Samsung Entertainment headquarters in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
This is the afternoon of February 2nd.
I arrived yesterday, and after some routine work and entertainment, I was approached by the eldest lady of the Li family of Samsung again today. In the afternoon, we came here to watch the samples of two movies that Simon provided creative ideas for last year, "My Sassy Girl" and "I". His wife is a boss."
In a screening room in the office building of Samsung Entertainment headquarters, Li Fuzhen drove away the others in a savage manner, leaving only herself and Simon. Even the operation of showing the samples was done by Miss Li through the intercom. Because it’s still a sample film and was only completed in January, the rough cut version has not yet been completed.
After watching a clip of "My Sassy Girl" again, she signaled to the operating room to pause. Miss Li leaned towards the man next to her and hesitated: "Does anyone really like this type of girl?"
Simon joked: "Aren't you?"
"I am not," Miss Li shook her head, looked at the man beside her, and suddenly added: "If you can marry me, I will be very virtuous."
Simon had his arms around the waist of the girl next to him, and when he heard this, he squeezed her gently: "Wake up, it's dawn."
Her Royal Highness the Princess was immediately angry. She glared at someone and hit him on the shoulder in retaliation: "How can you be so bad?"
Simon said confidently: "If I were a good man, I wouldn't sit here with you now."
Li Fuzhen was speechless. He reflected a little on himself and felt a little guilty. Could it be that he was also a bad woman? Otherwise, why would he be entangled with a married man
So he took the initiative to change the topic and brought back the video again: "I mean, maybe the audience will like "My Wife Is a Boss" which is more contrasting, but "My Sassy Girl", well, currently women's rights in Korea are still It’s very prosperous, but it mainly relies on female audiences, so it can’t sell for much money?”
Simon thought for a moment and said: "The real core of this movie has nothing to do with girls' brutality. You have also seen that after boys and girls fall in love, girls will also use their own brutality to protect their boyfriends."
Miss Li still didn't understand: "Huh?"
Simon could only be more straightforward: "Well, probably, I think you Koreans should be in need of a warm embrace in recent years to soothe your injured souls. In addition, when people are hurt, they are often the easiest to think of their mothers. This girl represents a special kind of motherhood, and it is also a strong motherhood that can protect people."
After Li Fuzhen heard what Simon said, his eyes widened slightly, with an expression like "You're not talking nonsense."
Seeing her expression, Simon shrugged and said, "Actually, film and television entertainment is very consistent with reality, just like Hollywood. During World War II, "Gone with the Wind" became the memory of a generation, and then genre classics such as "Casablanca" were born. In the 1970s and 1980s, films reflecting on the Vietnam War were very popular, so "Platoon" won the Oscar for Best Picture. At the same time, because of the hedonism of the Beat Generation, phenomenal films such as "Grease" were created. And then came In the 1990s, the Cold War ended and the world entered a new era. Americans were actually a little confused, so "Forrest Gump" helped them regain the American spirit, and it became very popular."
Miss Li could not help but nod in agreement this time, but she accurately caught one point: "Simon, did you just say, 'them'?"
Simon was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He didn't expect this girl to be so sharp, but of course his reaction was not slow either. He reached out and grabbed the chin of the girl next to him, leaned forward and kissed her. After letting go, he said with a smile: "Of course they are. ', a man as strong as me doesn't need any spiritual comfort."
Miss Li was suddenly attacked. Actually, before she even got into the mood, the hateful man was over.
Um.
It would be great if you could stop being so annoying in bed.
After thinking about it fiercely, Miss Li said: "Perhaps you are right about Hollywood, but with these two small films, you can actually touch the wounded hearts of Koreans. It is too far-fetched. We are not like that." Fragile."
Simon didn't argue: "Maybe."
Her Royal Highness the Princess was still a little reluctant: "Moreover, you, you, have a big responsibility for what we have been like in recent years. If you big capitalists had not attacked the financial system in Asia, there would not have been the 1997 crisis." disaster."
Simon smiled and replied: "There is a saying in Asia that flies will not look for eggs without cracks. Is that correct?"
Li Fuzhen was speechless.
Whoever invented this saying should be beaten to death.
Unwilling to admit defeat, he continued: "Anyway, you must be the mastermind behind this. Moreover, I find more and more that in South Korea, the capital of the Westeros system is everywhere."
As he said this, he immediately thought of the current company.
Because of these two projects that the man talked about last year, Li Fuzhen was able to personally intervene in Samsung Entertainment.
