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

Chapter 1380 Avatar 2, A Regretful Sequel to a Masterpiece...

Before the release of Avatar 2, Avatar 1 was released again in the Chinese film market.

Domestic audiences are already used to this kind of behavior.

In recent years, Hollywood blockbusters have made re-releasing previous works a "routine practice" when promoting new films.

For example, before the release of Avengers: Endgame, the first three films in the series were re-released.

There's also "Spider-Man: No Way Back," which re-released the original trilogy before its premiere.

Even "Titanic" has been re-released several times thanks to the 3D restored version.

In the words of netizens: "The formula may be old, but the previous works were just as good!"

So, on December 12th, many people went to the cinema with a sense of nostalgia.

Some people specially wore the "Na'vi" themed T-shirts they bought when they watched the movie back then, while others brought their children who had just started elementary school, wanting to let their children see what the 3D movie that their parents were so crazy about back then actually looked like.

In the screening room, when the floating mountains of Pandora first appeared on the screen, when the Na'vi rode flying beasts through the rainforest, and when the line "I see you" was uttered, the entire audience couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Although many years have passed and the special effects are no longer top-notch by today's standards, the awe-inspiring feeling of "immersing oneself in another world" can still move people.

As the movie ended, one audience member took a picture of their ticket stub and posted it on WeChat Moments: "I came to see this movie with my first love ten years ago, and now I'm bringing my husband to see it again. I still remember the plot clearly, and I still shed tears."

Some people remarked, "No wonder it grossed over $27 billion back then. The world-building and visual imagination are still unmatched by many films today."

The re-release of "Avatar 1" is like a pre-release "memory kill," allowing older viewers to relive the emotions and building anticipation for "Avatar 2."

After all, good movies are never afraid of being re-released.

As long as the story is solid and the visuals are stunning, many people will be willing to pay for this "classic" again, no matter how long it has been.

On the 15th, the box office results for the three days of the re-release of "Avatar 1" were released.

With a box office of 1.36 million, many films released during the Lunar New Year season were so ashamed that they ran away!
Thankfully, there's the movie "Octagonal Cage," which grossed over 10 billion yuan in just 13 days, otherwise we would all be too ashamed to show our faces.

The night passed, and it was the 16th. After 12 years, Avatar 2 officially began its theatrical release!
Although it was a Friday workday, Chen Fei's time was not controlled by anyone, and he could leave at any time.

So, at Ning Hao's insistence, he had no choice but to accompany the guy to a nearby movie theater.

Have you seen the finished product before?

Ning Hao put on his 3D glasses, his tone filled with anticipation and excitement.

Although he had confidently declared that he would surpass "Avatar 2", he was still quite nervous as the crucial moment approached.

Chen Fei shook his head: "No."

Although the film's copyright has now been consolidated under Walton Pictures, he has not seen the finished product in person since it was made.

Natasha and the rest of the Walton Pictures executives have already seen it and all said it was very well made.

While waiting for the movie to start, Chen Fei casually browsed the news and suddenly came across a rather interesting drama.

The County Party Committee Compound!
This drama boasts a stellar cast and crew, and is a joint production of CCTV and Daylight Entertainment, demonstrating the company's deep pockets.

The screenwriter is Wang Xiaoqiang, and the directors are the renowned Kong Sheng, Mao Junlin, and Wang Hong. Hou Hongliang serves as the producer. With Daylight Entertainment's golden team, the quality is highly guaranteed.

Starring Hu Ge, Wu Yue, Zhang Xincheng, Huang Lei, Li Guangjie, Liu Tao, and featuring cameo appearances by Sun Chun, Zhu Yuchen, Liu Haoran, Wan Qian, and other celebrities, any one of them would be a guarantee of high viewership.

The story revolves around Guangming County. Hu Ge plays Mei Xiaoge, the newly appointed Party Secretary of Guangming County, who faces a host of pressing problems. He unites with his colleagues, including Ai Xianzhi (played by Wu Yue), and works together with the people to rebuild their home.

With real-world issues such as demolition, environmental protection, and financial crises brought to the screen, it is clearly a grassroots drama full of everyday life.

On December 7, the drama premiered on CCTV-1 and multiple platforms including Tencent Video, Migu Video, iQiyi, and Youku, and achieved remarkable results.

KuYun Live ranked first in viewership among all channels for the same time slot for 10 consecutive days, with the highest single episode viewership reaching 1.9817%.

Tencent Video's popularity index exceeded 2.7, ranking first on the platform for several consecutive days; Migu Video's viewership exceeded 10.9 billion; and iQiyi's peak popularity index reached 8372...

The number of discussions on Weibo was astonishing, with related topics garnering a total of 20 billion views.

In addition, the total number of views on various short video platforms exceeds 27 billion, and it has repeatedly topped the authoritative data lists of the entire network, such as Maoyan and Guduo.

However, audience reviews of the show were mixed.

