After leaving the house, Wang Baoqiang walked out of the cage
On the evening of July 16, Liu Genghong's live broadcast room, which has 68.86 million fans, came to Wang Baoqiang, who had an excellent audience.
I say this because he has been in the industry for more than twenty years and has almost zero negativity. The comment area in the live broadcast room that day was also a friendly voice to Wang Baoqiang. With Liu Genghong's title of "Director Baoqiang", Wang Baoqiang's purpose in coming to the live broadcast room was also exposed.
Wang Baoqiang came to promote the self-directed and self-acted movie "In the Octagon Cage". Based on real events, this movie tells the story of Xiang Tenghui (played by Wang Baoqiang) leading a group of children to highlight the siege of fate and explore a way out of life. Wang Baoqiang, who came to Liu Genghong's live broadcast room, danced aerobics in one music after another. Although his hands and feet are sometimes not very good enough, his honest and serious appearance has won the kind evaluation of online audiences.
▲(Source/Visual China)
The movie "In the Octagon Cage" has also received a lot of praise, so much so that some netizens contributed 6 box office photos in one go. After watching "In the Octagon Cage", Stephen Chow also posted on Weibo, "Baoqiang is one of the best actors I have ever seen, and it turns out to be the best director, served." ”
"Stephen Chow rarely praises people!" A producer surnamed Pan told "City Boundary".
Cheng Qingsong, the founder of the Golden Broom Award, also shouted to Wang Baoqiang, "This is the best movie I have seen this year, and you return the 'Golden Broom' you received that year." "The most disappointing director award in the 2017 Golden Broom Awards was awarded to Wang Baoqiang, who directed the movie "Big Trouble" for the first time, which is a thorn in his heart. Now, after the second film work was recognized by Cheng Qingsong, Wang Baoqiang responded through the air, "I will really return it to you!" ”
With rave reviews, "In the Octagon Cage" exceeded the 1.5 billion yuan mark at the box office on the 11th day of its release. At about 9 p.m. on July 16, when Liu Genghong shouted out the number "1.5 billion" in the live broadcast room, Wang Baoqiang smiled happily.
It took him six years to get to where he is today.
1.5 billion in 11 days, did Wang Baoqiang make a profit?
Yang Yang is a movie enthusiast. As long as there is an eye-rimmed movie with a good rating, she will go to see it. On the day that "In the Octagon Cage" was screened, Yang Yang had a sneak peek. In Yang Yang's view, the film also has flaws, such as Wang Baoqiang's Hebei accent is dramatic, and the story is a bit scattered because there are too many things to tell. Moreover, the last boxing scene is also a bit fake. "It's clear that actors haven't been trained for a long time." Yang Yang told the "city boundary".
However, "as a commercial film, it is still very good-looking, and it is a qualified work." "When it comes to the merits of this film, Yang Yang has a lot to say." The overall narrative of this film is clear, the rhythm is properly controlled, and the lighting props of the art scenes have been worked on. ”
In the view of Ruo Nan, another senior film and television practitioner, Wang Baoqiang's identity as a film director, his "In the Octagon Cage" cannot be said to be perfect, but the content is very moving, sincere expression, and more mature directing techniques are visible to the industry. "Overall, there is a qualitative leap."
Under the Amway of all walks of life, the rating of "Octagonal Cage" reached 7.5 points on Douban. The film also exceeded 1 billion yuan at the box office on the 6th day of its release, becoming the 106th film in Chinese film history to break 1 billion yuan at the box office. On the 11th day of its release, the box office of "In the Octagon" exceeded the 1.5 billion mark.
So, how much can Wang Baoqiang's company make? To answer this question, you have to start with the producer of this movie.
In addition to Maoyan Film, the producers of the "Octagonal Cage" movie are all companies related to Wang Baoqiang: Tumshuk Sunflower Pictures, Hainan Haole Investment, and Wuxi Baotang Pictures. "According to the current box office trend, Wang Baoqiang must make a lot of money on this movie." Ruonan had dealt with Wang Baoqiang's company, and she told "City Boundary".
