I'm not mentally ill, I'm a master of a thousand faces!

Chapter 474, They Are Still Heroes

"Bodyguards and Assassins" has encountered a problem that it has indeed encountered so far.

This problem was foreseeable from the very beginning.

That is, a commercial film of the same type, with the reputation and box office success of Avengers, a movie that has both been a hit, it is bound to capture most people's attention at first glance.

The first wave of public opinion was still about box office performance, and it was clear that the latter had the upper hand.

Amidst the overwhelming media frenzy, other films were virtually nowhere to be found.

The public opinion has been dominated by them too much.

With a strong fan base, coupled with high expectations and quality, his first wave was incredibly impressive.

That's incredibly impressive.

"I'm satisfied with this box office performance. I don't have many other expectations; I think it's already very good."

As an investor, Xie Qingya didn't have much to say at this moment.

The box office performance on the first day was mediocre, but still within acceptable limits.

It's fair to say that if it hadn't encountered such a big name as the Avengers, the box office performance would probably have been about 20% better.

This is the result of being influenced by things with high traffic.

The era of one superpower and many strong contenders is over; now, only the one that reigns supreme can prevail.

An era in which a single hegemon controlled 70% of the resources.

"As long as the quality meets the standards, it's a good start. If the market really can't nurture high-quality original products, then there's nothing that can be done about it."

Xie Qingya, on the other hand, took it all in stride.

"Good quality cannot be defined by a few words; it is chosen by the people with their own money and movie tickets."

Wang Chen smiled slightly beside him, seemingly confident of victory.

Quality is a relative thing.

Even if you catch up with the quality of Hollywood movies from a few years ago, so what? Times have changed. For the same price, the same amount of time, and the same viewing experience, you can choose a higher-end option. So why would I choose the quality of your Hollywood movies from a few years ago?

This also reflects Wang Chen's attitude towards domestic films, a feeling that no matter what, domestic films can never catch up.

Your domestic films are progressing, but does that mean Hollywood films are regressing? They are also progressing, and they are also moving forward.

Both sides are climbing up each other.

Music, visual effects, plot, and character design—Hollywood is unequivocally ahead in these areas.

Having been exposed to many foreign works, Wang Chen also knows that they also earned their status and box office success in their own fields, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Hollywood productions also contain trash buried beneath the sand.

There were also corpses of those who were eliminated.

And how could the king who emerges from the chaos be weak?

Xie Qingya understood this, but she also firmly believed that there would always be a pioneering hero, perhaps now, perhaps in the future.

Until this very moment.

Wang Chen said this was a pipe dream.

Xie Qingya said that this is possible.

"If you were really that confident, you wouldn't have used such a high-priced bait of suspense subsidies." Xie Qingya saw right through Wang Chen's thoughts.

This made Wang Chen pause slightly.

"Can't I really dedicate myself to art?"

"is that you?"

"Then it's not you."

Xie Qingya continued speaking.

"Just you wait and see. I believe there is someone who can do it."

At this moment, Xie Qingya was thinking of Li Yun. Incredibly, he wasn't thinking of the top stars of Huayu Entertainment, those directors and actors standing at the very top.

He is a young man.

One is confident and strong, the other is a young man whose mental state doesn't seem so good.

A young man who stirred a slight flutter in her heart.

Just as Wang Chen was about to say something, his assistant whispered a few words in his ear.

Wang Chen's expression changed slightly.

"How is that possible?"

Weibo is now a major battleground for public opinion on a large film and television company platform. It is like a know-it-all in the underworld, and the rankings it gives have absolute authority in this era.

The Avengers are currently dominating the top trending search list.

Iron Man came in second.

The third place goes to Captain America.

Then there's the brotherhood of Loki, the invincible Hulk, and the relationship between Black Widow. Of course, Hawkeye's character also made the list because he's too nonsensical.

How did this archer, who only knows how to draw a bow and shoot arrows, end up in the group of aliens chasing after their husbands? Because of his utterly nonsensical nature, this Hawkeye has become a laughing stock, yet his popularity remains high.

No matter what.

They basically dominated the list.

