Seoul, Samsung entertainment headquarters in yisandong, Jiangnan district.
This is the afternoon of February 2.
I arrived yesterday. After some routine work and entertainment, I was again found by Miss Li of Samsung. In the afternoon, I came here to watch the sample films of two films creative by Simon last year, "my savage girlfriend" and "my wife is a big man".
In a screening room in the office building of Samsung entertainment headquarters, Li Fuzhen savagely drove away the others, only himself and Simon. Miss Li even operated the screening of the sample film through the walkie talkie. Because it is still a sample, it was only finished in January, and the rough cut version has not been completed.
After watching a clip of "my savage girlfriend" again, she motioned for a pause in the operation room. Miss Li leaned towards the man around her and hesitated: "does anyone really like this type of girl?"
Simon joked, "aren't you?"
"I'm not," Miss Li shook her head, looked at the man around her and suddenly added, "if you can marry me, I'll be very virtuous."
Simon had put his arms around the girl's waist and gently pinched it when he heard the speech: "wake up, it's dawn."
Her royal highness immediately irritated, stared at someone, and struck back on his shoulder with a counterattack. "How can you be so bad?"
Simon said, "if I were a good man, I wouldn't sit here with you now."
Li Fuzhen was speechless. He reflected on himself a little and felt guilty. Is he also a bad woman? Otherwise, how can he entangle a married man?
So he took the initiative to change the topic and pulled back to the film again: "I mean, maybe the audience will like the contrast of my wife is a big man, but like my savage girlfriend, well, women's rights in Korea are still very prosperous, but it can't sell much money mainly relying on female audiences?"
Simon thought for a moment and said, "the real core of this film has nothing to do with the barbarism of girls. You can see that after boys and girls fall in love, girls will also use their barbarism to protect their boyfriend."
Miss Li still doesn't understand: "hmm?"
Simon can only be more straightforward: "well, I think you Koreans need a warm embrace to comfort the injured heart in recent years. In addition, people are most likely to think of their mother when they are hurt. This girl represents a special maternal nature and still a strong maternal nature that can protect people."
Li Fuzhen listened to Simon finish, slightly stare big eyes, a pair of 'you can't be talking nonsense' small expression.
Simon saw her look, Shrugged: "in fact, film and television entertainment is very realistic. Just like Hollywood, gone with the wind became the memory of a generation during World War II, and then a genre classic such as Casablanca was born. In the 1970s and 1980s, films reflecting on the Vietnam War were very popular, so" field platoon " At the same time, because of the hedonism of the beat generation, it also created phenomenal films such as grease. Then came the 1990s, when the cold war ended and the world entered a new era. Americans were actually a little confused. Therefore, Forrest Gump helped them find the American spirit, and the result was very popular. "
Miss Li nodded in agreement this time, but caught one of them accurately: "Simon, did you just say, 'they'?"
Simon was stunned and then reacted. He didn't expect the girl to be so sharp. Of course, his reaction was not slow. He reached out and grabbed the girl's chin next to him, leaned up and kissed it, loosened it and said with a smile: "of course it's' them '. I don't need any spiritual comfort for a strong man like me."
Miss Li was suddenly attacked. In fact, before she entered the state, the hateful man was over.
Um.
If only you could stop tossing people in bed.
After thinking about it so fiercely, Miss Li said, "maybe you're right about Hollywood, but you can pull the injured hearts of Koreans in these two small films. It's far fetched. We're not so fragile."
Simon doesn't argue: "maybe."
He's really not letting this go. "And, in recent years, you have a lot of responsibilities. If you big capitalists do not attack the financial system in Asia, you will not have 97 years of disaster."
Simon smiled and replied, "there is a saying in Asia that flies don't look for eggs without cracks. Is that right?"
Li Fuzhen was speechless.
Who invented this saying? You should be killed.
Not admitting defeat, he continued: "anyway, you must be behind the scenes. Moreover, I find more and more that the capital of Westeros system is everywhere in South Korea."
Then I thought of the current company directly.
Because of the two projects mentioned by the man last year, Li Fuzhen was able to personally intervene in Samsung entertainment.
Then, we first pay attention to the equity structure of Samsung entertainment.