About one-third of the box office of the film belongs to the producer, and the remaining two-thirds is the film fund + business tax + theater share + distribution agency fee. "If we look at the box office of 2 billion to 2.5 billion yuan, it is conservatively estimated that the box office revenue of the production company is about 700 million yuan. It is rumored that Wang Baoqiang's company has a relatively high proportion of investment, and his company can share 5-600 million yuan. The aforementioned producer told Citybound.
▲(Source/Visual China)
The producer said one of the reasons for the conservative estimate is that the film's box office continues to soar. In addition, after "In the Octagon Cage" is taken offline from the cinema and broadcast on major Internet platforms, it can also receive copyright fees, which is a lot of income. From past experience, the producer will sell the information network dissemination rights of the film to a third-party copyright operation company, and then distribute it to major video platforms such as Youku, iQiyi, Tencent, and Mango TV.
"At present, the top films at the box office in China can sell 100 million yuan in copyright fees. "In the Octagon Cage" should be able to sell for tens of millions of yuan. The producer analyzed to "City Boundary".
However, the time cost of this film to sharpen a sword in six years dilutes the benefits brought to Wang Baoqiang by "In the Octagon Cage". The logic of this lies in the fact that "six years ago, the film and television industry had a lot of opportunities to make quick money, especially Wang Baoqiang, who had box office appeal and could afford to carry a big production." Few people can resist this temptation. Ruonan said.
But after "Tang Detective 3", Wang Baoqiang rarely took movies and variety shows, but sank down to make his own movies. This undoubtedly gives up a lot of opportunities to make money, but the price paid is high. The aforementioned producers also agree with this statement.
Fortunately, "In the Octagon Cage" received rave reviews. On Douban, only 0.7% of people gave 1 star. Under this high wind, what will the film's box office end up? "It can reach 2 billion yuan to 2.2 billion yuan, but it cannot surpass "Disappearing Her"." The above producer estimates.
In the producer's opinion, "Disappearing Her" has a better schedule than "In the Octagon", when the former was released, Hollywood films had not yet been released, and there were no competing films in the same period. "On the other hand, when "In the Octagon" was released, there was "Disappearing Her" in front and several Hollywood movies in the back. Its box office was split by other films. What's more, the producer explains, "Gone Her" has a wider audience.
In any case, one thing is certain, the practical significance of "In the Octagon Cage" far outweighs its economic value. "This movie is definitely a double harvest at the box office and word of mouth, suitable for parents to watch with their children, and it is very educational." The producer told City Boundary.
Wang Baoqiang, who was born like a weed, how did he achieve a counterattack in life?
Why is Wang Baoqiang's popularity so good?
Like the children in "In the Octagon Cage", Wang Baoqiang is also the one who swings his fist against fate.
Born in 1982 in rural Xingtai, Hebei Province, Wang Baoqiang has dreamed of becoming a kung fu superstar since he was a child. In order to realize this dream, when he was 8 years old, he ran to the Shaolin Temple in Henan. From a lay disciple who turned his head and practiced martial arts, to a well-known film and television star, and then to a director who has won a good reputation today, Wang Baoqiang has spent more than 20 years.
In the fourth year after leaving the Shaolin Temple, Wang Baoqiang stepped into the new century, when Wang Baoqiang, full of freckles, not tall, could not speak Mandarin, had been rubbed by reality many times. Even so, he did not give up, but especially cherished the opportunity given by the crew of "Blind Well". In the end, the film won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Wang Baoqiang not only got a salary of 1,500 yuan, but also took off the hat of "mass actor" and became a famous and surnamed newcomer actor.
In 2003, Feng Xiaogang found Wang Baoqiang and asked him to star in the movie "No Thief in the World" as a migrant worker named Silly Root. The next year, Wang Baoqiang became popular with the role of "Stupid Root". Happy events followed. In 2006, "Soldier Assault" starring Wang Baoqiang became a phenomenal TV series, and Wang Baoqiang at this time has become a popular actor.
