Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 267 Breaking the Record

"Haha, Brother Wu, I know you're used to big box office numbers in Hollywood. Our 2000 million can't compare to that, but it's still a record for the highest-grossing opening night for a Chinese film!"

Hearing Han Sanping's happy voice coming from the other end of the phone, Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "How could that be? Chinese cinema is my root, I'm very happy to break the record!"

The next moment, Han Sanping said, "Hehe, I'm now counting on your 'Brotherhood of Blades' to split the mountain that's been pressing down on Chinese cinema!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately understood what the other person meant. The mountain weighing down on Chinese cinema was none other than "Titanic," whose initial box office of 3.6 million yuan left many films with no hope of catching up.

In recent years, the highest-grossing Chinese film is still "My Sassy Girl" with 1.5 million yuan, which is still 3.6 million yuan short of the 2 ​​million yuan of "The Great Ship"!
The record-breaking opening weekend box office of "Brotherhood of Blades" and the positive word-of-mouth from various media outlets have given Han Sanping hope.

Wu Yuchen wasn't as optimistic as Han Sanping. The high box office of "Titanic" wasn't due to its high opening weekend box office, but rather its ability to consistently generate box office revenue. Although "Brotherhood of Blades" had a much higher opening weekend box office, he wasn't so sure if it could surpass "Titanic."

It's not entirely hopeless. Take "Hero" for example. It was the film with the highest box office in this period of my previous life that came closest to the big ship, and it eventually grossed 2.5 million yuan.

Although there is still a gap of 2.5 million between "Hero" (3.6 million) and "Titanic" (1.1 million), there is one thing that everyone has overlooked.

Many people only remember that the movie "Hero" grossed 2.5 million yuan, but they haven't thought about the circumstances under which it achieved that box office.

The previous film, "Hero," was released on December 14th. What was the background at that time? SARS had already broken out in Guangdong.

As SARS spread, many people were reluctant to go to the cinema. Later, the government issued a notice ordering the suspension of operations for six types of entertainment venues, including cinemas. Even under these circumstances, "Hero" still managed to gross 2.5 million yuan. If it had been released during a different season, such as the summer, it might have surpassed 3 million yuan.

The high box office success of the film "Hero" is at most half due to the quality of the film itself, and the other half due to its promotion. It was also the first time in China that we have seen what the operation mode of a big-budget commercial film is.

Now, the title of China's first big-budget commercial film has been snatched away by "Brotherhood of Blades," boasting a large production, a star-studded cast, and spectacular scenes. Wu Yuchen admits that while his film might not match "Hero" in terms of visual appeal, "Brotherhood of Blades" definitely surpasses it in terms of storytelling and plot.

The movie "Hero" excels in its color and spectacle, but its plot is too thin. After being upgraded by Wu Yuchen, "Brotherhood of Blades" is better than the original in every aspect. Even if the spectacle can't match the grand scale of "Hero" with its barrage of arrows, it's still far superior to previous films, and audiences thoroughly enjoyed it.

Furthermore, his current box office appeal surpasses that of Zhang Yimou, and his release date is better than "Hero." If he pushes it up, the box office should be no lower than "Hero's." Perhaps there's even a 30% chance he can catch up with the big film?

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Brother Han, I'm not sure if we can break the box office record of 'Titanic'. I can only say that this time we'll work together and give it our all."

Han Sanping immediately praised, "Excellent! With Brother Wu around, it's a blessing for Chinese-language films!"

However, Wu Yuchen immediately reminded him, "Brother Han, if we really want to break the box office record this time, we need to keep a close eye on piracy! Otherwise, once pirated copies are leaked, the daily box office losses will be in the millions!"

"Yes, we're taking the piracy issue very seriously this time. A nationwide anti-piracy campaign has been launched, spearheaded by the propaganda department. Anyone caught will be dealt with severely, which should have a deterrent effect on pirates. In addition, each copy of 'Brotherhood of Blades' has been assigned at least three personnel from different units for close monitoring..."

For each print of "Brotherhood of Blades," three people accompanied it: one from Zulong Film Company, one from China Film Group, and one from the theater distributor, to do everything possible to prevent the prints from being leaked. While it's impossible to completely prevent paparazzi filming, the quality of such footage is incomparable to that of leaked pirated copies. Therefore, as long as the prints are kept from leaking, the maximum number of viewers who want to see the film can be retained.

