Chapter 742: Rave Reviews
Huang Zhizhong once revealed on the show "Strange Talk" that he suffered from bullying in his childhood, saying that it was a huge trauma and he never wanted to have children.
Ma Sichun also revealed in the variety show that she was bullied in junior high school because she was fat, and chalk dust, rag water and saliva were poured into her Coke.
The campus, which we once thought was the safest place, has many dark corners.
Schools and parents need to work together to create a safe and healthy environment for children to grow up in.
Whether you are a teacher or a parent, if you see a child with a blank expression, who is withdrawn from the group, with empty eyes and a numb expression when taking group photos, who talks less and smiles less than before, she may be experiencing or has experienced school bullying, and she needs your help.
In Shanghai, at Pudong Dadi Cinema, the creative team of "Better Days" held a meeting with the audience.
The movie was over and the process was concluded. Gu Wei's final remarks were greeted with warm applause from the media and audience.
The main creators bowed and left the theater through the staff passage.
Gu Wei got into his own nanny car, and Zhou Ye and Zhang Zifeng followed and sat opposite him.
"Brother Wei, what you just said is so good!
When will I be able to talk freely in front of the camera and the audience like you, without any nervousness?
What he said was both orderly and meaningful, and it felt so cool!"
Zhou Ye was wearing a little white dress, her face was fair and her features were delicate. She looked at Gu Wei with a pair of beautiful eyes full of admiration.
At the roadshow meeting just now, she also spoke as one of the leading actors, but she only said two sentences and was still a little restrained.
"You've spent most of your time studying in school, and you haven't had many opportunities to be in front of the camera. Once you have the chance to practice more, you will get better and better!
Of course, the most important thing is to have something in your head. Read more and study more in your daily life, and delve deeply into the role when filming. If your head is empty during the interview and people find you hopelessly illiterate, it will be difficult to explain yourself."
After Gu Wei finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Ye's pretty face and added another sentence.
"Xiaoye, you should smile more, especially in front of the camera."
"Why?" Zhou Ye didn't understand.
"Um, you played the role of the villainous woman "Wei Lai" so well that some viewers might even identify with you.
Xiaoye is so pretty and sunny, smile more and people will like you."
Gu Wei made up a random excuse. He couldn't say that you were cyber-bullied in the future for not smiling in front of the camera.
"What is hopeless illiteracy?" Zhang Zifeng on the side was obviously very interested in the other word in Gu Wei's words.
"Celebrities who hesitantly speak during interviews and can't even understand the script when filming."
“Can there be such a person?
If your education level is so low that you can't even understand the script, you probably won't be able to act, right?" Zhou Ye couldn't believe it.
Zhang Zifeng also nodded in agreement.
"The cultural level of celebrities in the entertainment industry is much lower than you think. They may look good but are actually idiots. There are many such artists.
Some stars are so obsessed with their looks that acting and studying their roles are secondary to them," Gu Wei shrugged.
The nanny car returned to the crew's hotel. Shanghai was the first stop of the roadshow. We visited three cinemas today and will fly to Shenzhen early tomorrow morning.
"How is the box office performance of [Better Days]?"
After separating from Zhang Zifeng and Zhou Ye, Gu Wei returned to his room, followed by his agent Yang Dan.
"According to Maoyan data, the film was released nationwide at midnight last night. As of now, it has been released for 22 hours and the real-time box office has reached 215 million RMB.
Evening is the time of the day when box office revenue is growing fastest. In less than two hours, the first-day box office of "Better Days" should exceed 250 million yuan."
It was already 9pm when we finished the last cinema, and it was past 10pm when we got back to the hotel.
"The film accounted for 55% of the first-day screenings, and more than half of the big screens in cinemas across the country were showing our film."
It is now the end of 2019. With the development of technology, online ticket purchasing platforms such as Maoyan and Meitu have become bigger and stronger, and the entire process of a movie from its release to its removal is extremely transparent.
Even ordinary people can see a film's screening share, box office data, box office share, attendance rate and other data on the APP platform.
In the past, if people wanted to know how a movie performed at the box office, they could only see the data from the news media. Now, just open the APP and you can know the data at the palm of your hand, and it is updated in real time.
"Besides 'Better Days,' are there any other films currently showing that are getting more attention?"
"The National Day films 'My People, My Country' and 'The Captain' are already in their fourth week, and there's only a small amount of screenings left at the box office.
Several other films were released today along with "Better Days", including "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre", "One Way Street", "Love Curse", "Hypnotic Judgment" and so on.
From the director to the actors, none of them are famous.”
Gu Wei took out a can of ice cola from the refrigerator in the room, opened it and took a sip, then shook his head after listening to Yang Dan's words.
“There’s not a single one who can fight.”
"According to today's first-day box office results, our film took 82% of the national single-day total box office with a 55% screening share. The screening share should increase further in the future."
