It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 1378: "The Wandering Earth 2" Officially Announces Release Date! The Lunar New Year Film Season Officially Begins!

For several days in a row, the news of the start of filming for "The Room Next Door" remained on the top of the trending searches.

Even with multiple films released during the Lunar New Year season, none of them managed to grab the top spot on trending topics.

However, Huanxi Media did not give up this rare opportunity.

This time, they changed their approach to riding the trending topics by promoting the love-hate relationship between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li, using it to promote the film "Man Jiang Hong".

Dong Ping really went to great lengths.

After spending three full days on set, in mid-November, Chen Fei left Yunnan and boarded a plane back to the capital.

With the Lunar New Year film season fast approaching and the Spring Festival film season following closely behind, he has a lot of work to handle at the company.

On the return flight, he noticed the news that Yang Mi's second new drama, "She and Her Perfect Husband," had been released.

This time, she is paired with Xu Kai, a 95-born actor who became a sensation with "Story of Yanxi Palace".

However, like the previous "Thank You Doctor", this drama also showed a polarized reception.

The Douban rating page was glaringly stuck at 5.2, and the short review section was almost entirely flooded with negative reviews:
"The workplace scenes are ridiculously unrealistic. Lawyers dress like they're attending a dinner party. Is this a legal drama or a fashion show?"

"Xu Kai's acting is stiffer than wood, he has absolutely no chemistry with Yang Mi, and his performance is so sweet it hurts your teeth."

"The plots are all formulaic: arranged marriage followed by love, workplace bullying. They just change the shell and they dare to make it again."

Criticism abounded, with even casual viewers joining in the mockery: "Is this show insulting the audience's intelligence?"

But when you switch to Weibo, the tone takes a complete 180-degree turn.

Many topics, such as #YangMiXuKai'sLoveBasedOnThe80RuleIsSoSweet# and #QinShi'sWorkplaceQueenStyle#, strongly dominated the secondary trending list.

Clicking through, I found nothing but templates for fans to control the comments:
"The older sister's beauty carried the entire show; every outfit she wore was breathtakingly beautiful."

"Xu Kai's puppy-like character is so charming, I'm totally shipping this couple."

"If you don't like it, you don't have to watch it. There's no need to nitpick. As long as we fans are happy watching it, that's enough."

Even more outrageous, some fans took screenshots of the flawed "legal provisions" in the drama and insisted, "This is artistic embellishment. Don't you understand dramatic conflict?"

Chen Fei scrolled through the comments on the two platforms and found them absurd.

The negative reviews on Douban focused on the plot logic, character development, and professional details, hitting the weak points of the work in every sentence.

The positive reviews on Weibo seem to have deviated from the drama itself, focusing only on the actors' looks and the interactions between the main characters, and even attempting to whitewash obvious flaws.

A passerby questioned the "fakeness" of the plot in the Weibo comments section and was immediately attacked by fans:
"If you're so good, then you do it. If you don't like it, then get lost."

"Can't you see how many pounds Yang Mi lost while filming this drama?"

"Xu Kai works so hard, what gives you the right to criticize him?"

Some even went so far as to flaunt data showing "over 5 million views," attempting to overshadow controversy over reputation with sheer volume.

But everyone knows how much of that data is inflated.

Chen Fei was about to close the page when his finger suddenly stopped.

In a corner of the comments section, two sharper voices were quietly spreading.

A malicious mockery was directed directly at Yang Mi herself:
"She's almost forty and still playing teenage girls. Her face is practically overflowing with hyaluronic acid. Can't she give way to younger actors?"

"Tsk tsk, at her age she's still acting young and filming idol dramas. She should have retired long ago, gone home to get married and have kids."

"If I don't hurry up and find a man to marry, I'll probably go through menopause soon."

Some people even dug up her early photos for comparison and maliciously mocked her, saying, "Her looks have collapsed, but she's still trying to look good."

These comments strayed from the series itself, focusing instead on attacks regarding age and appearance, revealing a deliberate and malicious intent to smear the show.

