Huayu timely rain, they forced me to be the top star

An in-house movie premiere is being held inside a cinema in Beijing.

Zhang Yang brought his women and their daughters to watch "Ne Zha".

The story itself is very simple, but the simpler it is, the more touching it is.

"Ne Zha" is a revolutionary Chinese 3D animated film.

The story, naturally, is based on the mythological novel "Investiture of the Gods," telling the tale of Nezha, the reincarnation of the spirit pearl under Nuwa's throne.

However, this time, the setting of the Spirit Pearl has been changed to a Primordial Pearl nurtured by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The energy of this Chaos Pearl was refined by the Primordial Celestial Venerable into pure spiritual energy and demonic energy, which condensed into a Spirit Pearl and a Demon Pill.

The Spirit Pearl was given to Taiyi Zhenren by Yuanshi Tianzun, who then took it to Li Jing, the general of Chentang Pass, where it transformed into his third son, Nezha.

However, Shen Gongbao, a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, was dissatisfied with his master's favoritism towards humans. He secretly switched the Spirit Pearl and the Demon Orb, causing Nezha to become the "Demon Child" who was the reincarnation of the Demon Orb by mistake. Meanwhile, the Spirit Pearl was traded between him and the Dragon King of the East Sea and injected into the body of Ao Bing, the prince of the Dragon Clan.

When Nezha was born, the power of the Demon Orb went out of control, causing him to wreak havoc and frightening the people, leading them to regard him as a monster.

To protect their son, Li Jing and his wife could only keep him at home and asked Taiyi Zhenren to take him as a disciple to teach him, hoping that Nezha could cultivate his character and understand the ways of the world.

But Nezha only has a three-year lifespan, and to give him such guidance and education within his limited lifespan seems somewhat superfluous.

In the movie, the demon child Nezha longs to be accepted, but is rejected by the people because of his violent nature influenced by demonic energy.

His life experiences gradually made him rebellious and lonely, and he could only hide his inner pain by portraying himself as a "little devil".

Many hilarious things happened during this time, and Nezha also met Ao Bing. Time quickly passed and three years later.

The heavenly lightning left behind by Yuanshi Tianzun descended, and the curse approached. Only at this time did everyone realize that Li Jing intended to exchange his life for Nezha's.

Upon learning that his father, Li Jing, was willing to exchange his life for his own, Nezha suddenly realized his mistake and decided to fight against his own destiny. He broke free from the shackles of the Universe Ring, used the power of the Demon Orb to defy fate, and shouted the inspiring words, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

Ao Bing is the incarnation of the Spirit Pearl. He and Nezha share a deep bond, but they are forced to oppose each other because they bear the heavy responsibility of freeing the Dragon Clan from the Heavenly Prison. Ao Bing even decides to slaughter Chen Tang Pass to silence the witnesses.

In the end, however, he abandoned the constraints of his clan and joined hands with Nezha to overcome the calamity.

Although their physical bodies were destroyed, their souls were preserved by the True Man Taiyi with lotus flowers, giving them a chance to be reborn.

This animated film, through the contrast between Nezha and Ao Bing, reveals the theme that "birth is not destiny".

Nezha's heroic deeds despite being a demon are an attempt to break down people's stereotypical prejudices about "good and evil".

Although Ao Bing is a spirit pearl, he is lost due to the shackles of his clan and does not do the right thing, but eventually awakens through friendship.

The tragedy of the dragons being imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, and the injustice suffered by Shen Gongbao because of his demonic identity, all tell stories of fighting against discrimination and unfair fate.

After watching it, the women were deeply moved.

"This dumpling director is truly a talent," Yang Mi remarked as she approached Zhang Yang.

She was holding a pretty little girl in her arms and reached out to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang was already holding two children, so he could only nuzzle his face against his adorable daughter and say, "Let Mommy hold you, Daddy will play with you tonight."

After calming his daughter down, Zhang Yang smiled and replied to Yang Mi, "I value him so much, and I've spent hundreds of millions to play with him. I can't let him down, right?"

"I know you're capable, but you don't have to say it all the time." Yang Mi gave her a disdainful look, then asked, "So, how much do you think this movie will make at the box office?"

These wives of Zhang Yang had taken a small gamble behind the scenes.

She was the most daring, betting that the movie's box office could exceed 30 billion.

Liu Shishi was the least daring, believing that breaking 15 billion was about right.

After all, while the previous film, "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," did well at the box office, it was still a long way from reaching 20 billion yuan.

Considering that Zhang Yang has put up more than 200 million yuan this time, in order to make a small profit, 15 billion yuan is definitely needed.

"Ne Zha" was entirely independently invested and produced by Xinghai Media Group, and its distribution was also handled by Xinghai itself, allowing it to capture roughly 50% of the total box office revenue.

After deducting approximately 10% of the revenue allocated to various government departments, major cinema chains can take 40% of the total box office revenue.

