Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 332, Section 330: The Fierce Competition of the Spring Festival Film Season

After the meeting.

Wang Sheng returned to his office, where the gray winter skyline of Beijing stretched out through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He had just sat down behind his desk when Li Tingting followed him in with a freshly brewed cup of hot tea, and gently closed the door behind her.

"Mr. Wang."

Li Tingting placed the teacup beside him, then took her notebook and folder and sat down in the chair opposite him: "The annual meeting has set the tone for this year. There are a few urgent matters that I need to report to you."

"Well, tell me."

Wang Sheng picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and gestured for her to continue.

"First, let's look at the situation during the Spring Festival film season."

Li Tingting opened the folder to the first page: "The film 'Neighbors,' directed by Huo Jianqi, is scheduled to be released on January 24th, the first day of the Lunar New Year. The film was completed in 1999, but due to various reasons, it was delayed until this year's Spring Festival release."

Wang Sheng nodded slightly.

"Neighbors" is adapted from the core concept of "A Man Called Ove" and was originally titled "Old Shen's List".

Under Wang Sheng's leadership, the work underwent a complete localization adaptation.

Set in a traditional courtyard house in Beijing in the late 1990s, the story tells of a retired engineer who becomes withdrawn and bitter after his wife's death, contemplating suicide. However, through forced interactions with his new young neighbors, his mischievous granddaughter, and various other people in the courtyard, he rediscovers the warmth and connection that binds him to life.

Huo Jianqi's cinematography is delicate, and his grasp of the atmosphere of the times and human emotions is accurate, resulting in a high-quality film.

Wang Sheng asked, "How are the promotional materials and the word-of-mouth from the preview screenings?"

"The first batch of film critics' internal screenings were very well received. They all said that this is another masterpiece by Director Huo after 'Postmen in the Mountains,' which is warm but not sentimental, with both laughter and tears. It can especially touch middle-aged and elderly audiences, as well as those who have similar experiences of living in a compound."

Li Tingting reported smoothly: "The TV commercials and print media placements have started as planned, focusing on the themes of 'warm New Year greetings' and 'rediscovering the warmth that has been overlooked around us.' The online pre-launch topics have also begun to be promoted."

Wang Sheng nodded: "What about the opponent?"

Shengying Media firmly dominated the summer and Lunar New Year film seasons, producing several films that grossed tens of millions of yuan, a testament to the collective efforts of the entire nation.

Productions by Shengying Media will face competition during periods such as the Spring Festival, the May Day holiday developed last year, and the National Day holiday developed the year before.

"Aside from the Lunar New Year film 'Happy Times' directed by Zhang Yimou, which was released on January 1st and has already failed and withdrawn from the market, there are three main competitors."

Li Tingting continued, "Director Feng Xiaogang's 'Be There or Be Square' is scheduled for January 20th, four days earlier than ours."

This is his second film released during the Spring Festival season. Although his previous film, *The Dream Factory*, mainly grossed in Beijing and Tianjin, it still earned over 20 million yuan, proving the appeal of his comedic style in the northern market.

"The other two are imported films."

Li Tingting introduced, "Jackie Chan's 'The Accidental Spy' will be released simultaneously in Hong Kong and other markets on January 18. The Hollywood disaster adventure film 'Vertical Limit' will be released on January 19. Both of these are standard big-budget commercial films with a clear target audience."

"Screening schedule?"

"We have already communicated with the cinema chains, mainly our own 'China Film Group Corporation', as well as major allies such as New Film Union and Yongle."

Li Tingting looked at the data on the document: "Starting from January 18th, the preliminary schedule for prime time (6 pm to 10 pm) is as follows: 'The Accidental Spy' 70%, 'Vertical Limit' 20%, and 'Be There or Be Square' 10%."

This ratio will remain unchanged until the first day of the Lunar New Year when our film "Neighbors" is released, at which point we will make adjustments.

This screening ratio was within Wang Sheng's expectations.

Jackie Chan's immense popularity in mainland China, built upon the "Rumble in the Bronx" and "Police Story" series, coupled with the family-friendly appeal of his action-comedy films, made securing the highest number of screenings during the early stages of the Spring Festival film season an inevitable market choice.

