Chapter 11: Fighting against Cheng Long and Zhou Xingxing in the Spring Festival
In the mainland film market after 2000, if you want to achieve impressive box office results, it is essential to gain scheduling advantages.

But in Hong Kong, during the prime time of several cinema chains, the films released must be those produced by their own companies.

Therefore, the box office performance of a film depends on its quality on the one hand, but also on whether it has the support of theaters.

A typical example is Jet Li, who is known as the Kung Fu Emperor, but when "Chow Yun-fat, Stephen Chow and Jacky Cheung" were competing for dominance in the film industry in the early 1990s, his films never appeared in the "Spring Festival period".

The reason is simple. The top star of Jiahe is Cheng Long, so the best Spring Festival time slot must be reserved for him, and Jet Li can only resign himself to the summer time slot.

After Jet Li left Jiahe and his agent was shot, he reached a settlement with Jiahe after mediation by a middleman. However, the films produced by Zhendong Pictures were still released by Jiahe and naturally could not be released during the Lunar New Year holiday.

During this period, Jet Li filmed several films for Yongsheng, but at that time Yongsheng's top star Stephen Chow was in the limelight, and Jet Li still could not get a spot in the Spring Festival period.

It was not until 1997, when Hong Kong films were on the decline, that Jet Li entered the Spring Festival box office with "Once Upon a Time in China II" because Chow Yun-fat left for Hollywood, and started a box office battle with Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow.

Therefore, in the Hong Kong film market, no matter how well a film is made, it needs the willingness of theater chains to cooperate in order to achieve impressive box office results.

Of course, it’s another matter if your film is so strong that it can compete with other popular films in other theaters and you have no choice but to show your film to make money.

But in the era of biweekly success, it is almost impossible.

Nowadays, with Chow Yun-fat leaving and Stephen Chow reducing his production, films that are not invested in by theaters also have the opportunity to be released during the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival period in 98 was a very good opportunity.

Jackie Chan's "Who Am I" is as classic as ever, but Hong Kong people may be visually fatigued after seeing the same routine so many times.

Originally, the box office in Hong Kong only reached over 3800 million, which was far lower than "Rumble in the Bronx" in 95 and "A Simple Life" in 96.

As for Stephen Chow's "The Lucky Guy", the box office was even worse, less than 30 million.

The reason is simple. This movie was made to repay a favor.

At that time, Stephen Chow had already set up his own Star Company and had no plans to shoot other directors' works. But Wang Jing and Li Lichi found him, and he had no choice but to make a cameo appearance, and then he became the protagonist. You can imagine the quality of the film.

Therefore, the intensity of competition during the 98 Spring Festival was much less intense than in previous years.

Among them, there is no doubt that Jiahe Cinema Chain will be the one to show Jackie Chan's "Who Am I" exclusively. The only two remaining cinema chains are Jinsheng and Xinbao.

Speaking of the cinema system in the Hong Kong film industry, it can be traced back to the 20s.

At that time, the production cost was relatively low, and the star actor's salary was only more than 1000 yuan. The film could make a profit by screening it in one or two theaters. This was the embryonic stage of the development of cinemas in Hong Kong.

In the 60s, Shaw Brothers dominated the film industry. Of course, there was also a cinema chain called Lisheng, which specialized in distributing small and medium-budget films produced by small companies other than Shaw Brothers.

In the early 1970s, Shaw Brothers was established, forming three Hong Kong film cinema chains: Shaw Brothers, Shaw Brothers and Lisheng.

In the 1980s, Lisheng was renamed Golden Princess. Because New One City scheduled films at Golden Princess and a series of hit movies appeared, Golden Princess became the second largest cinema chain after Jiahe.

Later, New One City was disbanded and Golden Princess also closed down, and was replaced by the Jinsheng Cinema Line founded by Chen Rongmei.

Shaw Cinema Line first became D&B Cinema Line, then became Sun Hung Cinema Line, and also spun off into the Yonggao Cinema Line.

In 93, the most glorious year for Hong Kong films, Wong Jing established the Oriental Cinemas Chain, which resulted in the emergence of five cinema chains in Hong Kong at one time. This led to a shortage of films and a large increase in shoddy films, which to some extent led to the decline of Hong Kong films.

As a result, Yonggao withdrew after losing money, changing people and name. In 96, Dongfang merged with Xinbao, which was also equivalent to withdrawing from the market.

In the following three years of 97, 98 and 99, Hong Kong films were at a low ebb, and the three cinema chains of Jiahe, Jinsheng and Xinbao have always been the focus.

Among them, it is very difficult for Jiahe to obtain cooperation, but Jinsheng and Xinbao are under huge revenue pressure, so there is still room for negotiation for the film to be released in their theaters.

Sammo Hung was involved in the establishment of the Debao Cinemas Chain, which is considered a part of today's Xinbao Cinemas Chain, and many familiar people are still there.

Jin Shengyuan was the new princess of that year, and the new princess depended entirely on Xinyicheng.