Then, we first paid attention to the ownership structure of Samsung Entertainment.
Nominally, Samsung Entertainment's largest shareholder is Samsung Life Insurance Company, controlled by the Samsung family, holding 30% of the shares. However, the other 70% of the shares seem to come from all over the world, some of which Li Fuzhen cannot trace. However, just relying on a few can be determined. Miss Li is enough to confirm one thing. The other shares are basically controlled. In the hands of the man next to me.
That is to say, the other party actually holds 70% of the shares.
Then there is the company itself. Even if Li Fuzhen wanted to get involved last year, he finally got some small permissions with the man's personal approval after a lot of pulling. Before that, it was almost impossible to get in.
It is really depressing that Her Royal Highness, the eldest princess of the Samsung Lee family, has to get permission from others to intervene in a company that is nominally a subsidiary of the Samsung Group.
And Miss Li is currently solely responsible for the entertainment complex project in Jeju Island.
Even if it was still because of the man's relationship, the final result of the negotiation was that the shareholding ratio obtained by the Samsung Li family was still 30%, and the other 70% was still in the hands of the Westeros system.
This does not include the casino business that is the core of the entertainment complex.
Even if the two parties break up in the future and suddenly there is no casino in this project, you can imagine how bleak this project will be in the future without the casino business that is very popular.
The only thing that makes Miss Li happy is that, at least, the man next to her can safely hand over the control of this entertainment complex to her.
It's just that, when I think about it occasionally, I feel it's wrong.
How does it feel like he has become a working man... a strong man? !
Even if she is not as proud or even arrogant as some other children of South Korean chaebol families, Miss Li was once very proud of her family's status in South Korea. But since this man appeared, she suddenly found that everything in the past seemed a little bit... collapse.
These are the big capitalists.
Damn American capitalists.
After watching two movie samples that will be released this year, Simon took the opportunity to learn about the operating status of Samsung Entertainment.
Mainly the summer movie "Joint Security Area".
Speaking of this, even Miss Li, even though she does not have much management authority over Samsung Entertainment, still feels a little guilty.
This film, which may have a slightly lower cost than "The Spy" but still reached 11 billion won, ended up with 6.27 million moviegoers, which was nearly 2 million less than the 8.09 million "The Spy". . Even though it is still a phenomenon and ranked first and second respectively in South Korea's box office last year, the gap is still obvious.
In addition, for "The Spies", after last year's release, the results of follow-up channel operations have been released. Counting overseas copyright sales, video tape channels and TV broadcasts, excluding costs, the cumulative revenue outside local theaters reached 7.3 billion won. Including the previous box office split and government subsidies, and subtracting all costs, by the end of 1999, the profit had reached 2.8 billion won, which is equivalent to 2.15 million US dollars based on the current exchange rate.
US$2.15 million may not be a big deal in Hollywood, but in South Korea, the profit of 2.8 billion won is already a considerable amount of profit compared to the total production and publicity cost of 16 billion won.
Moreover, this is only a one-year operation cycle. In the next one or two years, "Life and Death" can continue to make a lot of money.
Let's talk about "Joint Security Area". It was released in the summer last year and was not released until October. Although South Korea does not have a mandatory window period like the West, as of 1999, after operation, after deducting costs from various peripheral channels, the revenue was only 3.2 billion won. The overall loss is still 1.6 billion won.
Even though it will definitely be able to recover its capital and achieve profitability this year, it is still far behind "The Spies of Life and Death".
Not to mention that "The Battle of Myeongryang" has not yet been released, but has already won widespread attention from the entire society just by virtue of its publicity and several trailers that have been released. Some media have even predicted that this movie will likely create a Movie viewing record of tens of millions of people.
It's definitely not worth it, and we'll have to wait until it's released, but even if it only reaches the level of "The Spy", "Joint Security Area" will undoubtedly be at the bottom.
Even Miss Li herself understands that the significance of the three films to the Korean film market is not mainly to make profits, but to activate the film market and activate Koreans' attention to Korean domestic films. However, "" produced under the name of Samsung Entertainment The achievement of "Joint Security Area" is still a bit disappointing.
When Simon asked about the affairs here, he also felt a certain guilty conscience among everyone at Samsung Entertainment, including Miss Li.
Certainly no comfort.
Only when you know your shame can you be brave. Anyway, just don't learn from your neighbor and bow when you know your shame.
The evening happened to be the premiere of "The Battle of Myeongryang".