The characters, the plot, and the film itself.

These elements have become the dominant elements on the trending topics, basically taking over the entire page.

Basically, it's an invincible stance.

A stance that is accepted by everyone.

This seemed to be expected, but now, an unexpected face has entered the top 10 of the trending topics list.

A song.

In a time when Hollywood movies are dominating the scene, a song suddenly appeared at number nine on the trending searches: a song called "Red-Clad Ladies".

An audio clip. Audio recorded in a movie theater.

"This is the theme song of 'Bodyguards and Assassins,' the song that appears at the end of the film, and it amazed me. I watched the movie twice specifically to record this end credits song, and I can say that it left a deep impression on me. It amazed me to the core."

Unlike the movie itself, you need at least two hours to experience the beauty of a movie.

However, songs are different; you only need two minutes to fully experience their emotions.

There are many elements that make a song popular—but the most important element is that it sounds good and can touch people's hearts.

"It uses the singing style of Kunqu opera, but the lyrics are not in the style of Kunqu opera; instead, they sound like modern songs."

A great song, the theme song from the movie "Bodyguards and Assassins".

A brand new song, a brand new way of singing.

"Personally, I think this song isn't the best on its own. You have to listen to it in conjunction with the movie 'Bodyguards and Assassins' to understand the essence of the song."

The spread of popularity.

All it takes is a trigger.

"Oh, this?"

At the headquarters of Huaying Film Studio in Beijing, Xie Qingya and Chen Kexin were busy with the upcoming matters.

Regarding the future copyright-related operations of "Bodyguards and Assassins".

The online streaming channels are also something they need to work on.

Generally speaking.

The performance of a work on its first day determines its upper limit and the extent to which it can reach. Generally speaking, this is the case.

at this time.

However, it made it to the top of the trending searches because of the music.

Generally speaking, when the entire Weibo trending topics were dominated by the minions of "The Avengers," the appearance of "Red Silk" was like a bombshell, blasting a hole in the originally stagnant trending topics list.

A large hole was blasted open.

"This song is really good."

At this point, Xie Qingya wasn't oblivious; she had thought the song was beautiful and perfectly matched the movie itself.

A new Chinese style combining Kunqu Opera

"So... was it the right choice to let Li Yun take the blame?" Only then did Chen Kexin realize this in a daze.

He originally thought it would be a turning point.

But now, things seem different. Songs that spread easily can feel like a transmission of division as soon as you listen to them.

It's incredibly popular!

The series of explosions also revealed a strange chemical reaction: Li Yun, the director, lead actor, singer of the theme song, and lyricist, all shared the same name.

They all appeared in this place.

It is utterly shocking and awe-inspiring.

Where did this Li Yun come from? He's a monster!

You've done all the directing, acting, and singing!

At this time, he was still known to the public as the formidable Lu Bu and Zhuge Liang, and now he is also known as a director.

A singer.

A singer who is incredibly talented.

What is it that he can't do?

At that very moment, the song "Red Dress" became a hit along with "Bodyguards and Assassins".

Even if it was for this song that I participated in the movie "Bodyguards and Assassins".

It doesn't seem like something that's hard to accept.

The song spread very quickly.

"I never expected things to turn out this way."

Looking at the situation before him, Li Yun knew that the song "Bodyguards and Assassins" had taken over the rhythm and popularity of the song.

Unexpectedly, the first wave to be detonated was actually Chi Ling.

This song.

"Music is the most primal art form, the very beginning, igniting something deep within people's hearts!"

At this moment, even the superstar expressed his excitement about the power of music.

The power expressed by music.

As art in its original form.

He achieved remarkable results and extraordinary publicity effects.

A single song made the entire movie a hit.

The box office reached 70 million on the second day. Although it was still a bit behind "The Avengers" next door, it was catching up much faster.

Public opinion, however, tends to snowball.

However, when the first wave of box office results came out...

When the first wave of public opinion emerged.

Many things have fallen apart on their own.

For example, it's been described as a low-budget version of the Avengers.

At this moment.

Among those entering the cinema was Jiang Zhengde, who had just come from the Avengers movie set next door.

