Chapter 16

... (we have)

Named entities: The Matrix (movie title), North America, mainland. Also maybe dates but not needed.

Because the film's release in China and the United States was staggered by nearly a year, pirated discs spread, somewhat affecting its box office.

Named entities: China-US (not a proper name); film is generic.

Moreover, for Chinese audiences in 2000, computers were still a luxury, let alone the Internet, the matrix, or virtual reality concepts.

Moreover, mainland distributors at the time never paid much attention to promoting foreign blockbusters, ultimately earning only 17 million yuan.

In this timeline, mainland China released the film first, while Hong Kong followed nearly a month later, so piracy had only a minimal impact.

Named entities: mainland, Hong Kong.

In this era, the mainland released the film first, while Hong Kong followed nearly a month later, so piracy had only a minimal impact.

Named entities: mainland, Hong Kong.

While audiences might struggle with the computer, internet, and AI concepts, it's a Hong Kong film, so the familiar cast of good-looking actors makes it easy to enjoy.

Named entities: Hong Kong film (generic term).

Jiang Heng also tweaked the original action style, swapping the light, graceful movements for swift and fierce ones, better matching the tastes of mainland viewers shaped by Hong Kong action movies.

Named entities: Jiang Heng, Hong Kong-produced action film, mainland.

On top of being mainland China's first sci-fi film and a big special-effects spectacle, the strong promotional campaign finally delivered an astonishing opening-day box office.

Named entities: mainland; 'sci-fi film' is a generic term.

9.67 million!

No named entities.

In 1997, when just over 30 million yuan was enough to break into the yearly top ten, an opening-day gross of over 9 million was absolutely explosive.

No named entities.

When Yu Dong heard the result, he was so thrilled he could barely keep hold of the phone.

Named entities: Yu Dong.

It raked in over nine million in a single day, and by the end of its run it was certain to surpass 100 million.

No named entities.

Bosco Company's first released film already grossed over 100 million, which could be considered a breakout hit!

Named entities: Bosco Company.

Even though his stake is just 18%, he still gets a sizable dividend.

No named entities.

To accomplish this, Yu Dong both boosted the film's promotion and called theater chains to urge them to add more screenings.

Named entities: Yu Dong.

"Don't worry, Old Yu—even if you don't call, we won't cut your screenings; there's hardly any competition anyway!"

Named entities: Lao Yu.

Even with competition from Party A and Party B, it wouldn't open until December 24th, so from the 19th to the 23rd mainland theaters were completely dominated by The Matrix.

Named entities: Party A and Party B, mainland.

On the 20th it earned 10.47 million, but on the 21st the takings began to fall, dropping to just 9.06 million.

No named entities.

By then, The Matrix's opening weekend gross had been tallied at a surprising 29.2 million.

Named entities: The Matrix.

The media coverage shocked the entire country.

No named entities.

After all, this was a brand-new kind of Chinese-language film—science fiction!

Named entities: Chinese-language film.

When will Chinese filmmakers ever produce a big sci-fi blockbuster? Just the thought fills the nation with excitement.

Named entities: Chinese people (generic term).

Jiang Heng, having witnessed every publicity trick, seized on this angle, repeatedly telling reporters that The Matrix is the world's best sci-fi film—its story and visuals have completely surpassed Hollywood.

Named entities: Jiang Heng, The Matrix, Hollywood.

Local stations repeatedly aired this interview, believing it would greatly boost national morale.

No named entities.

The reason is simple: life in 1990s China was really tough, leaving people feeling frustrated.

Named entities: China.

Never mind the details—just getting into the WTO took fifteen years of negotiations!

Named entities: WTO.

All this back-and-forth hassle!

No named entities.

Back then, everyone felt a pent-up determination.

Named entities: the people (generic term).

Thus, in the 1990s business world, patriotism was a very powerful card.

No named entities.

Of course, to win audience support under the banner of patriotism, you first need a solid product.

No named entities.

Passing off junk as the 'glory of domestic goods' and swindling money in the name of patriotism will ultimately get you rejected by the people.

Named entities: glory of domestic goods (slogan).

Fortunately, The Matrix is top-notch—its story and special effects feel fresh and eye-opening.

Named entities: The Matrix.

Apart from the plot being a little hard to follow, audiences viewed nearly everything as a strength, and the box office only dipped slightly.

No named entities.

8.17 million!

No named entities.

7.91 million!

No named entities.

In its first five days it grossed 45 million, putting it seventh on the 1997 yearly box office chart.

No named entities.

Ahead of it were Jurassic Park II ($72.1 million), The Opium War ($72 million), A Good Person ($65 million), Heaven Shattering, Earth Splitting ($47.6 million), Speak Well ($46 million), and Evaporation Order ($45.8 million).

Named entities: Jurassic Park II, The Opium War, A Good Person, Heaven Shattering, Earth Splitting, Speak Well, Evaporation Order.

It was only a matter of time before it surpassed those films to claim the top spot on the yearly box office chart.