"It's not surprising. Cinemas show movies to make money, so of course they'll show the movies that attract the most viewers."
Second day of roadshow.
Gu Wei got up early and had breakfast in the hotel. Zeng Guoxiang, who also came downstairs to eat, saw him and sat down opposite him with an excited look on his face.
"Gu Wei, have you seen the first-day box office data for our movie?"
"Not yet, how much?"
Gu Wei picked up a piece of broccoli and put it in his mouth, his tone flat.
“263 million!
"Better Days" grossed a staggering 263 million RMB on its first day! !"
Zeng Guoxiang's expression was excited, his tone rose involuntarily, and he said it twice.
It's no wonder he had such a big reaction. The first-day box office of "My People, My Country" and "The Captain" released during the National Day holiday was only over 200 million yuan.
One of these two films has just broken 3 billion yuan at the box office, and the other has also achieved an extremely high result of 2.8 billion yuan.
"Better Days" can't even be compared with these two movies. Even if it gets half of their box office results, Zeng Guoxiang will wake up laughing in the middle of the night.
"That's great! Congratulations, Director Zeng! A realistic drama has achieved such a high box office result. It seems you will soon become a famous director both at home and abroad!"
Gu Wei praised with a smile.
He remembered that the box office of "Better Days" on the first day in the original time and space was only over 100 million, and the extra money was the increase due to his personal traffic.
"Haha, thank you for the compliment. I know my own worth. The reason our film opened so well is entirely due to your incredible box office appeal, Mr. Gu.
You are the biggest contributor to the movie's success!"
Zeng Guoxiang was very happy to hear Gu Wei's praise, but he was still relatively rational. He knew that the high first-day box office for a realistic drama was entirely due to the "box office king" of the domestic entertainment industry.
Gu Wei waved his hand.
"The film's popularity is the result of everyone's joint efforts. Director Zeng is the soul of the film."
"Mr. Gu is too modest!"
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.
"The high box office on the first day is something to be happy about, but I have to pour some cold water on it first.
After all, our movie is a youth crime film with a limited audience and cannot be compared with those comedies and action movies.
No matter how well it is filmed, there will be many viewers who don't want to watch it.
So even if the box office on the first day is not much lower than that of "My People, My Country", it will definitely not be comparable in the long run.
Director Zeng needs to be mentally prepared for this, otherwise if expectations are too high, disappointment is inevitable in the future."
Gu Wei thought very clearly that although "Better Days" was well filmed, it was definitely not as good as "Dying to Survive".
Although he has a certain box office appeal, he is not a god. It is unrealistic to think that he can make audiences across the country rush to the cinema just by starring in a movie.
There is no doubt that his version of "Better Days" will definitely have a higher box office than the original, but due to the limitations of the subject matter, it cannot be much higher.
"I understand, I understand
My original expectation for Better Days was 800 million yuan at the box office, but now I think it's possible to break 1 billion or even 1.5 billion yuan. As for higher numbers, it's beyond the reach of this genre, and I completely understand."
Compared to the production cost, if the box office can reach 1 billion, Zeng Guoxiang will make a lot of money.
The two sat together, chatting and eating breakfast.
"You two got up so early, what are you talking about so happily?"
Producer Xu Yuezhen came over with his breakfast.
"Haha, I was talking to Mr. Gu about the first-day box office of Better Days. Sister Xu, have you also looked at the data online?"
Zeng Guoxiang said with a smile.
"I saw it, 263 million RMB, I didn't expect our movie to have such a high first-day box office.
I remember that Line Walker 2: Invisible Spy grossed 170 million yuan on its first day in August, which was a rare good result for Hong Kong films in recent years.
Our movie only has one big-name star, Mr. Gu, and the subject matter is relatively niche, such as youth crime.
Mr. Gu is truly the recognized "Box Office King" of the domestic entertainment industry; his box office appeal is simply incredible!"
Xu Yuezhen said with emotion.
"Haha, Director Zeng has already said what Producer Xu said just now," Gu Wei said with a smile.
Xu Yuezhen sat down and looked at Zeng Guoxiang, who smiled and nodded.
"In addition to the first day box office, I have another piece of good news to share with you two.
The 39th Hong Kong Film Awards has nominated "Better Days" for multiple awards.
Of course, it’s not time to announce the shortlist yet, this is my inside information.”
Gu Wei, who had just heard the first day's box office results with a nonchalant expression, was somewhat surprised to hear the news.
"That's really good news. Does Producer Xu know if anyone has been nominated for Best Actor?"
"Yes, both Best Actor and Best Actress are nominated!"
"That's great! It looks like I might win the Best Actor award."
Zeng Guoxiang saw how much Gu Wei valued the award, and immediately patted his chest and promised to give it a chance when he heard this.
"Don't worry, Mr. Gu. Regardless of anything else, my father still has a certain influence in Hong Kong Island.
