Chapter 807 Dinner
It officially enters the Lunar New Year holiday season in December.
At the beginning of the month, "The King of Bathing" starring Peng Yuchang and Qiao Shan was released.
The director of the film is Yi Xiaoxing, the master of Wanhe Tianyi, who is also the director of Wanwan Buxiang.
However, the investor was not Wanhe Tianyi, but BJ Culture and Yi Xiaoxing’s own company Breaking the Shell Pictures.
The quality of the movie cannot be considered excellent, it can only be said to be average.
Yi Xiaoxing started out by making funny videos for the internet and has developed his own style over the years, making it difficult to change.
It's really hard to make a good comedy movie.
However, Peng Yuchang and Qiao Shan performed well in the movie, and the story of "The Bathing King" is also quite interesting.
The movie earned more than 300 million yuan in box office revenue in two weeks after its release, and Maoyan predicted that the final box office would be 400 million yuan.
As a low-budget comedy, this box office is considered a success.
The casting of this film is very interesting. According to Yi Xiaoxing, he chose Peng Yuchang because he had watched his previous performance in "Flash Girl" and felt that his image was very suitable for the role of a rich second generation in the movie.
The reason for choosing Qiao Shan is even more obvious. His image as a regular customer of the foot massage parlor in the film "Diaosi Nanren" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts, so it is just right to ask him to play the role of the bathhouse owner.
In the middle of the month, the DC superhero movie "Wonder Woman 1984" and Bona's blockbuster "The Rescue", which claimed to have invested 700 million yuan, were released.
The [Wonder Woman] IP is very popular in China, not because the comics are so well-known, but because Gadot was so beautiful in the first film.
DC and Warner Bros. thought they would achieve good results in China, but unfortunately the quality of [1984] was too poor. The box office in the first week of the Shanghai Film Festival was only 120 million yuan, and the screening schedule in the second week was directly cut from 30% to 8%.
[Emergency Rescue] was stronger, with a box office of 235 million in its first week.
But it should be clear that Bona expects this movie to take in more than 2 billion yuan at the box office, after all, the cost alone is 700 million yuan.
235 million in the first week, this result is obviously a failure.
Maoyan's forecast for this movie is only 500 million, which is quite different from the 2 billion+ box office expectation before its release.
Bona's president's office.
Yu Dong frowned as he browsed the comments about [Emergency Rescue] online.
He didn't expect that this rescue-themed blockbuster, which the company had high hopes for, would flop so miserably.
Admittedly, the cost of the film is not as much as the advertised 700 million yuan, but it is definitely more than 500 million yuan, plus the publicity and promotion costs are almost 600 million yuan.
Judging from the current box office trend, Bona will lose at least 300 to 400 million yuan on this movie.
Even though Bona has made considerable profits in recent years due to the success of mainstream films, this loss is still a huge blow.
There was a knock on the door and a short and fat middle-aged man about 40 years old came in.
"Mr. Yu."
"What's wrong with the publicity and marketing departments? Why are there so many negative reviews online for [Emergency Rescue]?"
Yu Dong looked at the person who came in and scolded him rudely.
The visitor smiled bitterly, "It's not that we didn't try hard, it's just that there were too many negative comments from netizens. We could manage the comments on the first day, but by the second day, it was completely out of control. We could only pump out more positive reviews to muddy the waters."
Yu Dong frowned, he also knew that the other party was telling the truth.
Now is not the same as it was ten years ago. The Internet is extremely developed. There are many platforms where people can express their opinions, such as Weibo, Douyin, Douban, Zhihu, etc. Almost everyone has their own media.
It is almost impossible to control public opinion and turn bad things into good things.
"I understand. My colleagues in the publicity and marketing departments have worked so hard these days. The movie is currently in its hottest period, so we can't give up!"
"Understood, Director Yu, I'll go down to work then~"
After the short and fat middle-aged man finished speaking, Yu Dong waved his hand and turned to walk out.
Although he said he would not give up, Yu Dong himself knew that the loss of [Emergency Rescue] was already inevitable and could not be reversed by human power.
Thinking of this, he called his secretary in again and gave her a few instructions.
Not long after, Lin Chaoxian knocked on the door and came in.
"Mr. Yu~"
"Director Lin, please sit down." Yu Dong immediately put on a smiling face when he saw Lin Chaoxian.
Although "Emergency Rescue" lost a lot of money, Lin Chaoxian made more money for Bona. He couldn't blame the other party for the failure of a movie.
"Mr. Yu, the responsibility for the failure of [Emergency Rescue] lies with me." Lin Chaoxian sat down with a guilty look on his face. He knew very well how much loss Bona would suffer based on the current box office results.
"Director Lin, what are you talking about?
The film industry is inherently a high-risk industry, and no one can guarantee that every film they make will be a success.
[Emergency Rescue] Although the current box office situation is not ideal, it has little to do with Director Lin.
