During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 812 The Surprise of the New Animated Film: The Secret Harem Squad
After holding out for eight days, "The Crossing Part 2" was finally abandoned by all domestic cinemas.

Even the cinemas owned by the two production companies, China Film Group and Huayi Brothers, were unwilling to screen this movie.

There was no other way; the attendance was too dismal. Every screening of "The Crossing" meant a loss, and nobody could afford to do that!

Instead of wasting resources, why not give the screenings to other movies? At least we can make some money, right?
The box office of 2674 million yuan undoubtedly announced a fact to the industry.

In other words, the worst commercial blockbuster and the worst film by a major director in the history of Chinese-language cinema since the millennium has been born!
"Chairman Han, oh Chairman Han, you've really put me in a terrible situation!"

In the chairman's office of China Film Group, La Peikang was holding the latest compiled data on several films, and he was completely distraught.

The "Taiping" series was clearly Han Sanping's investment decision, but a lot of doubts and insults fell on him.

What's even more baffling is that "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," which was released at the same time, raked in a whopping 6.59 million yuan at the box office, and its daily revenue remained firmly above 60 million yuan!

This data not only broke the box office record for domestic animated films, but also headed straight for the 15 billion yuan mark.

You should know that this film was originally invested in by China Film Group, but it was inexplicably transferred to Shanhe Media. Who can we complain to about this?
Yes, it is undeniable that China Film Group also benefited considerably from this deal.

But Han Sanping got all those benefits, and as his successor, he didn't get any at all.

"Even if China Film Group had kept only 10% back then, it would have still contributed to the rise of Chinese-language animated films. Mr. Han, are you out of your mind?"

Just as Pei Kang was rambling on and on, his secretary brought him news that made him feel even worse.

"Chairman La, a document has been issued from above, requiring you to provide corresponding feedback and internal reporting on the failure of the 'The Crossing' series."

Flipping through the documents handed to him by his secretary, La Peikang was quite irritated and waved his hand impatiently.

"Okay, I understand. You can go now."

"it is good."

The secretary responded and respectfully left the office, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

"Ugh"

La Peikang let out a long sigh and pondered how to explain things to his superiors.

In the "The Crossing" project, China Film Group suffered a loss of approximately 200 million yuan, including production and distribution costs.

Even if China Film Group is a large and powerful company that isn't afraid of losing money as long as it can produce political achievements, it shouldn't be losing money in this way!

Therefore, La Peikang was mentally prepared for the "accountability" from above, but he did not expect it to come so quickly.

According to past practice, this is something that happens at the end of the year or after the audit is completed.

Despite the annoyance, La Peikang wasn't too worried.

After all, he still has "The Mermaid", "The Great Wall", "Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" and "Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back" which just started filming to support him.

With these blockbuster films in his repertoire, his position remains quite secure.

However, being ridiculed by those state-owned enterprise executives is probably inevitable.

More importantly, relations with the Wei and Jin dynasties are becoming increasingly strained. What should be done in the future?
Wei Jin was unaware of La Peikang's frustration; at that moment, he was browsing the new project submitted by Tian Xiaopeng's team.

Since acquiring shares in October Culture last year, Wei Jin has spoken with them, encouraging them to start new projects and outlining some of the key points.

To be honest, Wei Jin didn't watch many animated films in his previous life, and he hadn't even heard of many. He could only give a general range or relevant themes.

Perhaps due to concerns about the success of "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," October Media has remained inactive, spending most of its time cooperating with the animation team to take on comic adaptation projects from Tudou.com.

With the movie now a box office hit, it's definitely time to get started on projects for my own team.

"Mr. Wei, what do you think of these two projects?"

Seeing Wei Jin put down the project proposal, Tian Xiaopeng took the opportunity to inquire about it.

"Both 'White Snake' and 'Havoc in Heaven' are top-tier super IPs, and they're worth making."

Wei Jin gave an affirmative answer, and the two projects were respectively based on the Legend of the White Snake and Journey to the West.

The former is considered the first film in the "White Snake" series, with a budget of 60 million; while the latter is the prequel to "Monkey King: Hero Is Back", with an even higher budget of 100 million!
In fact, by producing, creating, and handling special effects in-house, costs can be significantly reduced.