The film follows a complete Hollywood release schedule. Filming will begin on Friday, February 4th, New Year's Eve. Today is Wednesday, the premiere, and word-of-mouth bans will be lifted on a large scale tomorrow.
Since Simon is here, of course he is invited.
He didn't refuse, but he didn't appear in public. He quietly took Li Fuzhen to watch the whole show.
I have to say that after investing a huge amount of money compared to South Korea, the effect is really good, and it is difficult to make the Koreans who participated in it excited.
Simon just couldn't help but complain.
According to historical records, in this battle, the Japanese army lost dozens of people, and the Korean army drowned seven or eight people... Well, compare the time two hundred years ago, the mighty Poyang Lake water battle where 800,000 troops gathered, and there were even neighboring villages here. It doesn't even count as a fight.
But, in China, it is probably difficult to think of filming a Poyang Lake water battle or the like.
The history is too long, too magnificent, and too majestic, so it is difficult to care about it.
Just as South Korea continues to apply for various historical heritages originating from China, most people are just making fun of it. On the contrary, no matter how high or low, few people actually want to do something.
After watching the premiere and attending the after-party, Simon finally just took away from the party the heroine who was still personally selected by him.
The girl's name is Li Shenjing, and she plays a boat girl in the film who plays a very important role in promoting the plot. This is somewhat similar to another role she played in history. In the original timeline, this actress had another stage name. , named Seo Qing, starred in a Korean movie that was often promoted by various unspeakable websites in the Internet 1.0 era, "Drifting in the Room of Desire".
Simon liked this girl's stubborn temperament with a hint of nervousness.
Of course, Miss Li didn't like it very much, so she could only comfort herself that night. At least, there was only one this time.
She acted coquettishly the next morning, hoping that Simon could stay. After all, it was the Korean New Year soon, so she still hoped that Simon could visit her home.
Simon came for this and could only refuse.
Depart for China in the morning.
This is the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
And, coincidentally, there is still no New Year's Eve this year, and tomorrow the 29th is New Year's Eve.
Like South Korea, at the end of the Lunar New Year, China's film industry continues to recover, and this period is also very lively.
First of all, I have to talk about the two small-production films that Jinshu released on December 31, 1999 under the guise of "New Millennium, New Generation", "Wormhole" produced by Huanzhu Film and Television and "Tongtianpu" produced by Jinshu Headquarters 》.
In the first week of production, the unexpected sales of both films, which directly recovered the cost, attracted countless people's attention.
The day after Simon came to China, the fifth week of screening of the two films also came to an end. After all, it was natural for them to get extension permission after 30 days.
The first is "Wormhole". As of the week from January 28 to February 3, this comedy movie that uses time as a gimmick continued to earn 7 million, and the cumulative box office has successfully exceeded 100 million, reaching 103 million yuan.
It's just a pity that it was a film that opened on the last day of the previous year. Otherwise, it would definitely have achieved the gimmick of being the first film to break the box office in 2000.
With the success of "Wormhole", Jinshu initially hesitated to let the film's director Jing Zheng take charge of "Detective Chinatown", but there was no obstacle.
I just want to make sure that a few reliable producers are sent to assist. After all, talent is talent, and filmmakers cannot lack talent, but equally, in this industry, experience is also crucial.
Otherwise, having ideas but not knowing how to realize them and record them on film is useless.
Then there is "Tongtianpu".
It was a long way behind "Wormhole" in its first week. Similarly, as of the latest week, even if it also received an extension, the film's revenue was only 5 million yuan, 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 nothing dissatisfactory about the current results, and there are only some small regrets.
After all, if a debut film can exceed 100 million yuan, it will be a very dazzling decoration for a director's resume.
Similarly, even if it does not exceed 100 million, all parties have already finalized the matter of "Painted Skin" directed by a Mongolian director.
Speaking of which, the box office of the two films was still above 10 million the week before. This week they were postponed, but they were quickly cut in half. In addition to the fact that piracy has inevitably spread, there is another reason: China's 2000 Lunar New Year season has already Officially opened.
This has to bring up a small comparison.
In South Korea, based on the release date of "The Battle of Myeongryang", the Lunar New Year movie will open on February 4, New Year's Eve. This is actually somewhat consistent with the Lunar New Year movie release rhythm in China twenty years later.
As for China, even though the Golden Week system was officially implemented in the second half of last year, and there will be a seven-day holiday after New Year's Eve, major film companies are still accustomed to opening their Lunar New Year movies before the New Year.