Sammo Hung once co-starred with Mai Jia of Sun Yat-sen University in a movie called "The Lucky Stars", and they have a close relationship.

One more thing to say is that this person came from Jiahe, and the Baohe Company under his name was Jiahe's largest satellite company for quite a long time. He was considered a general of Jiahe.

In short, the relationships between the Hong Kong film industry, theaters, and companies are complicated, but when it comes to having the most extensive network of contacts, few can compare to Sammo Hung.

Jiang Heng invited Sammo Hung to watch the film, naturally to make use of his extensive network of contacts to help release "The Matrix" in Hong Kong.

If he wants the other party to participate and help him fight against Cheng Long, he naturally needs to have extraordinary strength.

Judging from Sammo Hung's reaction after watching the film, Jiang Heng succeeded.

Don’t think that he won’t help Jiang Heng just because he has a strong relationship with Cheng Long.

It should be noted that the concept and creativity of "Once Upon a Time in China" was thought up by Jackie Chan. After telling Sammo Hung about it, the latter directly took it and collaborated with Jet Li to shoot "The Lion of the Western Region", which was released during the Spring Festival. Jackie Chan was almost mad to death.

In other words, the relationship between the two was so good that it was resolved.

"What schedule do you want for this film?"

Sammo Hung has cooperated with people in various ways throughout his life, but the prerequisite is that the other party has the ability. Now, seeing the advanced world view and explosive special effects of "The Matrix", his "desire to cooperate" can hardly be suppressed.

"I think the Spring Festival period is great!" Jiang Heng said slowly.

"Isn't it too risky?" Yuen Wah said.

Hong Jinbao waved his hands with great confidence, "I think it can be done. Now that Chow Yun-fat has gone to Hollywood, only A-Long and Stephen Chow are left in the 98 Spring Festival. If we hype it up by saying that Jiang Heng's new film will be involved, the three-way battle will definitely attract the audience's attention."

Yuan De laughed. He agreed with what Hong Jinbao said, but he said, "Isn't that too exaggerated?"

"That's not enough. Let's just say that The Matrix uses the most advanced visual effects technology in Hollywood and will replicate the impressive performance of films like Jurassic Park 2 and become the annual box office champion in 98!"

Hong Jinbao continued to say this, obviously he knows how to hype things up.

These guys are getting a little restless.

The annual box office champion of 98, this is going to be an overnight hit!
Those who participate in this will definitely benefit from it!
Yuen Biao patted Yuan De on the shoulder and said, "If that's the case, you'll probably win the Best Supporting Actor award, right?"

Yuan De felt a little chilly when he heard this. After so many years in the film industry, who wouldn't want to win an award to prove himself?
Hong Jinbao said: "Those are all small matters. I think the key point is that it broke the box office myth of "Two Zhous and One Cheng" and brought a new type of film to the Hong Kong film industry, which is a new way out!"

After hearing this, several people sighed.

A duck knows first when the river water warms in spring. This person must have been the first to feel the decline of Hong Kong films.

As a Hong Kong filmmaker, who doesn’t miss that crazy, prosperous era?

It’s a pity that it’s all over.

Hong Jinbao looked at the silent Jiang Heng, "Don't worry about the cinema chain. I will negotiate with Jinsheng and Xinbao. It will definitely be the prime time of the Spring Festival." Jiang Heng bowed, "Thank you very much, as for the fee!"

Hong Jinbao glared at him and said angrily, "You look down on me when you say that! Am I helping you for money? Do I need that little bit of money?"

Jiang Heng looked embarrassed and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Yuen Wah said with a smile: "When you find a suitable role or position in the future, just remember us brothers!"

He played a traitor who colluded with Smith in "The Matrix", but his role was limited, so he probably won't win any awards for supporting actors.

But if Jiang Heng can really become an international director who specializes in special effects films and always wants to use them, then he will get too many benefits.

As for the distribution costs, it is difficult to calculate the money. Secondly, given the quality of "The Matrix", it would be possible to negotiate directly with Jinsheng and Xinbao Cinemas.

If you really collect the money, it will sound a bit unpleasant.

After discussing for a while, they realized they were hungry and went out to have hotpot.

In the box, Jiang Heng sat next to Hong Jinbao, surrounded by the other "Seven Little Fortunes" brothers. The treatment he received was completely different from the last dinner.

As the wine flowed, Hong Jinbao could not help but whisper, "I don't have much to achieve in my life, except that I have a son who is not very ambitious. If there is a suitable role, I hope I can give him some advice!"

Jiang Heng smiled bitterly after hearing this, and then immediately took the responsibility, "Don't worry, big brother. When I make a movie in the future, I will definitely consider using him if there is a suitable role!"

"Good brother, let me do one!"

Hong Jinbao was really generous and drank the glass.

Jiang Heng quickly followed up with a drink, and after putting it down, he felt emotional.

These days, it’s really about competing with one’s dad everywhere!
Even the entertainment industry, which relies heavily on talent, has been affected. How many second-generation stars have entered the industry through their parents' relationships, and their performances are terrible!