If it were any other company, this budget would definitely be unacceptable, and would increase by at least 20% or 30%!

"Mr. Wei, which one would you like to do first?"

From his heart, Tian Xiaopeng wanted to start making "Havoc in Heaven".

After all, the team has always been working on the Journey to the West theme, so they are very familiar with it and it is easier for them to get started.

But ultimately, the choice will definitely depend on the big boss; whichever film is approved, that's which film will be produced.

Tian Xiaopeng hadn't expected Wei Jin to be even more decisive than he had imagined, leaving him completely stunned by a single sentence.

"Director Tian, ​​why not make both films at the same time?"

"President Wei, if we open both projects simultaneously, what about the timeline?"

Hearing Tian Xiaopeng's offhand remark, Wei Jin smiled and shook his head.

"Director Tian, ​​'Monkey King: Hero Is Back' was made by your team under difficult conditions, enduring loneliness and spending many years to complete."

But October Culture is different now. They have no shortage of funds, equipment, and manpower. Opening two theaters is not impossible. It's estimated that it will only take two or three years.

Besides, the most difficult part of animated films—post-production special effects—is handled by Shanhe Shuimo, right? Just go for it, I'll cover for you!

Since Boss Wei had already put it that way, what could Tian Xiaopeng do? He immediately nodded in agreement, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.

He even planned to go back and gather the company's employees to retrace the "Long March" route from back then.

Isn't it just about working overtime?

You treat me as a national hero, and I will repay you as a national hero!

Wei Jin was unaware of Tian Xiaopeng's inner monologue. After the latter left, he chatted with Zhong Lifang about the extended key for "Monkey King: Hero Is Back".

"Mr. Wei, don't worry, I've already made the arrangements. This is the first animated film in China to have such high box office numbers, it will definitely be approved."

“Yes, as long as the extension goes smoothly, 15 billion is definitely not a problem.” Wei Jin nodded in agreement with Zhong Lifang’s assessment, then asked, “What’s the situation with the surrounding areas?”

Shanhe Media is not simply a production company; it is an entertainment group with a nearly complete industry chain, with games and related merchandise being important channels for making money.

The genre of "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" is naturally suitable for family entertainment, and it was released during the summer season. If the development of related merchandise doesn't keep up, all the company's top executives will have to be fired!
"Mr. Wei, things are going well with the games. Shanhe Technology's 'Dark Journey to the West' has only been online for a week, but its daily revenue is already close to five million. I estimate that its popularity will last for at least half a year."

However, the sales of related merchandise fell short of expectations. Although we signed licensing agreements with over a dozen brands, we only sold a little over 40 million yuan in about ten days, mainly due to the rampant piracy problem.

At this point, Zhong Lifang said with some pain, "Judging from the sales of related merchandise, at least half of it is gone. The legal team is working on it, but I estimate the results will be minimal."

It must be acknowledged that China has its own unique national circumstances, making it extremely difficult to produce officially licensed merchandise.

Most viewers are used to getting things for free. If the official version is released today, a bunch of counterfeit versions will appear on Taobao overnight, making it impossible to guard against.

The tactics employed by companies like Disney, known for their aggressive consumer rights protection, would be completely ineffective in China. The procedures alone would take an indefinite amount of time to complete.

However, Wei Jin took it in stride. “It’s alright. We should sue if necessary. We don’t seek to recover the losses, but we must make our stance clear. Things will only get better.”

"Yes, I understand, Mr. Wei."

In mid-August, after reaping the benefits of the last weekend, "Seattle 2" officially ended its theatrical run and was pulled from theaters, ultimately grossing 10.94 billion yuan.

Although the film did not receive a higher box office share due to production costs, the production company still received 4.3 million yuan in box office revenue, based on a 43% share.

Including the three pre-roll ads, a small number of product placements, and miscellaneous revenue from online streaming rights and overseas copyrights, the total revenue of this show reached 5 million.

After deducting the production cost of 60 million and the marketing cost of 30 million, "Seattle 2" achieved a net profit of over 400 million, making a solid profit!
Normally, a movie that grosses over 10 billion yuan will definitely have a big celebration party, just like the movie "Jianbing Man" this weekend.

Sohu's CEO, Mr. Zhang, personally invited over a hundred media reporters, along with numerous industry peers and celebrities, making the event as star-studded as a large-scale awards ceremony.

