Chapter 565: Are You Going to Give Birth Too?

Sometimes one has to admit that whether a film's box office is good or not, besides the quality of the film itself, the influence of concurrent competitors is also significant.

The film market these past few days has perfectly illustrated to the industry what is meant by "relying entirely on the setting off of peers."

The word-of-mouth for *Tiny Times* is indeed too rotten; after the three-day explosion period, the daily box office has been decaying at a rate of about 15 million, and it has currently dropped to around 40 million per day.

Yet, set off by it, the other films have miraculously shown a trend of bottoming out and rebounding.

For example, Ning Hao's *No Man's Land*; originally, after the box office broke 300 million, the daily increase had dropped to three or four million.

Just as its potential seemed exhausted, as a result of the release of *Tiny Times*, it miraculously turned its guns around, and now it has actually surged back to five or six million.

In the ten or so days that its schedule overlapped with *Tiny Times*, *No Man's Land* not only suffered no impact, but actually ended up collecting another 20 to 30 million in box office.

However, the most exaggerated case is not *No Man's Land*, after all, it is already in its final stage, and no matter what, there are only a few days left.

Instead, it is *Badges of Fury*; the original competitive relationship has now turned into *Tiny Times* being a "pig teammate" that provided a divine assist.

Although this film was adapted by the Shanhe Media screenwriting department, it had inherent flaws in its foundation, and the box office result was likely to be just over 300 million.

As a result, set off by *Tiny Times*, the audience actually felt the film wasn't bad, and many people, after being poisoned by the former, immediately went in for a second viewing.

Just like that, the daily box office of *Badges of Fury* surged to 20 million as if it had taken medicine; in 11 days, the box office has already reached 262 million.

Looking at this situation, after finishing the remaining theatrical run, the box office might even cross the 400 million mark.

People in the industry are joking that Ning Hao and Wang Changtian should send a silk banner to Guo Xiaosi.

"Indeed, where else can you find such a good 'pig opponent'? Haha."

After Wei Jin made this joke, he looked up at the clock on the wall, got up to leave the office, and prepared to attend the premiere of *Shendu Longwang*.

As the new work of the billion-director Xu Laoguai, and the first domestic blockbuster with a production cost of nearly 200 million to be released in the second half of the year, the premiere of *Shendu Longwang* had quite a grand scale, held at the Great Hall.

And under the management of China Film Group and Enlight Media, the scale of the premiere was also quite grand.

Heads of production companies in the industry, such as Ren Zhonglun of Shanghai Film Group, Yu Pangzi of Bona, the Wang brothers of Huayi, and Ye Ning of Wanda, were all present.

The great directors of the industry, Zhang Yimou, Jiang Wen, Ning Hao, Gu Changwei, Jia Kezhang, etc., were also all there.

There were even more stars and artists; almost all first-tier domestic artists were present, and there were even quite a few Hong Kong artists who came to show their support.

At this moment, Han Sanping and Wang Changtian were surrounded by a circle of big shots, while Xu Laoguai was also surrounded by major production companies, and the creative team was also greeting guests.

Wei Jin couldn't be bothered to join the fun, so he chatted with Ning Hao in a corner.

"Senior brother, how is your film going? What stage is it at?"

"Don't rush, I'm still scouting the shooting route, your Na Jie is going personally, impressive right?"

Wei Jin raised an eyebrow, "Good fellow, no wonder you are alone today, looking so spirited; so it turns out 'the brother' is on vacation, hahaha."

"Hehe, even a workhorse needs to rest."

Ning Hao gave a cheeky smile, which was quite funny, but then he sighed.

"This damn Xu Zheng is really unreliable."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Damn it, he already signed the contract with me, and that son of a bitch went and took on another film, saying he could wrap up very soon. Damn his grandfather, if it weren't for our good relationship, I would really want to fire him."

Listening to Ning Hao's rambling complaints, Wei Jin roughly understood the situation.

Wei Jin had heard of this film *The Great Hypnotist* that Xu Zheng took on; it was initiated by Wanda.

Because the investment wasn't large, Ye Ning had previously only sent an invitation for the role of the second female lead to the company.

However, the company's artists either didn't have the schedule or weren't interested, and in the end, this role was taken by Hu Jing, who had become popular again thanks to *Flowers and Youth*.

"So you're saying Xu Zheng is the male lead and the producer?"

"Yeah, I heard that the Taiwan director Chen Zhengdao strongly requested it. Damn, I don't know what he sees in Xu Zheng."