Another perspective focuses on the internal workings of Jaywalk Studio:
"Everyone, stop criticizing Yang Mi. She's just a tool for Jiaxing Media! The company gives all the good resources to newcomers, but they give her this terrible script. It's obvious they're just squeezing out every last bit of value from her."

"I heard she wanted to terminate her contract, so Jaywalk deliberately released negative information to suppress her. The online trolls for this show were all bought by the company, just to keep her tied down."

"Fly bravely, honey, and bees will always be with you..."

In the comments section, someone specifically posted a list of resources for other artists under Jaywalk Studio.

In comparison, the quality of the dramas Yang Mi has taken on is indeed worrying, which inevitably makes people wonder if her company is sabotaging her behind the scenes.
Chen Fei looked at the two voices intertwined and suddenly realized what was happening.

This is not just a simple controversy over the reputation of the drama; it is clearly an undercurrent before Yang Mi and Jiaxing break up!

Those comments that smeared her age and appearance, bearing obvious signs of being posted by paid trolls, were mostly released by the company to pressure her into renewing her contract.

The voices that speak out in her defense and accuse Jiaxing of suppressing her may be secretly orchestrated by her personal team to pave the way for her contract termination.

In a daze, Chen Fei suddenly remembered the timeline of his previous life.

Next year will be 2023, which is the time when Yang Mi will officially terminate her contract with Jaywalk Studio.

Clearly, this tug-of-war has already begun.

Jiaxing wanted to use public opinion to pressure her into staying on this shaky ship.

Yang Mi wanted to break free from the constraints, even if it meant going through a chaotic battle before leaving!
The last struggle in the era of internet traffic is often more dramatic than the drama itself.

Yang Mi has been trapped in Jiaxing's capital game for so many years. Now, to break out of this predicament, she must go through this fierce battle.

Those scandals, controversies, and fans' attempts to control the narrative are merely weapons in this game.

"Looks like the best is yet to come."

Chen Fei turned off his phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

Whether it's the polarized reception of "She and Her Perfect Husband" or this premature contract termination battle, both point to one thing.

The old era of data-driven traffic is coming to an end!
Yang Mi's breakthrough, fighting for herself, may become another straw that breaks the back of the "traffic-first" logic.

……

……

In late November, Beijing was already chilly, but the offices of Feiyue Film and Television were warmly heated.

After returning from Yunnan, he spent almost every day in the scriptwriting department, working with his team of writers to polish the lines in "The Three-Body Problem" word by word.

The psychological description of "Ye Wenjie pressing the launch button" alone went through no less than twenty revisions!
“The emotion here is still off.” He pointed to the script, his brow furrowed. “It’s not anger, nor is it relief; it’s a profound disillusionment with humanity, a near-numb calm. It’s about conveying that kind of resolute determination to ‘perish with the world,’ while also harboring a faint hope for the universe…”

He kept talking, while the screenwriting team members buried themselves in taking notes. The only sound in the meeting room was the scratching of pens on paper.

Adapting "The Three-Body Problem" is incredibly difficult. It requires staying true to the hard science fiction of the original work, making it understandable to the average viewer, and delivering a profound philosophical impact.

Chen Fei dared not slack off in the slightest, after all, this was a work that countless book fans had been eagerly anticipating.

In the midst of his busy schedule, during a break in the afternoon, he called Zhong Lifang again: "Are all the submission materials for 'Detective Chinatown 1990' complete?"

Zhong Lifang's clear voice came from the other end of the phone: "It's all settled, Chairman Chen. I sent someone to the Film Bureau yesterday. The details of the era and the logic of the case in the script have been checked repeatedly. There shouldn't be any problems."

"it is good."

Chen Fei nodded in agreement and hung up the phone immediately.

"Detective Chinatown 1990" is a prequel to the "Detective Chinatown" series, telling the story of Tang Ren's adventures in Bangkok in his youth. It follows a retro comedy-mystery formula. After "The Return of the South China Sea" and "The Wandering Earth 2," it was time for a new project to be launched.

