Chapter 700: First Day Sales
The New Year's Eve of 2019 passed in an atmosphere of national celebration.
Beijing, New Year's Day.
A bright red Porsche Cayenne was parked below a residential building in an upscale community on the Second Ring Road.
Not long after, a slim figure came out of the building. She was wearing a light brown woolen coat and a round-top lady's hat. She walked to the red Cayenne with elegant steps, opened the door and got in.
"Now that you're here, why don't you go upstairs and sit for a while?" the beautiful woman sitting in the passenger seat asked while fastening her seat belt.
"I feel a little embarrassed to ask you to come out during Chinese New Year and leave your husband, Mrs. Fu, at home alone to take care of the children."
There was also a very beautiful lady in the driver's seat, it was Tiantian who appeared on the Spring Festival Gala yesterday.
She bought movie tickets for "The Wandering Earth" on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year and asked her best friend Ying Er to go out and watch it together.
"What's the big deal? I stayed at home for more than a year after giving birth, and I was a little depressed.
Fu Xinbo hopes that I will go out more often."
Ying Er and Jing Tian have known each other for a long time, and they have always been very good friends.
She graduated from the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama and has been in the industry for nearly 10 years. However, compared to "Jingtian who can't be made popular", she is less famous and is only a third or fourth-tier star.
In low-budget TV series and movies, she can barely get a female lead, but in those with a slightly larger investment, she can only play a supporting role.
In August 2017, Ying Er and her boyfriend Fu Xinbo made their relationship public, and in February of the following year, they gave birth to a beautiful daughter. It has been exactly one year now.
"You're going to start working again after the New Year, right?" Jingtian started the car and drove towards the cinema they had booked.
"Yes, I wasn't famous to begin with, and now I haven't produced any works or received any publicity for over a year. I'm almost forgotten.
The agency has arranged a variety show for me, which will be recorded next month. I’ll show off my face first.” Ying Er nodded.
"I didn't expect you to get married and have children so soon. Mr. Fu is a good person."
Jing Tian also knew Ying Er's husband Fu Xinbo. When she was filming "Legend of Ban Shu", he played the second male lead in it.
“I myself didn’t expect it, I can only say it was fate and destiny.
To be honest, I didn’t think my husband was that good at first. I don’t know what he was thinking back then, getting married and having kids at such a young age.”
"You're taking advantage of me. Lao Fu is so good to you."
"It's okay. He has nothing. If he hadn't treated me well, why would I have married him in the first place?" Ying Er said with a slightly raised corner of her mouth and a little arrogance.
"By the way, when will that TV series you mentioned be aired?"
"March 8th~" Jingtian, who was driving, replied casually.
"Women's Day
I feel like Tiantian, you will definitely be popular this time.
That’s Gu Wei, known as the “domestic entertainment dad”. Every actress who has worked with him has become famous.
After your TV series airs, your traffic will definitely increase dramatically and you'll become a huge star!"
Jing Tian had told her about the filming of "Sito" a long time ago, and Ying Er has been following this drama of her best friend.
"I don't care so much about whether it's popular or not now. I just hope the audience likes my work." Jing Tian said lightly.
"You're being ungrateful. You're saying this because you know you'll be famous~"
"No way~"
"Tell me the truth, how do you feel about working with Gu Wei on a film?" Ying Er tilted her head and looked at Da Tiantian with a gossipy look on her face.
"What does it feel like?"
"Pretending to be stupid, that's Gu Wei, the top star in the domestic entertainment industry!
He is handsome, has a good figure, is a big boss, young and rich.
Many female celebrities in the circle hope to work with him in a film.
Didn’t you say before that you two played a couple in "Sito"? You worked together for more than two months. Don’t you have any feelings at all?
I don’t believe it.”
"What's the feeling? It's just filming, it's all work.
But we are really good friends.
A few days ago, I posted on Weibo to promote his new movie, and today I asked you out to watch The Wandering Earth." Jing Tian gave a very official explanation.
She really wanted to call herself Gu Wei's girlfriend, but it was not appropriate given their current relationship.
"good friend?
If you have the opportunity to meet someone like Gu Wei, you will never have the chance again if you miss this opportunity.
He perfectly meets all my criteria for choosing a partner, a true Prince Charming!
If I could become Gu Wei’s girlfriend, I would be willing to do anything.” Ying Er held her chin with both hands and looked forward.
"Wake up, stop being so crazy, your saliva is flowing out.
Aren't you afraid that your husband Fu will be jealous if you say that? You're already a mother.