He returned to China from abroad.

The first thing he did was go see The Avengers, and the second thing he did was watch a movie by his former employer.

That is, Bodyguards and Assassins, the movie he considered utterly vulgar.

Because he heard that song, "Red-Clad Lament".

And the movie set they decided to visit.

He doesn't believe it.

He absolutely did not believe that this film, Bodyguards and Assassins, could achieve anything worthwhile.

Because he had read the script.

Until I finished watching the whole movie.

He wept because of the sacrifices those characters made, because of their selfless acts.

They seemed to be truly alive.

To truly live in this world.

From gamblers to beggars, everyone supported the revolution and that cause of blood and fire for different reasons.

They understand revolution.

Jiang Zhengde was stunned. In the original version of "Bodyguards and Assassins," in the original script, they existed solely to evoke tears. Apart from Chen Shaobai, Li Yutang, and Yan Xiaoguo, everyone's goal was driven by their own selfish desires.

They were all driven by their own desires.

Go and participate in this protection effort.

It's fair to say that the final product is completely different from the script he received.

totally different.

After watching the movie, he heard the song "Red Ling," the song that went viral online and claimed to replace his status as a new national style song.

That's why he went back to China to watch the movie and listen to the song.

After listening to the song, vivid images of the characters from the movie he had just watched immediately came to mind.

They are just like the song says.

Never forget your country's worries.

Even in my humble state.

They too must burn themselves out, surrounding the thousands of people like themselves in the vast mansions, with a destiny different from that of the old era.

This is the reason and justification for their sacrifice.

When Jiang Zhengde left the movie theater and returned home, he was completely dazed.

This master of traditional Chinese style no longer wants to comment on the song, or even on himself.

The ratings on Douban also provide the answer.

The lockdown is over. Rating.

With a score of 9.0, "The Avengers" is a commercial blockbuster that has achieved the success of an art film. Among commercial films released in China, its achievements are unparalleled, and its box office performance has even reached a new peak.

This time, he's destined to be the global box office champion.

But at the same time.

In terms of domestic ratings.

Bodyguards and Assassins (October) - 9.2 points.

It exploded.

The number of ratings is comparable to that of The Avengers.

Moreover, it's a rating system.

It's also a superhero movie.

The label chosen by 10 people.

The same label as the Avengers.

These people are their superheroes.

Hollywood.

Disney's headquarters.

The Russell brothers and Jo Mary were in the office at that very moment.

The Chinese market has always been highly valued.

There is no doubt about that.

With a market of 12 billion people, no one would consider giving up, so research on the Chinese market has always been urgent.

of course.

This market is very important to the Chinese market, but Chinese filmmakers are not important at all; they are like a synonym for backwardness.

They pick up scraps of what others have discarded, using topics and films they no longer want.

They also can't produce works that have an international appeal.

At the very least, they can't produce internationally competitive commercial works. For a long time, Chinese filmmakers have been a laughing stock in the industry and in Hollywood.

Just like a monkey.

The Russell brothers sent Jo Mary to China this time mainly to let her relax; market research was just a pretext.

Jomarie seems to have brought back some opinions.

"I went to see it. It's a movie called Bodyguards and Assassins. It's set against the backdrop of their own country's Xinhai Revolution. It's also a story about a group of superheroes who save and sacrifice for their ideals."

"Jomarie, the term 'superhero' isn't something you can just use so easily."

"I know, but they are superheroes."

At this moment, Russell's smile disappeared.

"You mean..."

"Even without his armor, Iron Man is still Iron Man. Even without the super serum, Captain America is still Captain America. That's why they are superheroes."

This is the Russell brothers' secret.

The most important element in their filmmaking.

Many people believe that Iron Man's success lies in his cool special effects armor, while Captain America's success is due to Evans' sexy, shapely buttocks.

The Russo brothers wouldn't deny it; they would even loudly proclaim it. Yes, their success was due to the cool armor and the super serum.

However, at this point, Jomarie did indeed say...

"And the same goes for those people in the October Siege. After they shed their own skin..."

"Still a hero."

(End of this chapter)