Time soon came to eight o'clock in the evening.
The premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was held at the Starling Theatre.
According to convention, the main creative staff will attend the premiere ceremony before the movie is officially released. When Muxuxing and other main creative staff took the stage together, the whole theater spontaneously burst into applause. It was obviously an applause of encouragement or celebration, but at this moment it was not very enthusiastic. With the serious expressions of everyone at the moment, the atmosphere was a little solemn for a while.
Mu Xuxing took the microphone.
Everyone's eyes fell on him.
There was sympathy, regret, sorrow, and expectation. Muxuxing knew they were waiting for him to say something, about the recent events, about his determination to make a desperate effort.
However, on this point, he was probably destined to disappoint them.
"We have always planned to make the Harry Potter series into a unique and magnificent magical world on Blue Star." Mu Xiuxing did not intend to play the emotional card at this time. Now that the arrow has been drawn, instead of talking about irrelevant things, he would rather return to the essence of the premiere ceremony and talk about the animated film itself.
“It should be like the magic school in children’s imagination. Maybe there will be problems, but it should be a warm journey that makes people smile. Therefore, I sincerely hope that this movie can make everyone put aside all the unpleasantness in the real world and devote themselves to this colorful magic world.”
“For Huaying Animation, this is more important than anything else.”
Amid the thunderous applause from the audience, Shen Nian's inner annoyance also subsided.
Muxuxing was right. Since they were at the premiere, they should enjoy the movie itself instead of being affected by things outside the movie. For Huaying, what they wanted more than meaningless pity was the respect they deserved as creators.
No matter which direction Huaying Animation will go after this movie, at this moment, what they should do is to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the movie world in front of them, so that Huaying Animation will have no regrets.
After the speech, as Mu Suxing and the main creative staff returned to the stage, the entire theater gradually quieted down, and everyone's eyes were cast on the big screen in front of them.
In fact, it wasn’t just the Xingning Theater that served as the venue for the premiere.
When the wall clock pointed to eight o'clock in the evening, the audiences in theaters all over the world sat up straight at the same time and looked at the big screen in front of them attentively.
There were ordinary families of three with children, teenagers who came to watch movies in groups of three or four, and young white-collar workers in shirts or suits who rushed to the theater after get off work. When the lights in the theater went out and the lights on the big screen suddenly lit up, regardless of gender, age or identity, everyone focused their attention on the movie.
Put down your work, put down your worries, don’t think about the past and the future, just be an ordinary audience and immerse yourself in a good movie.
Accompanied by a familiar pure music, the LG belonging to Huaying also flashed across the screen quickly. The LG did not last long. In the past, he might have been eagerly looking forward to the movie officially starting. However, now, he could not help but stare at the familiar LG.
Is there a chance I’ll see this icon again in the future
Shen Nian didn’t know, and couldn’t bear to think about it any more.
After a simple introduction, the movie officially begins.
As the sequel to Harry Potter, the plot of the second part naturally continues from the end of the previous part. The animation scene also turns from Hogwarts Castle back to Number 4 Privet Drive, and Harry's life also returns to the daily life of being ordered around by his aunt and her family.
I don't know when Harry can really get rid of this family of bastards. Shen Nian muttered in his heart.
With the experience of the first film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" has also made more obvious progress in visual expression. Under the guidance of such immersive pictures, Shen Nian soon stopped thinking about other things and watched the animation in front of him without blinking.
I just couldn't help but sigh in my heart.
No wonder even those film and television companies that are not involved in the animation industry have also set their sights on Huaying. Blue Star Films has produced many blockbusters, but in terms of special effects technology, none of them can compare with the technology shown in the Harry Potter series.
In blockbuster movies, special effects technology is often the most expensive.
With a large number of excellent IPs that have been proven by the market and CG technology that is far superior to its peers, I'm afraid this is the reason why Huaying Animation has been targeted by so many companies
During the short time when he was distracted, the plot on the screen continued in an orderly manner.
