Chapter 450 The Steady Box Office Success of "Lost in Thailand" (10,000-word Update!)
A lot of design is done on the screen to make the style of the film unique, so that the audience can tell who made the film at a glance. In Lu Yanhe's memory, there are only two directors: Wes Anderson and Wong Kar-wai.
Their film visuals are so unique. Many have tried to imitate them, but no one has ever surpassed them.
He had no intention of making "Love Letter" into a film with a particularly unique style and distinctive visuals.
However, he hoped that the film "Love Letter" would maintain a unified tone in terms of visuals, music, and performances, keeping the whole film in the mood of "reminiscing about youth".
When filming the scene where male actor Kawai Itsuki stands by the library window with the curtains fluttering in the wind, Lu Yanhe first gathered the entire film crew together.
"This shot will be difficult to film. In the movie, this shot will only last about ten seconds, but it is very important," Lu Yanhe said. "Teacher Bao, Wu Zhou, I'm entrusting this shot to you. You've already seen the storyboard. The feeling I want is a scene that would appear in the girl's memories. It has the filter of memories, but not the kind of idol drama style. There shouldn't be any of that kind of filter. In the shot, I am a very silent, very clean boy who also makes the girl Huai Jingshu feel puzzled. I want this feeling."
Wu Zhou immediately became somewhat nervous.
This was the first time since filming began that Lu Yanhe had so solemnly explained to them how important a single shot was.
Bao Wenliang nodded and said, "It's not evening yet, the sun hasn't risen, shall we start filming now?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Let's test the light first, shoot a test clip. Once the light is good, we won't have time to make adjustments."
Bao Wenliang understood, nodded, and gave an OK sign.
Lu Yanhe felt a strange disconnect, having to direct the scene while also getting into character.
There's absolutely no need to film Zhang Ruozhi for this part.
However, Zhang Ruozhi still sat behind the table to help Lu Yanhe with his acting.
"Ruo Ruo, you don't need to help me with the scenes." Seeing this, Lu Yanhe added, "You won't be in this scene, and we don't have any lines together."
Zhang Ruozhi said, "In the script, I'm looking at you in this scene. I have to look at you. My gaze should be in this shot."
Lu Yanhe's heart skipped a beat.
Zhang Ruozhi gave a shy smile, seemingly feeling quite insecure about what she had just said.
Lu Yanhe nodded, snapped out of his daze, and gave her a thumbs-up to express his gratitude.
Lu Yanhe was genuinely pleasantly surprised, even incredulous.
He never expected that Zhang Ruozhi would bring up such a suggestion.
She's not absent from this shot; her gaze must be present.
Although Zhang Ruozhi was a new actress who had only been filming for a few days, Lu Yanhe felt that he would remember this sentence for a very long time.
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If the filming of "Love Letter" went so smoothly that their crew was like a quiet paradise, with everyone shooting the film in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere every day, then outside of "Love Letter," the entertainment industry was quite lively.
Ma Zhiyuan pretended to be dead, acting like a coward and refusing to respond to Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai's words, yet he still appeared on the stage of "Idol Era".
The entire show was as if the incident had never happened, as if everyone on the show had lost their memory of that period, and they were still able to chat and laugh, and compliment each other's performances.
In the film market, a martial arts action movie called "Nine Yin" suddenly appeared. It grossed 2.37 million yuan on its opening day, and then surged to 14.29 million yuan on Saturday. By Sunday, it had reversed the decline and achieved a box office of 22.12 million yuan, showing remarkable dark horse status.
Another animated film called "The Angry Raven" was also a huge hit, grossing over 80 million on its opening day and over 100 million on its second day.
The two films kicked off the summer movie season, making "Lost on Journey," which was scheduled to be released the following week, somewhat uneasy. This was because "Nine Yin" and "The Angry Crow" were performing so well at the box office, and if their momentum continued, they would inevitably erode the screenings that "Lost on Journey" could have gotten.
Because it couldn't be released during the Spring Festival season, it had to be moved to the summer season. Since the film's theme didn't resonate with current social issues, the promotional strategy had to be changed accordingly, focusing more on its comedic aspects.
Jia Long took Wang Dashan to various preview screenings and roadshows, one after another.
Each performance features guest appearances by celebrities who come on stage to promote the film.