Wu Yuchen knew that piracy was unstoppable and would leak out sooner or later, but he felt that if he could delay the leak for more than half a month, the chances of breaking the box office record of "Titanic" would be two points greater.

To help "Brotherhood of Blades" break records, Han Sanping really went to great lengths. He unleashed a major move: setting a minimum box office target for "Brotherhood of Blades".

For example, the lowest ticket price in Beijing and Shanghai was 30 yuan per ticket, 25 yuan per ticket in Guangdong and Jiangsu-Zhejiang provinces, and 20 yuan per ticket in Chengdu and other cities across the country. One week after the film's release, the lowest ticket price was changed to 15 yuan per ticket.

This is just the lowest price. In some cinemas with better equipment, even if the price is set at 50 yuan, the demand still exceeds the supply. After all, the hype surrounding "Brotherhood of Blades" has been huge, spreading throughout newspapers, television, and the internet, resulting in some places experiencing a shortage of tickets.

According to Yongle-Oriental United Cinemas, the largest cinema chain in Shanghai, the box office revenue at Yongle Cinema in Xujiahui alone reached 61 yuan on the opening day, breaking the single-day record of 32 yuan held by "Titanic" for many years.

If you're wondering why it surpassed "Titanic" by such a large margin, even with the same number of cinemas, "Brotherhood of Blades" is only 110 minutes long, while "Titanic" is 194 minutes—nearly double the length. Naturally, "Brotherhood of Blades" gets more screenings per day. Add to that the higher ticket prices for "Brotherhood of Blades," and it's no wonder its box office record per cinema is significantly higher than "Titanic's"!

Although there are currently fewer than two thousand cinemas nationwide, many cinemas are now only showing "Brotherhood of Blades," with all other films relegated to the sidelines. Unless a cinema can't get a copy, they've already filled their schedules with "Brotherhood of Blades" from morning till night.

The fact that "Brotherhood of Blades" broke 2000 million on its opening day is a conservative estimate. Although it was already 2002 and the cinema system reform had begun, the statistics on daily box office revenue in China were still relatively crude.

According to later precise statistics, "Brotherhood of Blades" actually grossed 2738 million yuan on its opening day, 3165 million yuan on its second day, and 2723 million yuan on its third day. That is to say, its box office reached 8626 million yuan in just the first three days. However, in the official promotional materials from China Film Group and the film's distributors, it was stated that "Brotherhood of Blades" raked in a whopping 9000 million yuan in box office revenue in three days!

Moreover, this news was broadcast on the nationally highest-rated news program, "News Broadcast"!
"The martial arts epic 'Brotherhood of Blades,' directed by renowned Chinese director Wu Yuchen, has grossed over 90 million yuan in just three days since its release! It is reported that 'Brotherhood of Blades' has broken box office records across the country. Please see the detailed report."

The scene then shifts to a bustling movie theater, where a theater manager is being interviewed. He says, "The audience is more than double what it usually is. 'Brotherhood of Blades' has a strong cast, is well-made, and has received good reviews, so it naturally attracted a large audience. We hope that more movies like 'Brotherhood of Blades' will be released every year!"

Finally, the camera focused on Han Sanping: "This year, Chinese cinema implemented comprehensive institutional reforms, aiming to promote the prosperity of the Chinese-language film industry. I believe that in the future, there will be more and more excellent films like 'Brotherhood of Blades,' which promote Chinese culture and are loved by the people!"

Unlike the later era of social media with its myriad propaganda methods, the most powerful propaganda channel in China today is undoubtedly the official one. And among official propaganda channels, the most powerful is undoubtedly the CCTV News program!
With official endorsement and support, the online buzz has exploded. Even some people who never went to the cinema before have been tempted by this report.

These people then looked through the newspaper reviews and reports: "The domestic blockbuster 'Brotherhood of Blades' is breathtaking and has swept the nation!"

"Grand scenes, exquisite visuals, an ultimate audio-visual feast!"

"Brotherhood of Blades ushers in a new era of blockbuster Chinese films; a must-see for Chinese audiences!"

With the media collectively showering it with praise, and everyone around me saying it was amazing—a star-studded cast, an overwhelming presence, stunning visuals, and spectacular action—word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, making those who hadn't seen it even more eager to buy tickets. Even the official sources are saying it's good; I absolutely have to see it!