The story begins on Harry's birthday. The Dursleys certainly would not be kind enough to celebrate Harry's birthday. In fact, they happened to have other guests to entertain on that day, and Harry was asked to stay in his bedroom during this period without making any noise.
It was on this night that Harry met a house-elf who called himself Dobby.
Dobby told him that there was a conspiracy against him at Hogwarts and that he could not return to Hogwarts for his own safety. In order to prevent Harry from going to Hogwarts and thus avoid the disaster, Dobby destroyed the food that the Dursleys had prepared for their guests and disappeared.
When the Dursleys heard the noise and rushed over to see the mess on the ground, they naturally put the blame on Harry.
Things got even worse when another owl flew from the window and dropped a letter on the guest's head: after learning that Harry was not allowed to use any magic outside of school, Uncle Vernon had someone put bars on Harry's window, trying to lock him in the bedroom forever.
This made Shen Nian frown uncontrollably.
What on earth is this house-elf doing
Not only did he intercept Harry's letters and make him think that he was forgotten by his friends, but he also messed up the kitchen. Harry was already having a hard time, and this made things worse. Even if he really did it for Harry's own good, this was a bit too much.
Thinking back to what the house-elf said at the beginning, that he had never been treated equally by any wizard and was often punished by his master, Shen Nian felt that the slight bit of reluctance in his heart had disappeared.
He deserves it for treating Harry like this!
He thought indignantly.
What Shen Nian didn't know at this moment was that in the Harry Potter sequel that would be released in a few years, it was precisely this house-elf that he hated so much at the moment that had tricked him into crying countless tears.
Of course, this is all a story for later.
Just when Harry thought that he might never be able to return to Hogwarts, Ron and the twins George and Fred appeared outside his window. The three of them were sitting in a car suspended in the air and smiled at him in the moonlight.
With the help of the Weasley twins, Harry successfully escaped from the Dursleys and came to Ron's home. From here, the story once again left the Muggle world and returned to the magical world familiar to the audience. The plot also became lighter.
Compared to life at Privet Drive, life with the Weasleys was full of surprises: flying cars, talking mirrors, small explosions coming from the twins' bedroom upstairs... Most importantly, everyone here was nice to him.
Shen Nian was fascinated by it.
He really likes the details of the magical world reflected in this animation.
For example, the crooked house of the Weasley family is difficult to realize in reality. When the camera turns to this small house, there is a food magic book on the mantelpiece, a radio station playing for wizards, and dishes that are automatically washed in the pool under the effect of magic...
Not just items.
As Arthur Weasley returned home from get off work, Mrs. Weasley complained angrily to her husband: "Your son drove that car last night and flew to Harry's house to pick him up! What do you want to say, huh?"
"Really?" Mr. Weasley's eyes lit up: "Did they fly well? I - I mean -" Facing the anger burning in his wife's eyes, Mr. Weasley's desire to survive made him quickly change his words: "This is very wrong, children, very, very wrong..."
Shen Nian couldn't help but smile.
Very ordinary details and daily life, but it is precisely this kind of ordinary daily life that makes it easier for the audience to immerse themselves in the magical world of animated films. While people feel the wonder of the magical world, they do not feel a sense of distance, but instead have a sense of intimacy as if it is within reach.
Ordinary, yet extremely cute.
Even in reality, isn't this the case for many families
Unconsciously, not only Shen Nian, but all the audiences who were watching "Harry Potter" in various theaters at the moment were completely immersed in this magical world that seemed to exist in reality. As the plot continued to move forward, they laughed from time to time.
While laughing, Shen Nian also discovered some differences.
If Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets simply tells the daily life and adventures of the Gryffindor trio, then in the second part, the worldview of the entire animation begins to show signs of digging deeper. For example, when Harry and others once again quarreled with Malfoy, Malfoy blurted out "Mudblood".