The preview screenings of "Lost in Thailand" received great reviews; everyone was laughing hysterically.
Li Bi made a documentary that recorded how many times the audience at a preview screening laughed while watching the movie.
Chen Siqi marketed a topic called: "They laughed 172 times while watching 'Lost in Thailand.' Do you want to know how many times you would laugh?"
The topic was bought to trend on social media three days before the release of "Lost in Thailand".
But once the topic was bought, the number of views and discussions exploded.
The producers of "Lost in Thailand" have been collecting feedback from the audience at the preview screenings, and the key word is "funny".
A survey of netizens who hadn't yet seen the film but were already discussing it on social media revealed that the most common reason given for not wanting to watch it was that the trailer looked too rural and not urban enough. They didn't want to watch a film with a rural theme, even if it was a comedy.
When the producers of "Lost on Journey" shared this information with Chen Siqi, she immediately said, "Once it's released, let's create a topic that directly addresses what everyone cares about. Let's call it 'How did "Lost on Journey" manage to be both corny and funny?' Let's be direct and confront the audience's resistance to our film. Let's see if we can enhance the film's humor to dilute their resistance and get them to go to the cinema."
Chen Siqi now serves as the go-to publicity ambassador for Lu Yanhe's film and television dramas, essentially handling the publicity for every one of Lu Yanhe's productions.
Moreover, in her own words, "True lovers keep clear accounts." She's happy to work with any production company or distributor who comes to her for marketing plans, but they can't skimp on the money they're owed. Even if Lu Yanhe is the lead creator of this film.
With several successful marketing cases under her belt, Chen Siqi certainly has the confidence to say these words.
Lu Yanhe simply couldn't find the time to go to the promotional event for "Lost on Journey," so he could only record some promotional materials and behind-the-scenes footage to provide to the production and distribution companies for regular promotion and to maintain the popularity of "Lost on Journey."
By Thursday, the film's total box office had exceeded 2 million, and if pre-sale tickets are included, the total box office had surpassed 30 million.
This is the appeal of comedy star Jia Long.
Any comedy film starring Jia Long is sure to be highly anticipated by the market.
Jia Long's appeal in the comedy film market is among the top tier in China.
For this film, the break-even point is around 200 million yuan. Its marketing and distribution costs are very high; in fact, almost all comedy films aiming for high box office returns have high marketing and distribution expenses. Furthermore, this film is not ideal for publicizing its production costs because it didn't invest heavily in hard production. The most expensive aspect of the film's production was the salaries of Jia Long and Lu Yanhe; their salaries were secondary, the main reason being their profit sharing. This profit sharing makes the break-even point higher than that of a typical film.
In such an environment, it's actually difficult for the public to accept that a few people account for the majority of a film's production budget. The public can accept that special effects, set design, and other production aspects are expensive, but they cannot accept that a few people are spending a lot of money on their projects.
However, in the film industry, what you are valued for is not really based on anything else, but rather on what role you play and what position you occupy in the film.
Why is it that many Hollywood comedies, with production budgets of only around $40 million, can see the lead actor take home $20 million plus box office revenue? Because, according to market logic, the film is selling its lead actor. Without him, no one will watch it. Even if everyone else does the same amount of work and contributes, and given the prevailing notion that "film is the director's art," nobody cares who the director is. Sorry, but the market is willing to pay for it not by you, but by the lead actor.
Jia Long is such a person.
While Lu Yanhe's salary as screenwriter was certainly less than Jia Long's, his subsequent profit sharing was not much lower. This was something Jia Long had fought for for him. At the time, Lu Yanhe was a screenwriter for the first time, and normally he wouldn't have been able to enjoy such a large share of the profits; long-term income is basically irrelevant to new screenwriters. But because of Jia Long's insistence, and because he was Lu Yanhe, he received such treatment for his very first film.
Lu Yanhe was also eager to know how much box office "Lost in Thailand" could achieve in this time and space.
In its original world, this film grossed nearly 40 million yuan in 2010, making a fortune. The sequel broke the box office record for domestic films.
The situation has changed now. First, the market size is much larger than the global box office market in 2010. Second, this movie is now starring Jia Long, while when the bald guy acted in it, he wasn't yet the comedy superstar he would become.