Viewers who gave positive reviews felt that the grassroots work scenes depicted in the drama were very realistic. Scenes like Mei Xiaoge going deep into villages to listen to the people's voices, and cadres racking their brains for the county's development, all felt very down-to-earth. Most of the actors delivered solid performances; Hu Ge portrayed Mei Xiaoge's approachability and sense of responsibility well, and Wu Yue's competence was also outstanding. The ensemble cast was particularly noteworthy…

However, there were also quite a few negative reviews.

The most pressing issue is Huang Lei's acting skills.

His portrayal of Secretary Lü Qingshan was criticized as overly performative, with every move reflecting his past appearances on variety shows. He lacked the composure and presence expected of a secretary, and his delivery of lines was also deliberately affected, making him incompatible with the character.

Regarding the plot, some scenes have been criticized for being too idealistic and unrealistic, and the solutions to some problems are too simplistic, failing to reflect the complexity of grassroots work in reality. It feels like the plot is creating a utopian grassroots environment for the audience, lacking depth...

Chen Fei was engrossed in watching when the lights in the theater gradually dimmed, and the opening music of "Avatar 2" slowly began to play.

Seeing that everyone around him was looking ahead, he simply put down his phone, put on 3D glasses, and turned his attention to the big screen.

As the screen lit up, the fluorescent seawater of Pandora flooded the view, and the 3D effects were indeed more refined than the first film.

The skin texture of the Na'vi, the glowing tentacles of marine life, even the arc of the splashing water are so clear it's as if they're right in front of you...

However, as Chen Fei watched, his heart gradually sank.

As his memories of his previous life gradually became clearer, he knew where the film's Achilles' heel lay.

Technically, it is indeed impeccable. The smoothness of the underwater motion capture and the imagination of the marine ecology are top-notch in the global film industry.

But the sense of awe from "0 to 1" is gone!

In the first film, audiences saw floating mountains, winged beasts, and Na'vi for the first time, and the shock of "so this is how movies can be made" is etched in their memories.

But in the second installment, it was nothing more than "Oh, so they can film even more details," so the sense of amazement was naturally diminished.

Fortunately, the audience seems to have gradually adapted to this visual language. No one is touching their glasses frequently or subconsciously dodging the flying rocks on the screen like they did when watching the first movie. Instead, they are starting to focus more on the plot.

But the plot is really uninspiring.

For most of the two and a half hours, the story focused on the Sally family's escape.

The children fight, get captured by the villains, escape, and get captured again...

Tuk's line, "How did I get tied up again?", perfectly expressed the feelings of the audience.

Ning Hao, who was watching from the side, frowned. He couldn't help but lean over and whisper, "Is this villain doing nothing but chasing after the protagonist?"

Chen Fei shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

What's even more incongruous is the routine of American families.

The father is always supposed to "protect the family," the son is always rebellious, the daughter always has secrets, and even the youngest child has to be given a role in "accidentally causing trouble." These settings might be appealing in Hollywood, but domestic audiences are used to the collectivism in "The Wandering Earth" and the grassroots resilience in "The Octagonal Cage," so it's hard for them to resonate with this kind of "individual hero family."

By the end, some audience members in the back rows were even yawning and complaining, "It wasn't as exciting as the first movie with its fighting scenes. This family drama is way too long!"

Chen Fei took off his 3D glasses and rubbed his temples.

Cameron clearly focused all his attention on technological upgrades, forgetting that a concise and powerful story is fundamental.

The first film's main storyline of "resisting invasion" was clear and exciting, but the second film's "family escape" dragged on like a tangled mess. The repetitive plot and stereotypical characters dimmed the brilliance of the technology.

As the movie ended, Ning Hao let out a long sigh of relief and said with a surprised tone, "The special effects were indeed amazing, but... it didn't seem as impressive as I had imagined?"

Chen Fei shook his head and sighed, "Technology is the ceiling, but the audience wants to see more than just the ceiling."

He knew that while Avatar 2 might make a splash at the box office thanks to its technology, it would likely be overshadowed in the domestic market by films that focused on storytelling, such as The Return of the South China Sea or even The Octagonal Cage.

After all, for the audience, no matter how dazzling the visuals are, they can't support a dragging story.

That afternoon, the Douban rating for Avatar 2 was released.

7.8 points!
This score is a full point lower than the 8.8 points of the first part.

Although the score wasn't bad, it was enough to illustrate the gap in viewers' experience.

Chen Fei opened the short comment section, and sure enough, the majority of the comments were negative:
"Technical prowess is perfect, but plot is a disaster. With a three-hour runtime, cutting an hour of family scenes wouldn't affect the main storyline at all. Does Cameron think the audience has unlimited time?"

"From a 'masterpiece' to a 'decent blockbuster,' the villain has been around for two movies, with no motivation other than shouting 'I want revenge.' The Sally family has been on the run for the entire movie. I'm tired, really tired."

"The 3D effects are still amazing! But without the 'immersive' impact of the first movie, it's like being used to delicacies; no matter how exquisite the plating is, it won't amaze you anymore."

