Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 377, Section 375: Turning the Decayed into the Miraculous

October 21st, Sunday.

Although the sunlight brought warmth, it could not dispel the chill that seeped in during the mornings and evenings.

For most people, it was just the end of an ordinary weekend, but for those in the industry who follow the film market, this day was different because of box office data published in authoritative media such as the China Film News.

The box office results for "The Legend of Zu" in its first week (and National Day Golden Week) have finally been finalized and presented to the world in black and white: approximately 50.98 million yuan.

This number, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up ripples throughout the industry.

Fifty million,980,000!
For an "old film" that was released in Hong Kong Island as early as August and suffered a box office failure, and whose pirated copies have already circulated in mainland China through various channels, this is almost a miraculous number.

It not only steadily exceeded the industry's conservative expectation of around 30 million yuan in total box office for this type of "visual" fantasy film, but also directly crossed the important psychological threshold of 50 million yuan, launching a powerful attack on the 100 million yuan club.

Industry insiders generally believe that, given the current popularity of the film thanks to word-of-mouth and the "giant screen experience" marketing, it is a foregone conclusion that the total box office will eventually exceed 100 million yuan.

As for replicating the miracle of "Shaolin Soccer" with a box office of 200 million?

That was never within the scope of any rational expectation.

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong entertainment circles...

Telephone, fax, and the newly popular email and online forums were all spreading and discussing this amazing achievement.

"Good heavens, over fifty million! Did Wang Sheng really manage to revive this flop, Tsui Hark?"

"With over 50 million in the first five weeks, the total box office is probably heading for 120-130 million! Sheng Ying is making a killing again!"

"Damn it, I should have gritted my teeth and invested some money with Sheng Ying back then..."

"Stop dreaming. Do you think Wang Sheng would even look at your paltry sums? The key is his vision and methods!"

Amazement, envy, jealousy, analysis... all sorts of emotions permeated the circle.

On Hong Kong Island, Xu Ke, upon learning the exact number, locked himself in his studio for a long time.

The view outside the window was of the bustling Victoria Harbour, but his mood was completely different from his usual gloom.

The ashtray in front of him was piled high with cigarette butts, and the air was thick with the smell of tobacco. Yet, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, eventually turning into a long sigh of relief mixed with complex emotions.

The production cost of "The Legend of Shushan" was as high as HK$100 million, and in reality it was more than HK$80 million.

From a purely commercial perspective, it remains a loss-making work.

However, the significance of these 50.98 million goes far beyond money.

It acted like a shot in the arm, injecting a powerful boost into Xu Ke's confidence, which had been nearly frozen due to the box office failure in Hong Kong.

It proves that his painstaking visual concepts and those expensively crafted special effects scenes were not entirely useless, nor were they merely self-indulgent.

In the broader mainland market, with the support of modern projection terminals, a large number of viewers are willing to pay for this ultimate oriental visual spectacle!
"At least it's not that bad." Xu Ke muttered to himself, repeating the new term he had heard from his mainland partner, finding it exceptionally apt.

He picked up the phone and dialed his assistant, who was still in Beijing: "Contact Mr. Cai of Shengying, no, contact Mr. Wang directly... to express my gratitude. Also, ask them about that... cooperation framework for the new project we mentioned before. Can we find time to discuss it in detail as soon as possible?" This time, he no longer felt that the "four rules" were unbearable shackles. Instead, he saw the potential they contained within, a path to a new market.

……

Meanwhile, mainland media naturally wouldn't let this hot topic pass them by.

While reporting on box office data, China Film News also published an in-depth commentary article with a sensational title: "Turning the rotten into the miraculous? Decoding the 'Shengying Model' behind the box office comeback of 'The Legend of Zu' in mainland China."

The article provides a detailed analysis of Shengying Media's key operations in the promotional campaign for "The Legend of Shushan":
The first step is "setting the tone and reducing the dimension".

The article points out that Wang Sheng's famous film review, which focused on "visual spectacle," cleverly shifted public and media attention from the film's weak narrative to its leading special effects, successfully lowering audience expectations for plot logic and raising demands for an immersive audiovisual experience. This is a highly sophisticated form of "expectation management."

Secondly, there is the "linking of channels and experiences". Shengying Media fully leverages the hardware advantages of its affiliate, "China Film Shengshi Cinema Line", to implant the concept of "watching 'The Legend of Zu' in a giant screen theater" into people's minds through comprehensive publicity, successfully upgrading the consumption of a movie into a consumption of "high-end audiovisual experience".

This not only raised the average ticket price, but also created a compelling reason for audiences to "go to the cinema" that cannot be replaced by home theaters, especially given the rampant piracy.

Finally, there's "cultural derivatives and sustained popularity." The national fantasy writing contest, a collaboration with "Legend of Today and Yesterday: Wuxia Edition," was hailed by the article as a "stroke of genius."

It was not just a marketing campaign, but also a proactive creation of a discussion forum and creative ecosystem around the "fantasy" culture outside of the film, extending the one-time movie-watching consumption into a continuous social and cultural topic, effectively maintaining the film's popularity and vitality.

The article concludes by stating: "What Wang Sheng and his team have demonstrated is not simply advertising blitzes, but a systematic operational capability based on accurate market psychology, full utilization of their own channel resources, and in-depth exploration of the cultural derivative chain."

To take a work that is traditionally considered a "flop" and successfully activate its potential commercial value through precise "diagnosis" and "surgery" is almost a superpower of turning lead into gold and "turning decay into magic".

The mainland China run of "The Legend of Zu" may become a classic case study worthy of repeated research in the field of film marketing.

Similar praise and analysis have also appeared in several authoritative media outlets, including Wenhui Daily and the entertainment section of Southern Metropolis Daily.

Phrases like "Wang Sheng's superpowers," "Sheng Ying's marketing textbook," and "turning stone into gold" are frequently associated with the box office success of "The Legend of Zu Mountain."

……

For Wang Sheng...

The success of "The Legend of Zu" first and foremost validated his judgment on the potential of "visual" genre films in the mainland market, which provided the strongest persuasive basis for his subsequent integration of resources from Hong Kong directors such as Tsui Hark who were skilled in this genre.

Those Hong Kong filmmakers who are still observing and hesitating will inevitably have their will to resist further weakened after seeing the real money figures.

Secondly, this successful publicity campaign has greatly enhanced Shengying Media's brand value and influence within the industry.

Beyond its production capabilities, its formidable strength in distribution and marketing is beginning to be widely recognized and respected within the industry.

This means that Shengying will have greater leverage when cooperating with various parties in the future.

And right now, the most direct benefit is—

The successful marketing and distribution of "The Legend of Zu" provided valuable market data support for Wang Sheng's team's negotiations with New Line Cinema.

The best form of persuasion is being able to revive a box office flop.

(End of this chapter)