Although the situation is very good, there are also opposing voices online.
"This is all paid traffic. This movie needs three and a half hours. Am I crazy to spend three and a half hours watching a movie? Isn't it better to do something else? The ticket price alone is dozens of yuan, which is beyond my budget."
"Exactly, three and a half hours is enough time to do many things with a girlfriend, but watching a movie for that long is a bit too much. If it were an hour and a half, I'd be more inclined."
"I really can't understand why they're releasing a two-in-one version this time. Although I owe Xing Ye a movie ticket, you're making me pay twice the money at once. It hurts a bit."
"After a five-year hiatus, Xing Ye is no longer the same Xing Ye. Can a movie made five years ago suit today's audience? I have my doubts."
"Zhou Xingchi is past his prime. This movie will be his most representative failure. It flopped last time, will it flop again? There's only one truth, and that is to flop as usual."
"The last movie's box office in the mainland was only two hundred thousand or so, anyway, it was a huge loss. No matter how much they hype it online, it can't escape the fate of being a bad movie."
"The most authoritative institution, the Huaxia Film Academy, hasn't even commented on this movie. Who are the people making comments now? They are just nobodies. To put it bluntly, it's all paid traffic."
Without the participation of big stars and a movie that flopped years ago being re-released, will it repeat its failure or be reborn from the ashes? The outcome is full of suspense.
There are all sorts of opinions online. Guo Jiajia, who originally had a winning confidence, is now wavering. Will popularity translate into box office success?
Five years ago it flopped, and five years later it becomes a huge hit. Is such a thing not fantastical?
But why did she do it? How did Zhang Tianxing convince her? Guo Jiajia can't quite understand it now.
She also doesn't know how this "A Chinese Odyssey" will perform.
"Boss Zhang, what else can we do? It's about to be released. How can we increase the box office a bit more?"
"That's difficult. Take a look at the movies releasing at the same time," Zhang Tianxing pulled up the movie list.
"Lotus Lantern": An animated film, honed over five years, it's implicitly called the number one animated film. It's a formidable competitor.
"Entrapment": Directed by famous director Jon Amiel, starring global stars Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. These are films that are expected to rank in the top three globally at the box office.
"Not One Less": Directed by Zhang Yimou, its strength is astonishing, and it's also a formidable rival.
"Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace": A foreign blockbuster, directed by famous director George Lucas, starring stars like Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman. It has received rave reviews abroad and will undoubtedly surpass us by far.
Guo Jiajia's face fell. At the time, she was only thinking about releasing it quickly to capitalize on the hype, without considering that the concurrent releases were these powerful films.
How could this possibly work? She should just request a date change.
Guo Jiajia made a call: "Hello, leader, it's Xiaojia. Can we apply to postpone the release of our movie? The competition this period is too strong, we're no match. What, no withdrawal is allowed? If we withdraw, it has to be the cinema that withdraws."
Guo Jiajia's small face drooped. Without even thinking, she knew that cinemas would prioritize the screening of those big films, and only early morning or midnight slots would be available for "A Chinese Odyssey."
It seems her excitement was in vain. She thought Zhang Tianxing had stumbled upon a great bargain, but now it seems so-so. Whether the one million yuan invested can be recovered is still highly uncertain.
There's a high probability of a loss. If it experiences another situation like the last time, where it was withdrawn the very next day, then Zhang Tianxing's reputation in the investment industry would be ruined.
The investment industry is like that; it only looks at the results, not the process.
No matter how moving your process was, it moved heaven, earth, and everything else, but if the outcome is a loss, then nothing else matters. The investment industry only cares about results; the process is not that important.
...
Hong Kong, Temple Street, filming location.
Zhou Xingchi, wearing sunglasses, was eloquently saying, "Back then, I fought my way from Temple Street to Tsim Sha Tsui and then to Causeway Bay to achieve my current status."
"Cut! That's a wrap for this take. Everyone, take a break." the director announced.
Zhou Xingchi went to the side to rest. This was an opportunity he had fought hard for. He couldn't fail again this time; he couldn't let people say that Zhou Xingchi could only make comedies.
The past few years have not been easy for him. He worked himself to death, tirelessly filming, and almost paid off his debts.
However, none of the movies he made in the past few years received critical acclaim. It seems he has no destiny with the Best Actor award in his lifetime.
Andy Lau walked over and patted him: "Xing Zai, I have good news for you. Your 'A Chinese Odyssey' is very popular online now, and it's rumored to be re-released next week."
"Brother Hua, this isn't good news. I've seen the movie list for next week. Those are all formidable films, aiming for awards. 'A Chinese Odyssey' flopped five years ago, and I really lack confidence this time. The market doesn't change based on people's opinions."
"Don't be discouraged, I have faith in you. Besides, everyone online says they owe Xing Zai a movie ticket. Even if it fails, it doesn't matter. As long as this one is successful, your efforts are seen by all of us, and we know your capabilities," Andy Lau said, smiling and comforting Zhou Xingchi.
"A Chinese Odyssey" represented Zhou Xingchi's heartfelt effort. He had intended it to be the debut film for his company, but fate was not on his side.
The "A Chinese Odyssey" he painstakingly filmed suffered a Waterloo, completely bankrupting him. Mind you, sixty million yuan was just washed down the drain.
Time has passed, and Zhou Xingchi still can't figure out why he failed. Was it a tragic love story, or did people simply not understand it?
Zhou Xingchi's heart was filled with turmoil. He craved success so much now, yearning to win the title of one of the five great actors in Chinese cinema, but unfortunately, he felt he had no more opportunities.
Although time is precious, this is no longer his era. What can he do if he doesn't accept fate?
Perhaps this re-release of "A Chinese Odyssey" can bring him hope. Zhou Xingchi dared not harbor any hope.
He was afraid that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
In this world, too many people strive for success, and they all pour their sweat into it, yet only a select few achieve it.
It seems that in these five years, he has also grown old, and his influence has diminished considerably.
Life cannot afford failure. Once you fail, it's incredibly difficult to make a comeback.
Zhou Xingchi deeply understands this. Even someone as driven as him has now fallen to the level of a second-tier actor.
There's no alternative; if the transformation isn't successful, one perishes. It's a matter of the victor takes all, and the vanquished loses all. Zhou Xingchi has nothing to say.
He only hopes that "A Chinese Odyssey" doesn't suffer too tragic a defeat, being pulled from screens the day after its release. That time, he lost all face.
Its box office was number one for twenty-four hours, but the next day, it plummeted to the very last place.
Zhou Xingchi will never forget such an event.
If Heaven hadn't given birth to Zhou Xingchi, all comedy for eternity would be as dark as night!
I, Zhou Xingchi, will definitely make a kingly return. Now I just need to wait for the person who can give me three moles to appear!