OBS Chapter 69: A Sci-Fi Blockbuster!?
Chapter 69: A Sci-Fi Blockbuster!?
Han Sanping and Gu Qingshan chatted about the past few years, just like old friends.
Ten years ago, he went to South Korea. At 10 p.m., the movie theater was still packed with people. At that time, Han Sanping felt particularly tragic because no one watched Chinese movies.
At that time, there were fewer than 1800 movie screens in the country. The common form of cinemas in China was "single-screen cinemas" or "cinemas" with only a few screening rooms. A building had only one huge screening room, usually with two floors, which could accommodate hundreds or even thousands of viewers. The concept of multiplex cinemas had just been introduced from the West and was in its infancy.
All films were projected using 35mm film prints, and many of the older cinemas had outdated equipment.
Moreover, due to the widespread adoption of television and the rise of video arcades, which brought fierce competition from VCD/DVD players, the Chinese film market fell into an unprecedented slump. Annual box office revenue remained sluggish, audience numbers plummeted, and many old-style single-screen cinemas were forced to be converted into dance halls, billiard rooms, or shopping malls due to operational difficulties, or were even demolished altogether.
The production, distribution, and screening systems are rigid.
It was under these circumstances that Han Sanping and others believed that Chinese cinema needed reform, and as reformers, they became high-ranking officials at China Film Group Corporation, driving reforms in the Chinese film market. In 2002, the "cinema chain system reform" was officially launched, completely changing the rules of production, distribution, and exhibition, and spurring a wave of construction of modern multiplex cinemas.
It is said that Zhang Yimou's "Hero" ushered in the era of Chinese blockbusters, but the driving force behind it, such as Han Sanping, should not be underestimated.
In addition to promoting the era of Chinese blockbusters, Han Sanping and others also actively attracted Hong Kong film talents to the mainland, promoted co-productions, and thereby developed the Chinese film market and cultivated Chinese film talents.
One film after another has drawn a large number of young viewers back to the cinemas they had been away from for so long.
The number of movie screens has increased from a low of 1500 to 4100, with a significant proportion now being digital screens.
Capital's favor for the film market continues to grow, with investment in the exhibition market remaining high.
"To be honest, I had thought that Chinese films would become like Korean films, but I didn't expect them to be this good, and to come so quickly," Han Sanping said with emotion.
Gu Qingshan nodded. The Chinese film market is what it is today because of the hard work of a large group of people.
From 1997 to 2002, Chinese cinema experienced a low point, during which time domestic films were almost abandoned by the public.
But now, Chinese audiences are flocking to watch domestic and Chinese-language films, and Hollywood films' share of the Chinese film market has fallen to less than 50%.
Furthermore, the box office champion is no longer a Hollywood film, but a Chinese film.
The rapid growth of China's film market is also a microcosm of China's development.
The rapid growth in the number of cinemas and movie screens in China is a reflection of the country's rapid economic development.
Gu Qingshan had his own considerations when making comedy films such as "Night Shop", "Love is Not Blind", "Lost in Thailand", "Lost in Thailand", and "Goodbye Mr. Loser". In addition to the low investment and high box office returns, he also considered that at this time, the audience needed comedy and laughter!
When people feel severe pressure in real life, they go to the cinema to pursue their dreams. This principle applies all over the world. The worse the economy is, the better the box office performance of movies tends to be.
Of course, he was also living in a good era, and the era gave him opportunities.
"Director Gu, what are your plans for your next film? Would you be interested in trying a period epic?" Han Sanping asked Gu Qingshan with a smile. "We have a long history, so we can explore a lot of things to film, such as the Three Kingdoms period."
Gu Qingshan smiled. "Chairman Han, I'm not particularly interested in historical epics, but I'm currently working on a big project. I wonder if you'd be interested?"
"Oh? A big project? How big is it?" Han Sanping immediately became interested.
"The total investment is expected to be 4 million, but it could reach 5 million or even 6 million," Gu Qingshan said with a smile. "The script is still being written, and the specific investment budget will not be available until next month."
Han Sanping's interest grew even stronger. "The investment in 'Red Cliff' exceeded 6 million. I'm interested in your big project. What kind of subject matter is it?"
"Science fiction," Gu Qingshan said. "My company bought the film and television adaptation rights to Liu Cixin's novel 'The Wandering Earth,' and I plan to film it!"
Han Sanping's eyes were filled with disbelief.
Science fiction movies are nothing new in Hollywood.
In particular, science fiction films such as the Star Wars series, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Alien series, Jurassic Park, and The Matrix have helped Hollywood films conquer markets around the world.
Without these science fiction movies, it's hard to say whether Hollywood would have achieved its current status.
However, there are hardly any sci-fi blockbusters in the Chinese film market.
Gu Qingshan actually wants to make a sci-fi blockbuster; that's absolutely insane.
"Director Gu, are you kidding me? Our Chinese film industry can actually produce a sci-fi blockbuster?" Han Sanping said.
The Chinese film industry can only be described as mediocre at present.
Science fiction blockbusters rely on a powerful film industry.
If it were Hollywood, Han Sanping wouldn't have any doubts, after all, Gu Qingshan's talent was undeniable.
But in China, making a sci-fi blockbuster is simply a dream.
Gu Qingshan said, "Chairman Han, I'm very serious. I'm just using these movies to practice and earn some money to prepare for 'The Wandering Earth'."
"If China Film Group isn't interested, I can just make a few more movies, earn more money, and then start filming again once I've raised enough," Gu Qingshan said with a faint smile.
Han Sanping fell silent.
Such a massive project, a sci-fi blockbuster unlike anything China has ever made, even he had to be cautious.
Gu Qingshan said, "I agree with what Chairman Han just said. Only blockbusters can attract more viewers to the cinema, and only blockbusters can give everyone confidence to build more cinemas and upgrade facilities!"
"Even if 'The Wandering Earth' doesn't recoup its costs, it's still a contribution to the development of Chinese cinema," Gu Qingshan said with a faint smile.
Gu Qingshan still remembers that it wasn't until 2019, when Guo Fan's "The Wandering Earth" was released, that the film grossed 46.87 billion yuan, causing a sensation across the country. That year was also known as the first year of Chinese science fiction blockbusters, or the first year of Chinese heavy industry science fiction films.
Filming "The Wandering Earth" at this time was extremely difficult and required a huge investment.
However, difficulty does not mean impossibility.
This is a high ground, and Gu Qingshan is eager to take it over so that he can occupy the high ground and become invincible.
Having restarted his life, Gu Qingshan naturally wouldn't just think about making some money and playing around with female celebrities; he had other aspirations.
Han Sanping smiled and said, "Since Director Gu is so confident, China Film Group will naturally invest."
This demonstrates the responsibility of China Film Group as a leader in the Chinese film industry!
He dared to push forward the "Red Cliff" project before, so what is there for him not to dare to do now with the "Wandering Earth" project!
China Film Group's mission is not to make a lot of money, but to promote the reform of the Chinese film market and make the Chinese film industry bigger and stronger.
The higher-ups don't judge a film's performance by how much money China Film Group made. They look at how many new cinemas were built, how many new digital and 3D screens were added, the total box office revenue, and whether it maintained rapid growth...