Huayu: Enjoy Yourself

Chapter 88 The Future Market

I didn't go home this year, and I didn't prepare any New Year's goods. 👻♕ ➅❾𝓼ħⓤ𝕏.ᑕⓄｍ 👺♥

Chen An, that shameless bastard, picked up the things Chen Wei had given him and went to his house.

Driving a car that had been sitting in the yard collecting dust for months, thankfully I could still buy gasoline at this time, and since I had some left at home, I could finally drive it.

After driving for a while, we arrived at his building and parked the car.

Carrying his things, Chen An went upstairs.

She walked to the door and knocked. The door opened shortly afterward, and it was Han Jianu who poked her head out as before.

However, he is at the age where he is growing, and he has grown quite a bit taller since the last time we met.

However, her hair is still the same mushroom cut as before, which looks quirky and funny.

"Brother An?!" Han Jianu exclaimed with a hint of surprise.

Then his eyes unconsciously fell on what Chen An was carrying.

Chen An smiled and patted the other person's head. "Long time no see. Don't worry, there are no sweet potato chips this time. I'll bring you some next time. Where's your dad?"

"Dad's gone out, he's been like this for the past few days. You really didn't bring anything?"

Han Jianu didn't pay attention to Chen An's actions, but just stared at the thing in Chen An's hand with a disappointed look.

"It's Director Chen! Come in quickly, are you here to see Sanping?" Just then, Han Sanping's wife appeared behind the door and saw the two chatting.

Chen An asked with a smile, "Isn't Brother Han home? It's not even the fifteenth yet and he's still out running around?"

"He's been busy with work these past few days and will be going to the factory. It's almost dinnertime, and he'll be back soon. Why don't you eat here tonight?"

The other party invited Chen An to come inside and wait. Chen An did not stand on ceremony, went inside, put down the gift, and then sat on the sofa to wait.

Han Jianu was left sitting next to Chen An watching TV while he went back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Brother An, you broke your promise. You said you'd bring me something next time, but you didn't." Han Jianu said angrily to Chen An after her mother left.

Chen An found the little mushroom-headed boy's hands-on-hips, feigning anger rather funny. "Okay, okay, I'll definitely bring you some next time, I promise."

"It's a deal then, no lying!"

"I'm not lying."

Chen An agreed, thinking that the other person really loved to eat.

Only after receiving the assurance did Han Jianu continue watching TV, sitting on the sofa with her legs dangling, in a pleasant mood.

Chen An watched it with her; it was a classic TV series called "Yongzheng Dynasty," which he had watched in his previous life.

It's quite interesting to watch it again.

Feeling somewhat depressed, Han Sanping left his office at the Beijing Film Studio and took a car home.

The departure of his old subordinates left him in a bad mood; his face was expressionless, even somewhat serious.

When he got home, he simply unlocked the door with his key, and the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen cheered him up a little.

Turning around, she found her lovely daughter sitting on the sofa watching TV, with Chen An sitting next to her.

Chen An!

My mood was like a rollercoaster, going up and down, and then suddenly I felt happy.

Hearing the door open, Chen An turned around and saw Han Sanping returning. He smiled and said, "Long time no see, Brother Han. Congratulations on your promotion and raise!"

"Haha, you're finally back! You didn't even give me a heads-up." Han Sanping was overjoyed to see Chen An return.

His partner, the director he was planning to work with, has returned.

After closing the door, Han Sanping put down her things and quickly sat down next to Chen An.

How are Hollywood movies?

"Filming is already finished. I participated in a part of post-production and then came back. I didn't need to be involved much."

Chen An sighed, thinking it seemed a bit too simplistic.

"Have you ever thought about making a big-budget production in China, to experience Hollywood firsthand?" Han Sanping asked, revealing his true intentions.

Chen An was a little confused when he heard the other party's question. Big production?

What kind of crazy thing would I be to do something like this in a market rife with piracy and such low box office revenue?

As for foreign markets, not every film can be as successful as before. My previous success was due to exporting and then selling domestically.