Nominally, the largest shareholder of Samsung entertainment is Samsung Life Insurance Company controlled by Samsung family, holding 30%. However, the other 70% of the shares seem to come from all over the world, and some Li Fuzhen can't find the root. However, with only a few companies that can be judged, Miss Li is enough to confirm one thing. Other shares are basically controlled by the man around her.
That is, the other party actually holds 70% of the shares.
Then there is the company itself. Last year, even if Li Fuzhen wanted to step in, he finally got some small permissions with the man's personal consent. Before that, he couldn't get in.
In name, it belongs to a company under the Samsung Group, and the royal highness of the Sister Li family of the Samsung family has to get permission from others to intervene. This is very depressing.
And Miss Li is fully responsible for the entertainment complex project on Jeju Island.
Even if it is still because of the relationship between men, the final result of the negotiation is that the shareholding ratio of Samsung Lee's family is still 30%, and the other 70% is still in the hands of Westeros system.
This is not the casino business as the core of the entertainment complex.
Even, if the two sides break up in the future and suddenly stop opening casinos in this project, we can imagine how bleak this project will be in the future without the popular casino business.
The only thing that makes Miss Li happy is that, at least, the control of the entertainment complex is given to her by the men around her.
Just think about it occasionally, and feel wrong.
How like, I became a worker for others... A strong man?!
Even without the pride or arrogance of some other Korean Chaebol family children, Miss Li was once very proud of her family's status in Korea, but since this man appeared, she suddenly found that everything in the past seemed to collapse.
This is a big capitalist.
Hateful American capitalist.
After watching two sample films to be released this year, Simon learned about the operation of Samsung entertainment.
It's mainly the summer movie "common security area".
Speaking of this, even Miss Li, even if she does not have too much management authority over Samsung entertainment, she is still a little guilty.
The cost of this film may be slightly lower than that of "life and death espionage", but it also reached 11 billion won. The final number of film viewers was 6.27 million, nearly 2 million fewer than that of "life and death espionage". Even if it is still phenomenal and ranked first and second in South Korea's box office last year, the gap is still obvious.
In addition, after the end of last year, the results of follow-up channel operation have been released. Considering the copyright sales, video channel and TV broadcasting outside Shanghai, excluding the cost, the cumulative revenue outside the local cinema has reached 7.3 billion won. Plus the previous box office distribution and government subsidies, minus all costs, the profit has reached 2.8 billion won by the end of 1999, According to the current exchange rate, it is equivalent to USD 2.15 million.
US $2.15 million may not be much in Hollywood, but the profit of 2.8 billion won in South Korea is already a considerable profit compared with the total cost of production and publicity of 16 billion won.
Moreover, this is only a one-year operation cycle. In the next year or two, espionage can continue to make a lot of money.
In addition, the "common security area" was released in the summer of last year and did not go down until October. Although South Korea has no window period as mandatory as the west, as of 1999, when it was put into operation, the revenue of various surrounding channels was only 3.2 billion won, and it is still in a state of loss of 1.6 billion won.
Even if this year can certainly return to the capital and make a profit, it is still a lot worse than the spy of life and death.
Not to mention that it has not been released yet. Just by virtue of the publicity momentum and several trailers that have been released, it has won the "Mingliang sea battle" widely concerned by the whole society. Even the media has predicted that the film is likely to create a film viewing record of tens of millions of people.
But even if it only reaches the level of "espionage of life and death", the "common guard area" will undoubtedly be the bottom.
Even Miss Li knows that the significance of the three films to the Korean film market mainly lies not in making profits, but in activating the film market and Korean people's attention to Korean domestic films. However, the achievement of "common security area" produced under the name of Samsung entertainment is always a little embarrassing.
When Simon asked about the affairs here, he also felt some guilt from top to bottom of Samsung entertainment, including Miss Li.
Of course not.
Only when you know your shame can you be brave. Anyway, just don't learn from the shame of the next door and bow.
In the evening, it happens to be the premiere of "Ming Liang sea battle".
The film is a complete Hollywood release rhythm. The painting will be opened on New Year's Eve on February 4 and Friday. Today is Wednesday. The premiere ceremony will be lifted on a large scale tomorrow.
Since Simon is here, of course he is invited.
