Chen Qing and Mo Yiling discussed some general ideas during lunch, and then there was a whole afternoon of detailed discussions between the Jinshu Department team and district government officials. The topic was that Jinshu Film and Television City would be launched at the same time as the Qin Palace project. The two major projects are the 'Ming and Qing Palaces' and 'Jiangnan Fenghua'.
The Ming and Qing Palace Gardens refer to the Hengdian project in Simon's memory. The theme is very simple and the Forbidden City is reproduced in full scale. Even compared to the Forbidden City, which covers an area of 1,080 acres in the capital, this Ming and Qing palace project is expected to reach a larger scale of 1,500 acres. However, it is mainly about the palace complex of about 1,000 acres, as well as surrounding parking lots, etc. Matching.
Compared with the simplified version of the Qin Palace, which is expected to cost only 200 million, this time it will be more refined and there will be more palace complexes. Although the overall project area is only 50% larger, the investment in the Ming and Qing palaces will more than triple.
As for Jiangnan Fenghua, it is based on the historical celebrities, literary stories, folklore, gods, monsters, etc. that have come from the Jiangnan area for thousands of years in China, and designed various antique attractions, such as the 'Taohuawu' that was spun off by Simon. It was supposed to be the first and most famous one among them, but the planned Taohuawu will still be built near Jiangnan Fenghua.
At this meeting, the core planning idea of Jiangnan Fenghua Park was finalized as "One Dream for a Thousand Years". The Spring and Autumn and Warring States, Jin and Sui and Tang Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, etc., each took their materials and finally completed it. The area may reach 2,000 acres to 3,000 acres, and the investment will be more To exceed 1 billion.
In order to ensure that these projects can be put into operation quickly after completion, in addition to its own various operating methods, the Jinshu Department will also personally invest in a large number of domestic TV series that have a much stronger demand than movies at this time. Of course, the main ones must be costume types. In addition, as peripheral supporting facilities, in addition to the registered Jinshu Artist Agency Company, Jinshu Catering and Hotel Group, etc., the Jinshu Department will also establish Jinshu Performing Arts School, Jinshu Special Effects Company and other related enterprises.
After finishing this matter, Chen Qing only stayed in Suzhou for one day, and then transferred to Shanghai and Hong Kong respectively. First, she followed up on several recent major investment projects of the Westeros system in China, and then met with the China Telecom roadshow team that was about to leave. They gathered in Hong Kong and set off on December 2. The first stop was London, officially starting the IPO road show of China Telecom, which is about to be listed simultaneously in Hong Kong and New York with a valuation of US$20 billion.
at the same time.
North America.
This year Thanksgiving is later on November 28th.
This Thanksgiving, the Westeros family spent Thanksgiving at the manor in the northern suburbs of Greenwich, Connecticut on the east coast. In addition to the east coast having a more festive atmosphere due to the distinct four seasons, there is also the Westeros Mansion, which is set to be on December 5th. During the topping-out ceremony, both Simon and Janet hope to be the first to climb the long-awaited tallest building in the world.
On the other hand, the North American media has been paying the most attention recently to the 1996 Thanksgiving schedule.
During the much-anticipated Thanksgiving week from November 22nd to November 28th, "Wonder Woman 2", which has unrivaled popularity and reputation, dominates the film industry without any doubt, whether it is the previous "Magic Jam" or "Magic Jam". The old film is still stuck in the live-action adaptation of Disney's old animation "101 Dalmatians", which was released the day before Thanksgiving on November 27, and they were all reduced to complete supporting roles in front of "Wonder Woman 2".
In its first week, the box office of "Wonder Woman 2" finally reached US$153.37 million. After once again achieving a box office of over 100 million US dollars in the first three days with US$107.15 million, the box office of "Wonder Woman 2" in the first week finally reached US$153.37 million. All 10 movies in the DC movie universe have been released. Among movies, this achievement is second only to "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which created a super box office miracle during last Christmas.
Faced with the impact of "Wonder Woman 2", the single-week box office of "Star Trek 8", which ranked second on the list, plummeted from last week's unsatisfactory start of $34.67 million to $15.94 million, a drop of 54%. The cumulative box office in the two weeks has exceeded the 50 million mark, reaching 50.61 million US dollars.
Following closely behind, the third-placed "Space Jam" dropped 41% in its second week of release. It seemed to be better than "Star Trek 8", but because the film's opening box office base was not high, the box office for the next seven days was It’s only $14.79 million. The cumulative box office results of US$39.93 million in two weeks made Warner Bros., which invested US$80 million in a production budget, burst into tears.
Fourth place goes to Disney's "101 Dalmatians."
As Disney's main blockbuster at the end of this year, this live-action film adapted from a classic 2D animation cost US$75 million. It is a complete blockbuster. It also invited the popular "Little Devil" although it has obviously declined in recent years. "The Master" series creator John Hughes serves as writer and producer.