"Wang Baoqiang is Xu Sanduo, and Xu Sanduo is Wang Baoqiang." In those years, he said into the microphone over and over again.
In 2011, Wang Baoqiang wrote in "Hello! Mr. Tree" plays "Tree", which is a bottom, marginal, not so positive character. Some people describe the classic clip of Wang Baoqiang in this movie: Mr. Shu's hands that have nowhere to rest touch his soul, and only by putting on a cigarette can he find a trace of solidity. This performance also became the pinnacle of Wang Baoqiang's acting career.
Later, it was the comedy life of the well-known Wang Baoqiang. starred in "People in Thailand" directed by Xu Zheng and "Detective Chinatown" series directed by Chen Sicheng.
As the saying goes, acting and excelling leads to guidance. But director Wang Baoqiang's first film "Big Trouble Tianzhu" hit the street and was rated as the worst Chinese-language film of the year. This matter has become a hurdle in Wang Baoqiang's heart. He wants to be recognized and respected. Between 2017 and 2023, in the past six years, Wang Baoqiang gave up many opportunities to make quick money, just to polish the reality movie "In the Octagon Cage". Until July 6 this year, the film became a hit when it was screened.
"Humility, cleanliness, sincerity, integrity, and gratitude." When dissecting the reasons behind Wang Baoqiang's success, the aforementioned producer summed up to "City Boundary".
Behind these traits are four things that Wang Baoqiang talks about: when he was awarded the Golden Broom Award, he personally went to receive the award in spite of scolding; During the divorce and tearing with Ma Rong, his wife and agent could not expose him with any black material; The instructor he met in the variety show died tragically while maintaining peace, and he chose to return to China to attend the funeral abroad; After the divorce, he did not have much money, and borrowed money from friends only to pay taxes on time.
"Wang Baoqiang's audience impression and reputation have always been like this: simple, sincere, indomitable, years of experience accumulation, continuous progress, and steady filmmaking. Also good at seizing every opportunity. Ruonan told "City Boundary". Plant plane trees and attract phoenixes. Wang Baoqiang, who has good characteristics, has won the support of all the bigwigs.
For example, Chen Sicheng not only participated in "In the Octagon Cage", but also paid all the post-production fees. It is reported that from the filming period to the publicity period, Chen Sicheng has always fully supported Wang Baoqiang, and he also visited the class many times during the filming. Andy Lau and Liu Ruoying are also the icing on the cake for this movie. Andy Lau sang the promotional song "It's Not a Sin for a Man to Cry" in "In the Octagon Cage", and Liu Ruoying and Wang Baoqiang sang "Dear Child".
"When Wang Baoqiang encountered the crisis of public opinion such as the marriage crisis and the first movie hitting the street, everyone did not fall into the hole, but continued to be optimistic about him and believe in him, and did not encounter a situation that said nothing to him." Tang Jie, vice president of Abe (Xiamen) Film Co., Ltd., told "City Boundary".
But that doesn't mean Wang Baoqiang isn't shrewd.
A widely circulated detail is that when Chen Sicheng invited Wang Baoqiang to star in one of his reasoning films, Wang Baoqiang did not agree, but said to Chen Sicheng, "You write the script first, and after writing the script, I will decide whether to act or not." Wang Baoqiang also said that whether the movie is accepted or not, it will not affect the brotherhood between the two. Later, after reading the script, Wang Baoqiang took over the role of "Detective Chinatown".
At first, there was capital that was not optimistic about him
After the fire of "Octagon Cage", there was a rumor in the market that no one was willing to invest in "Octagon Cage". The approximate meaning of this statement is: capital is optimistic about Wang Baoqiang's comedy, but not about the realistic theme of "In the Octagon Cage". Coupled with the "golden broom" impression brought to the outside world by the movie "Big Trouble Tianzhu", capital is not optimistic about Wang Baoqiang's directing skills.
"Capital does often look away, for example, a film and television company wants to invest in a movie that was not optimistic, but then switched to a movie that everyone was optimistic about, and the starring actor of the movie was overturned, resulting in the movie not being released. In the same way, of course, there are capitals that are not optimistic about Wang Baoqiang's "In the Octagon Cage". Now, they probably regret it. The aforementioned producer told Citybound.
