Seeing that the first-day box office data had settled, Gareth, who was also paying attention to the box office situation, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Yunsu staff standing by were also pleasantly surprised: "Great, it seems our plan worked, and Huaying's box office was indeed affected!"
"Actually, think about it. Although the movie we chose is not as good as Harry Potter, it can still make at least 900 million or 1 billion in box office if it is put in other schedules. How great must Harry Potter be to not be affected at all."
Gareth was in a good mood and curled his lips. He said, "It's only the first day. Don't be too happy too soon. Let others pay attention. Who knows if Huaying will make a sudden reversal?"
Having said that, Gareth actually agreed with the idea in his heart.
The first day box office is not everything, but at least in this small first step, he won the bet. The box office of "Harry Potter" has indeed been affected - that's enough. As long as this trend continues, it is basically impossible for Huaying to recover its costs.
Not only the animation, but also the construction of theme parks and academies also requires a lot of money. These projects are mostly linked to each other. As long as the "Harry Potter" link collapses, the entire capital chain will be broken. At that time, there will naturally be people who will take advantage of the situation and take a bite of Huaying.
Thinking of this, Gareth felt relaxed and happy.
He also noticed the marketing of Huaying some time ago, but he never took it to heart - what's the problem with being praised by the audience? Can this avoid the end of disintegration? Or can the box office of "Harry Potter" soar with just a few compliments from the audience
Since that doesn't work, then just let Huaying do what she wants. They won't suffer any loss anyway.
Although the Yunsu Group was relieved, the people who were also paying attention to the box office performance of "Harry Potter" could not be happy at all.
For fans who participated in the whole process, the saddest thing is not to watch the painting gradually slide into the abyss and be powerless. But when they had almost no hope, the good reputation of "Harry Potter" gave them some hope, but then it was crushed by the first day box office.
However, the magazines and newspapers that had previously been writing film reviews for "Harry Potter" and promoting it in disguised form have all chosen to remain silent.
However, even though they no longer publish various film reviews of "Harry Potter", these newspapers and magazines have no intention of promoting other movies. The entertainment and film and television section, which used to be the most lively, has become silent, as if only in this way can they express their silent protest.
Fang Lian was puzzled: "I just don't understand, are the impacts of those two movies really that great?" So great that even the box office of "Harry Potter" was damaged by them.
"I don't know about 'Madhouse', but 'Respect the Mountains and Rivers' is a movie starring a popular star, and the fans are very exclusive," Wen Feihang said, "I've also read the reviews online, and the reputations of these two movies are not bad. If Yunsu hadn't been determined to mess with us, these two movies would have performed better if they were put in other schedules."
"Is it true that we can't do anything to them?" Mu Xingxue couldn't help but frown.
Mu Suxing was probably the calmest one among them. While the others were discussing nervously, Mu Suxing was still sitting in front of the computer, processing the post-production of the animated film "Your Lie in April". Upon hearing this, he interrupted and said, "Isn't this just the first day? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"It's only on the first day that we're anxious," Wen Feihang said helplessly, "It's like this on the first day, can we expect to be a sudden force later?"
Before Mu Suxing could say anything, the landline phone on the desk over there rang. When he walked to the desk and stopped, Fang Lian and a few others who had been discussing countermeasures on the opposite side also left the office and avoided him.
"Mr. Gareth?"
After receiving another call from this person, Mu Suxing hesitated for a moment and immediately guessed the other party's intention. As expected, the other party didn't even exchange too many pleasantries this time and went straight to the point: "We really want to cooperate with Huaying. As they say, good birds choose the right trees to inhabit. Mr. Mu, are you really not going to consider it any more?"
A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in... Doesn't this mean that they want to swallow up Huaying
Mu Suxing just felt it was funny in his heart, but did not say anything, as if he was really listening to what he said seriously.
"I think Mr. Mu knows that the current animation industry has reached its most critical moment. Although the animation industry has come to an end, comics and games are not deeply involved, and theme parks and animation schools have just begun," Gareth said in an orderly manner. "Mr. Mu doesn't want his plan to fail before it officially starts, right?"
Muxuxing was not in a hurry to express his opinion, but smiled and said, "What can you give me?"
"Since it is a cooperation, it is of course mutually beneficial," Gareth said calmly, "Yunsu can provide funds to help Huaying build and operate the theme park. Live-action TV series and movies are also our areas of expertise. We can cooperate with each other and interoperate IPs. Why not?"
Muxiuxing: …
To put it bluntly, Gareth just wanted to intercept Huaying's theme park that was about to be built, and take away Huaying's well-known IPs. He did not mention a word about the schools and other aspects that had no hope of making a profit.
Although he knew from the beginning that Gareth was calling to ask for an exorbitant amount of money, he never expected that the other party would be so arrogant.
Don't be afraid of dying from one mouthful.
Thinking of this, Muxuxing was too lazy to argue with the other party and simply said, "What you said makes sense - so I refuse."
Gareth was not angry. He said slowly, "Mr. Mu, do you remember the last time we met?" He said slowly, "Just like last time, we are still offering a friendly price this time, but if we come back to talk in a few days, it will be a business matter."
This is an obvious threat.
Mu Suxing was not angry either, and deliberately slowed down his speech, saying: "How about this, while we can still talk about friendship, if you stop now, I will let you go, what do you think?"