It's no wonder that a fledgling director's first feature film achieved a box office of 11.28 billion yuan, even with a lot of controversy, it is indeed worth celebrating!

Da Peng himself also made a high-profile announcement at the celebration banquet that he was officially retiring from the hosting industry and entering the film industry to prepare for his new film!

In contrast, Xue Xiaolu, a professor at the Beijing Film Academy, was much more low-key. At her own request, the celebration banquet for "Seattle 2" was not large in scale.

Apart from a few media outlets, only the entire cast and crew and some celebrities who had worked with the production attended.

Although the celebration banquet was not large in scale, Boss Wei was quite generous, giving Xue Xiaolu a red envelope containing ten million yuan as compensation.

The rest of the main creative team, crew members, and even the reporters present all received red envelopes of varying sizes, creating a joyous atmosphere.

"Teacher Xue, what are your plans for the future?"

At the main table in the private room, Wei Jin raised his glass and clinked it with Xue Xiaolu's before asking softly.

As soon as Wei Jin finished speaking, everyone at the table turned to look at Xue Xiaolu, since they had the best chance of making a new film!
However, under everyone's gaze, Xue Xiaolu shook her head, "I don't have any ideas for the time being. I plan to take a break and recharge myself."

"Alright, the story and script both need meticulous polishing. Teacher Xue is now a billion-dollar director; we can't afford to tarnish his reputation easily, hahaha."

Faced with Wei Jin's teasing, Xue Xiaolu smiled and said, "You always know how to make fun of me. My achievements are nothing compared to yours."

"Teacher Xue is being modest, haha."

Wei Jin chuckled, not dwelling on the topic, and instead brought up another matter.

"Mr. Xue, if you don't have any other plans lately, why don't you take on a supervisor role on the company's new project?"

"That movie, 'When a Man Loves'?"

"Yes, the pre-production of the film is almost complete. Romance films are your forte, so could you help mentor the newcomers?"

To be honest, Wei Jin wasn't worried about Su Lun's level of skill, especially since it was a remake, which wasn't really that difficult.

However, as a director who has grossed over 1 billion yuan, Xue Xiaolu's role as a producer will definitely boost box office performance and provide more effective publicity.

"Okay, I'm fine with it."

Xue Xiaolu agreed without much consideration. She believed in Shanhe Media's ability to operate projects and that they would never produce a bad film.

"Then thank you, Teacher Xue. Respectfully yours."

After the lively celebration banquet, Wei Jin followed Yang Mi to her newly renovated home—No. 77, Beiheyan Jia, Dongcheng District.

Speaking of which, Yang Mi was one of the women around Wei and Jin who had a very good investment sense and mind.

Last year, Wei Jin advised her not to invest in LeEco. After thinking it over, she used her idle funds to buy this house for a total price of over 30 million yuan.

This nearly 500-square-meter apartment, located in the core business district of the East Second Ring Road, has considerable potential for future appreciation at this price.

However, these were not the main concerns of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

After looking around the empty living room, he pulled Yang Mi into his arms, kneading her plump, round buttocks under her short skirt, and asked with some doubt, "Where's the surprise you prepared for me? It can't just be this house, can it?"

"Senior, don't rush, let's take a shower first. It's so hot today, I'm covered in sweat."

"That's fine too. The night is long, I'm not in a hurry."

Wei Jin readily agreed and was about to take off his clothes and go into the bathroom when Yang Mi stopped him again and handed him an eye mask from somewhere.

"Senior brother, you have to wear this for a surprise!"

"Fine, let's see what you're up to."

Wei Jin was familiar with this thing and did not believe that Yang Mi would harm him, so he immediately put on the blindfold and followed Yang Mi into the bathroom.

As soon as he entered, Wei Jin felt a pair of small hands helping him undress. He tentatively asked, "Is that Rui Xi?"

"Yes, Mr. Wei, it's me."

"Hmm... Huh? Meatball, you're here too?"

As the warmth faded, Rouba's puzzled voice rang out, "Huh? Brother, how did you guess?"

"Hey, how many times have I told you about those two little tiger teeth of yours?"

"Rouba, you're so useless. Senior brother guessed it right away. Let me do it."

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(End of this chapter)