No named entities.

At the Beijing Film Factory, Han Sanping sat in his office, his mind unsettled for a long time.

Named entities: Beijing Film Factory, Han Sanping.

After all, they had considered shifting the release date of Party A and Party B to avoid the hype around The Matrix.

Named entities: Party A and Party B, The Matrix.

But if they really wanted to change it, there simply isn't a better slot—they couldn't just be scared of The Matrix and move Party A and Party B to the summer of 1998, or else the factory chief wouldn't stand for it.

Named entities: The Matrix, Party A and Party B.

Han Sanping's inner pressure has remained considerable throughout this period.

Named entities: Han Sanping.

After all, they had invested over six million, and the film was a completely new genre, so they weren't sure if audiences would like it.

No named entities.

Party A and Party B differs from earlier films, with a loose sketch‑chain structure that amounts to a fresh experiment.

Named entities: Party A and Party B.

If there were no competition from The Matrix, things would be easier, but instead its box office performance is astonishingly strong.

Named entities: The Matrix.

Factory director, I called a few cinemas and said the screenings of 'Party A and Party B' had high occupancy, laughter throughout the show, and after the screening we arranged people to randomly ask some audience members; their feedback was pretty good!

Phew!

Han Sanping let out a breath, feeling as if a stone had dropped from his heart.

That's good, that's good! How about 'The Matrix'?

It feels even hotter than a few days ago; that Jiang Heng is young but quite sly, always talking about catching up to England and America, defeating Haolaiwu. The audiences he's fooled all go to the cinema to see his film; I heard some young people have watched it more than once!

Han Sanping said, 'People in Xianggang have broad vision and open minds, the media is developed, they're good at stirring people's hearts!'

Should we report it?

Han Sanping waved his hand, 'No need to worry about him; just promote our 'Party A and Party B' well. Also, remember to bundle 'The Matrix' when promoting!'

Don't worry, factory director, I'll get on it right away!

Without mentioning that Beiying Factory increased publicity for 'Party A and Party B', they said the film's director Feng Xiaogang was under pressure many times greater than Han Sanping's.

The screenplay for the film 'Party A and Party B' is adapted from Wang Shuo's novel 'You Are Not an Ordinary Person'; it tells the story of four young freelancers who suddenly get an idea, start a 'One-Day Dream Tour' business, promising to help people live a day where their dreams come true.

He had high hopes for this film, wanting to use a completely new expressive technique to carve out a place for himself in the Chinese-language film world.

Originally, in order to avoid the January 1998 release date of Cheng Long's film 'Who Am I?', they moved 'Party A and Party B' up to December 24.

Who would have thought? Out of nowhere came 'The Matrix', which not only premiered a few days earlier but also achieved astronomical box office results—really too heartbreaking!

On the morning of the 25th, Feng Xiaogang, who had still not received the first-day box office results, couldn't stay at home any longer.

He simply dressed up, wearing a hat and sunglasses, and wandered to a movie theater near his home.

Upon entering, before he could buy a ticket, he saw reporters conducting interviews.

Feng Xiaogang, afraid of being recognized, hurried out and switched to another theater.

"Which of these two movies is better?"

In 1997, Feng Xiaogang was not yet famous, so he wasn't afraid of ordinary audiences or ticket sellers recognizing him; he went straight to line up and buy tickets.

"It must be The Matrix; want a ticket?"

"What about Party A and Party B?"

"Not bad either!"

For the ticket seller, it didn't matter which one they sold; they weren't insisting on pushing any particular film.

"However, The Matrix is more exciting, while Party A and Party B is quite funny!"

"Give me a ticket for Party A and Party B!"

"Fifteen!"

Feng Xiaogang paid the money, took a movie ticket, found a seat, waited a moment for ticket checking, entered the screening hall, and after the film started, discovered the occupancy was around 60%.

For a morning show, this number of viewers was already quite large.

Since he had directed the film, Feng Xiaogang naturally didn't care about the plot; he was watching the audience's reactions throughout the hall.

To his delight, the audience in the theater occasionally burst into loud laughter, even doubling over.

"If all theaters in the country were like this, my film's box office wouldn't be bad!"

Thinking this, Feng Xiaogang secretly resented Jiang Heng, who had blocked his rise; regrettably, this time he was outmatched, but sooner or later he would make a big film to win back.

After the film ended, Feng Xiaogang stood up and walked out, hearing the audience occasionally discuss the funny plot; his heart felt as elated as if flowers had bloomed.

But upon reaching the ticket hall, he saw that the audience was still coming for The Matrix, which left him somewhat depressed.

Thinking that people nearby might come, he also wanted to take a look at this film.

Thinking so, he went to line up again, but found that the recent screenings were all sold out, so he could only buy tickets for the afternoon show.

Feng Xiaogang felt like cursing out of frustration, but the ticket seller said, "Want to buy? If not, let the people behind you come forward!"

"Yeah, buy or not, Mo Ji!"