Gareth almost suspected that he had heard it wrong. He frowned, and after confirming that there was no possibility that he would need Mu Suxing to "give him a way out", he thought he was bluffing and his face immediately turned cold: "Since Mr. Mu is so confident in himself, let's wait and see."
The phone was hung up with a snap, as if it still carried with it the owner's unfulfilled anger.
Mu Suxing shrugged and said to himself: "I reminded him kindly, why doesn't he believe it?" As he spoke, he opened the drawer with one hand and spread a pile of documents directly on the desk.
On top was an application for a school to be submitted to the Blue Star Education Bureau.
This is the normal process that everyone who wants to run a school must go through.
But if someone else stood here, he would unexpectedly discover that this school, which was still at the application stage, had already gathered the most luxurious lineup of professors in the history of Blue Star art schools.
From industry bigwigs who are merely in name only, to veteran artists with real positions, and even professors of history and music who are only elective courses in animation schools, they are all well-known in various fields. At first glance, it is difficult to find a slightly ordinary and mediocre one.
This is a pleasant surprise.
For Muxuxing, the reason why he chose to produce "The Old Man and the Sea" and bring it to the Muse Art Festival was, on the one hand, to use it as an alternative gift to fulfill his past life. On the other hand, he also wanted to use it to further enter the Blue Star art circle.
According to his idea, once he gets familiar with these senior masters, it shouldn't be a problem to invite them to give lectures once or twice occasionally, not to mention long-term lectures.
He thought his requirements were very low and did not dare to think higher, but he could not resist Yunsu's reverse assist.
For example, after "The Old Man and the Sea" shocked the entire cultural circle of Blue Star, Mu Suxing himself hadn't even opened his mouth yet, but many old artists who heard that he was going to run a school came to him on their own initiative, saying that they couldn't help in other ways, but it would be no problem for them to support his new school.
So by the time Mu Xuxing reacted, he already had an animation school that had not been built yet. When it was built, it would only be a junior college, but sooner or later it would be upgraded to a first-class college.
This is also the reason why Mu Suxing doesn't care much when he sees the box office of "Harry Potter" being affected.
Just as outsiders think, the various departments of Huaying are closely linked to each other. With so many bigwigs in charge of Huaying's school, it means that Muxuxing no longer has to worry about enrollment. Even if the newly established school is a lowest-level technical college, there is no need to worry about a lack of students enrolling.
Most importantly…
Mu Xuxing put away the application form and his eyes fell on another densely written list. His expression then became calm.
In his memory of his previous life, the Blue Star officials had taken action to rectify the entertainment industry, but the time was a little later than it is now. However, what is certain is that the relevant departments had the idea of dealing with the parasites a long time ago, which led to the recent investigation of TV stations.
The list now includes several film and television companies that were included in the processing list shortly afterwards, as well as related evidence.
Gareth is right.
He was indeed helpless in the face of their blatant encirclement and suppression, but they also forgot that the entire Blue Star entertainment industry is not really controlled by capital.
***
While all parties were harboring their own ulterior motives, the box office of "Harry Potter" was also updated day by day.
One day, two days, three days...
As time went by, the daily box office of "Harry Potter" began to gradually increase, but the fluctuation was not particularly obvious, which could be entirely attributed to the normal growth brought by word of mouth. Therefore, neither Huaying nor Yunsu, which had always been paying attention to the box office situation, took this change to heart.
In comparison, "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" and "Madhouse" were more affected - if "Harry Potter" was still growing day by day, then "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" and "Madhouse", which were used as cannon fodder, showed a clear downward trend in their single-day box office.
This made Gareth frown.
Forget it, let's just hold on for a week. After this week is over, there will naturally be new works to fill the vacancies of these two movies. By then, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", which has been released for a week and has gradually lost its novelty, will only see its daily box office get worse and worse, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
With this in mind, Gareth did not study the box office carefully anymore, but instead turned his attention to the second batch of works that he planned to use to suppress Harry Potter. After confirming that there was no problem with these two works, Gareth felt more relaxed.
Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing.
Now all we have to do is wait quietly for the arrival of Harry Potter's Waterloo moment.
Just when almost everyone thought that the failure of Huaying Animation was a foregone conclusion, the staff in charge of ticket sales statistics in major cinemas on Blue Star vaguely sensed some unusual changes.
Dongchen Cinema, twelve o'clock at night.
By this time, the number of audiences in the cinema was decreasing. Taking advantage of this relatively free time, the staff began to sort out and check the ticket sales situation of each theater today.
According to her statistical experience these days and even consistently, the audiences of the three most popular movies are more or less mutually exclusive. The relationship between "Madhouse" and "Harry Potter" may be a little better, while the audience of "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" is more loyal and basically will not consider buying the other two animated works.
But now…
She looked at the statistical results on the computer, which showed that more than a dozen copies of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" were sold together with "Respecting the Mountains and Rivers", and couldn't help feeling puzzled.
If it was just an abnormality today, the staff would not think too much about it. However, this situation has lasted for more than a day. It seems that every audience member watching "Respecting Mountains and Rivers" is the double of "Harry Potter".
Isn't it said that fans of popular stars are often the most devoted and extreme, usually buying more than 10 or 20 tickets to support their idols, and many of them will also belittle and criticize other movies of the same period? What's the matter with so many users who bought "Respect the Mountains and Rivers" together with "Harry Potter"
Is it because Harry Potter is so attractive? Or have the fans of the popular movies collectively changed their personalities