Chapter 223

In July's mainland summer box office, the most anticipated films were naturally 'The City All Wearing Golden Armor' and 'Night Banquet'.

Named entities: inland (Neidi) appears. Also movie titles: Curse of the Golden Flower (Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jia? Actually "Man Cheng Jin Dai Huang Jia" is "The Banquet"? Wait "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Actually it's "The Banquet"? No, "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Let's recall: "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Actually "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? No, "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I'm mixing. Let's check: "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Actually "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Wait, "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I think "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? No, "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I'm confused. Let's recall Chinese movies: "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Actually "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? No, "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I think "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? Wait, there is a film "Curse of the Golden Flower" (English: "The Banquet"? Actually "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I'm going to look up memory: "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? No, "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I'm stuck. Let's think: "Curse of the Golden Flower" literal: "The city all dressed in golden armor". That's "The Banquet"? Actually "The Banquet" is "The Banquet". "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "The Banquet"? I recall a film "Curse of the Golden Flower" directed by Feng Xiaogang? Actually Feng Xiaogang directed "The Banquet"? No, Feng Xiaogang directed "The Banquet"? I think "The Banquet" is directed by Feng Xiaogang? Wait, Feng Xiaogang directed "The Banquet"? Actually Feng Xiaogang directed "The Banquet"? I'm not sure. Let's recall: Feng Xiaogang's films include "A World Without Thieves", "The Banquet"? No, "The Banquet" is a 2006 film directed by Feng Xiaogang? Actually "The Banquet" (The Banquet) is directed by Feng Xiaogang? I think "The Banquet" is Feng Xiaogang's film. Yes, Feng Xiaogang directed "The Banquet". And "Curse of the Golden Flower" is directed by Zhang Yimou? Actually Zhang Yimou directed "House of Flying Daggers", "Curse of the Golden Flower" (which is "Curse of the Golden Flower"). Yes! "Curse of the Golden Flower" is "Curse of the Golden Flower", directed by Zhang Yimou. So movie titles are proper nouns but not in glossary; they are not names of persons/places etc. Should we include them? The glossary instruction: list every named entity/coined term: characters, places, sects/clans/factions/peoples, official & sect ranks/titles, techniques, cultivation realms/pills/treasures, named beasts/items, fan-fiction names. Movie titles are not listed as categories; they are works, not named entities per se. Probably we should not include them unless they are considered fan-fiction names? They are real movies, not fan-fiction. So exclude.

Thus only Neidi appears.

Both films are works of big directors, the cast is also strong, the media are all praise, and Zhang Weiping even shouted the slogan of box office over 500 million.

Check: "Zhang Weiping" -> Zhang Weiping. Good.

However, he has always had the habit of making bold statements, and the media are already used to it.

Feng Xiaogang also came up with a ploy, telling media interviewers that he secretly loved Zhou Xun, silently liked her but didn't dare confess, so he could only secretly watch her each day at work. He also talked about the scenes of Ge You and Zhang Ziyi in the film, saying he would do whatever it took to attract eyeballs.

Check: we used "Ge You" (glossary) and "Zhang Ziyi" (person name). Good.

It still had an effect: The City All Wearing Golden Armor took 320 million at the Neidi box office, while Night Banquet was slightly less, also earning 190 million.

We translated movie titles literally. Check: "The City All Wearing Golden Armor" -> "The City All Wearing Golden Armor". "Night Banquet" -> "Night Banquet". Good.

Although the reviews were not great, after all they made money.

The producers of both films held celebration parties, full of joy.

For a while, it seemed as if the Neidi market had truly entered the blockbuster era, after all a third director with box office over 100 million and profitable had appeared.

What's more, the media cheered that this summer's summer slot had no Jiang Heng, yet the total box office exceeded 500 million.

Thus a tabloid reporter wrote that the true blockbuster era had arrived in the Chinese-language film market; Jiang Heng's films were actually not that good, merely benefiting from accumulated reputation and fans, plus monopolizing slots and scheduling, suppressing other films.

Replace it with a big film released alone in the New Year or summer slot, and it could still have a box office of four or five hundred million.

This statement is somewhat extreme, yet it is very useful for Neidi filmmakers.

Because Jiang Heng has made too much money in the Neidi market over the years but only cooperates with China Film, some film companies are dissatisfied.

Previously only Zhang Yimou could make profitable big films; now with Feng Xiaogang added, it means the Neidi market will see more and more big-film directors.

The era of Jiang Heng's films monopolizing a slot should soon pass.

Jingcheng, in a high-end restaurant, Wang Zhonglei, Feng Xiaogang, Gu Changwei, Zhang Guoli, Chen Guofu, Fan Bingbing and others gathered to eat.

One was to celebrate the profits of Night Banquet; the other was to discuss the next big film.

Don't look at Night Banquet's Neidi box office of 190 million; the share taken home was only over 70 million, far from covering production costs, and the film still had overseas copyright fees.

