HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 190 [190] Carrying the box office is comparable to a two-week run.

No sooner had Yu Chenghui left than Qi Yuan also left the film crew to return to Beijing for the mainland premiere of "Gunfire".

On June 21st, Qi Yuan, Simon Yam, Brother Crow, Lu Songxian, Lin Xue, and Li Bingbing all came.

Huang Qiusheng didn't come, and nobody cares whether he came or not.

Qi Yuan and several others changed into the black outfits they wore in the movie.

Several people surrounded Du Qifeng, making him look somewhat like Brother Wen from the movie.

Du Qifeng has been feeling refreshed lately.

The Mission grossed over 15 million at the Hong Kong box office.

In Hong Kong, films have a long run. "King of Comedy" ran for over a month and a half before being taken off the screens at the beginning of the year. Nicholas Tse's "Half a Cigarette" was even more outrageous; it was released on May 11th and didn't completely leave theaters until December 16th.

The key extension process in Hong Kong is relatively simple; the distributor and the cinema just need to agree on a price.

With the box office success of "Gunfire," they can definitely easily get extra time.

If the film does well at the box office in mainland China, the buzz will spread back to Hong Kong, creating another wave of interest in "The Mission".

Both Johnnie To and Milkyway Image believe that the film should have little trouble grossing 20 million at the Hong Kong box office.

This is Hong Kong in 1999! A box office of 20 million is an absolutely remarkable achievement.

Only two films grossed over 20 million HKD in Hong Kong this year: Stephen Chow's "King of Comedy" with 2984 million HKD and Jackie Chan's "Gorgeous" with 2754 million HKD.

The box office success of these two films was driven by the "weekly journey" segment of the "two weeks in a row" film.

They dominated Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s and 90s.

Qi Yuan, a mainland Chinese, is making his first film in Hong Kong. If his first film grosses over 20 million, then Qi Yuan will be the biggest dark horse newcomer in the Hong Kong film industry in 1999, without exception.

The premiere was very lively, with a much larger scale than the Hong Kong premiere.

Industry heavyweights such as Feng Xiaogang (the two big shots of Huayi Brothers), Zhang Weiping (New Pictures), Han Sanye (China Film Group), and Chen Kaige and Chen Hong (husband and wife) all came.

There are also a number of mainland actors such as Ning Jing, Zhao Yanzi, Wang Zhiwen, and Huang Xiaoming.

The movie "The Mission" has a great reputation. After obtaining a public screening license, it was heavily promoted in mainland China, and industry insiders have heard of it to varying degrees.

Moreover, with Master Han present today, many people came to show their support out of respect for him.

When discussing the story behind the creation of the work, Du Qifeng glanced at Qi Yuan and said with a broad smile.

"To be honest, I called Yuen-zai several times because of him. It turns out I was right; Yuen-zai gave me a big surprise. Yuen-zai played a crucial role in the film's great box office performance in Hong Kong."

Not only in Hong Kong, but Qi Yuan also played a very important role in enabling this film to be released in mainland China.

"It's because the script was well-written and Director Du directed it well."

Qi Yuan laughed heartily. That's how the entertainment industry is; everyone flatters and elevates you.

After the creators shared their creative stories, it was time for the most anticipated part: the movie screening.

Apart from a few people such as Qi Yuan, Han Sanye, and Chen Kaige and his wife, most of the others had not seen this movie.

After all, not many people would fly all the way to Hong Kong just to watch a movie and then come back.

After watching the movie, everyone realized that the production team hadn't exaggerated; it really is a good film.

Only by understanding this movie can you truly understand the underworld.

A film about men's lives in the martial arts world, their romance, and the painful struggles of being caught in its currents. Xiao Wang from Huayi Brothers asked Feng Xiaogang, "Big Gang, what do you think of this film?"

"It's great, and it has a chance to win Best Film at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards. That kid named Qi Yuan acted very well and has a chance to win Best Actor."

Feng Xiaogang was genuinely envious.

In recent years, he has directed Feng Xiaogang's comedies such as "The Dream Factory" and "Be There or Be Square," all of which have been box office hits.

Based on these achievements, Feng Xiaogang and Huayi began to emulate Zhang Yingmou and Chen Kaige, promoting themselves as the three leading figures in the mainland directing industry.

The other two didn't even glance at him.

Zhang Yingmou's refusal to acknowledge him is related to his personality. He is low-key, dislikes being ostentatious, and is somewhat weak-willed. He generally won't respond to things like staged accidents.

Chen Kaige completely looked down on Feng Xiaogang. What kind of player was he, Feng Xiaogang? He even looked down on Zhang Yingmou, let alone someone like Feng Xiaogang.

Currently, neither industry insiders nor audiences agree with the "three-horse carriage" theory.

Feng Xiaogang's comedies are primarily humorous and comedic, lacking depth, and have been frequently criticized for their distorted values ​​and vulgarity.

Zhang Yingmou and Chen Kaige both started out making art films, and they have won numerous awards both domestically and internationally, making them quite prestigious.

Feng Xiaogang also wants to make some artistic films to prove himself.

So he later made films such as "Youth" and "Back to 1942".

Many directors are like this: they start out with commercial films, and after achieving success, they no longer prioritize the needs of the audience, but rather make themselves happy before considering the audience.

Feng Xiaogang is still inexperienced and lacks the courage to abandon his signature style of comedy and pursue art.

Seeing "The Mission" must have filled him with longing.

Which director wouldn't want to make a good film that combines commercial appeal and artistic merit?

Many actors in the audience envied Qi Yuan, thinking how lucky he was to have landed such a great film so soon after entering the movie industry.

Qi Yuan's starting point is the finish line that countless actors dream of.

Actors from the Beijing Film Academy, including Huang Xiaoming and Zhao Yanzi, were discussing the film in hushed tones.

Looking at the radiant Qi Yuan on stage, Xiao Wang couldn't help but sigh, "I really wish we could recruit Qi Yuan to our company."

The king was more pragmatic. He shook his head and said, "Dream on. How much profit did our company make last year? How much money did Qi Yuan make last year? If you were him, you wouldn't work for someone else either."

Last year, Huayi Brothers earned 50 million yuan in profit thanks to Feng Xiaogang's films and other revenue streams.

Qi Yuan is a pop king who is popular across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong. Media reports indicate that he earns tens of millions of dollars a year from endorsements, commercial performances, concerts, and record sales.

The two kings asked someone to check and found that the media reports were true; Qi Yuan's actual income might be higher than the media's estimates.

They found out about Star Wish Studio's year-end revenue and discovered that the amount matched the media's speculation.

At the time, Xiao Wang cursed Qi Yuan as a complete idiot, saying that he was just throwing away hard-earned money and that he should have kept it for himself if possible—this was common knowledge in the industry.

The king had a different perspective: "You don't know anything. This kind of person has a bright future. If you were in a higher position, wouldn't you like this kind of artist who abides by the law and has a positive stance?"

Aside from being lecherous and having somewhat chaotic relationships with men, Qi Yuan has no obvious flaws.

A messy love life isn't really a problem. They're not dating or married, they're just making friends. It's consensual, so you can't morally condemn Qi Yuan.

Besides, if a person doesn't even have a single flaw, can you trust them to use?
(End of this chapter)