In this situation, Lu Yanhe believes that a box office of over 100 million yuan is the passing grade, and if the box office exceeds 200 million yuan, then the company can directly recoup its costs through theatrical box office revenue without having to wait for various copyright and long-term revenue.
If "Lost in Thailand" can surpass 300 million views, then it will be considered a success.
This is why many film companies were cautious when Jia Long sought collaborations with them. The film's box office potential wasn't high, and the production costs were high, leaving them with limited profit margins. With the same production budget, they could potentially reap much greater rewards from another film, so why invest in "Lost in Thailand"?
Of course, they are willing to invest in movies starring Jia Long if the conditions are right—but Jia Long's demand for subsequent profit sharing has become a barrier to their willingness to extend this olive branch.
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On July 12th, "Lost in Thailand" was officially released.
On its opening day, the publicity team focused on the keywords "new film by Jia Long" and "number one in pre-sales," and carried out extensive promotion.
Also released on the same day was an urban action comedy film called "City Raiders".
"The Angry Crow" remains in first place with 21% of screenings. As of yesterday, Thursday, its box office has stabilized at over 60 million yuan. Its total box office has now exceeded one billion yuan, making it the biggest box office dark horse this year. "Nine Yin" also maintains a steady trend, retaining 14% of screenings in the second week.
Compared to the all-star cast of "City Raiders," "Lost on Journey" only had Jia Long as its main star. As a result, theater managers ultimately gave "City Raiders" more screenings, securing 22%, while "Lost on Journey" only got 17%.
Of course, in reality, this screening rate is not low.
By noon, "City Raiders" was temporarily in first place at the daily box office with 52 million yuan, while "Lost in Thailand" was in second place with 35 million yuan.
Both "The Angry Crow" and "Nine Yin" are lower in price.
However, by 5 p.m., The Angry Crow's box office had suddenly caught up.
Meanwhile, "City Raiders" suffered from negative reviews from its first batch of viewers, and its growth slowed down.
The first batch of viewers of "Lost in Thailand" gave it very high praise.
Li Bi stationed himself outside a movie theater in Yuming, interviewing viewers of "Lost on Journey" and asking them to share their viewing experience. He also held a lucky draw every thirty minutes, with prizes including red envelopes, mobile phones, autographed photos of celebrities, and movie tickets for "Lost on Journey." The number of viewers in the live broadcast room remained at a level of tens of thousands at the same time.
Then, in the evening, prime time arrived.
The Angry Raven has attracted its largest audience – children and their parents.
Despite its poor reviews, "City Raiders" still managed to stay afloat at the box office thanks to its big-budget production and hype.
"Lost in Thailand" maintained its box office success by relying on its comedy genre.
On its opening day, "City Raiders" took the top spot at the box office with 76.2 million yuan, while "The Angry Crow" came in second with 64.2 million yuan, and "Lost in Thailand" took third place with 58 million yuan.
However, the reputation of "City Guide" as a terrible movie began to spread widely online, and it was criticized by many people.
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On Friday night, Lu Yanhe took everyone to see the premiere of "Lost in Thailand".
Luckily, we booked the entire venue in advance; otherwise, we really wouldn't have been able to get tickets.
There are only three cinemas in Jiangzhi. So, on Friday nights, they are usually packed.
He watched "Lost in Thailand" in its entirety for the first time.
Although he knew exactly how the plot would unfold and what lines each person was going to say, Lu Yanhe still couldn't stop laughing when that scene appeared on the screen.
The best thing about "Lost in Thailand" is that it always puts comedy first, and everything else has to give way to comedy.
Therefore, audiences who go to the cinema with high expectations for this movie generally do not leave disappointed.
These days, audiences are also afraid that movies are just a bait and switch.
This is Lu Yanhe's first film as screenwriter, and the film has been released to the public.
After watching the movie and laughing heartily, the entire crew, including veterans like Bao Wenliang, felt their feelings towards Lu Yanhe became even more complicated when they thought about this.
Many staff members, including Bao Wenliang, felt the script for "Love Letter" was rather mediocre. If the film were simply expressed in words, it would be quite melodramatic. This is why many were initially skeptical of Lu Yanhe's decision to write, direct, and star in the film.