But there are also many capitals optimistic about Wang Baoqiang and "In the Octagon Cage". Ruonan told "City Boundary" that during the creation and filming of "In the Octagon Cage", there was always capital willing to come in. But for Wang Baoqiang, those capitals are not particularly suitable. If too much capital is involved, it will not guarantee his focus and voice in creation. "Now, after the fire of "Octagon Cage", it will bring more choice to Wang Baoqiang and them."
▲(Source/Visual China)
"City" learned that Tencent is working with Wang Baoqiang's affiliate to create the drama "Chess Player" in X Theater. Tencent Video X Theater has created well-known online dramas such as "The Long Season". "Chess Warrior" is a drama produced by Han Sanping, produced by Tencent Video and Lezizi Pictures. Lezizi Pictures is 100% owned by Beijing Lekaihua Pictures, and the legal representative of Beijing Lekaihua Pictures is Wang Jianyong, the brother of Wang Baoqiang.
Wang Baoqiang has his own capital territory. Tianyan investigation shows that Wang Baoqiang is associated with a total of 10 enterprises, of which 6 are in existence, including Beijing Baoyirong Film Co., Ltd., Wang Baoqiang (Shanghai) Film and Television Culture Studio, Hainan Haole Investment Co., Ltd., etc., and Wang Baoqiang is a shareholder.
Founded in August 2010, Beijing Baoyirong is the core platform for Wang Baoqiang to operate his acting career, and in the early years, the films he invested in were all films that Wang Baoqiang participated in shooting. The core asset of this company is also Wang Baoqiang. According to public information, Beijing Baoyirong did not have much business at the beginning of its establishment, and its net profit was negative all year round. In 2012, Beijing Baoyirong turned its losses for the first time, achieving annual revenue of 45,200 yuan, net profit of 1,761 yuan, and total assets of 4,521,600 yuan.
In the divorce case with Ma Rong, Wang Baoqiang's acting career and company territory once had a crisis, but Wang Baoqiang firmly took the control of Beijing Baoyirong into his arms after a series of capital operations.
However, in the view of an industry insider, for a long time, Wang Baoqiang's business model was relatively single. For example, Chen Sicheng's company took the road of drama + artist management, while the early business of Wang Baoqiang's company was only movies, and it was his own films, "If Wang Baoqiang company wants to go further, it is still necessary to develop a diversified profit model." The person told the "city boundary".
In Ruonan's view, Wang Baoqiang's public recognition is very high, and his image in the hearts of the national audience is too distinct, which also makes him the absolute core of the company. Moreover, the content creation style with Wang Baoqiang as the core does not have an equal actor in China. "Take "In the Octagon Cage" as an example, this story is only played by him, and the audience buys it. You can imagine that with another person, this thing will not be true. ”
In fact, Wang Baoqiang is not unaware of this problem. Since 2015, Wang Baoqiang has begun to expand other business models, not limited to Wang Baoqiang's core asset. For example, the films "Run Brother", "Incredible" and "Detective Chinatown" jointly distributed and co-produced by Beijing Baoyirong have successively landed in theaters nationwide. According to Maoyan box office statistics, the three films eventually won a total of 1.367 billion yuan at the box office.
In recent years, "they are also interested in training screenwriters and directors, and they have been expanding their teams to attract good creators." It is also expanding some artist management business. Ruonan explained to "City Boundary".
Someone described the octagon as follows, "In the cage, two trapped beasts. Fight, nowhere to run. Your weapon, only your body. This is exactly the state of Su Mu and Sloppy in "In the Octagon Cage". They waved their fists in the film and interpreted to the world the inspirational story of "my life depends on me, only by challenging fate can I have a chance to win".
This is also the secret of Wang Baoqiang's life like a weed, but extraordinary.
(Ruonan and Yang Yang are pseudonyms in the text.) )
Author | Tao Ting
Edit | Sun Chunfang
Operations | Liu Shan