Wei Jin found it hard to respond to that. What could he see in him? Isn't it just that he is currently popular and has strong appeal? Come to think of it, Wanda has also been following Enlight Media's path in recent years, supporting young directors.

And Chen Zhengdao entered Wanda's sights thanks to that film *Proposals* at the beginning of the year; it seems both sides have already signed a cooperation agreement.

"Alright, anyway, you're not in a hurry. If it really delays the start of filming, at worst you can just deduct his pay, haha."

Wei Jin was not in a hurry at all; if that were the case, his Assistant could stay by his side for a few more days.

"Eh~~ that's true, huh."

Ning Hao's eyes lit up, "Let's do that, let that son of a bitch not play by the rules."

After chatting with Ning Hao for a while, the premiere began.

Today's premiere didn't have any fancy tricks, because there was no need at all.

After the host Liu Yan opened the event, she directly invited the creative team to the stage for interviews.

The creative team talked about interesting things that happened on set, and even Fan Bingbing, who was still filming on the set of *Godzilla*, recorded a video to wish the film a big box office success.

After a set of routine procedures, it soon reached the screening segment; the venue became quiet, with only the familiar Dragon Mark and sound flashing by. When Xu Laoguai was making this *Shendu Longwang*, he had the screenwriting department check the script, paying more attention to the themes of investigation and suspense.

The fight scenes were crisp, the logic was clear, the story was smooth, and the special effects were also very well done.

Therefore, when the film came to an end, the applause in the venue had a bit more sincerity.

This also gave the creative team and the producers some confidence, and they were all beaming with joy.

Then came the popular media interview segment.

"Director Wei, as the lead controller, how much do you think the box office for this film will be?"

As soon as the reporter finished speaking, everyone at the scene turned their eyes to Wei Jin; after all, his predictions were always too accurate.

Wei Jin didn't play coy and directly gave his own forecast.

"After more than two years of settling, this sequel has adopted brand-new underwater 3D technology. I believe everyone has just seen the visual effects. With not many competitors in the Summer Slot, I think 600 million in box office should just be the starting point."

As soon as Wei Jin said this, the scene was in an uproar; after all, the box office of the first film was less than 300 million.

However, after thinking about it carefully, there was really no way to refute it.

The concurrent *Blind Detective* had already lost before the battle, and the remaining *Tiny Times*, which had a large overlap in schedule, could not pose a threat.

Throughout July, it really seems there were no decent opponents.

Plus, 3D blockbusters have very low piracy risks and long-lasting potential, so this goal is not difficult to achieve.

As the reception began, reports related to the premiere also appeared in the entertainment headlines.

"After more than two years, the second installment of the martial arts detective film series *Detective Dee* has arrived, and the premiere is star-studded!" "At the premiere of *Shendu Longwang*, applause was like thunder, and praise was constant!"

"The genius director Tsui Hark's new work, *Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings*, is about to be released!"

"Great director Wei Jin boasts that *Shendu Longwang* has a box office guarantee of 600 million!"

During the reception, Han Sanping found Wei Jin.

"Wei Jin, I saw that script of Lu Yang's at the bureau; what is the budget this time?"

"Currently, a rough estimate is around 60 million."

Wei Jin did not hide anything and laid out the situation completely.

The script for this film was entirely filled out by the screenwriting department; it tells the story of the blind man's experiences before he lost his sight, and how, after becoming blind, he walked out of depression to become a bounty hunter.

Compared to the first film, the production scale and filming scenes for this one are much larger, so the corresponding budget has naturally increased several times over.

However, Wei Jin has read the script, and he is confident that it can be profitable.

"Alright, regardless of the final budget, China Film Group wants 30%, how about that?"

Han Sanping did not make an exorbitant demand; he knew that Lu Yang had leaked The Message, and Wei Jin certainly had to maintain relationships in all aspects, so China Film Group getting 30% was enough.

"Fine, I'll listen to Han Dong."

Wei Jin agreed immediately; after all, the old man was almost retired, so why not make him happy? It was just that he felt some emotion in his heart.

Some people, before leaving their jobs, just "ring the bell for the day they remain a monk." But Han Sanping, as long as he was in his position for one day, would exert his remaining energy for that day; where could one find such a worker?

At this thought, Wei Jin wanted to invite Han Sanping to join the company again, but the latter started talking about another topic at this moment.

"Wei Jin, *The Crossing* starts filming in a few days. It's the last big project during my tenure; are you really not coming to show your support?"