However, comedy is the most popular genre. The most direct criterion for judging whether a comedy is good or not is whether you laugh from beginning to end. This emotional feedback is also the most direct. If, at this point, you can also add some value and meaning that are not offensive or jarring, then the film has basically taken one step into the realm of classic comedy.
The bursts of laughter that echoed throughout the theater during the entire movie screening are the most powerful proof of this.
In this industry, ultimately, results speak for themselves.
"Lost in Thailand" did not have the highest box office on its opening day, but it was not left behind either, remaining in the top tier.
Facing competition from the star-studded blockbuster "City Raiders" and the dark horse of the year, "The Angry Crow," the fact that "Lost in Thailand" could still achieve such results speaks volumes about its quality.
The socially relevant marketing ideas that Chen Siqi had designed earlier were also launched the following day.
How did "Lost in Thailand" manage to be both corny and hilarious?
— Jia Long and Lu Yanhe handpicked Wang Dashan to star in "Lost in Thailand," betting a comedy film on a newcomer who had never acted before, making them talent scouts in the entertainment industry.
How do sophisticated men get successfully won over by simple-minded men?
...
This last topic is a meme-making element that Chen Siqi specifically designed for online dissemination.
One trending topic after another is pushed to their respective target audiences, with the main purpose of arousing everyone's desire to go to the cinema to see the movie.
Of course, the biggest selling point is the audience's positive reviews of "Lost in Thailand".
Li Bi and his livestreaming team conducted a twelve-hour livestream outside a movie theater, inviting viewers to share their movie-watching experiences and continuously holding prize draws.
So much so that Li Bi's incident became a meme online.
The boss writes the movie, and the employees work tirelessly to promote it.
From now on, every actor should just be like Lu Yanhe and set up their own video account as a live streamer.
Its uses are too wide.
In this context, with little change in screenings on the second day, "Lost in Thailand" raked in a whopping 81.24 million yuan at the box office on Saturday, slightly behind "The Angry Crow" at 87.5 million yuan. Meanwhile, "City Raiders," with its all-star cast, suffered from declining reviews, resulting in a drop in box office revenue on Saturday to only 68.7 million yuan. "Nine Yin," in fourth place, still managed to earn over 50 million yuan, and it seems likely that it will surpass "City Raiders" on Sunday and return to the top three.
Lu Yanhe was overjoyed to receive the box office success report from Jia Long in the main cast group.
He shared a poster from the film crew celebrating the film's box office surpassing 100 million yuan.
Li Zhibai immediately reposted, saying: "Awesome! The first movie he wrote has already grossed over 100 million yuan in just two days. Haha, let those who thought this movie couldn't possibly do well at the box office regret it now."
Yan Liang also reposted: That's amazing, that's amazing! Then let's book the whole theater again tomorrow and treat everyone to a movie. Wait for my news tomorrow!
Lu Yanhe's network of connections within the industry isn't actually that extensive. He's not someone who particularly dabbles in social circles.
However, those who have worked with Lu Yanhe generally maintain a good relationship with him, and after working together once, they will continue to work together again.
When the film was released, Lu Yanhe didn't send private messages to everyone asking for help with promotion. However, people gradually and spontaneously recommended the film on their social media platforms.
Yan Liang, for example, has been working these past few days and hasn't had time to watch it yet, but he has still booked a virtual screening for two consecutive days, and he will continue to do so tomorrow and the third day, inviting his fans to watch "Lost in Thailand".
Like Li Zhibai, who posted a lengthy review of the film on Sunday, the day it was released.
Needless to say, the group of people who wrote "The Days of Youth" all posted articles recommending it.
While promoting the film, Jia Long joked with the media: "Although Yan He only had a cameo role in this movie, half of his circle of friends is in it. It's a pity that he couldn't join our promotional tour because he was filming 'Love Letter.' But he's so amazing. Even though he couldn't join us himself, he invited a friend who was making a cameo appearance to join us at every promotional event. He's such a good person, which is why everyone is willing to do these things for him."
A reporter asked, "Mr. Jia, did you and Lu Yanhe have any disagreements during the film's preparation? After all, you are the lead actor and he is the screenwriter. Did you have any creative differences?"
