Chapter 634: Continuing to Lead; Might Need a Tool Director!

"Detective Chinatown" stormed into the January New Year's film season with an unstoppable, dominant posture, setting a new domestic film record for the first day and single day with 236 million yuan in box office.

And the eight imported films and 16 Chinese-language low-to-mid-budget films in January, totaling 26 films, will all be its targets to "cut through obstacles" and sweep aside along the way!

In the industry's view, perhaps only "Star Wars 4: The Force Awakens" on the 9th could block Lin Nan;

As for "Kung Fu Panda 3" on the 29th, it is completely out of reach; because by then, "Detective Chinatown" will also be off the screens.

"Today is New Year's Day, and on the first day of the month, five films directly clustered for release, including one imported film, 'Ice Beauty', but undoubtedly none will stir up any waves;

Among the eight imported films like 'Sherlock' and 'Alvin and the Chipmunks 4: The Road Chip', 'The Force Awakens' and 'Kung Fu Panda 3' are the most competitive.

As for domestic films, heh, in my opinion, none can fight. If there really is an accident, it will most likely happen to that film which isn't really a film..."

Lin Nan listened to Yue Jun's eloquent analysis, nodding from time to time.

Although today is New Year's Day, more than half the company is still at work; because for the film and entertainment industry, there are no fixed holidays.

The closer it gets to holidays, the busier it is, especially now that "Detective Chinatown" is cutting through the melons and chopping the vegetables in the film market...

Of course, five times the salary is the guaranteed overtime treatment.

"Hmm? What do you mean by 'a film that isn't really a film'?"

Lin Nan suddenly realized, looking at Yue Jun with confusion.

The latter, hearing this, immediately couldn't help but laugh and said, "Huang Bo, Sun Sun Honglei and the others are genuine, powerful actors.

But an hour ago, with the news breaking that 'Go Fighting!' would drop a big movie on the 15th, the internet is already cursing them as harshly as possible, just cursing them.

A variety show having a good reputation is the variety show's business; but bringing a variety show into the cinema is naked money-grabbing, and I heard it's a film shot in just five days!"

Well, Lin Nan has to admit, this indeed doesn't count as a regular film.

Thinking about it now, how wise it was for him to decisively reject Wang Wang Changtian's proposal to film "Running Man" as a big movie to grab money! Otherwise, he would be cursed right now too.

"Sigh, getting a film's salary in just five days, indeed, not many people can refuse such temptation. Wish him good luck; getting cursed is what he deserves, haha..."

Lin Nan really couldn't help but laugh; when that "Go Fighting!" releases in the middle of the month, he must go tease Huang Bo to his face.

"Um, Zhao Zhao Liying also acted in it."

Yue Jun said abruptly, with a face holding back laughter.

"Ah?" Director Lin Da's laughter stopped abruptly.

In the afternoon, Lin Nan stayed dutifully at the company handling tedious year-end tasks, mainly listening to reports and signing documents... The taxes due for 2015 appear to have surged significantly compared to two years ago; they've definitely doubled.

However, he also kept an eye on outside news from time to time, such as his classmate Liu Liu Qianqian and Zhou Xun and others strolling outside, and it seems they were caught by the paparazzi again.

Compared to Zhou Xun pouting and Shu Chang looking down wanting to run, Miss Liu, in a good mood, directly flashed her signature move—the victory sign—and immediately received a wave of praise and teasing.

On the other side, the mythological film "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", produced by New Classics Media, starring Eddie Peng, Ni Ni, Andy Lau, and Ekin Cheng, and adapted from the same-name top IP, also wrapped up filming with high profile in the afternoon.

But none of these are the headlines; what is hanging prominently at the top of the hot search list is the news that Jiaying Media signed a new talent again: a certain Zhu Zhu Xudan, claimed to be the Central Academy of Drama school beauty!

Lin Nan even took a special glance at Zhu Zhu Xudan's profile; she graduated from the junior college class of the Performance Department of the Central Academy of Drama's Class of 2012, meaning she graduated just half a year ago.

Speaking of the differences between the Performance Departments of the Central Academy of Drama and the Beijing Film Academy, Lin Nan wanted to complain about the Beijing Film Academy again.

The Beijing Film Academy's undergraduate performance class cannot compare to the Central Academy of Drama's undergraduate class; this is a fact recognized within the industry;

And regarding the performance classes expanded outside the undergraduate class, the Beijing Film Academy, from its original intention of establishment, is even less comparable to the Central Academy of Drama.

Because the Beijing Film Academy here expanded the higher vocational class, with a two-year academic system, while the Central Academy of Drama over there expanded the junior college class, with a three-year academic system!

Others not only have better teaching quality, but the teaching duration is even one year longer; how can this be compared? It can't be compared! Does the Beijing Film Academy lack the qualification to open a junior college? Yes, but the higher vocational class has more "cost-performance ratio"!

With the New Year's film season plus the boost of the New Year's Day short holiday, anyone with common sense in the film circle knows that, given "Detective Chinatown"'s reputation yesterday, at least before the New Year's Day holiday ends, its daily box office will absolutely be unstoppable and crushing.

Film Bureau.

Looking at the release information sheet for the 26 films in January, and "Detective Chinatown"'s screening rate, screening volume, and most importantly, the occupancy rate today, Zhang Zhang Hongsen didn't know whether he should be happy or melancholy.

On one hand, "Detective Chinatown"'s box office will be counted into the 2016 total market, so he naturally hopes it will be as high as possible; but on the other hand, those 18 clustered domestic films, can he just ignore their life and death, can't he?

And the extension secret key—he doesn't need to think to know that "Detective Chinatown" will definitely submit an application to the Film Bureau!