I think it may be because this subject matter is relatively unfamiliar to domestic audiences and not very appealing, plus Peng Yuyan’s box office appeal is limited.”
Yu Dong poured tea for Lin Chaoxian with a smile. Not only did he not blame him, he also helped him find excuses.
Lin Chaoxian was also somewhat moved. He took a sip from his teacup and sighed, "The shooting mode of [Emergency Rescue] is very similar to the [Operation Red Sea] I shot before.
I feel that the reason why the box office and word of mouth are not very good has a lot to do with the profession of maritime rescue. This profession is too far away from ordinary people, and people don’t know much about it. It does not have the favorability bonus of firefighters.
In addition, choosing Eddie Peng was indeed my mistake.
I have to admit that his current box office appeal is almost zero, and the gap with Gu Wei is huge."
Emotionally speaking, Lin Chaoxian is actually very optimistic about Peng Yuyan.
The two knew each other quite early. Before working with Bona, he asked Eddie Peng to shoot "The Fight" and "Breaking the Wind".
When filming "Operation Mekong", he planned to use Peng Yuyan. Now he thinks it is a good thing that Yu Dong insisted on finding Gu Wei, otherwise it is hard to say what the results of "Operation Mekong" would be.
Yu Dong smiled and nodded. After the [Emergency Rescue], he had already classified Peng Yuyan as an actor he would never work with again.
Lin Chaoxian definitely cannot take the blame for messing up his big production that invested 700 million yuan. Only he can take the blame.
Moreover, looking back at all the movies Eddie Peng has made, none of them were big hits. He really can't carry the box office.
"It's a shame that Gu Wei didn't agree to play the role when we first approached him. Otherwise, with his appeal, [Emergency Rescue] should have no problem making a profit at the box office."
Yu Dong sighed, then said, "By the way, Director Lin, the reason I asked you to come here is to talk about [Changjin Lake]."
After the failure of [Emergency Rescue], Yu Dong paid more and more attention to [Changjin Lake] which was about to start filming.
Lin Chaoxian put down the teacup in his hand and thought for a moment.
"For the past few months, I have been working with Director Xu Ke and Director Chen Kai on the preparations for The Battle at Lake Changjin.
The sets, props and other hardware are almost ready, and the actors have basically been confirmed, so we are just waiting to start filming next month."
"Director Lin will have to work very hard for the next six months or so. I will also visit the crew more often during that time. 'Changjin Lake' must be a success!"
Lin Chaoxian nodded: "It's not that hard. Judging from the lineup, with Brother Chen Kai, Xu Ke, Gu Wei, and Wu Jing, the performance of [Changjin Lake] can't be bad.
It’s just that the crew is so large, and this is the first time the three of us directors are working together, with big names like Gu Wei and Wu Jing, so I’m worried there will be problems with coordination.”
Yu Dong immediately understood what he meant after he finished speaking. He touched his chin and said, "Well, we are all leaders in the industry. Our goal is to make a good movie. Even if there are any problems, we can resolve them through negotiation.
This aspect mainly depends on communication, Director Lin will take care of it when the time comes."
The two chatted for a while and then Lin Chaoxian left.
Yu Dong drank the remaining tea, not knowing what he was thinking about.
After a while, he finished the water in the cup, picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Mr. Gu."
At the same time, Gu Wei, who was far away in Xiangshan Film and Television City, received a call from Yu Dong during his break. They chatted for a while, but in the end there was no real content. He just agreed to attend the other party's dinner after returning to Beijing.
Yu Dong said that he would call Wu Jing and Lin Chaoxian to get together, and Gu Wei naturally had no objection.
"Brother, someone wants to have dinner with you?"
Gu Wei made a phone call without telling anyone, so Tian Xiwei, who was sitting next to him, probably heard some of it.
"Mr. Yu from Bona, I don't know what's going on, he didn't tell me over the phone, but he invited me back to Beijing for dinner."
Gu Wei put down his phone and then said.
"Brother Wei, you are too high-class. The people who invite you to dinner are all the presidents of major film and television companies.
We young actors can’t even imagine it,” sighed Guo Qilin who was standing by.
Gu Wei laughed and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you say, we just have a collaborative project.
Besides, the boss of a film and television company is nothing. Nowadays, celebrities all have their own studios, so who isn’t a boss?”
Guo Qilin shook his head: "The difference between bosses is huge. Brother Wei, you are in contact with top-level figures in the circle. How can ordinary little stars compare to them?"
Gu Wei smiled and did not refute.
"By the way, last month I won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor, and your master called to congratulate me. He invited me to dinner at his place after I return to Beijing. Would you like to go?"
"Go, of course. I haven't seen my master in a long time since I started filming. Now that our drama is finished, I can rest for a while."
After hearing what Gu Wei said, Guo Qilin quickly agreed.
His master is naturally Mr. Yu Qianyu.
Gu Wei knew the other party when filming "Wolf Warrior 2" and they have always had a good relationship.