In this part, Zhang Yang has also acquired some cinemas in first- and second-tier cities, forming a global cinema chain that accounts for 10% of all cinema chains.

Box office revenue from first- and second-tier cities accounts for 30% to 50% of all cinemas' revenue.

Based on the calculations, Zhang Yang felt he should be able to capture 55% of the total box office.

“Let’s challenge ‘The Wandering Earth’,” Zhang Yang said after some thought. Yang Mi: ?
Isn't that close to 5 billion?
Outrageous!

Yang Mi found Zhang Yang's predicted number somewhat unbelievable.

But as it turns out, her disbelief did not hinder the phenomenal success of "Ne Zha".

On its opening day, the film grossed 23800 million RMB, setting a new record for the highest opening day box office for an animated film.

The film grossed 10.3 billion RMB in four days and 1.689 billion RMB in seven days.

At this point, the film's momentum did not decline as many had predicted. On the contrary, because it was during the summer vacation, many people went to see it a second time, and some parents even took their children to see it, simply because the discussion had already taken off.

With its passionate and humorous narrative and delicate emotional portrayal, the film reshapes Nezha's image of "breaking free from fate and achieving self-redemption," conveying the positive value that "choices determine destiny." It will undoubtedly be a milestone in Chinese animation.

Finally, we see a good Li Jing; this is the kind of father I imagined he should be. This is a very positive change.

[Previously, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, was said to "die immediately upon leaving the pagoda," but this Li Jing deserves it.]

My reaction upon first seeing the animated version: "Nezha is so ugly, this movie is going to flop!" My reaction after watching the movie: "Nezha is great, he'll be my idol from now on! Young Nezha is so handsome, is this the joy of raising a child? Go Nezha to the box office!"

[I, a man two meters tall, was actually moved to tears. This is truly the new hope for Chinese animation. It's no longer just a superficial and empty collection of Chinese style, but has begun to use mythology and allegory to create real "ordinary people." Thumbs up!]

[Screenplay by Zhang Yang, directed by Jiaozi, produced by Xinghai Productions, special effects by Xinghai – from now on, I'll only trust this company; you can't go wrong with them.]

[Born with original sin, destined to die, the certainty of existence and the wavering of identity, a fully constructed worldview, father-son, mother-son, master-disciple, brother, friend-enemy relationships—every relationship is handled with depth and realism, without any perfunctory effort. Truly superb!]

[They even brought in Stephen Chow as the comedy director and Zhang Yang himself as the martial arts choreographer. The film's art direction, editing, music, and action choreography are top-notch not only domestically but also globally.]

[So, even the comedic parts of this movie aren't just silly nonsense; they're supported by countless details. The sunset shuttlecock kicking scene at the beach and the fantastical fairyland depicting the Sheji Tu (a type of ancient Chinese painting) were absolutely amazing. This is the kind of Chinese film we should have; it's worth watching again and again. I'm willing to give it a full five stars and give it my enthusiastic support.]

[Best animated film of the year—no, best film of the year! Its mature script should make "The Lion King," released in the same period, kneel down and call it "daddy."]

[Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I never imagined that 2019 wouldn't just be the year of Chinese sci-fi blockbusters, but this film, along with *White Snake*, created an unprecedented climax for domestic animation, marking the beginning of my country's 3D animation era.]

[I would call this year the Zhang Yang Year 1, ushering in a new era.]

【.】

Overwhelmingly positive reviews swept across the country.

No one expected that "Ne Zha" would achieve such phenomenal success.

It grossed over 15 billion yuan in its first week, 30 billion yuan in 9 days, and 20 billion yuan in 13 days. In 20 days, it grossed over 40 billion yuan, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in Asia.

At this point, the box office growth rate finally began to decline, but with the key extended and the film scheduled to be released throughout the summer, the possibility of it reaching another 10 billion yuan in box office revenue is very high.

At that time, it will be the second film to break the 50 billion yuan box office mark after "The Wandering Earth".

Furthermore, Zhang Yang remains the screenwriter and producer, and Xinghai Investment is still producing the film.

The two films grossed over 10 billion RMB at the box office.

"You've grown up way too fast."

"As expected of you, Zhang Yang!"

"Honey, I'm not greedy. How about a movie that grosses over 3 billion at the box office?"

"A film like 'Dying to Survive,' which is both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, is also acceptable."

"."

The women clung to Zhang Yang.

This man will surely be recorded in film history.

No one in this era shines brighter than him!
But Zhang Li felt that this only applied to the entertainment industry.

Secretly, he has already begun developing new energy vehicles and is working with Xiaomi to develop StarMi Cars.

In addition, he has invested in Hangzhou Six Dragons, and is involved in algorithms, robotics, and other fields.

"Set a small goal: become the richest person in ten years!"

END (End of this chapter)