As a result, the popularity of "Brotherhood of Blades" has remained strong, with a constant stream of people flocking to the cinemas every day. Cinemas in various regions have stopped selling tickets in advance; tickets must be purchased on the day of the screening, and each person is limited to two tickets with their ID card, in order to prevent scalping.

Even under these circumstances, tickets still sell out as soon as they are released every morning!
According to reporters' investigation, at least half of those who came to watch "Brotherhood of Blades" said they hadn't been to the cinema for several years, and that the hype surrounding the film was so great that they had to come and see it.

The momentum and success of "Brotherhood of Blades" have stunned the entire entertainment industry.

While they were still celebrating breaking 10 million at the box office and holding a celebration banquet when the box office broke 30 million, others were making 30 million a day!

If it broke 9000 million in 3 days, how much will the final box office reach? It won't even reach 3 million!

At this moment, Han Sanping was grinning from ear to ear.

On the one hand, the success of "Brotherhood of Blades" did not disappoint him, and he felt that there was a great chance of breaking the record set by "Titanic";

On the other hand, he also got a good opportunity to shine this time. Wasn't he the one who spearheaded the reform of the Chinese-language film system? Now, with a record-breaking film like *Brotherhood of Blades* achieving such great success, isn't that a testament to his effective leadership? That's an achievement!

Han Sanping wasn't the only one happy; everyone in the "Brotherhood of Blades" crew who was busy promoting the film was beaming with joy. In just 10 days since its release, "Brotherhood of Blades" had grossed 1.7 million yuan, breaking the current record for Chinese-language films.

Everyone feels honored to be a part of such a record-breaking film, one that could even be recorded in the history of Chinese-language cinema.

Take Fan Bingbing, for example, who's currently flipping through various news reports with Jiang Qinqin. Although she didn't have many scenes in "Brotherhood of Blades," she was still a memorable character. Just being able to participate is already quite an achievement!
Of course, looking at Jiang Qinqin in front of him, Fan Bingbing couldn't help but feel envious and jealous. He put his arm around her and said, "Sister Qinqin, look at this. It's all praising you. They say you're the number one beauty in period dramas!"

Jiang Qinqin smiled smugly and said, "That's all thanks to my brother-in-law for taking such good photos!"

"That has to be Qinqin, your brother-in-law couldn't have taken such beautiful photos!"

Fan Bingbing flattered Jiang Qinqin until she was very happy, and then asked, "Sister Qinqin! How much do you think our final box office will be?"

Jiang Qinqin shook her head: "Who knows? Anyway, I heard from your brother-in-law that they're aiming for the box office record of 'Titanic'. Whether they can succeed in the end depends on how strong their performance is later."

Fan Bingbing immediately replied, "It will definitely work!"

Jiang Qinqin smiled and said, "If only it were as easy as you make it sound."

She also asked Wu Yuchen about the difficulties involved. He said that although the beginning was very strong, the drop in box office revenue was quite dramatic when pirated versions came out, and the box office had to be slowly built up.

"Nothing is impossible when my brother-in-law is in charge~ Even if it's not quite there this time, it's still the highest-grossing Chinese film. Aren't we going to have our brother-in-law as the highest-grossing film in China sooner or later?"

"You're really confident!"

Jiang Qinqin smiled and pointed at Fan Bingbing, but she herself thought so too. As the leading figure in Chinese cinema, who else but Wu Yuchen?

At this moment, Fan Bingbing's eyes darted around, and then she asked, "Sister Qinqin, you said yesterday that your brother-in-law is preparing for a new project, so are you the female lead?"

Hearing this, Jiang Qinqin looked a little troubled: "Hey, it's not certain yet. The female lead is a mother in her forties, and your brother-in-law said I might not be suitable."

Over forty? A mother? Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing figured she had no chance. However, she planned to find an opportunity to ask Wu Yuchen if there were any suitable roles for her in his new movie.

Thinking of this, Fan Bingbing curled up the corners of her mouth. Director Wu really liked it when his sister-in-law called him brother-in-law!
Just then, Jiang Qinqin flipped to a newspaper, her expression suddenly changed, and she let out a cold snort.

Seeing this, Fan Bingbing quickly peeked over and saw that the title clearly stated:

"Brotherhood of Blades is not as good as Hero!" — Zhang Weiping

(End of this chapter)