"Ahem, Han Dong, my film's post-production hasn't even started yet, let's just forget it..."

Hearing this, Wei Jin shook his head decisively, then smiled and reminded him, "Besides, Han Dong, have you forgotten my script? *The Crossing* won't be the last big project of your tenure."

Han Sanping's eyes lit up, his mind filled with the two keywords "Wei Jin's script" and "big project."

"Can we talk about it in detail?"

"It's like this..."

Wei Jin immediately told him his previous idea, and Han Sanping frowned.

"Is this doable?"

"Of course, but our two companies definitely can't swallow it alone; we still need to find relevant departments to provide protection..."

"That's the logic."

Han Sanping nodded slowly, "Then when do you plan to start?"

"After the post-production of the film I have on hand is finished."

"Good, then I'll wait for your notification."

"Mm, don't worry, this is specially prepared for Han Dong; China Film Group will definitely be included."

"Hahaha."

After the premiere ended, Liu Yan issued a strong invitation for the first time. Looking at her appearance, which seemed to have some Heart's Secret, Wei Jin naturally would not refuse.

It was just that Wei Jin didn't expect that not long after Da Meiyuan had given birth to a child, Liu Yan wanted one too.

"Are you sure? Having a child will delay you for at least a year or more; *Keep Running* and *Singer* won't wait for you..."

Wei Jin held Liu Yan's massive conscience and confirmed again.

"Boss, I'm serious; I'm already 33 years old this year..."

Regarding the matter of pregnancy, Liu Yan had been thinking about it for a long time. Given her current relationship with Wei Jin, it would be very difficult for her to have another man in this life. Since that was the case, why not make her life more complete? In fact, she had intended to bring it up when she was filming with the crew in North America before, but she was afraid of being misunderstood as wanting to fight for the family fortune.

Now that Da Meiyuan had given birth to a son, the Wei family empire at least had an heir, which was why she thought about bringing it up.

As for the two shows, Liu Yan knew very well that this man would definitely not treat her unfairly.

Wei Jin didn't know that Liu Yan had considered so much. After confirming that she wasn't acting on a momentary impulse, he nodded and said, "Alright then, since you've made up your mind, after the recording of this season of *Keep Running* ends, you should drop all your work. I will find time to accompany you..."

Speaking of this, Wei Jin paused, his tone gentle as he said, "Don't worry, since you are willing to follow me like this, I won't treat you and the child unfairly in the future."

"Mm, Boss, I believe you."

Wei Jin's solemn promise moved Liu Yan greatly. She took the initiative to offer a sweet kiss, and her huge advantage pressed tightly against the man's chest, as if it were being bent over.

After a long entanglement, Liu Yan remembered one thing.

"By the way, Boss, speaking of *Keep Running*, He Laoshi communicated with me privately; he doesn't seem to plan on recording the next season."

"Hm?"

Wei Jin's hand holding the conscience paused slightly, feeling a bit curious, "What's the reason?"

"According to him, it's because he's getting older, and the recording intensity is too high, so he can't quite handle it..."

Wei Jin held the snow-white breasts without speaking; this reason didn't quite hold up.

*Keep Running*, which is controlled by Shanhe Media, is much more humane than in his previous life; both the recording frequency and the recording duration strictly consider the physical condition of the guests.

After all, he remembered that when Deng Chao quit this variety show in his previous life, he complained about quite a few related issues, so he definitely wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

As for the reason He Laoshi wanted to quit, Wei Jin estimated that Mango TV had some opinions, or perhaps there was some new variety show.

But it didn't matter; no one is irreplaceable, and the next season will be the sixth season, so the guest lineup can indeed be adjusted again.

"Forget it, let him be. Is Deng Chao's performance okay right now?"

"Mm, Chao-ge's comedic talent is still quite good; now he can basically assist in controlling the stage."

"That's fine, let him be the captain next season..."

Speaking of this, Wei Jin incidentally asked about the viewership of this season.

"Not bad. Although it is also sliding, compared to other shows in the same period, it's considered good; the average is above 3, and occasionally there are explosive points that can break 4."

Wei Jin nodded, expressing his satisfaction; as the country's number one outdoor reality show, maintaining these results into its fifth season meant it was already worthy of the title of a national variety show.

"Alright, work is finished, now we should focus on life."

As soon as Wei Jin finished speaking, Liu Yan sat up straight and turned toward him, her massive advantages instantly filling his field of vision.

(End of this chapter)