"Hurry up, can't you see the line!"

Feng Xiaogang gritted his teeth, "Give me one!", then pulled out money and bought a ticket for The Matrix.

Looking at the time on the ticket, it was more than two hours later, just right for a meal.

Leaving the theater, he found a noodle shop, ordered a bowl of old Beijing fried sauce noodles, ate heartily, then wandered around a nearby mall for a while before returning to the theater.

Goodness, there were even more people than in the morning.

Standing aside and listening a bit, everyone was there for The Matrix.

"They've never even seen a computer; can they understand it?"

Feng Xiaogang muttered under his breath, lucky that no one heard him, otherwise there would surely have been a conflict.

Soon it was time for ticket checking, and he walked into the screening hall with the crowd.

Looking around, goodness, the place was packed with people, almost every seat filled.

"Where the hell did all these people come from!"

Feng Xiaogang muttered, then found his seat and sat down.

Not long after the main feature began, as the plot unfolded, Feng Xiaogang grew increasingly shocked, for he was a professional.

As the saying goes, laypeople watch the excitement, while experts look for the nuances.

Laypeople just think, "Holy shit, awesome, so impressive," but can't explain why.

Experts, however, can see exactly where the impressiveness lies!

At this moment, Feng Xiaogang, though not yet well known among mainland directors, nevertheless possessed genuine talent.

He could see how advanced the film's story core was, and how difficult it was to shoot the special-effects scenes.

The fight scenes, though exciting, he believed many directors from Xianggang could pull off.

But that bullet-dodging scene was truly stunning; he racked his brains and still couldn't figure out how to film it!

"He must have had help; a pure newcomer could never make a film like this on his own!"

After the screening, Feng Xiaogang had to admit his film couldn't compare to The Matrix, leading him to suspect that Jiang Heng wasn't the film's true director.

Yet no matter how he doubted, Jiang Heng had already succeeded, which inevitably left him feeling a bit down.

"Hey, Old Feng, the first-day box office results are out!"

While walking down the road, Feng Xiaogang suddenly received a call from Zhang Xiang of the Beijing Film Studio; hearing that the first-day box office had been released, he was overjoyed.

"How, how much?"

"2.57 million!"

"257?"

"Mm!"

"Then, if word-of-mouth holds steady, it'll surely exceed twenty million!"

Zhang Xiang was also somewhat excited, "Yeah, it'll definitely go over two thousand!"

But he didn't know that, historically, the first-day box office for Party A and Party B had been over 3.6 million, and due to The Matrix's scheduling squeeze and other factors, it had dropped by more than a million.

But Feng Xiaogang, unaware of this, simply thought that if he could get over twenty million in box office, the costs would surely be recouped.

Later, selling some rights and releasing videotapes would also let the Beijing Film Studio make a small profit.

"Great, great!"

Feng Xiaogang, somewhat excited, felt that his tangled heart finally settled.

Although still jealous of Jiang Heng's box office results, the situation is not in our favor!

However, speaking of Jiang Heng, seeing that the daily box office of *The Matrix* kept falling, he felt there was nothing left to promote, so he booked a flight back to Xianggang, preparing for the Spring Festival season.

Suddenly receiving a call from Yu Dong: 'Director Jiang, great news, great news! China Central Television wants to interview you!'

Jiang Heng blinked, saying 'Not an interview...!'

He had wanted to say, 'Haven't you already interviewed me?' but halfway through he realized the previous interviewers were from the movie channel.

Although it is also influential, it is not the strongest.

'What are you talking about?'

'News column!'

'Hiss!'

Jiang Heng drew a sharp breath; being interviewed by the news column is giving him too much face!

'What's the situation?'

'I also heard it through rumor; perhaps the leaders think that, amid the Asian financial crisis, if Xianggang can produce a special-effects blockbuster surpassing Haolaiwu, it could boost Hongkongers' morale!'

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng momentarily didn't know how to respond.

Morale and confidence are such things that are hard to talk about, but receiving official recognition is also a fortunate matter.

After all, the viewership rating of China Central Television's news column is too high; being able to appear on it makes *The Matrix* known nationwide!

'Alright, tell them I'm available anytime!'

After hanging up, Jiang Heng hurriedly refunded his return-to-Xianggang ticket and extended his stay at the Jingcheng hotel.

Standing by the hotel window gazing at the night scenery, thinking about current property prices, he muttered to himself: 'Once the box office dividends are in hand, I can try to get a plot of land! If I can erect a building in Jingcheng, I won't fear losing everything else!'

Like Zhang Chaoyang, though Sohu Company's market value has plummeted, because he owns three buildings he remains a billionaire with net worth of several billion.

The next day, after finally waiting for the notification from China Central Television, he went to record the interview video, only to find that it would be several more days before it aired.

As of now, the Chinese‑language sci‑fi blockbuster *The Matrix* has grossed 74.86 million, surpassing *Jurassic Park II* to claim the 1997 yearly box office title.

(End of chapter)