Gu Wei went to Yu Qian's horse farm and bought two horses to foster at his place.
"Okay, I'll tell your master then.
Well, let’s also invite Wu Jing and his wife. It will be more lively with more people, and Brother Qian’s house is big enough to accommodate them anyway.”
"Okay~" Guo Qilin said happily.
Xiao Tian listened to the two people's two days with envy. She hesitated for a moment and asked tentatively: "Brother, I have nothing to do after our play is finished. Can you take me with you to the dinner?"
Gu Wei looked at Xiaotian's collagen-filled face, his big watery eyes full of anticipation.
"Um~ That's fine. I'll invite you along then, but you won't know anyone except Qilin, so you'll be a little awkward."
"It's okay, I'm fine, I just need to eat, I'm very obedient"
Xiaotian was very happy to hear Gu Wei agreed, and waved his hands excitedly to indicate that he didn't mind.
Just kidding, it’s such a rare opportunity to go out to dinner with the boss or to have a gathering with friends.
Not to mention expanding your network or anything like that, the biggest benefit is just being able to spend time alone with your boss and deepen your relationship.
Gu Wei nodded.
"I'll introduce you to Brother Qian and his wife and Brother Jing and his wife. They are very nice people."
A week after the release of "Emergency Rescue", Liu Dehua's "Shock Wave 2" and Guo Xiaosi's "The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity" were released one after another.
The screening schedule of [Emergency Rescue] dropped sharply, and the box office exceeded 300 million and approached 400 million, and it was basically impossible to recover.
Apart from the plot of the movie, the most criticized thing is Eddie Peng's acting skills.
Facts have proved that Peng Yuyan, who has debuted for many years, is still a young actor. At the very least, he can only rely on selling his looks to attract attention. His expression is stiff, his lines are weak, and he does not act like a father at all.
[Shock Wave 2] should be the movie with the best reputation since the Lunar New Year. This good reputation is also reflected in the box office. It took in nearly 500 million in the first week, and the results are promising.
"The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity" maintains Guo Xiaosi's usual level and is undoubtedly a bad movie.
There is a comment on Douban that describes it very vividly: "The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity" is also known as "The Legend of the Demonic Python from the Divine Capital Dragon King", "The Untamed: Call Me by Your Name", "Detective Qingming: Werewolf", "Doctor Strange: The Shikigami Baby", and "The Legend of Zhen Huan: The Queen Kills the Queen".
Simply put, it is a plagiarized, homosexual bad movie.
The special effects are basically copied from "Doctor Strange". The fighting scenes between the Onmyojis are not magic battles but close combats.
The point is that it would be fine if you were close, but why did you have to be shirtless?
The climax of the whole play is when N white men wrestle with each other, and Mark Chao and Deng Lun exchange all kinds of glances and force themselves to be gay.
【Joy of Life 2】 crew.
In a Jiangnan-style courtyard in the play, Gu Wei and Xin Zhilei sit opposite each other.
Xin Zhilei just joined the crew last week. The character Haitang Duoduo she plays has very few roles in the second part, and the two are now filming the last shot.
"Give me the pen"
Haitang Duoduo gave Fan Xian the [Tianyi Dao Heart Method] and corrected the mistakes in it, and Fan Xian wanted to repay the favor.
"what?"
Fan Xian picked up the brush and began to draw something on the white paper in front of him.
"Draw a picture for you"
"What painting?"
"The [Badao Zhenqi] book I gave you earlier was missing a few pictures. If you practice it too hard, you'll bleed from all seven orifices."
Haitang Duoduo was speechless: "When will there be less deception in this world?"
"Let's encourage each other and work hard together."
"Cut! It's done. I declare that the filming of "Joy of Life 2" has been completed!" Director Sun Hao's voice came from the loudspeaker. "Joy of Life 2", which has been filmed for more than three months, has officially been completed.
"I haven't seen you for a while, and I feel like you look much better now than before."
After the crew finished work, Gu Wei said to Xin Zhilei beside him.
"Really? Haha, I have the same feeling. It might be because of that TV series this year."
Hearing the praise, Xin Zhilei touched his face and said happily.
Gu Wei naturally knew what she meant.
“What’s it like filming a Wong Kar-wai movie?”
"One word: 'tired', two words: 'torture'.
You don’t know, I shot a scene dozens of times, and the director never said anything.
After half a month, I had to reshoot that scene again. I was completely devastated!"
Although it is a rare opportunity to star in a Wong Kar-wai film, Xin Zhilei still couldn't help but complain.
“Haha, I heard from Tang Yan that this is Wong Kar-wai’s usual style.
But your efforts will not be in vain, the final effect will definitely be good."
"Do you still know Tang Yan?
Oh, by the way, you two worked together on Nirvana in Fire."
Gu Wei smiled and said, "We have a very good relationship. It's just that I'm too busy this year, otherwise I would definitely visit her on set."
(End of this chapter)
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