Obviously, the conflict between Gryffindor and Slytherin is more than just a matter of incompatibility of personalities.
This contradiction becomes even more apparent when Harry is mistaken for the Heir of Slytherin who opens the Chamber of Secrets.
Almost everyone believed that Harry was the heir of Slytherin, and it was he who opened the Chamber of Secrets, causing the others to be petrified. When most people held the same view, even Harry himself, when he remembered that the Sorting Hat had told him in his first year that he was suitable for Slytherin, he couldn't help but doubt himself.
This made him feel sick.
Shen Nian outside the screen was watching with great interest.
Unlike the first film, which was more of a young man's adventure, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is more of a suspense and mystery film. If the early plot is just about the daily life of the magic academy, then as the story of the chamber of secrets gets deeper, the mysteries one after another are overwhelming, making the whole film look more like a suspense film.
That’s not all.
Most of the smaller stories outside of the main plot of the chamber of secrets are also very humorous and interesting, so that even children with only a limited understanding of the story can understand the plot and have fun from it.
Just as Shen Nian was making various comments about the movie in front of him in his mind, the plot of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" also came to the most critical final decryption link.
Who was the culprit who opened Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets and caused Hermione and others to be petrified
As if in response to his guess.
In the dark and narrow secret room, when Harry helped Ginny up and frantically asked for help from his so-called "companion", Tom Riddle, who was being prayed for, did not move.
After helping Ginny up, Harry finally remembered to pick up his wand: "Tom, have you seen-"
He wanted to ask the other party if he had seen his wand, but when he looked up he met Riddle's gaze - the latter was staring at him intently, his slender white fingers playing with Harry's wand, with a strange and nonchalant smile on the corner of his mouth.
Shen Nian's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that...
He had a vague guess in his mind, but Harry on the screen obviously hadn't reacted yet. Facing the increasingly anxious and anxious Harry, the young Riddle was completely the opposite. He smiled slightly and happily told Harry the truth of everything.
About that special diary, about the childish and boring troubles of little Ginny, how he bewitched her step by step, easily making the girl open her whole soul to him, and even controlling her to release the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets to attack four lowly Mudbloods.
He spoke lightly with an undisguised happy smile on his face.
"Why do you care how I escaped?" Harry asked. "What happened to Voldemort happened many years after you died."
"Voldemort," the boy shook his head, smiled at Harry's increasingly confused look, and whispered, "That is my past, present and future."
Harry froze.
Shen Nian raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The most curious character in the entire Harry Potter animation series so far is undoubtedly the villain Voldemort, who appeared early in the first film and silenced the entire wizarding world.
As early as the first film, many viewers had speculated about the image of this destined villain.
Some people said that he should be a gloomy, cold, scary-looking middle-aged man, or a madman of the same age as Dumbledore, but more violent and twisted. No one expected that when this legendary wizard first appeared, the image presented to everyone was a gloomy and handsome young man.
Shen Nian was a little surprised, but only for a moment.
As the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets was completely revealed, Shen Nian no longer felt strange when looking at the image of Tom Riddle, but instead had a sense of naturalness.
What should the final villain in Harry Potter look like
Compared to Harry, whose mind is consistent with his age and experience, Tom Riddle represents another extreme: he is mature beyond his years, murdered a classmate when he was a student, and cleverly framed another person. Even in a diary, communicating in the form of writing, he can bewitch the little girl with just a few words.
Looking at that face that was considered the most handsome in the wizarding world until the second Harry Potter film, and thinking about his ability and means to confuse people, it doesn't seem incomprehensible that he could persuade so many wizards to serve him willingly.
However, this also brings up problems.
Facing an opponent who is much more powerful than him, how can Harry defeat him
The diary in the Chamber of Secrets finally ended with Harry being destroyed by the fangs of the basilisk, and Tom Riddle disappeared, but it is not difficult to imagine that the story about Voldemort and Harry Potter has probably just begun.