Don’t forget that when you go out to play, people are still at home looking after their daughter for you,” Da Tiantian reminded helplessly.
"I think it's not enough. Even if I'm a mother, I can still have an idol. Song Dandan said that Zhao Zhongxiang is her idol. Isn't it normal for me to like Gu Wei?
By the way, I watched a lot of his TV series during the past two years while raising a child at home.
I am following the hit drama "The Story of Minglan" every day.
I originally thought Minglan and Gu Tingye were a perfect match, but you’re my bestie, so after [Sito] airs, I’ll switch my support for you and Gu Wei!
"Thank you."
The two of them talked as they walked, and soon they arrived at their destination.
Jingtian parked the car in the underground garage. The two of them put on masks and came out, waiting for the elevator to go upstairs.
"Actually, I don't think I need to wear a mask now. I guess no one can recognize me," Ying Er said a little melancholy.
"Don't be sentimental. You're such a beautiful woman. If you don't wear a mask, you'll attract everyone's attention."
"Haha, Tiantian, you're right. Her looks are there. Even if she's not famous, she still has this face." Ying Er was like a little child, her mood changing from time to time. She became happy again after hearing Tiantian's words.
The two took the elevator to the cinema on the top floor. As soon as they walked out, they saw that the cinema hall was crowded with people.
"Wow, there are so many people watching the movie today!"
"It's the Spring Festival period. In the past two years, everyone has developed the habit of watching movies during the Spring Festival. There will be a lot of people during the Spring Festival holiday."
The lobby of the cinema is filled with posters of several popular movies, with "The Wandering Earth" in the center.
Gu Wei is wearing a red protective suit and is located in the middle of the poster. On his left and right are Zhao Jinmai, who is wearing the same outfit, and Wu Jing, who is wearing a white spacesuit. Wu Mengda, Li Guangjie, Meng Ziyi and others are behind the three.
"I sense you and Gu Wei have a special relationship. Otherwise, why would you come to support his movie on New Year's Day?" Ying Er stood in front of a giant poster for "The Wandering Earth," gazing at the characters. "But then again, Gu Wei is truly stylish. Even with a buzz cut and this ugly hazmat suit, he still manages to be so eye-catching."
"Stop sighing, I'll go get the tickets. You can also go buy some water and snacks."
"Oh well."
In the bustling cinema, the two big stars wearing masks to redeem tickets and buy things did not attract attention.
Not long after, Jingtian and Ying'er lined up to enter and sat at the back of the theater.
"What are you going to do after the movie?" After sitting down, Ying Er took off her coat and put it on her legs.
"How about going shopping and then having a meal?"
"Then it's settled."
The theater was filled with audiences of all ages, including adults, the elderly and children.
The reason why there are so many comedies during the Spring Festival is that during this seven-day holiday, many audiences come to watch movies as families.
Comedy films are suitable for all ages and are suitable for the whole family to watch.
The lights in the theater went out, and the big screen showed things from far away to near, from the earth under the starry sky to a beach by the sea.
"Grandpa, what is hydrogen?"
"Hydrogen is the fuel that Dad uses to drive his rocket."
In front of a bonfire, Wu Jing, holding his child, and Wu Mengda sat on a portable picnic bench, with a tent and an off-road vehicle behind them.
"Liu Qi, when the day comes when you can see Jupiter without a telescope, Dad will come back."
"Where are you going?"
"Dad has a mission to go on, the most important mission in the world!"
The child fell asleep, and Wu Jing continued to explain to Wu Mengda.
"After I leave, you will be Liu Qi's sole guardian. You will be eligible to enter the dungeon without drawing lots. This is the only way for both you and Liu Qi to survive."
After the two finished speaking, the camera switched and the narration sounded: At first, no one cared about this disaster. It was just a wildfire, a drought, the extinction of a species, the disappearance of a city.
Nearly 4 minutes of narration and images let everyone understand the background of the story of "The Wandering Earth".
The sun is rapidly expanding and aging. In a hundred years, it will engulf the entire Earth. In three hundred years, the solar system will no longer exist.
In order to cope with this catastrophe, mankind showed unprecedented unity. The United Government decided to build 10,000 planetary engines to propel the Earth out of the solar system and fly to a new home 4.2 light-years away.
At the same time, in order to ensure the safety of the voyage, the United Nations government gathered global forces and spent 30 years to build the International Space Station "Navigator".
Faced with an increasingly harsh surface environment, everyone in the world draws lots to enter the underground city equipped with a planetary engine, and obtain the qualification to survive...
