Chapter 261

In August, the Beimei film market had no major releases.

The April 4 release 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby' grossed 148 million in Beimei, already ranking 12th for the year.

The animated film 'Barnyard' released the same day earned only over seventy million, placing it 34th for the year.

Moreover, 'Step Up', which opened on the same day as 'Kung Fu Panda' on the 11th, grossed only over sixty million, and it is still a youth inspirational film centered on street dance culture.

So, during the period when 'Kung Fu Panda' was released, there was basically no competition.

Upon release, the film took in over sixty million on its opening weekend, stunning Hollywood studios and media critics.

First, this box office result was truly unexpected; even Hollywood-produced animated films don't always achieve such numbers, let alone a foreign animated film.

Second, the film's content was shocking: at first glance, it is rich in Chinese elements, with many scenes feeling exotic to some American viewers, eye-opening; yet its story structure and tone are actually Hollywood-style.

Thus, American audiences find the story easy to understand, which is one of the key reasons for its strong box office.

On Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of critics gave the film a positive review after viewing.

A common view holds that 'Kung Fu Panda's' success is mainly due to its entertaining story and likable characters; however, it cannot be denied that the Chinese elements added to the film, and the beautiful Chinese scenes in it are truly fantastic, like a dreamland.

The film critic of the Chicago Tribune praised 'Kung Fu Panda': 'Jiang Heng directed and produced an animated film more interesting than all of DreamWorks' works…… I like this film for a simple reason—the visuals are beautiful, they have a "Chinese flavor", the humor is also fun, capable of making audiences worldwide laugh. Moreover, being able to see an animated film set in ancient China is also interesting.'

If one says that North American critics' attitude toward 'Kung Fu Panda' was shock mixed with delight, then DreamWorks' side was completely dumbfounded.

They began production of the film last September, with the same subject—a kung-fu panda—drawing inspiration from classic Chinese action films such as 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Kung Fu', 'House of Flying Daggers', and 'Hero'; the script similarity is extremely high, and the character designs and scene styles are also similar to their sketches.

Yes, the production cycle for animated films is relatively long, and DreamWorks had scheduled its release for 2008.

As a result, while they hadn't even finished sketching, Jiang Heng produced a work better than the action film they currently envisioned and designed, which was rather crushing.

Only after an investigation did they learn that the project for 'Kung Fu Panda' in Neidi had been initiated earlier than theirs, and it too had taken several years to produce such a splendid animated film.

The more DreamWorks investigated, the more dumbfounded they became; they didn't even know how to pursue litigation, and could only watch helplessly as the film swept the global movie market, earning impressive box office returns.

Yes, the overseas box office of 'Kung Fu Panda' was very strong, and it was not affected by being a Chinese production.

This must be due to the charm of kung fu, which is undeniably a powerful symbol of Chinese culture.

It is also due to the charm of the panda, which needs no elaboration regarding its worldwide affection.

A kung-fu panda, especially as an animated film, has an explosive appeal to teenagers and children worldwide.

Making a tiger the protagonist might frighten children.

But when a panda appears, children only feel the urge to pet it.

Because in Western eyes, the panda is a gentle, honest animal.

This view may not match the panda's actual habits, but that is how Westerners see it.

A gentle, cute panda knowing martial arts creates a contrast that is inherently interesting.

Moreover, with Jiang Heng's name as producer, it can be said that upon release it achieved astonishing box office results in major film markets worldwide.

The film's global box office continued to break through at an astonishing pace—200 million, 300 million… up to 500 million USD; looking at this trend, surpassing 600 million is a certainty, and 700 million seems possible!

The news spread domestically, shocking the entire Chinese-language film market.

It's understandable that big-budget effects films make money, but how can an animated film be this profitable?

For a time, the bosses of major domestic film companies gathered to drink and eat, inevitably chatting a few words about 'Kung Fu Panda'.

After all, it's not surprising that 'Zhu Zion' sold well, but that 'Kung Fu Panda' could also sell well is somewhat beyond their comprehension.

In Jingcheng, inside a private room of a high-end hotel, Wang Zhonglei, Chen Guofu, Liu Weiqiang, and others gathered to eat.

The Huayi version of 'Fengshen Bang' has finished filming and is currently undergoing post-production special effects.

What worries Wang Zhonglei is that, fearing Jiang Heng might sabotage them, they have outsourced all the film's special effects shots to VFX companies in Japan, Korea, and the United States.

This does indeed put their minds at ease; the only downside is that the cost has risen by nearly thirty percent, causing them great pain.

Yet there is nothing they can do; knowing that Jiang Heng plans to film a Fengshen-themed work, Huayi still rushed to seize the slot, surely fearing retaliation.

They have already spent a high price on the special effects, and when the film is eventually released, they do not know whether the other side will interfere with scheduling, so they can only respond to moves as they come.

When talking about Jiang Heng, it is natural to mention the several hot films released during the summer.

'Red Cliff' ended up a total flop; relying on the Three Kingdoms theme, it barely grossed over 200 million, and even if a sequel later brings in another 200 million, it would still be a loss.

'CJ7' may not be a huge box‑office hit, but it does make some money.

'Zhu Zion' and 'Kung Fu Panda'—these two films truly have box office results that inspire envy, jealousy, and hatred!

"Hey, you say the box office of 'Zhu Zion' is high, we can understand that, but how can an animated film make so much money? Haven't foreigners ever seen an animated film?" Wang Zhonglei took a sip of wine and asked, utterly perplexed.

Chen Guofu replied: "If you ask me, it's simply that the subject was chosen well; foreigners naturally like pandas and also like kung fu, and when these two elements combine, even if the film's quality is just a bit better, it truly attracts kids."

Liu Weiqiang nodded, "I've called a few old friends lately, and several of them said they want to bring their kids to see 'Kung Fu Panda'.

Liu Weiqiang was born in 1960, so his peers are now in their forties.

However, people in the entertainment industry tend to marry late, so several friends' children are only just in elementary school—exactly the age that enjoys animated films—making this very understandable.

But Wang Zhonglei still finds it hard to understand, given that Huayi has been around for some years and is considered a decent performer among domestic film companies.

Yet when looking at the Faction: Outstanding Rising Film Company, they still have to look up to it.

Before, not being able to compete with big‑effects films was tolerable, but now they can't even match an animated film—it's utterly crushing!

"What do you say, shall we also make an animated film?" Wang Zhonglei proposed.

Chen Guofu and Liu Weiqiang exchanged a glance, both giving a wry smile; they really aren't good at animated films!

(End of chapter)