At the end of the story, when they were out of danger and the whole incident was resolved, facing the trusted headmaster, Harry finally couldn't help but raise the question that had been lurking in his heart for a long time, about his similarities with Riddle and the Sorting Hat's prophecy that he would be able to achieve glory in Slytherin.
Faced with Harry who was frustrated and even a little disheartened, Dumbledore laughed instead.
He told Harry: "It is not our abilities that make us who we are, but our choices."
No matter what abilities or traits you possess, you can choose to be who you want to be.
Shen Nian's eyes lit up.
She liked this sentence.
It is not a deliberate preaching, nor is it intended to elevate the depth of the film's concept. Dumbledore's words are like a natural and appropriate summary, which is neither boring nor redundant. Instead, it has a finishing touch effect on the entire film.
Like "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", this film also ends with the children getting off the Hogwarts Express and waving goodbye to each other.
Shen Nian liked this kind of ending very much. In her opinion, it was as if they, as the audience, had also experienced and completed the one-year study at Hogwarts together, returned to their own homes, and waited until the next semester of the following year to meet again at King's Cross Station.
only…
Harry and his friends in the movie may meet again next time. But will they have the chance to see the Harry Potter series again outside of the movie
The animated film ended here and the audience stood up and left one after another.
Watching a movie should be a joyful thing, but considering the situation of Huaying Animation, no one can really relax, and instead feel an indescribable heaviness in their hearts.
This did not affect the reputation of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets".
Or, quite the opposite.
The audiences who attended the premiere and rushed to the cinema on the first day of the movie's release were basically those who favored Huaying Animation. For the experienced film critics, it was precisely because they were depressed and sad and regretful about the future of Huaying that they wanted to give Huaying a perfect ending!
Even if they cannot help Huaying Animation, even if they are doomed to fail and gain nothing, they must at least do their best to prepare a truly glorious curtain call for Huaying Animation and the Harry Potter series.
Therefore, less than ten minutes after the first screening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ended that night, all major forums and Weibo posts about the film received rave reviews!
As the editor-in-chief of Anime Online, Shen Nian wrote a review for the new issue as soon as possible. After writing a review for her own magazine, she still felt it was not enough, so she simply logged on to her Weibo account and posted a short review:
"Before Harry Potter was released, I was actually worried about the publicity and marketing of Huaying Animation. To put it bluntly, it would be fine even if they just sold the movie poorly, but Huaying refused to do that. I didn't quite understand it at first, but after watching this animation, I suddenly understood Director Mu's idea. What publicity and marketing is needed? The six words "Harry Potter sequel" are enough!"
Writer Wang Chan also attended the premiere. She wrote on Weibo: "Whether it's the graphics, technology or plot, the quality is as high as ever. The story and scenes of the second part make the magical picture of Hogwarts even larger and clearer. Harry and his friends leave Hogwarts with new mysteries and return to the Muggle world, waiting for the arrival of the next school year. Unfortunately, as an audience, we may never be able to wait for the Hogwarts Express in the third grade."
If the film reviews by professionals are well-organized and praise the film from various angles, then the reviews by ordinary audiences are more likely to express their thoughts about the film directly.
"nice!"
"The characters are clearly portrayed with more depth, and the principal's words at the end are also very interesting."
"I can't wait to read the third part. I feel like the author is planning a big game."
"When I watched the first movie, I thought Voldemort would be an old, ugly old man. When he appeared in the second movie, I was stunned. His appearance is too good! Aren't you afraid that the audience will rebel at any minute by designing the villain so handsome? This Riddle is so good!"
On the Internet, in magazines... "Harry Potter" has received rave reviews!
Compared to the overwhelming reputation of "Harry Potter" and the endless stream of tap water on the Internet, "Madhouse" and "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" on the other hand are relatively inferior.