I didn't refuse, but I didn't make a public appearance. I quietly took Li Fuzhen to watch the whole audience.
It has to be said that the huge amount of money invested relative to South Korea is really good, and it is difficult to make the Korean people excited.
Simon just couldn't help but make complaints about it.
According to historical records, in this battle, dozens of Japanese soldiers were killed and injured, and seven or eight Korean soldiers drowned... Well, compared with 200 years ago, the Poyang Lake water battle, where 800000 troops gathered, is not even a fight in a neighboring village.
However, in China, it's probably hard to think of shooting a Poyang Lake water war.
History is too long, too much magnificent, too much vast soup, but it is difficult to care.
Just as for South Korea's continuous application for various historical heritages from China, most people's attitude is just ridicule. On the contrary, few people really want to do something.
After watching the premiere and attending the after party, Simon finally just took away a heroine he personally selected from the party.
The girl's name is Li Shenjing. She plays a boatman girl who promotes the plot in the film, which is somewhat similar to another role she played in history. On the original timeline, the actress has another stage name, Xu Qing, Starring in the Korean film "drifting lust room", which is often pushed by various indescribable websites in the Internet 1.0 era.
Simon liked the girl's stubborn and neurotic temperament.
Of course, Miss Li doesn't like it very much. She can only comfort herself that night. At least, there is only one this time.
The next morning, she was coquettish and hoped that Simon could stay. After all, it was the new year of the Korean old calendar. She still hoped that Simon could visit her house.
That's why Simon came. He can only refuse.
He left for China in the morning.
This is the 28th day of the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
And, coincidentally, there is still no new year's Eve this year. Tomorrow's 29th is new year's Eve.
Like South Korea, at the end of the lunar new year, China's film industry, which continues to recover, is also very lively.
First of all, let's talk about the two small production films launched by Jinshu on December 31, 1999 with the gimmick of "new millennium and new generation", namely "wormhole" produced by huanzhu film and television and "Tongtian spectrum" produced by Jinshu department.
In the first week of painting, both films directly recovered their costs, and the unexpected sale made countless people look at them.
The second day Simon came to China, the fifth week screening of the two films also ended. After all, it's the kind that naturally gets the extension license after 30 days.
The first is wormhole. As of the week from January 28 to February 3, this comedy film with the gimmick of playing with time continued to earn 7 million, and the cumulative box office has successfully exceeded 100 million, reaching 103 million yuan.
It's just a little pity that it belongs to the film painted on the last day of the previous year. Otherwise, it will certainly make the gimmick of the first box office film in 2000.
With the success of wormhole, Jin Shu began to hesitate to let the film director Jing Zong take charge of the investigation in Chinatown.
It's only certain here. We should send several reliable producers to help. After all, talent belongs to talent. Filmmakers can't lack talent, but similarly, experience is also very important in this industry.
Otherwise, it's useless to have ideas but don't know how to realize them and record them on film.
Then there is Tongtian spectrum.
In the first week, it was far behind wormhole. Similarly, as of the last week, even if it was also postponed, only 5 million yuan remained in the film, with a cumulative box office of 78 million yuan.
There is little hope of breaking 100 million.
Of course, for a small film with a production cost of only 5 million yuan, there is absolutely no dissatisfaction with the current achievement, and some are just small regrets.
After all, if the debut can break 100 million, it is also a dazzling decoration for the director's resume.
Similarly, even if there is no more than 100 million yuan, all parties have finalized the matter of "painted skin" directed by Mongolian directors.
In other words, the box office of the two films was still more than 10 million a week ago. This week, they got an extension, but they quickly cut back. In addition to the inevitable spread of piracy, another reason is that China's new year's file for 2000 has been officially opened.
This has to mention a small comparison.
In South Korea, according to the release time of "Ming Liang sea battle", the new year's file was opened on February 4, the day of new year's Eve, which actually coincided with the release rhythm of the new year's file in China 20 years later.
On the Chinese side, even if the golden week system was officially implemented in the second half of last year, there will be a seven-day holiday after new year's Eve, but the new year's stalls of major film companies are still used to opening before the new year.
Well, even with the intervention of Simon, a big butterfly, China's new year file has not been formed for a few years.
Simon just felt that this trajectory confirmed something again.