This plot is very slow, but it is indispensable to the whole film. Some shots at the beginning also set the tone for the visual effects of the entire film.
"Wow, it's so grand and majestic. I've never seen such special effects in previous Chinese films.
The sun, the earth, planetary engines, the international space station, and a digital underground city.
As long as the special effects in subsequent films maintain this level, this movie will be a masterpiece!"
In the theater, some viewers were talking in low voices while watching the grand scenes on the big screen.
"Gu Wei hasn't appeared yet, but Wu Jing showed up first. Looking at the poster, the kid Liu Qi is Gu Wei as a child.
It’s really not wrong to watch these two people’s movies.”
After the background was explained and the four big words "The Wandering Earth" appeared, the main film officially began.
Time flies. Seventeen years later, Liu Qi has grown up and Gu Wei has officially appeared.
Liu Qi lost his mother at a young age and his father was far away. He was raised by his grandfather and inevitably felt resentment towards his father whom he had not seen for seventeen years. With a yearning for the world above ground, he secretly left the underground city with his sister Han Duoduo and successfully came to the surface of the earth.
"Han Ziang, Senior Driver, the Beijing Third Transportation Commission reminds you that of the myriad roads, safety comes first. Driving improperly can bring tears to your loved ones."
In a world covered with ice and snow, Gu Wei took Zhao Jinmai to start his grandfather's transport vehicle, and a prompt sounded from the console.
"Haha~ This will definitely become one of the golden lines of this movie," Ying Er whispered while holding the popcorn bucket and eating.
Jing Tian beside him also nodded, feeling that this line was a bit brainwashing.
The camera changes as the two protagonists move forward, showing a world of ice and snow, various futuristic heavy machinery, and huge planetary engines that spit out flames. The audience in the theater was stunned and completely shocked by the special effects shots in the film.
In fact, the special effects of "The Wandering Earth" are not better than those of Hollywood science fiction blockbusters, and are even relatively rough in many aspects.
However, because it is a domestic science fiction film, the audience's expectations are actually very low, and they are naturally surprised to see the unexpected big scenes in the end.
As expected, the two kids were caught stealing the truck and were put in a detention center.
My grandfather Wu Mengda went to redeem the person, but when he failed to bribe him, he was also imprisoned.
On the Navigator Space Station, Wu Jing was about to retire, but the space station sounded an alarm, saying that the Earth's flight trajectory was affected by Jupiter's gravity, the probability of collision increased, and planetary engines around the world failed one after another.
On the ground, during the earthquake, the three protagonists escaped from the detention center. They originally wanted to return to the underground city, but they met the rescue team led by Li Guangjie, who took Liu Qi and his party to the Hangzhou underground city to restart the planetary engine.
The group made a difficult journey, and the grandfather played by Wu Mengda died in an elevator shaft accident. From the character's inner monologue, the audience learned that Han Duoduo was his adopted child.
Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai cried out at the top of their lungs and were heartbroken, and many moviegoers also had tears in their eyes.
There is nothing "old" in this revised plot. Although Liu Qi, played by Gu Wei, is rebellious, he has always respected his grandfather who raised him.
Wu Mengda's performance was undoubtedly outstanding. He portrayed the image of an elder who devoted himself to his grandchildren vividly. The part about his sacrifice naturally earned many tears from the audience.
At this point, the movie enters its second half.
After a brief rest, everyone learned that the Earth was about to fall into Jupiter, and in seven days, the entire Earth would be destroyed.
The time left for humans may be less than a day, because as the distance from Jupiter gets closer, the atmosphere will soon be drained and everyone will die.
When everyone was in despair, Liu Qi came up with a way to save the earth after communicating with Wu Jing who was far away in the space station.
Go to Sulawesi 3 to ignite the planetary engine, thereby igniting Jupiter and using the shock wave to propel the Earth out of Jupiter's gravity.
"Wang Lei, the shock wave from Jupiter's explosion could push the Earth away from Jupiter.
Come on, let's light Jupiter!" In the snow, Gu Wei, wearing a red protective suit, shouted to the rescue team leader who had given up in the distance.
“.Oh my god, it’s on fire!”
“Someone will always stand up, why not me?”
"Damn, this is explosive!"
"For the special effects and plot, I give this movie full marks. I can't believe this is a science fiction film made by Chinese people."
"I believe Mr. Gu Wei will not be wrong. This is the best movie I've seen this year!"