But when he was in it, he really couldn't refuse!

Yuen Wah said, "Director Jiang, there should be a second part of your film, right?"

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Jiang Heng said shyly, "Yes, there is a second part!"

“When do you plan to shoot?”

“It will definitely take a few years!”

"Will it work in a few years? It's easy for others to follow suit!"

"That's right, especially Wang Jing, that kid, he will definitely make a spoof movie!"

Jiang Heng said: "My film series is not something that others can follow if they want to. As for Director Wang Jing, as long as he doesn't spoof it too much, it's fine!"

These people were a little disappointed after hearing this, and at the same time they felt that they were too anxious. After all, the film has not been released yet, and they will definitely have to wait and see the box office performance before making a decision.

Hong Jinbao said: "It's almost the Spring Festival. Once we have decided on the theaters and the schedule, there's nothing else to do. Have you thought of a new film?"

"Not yet. I plan to wait and see the box office results first!"

After hearing this, several people felt that Jiang Heng was able to keep his composure, so they decided not to inquire about his plans.

After drinking and chatting for a while, they dispersed.

The next day, Sammo Hung went to two cinema chains, Jinsheng and Xinbao.

Both companies were preparing to release Stephen Chow's "The Lucky Guy" during the 98 Spring Festival, but both were somewhat dissatisfied.

Because this movie is said to be the work of Stephen Chow, but in fact Stephen Chow has very few roles and can only be considered the second male lead.

What’s worse is that the quality is not that good. It can make some money by relying on Stephen Chow’s name, but it is almost impossible to be a big hit at the box office.

The owners of the two cinema chains are a little depressed that there are not enough good films released during such an important period as the Spring Festival.

After hearing from Sammo Hung that Jiang Heng, who was previously regarded as a joke, actually made a special effects blockbuster with a novel story and stunning visual effects, everyone became interested.

Jiang Heng was immediately invited to take a copy to the cinema. After previewing the film, the owners of both cinemas were shocked.

Because no matter how you look at it, "The Matrix" doesn't look like it could have been made by a minor Hong Kong actor who has always played supporting roles.

Even if it is an action, zombie, comedy or other film with mature routines, Jiang Heng is already a genius if he can make it.

It doesn’t take a famous director to achieve the same effect as “The Matrix”!

Despite all the doubts, no one can resist money.

The owners of the two cinema chains signed a distribution contract with Jiang Heng without much thought and set the date and screening schedule.

Overall, it is slightly less than Stephen Chow's "The Lucky Guy", but these two are guaranteed.

If the first-week box office and attendance of "The Matrix" exceed that of "The Lucky Guy", the number of screenings will increase.

Then, Jiang Heng began the promotional activities before the release.

The first action was naturally to announce to the media that U-Teng Pictures' new film "The Matrix" would compete for the box office champion of the 98 Spring Festival, and was confident that it would surpass "Who Am I" and "The Lucky Guy", ushering in the science fiction era of Hong Kong films.

This report shocked Hong Kong.

Many celebrities and film industry professionals have been asking, who is Jiang Heng?

When they found out that this guy used to be a minor actor, that his father died and his mother remarried at the beginning of the year, and that he inherited a lot of inheritance and directed his own films, they cursed him!
Some people scolded Jiang Heng for not knowing his own weight. How much artistic attainments can a person who can't even get a supporting role have? And he also imitates others in making movies. I really don't know what to write about this idiot!
Some people scolded Jinsheng and Xinbao Cinemas for their mess. They wondered how much they had charged Jiang Heng to arrange for a bad movie to be released during the Spring Festival.

Among them, the most puzzled one is Xiang Huaqi, because Stephen Chow's "The Lucky Guy" was produced by Wang Jing, Li Lichi and others, and released by Yongsheng Entertainment.

I was wondering how this movie would perform at the box office and how much money it would make!
I heard the news the next day and I was so depressed!

Because that unknown new film had little impact on "Who Am I" which was exclusively in Jiahe Cinema Line, and it could not be scheduled there. But it greatly squeezed the box office space of "The Lucky Guy"!
This is unbearable!
Xiang Huaqi immediately called the owner of Xinbao Cinemas and asked why he wanted to show "The Matrix".

The owner of Xinbao Cinema said with a smile: "Mr. Xiang, we all know how the movie "The Lucky Guy" came about. To be honest, it doesn't have the strength to challenge "Who Am I". You also know how much pressure the cinema chain has been under in recent years, otherwise the number of cinema chains in Hong Kong would not have dropped from five to three! There is no reason to turn away the opportunity to make money, right?"

Xiang Huaqi was speechless when he heard this. He knew what was going on with "The Lucky Guy". After losing Stephen Chow's contract, they continued to ask Stephen Chow to make movies and make money in the name of "repaying a favor" and "guest appearance".

But if you put it out in the open, it won’t sound good!
"So, is The Matrix really that good?"

"I think it might even beat Jackie Chan's "Who Am I" and win the annual box office!"

(End of this chapter)