Jia Long: "Actually, if you understood what kind of person Yan He is, you wouldn't ask such a question. I've heard some directors tell me that Lu Yan He is an actor who, even if he doesn't understand something, will definitely follow the director's instructions on set. At first, I thought this might be a bit too indecisive, but after talking to him once, he told me that if every department has exceptionally talented and capable people, the resulting film might not be good because their opinions clash. It's not adding to the film, it's subtracting from it, and the final product might be a mess. But if a project has only one person with strong opinions and the right ideas, even if the others aren't as outstanding, the final product will definitely be good because everyone's abilities are adding to it, or at least not subtracting from it. That's when I understood why he achieved so much at such a young age."
"He understands characters, scripts, how to choose projects, and how to assess production teams. Most importantly, he understands his own position and will never lose his composure or overstep his bounds just because he has the ability and influence to make others implement his opinions. After the script for the movie 'Lost in Thailand' was completed, he had several serious conversations with me to confirm that we were largely in agreement on the film's vision and ideas before we decided to collaborate. Once that was confirmed, he confidently handed over the entire project to me, including the selection of the director and other aspects of filming, and he didn't interfere anymore. Only Dashan, because we hadn't found a suitable actor, was someone he suddenly met one day, thought was a good fit, and excitedly introduced to me so I could meet him."
“Working with Lu Yanhe on a film is a very comfortable experience. He respects everyone. He may have a lot of considerations and hesitations before deciding to work with you, but once he makes a decision, he will fully trust you.”
After saying this, Jia Long smiled at the media.
Do you think he would still argue with me because of creative disagreements?
The media published Jia Long's words verbatim.
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Meanwhile, with the release of "Lost in Thailand," Wang Dashan also became famous.
Entertainment critic Guan Suchen said: Lu Yanhe has once again made a newcomer who was previously unknown famous.
Niu Geng, played by Wang Dashan, is the soul of "Lost in Thailand," even more so than Jia Long.
Several of the most memorable scenes in the movie are all centered around the character Niu Geng.
The scene where Wang Dashan drinks a whole bucket of milk in one go at the airport was posted online by the film's producers on the fifth day after the film's release, serving as a promotional clip and being promoted across the entire internet.
This shot uses a telephoto lens.
There are no edited parts in the middle.
Only in this way can it be real, and it is because of its authenticity that it is so impactful.
At the time, Jia Long and the director agreed that they would only film one scene and that Wang Dashan couldn't drink twice.
That scene was rehearsed five times, all for the sake of getting it right in one take.
Wang Dashan's performance stunned everyone.
It really was a one-off.
Many actors, even though they are the lead actors in a movie, and the movie is a box office success and quite popular, are not well remembered by the audience, or their popularity is not translated into positive feelings.
However, Wang Dashan's performance in "Lost on Journey" is absolutely undeniable. Anyone who enjoys the film will inevitably come to love the character Niu Geng, thus developing a stronger affinity for actor Wang Dashan. This is the charm that a film actor can gain through their role and the film itself. The foundation of "Lost on Journey" truly lies in the character of Niu Geng.
How popular is Wang Dashan?
Many things he did at the film academy were dug up. This is proof of his fame—if it were just hype, no one would care about his past.
However, Wang Dashan also found himself in a rather awkward situation. Many people thought he was unsophisticated, and although he became famous, he wasn't exactly popular or recognized by the mainstream of the entertainment industry.
When people in the industry talk about this young man who has just become popular, the unanimous reaction is that they are not optimistic that he can continue to be popular.
Because he doesn't have the qualities of an idol.
Such discussions are not uncommon.
Even before Wang Dashan finished the promotional tour for "Lost in Thailand," the media asked him this question in person.
"Many people say that your image has limited your future acting roles. How do you view this issue?"
Wang Dashan was a little confused. He scratched his head and said, "I don't know."
Are there any new filming plans?
Wang Dashan shook his head, "Not yet."
The media asked, "You were worried that since your first starring film did so well at the box office, you might not be able to play leading roles in the future. Would you accept that?"
Wang Dashan, still the same sullen person, said, "If I can't play the lead role, I'll play a supporting role."
Don't you feel disappointed?
"I don't know," Wang Dashan said. "I can't feel any of what you're saying to me now. Everyone is praising me and wanting to collaborate with me, but I don't feel any of what you're talking about."
reporter:"……"
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Lu Yanhe sighed softly as he watched Wang Dashan's interview.