Due to the huge cost and the fact that it is a family movie limited to a festive atmosphere, Disney struggled between the two major schedules at the end of the year, and finally chose the release date of November 27. After all, although the Christmas movie is more in line with the theme, due to the pressure of "Wonder Woman 2", there are actually many movies that choose to avoid Thanksgiving and focus on Christmas. The competition is not much worse than Thanksgiving.
What's more, "101 Dalmatians" is also very suitable for the long term at the end of the year. If it is placed on Christmas, if the reputation is not good enough, it will only be out in two weeks.
Vivendi, who is afraid that he will make the same mistake as Sony, almost stares at the Disney team all the time. If it fails, many people may lose their jobs.
As a result, when production officially started, "101 Dalmatians" fell directly to a failing grade of only about 4 points in terms of media reputation and audience evaluation. Relying on Disney's publicity and the film's holiday theme, "101 Dalmatians" barely made a box office of US$10.17 million in its first two days, which was far lower than Disney's box office expectations of US$15 million to US$20 million in its first two days.
Moreover, the follow-up of the film is even more unpredictable.
Again, if there is no competition from strong films, "101 Dalmatians" may be able to achieve good long-term box office due to its holiday theme. Now, there is "Wonder Woman 2" before, and there are "Jumanji" and "Charlie's Angels" later. The quality of the films is not good. In this fierce competition environment, taking a long-term approach is just wishful thinking.
The fifth place is still "Annabelle".
This horror film, which seems to be incompatible with the holiday atmosphere, has seen a sharp decline in box office for two consecutive weeks. Following last week's 43% drop, this week's drop also reached 39% under the pressure of "Wonder Woman 2". However, compared to other movies, "Annabelle" still quietly earned $9.45 million at the box office.
In the five weeks since its release, the film's cumulative box office has reached US$134.21 million. It is only a matter of time before the domestic box office of the first film in the Conjuring film universe exceeds the target of US$150 million.
November 29th.
In the new week, except for "101 Dalmatians" which opened two days ahead of schedule, major studios have not released any new films. Therefore, it has become a key opportunity for many films during the Thanksgiving period to achieve box office improvements or reversals.
Of course, the only one trying to advance is "Wonder Woman 2". How high the film's domestic box office can ultimately go will be crucial to the trend in the next week.
For "Space Jam" and "Star Trek 8", the defeat is certain, so only "101 Dalmatians" is looking forward to a comeback. Even if there is no explosion, in this week spanning two months at the end of the year, Dalmatians As long as the weekly box office can reach 30 million, after the momentum of "Wonder Woman 2" slows down, the next curve will be much better.
Unfortunately, some people's expectations came to nothing after the three days of the weekend from November 29th to December 1st.
First up is "Wonder Woman 2."
In the three days of the following weekend, this DC movie universe blockbuster dropped only 35% year-on-year, collecting another US$69.65 million. Within 10 days of release, the film's cumulative box office has quickly exceeded 200 million, reaching US$223.02 million. This result also means that there will not be much suspense for "Wonder Woman 2" to surpass the first film's US$371 million, or even surpass the domestic US$416 million of "The Dark Knight Rises" before the Batman war.
The question is whether it can exceed the local US$500 million.
If there are no "Jumanji" and "Charlie's Angels" in the upcoming Christmas period, with the start of "Wonder Woman 2", the chance of breaking the $500 million threshold is very high.
Now, it's full of suspense.
For Disney's "101 Dalmatians", in the first weekend after its release, the film was under heavy pressure from "Wonder Woman 2" and failed in word-of-mouth. From November 29 to December 1, the film finally earned only $18.67 million.
Even based on the more ideal three-day weekend box office and four-day weekday box office accounting for 73%, the complete first-week box office of "101 Dalmatians" is only about 26 million US dollars, which is obviously not up to the 30 million expected by Disney. threshold. What's more, data after the weekend proves that Dalmatians' weekday box office curve is even worse.
Manhattan, New York.
Westeros Towers occupies an entire block between 59th and 60th Streets on the east side of Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side.
The time is Thursday, December 5th.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Simon and Janet took off the curtain that symbolically covered the surrounding glass windows on the 135th floor of the building. Starting from the start of demolition in early 1992, it took five years to build, with the bare height reaching 622 meters. The Westeros Tower, the tallest building in the world, has officially topped out.
Even if you don’t count the subsequent installation of various infrastructure, just the capping, the cost of this skyscraper, which was built using all the highest-end materials and cutting-edge technologies at this stage, has already exceeded the original budget of US$1 billion.