As a Hollywood visual effects blockbuster, "Vertical Limit" can also attract young audiences who seek thrills.

While "Be There or Be Square" boasts the names of Feng Xiaogang and Ge You, its strong Beijing-Tianjin regional characteristics and linguistic style raise questions about its universality in the national market. Aside from local Beijing-Tianjin cinemas likely giving it a higher screen share, its initial nationwide share is limited. "Furthermore,"

Li Tingting: "Jackie Chan's agent, Mr. Chen Ziqiang, called this morning. He firstly to express his gratitude for the high number of screenings we gave to 'The Accidental Spy' in its first week, saying that this support was very generous."

Secondly, Jackie Chan himself sent a gift to the company, saying it was to wish them an early Happy New Year and to thank them for their continued support.

I had someone place the gift in the outer reception room; it's an exquisite sandalwood carving of Guan Gong, with a very auspicious meaning.

Mr. Chen also said that once Jackie Chan finishes his promotional work in other parts of Asia, he will personally come to the mainland to thank you in person and discuss the possibility of further cooperation.

Wang Sheng nodded slightly.

Jackie Chan, who cannot be identified as anyone else, is first and foremost a smart man who understands the ins and outs of the industry.

With the gradual rise of the mainland market, even an international superstar like him needs to maintain good relationships with emerging forces in the mainland that control channels and resources.

"Accept the gift. As for meeting, we'll discuss it when he has time to come to the capital," Wang Sheng instructed.

"clear."

Li Tingting made a note in her notebook and then turned to the next page: "There's one more thing. President Jung Tae-won of Tae-won Entertainment in South Korea expressed a strong request for a meeting. He said he has new ideas about deepening cooperation next year, as well as 'cultural exchange and talent discovery,' and hopes to arrange it as soon as possible."

“Tell him there are many things to do before the New Year, so let’s reschedule for after the New Year.” Wang Sheng made the decision almost without thinking.

“Okay, I’ll get back to him and schedule it after the Spring Festival.” Li Tingting nodded and then closed the folder. “These are the key tasks for now.”

Wang Sheng waved his hand: "Go ahead and get busy."

"Yes, Mr. Wang."

Li Tingting got up, grabbed the documents, and quickly left the office.

……

As Li Tingting reported, the Spring Festival film season battle officially began in the following days.

On January 18, "The Accidental Spy" was released in cinemas in major box office cities across the country.

Jackie Chan's signature action, comedy, and adventure elements, combined with the festive Lunar New Year atmosphere, attracted a large audience as soon as it was released.

Major cinemas, especially those under the "China Film Group Corporation", saw almost every prime-time evening screening sold out, with long queues at the ticket counters proving Jackie Chan's unparalleled popularity.

It was a box office hit on its opening day, unsurprisingly taking the top spot on the daily box office chart.

On January 19th, "Vertical Limit" followed.

The magnificent snow-capped mountain scenery, the thrilling rescue plot, and the mature audiovisual language of Hollywood also attracted many viewers who sought visually stunning effects and genre film experiences. The film performed steadily on its first day, meeting market expectations.

On January 20, Feng Xiaogang's "Be There or Be Square" was released as scheduled.

In the Beijing-Tianjin area, this film demonstrated considerable appeal thanks to the close cooperation between Forbidden City Film Group and New Film Union Cinema Circuit, a subsidiary of Beijing Film Company.

The New Film Union Cinema Circuit in Beijing and major cinemas in Tianjin gave it the second-highest screening rate after "The Accidental Spy," and its occupancy rate was also quite considerable.

The film's rich Beijing-accented dialogue and humor that resonated with local life made audiences in Beijing and Tianjin feel a strong sense of familiarity, with laughter filling the theater.

However, outside the Beijing-Tianjin area, the situation changes significantly.

In many cities in the south, especially within the "China Film Group Corporation" system, the 10% prime-time screenings of "Be There or Be Square" had significantly lower attendance rates than the previous two blockbusters.

Some film reviews from southern media outlets have also subtly pointed out the film's cultural barriers, suggesting that its humor is too "northern" and may fail to resonate with a wider range of audiences.

(End of this chapter)