In fact, the quality of "Respecting Mountains and Rivers" and "Madhouse" is not bad, especially "Madhouse". As a competitor released at the same time as "Harry Potter", it has received no less praise from senior film critics than "Harry Potter", and even better because of its deeper plot.
It’s just that “Harry Potter” is currently in the limelight, and as a result of this increase and decrease, the popularity of the other two films will naturally decrease a lot.
"I thought you should have thought about this situation when you made this decision."
Facing the doubts of the two film and television companies that produced "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" and "Madhouse", Gareth disagreed: "The Harry Potter series is already a successful series. Moreover, Huaying Animation is popular now. The second part is directed by Mu Suxing himself. It is normal to get such a good reputation."
He said in a puzzled manner: "You don't really think that with just these two movies, you can successfully snipe Harry Potter?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of the two company representatives opposite him suddenly looked a little unhappy.
It's not that they haven't thought about what Gareth said, nor that they don't know it, but knowing it is one thing, and having it pointed out so mercilessly and as if in a mockery is another thing entirely.
Gareth did not miss the changes in their expressions, but he did not take it to heart. They were the cannon fodder that had been agreed upon beforehand, but now they were complaining about him making these two movies become victims of Harry Potter. Isn't this funny
"We don't need to beat Harry Potter at the box office. As long as the box office of Harry Potter is affected, our plan will be successful." Gareth narrowed his eyes and looked calm.
For them, word of mouth and public enthusiasm are meaningless. Since it is a high-investment, big-production commercial film, the final analysis will depend on the box office.
At the same time, at the headquarters of Huaying Animation.
Whether it was the main creative team involved in the production of "Harry Potter" or the staff of other departments, almost everyone stopped their work and waited nervously for the arrival of the final moment.
In fact, it’s not just about painting shadows.
All the people working in the industry and animation film industry in the Blue Star are now focusing on the first-day box office of Harry Potter. Even those who had no expectations before could not help but feel a glimmer of hope when they saw the explosive word-of-mouth of Harry Potter:
What if "Harry Potter" was not greatly affected by the first round of crackdown
Does that mean that Huaying Animation still has a chance to survive and is not dead? The entire Blue Star animation industry may still struggle
Time passed by minute by minute as everyone waited anxiously.
Finally, when Mu Xingxue refreshed the page on the computer again, the data table that had been motionless showed new changes! When his eyes fell on the string of numbers on the computer, Mu Xingxue was slightly stunned, and then he sighed softly.
Fang Lian asked anxiously: "How much was the first day's box office? Tell me—"
As he spoke, he took two steps forward anxiously. Before he reached the computer, Wen Feihang, who had seen the data before him, shook his head. He moved his lips with difficulty, only to feel an indescribable bitterness in his mouth: "170 million."
Fang Lian's heart sank.
The first-day box office was 170 million yuan, which doesn't seem bad considering that the cost of the film was 1 billion yuan.
However, anyone who knows a little about movies knows that this is not the way to calculate it.
Movie box office is usually divided into comprehensive box office and split box office. The former is the total box office that everyone knows, and the split box office is the box office shared by the theater chain, tax, and investors and distributors after deducting service fees. The theater chain can get the highest share, which is 52% of the split box office.
After all these deductions, the revenue that Huaying Animation can get is only 33% of the total box office.
In other words, if "Harry Potter" wants to recoup its costs, its box office must be at least three times the production and promotion costs, and the total box office must reach 3 billion.
But now...
The computer screen was still on, and the people present could hardly bear to watch any further.
This is just the beginning.
As time goes by, the box office of "Harry Potter" will only get lower and lower. On the other hand, Yunsu will be able to use other more competitive movies to snipe "Harry Potter" after squeezing out all the value of "Madhouse" and "Respect the Mountains and Rivers". In this way, it will be more difficult for "Harry Potter" to recover its costs.
Thinking of this, everyone's expressions became heavy and confused.
what to do
The gap between the box office and the cost is so huge. Under such circumstances, do they really have any hope of recovering their costs