"The American family tropes are suffocating: rebellious son, domineering father, sensible daughter... You can't escape these old tropes even on another planet. You might as well make more films about the marine life of Pandora."

"Tuke was kidnapped three times, I counted them. If you use the same plot too many times, even the best special effects can't save a lazy script."

After scrolling through a few comments, Chen Fei closed his phone and shook his head helplessly.

The ratings and reviews confirmed his judgment: the technology could maintain its standard, but the weak and formulaic story ultimately prevented this sequel, which had been "twelve years in the making," from meeting the audience's expectations.

It seems that even Cameron cannot escape the curse of "sequels failing to surpass their predecessors".

The following morning, the domestic and international box office figures for "Avatar 2" were released.

Domestic revenue reached 2.13 million RMB, while overseas revenue reached 7796 million USD.

Truck Driver is still pretty tough. Although its ratings on Douban and IMDb have dropped significantly compared to the first movie, its status is still undeniable.

Even if it's a pile of shit, there are still quite a few people willing to taste it to see if it's salty or not.

Three days passed in a flash, and it was already late December.

"The Octagonal Cage" has successfully surpassed 15 billion yuan at the box office.

Meanwhile, Avatar 2 grossed $4.73 million and $1.75 million at the domestic and international box office, respectively.

According to industry norms, the box office performance of a film in the first three days after its release can generally predict its final result.

After market research, the direction of Avatar 2 gradually became clear.

The domestic box office is expected to hover between 15 billion and 20 billion yuan. While the box office performance is not significantly lower than the first film, its reputation is far inferior.

However, the North American market is showing strong momentum, with estimates suggesting it could reach $6 million to $8 million. While this may not be as high as its predecessor's peak, it is still the absolute top-grossing film of its time.

In the international market, it has maintained a high screening rate in Europe and Southeast Asia, and its global box office growth is rapid, clearly still a flagship film of Hollywood.

That afternoon, Chen Fei's phone rang; it was Natasha calling from overseas.

“Fei, the data is out,” she said with a relaxed tone. “Breaking even will definitely not be a problem. Based on the current trend, we can earn at least $3 million, and it’s a sure thing to be in the top five at the global box office.”

Chen Fei hummed in agreement, tapping his fingertips on the table: "It's just that compared to the first one, the gap is still too big."

“Indeed,” Natasha sighed. “Especially in the Chinese market, the decline is more pronounced than expected. However, Cameron has already seen the audience feedback, reading every single negative review on Douban and every single complaint from North American film critics.”

"How did he say?"

“He was quite frank,” Natasha smiled, “saying that the second movie did focus too much on the family storyline and neglected the pacing. He also said that he would make changes in the third movie, reduce repetitive scenes, speed up the main plot, and add some settings that are more in line with the aesthetics of global audiences.”

Chen Fei didn't say anything more after hearing this.

Cameron is known in the industry for his stubbornness and seriousness. The fact that he is willing to lower his head and make adjustments shows that he still cares about market feedback.

"Let him keep trying."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fei rubbed his temples and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window.

The performance of Avatar 2 is like a mirror, showing that Hollywood's technological hegemony still exists, but narratives detached from the domestic market will eventually reveal their flaws.

Meanwhile, the domestic film and television industry is gradually narrowing the gap with works such as "The Octagonal Cage" and "The Wandering Earth".

This contest has clearly only just begun, and the road ahead is long and arduous...

……

Meanwhile, the battle for box office supremacy during the Lunar New Year film season is in full swing.

Meanwhile, Jay Chou was trending on social media due to the controversy surrounding his Singapore concert.

Some audience members complained online that the sound system was poor, the chorus segment was too long and the main song was shortened, and some even posted videos of the accompaniment being cut off halfway through the song, questioning whether the singer was "slacking off" or "unprofessional".

However, his fans countered that "the atmosphere at the scene was amazing" and "he was scolded even after singing three more songs."

The two sides argued fiercely in the comments section.

In a short time, topics such as #JayChouConcertControversy# and #FansClashWithAnti-fans# trended on social media, and even casual observers couldn't help but join the discussion.

Chen Fei was processing year-end bonuses and benefits for his employees when he saw the news, so he just glanced at it and scrolled past it.

Some controversies in the entertainment industry come and go quickly, so there's no need to pay too much attention to them.

...

Before we know it, December is about to come to an end.

A cold wind blew through Hangzhou, accompanied by a light drizzle. Chen Fei, wearing a baseball cap, walked discreetly into the Asian Games venue.

The dome theater overhead is now complete. The huge spherical dome gleams with a metallic sheen under the lights, and the construction team is making final adjustments.

Upon seeing him arrive, the person in charge quickly came forward and handed him the acceptance form: "Mr. Chen, the hardware setup is complete. The projection equipment and acoustic system have been tested, and the effect is even better than expected."

Chen Fei looked up at the building that had taken nearly a year to complete, a smile spreading across his face.

From blueprints to reality, this dome theater venue, capable of accommodating 80000 people, will undoubtedly become the best window for showcasing technology and art during the Asian Games!
(End of this chapter)