"Sigh, it's really a headache."

At past five in the afternoon, when Lin Nan left the company, Jiang Jiang Xuerou also left together.

Responding to Wang Wang Changtian's extremely earnest "plea", Director Lin Da gave him face this year;

Jiang Jiang Xuerou would lead the team, representing Lin Nan Pictures to attend the National Drama Awards hosted by Dolphin TV and organized by Light Media.

After all, Lin Nan Pictures' television drama business has always been in charge of by Jiang Jiang Xuerou; although the output is not high, its weight in the industry is not small.

At half past seven in the evening, the red carpet ceremony of the National Drama Awards will start on time, the location is right in the Capital!

"I thought you guys were drinking coffee outside, strolling around, at most going for a car race, but you went mountain climbing?!"

Lin Nan sat on the sofa, with Liu Liu Yifei's two legs in his arms; she was lying on the sofa groaning.

"Today there was sun, and it wasn't very cold, so Sister Xun suggested going for a stroll.

As a result, she, the one who suggested it, was the one who dragged the most; she couldn't make it after climbing for over an hour, and it was me and Changchang who brought her down."

Liu Liu Yifei's tone revealed a bit of little tsundere, mocking Zhou Xun.

"Where is her assistant?"

"Her assistant is her relatives and cousins, all equally 'frail'; they were panting heavily after not climbing for long, not even as good as my and Changchang's assistants. Hehe..."

Well, Lin Nan was amused. Regarding physical strength, energy, and agility, it would probably take five Zhou Xuns combined to compete with Liu Liu Qianqian, right?

"Alright, I've rubbed for so long, it won't be sore tomorrow."

"Oh, rub a bit more, it's quite comfortable, hurry up."

Got it, she's acting spoiled now?

Fine, Director Lin Da reluctantly, will just be Liu Liu Yifei's "private technician" for a while longer!

"Hmm? The red carpet has started?"

On the propped-up tablet, live-streaming, Fan Li Bingbing appeared first on the red carpet hand-in-hand with her boyfriend whom Cheng Long didn't recognize and had never heard of.

"Lin Nan, where are you pressing!"

Miss Liu grabbed Lin Nan in annoyance, her eyes glistening with tears as she glanced back.

"Oh, that's why it felt so fleshy— so firm, perky, and bouncy? Don't believe me, feel it yourself…"

"Get lost!"

……

As expected, on New Year's Day, the box office performance of the vast majority of films in the market was even more dismal than the day before.

The daily box office of "Mr. Six" was cut in half again, plunging from 11.2 million to 4.25 million— it looked like funeral firecrackers were about to go off!

While "Villian Angel" was clinging to its last breath, still making its final struggle, dropping from 3.2 million to 2.24 million.

In contrast, "Detective Chinatown," although five newly entered films joined the "armed brawl," still led the pack by a wide margin with an extraordinary box office of 232 million. Its share of the daily box office even climbed to 90%, freezing at 90.01%!

Looking at the remaining films, they pitifully split that little over nineteen million in "leftover scraps," a sorry sight…

Wonder if the film production companies behind these movies are spitting blood? They'll definitely be bleeding money!

"It's really like the roof leaking and then running into a night of rain— Huayi Studio's 'Mr. Six' was already being crushed by 'Detective Chinatown,' and then early this morning it got complained about to the General Administration by the Tobacco Control Association!

They said the film abused smoking shots— in a 138-minute movie, a smoking-related shot appeared on average every one-plus minutes, wantonly vilifying the vast majority of law-abiding capital smokers, demanding deletion measures to salvage the negative and adverse impact.

Listen to that— does it sound pretty ridiculous?"

Lin Nan was impressed with Ning Hao— had he forgotten that he himself had a cameo in "Mr. Six"? The way he was ribbing it now, he was completely just an outsider watching the show!

"Last time you mentioned having the Pian De Xiang Fa of preparing a new film— is it this year?"

Looking at the poster of "Monster Hunt" on the table, Lin Nan changed the subject.

"Don't know yet. What I'm most worried about right now is this."

Ning Hao tapped the movie poster of "Monster Hunt" with his knuckle.

Suddenly, Director Ning caught on, and looked at Lin Nan:

"I invited you and Liu Yifei over for a meal, and to discuss on the side whether you could help me hold a stage and promote the film tomorrow.

But why would you bring up that thing about me preparing a new film, and specifically ask if it's this year? I remember I just casually mentioned it at Tiangong Color back then, didn't I?!"

Facing Ning Hao's wariness and question, Lin Nan didn't answer, but first complained:

"The order of your first sentence is wrong— you have to flip it. The main thing is wanting me to help hold the stage and promote it, and only second comes the 'notice' payment— treating me to a meal, right?"

"Same thing, same thing! Hurry up and tell me, what does your out-of-the-blue question mean?"

Lin Nan glanced outside the study door— Liu Liu Yifei and Xing Ai were in the living room discussing what dishes to order, their voices coming in fragments, hard to make out.

"I might— I said might, okay? This year I might need a tool-man director. Hmm, a great director would be best…"

Looking at Ning Hao, Lin Nan said with a smile. No need to spell it out too clearly— Ning Hao would definitely get what he meant!

"Me? You bastard want me to be your tool-man?"

Ning Hao looked at Lin Nan with a face full of disdain, but then caught on again and reined in his disdainful expression:

"Ordinary people wouldn't be worthy of having me as a tool-man director… It's Liu Yifei, isn't it?"

Lin Nan smiled and nodded:

"The script isn't set… maybe, probably, possibly, there's also me.

Of course, the whole tool-man director thing is just a joke— it's just a film director!"

……