From GDP to birth rate to even the schedule of New Year Movies, history is always surprisingly similar. I just don't know if China's per capita GDP will successfully exceed US $10000 in 20 years, and then, in another 20 years, will China's social pattern become another South Korea.
From Simon's current position, frankly, very frankly, think about a little expectation.
After all, it is the paradise of capital.
Back to the current new year file.
The reason why the two old films have shrunk rapidly is that China's new year file was officially opened on January 28, the same Friday, December 21, and the following weekend is still a small year.
In the same period, five films were released together, but only two stood out. One was the new film "defeat" produced by Jin Shu and directed by Feng Kuku, and the other was a warm New Year's comedy produced by China film, named Ruyi.
The result this time is also surprising.
Similarly, in the past week, China film's Ruyi beat Jinshu's defeat to the ground and won the first place in the new year's file. Tut, it seems that the latter really fits a certain name.
The first is Ruyi.
Just looking at the name will inevitably make people more inclined.
and. This time, China film also obviously spent a lot of time. The film tells a happy story of a young man and woman named "Ruyi" who are busy working and have no intention of ending a major event. Therefore, in the new year, under various ups and downs, they finally come together and get married.
The two families are also very representative.
The man is from the northeast. It's conceivable that, yes, the father is uncle black earth.
The woman is from Tianjin. It's not difficult to guess. Her parents are Uncle Feng.
In addition, there are various familiar guest appearances on the Spring Festival Gala in recent years, such as Chen Xiaoer, who has not been blocked at present, and probably will not be blocked at this time and space, such as old lady Zhao, who still chooses to show up because of her poor health.
Such a strong lineup, coupled with the story, is very distracted. Only in the first week of release, "Ruyi" won 41 million yuan at the box office, which completely surprised China film.
Because the cost of the film is only 20 million. After all, all kinds of celebrities have given China film face and can't get too much. Moreover, because Jinshu has been too strong in recent years, China film has begun to have little expectations for the film. It's enough to have a 50 million box office and pay a good answer at the end of this year while recovering the cost.
Who would have thought that the first week was 41 million.
You know, there is still the Seven Day golden week of the Spring Festival. Later, until the Lantern Festival, the film market will not be cold.
So, how much will the total box office go at such a start?
When Simon arrived in Suzhou, he had heard the grapevine news from Chen Qing. After the three-day box office at the first weekend, China film had been wondering about making a sequel, which kept pace with the times.
However, the cost of $20 million was recovered in the first week. Who doesn't shoot.
Then there is "a complete defeat" by Feng Kuku.
After the first few films, although Li Daikuan still plays the leading role this time, unconsciously, uncle Ge probably won't have the same scenery this time. This is a digression. However, it's just the name. Even if there are still all kinds of Feng's humor this time, the plot of the film is more or less positive, which tends to criticize the disadvantages of the times, which is not pleasant enough.
The cost of 30 million yuan is 50% higher than that of China film's Ruyi. In the first week from January 28 to February 3, the box office in the first seven days was only 23 million yuan.
Of course, although the word "only" is not appropriate. After all, the other three cannon fodder films in the same period didn't even get 10 million box office in the first week, but compared with themselves, 23 million box office in the first week and up to 60 or 70 million box office in the follow-up, this will undoubtedly become the worst film after Feng Kui's new year's brand.
Not to mention, just a month ago, two new films by two newcomers came from behind.
Simon learned from Chen Qing that during this period, director Feng Da has no share in the four heavyweight new projects. In fact, he has a lot of opinions. However, with the tepid of "defeat", it is obvious that what director Feng Da needs to consider next is how to ensure his position in the film circle.
Simon is just a little curious. He doesn't know if big names will appear this time.
In Feng Dao's early New Year's series, "big names" can definitely compete with "Party A and Party B".
In short, if it doesn't appear, Simon must push it himself and let it appear. After all, the series of divine prophecies from the perspective of mental patients in big names can be called eternal classics.
Even, Simon has been considering the Chinese side and then making an American version.
As for introducing the original version into Hollywood, it's OK. The creativity is very excellent, but it's best to do as the Romans do, and let the rotten boys help the group. Combined with American culture, it's definitely a 100 million yuan club work.