Chen Fei has already begun paving the way and making plans for the development of Feiyue Film and Television over the next three years.

Time waits for me!

If you don't make proper arrangements in the early stages, one wrong step can easily lead to a series of wrong steps!

As darkness fell outside the window, Chen Fei rubbed his aching neck and looked up at the calendar on the wall.

November is almost over, the battle for the Lunar New Year film season has already begun, and the fierce competition for the Spring Festival film season is not far away.

The promotion of "The Return of the South China Sea" and "In the Octagonal Cage" has reached its climax, with films like "Avatar 2," "Man Jiang Hong," and "Bureau 749" also generating buzz...

The winter in the film and television industry seems to be unusually lively.

Meanwhile, another imported film, "Detective Conan: The Halloween Bride," has been added to the list of movies currently showing.

As for Bona's "Anti-Corruption Campaign," it's now a complete flop, with daily box office revenue dropping to a paltry 200 million.

……

Before we knew it, it was November 25th.

Liu Yifei's "The Room Next Door" is currently being filmed intensively in Yunnan, while the tug-of-war between Yang Mi and Jiaxing Media continues...

Meanwhile, at Feiyue Films, almost all of its senior executives, including major investors, gathered in the screening room.

the reason is simple.

Today marks the completion of post-production for "The Wandering Earth 2" and its first screening.

As the lights in the screening room dimmed, the world behind the 3D glasses was instantly filled with a dazzling galaxy.

As the plasma beams from the planetary engines pierced the clouds and intertwined into a dazzling "net of light" in space, a suppressed gasp of amazement rippled through the theater!

The particle-like quality of the beams of light, the texture of the fractured ice, and the magnificent view of the space station passing over Jupiter—every frame seemed to pull the viewer into the apocalypse of 2075.

Wu Jing, who plays Liu Peiqiang, runs around the lunar base in a spacesuit, the reflection on his helmet visor clearly showing the flames of an explosion.

Li Xuejian's portrayal of Zhou Zhezhi, slamming his fist on the table at the United Nations General Assembly, delivering the line "Our people will definitely complete the mission!" mixed with the sound of heartbeats in the background, is so powerful it brings tears to the eyes.

The most breathtaking part has to be the "space elevator" segment.

The camera pulls up from the ground base station, passes through the atmosphere, and finally docks with the space station and the elevator cabin. The entire process is done in one continuous shot, and the sense of weightlessness and speed comes through the 3D lenses!

When the two-and-a-half-hour screening ended and the lights came on, the theater was silent for a full three seconds before erupting into thunderous applause!

Everyone stood up excitedly, unable to hide their amazement and deep emotion:
"Director Guo, this film is absolutely the bombshell of next year's Spring Festival season! It's on a much larger scale than the first one, and the sci-fi feel is off the charts!"

"Exactly, just watching the planetary engine start-up footage is worth the price of admission."

"Haha, our sci-fi films can finally go head-to-head with Hollywood!"

Guo Fan was a little embarrassed by the praise and quickly waved his hand with a smile: "It's all thanks to the team. The special effects department worked hard for a long time. It's not just my achievement."

Wu Jing was still in shock, scratching his head and muttering, "When we were filming, I was so focused on memorizing lines and blocking that I didn't realize how sci-fi it was... How come the space elevator and quantum computer in the final cut look more real than the real thing?"

He turned to look at Guo Fan, his eyes full of admiration: "Old Guo, your post-production work is amazing!"

Guo Fan smiled modestly and turned his gaze to Chen Fei: "Director Chen, you're an expert, so tell me, what other areas need adjustment?"

Chen Fei took off his 3D glasses, his eyes still bloodshot with excitement behind the lenses: "If I had to point out something, there are two small details."

The shockwave effects during the lunar explosion could have been used to enhance the sense of oppression. Two lines of Zhou Zhezhi's dialogue were delivered too quickly; slowing them down slightly would have made them more impactful.

He paused, then said with certainty, "But overall it's already very well done. The storyline, special effects, and emotional resonance are all in place."

