Bona's Fatty Yu, Cehua's Ms. Zhao, Jingxi Culture's Brother Song, and Huanxi Media's Double Gun Generals—are all eager to make a big splash during the New Year's feast.

Even setting aside the possibility of besieging and killing the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, anyone who could stand up and not fall would be enough to make a name for themselves in a single battle.

However, when the box office figures were actually released, everyone fell silent.

"The science fiction film 'The Wandering Earth,' directed by Zhou Yutang, grossed 4.38 million yuan on its opening day. With pre-sale tickets totaling 1.25 million yuan, the cumulative box office reached 5.63 million yuan!"

"The Wandering Earth" accounted for a staggering 52.8% of screenings on its opening day, dominating the Lunar New Year film season with its absolute dominance!

"The Legend of Ip Man: Master Z, produced by Bona Film Group and Yinghuang, grossed 1980 million yuan on its opening day, falling short of expectations!"

"The movie 'Call Me Crazy,' co-produced by Beijing Culture and Huanxi Media, has performed well at the box office, grossing 2288 million yuan!"

"."

Yu Pangzi's face was slapped twice more. He originally shouted a slogan, relying on the IP of the Hong Kong blockbuster "Ip Man" series, that "Master Z: The Legend" would at least reach 10 billion.

Given the current market response, let alone 10 billion, it's questionable whether we can even break 3 million.

Zhang Jing, the top action star of Jiangdong Family, seems to lack audience appeal. Even with a star-studded cast including boxing champion Dave Batista, international action star Tony Jaa, and Michelle Yeoh, he ultimately failed to carry the box office.

The phenomenal performance of "The Wandering Earth" on its first day quickly landed it on the front page of all online film and television sections, in the most prominent position.

"5.63 million on the first day!?"

Ms. Zhao from Huace Media is in her office, holding a promotional summary meeting for their highly anticipated art film, "Long Day's Journey into Night."

He took the box office data from his secretary and spat out a mouthful of water.

This film, directed by Bi Gan, is building word-of-mouth through preview screenings and a sophisticated, bourgeois atmosphere, and is poised to explode onto the scene on New Year's Eve with the marketing gimmick of "a kiss to ring in the new year."

The pre-sale box office of over 30 million yuan had already delighted Ms. Zhao, making her feel that there was great potential.

But now, seeing the opening day box office figures for "The Wandering Earth," she felt her hands and feet go cold, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.

At this moment, all that remained in Ms. Zhao's heart was a silent roar: "Don't come any closer!"

With a single-day box office and pre-sales totaling a staggering 5 million yuan, it could practically wipe out all its competitors in the same period.

What kind of box office monster is this?!
Fortunately, there are still a few days of buffer time before the end of the month.

The first day has begun.

Zhou Yutang wakes up in the hotel where the roadshow is taking place and sees that "American Dreams in China 2," produced by Happiness Blue Ocean, has been quietly released, but has been buried with a dismal box office of 866 million yuan on its opening day.

The most tragic example is undoubtedly "American Dreams in China 2," which plunged straight into Xuanwu Lake without even making a splash.

It's worth noting that the original film was a critical and commercial success, and Happiness Blue Ocean invested heavily in taking over the sequel IP. The investment in this sequel film is quite substantial.

Although it wasn't Hong Kong director Peter Chan who personally directed this project, his role as producer means he's still involved.

Happiness Blue Ocean has suffered a major setback this time. Not only will it not recover its costs, but it will undoubtedly face huge losses!

The next day, "The Wandering Earth" experienced an even more terrifying surge in popularity.

"The Wandering Earth raked in another 5.68 million yuan at the box office the following day, sweeping the entire New Year's film season with its domineering presence."

"The Wandering Earth blows through the ceiling: Chinese sci-fi blockbuster surpasses 11 billion yuan in total box office after two days of release!"

"The Grand Commander's performance in this battle will make him a legend, and his place in Chinese film history will be rewritten!"

"Several theater managers said that the landscape of the Lunar New Year film season is already set, and The Great Commander is expected to achieve even greater success, breaking the previous box office record of 60.13 billion yuan held by Wolf Warrior 2!"

"."

As expected, and within reason.

But when Ren Zhonglun saw this staggering number with his own eyes in his office, even he, a man of great experience, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Given the current scale of the Chinese film industry, a box office of one billion yuan can be seen as a watershed moment.

Those who achieve such results can firmly secure their place as top-tier directors.

Despite the abundance of renowned directors in the film and television industry, there are quite a few who are stuck at this hurdle and never reach the billion-dollar mark in their entire careers.

Zhou Yutang, however, has now raked in over 11 billion yuan at the box office in just two days!

Based on this incredible percentage of screenings, the terrifying occupancy rate, and the gradually boiling online buzz, the subsequent box office growth trajectory is definitely not going to be low.

Those two imported blockbusters that had initially caused industry insiders to lament their fate—"Bumblebee" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

It was crushed by the small, broken ball and rubbed against the ground.

That was incredibly relaxed, effortless, and completely at ease.

(End of this chapter)