Judging from the plot, this part is actually a bit of a joke. A method that so many scientists and scholars around the world have not thought of was thought of by Liu Qi, a maintenance worker.
However, the audience who have already empathized with the film will not care about this, and the subsequent plot of the movie also explains this bug.
Liu Qi's idea was correct, but it was not enough to ignite Jupiter because the distance for the planetary engine to ignite was not enough.
So his plan doesn't actually save the Earth.
At the critical moment, Wu Jing, who was far away in the "Navigator" space station, decided to sacrifice himself. After separating from the hibernation capsule, he drove the space station into the planet's engine fire.
The space station has 300,000 tons of fuel, and the explosion diameter can reach 5,000 kilometers. Igniting the space station can ignite Jupiter!
"Son, I'm sorry. Dad has to go on a mission again. This is the most important person in Dad's life."
In the cockpit, Wu Jing looked at the photo of his family of three in his hand, and his eyes gradually became moist.
"You said you would come back when I could see Jupiter. You lied to me." On the ground, Gu Wei was wearing protective clothing and looking at the sky under the red sky, his voice trembling.
The estrangement and grudges between the father and son have long disappeared, and their deep affection infects every audience watching the movie.
"Ever since I had a child, I found that my tear point is a little low." Ying Er looked at Wu Jing who was engulfed in flames and Gu Wei who was shouting silently on the big screen, took out a tissue and wiped away her tears.
Da Tiantian also blew her nose.
Not everyone in the theater, but more than half of the audience were quietly wiping away tears, mostly the elderly and girls.
Jupiter was set on fire and Earth was saved.
Three years later, a brand new Gu Wei brought Zhao Jinmai to the surface and started his grandfather's transport vehicle again, but now he has become a formal driver.
"Liu Qi, junior driver, the Beijing Third District Transportation Committee reminds you that of the myriad roads, safety is paramount. Driving improperly can bring tears to your loved ones."
“.This plan will last for a hundred generations.
However, we don't know what kind of home the new sun 4.2 light-years away will bring.
But from today on, mankind's courage and perseverance will be forever engraved under the starry sky.
This long cosmic journey of 2,500 years, filled with both despair and hope, is known in history as the "Wandering Earth Project"!
The majestic narration ended and subtitles rolled on the big screen.
The lights in the theater also lit up, and all the audience felt as if they were in another world.
After a long pause, someone got up and walked out.
Following the crowd, they walked outside the cinema, Ying'er holding Jingtian's arm.
“.This movie is so cool, I haven’t seen such a shocking movie in a long time.
What are you doing?
Da Tiantian took a photo of the movie ticket with her mobile phone.
"I'll post a Weibo post"
"Please, don't you have to promote it so hard? People who don't know you would think you are the heroine."
"Just tell me if it looks good or not?"
"nice."
"That's great. What would you like to eat later?"
"I'm still breastfeeding, so I'll eat something light."
"Okay, you decide."
For an excellent science fiction film, special effects are important, but the plot cannot lag behind.
The simple piling up of special effects is the Transformers in Exploder Bay, with only "Pumbaa, boom boom" fighting and various spaceships and large robots.
If we go by Hollywood standards, "The Wandering Earth" can only be considered a qualified science fiction film.
But considering the current state of domestic science fiction films, "The Wandering Earth" is a groundbreaking work and a milestone film in Chinese science fiction films.
The special effects, plot, acting skills, etc. have reached heights that were difficult to achieve in previous domestic science fiction films.
The most important thing is that with "The Wandering Earth", future domestic science fiction films have set a benchmark.
Just compare it with it to see if it works.
The first day of the Lunar New Year in 2019 is known as the first day of the "worst Spring Festival movie season in history."
"The Wandering Earth" relied on the fame of Gu Wei and Wu Jing to get a box office of 354 million yuan, far exceeding the 200 million yuan of "Original Space" on the first day, ranking second in the box office of movies on that day.
【Crazy Alien】 achieved a box office of 378 million yuan and ranked first with its high screening schedule and high-profile publicity.
[Speeding Life] ranked third with 285 million, and [The New King of Comedy] ranked fourth with 274 million.
The remaining movies such as "Integrity", "Detective Pu Songling", "Boonie Bears: The Big Bang", and "Peppa Pig Celebrates the New Year" did not break the 100 million yuan box office on the first day, and were basically around 50 to 60 million yuan.
According to Maoyan data, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the total box office of the mainland film market exceeded 1.5 billion, setting a new domestic single-day box office record!
(End of this chapter)
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