Before achieving success in the North American market, Chen An had never considered the idea of ​​making a big production.

"Brother Han, I don't think the current market can support a production exceeding 100 million, unless it's a huge success in overseas markets as well," Chen An said, turning his head.

"Moreover, the box office revenue share in the domestic market is too low, making it too difficult to break even."

Chen An doesn't intend to directly challenge cinemas to increase revenue sharing; it's not that he can't do it, but that it's unnecessary.

Zhang Weiping's downfall was not only due to Zhang Yimou's departure, but also to a series of other incidents, culminating in his absconding with the money.

Han Sanping still wouldn't give up, grabbing Chen An's shoulder and rambling on, "The crackdown on piracy has been ongoing, and I'll definitely push it even harder after I take over. We've been successful these past few times, and I believe we can achieve even higher box office returns."

"Brother Han, there are only so many movie screens in the country. It's a miracle that the box office supported 'Titanic,' and it's unique even in Hollywood." Chen An didn't have high hopes for it.

Even with the increased number of screens in 02 and the crackdown on piracy, "Hero," which swept the nation, only grossed 2.5 million yuan at the box office. It was difficult to recoup the costs by relying solely on domestic sales.

If it weren't for its impressive overseas box office performance, this blockbuster would have been a complete flop.

Even in the years that followed, few films achieved overseas box office success that surpassed "Hero," a film that received mixed reviews in China.

While it may not be as big as next year's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," it is still one of the few films that can dominate overseas markets.

The number of movie screens in China only began to grow rapidly in 2003, and it wasn't until 2012 that it exceeded 10,000, an increase of more than 3,800 compared to 2011.

This led to the box office miracle of "Lost in Thailand" at the time.

It wasn't until 16 that it surpassed the United States.

The number of movie screens nationwide, which is only a little over a thousand, is pitifully small.

Han Sanping was still unwilling to give up. "Isn't there still the overseas market? I think people in South Korea and Japan really like your movies," she said, pulling Chen An aside.

"Not every film can be successful. This time, 'My Sassy Girl' didn't do as well at the box office as 'Little Forest.' Every market has different trends." Chen An said that all of them were purposeful exports that were then re-imported to the domestic market, targeting the country of origin.

Even some Hollywood blockbusters cannot guarantee a global box office hit.

Han Sanping was a little disappointed to hear Chen An's repeated rejections. Originally, Han Sanping had placed her hopes on him, but she did not expect to be rejected.

Chen An looked at the other man and comforted him, "Brother Han, you're too hasty. I'm just saying it's not possible now, not that it'll never be possible. I still have high hopes for big-budget productions."

"Brother, I'm about to take office and I'm eager to achieve something. Everyone wants to repeat the success of 'My Sassy Girl'."

"These things can't be rushed. That's just how things are; we have to take it slow."

The development of large-scale productions is inevitable, but it needs to be done gradually, and a pioneer is needed.

If you don't let people see the benefits, they won't develop it vigorously.

Why is "Hero" considered the beginning of the blockbuster era? One reason is that it attracted investors, and another is the significant increase in the number of screens starting in 03.

With a domestic box office of 2.5 million yuan and a global box office of 1.77 million US dollars, who wouldn't be envious?

Now, thanks to the impact of "My Sassy Girl," the number of screens has increased compared to the previous generation, but it hasn't yet achieved the same effect.

Unless there is a target market sufficient to recoup the costs, Chen An will not attempt to produce big-budget films.

Moreover, even "Hero" benefited from the popularity of the period martial arts film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and with the participation of Jet Li, it was able to sell the rights to Hollywood studios in advance and recoup a significant amount of money.

Without the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in the North American market, "Hero" might never have been made.

Even Lee An, who had failed in his Hollywood venture, did not expect the success of this film. As a Chinese, he did not even have the right to strike out three times and was eliminated in two.

Subsequently, the film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and grossed $200 million worldwide, making a comeback.

Anyway, congratulations to all the bosses!

(End of this chapter)