The entertainment industry is indeed too realistic.
The doubts, neglect, and skepticism that Wang Baoqiang experienced are now happening to Wang Dashan.
Lu Yanhe sent Wang Dashan a message: The media likes to stir up trouble. As long as you act well, your acting career will broaden. You acted in "Lost in Thailand" and Teacher Jia Long signed you to his company, which shows that you are not limited to playing Niu Geng. This is the best proof.
Wang Dashan: Mm-hmm.
Wang Dashan added: "I know I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to act in 'Lost in Thailand,' thank you for giving me this opportunity."
Lu Yanhe: Then I also thank you for playing Niu Geng so well. Let's keep up the good work together.
Wang Dashan: Mm-hmm.
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Wang Dashan is not a very good person at expressing his emotions, a fact that Lu Yanhe sensed the first time he met him.
He is honest and sincere.
Perhaps because he really liked Wang Baoqiang before, Lu Yanhe extended his affection for Wang Baoqiang to Wang Dashan, hoping that Wang Dashan would have a good future.
Just like Wang Baoqiang, he made those who didn't believe in him, questioned him, and ridiculed him realize how big a mistake they had made.
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The film "Lost on Journey" grossed over 250 million yuan in its first week of release.
Meanwhile, "City Raiders," released on the same day, has yet to break 200 million yuan. Worse still, its screenings are already strained. New films are arriving in droves: a sci-fi film called "Automata" and a romantic comedy called "My Neighbor," entering the market one after another. On Friday, these two new releases took up about 35% of the screenings.
Thanks to its positive performance, "Lost in Thailand" still secured a 17% screening rate on the following Friday, stabilizing its core audience and allowing it to continue to welcome viewers over the weekend.
After two weeks of release, the dark horse "Nine Yin" only maintained a box office of two to three million on weekdays, which is basically no longer enough to make a big profit. After the screening schedule was allocated, a large portion of the screenings were given to two new films, and a small portion to the still strong "The Angry Crow".
"Nine Yin" has grossed 410 million yuan at the box office so far, and it is expected that the final box office may be able to successfully break through 450 million yuan. If we are lucky and the long tail effect can continue, it may also break through 500 million yuan. We'll have to see how things go.
"The Angry Crow" was such a huge hit that even two weeks of screenings didn't affect its popularity in the market. With a total box office exceeding 1.8 billion yuan, it still maintained tens of millions of yuan in box office revenue on weekdays, and it's expected to rake in another 200-300 million yuan over the weekend.
The total box office estimate for "Lost on Journey" has reached 600 million yuan according to professional box office forecasting agencies.
The final outcome will depend on how well they perform next weekend.
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"How much do you think 'Lost in Thailand' will ultimately gross?"
At a senior management meeting of Longyan Film Industry, Huang Tai made a rare appearance—she rarely attends company meetings formally. She usually works directly in film projects as a producer or in another capacity, using her influence to advance the projects.
When everyone heard Mrs. Huang's question, they looked at each other in bewilderment, and no one spoke for a moment.
The main problem is that nobody knows why Mrs. Wong suddenly brought up this question.
However, we can't let the atmosphere remain lukewarm for too long.
Someone tentatively said, "It's probably around 600 to 700 million. The investment in this movie wasn't actually that big; most of it was spent on Jia Long and Lu Yanhe. The fact that they've managed to get so much box office revenue has already exceeded the industry's expectations."
"Well, so I'm also curious to know why the movie 'Lost in Thailand' was able to achieve a box office success that exceeded our expectations? Has anyone analyzed the reasons?"
Some people say, "The main reason is that Jia Long is the lead actor. The fact that Jia Long is the lead actor in a comedy film is enough to attract many viewers to the cinema. In addition, the film is of good quality and has generated good word-of-mouth. As a result, the film's box office has stabilized and it has gained a longer window of opportunity."
Huang Tai said, "When this project was first launched, it's not that people didn't notice Jia Long's starring role, or that they didn't consider the appeal of Lu Yanhe as the screenwriter. However, almost without exception, everyone thought that the film's estimated box office would only be around 200 to 300 million yuan, with very limited profit margins. Why is it that such a so-called rural comedy film set against the backdrop of the Spring Festival travel rush has achieved such good box office results? And especially in such an unsuitable summer season?"