"Send it directly for review. I guarantee this film will show audiences that Chinese science fiction is more than just 'The Wandering Earth,' it encompasses a much broader universe!"

Guo Fan nodded emphatically: "Okay, we'll make the minor adjustments as you suggested, and we'll arrange for it to be submitted for review tomorrow."

The discussion in the theater continued.

Some people were calculating the box office revenue for the Spring Festival season, while others were working on promotional strategies. Everyone's face reflected their confidence in the film.

Looking at the lively scene before him, Chen Fei knew that the success of "The Wandering Earth 2" was not just a success for one movie, but also a boost to the entire industry.

As long as we are willing to focus on refining our work, Chinese film and television can achieve its own acceleration in any genre!

On November 26, the news that "The Wandering Earth 2" had been submitted for review was released in a high-profile manner, as if it were an official announcement of its release during the Spring Festival.

In no time, the hashtag #TheWanderingEarth2ReleaseDateForSpringFestival# exploded across the internet.

Feiyue Film & Television's official Weibo account posted a concise and powerful message:
"From Earth to the Universe, from Survival to Civilization—Our Journey Continues During the 2023 Spring Festival!"

The accompanying image shows a beam of light from a planetary engine piercing the night sky, with the words "Chinese New Year's Day 2023" in the background, exuding a powerful presence.

This made the other investors, who were originally eager to participate in the Spring Festival film season, feel a pang of anxiety.

In the conference room of Huanxi Media, Dong Ping looked at the trending search data for "The Wandering Earth 2" on the screen, his hand holding the teacup trembling.

"Man Jiang Hong" is a period suspense film, and it originally intended to rely on Zhang Yimou's brand and Shen Teng's comedic foundation to secure a stable position.

But with the scale of "The Wandering Earth 2", it's clear that it's aiming for the "box office champion" title, so how could it not be worried?

Needless to say, Tencent Video's situation is even more complicated.

Lu Chuan was holding an emergency meeting with the publicity team of "Bureau 749". The original ambitions when the release date was set had been greatly diminished.

Some people expressed their concerns, saying, "The audience for science fiction films overlaps too much with the subject matter of our film. Once 'The Wandering Earth 2' is released, it may attract all the young viewers."

Although Lu Chuan said "each to their own", she knew in her heart that in terms of special effects and IP appeal, "749 Bureau" was not even in the same league as the former.

Meanwhile, the Bona Film Group's "Nameless" crew was also keeping an eye on the situation.

Cheng Er's spy film takes an artistic approach, and he originally wanted to win over fans with the cast of Tony Leung and Wang Yibo.

However, even they couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed when faced with a blockbuster like "The Wandering Earth 2" that was "anticipated by the whole nation".

Some people privately remarked, "The Spring Festival film season has now become a 'battle of the gods,' but 'The Wandering Earth 2' is clearly the king of the gods!"

Although each party publicly claims to be "confident," their private strategic planning has long been in disarray.

"Man Jiang Hong" quietly increased the proportion of comedic elements in its promotional materials, "749 Bureau" urgently contacted Wang Junkai's fan club, and "Nameless" released behind-the-scenes photos of Tony Leung in advance...

It's clear to everyone that the battle for the Spring Festival film market was already tipped in the balance the moment "The Wandering Earth 2" was officially announced.

Two days later, on November 28, the premiere of "In the Octagonal Cage" was held at the Pan-Asia International Flagship Cinema in the capital.

Wang Baoqiang, dressed in a sharp suit, led a group of new actors playing "fighting teenagers" and bowed to each of the guests.

The applause lasted for a long time after the film ended!

One film critic, with tears in his eyes, said, "This is the most authentic Chinese story, more powerful than those unrealistic blockbusters."

With the premiere of "The Octagonal Cage" coming to a close, the calendar quietly turned past November, and December officially began.

The curtain has finally risen on the Lunar New Year film season!
"In the Octagonal Cage", "Avatar 2", "The Return of the South China Sea", "Someday or One Day"...

A series of films are gearing up, ready to present a cinematic feast to audiences this winter!
(End of this chapter)