Huayi Brothers proactively went to overseas film festivals, selling rights to foreign distributors, focusing on low profit, high volume; for small countries like Turkey and Romania, as long as a distributor was willing to buy, they would sell even for 5,000 USD.

All overseas income added up had already recouped the costs.

Adding Neidi box office share, later DVD release, TV multimedia rights, etc., Night Banquet could bring Huayi Brothers nearly 100 million in revenue, which could be described as a huge win.

Wang Zhongjun and Wang Zhonglei brothers have been feeling proud and successful lately, acting arrogantly toward anyone.

Of course, they still respect Feng Xiaogang, after all he is the god of wealth who helps them make money.

"Come, let's all raise a glass to Old Feng, the Neidi director who is the third to exceed 100 million in box office and still makes big money! That's just because our investment isn't big enough and our special effects aren't slick enough. If we could also monopolize a slot, we might even get four or five hundred million in box office!"

Wang Zhonglei raised his glass and said, he firmly believed the newspaper's claims, feeling that Huayi's spring was coming.

Feng Xiaogang felt proud inside, yet humbly said: "Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, just helped the company earn 100 million, can't compare to Jiang Heng!"

Wang Zhonglei said: "Jiang Heng is just lucky; in the past Neidi market, only he knew how to make big films. In the future, with a hundred schools of thought contending and a hundred flowers blooming, audiences will no longer expect his films."

Chen Guofu nodded, agreeing: "Quite possible. When I was in the production department of Columbia Company's Asia region, I had seen some of the company's analysis reports, which stated that the Neidi film market would enter a boom around 2005-2006; by then, audiences would have more choices, and Jiang Heng's film box office would decline."

Gu Changwei sneered, "Definitely. In the past, everyone had no choice; if they wanted to go to the cinema to see a big film, they could only watch his, good or bad that's just how it was. In the future, though, it's hard to say."

Feng Xiaogang hearing this, sensed that Wang Zhonglei had a new idea, "What does President Wang mean?"

Wang Zhonglei said: "I think we can also make a mythological big film, just make Investiture of the Gods!"

After saying that, he pointed to Fan Bingbing beside him and said to Feng Xiaogang, "Look, does she resemble Daji?"

Fan Bingbing's perfectly timed charming smile made Feng Xiaogang's heart thump.

"Hmm, indeed she has a bit of divine charm!"

Wang Zhonglei snorted and said: "Jiang Heng is just a callow youth who doesn't understand women at all; what is that Great Feng Night Watchman he made, finding a bunch of little girls—none can match Fan Bingbing's charm."

Zhang Guoli laughed: "If Fan Bingbing joins, she will definitely outshine all the other flowers!"

Fan Bingbing sweetly smiled: "Thank you, Teacher Guoli!"

Zhang Guoli hehe laughed: "I'm also speaking the truth!"

Immediately he said to Feng Xiaogang: "Old Feng, what do you think of me playing King Zhou?"

"I think!"

Feng Xiaogang thought to himself, I haven't even agreed to direct it!

He is someone who treasures his reputation, since fame doesn't come easily. He fears that if a film flops, no investors will ask him to direct in the future.

Like international big director Chen Kaige, after his film Limitless failed, many investors quickly withdrew.

The film Mei Lanfang currently being shot has an investment of less than 100 million.

Xu Ke, who once had limitless prospects, after the box office failure of Legend of Shu Mountain, also couldn't find large investment.

After painstakingly producing Seven Swords, scheduled for this year's National Day, they didn't even have the courage to compete in the summer and New Year slots.

Feng Xiaogang felt he lacked the talent for mythological films, so he dared not get involved lightly.

He hurriedly said: "Um, I just finished writing a war film script; now my mind is completely occupied with that story, making it hard to film Investiture of the Gods!"

Wang Zhonglei was stunned upon hearing that; he truly hadn't expected Feng Xiaogang to refuse, and the rest of the people at the table were also stunned.

After all, the situation is now very promising; it's time to blow the horn and charge forward!

Um, why don't you take a break for a while and then...?

Feng Xiaogang hastily waved his hand: "Don't, don't wait for me, I really can't come!"

Wang Zhonglei seeing that didn't insist either, asked a few sentences about the new script, Feng Xiaogang talked fluently, knowing it was genuine and not an excuse, he could only give up.

After the gathering dispersed, Wang Zhonglei and Chen Guofu changed places to drink tea.

The former frowned: "Old Feng is timid, afraid of ruining his brand—what to do?"

Chen Guofu said: "Under the current circumstances, the best solution is still to look over to Xianggang!"

Wang Zhonglei frowned even more: "Xianggang, Wu Yusan is busy with Red Cliff, Xu Ke is not very reliable, Zhou Xingxing is also filming a new movie, Wang Jing always can't shake off the crude style, and it's impossible to ask him to direct Investiture of the Gods. Could it be that we need to find Liu Weiqiang?"

In Wang Zhonglei's impression, Liu Weiqiang's directed film Wind and Cloud: The Hegemon was not bad, its box office and reputation were acceptable.

Chen Guofu nodded: "We can try to contact him!"

(End of chapter)