"The quality of the movie is really good." Someone said, "I went to see this movie, and in the theater where I was, everyone was laughing from beginning to end. Lu Yanhe's script is brilliant, with one witty line and joke after another, and the actors also performed well. I haven't had this kind of experience of laughing from beginning to end in a long time."
Mrs. Huang nodded.
"On the contrary, the movie 'City Raiders' has a star-studded cast, but its box office performance is disappointing. It now seems that the total box office may not exceed 300 million yuan."
"The quality of 'City Raiders' isn't actually that bad, but it was released during a period with several well-received films on the market, such as 'The Angry Crow,' 'Lost in Thailand,' and 'Nine Yin,' so it was no longer the first choice for many casual viewers."
"You mean, if 'City Raiders' had been released during a period when no other film had received particularly good reviews, its box office would have been much better?"
That's what I think.
Mrs. Wong nodded. "Then I'd like to ask, when the script for the movie 'Lost in Thailand' was submitted, why didn't any of us see the potential in it?"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Mrs. Wong said, "It's because the screenwriter of this script is Lu Yanhe, so even if you think the script is good, you can't believe that it's an artist's first time writing a screenplay, right?"
The meeting room was completely silent.
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Meanwhile, Lang Xia's agent, He Yingzi, also spoke with a sour tone, saying to Lang Xia, "I really don't understand Lu Yanhe. He is an actor himself, but he didn't arrange for himself to be the lead in this movie. Instead, he gave the lead role to a newcomer. Now, Wang Dashan has become an instant hit and is fully enjoying the benefits brought by the movie, while Lu Yanhe, a screenwriter, has basically made no splash."
Lang Xia remained silent.
In any case, Lu Yanhe is far superior to him now. If he still criticizes Lu Yanhe, then what is he, who hasn't even achieved half of Lu Yanhe's results?
He Yingzi asked, "Did you go see the movie 'Lost in Thailand'?"
Lang Xia shook his head. "No."
He Yingzi said, "You can go and take a look when you have time."
Lang Xia asked, "After watching it, what happened? Did you keep regretting ruining your relationship with Lu Yanhe?"
“You,” He Yingzi smiled, seemingly unconcerned, “What’s the rush? In the entertainment industry, one act ends and another begins. ‘Flowers on the Stars’ is about to be released, and the box office forecasts are quite good. Why should you belittle yourself?”
Lang Xia remained silent.
He Yingzi said, "Besides, Lu Yanhe is both a director and a screenwriter. Running so many projects at the same time will inevitably divert a lot of his energy. You can see from the current situation that his popularity and fan loyalty are still not as good as Li Zhibai's. You are not much worse than him."
"This industry isn't just about popularity."
“This industry isn’t just about having one actor,” He Yingzi said. “As long as you’re still at this table and haven’t left, Lu Yanhe’s success won’t affect your ability to eat.”
Lang Xia glanced at He Yingzi and thought to himself, He Yingzi has completely decided that he can never catch up with Lu Yanhe.
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Actors are the group of people with the most glamorous appearance in the entertainment industry.
However, more and more people are realizing that, in reality, actors' status in the entertainment industry is not as high as they appear.
Apart from a very small number of actors at the very top, the real power in the entertainment industry lies with producers and directors, as well as the production companies and investors behind them.
Lu Yanhe created "Lost in Thailand" as a screenwriter, a film that was expected to gross over 600 million yuan at the box office. Moreover, the script received a lot of praise, which added another prestigious title to his reputation as an actor.
For any industry, creative talents are the most valuable and needed.
He has received many congratulatory messages in the past few days.
Many film companies, in particular, have come to him with real money, asking if he has any other scripts.
Filmmaking is the art of the director, and screenwriting seems to be a less-noticed part of the film industry. However, no film company would say that it doesn't need a good script.
Any film company would flock to a good script.
Especially movie scripts that can be box office hits.
Previously, the news that Lu Yanhe was going to be a screenwriter had been circulating for a long time, but in the end, the proof is in the pudding.
Now that the ticket sales are in, this horse will be highly sought after for betting.
However, Lu Yanhe had no interest in dealing with them.
His current focus is entirely on filming "Love Letter".
All invitations and collaborations should be declined.
(End of this chapter)
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