The following day.
The premiere of "Pegasus" was over.
However, the film did not achieve a massive success on its opening day, but its Douban score was surprisingly high, at 7.9.
A score of 7.9 on the first day was considered very impressive.
After all, "Chasing Dreams in the Entertainment Industry," a popular drama of the same period, only had a score of 7.1, yet it was hailed by fans as the "light of Chinese comedy."
"Even Jiangnan can't defeat the power of idols!"
"Zhou Xiaoyu is a popular trainee with many fans. Given the brainless plot of 'Chasing Dreams in the Entertainment Industry,' the fact that it scored 7.1 is everyone's fault."
"I watched the premiere yesterday. The quality of 'Pegasus' is undeniable. Its poor opening performance was definitely due to a lack of promotion, but I believe that once word-of-mouth spreads, it will completely crush these other films."
"In the current rankings of new cinema releases, 'Pegasus' is in third place, but its rating is the highest."
"Indeed, a comedy film that is more exciting than a professional racing movie. If a film like this can't gain traction, then the film industry is truly beyond saving."
"No more jokes, I strongly recommend 'Pegasus.' It has plenty of both laughter and tears. This time, old fox Jiangnan's plot is flawless, and the director has done an excellent job. It's definitely a masterpiece of conscience!"
Many who had watched the movie went to Douban to give it a rating.
This was because they didn't want a good movie, made with care, to be overshadowed by a lack of promotion.
As netizens spontaneously promoted the film,
Many movie reviewers also appeared on Weibo to comment on it.
"This is a film for middle-aged people, a comedy that requires a certain age to understand, yet it is also suitable for different age groups. It can be said that each age group will derive different insights after watching it."
"Adulthood begins with borrowing money. When I saw Zhang Chi desperately trying to find sponsors, I laughed until tears streamed down my face."
"When Zhang Chi said, 'It's not that I must win, but that I don't want to lose,' my heart instantly clenched."
Young lads in their twenties are filled with the thought, "I must win."
While middle-aged men in their forties are consumed by the thought, "I cannot lose."
These two statements sound similar, but upon closer inspection, they are vastly different.
The one hundred kilometers of Bayanbuluke is like life; it's destined to be run alone.
And the further one goes into the latter half of life, the more they don't want to lose, and cannot afford to lose, because losing is simply not an option.
Even if the road ahead is a precipice, even if one's head is bloody, even unto death, they must push forward with grit.
...
After a night of brewing.
For the morning showtimes.
The number of viewers buying tickets for "Pegasus" suddenly increased.
Huayu Film and Television.
Qian Yu, in his office, looked at the real-time box office, a flicker of pleasant surprise crossing his face.
Today's attendance was significantly higher than yesterday's, and several morning showtimes were even fully booked.
Although this situation was rare,
Having been in the film industry for so many years, Qian Yu had experienced it a few times.
He smacked his forehead!
Then he quickly picked up the phone and called the operations director.
"Lao Du, come to my office!"
...
"Mr. Qian, what did you need me for?" The operations director entered the office, slightly out of breath.
"Do you think this situation is unusual?" Qian Yu connected his computer to the projector.
Currently, on the Douban real-time box office chart, "Pegasus" was rapidly climbing, with an alarming rate of increase.
"Actually, I wanted to mention it yesterday. 'Pegasus' didn't have much promotion this time; it relied entirely on the screenwriter Jiangnan's reputation. Under these circumstances, the opening performance was actually quite excellent."
The operations director smiled. He had been hesitant to say anything yesterday, sensing Qian Yu's displeasure.
Now that the film's performance was improving, he knew that things were not as bad as they had initially feared.
"Are you saying that the news of 'Pegasus's' poor opening performance last night served as a form of indirect promotion?"
"Of course, that news made it into the top ten trending topics last night and stayed there for several hours. Coupled with the spontaneous promotion by many film critics, the popularity is gradually increasing, and the box office is naturally following suit."
"You mean, let the bullets fly for a while?"
Qian Yu, with his numerous cinemas, was no fool.
As they discussed, he suddenly had an epiphany.
He had seen the film during its review process, which was why he had decided to bet all his resources on "Pegasus."
He believed the film had the potential to become a blockbuster.
The reason for its performance not meeting expectations on opening day was the insufficient initial promotion. Now that its exposure was increasing, and with word-of-mouth spreading, it would quickly capture the market.
Good wine needs no bush.
Let the bullets fly.
With this realization, Qian Yu's mood suddenly brightened.
"Go, order some takeout, and keep me company while I look at the data."
It was almost lunchtime, and the crucial afternoon and evening showtimes were next.
He planned to stay glued to the real-time box office chart, monitoring "Pegasus's" data for the day.
If his suspicions were correct, then the screening arrangement Huayu Film and Television had made for "Pegasus" might not be a bad thing.
...
At the same time.
On Douyin short video.
The crew had released a clip of the memorable driving school scene last night.
It suddenly surged to the trending list.
"Forgive my clumsiness!"
*Bang!*
This comical segment, which had people laughing uncontrollably, also piqued the curiosity of countless netizens.
"What's the movie name?"
"Damn it, are you blind? The title clearly says 'Pegasus'!"
"I just watched the premiere. When I saw this part, the cinema erupted in laughter. I suggest you don't drink water while watching this movie."
"Indeed, it's been a long time since I've seen such a funny movie, and I almost cried my eyes out..."
"Just finished watching. All I can say is, old fox Jiangnan, you got us good!"
Many netizens went to the video to share their viewing experiences.
The popularity of "Pegasus" continued to grow.
As its popularity increased,
More and more people became interested in the film.
...
Afternoon showtimes.
Outside the cinema.
A queue had already formed.
"Excuse me, are there any tickets left for 'Pegasus'? I'll take two, my online reservation shows the order timed out."
"I'm sorry, all the tickets for the afternoon showtimes are sold out. Would you be interested in the evening showtimes?"
"What the heck, the afternoon showtimes are sold out?"
"How about you switch to another film? I can recommend 'Chasing Dreams in the Entertainment Industry,' which is also a comedy, featuring a popular trainee, and there are plenty of showtimes available..."
"No need. Book me two tickets for the evening showtime of 'Pegasus'."
The ticket buyer directly refused.
These people came to buy tickets with a clear purpose, and they were very determined, only wanting "Pegasus."
This was a case of word-of-mouth. Unlike spontaneous decisions, they had the idea to watch the movie after being recommended by friends. Their objective was very clear: to watch this particular film.
...