Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 238, Section 236: Two Prides Standing Side by Side

In August 1999, the heat of summer still lingered over China, but even hotter than the weather were the two intertwined waves of enthusiasm on and off the screen.

The martial arts storm of "The Legendary Twins" is intensifying on Hunan TV's prime-time evening slot.

As the plot unfolds, the mysteries of Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque's origins are gradually revealed, and their intertwined love, hate, and grudges captivate audiences nationwide.

Lin Zhiyin's wit and Su Youpeng's elegant demeanor have become hot topics of conversation on the streets.

Amidst this wave of martial arts fever, Fan Bingbing's portrayal of Tie Xinlan has not been overshadowed by the two top leading men. On the contrary, her struggles and perseverance in the heart of an emotional vortex have won her more and more sympathy and affection.

Compared to the original novel, the script gives Tie Xinlan richer inner monologues and more proactive choices, allowing the character to break free from the awkward "sandwich" role and appear more full-bodied and three-dimensional.

Fan Xiaopang perfectly captured the handsome and dashing demeanor of her when dressed as a man, and the gentle yet resilient beauty of her when dressed as a woman. In particular, during several emotionally charged crying scenes, her slightly red eyes and the way she held back her tears were described by some entertainment newspapers as "so pitiful that I could not bear to look at her," winning the hearts of countless viewers.

The name "Tie Xinlan" and stills from the drama began to appear frequently in the entertainment section of newspapers.

Her image, which combines gentleness and chivalry, and her performance in the drama, which is both passionate about love and principled, broke the stereotype that female characters in martial arts dramas are mostly just decorative or secondary figures.

"Fan Xiaopang brought Tie Xinlan to life. Her portrayal of the character's unrequited love and chivalrous spirit was heartbreaking."

"I hadn't paid much attention to this actor before, but I didn't expect his acting skills to be so lively and his appearance to be so beautiful."

"Fan Xiaopang's portrayal of Tie Xinlan was really good; it kept my heart pounding while I watched."

"Yes, it's so hard to choose between the mischievous and clever Xiaoyuer and the flawless Hua Wuque!"

"I feel that this version of Tie Xinlan is more fleshed out than the previous versions, and is not just a tool to cause conflict."

On emerging online BBS forums, discussion threads about Tie Xinlan and Fan Xiaopang are gradually increasing.

Although the influence of the internet was not yet as great as that of traditional media at this time, it had already begun to take shape and become an important platform for young viewers to express their preferences.

Fan Xiaopang's face, with its slightly chubby cheeks yet bright and striking features, began to be remembered by more and more people.

……

Managers of film distribution companies in various regions have a far more acute sense of opportunity than the average person.

They kept a close eye on the ratings reports and media trends, and quickly grasped the energy that was accumulating behind the name "Fan Xiaopang".

When developing localized promotional strategies for "Flying Colors," many regions unanimously shifted their promotional focus to this rising "TV starlet."

In major box office cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Jinan, numerous movie posters featuring Fan Xiaopang as the main visual element of "Flying Colors" have appeared in subway passages, bus stops, and local evening newspaper entertainment sections.

On the posters, she is either the stubborn "underachiever" Wang Xiaojia in her oversized school uniform, or the determined and ambitious young woman after her transformation. The promotional tagline also emphasizes: "Fan Xiaopang, who plays Tie Xinlan in 'The Legendary Twins,' delivers a heartfelt performance on the big screen, portraying the miracle of an underachiever's comeback!"

This kind of cross-media collaborative promotion has an immediate effect.

Many television viewers who became interested in or even liked Fan Xiaopang because of "The Legendary Twins", especially young students, have shown great interest in her first leading role in a film.

"A movie starring Tie Xinlan? It's about a college entrance exam comeback? That sounds interesting, I'll go check it out." This sentiment has become a common reaction among many potential viewers. Meanwhile, Han Sanping's "market rescue proposal" continues to gain traction.

The special daytime screenings and half-price tickets for students offered by major cinemas across the country have indeed lowered the barrier to moviegoing to some extent.

Especially on weekday daytime screenings, the previously deserted theaters are now filled with young people coming in groups with their college entrance exam admission tickets or student IDs.

"Flying Colors" accurately captures the emotional pain points of this group after the college entrance examination, whether they are confused, expectant, or in need of encouragement.

However, the booming market is also accompanied by a shadow that cannot be ignored—piracy.

Just as Wang Sheng predicted, almost the day after the official release of "Flying Colors," traces of pirated VCDs began to appear in electronics markets and street vendors in some southern cities.

These pirated DVDs have poor picture quality, often with background noise and shaky images from theatrical recordings, but they are extremely cheap, costing only half the price of a genuine movie ticket, allowing you to "watch" them at home.

This has an obvious effect on diverting box office revenue.

Especially in some price-sensitive regions and groups with relatively weak copyright awareness, piracy has seriously eroded the interests that should belong to the producers and legitimate channels.

Box office data from various regions generally mentioned the impact of piracy on attendance, especially during prime-time evening screenings.

Some cinema managers privately complained that they could clearly feel the film's reputation growing and the level of discussion rising, but ticket sales for some screenings were not as expected, with piracy being one of the main reasons.

It was in this environment of both opportunities and challenges that "Flying Colors" completed its first weekend of release.

Monday, August 9th.

Box office statistics for the first weekend have been released.

Thanks to its strong cinema base and aggressive promotions, Shanghai reported a rough estimate of 1.2 million yuan in box office revenue for its opening weekend; Beijing and Tianjin combined reported approximately 1.5 million yuan; Guangzhou and the surrounding Pearl River Delta region performed strongly, reported approximately 950,000 yuan, influenced by the popularity of "The Legendary Twins" and local promotions focusing on Fan Xiaopang; the seven cities in Jiangsu Province (although the Yangtze River Film Group's turmoil has not yet subsided, the city-level companies operate relatively independently) reported approximately 1.1 million yuan; cities in Zhejiang Province such as Hangzhou and Ningbo reported approximately 450,000 yuan; and other provincial capitals and major cities combined reported approximately 1.17 million yuan.

These figures have not been rigorously audited, and in some regions, especially those with relatively chaotic management or more severely affected by piracy, data reporting is slow or incomplete.

However, when the preliminary data from the regions that have already provided feedback are added together, an encouraging figure emerges: 6.37 million yuan.

This figure is an exceptionally impressive achievement in the 1999 domestic film market, especially given the absence of imported blockbusters and the industry's efforts to save itself.

It's not just an economic figure, but a strong market signal: high-quality, realistic domestically produced genre films are fully capable of winning audience approval and creating considerable market value with specific market strategies and promotional support.

The news quickly spread within Shengying Media, and the employees all showed excited expressions.

This means that the company's investment has yielded positive returns from the market, and it also means that the "market rescue" operation they are participating in has seen initial signs of success.

Meanwhile, in the distant city of Shanghai, Lin Xiaoyue, who had just decided to repeat her senior year, probably didn't know that the five yuan she contributed was also one in six million three hundred and seventy thousand.

She simply drew strength from the film and returned to the familiar classroom, picking up her dusty textbooks.

Across the country, countless "Lin Xiaoyue" and ordinary viewers cast their votes for this summer with their movie tickets.

(End of this chapter)