With the end of 2023, the entertainment industry has also ushered in many New Year's Eve movies. Among them, the dismal performance of the high-profile "If You Are the Truth, Do Not Disturb 3" after its release has undoubtedly become one of the biggest topics at the end of the year. This work directed by film industry bigwig Feng Xiaogang once set a brilliant box office record in the first two films, but the third part unexpectedly overturned, which makes people think deeply about the reasons behind it.
Looking back at the history of the "Do Not Disturb" series, it is not difficult for us to find its former glory. In 2008, "Do Not Disturb 1" became popular all over the country as soon as it was released, winning the box office championship that year with a box office score of 260 million, and breaking the box office record of Chinese films in Chinese mainland. Two years later, "If You Are the Truth, Do Not Disturb 2" swept the theaters again, and firmly topped the box office list of romance films that year with a box office of 471 million. The success of these two works not only established Feng Xiaogang's status in the film industry, but also made the audience full of expectations for the IP of "If You Are Honest, Do Not Disturb".
However, after more than ten years, the belated arrival of "Do Not Disturb 3" did not bring the expected surprises. Only 4 days after its release, the box office suffered a waterloo, and only won more than 50 million results. Compared with the first two films, this achievement is simply unimpressive. What's worse is that with the collapse of word-of-mouth, the box office prospects of "If You Are the Truth, Do Not Disturb 3" are getting bleaker and bleaker. Maoyan predicts that its final box office may not exceed 100 million, which also means that this once invincible IP has become yesterday's yellow flower.
So, why did "Do Not Disturb 3" suffer such a fiasco? First of all, from the perspective of the plot, "Do Not Disturb 3" obviously did not invest enough energy. The whole film unfolds on the basis of a retrospective of its predecessor, but it fails to bring fresh and innovative elements. The audience can't help but feel bored and disappointed in the process of watching the movie, which also directly leads to the collapse of word-of-mouth.
Secondly, the excessive placement of advertisements is also one of the important factors affecting the viewing experience. The number and quality of the advertisements in "If You Are Honest Do Not Disturb 3" have seriously interfered with the audience's viewing process. Many viewers said that watching the film felt as if they were in a sea of advertisements, which is undoubtedly a blasphemy against the art of cinema. The excessive placement of advertisements not only damaged the look and feel of the film, but also made the audience question Feng Xiaogang's directing ability.
Moreover, "If You Are the Truth, Do Not Disturb 3" also has serious mistakes in its marketing strategy. Although powerful actors Ge You and Shu Qi were invited to join, as well as traffic artists Yu Shuxin , Guan Xiaotong and others, the movie failed to give full play to their advantages to enhance popularity and attractiveness. On the contrary, some inappropriate marketing methods, such as excessive hype of Yu Shuxin's scenes, have aroused the audience's disgust and resistance. This short-sighted and irresponsible marketing strategy is undoubtedly another heavy blow to its reputation.
To sum up, there are many reasons for the failure of "If You Are Honest Do Not Disturb 3" at the box office and word-of-mouth, including the lack of innovation in the plot, excessive advertising placement, and mistakes in marketing strategies. The combination of these factors has led to the eclipsing of this once-glorious IP. The failure of "Do Not Disturb 3" has sounded the alarm for the Chinese film industry, reminding us that we cannot ignore the artistic quality and audience experience while pursuing commercial interests, and only by truly achieving the perfect combination of content and form can we win the recognition of the audience and the favor of the market. I hope that future Chinese films can learn from their lessons, continue to make progress, and bring more high-quality works to the audience.