I will be in charge of the Academy Awards, and Mr. Gu will definitely gain something from it!"
This was the first time he collaborated with Gu Wei. There were some unpleasant things during the filming and there were some grudges between the two, but now that the box office results came out, Gu Wei became Zeng Guoxiang's best friend.
He has already forgotten about Zhou Dongyu and the like. The one who can help him make money is the boss.
What he is thinking about now is how to get along well with Gu Wei so that they can have the chance to work together again in the future.
"Yeah?
Then I would like to thank Director Zeng in advance!"
Gu Wei didn't think Zeng Guoxiang was bragging at all.
His father, Eric Tsang, does have extensive connections in Hong Kong Island. He is the former president of the Hong Kong Artist Association, the founder of the Hong Kong Star Football Team, and most importantly, the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards Organizing Committee.
The 39th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony will be held in February next year.
"Better Days", directed by Zeng Guoxiang in the original time and space, won 8 awards as a co-production between Hong Kong and the Mainland. No one would believe that he did not contribute to this.
Fly to Shenzhen in the morning, then to Yuezhou, Shancheng, Hangzhou and other cities with the largest voting bases in the country.
After the first day, the box office of "Better Days" soared, with the single-day box office exceeding 200 million on the second and third days.
In the first three days, the total box office was 784 million yuan.
At the end of October, all eyes in the domestic film market were focused on this one movie.
"Better Days" not only achieved high box office but also received very good reputation.
Douban's opening score reached an astonishing 9.0, Maoyan scored 9.8, Tao Piaopiao 9.7, and Zhihu 8.9, all of which ranked first in the same period.
The recommendation rate of Weibo celebrities is 100%, and the Internet is overwhelmingly positive about "Better Days".
Unlike Gu Wei's previous films, "Better Days" emphasizes artistry over commercialism. The film itself tells a story about school bullying. Every character, even their names, are full of meaning.
Gu Wei and Zhang Zifeng's performances in the film were recognized by audiences and critics.
Zhou Ye, who plays the villain Wei Lai, has been criticized a lot these days. She plays the villain so well that she is inevitably disliked by the audience who are immersed in the drama.
This situation is not uncommon. Teacher Li Qiming, who played Rong Mama back then, is the most typical example.
"Don't be sad, I've already told you, you should be happy. Netizens are scolding you because you acted well and your acting is excellent!"
Another roadshow ended. Zhou Ye, who had just been smiling, looked grim again after browsing his phone for a while.
"I know you're right, Brother Wei, but being scolded online is never a pleasant experience.
I'm still a long way from being able to handle whatever others say without wavering!"
"Haha, let him be strong, the breeze blows over the hills; let him be arrogant, the bright moon shines over the river.
Xiaoye, you still need to practice." Gu Wei teased with a smile.
Zhou Ye pouted and ignored him.
Gu Wei thought about it, took out his cell phone and clicked for a while.
"Okay, I posted a Weibo post to help you out. I think it might be of some use!"
"What did you post?"
After hearing this, Zhou Ye quickly took out his phone and logged into Weibo.
#顾卫@周吔, has been on the roadshow these days. Little classmate Zhou Ye in the crew always has some troubles because she played the villain Wei Lai, and she acted so well that many netizens attacked her. Some even sent her private messages to curse her, and the curses were very unpleasant.
I told her that the criticism from netizens is her honor, which means she acted well and she shouldn’t take it seriously.
The logic is correct, but she is just a 20-year-old girl after all. She does not have such strong mental qualities and is still very unhappy every day.
Here I hope everyone can be more rational and not elevate the movie role to the actor himself.
I also hope that Zhou Ye can be stronger. I hope that you can play more and better roles that will be remembered by the audience, whether you are a good guy or a bad guy! (smiley face)#
Given Gu Wei's fame and number of Weibo followers, the number of replies skyrocketed as soon as he finished posting.
[Gu Wei is right, the role should not be elevated to the actor himself. I should apologize to teachers Li Qiming and Feng Yuanzheng!
I scolded these two teachers quite a bit back then.
[Brother is so gentle. He even spoke up for the young actor in the same crew when he was scolded. He is like a little sun. I envy the actors who filmed with Brother! !]
To be honest, Zhou Ye's acting was really good, otherwise there wouldn't be so many netizens criticizing her. It's really a bit inappropriate. She should be more reasonable and praise her for her good acting!
[Speaking of which, Zhou Ye really has the temperament of a villainous woman. She is so beautiful, but she is so annoying in the movie. This shows that her acting skills are really good.]
I think villainous women are also very appealing. Zhou Ye could try playing a character who appears kind and innocent on the outside, but has a venomous heart. It would definitely be exciting!
[Support, strongly support, villainous girl is Zhou Ye's comfort zone! ]
(End of this chapter)
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