Well, even with the interference of Simon, the big butterfly, China's Lunar New Year festival has actually only been formed for a few years.
Simon just felt that this trajectory once again confirmed something.
From GDP to birth rates to even small details such as Lunar New Year movie schedules, once again, history is always surprisingly similar. I just don’t know if China’s per capita GDP will successfully exceed US$10,000 in 20 years. Then, in another 20 years, China’s social structure will become another South Korea.
From Simon's current position, frankly speaking, very frankly, I still have a little expectation after thinking about it.
After all, it is a paradise for capital.
Back to the current Lunar New Year stall.
The reason why the two old films shrunk rapidly is that China’s Lunar New Year season officially opened on January 28, the same Friday, the 21st of the twelfth lunar month, and the following weekend was still the New Year.
There were five films released during the same period, but only two stood out. One was the new film "Failure" directed by Feng Pengteng produced by Jinshu, and the other was a heartwarming New Year's comedy called "Ruyi" produced by China Film.
The results this time were also surprising.
Also just in the past week, China Film's "Ruyi" beat Jin Shu's "A Fall" to take the top spot in the Lunar New Year slot. Tsk, looking at it this way, the latter really fits a certain name.
The first is "Ruyi".
Just looking at the name will inevitably make people a little more inclined.
and. This time, China Film Group Corporation obviously put a lot of thought into it. The film tells the story of a young man and woman, both named "Ruyi". They are busy working on weekdays and have no intention of major life events. Therefore, in the new year, under various circumstances, under various circumstances, , finally came together and finally got married, a happy story.
Two families are also very representative.
The man is from the Northeast, so you can imagine that, yes, it is Mr. Kurotsuchi who plays the role of the father.
The woman is from Tianjin, and it is not difficult to guess that her parent is Uncle Feng.
In addition, there are guest appearances by various familiar faces from the Spring Festival Gala over the years, such as Chen Xiaoer, who has not been banned at this time and probably will not be banned in this time and space, and Mrs. Zhao, who is currently in poor health but still chooses to show up.
With such a strong lineup and a very heart-wrenching story, "Ruyi" earned 41 million yuan at the box office in its first week of release, which completely surprised China Film Group.
Because the cost of the film is only 20 million, after all, various big names have given China Film a favor, so it is impossible to take too much. Moreover, because Jinshu has been too strong in recent years, China Film has not had high expectations for the film. With a box office of 50 million, it is enough to recover the cost and deliver a good answer at the end of this year.
Who would have thought that it would be 41 million in the first week.
You know, there is still the seven-day Golden Week of the Spring Festival, and from then on, until the Lantern Festival, the film market will not cool down.
So, with such a start, how much will the total box office cost
When Simon arrived in Suzhou, he had already heard rumors from Chen Qing. After the three-day box office of the first weekend was released, China Film Group was already toying with the idea of making a sequel. This is keeping pace with the times.
However, most of the 20 million cost was recouped in the first week, and no one would be allowed to shoot.
Then there’s Feng Pants’s “Down and Out.”
After the previous few films, although Li Daqian is still the leading actor this time, unknowingly, Uncle Ge will probably not have the same glory this time. This is a digression, but it is just the name, plus this Even though there is still a variety of Feng's humor, the plot of the film is somewhat positive and tends to criticize current ills, which is really not likable.
The cost of 30 million yuan is 50% higher than 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.
Of course, although the word 'only' is not appropriate, after all, the other three cannon fodder films in the same period did not even get 10 million in the box office in the first week. However, comparing myself with myself, the first week was 23 million, and the follow-up, at most, was about With a box office of RMB 60-70 million, this will undoubtedly be Feng Pants' worst-performing movie since he launched his Lunar New Year show.
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 was actually very dissatisfied with the fact that he was not included in four heavyweight new projects. However, with the tepid success of "Failure to End", obviously, next , what Director Feng Da has to consider is how to ensure his status in the film and television industry.
Simon is just a little curious, wondering if "Big Shot" will appear this time.
Among Director Feng's early New Year series, "Big Shot" is definitely comparable to "Party A and Party B".
In short, if it doesn't appear, Simon will definitely push it with his own hands and make it appear. After all, the series of divine prophecies from the perspective of a psychotic patient in "Big Shot" are truly timeless classics.
Simon is even considering making an American version after the Chinese version.
As for introducing the original version to Hollywood, forget it, the creativity is very good, but it is better to follow the local customs and let the bad guys help the group to mess around. Combined with American culture, it is definitely a billion-dollar club film.