The world begins with Hong Kong movies

Chapter 475 Who can turn down money? (Seeking monthly votes)

It's time to come, it's coming.

After listening to the detailed explanation from the person in charge of Fengrui Film and Television, Wu Feng immediately understood, but still felt displeased.

Even with his presence, the Hong Kong film and television industry became more glamorous and influential than in normal times.

However, a large amount of illicit funds from Taiwan still entered the Hong Kong film and television industry, causing a huge uproar.

The first to be affected are the salaries of celebrities.

Take Andy Lau for example. The salary he received for starring in a movie two years ago was about three million Hong Kong dollars.

Last year it rose to four million. Of course, I met someone who was rich enough to pay five million.

But this year has only just begun, and his salary as the lead actor in a movie has already reached seven million.

Do you really think that film companies' funds just fall from the sky?

However, it is an undeniable fact that the salaries of Hong Kong stars have skyrocketed!

Surprisingly, the first to respond were all small and medium-sized film companies in Hong Kong Island, who suddenly became very wealthy.

When they start a film project, they don't care whether the script is complete or whether the plot has any highlights. Their first thought is to sign big stars to act in it, since the investors have plenty of money.

As a result, recently, the leading actors in movies produced by small and medium-sized film companies in Hong Kong Island were all A-list and B-list celebrities.

If the plot isn't too clichéd and bad, or if the filming isn't done with care, viewers will have all sorts of complaints after watching it, and they might actually cause quite a stir.

According to the head of Fengrui Films, several leading film companies in Hong Kong are already feeling the pressure.

After all, the competitive spirit among celebrities is exceptionally strong.

It's not that they are really that driven, but rather that external factors such as pay and endorsement fees force them to do so.

At that time, Andy Lau could only be considered a top-tier celebrity in Hong Kong, not a true movie star, yet his film salary had reached seven million.

Even higher-level movie stars like Chow Yun-fat and Leslie Cheung couldn't possibly earn less than Andy Lau, right?
But their salary last year was only a little over four million.

An increase of over three million dollars at once has a huge impact on the film's budget.

If the lead actors' salaries are so high, what about the supporting actors? Will their salaries also increase dramatically?
Although the increase won't be as dramatic as that of the lead actors, the production budget for the entire crew will still need to be increased by at least five to eight million Hong Kong dollars.

Recouping costs through theatrical releases has become significantly more difficult.

It's fair to say that with the dramatic increase in star salaries in Hong Kong, it's virtually impossible for a mid-budget film to recoup its costs through box office revenue in Hong Kong and Macau.

Previously, the production cost of a medium-budget film would range from ten million to fifteen or sixteen million Hong Kong dollars.

Among these expenses, the total cost of star salaries plus other expenses will not exceed half of the production cost, thus ensuring the quality of the film.

But now, a medium-budget film that invited Andy Lau, after deducting all expenses, would be lucky to have a production cost of three million.

Unless the majority of the film is set indoors, you can make a good movie in your dreams.

According to the person in charge of Fengrui Films, things are not too bad at Jiahe, after all, Cheng Shilong's salary is notoriously high.

Last year it was eight million, this year it rose to ten million, but it really doesn't have much impact on the films he starred in. The key is that Cheng Shilong is particularly popular in the small-time film industry.

Movies based on it are generally of good quality and have received good reviews. Most importantly, with slight modifications, they can be adapted into arcade and cartridge games that have a considerable market share.

Zou Wenhuai is ambitious and wants to use Cheng Shilong to successfully enter the American market. The small increase in his salary is nothing.

Leaving aside the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, they basically revolve around Cheng Shih-lung's movies, and Cheng Shih-lung is responsible for their bonuses and benefits.

The only thing to consider is Hong Xinbao and his Hong Family Troupe.

However, Hung Hsin-pao is in a period of decline. It seems that the movies in which he plays the lead role have suddenly become unpopular and are not selling well at the box office.

If it weren't for the good revenue from the previously popular movie-adapted game, things would probably be much worse off by now.

Under such circumstances, it would be good enough if he could maintain his original salary; it's highly unlikely that it would increase significantly.

Among Sammo Hung's stunt team, only Uncle Ying can play the lead role and still have box office appeal.

His portrayal of Master Jiu, the Taoist priest from Maoshan, is truly a classic.

As for Chen You and Wu Ma, it was already quite a stretch for them to play the lead role in just one segment of the "Mr. Vampire" film series.

Even if we raise their salaries, the maximum wouldn't exceed HK$500,000.

Uncle Ying, on the other hand, became popular again after filming fan-made versions of the "Vampire Expert" series of movies. His current salary has risen to three million, which is still quite different from that of top stars like Andy Lau and Leslie Cheung.

When talking about "Vampire Expert", the head of Fengrui Films couldn't help but show an envious look. It's truly a treasure.

You must have faith in the talent of many fanfiction authors; there are always those with amazing writing skills and exceptional plot design abilities.

This time, Hong Xinbao, through his Baohe Company, invested heavily in the "Vampire Expert" film series, which was adapted from several high-quality fan fiction works by Uncle Nine.

There were originally two paths to choose from: one was to focus on the Maoshan School and tell the story of the Taoist world during the Republic of China period; the other was to incorporate the content of warlord conflicts, with a grander worldview and greater filming difficulty.

After discussing with the core members of the Hong Family Troupe, Hong Xinbao decided on the first filming plan, as this method was much cheaper.

According to what this guy revealed while drinking with friends in private: those authors can write whatever they want, and the more amazing it is, the more it attracts readers.

But damn it, the more surprising and bizarre the content, the more difficult it is to film. Isn't that just making things difficult for people?

Regardless, after the first "Vampire Expert" film was released, it became a hit in the Hong Kong and Macau film markets, and then spread to East Asia and Southeast Asia.

The box office revenue alone is not a small amount.

Including DVD and CD licensing, other peripheral businesses, and most importantly, the development of arcade and cartridge games, the total revenue is said to be close to HK$100 million, much to the delight of Hung Sin-po and a group of core members of the Hung Clan.

It's worth noting that "The Vampire Expert" is a series; according to the novel, it could easily be made into ten films.

This means that producing one film a year is like a gold mine that can sustain you for ten years!

Moreover, as time goes on, the gold output of this large gold mine is very likely to increase, and which film and television company wouldn't be envious after hearing about it?

(End of this chapter)