The investment figure so far is already US$1.7 billion. It is expected that after all the infrastructure is installed and laid out, the total cost will reach US$2.5 billion, making it definitely the most expensive skyscraper to build at this stage. If inflation is taken into account, this record will be difficult to break even twenty or thirty years later. After all, the Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010, cost only US$1.5 billion, and the New York World Trade Center was completed in 2013 and is rumored to be built with the highest safety standards. , the cost is also only 3.2 billion US dollars.
Therefore, it is basically impossible for Simon to talk about returns for this skyscraper.
With Simon's current net worth, he never thought about this.
Under this premise, the building will not only be built to the highest standards, but will also be operated to the highest standards in the future.
The most important of these is of course safety standards.
In addition to the construction standards of the building itself that can easily withstand the largest earthquake, hurricane and other natural disasters recorded in the history of the New York area, the safety standards of the entire building in the future will also be designed in accordance with the security level of the private residence of the Westeros family for a long time. , such as the 1993 explosion in which half a ton of explosives was stuffed into the underground parking lot of the Twin Towers, there is absolutely no chance that it will appear in the Westeros Towers.
Since the occupancy standards of the planned building are quite strict, Simon also plans to set a relatively low rent. The goal is only for the building's income to meet the annual maintenance and tax costs. He does not intend to earn a penny, and only requires a popularity. Therefore, the future rent of this tallest and most advanced skyscraper in the world will be lower than that of many older buildings in Manhattan.
Of course, the premise is that you can pass the review and be qualified to enter.
These are all things for later.
After the unveiling, Simon gave a brief speech and quickly announced the start of the party.
Against the backdrop of the clear blue sky on a clear winter day outside the window, even though there were still exposed steel beams around, the champagne was opened and the atmosphere quickly became lively.
Simon picked up a glass of champagne, first came to the Raybould couple who were attending the topping ceremony, and explained softly.
The main reason is that Jennifer was on the East Coast but did not attend the capping ceremony.
Although the female assistant must have talked about it with her parents, as a courtesy, Simon still explained it in person, mainly because of some safety rules unknowingly formed by the Westeros family. Unless necessary, do not take the same plane and the same ship. Yachts and the like, although Janet was always reluctant to comply with this, the female assistant and the children never made exceptions.
The topping out ceremony of the building was not completely completed. Everyone had to take the elevator to get to the roof. Even if they were cautious, it was difficult to say it was absolutely safe, so neither Jennifer nor the children showed up.
Of course James and his wife understand this, even more than Simon.
After all, Simon's doing this is equivalent to fully recognizing their daughter's identity as a member of the Westeros family. Otherwise, if there was just a random lover around, how could he think so much about it.
After a few simple sentences, James took the initiative to change the topic: "I saw an article in the latest issue of "Barron's" about Hollywood. "Wonder Woman 2" is another billion-dollar movie worldwide. Things are generally not going well at other studios in Hollywood, Simon, are you sure this won't cause a backlash?"
"Backlash is inevitable. Bob White approached me at the after-party of the premiere of "Wonder Woman 2" and hoped to loosen the restrictions on the development of DC superhero movies. Although Jack later called me personally Explain this matter, but you can still see the attitude there. As for other companies, it is basically the same."
James asked: "Then what are you going to do?"
"Daenerys Entertainment will do whatever it needs to do, and then wait for other studios to take action. Oh, in fact, it has always been done this way. Daenerys Entertainment, and even the entire Westeros system, will not do it because of If external factors stop us, we only need to keep our opponents far away, and it will be difficult for them to cause us trouble." Simon said this, thought for a while, and added: "Actually, it is still the eye-catching effect of "Wonder Woman 2" It's too obvious, giving people the illusion that Daenerys Entertainment has been making billion-dollar box office movies. Well, although Hollywood's billion-dollar movies in recent years are all related to the Westeros system, it is definitely not There are too many, except for the two unexpected ones last year, the others are only one per year at most, and no matter how large the market is, they can’t accommodate it.”
After hearing this, James said: "This should be a public opinion that can be put into practice."
Simon was startled for a moment, then nodded: "I'll arrange it after the party."
It wasn't James who reminded him, but he didn't expect it.
Regarding the fact that Hollywood can only carry one or two global billion-level movies a year, it can indeed be hyped in the media to give the public a subconscious feeling that Daenerys Entertainment is actually not that strong, even if it is obviously Ah Q The illusion can at least make some media less jealous and avoid indiscriminately adding fuel to the flames.
Simon also thought of a further extension.
For example, Daenerys Entertainment's interest in the DC Movie Universe is actually not as high as that of Warner Bros. Therefore, the more successful the series is, the more Daenerys Entertainment will suffer as the creative leader of the DC Movie Universe.
It’s good to suffer a loss.
After such publicity, some people can have a psychological balance and reduce the media's fueling. Then, Daenerys Entertainment can boil the frog in warm water more safely.
As for the actual situation.
According to Simon's vision, the flames under the warm water will only get stronger and stronger.