This summer, the North American film industry suddenly quieted, and one movie after another hit the street at the box office, making everyone feel uncertain.
But at this time, the Chinese audience seemed to have brought a rescuer.
Their enthusiasm for movies and ticket-buying actions not only stabilized the situation, but also lit a spark of hope for the entire industry.
Usually, when spring tails and summer heads, the North American film industry should also be lively.
The May sun brings not only the warm breeze, but also the opening words of the summer film season, when the cinema is supposed to be star-studded.
Dreams and passions are staged every night.
At this time in previous years, as soon as the new film was released, it was like a flower blooming, attracting the attention of a large number of people.
However, at the beginning of May this year, when "Stunt Maniac" was unveiled, its performance was not as hot as expected.
After two weeks of global release, the box office barely exceeded 100 million.
And the $130 million cost behind it is like a silent telling of the big gap between the market and expectations.
To recoup its cost, the film has to shine on the global stage, and at least make a global box office of $400 million.
Judging from the present, the box office road of "Stunt Maniac" is quite bumpy, and industry insiders are not too optimistic about its future.
Speaking of which, the fate of the movie is like an exciting stunt show, hanging! Whether it can turn around in the market or not, the reaction of the Chinese market is the key.
On May 17, the long-awaited film will premiere in China, and the publicity offensive is fierce, full of respect for Jackie Chan.
The soul of the movie seems to be woven with Jackie Chan's starlight, and the leading actors in it all expressed their admiration and fanaticism for Jackie Chan.
They all seem to have dreams in their eyes to become the next legend.
Therefore, the fate of "Stunt Maniac" is closely linked to the emotions of the Chinese audience, and their applause and boos will also determine whether the film is brilliant or regretful.
Let's talk about another star, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4".
This North American summer blockbuster, in China, a place full of potential, failed to show its brilliance and suffered an unexpected fiasco.
Obviously, in this season's film market, North America is in dire need of a new vitality.
The film, which was ignored by China, grossed 933 million in three days in North America
You must know that the blockbuster "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" is a work that will be released simultaneously around the world! This is definitely a big move for the big players in the Chinese and American film industry to cooperate.
Originally, this movie was going to explode in the two major film markets at the same time, but it attracted the attention and heated discussions of many people.
Everyone was very excited and looking forward to seeing this visual feast with their own eyes.
However, although everyone can't expect it, I can remember that its predecessor "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 3" was applauded and acclaimed, and it still looked a little overwhelmed.
As a result, word-of-mouth is just a little bit sporadic like that.
Fortunately, our Chinese market is strong, and the box office of 740 million directly makes this movie shine, and the global box office has soared to 248 million US dollars.
It can be said that it is jumping on the profit and loss line, and finally falls on the side that makes a lot of money.
Speaking of which, since the second film in this series became popular all over the world, the Chinese market is like a dragon waking up.
It has become the most indispensable overseas box office in the series.
After seven years of waiting, the series finally brings a new visual feast.
It's like a freshly blooming flower, waiting for the sun to moisturize.
And in this star-studded attention, the applause and encouragement of the Chinese audience are like its secret weapon to shine.
May 10 should be a great time for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" to premiere in the Chinese market.
However, unexpectedly, the market's reaction was lukewarm.
In the movie theater, there were only a few people sitting in the hall that should have been full, and the awkward atmosphere was indescribable.
The ambition of the ape heroes on the screen is in stark contrast to the coldness in reality.
In the first weekend, the movie only received a small result of 81.644 million yuan, and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 3" dropped 403 million yuan in the first weekend, which is a gap that cannot be compared at all.
Although the flowers in May are withering, the excitement of May Day is gradually disappearing.
However, this movie can still shine in theaters, accounting for more than a quarter of the film schedule, which is obviously a strong support from Chinese cinema chains.
Unfortunately, the seats in the theater were empty, and the empty seats seemed to be silently saying that they did not witness enough audiences to meet this artistic feast, so the box office figures did not dance the kind of gorgeous dance we expected.
From the current point of view, whether this film can reach the box office of 200 million is really a mystery now, and we have to wait for time to slowly reveal.
However, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" is really popular in North America, not only throwing the expectations of connoisseurs a few streets, but even the audience was stunned.
The high-IQ apes in the movie and their heroic struggle seem to have poked North America in the heart.
Word of mouth spread.
The cinema was crowded with people who wanted to see these ape heroes with full personalities.
The start was a wave of fierce operations, earning $56.5 million in the first weekend, which was not only eye-catching, but also left its predecessor behind.
It can be seen how much everyone is looking forward to this new drama and how fanatical they are.
Globally, the film is also glamorous, setting a box office record of $129 million in its first weekend, which is equivalent to 933 million yuan.
Easily won the top spot at the global weekend box office, which can be called the brightest star in the night sky, and everything else has to stand aside.
But although the producers are full of expectations for the response to the Chinese market, the evaluation of the new film by Chinese audiences is surprising and low.
They think that the plot and technology are not good enough, and they don't meet their expectations at all.
And in North America, although this work did not win everyone's praise, there is still a group of die-hard fans, and their support is like a rare treasure, forever shining.
However, whether in China or in the United States, the audience's bad reviews are the same, saying that the movie is a superfluous sequel, and the plot is a mess, making people wonder if the screenwriter is playing the kind of jigsaw puzzle game without instructions.
This general dissatisfaction is not only a problem with this movie, but also a common disease of Hollywood science fiction films this year.
Of course, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" is not just a movie, it is a visual feast and a money-burning adventure.
$180 million was smashed in, and every penny was spent on every little detail from the script to the special effects, and the publicity costs were not counted.
Therefore, to recoup the cost, the box office target must be set at a frightening $540 million.
Since the enthusiasm of the Chinese market has not been ignited, the peak of the global box office of 300 million US dollars is still unknown.
But even if it converges into a sea of $300 million, the numbers behind the scenes tell a heavy story mercilessly.
The gap of 60 million US dollars is equivalent to the dream distance of 400 million.
And all this seems to be quietly unfolding into a sad song for the hot summer of Hollywood in 2024, heralding an impending box office tragedy.
The reason behind Chinese audiences saying no to Hollywood blockbusters
Looking back at the "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" series, it is really rare, and it has set off a craze around the world, especially in the Chinese market.
It's a mess!
Obviously, this is not only a demonstration of the strength of the Hollywood film industry, but also a deep reflection triggered by the intelligent ape characters that are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
These characters make the audience rethink the relationship between nature and technology, humans and animals, and also give people a new understanding of the place of Hollywood films in the Chinese and global cultural market.
However, it is not easy for domestic films to achieve brilliant results on the box office battlefield.
They need to rely on large-scale, well-planned productions.
But such a production requires not only breathtaking special effects, but also well-designed sets and costumes to attract audiences.
Of course, the star effect is also essential.
Popular stars, with their unique charm and huge fan base, can often become an accelerator for the success of the film.
Under such a two-pronged approach, a domestic film can stand out among many competitors, win the hearts of the audience, and finally hang high on the box office list.
However, in the light and shadow of Hollywood, screen spectacles like "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", even if they fail to dominate the popularity or star-studded cast, have set off an irresistible craze in the distant Chinese market with their visual wonder.
The enthusiasm of the Chinese audience is not only a kind of spiritual support, but their practical actions have also contributed greatly to the global profitability of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 3".
And the success of the film is not only reflected in the numbers, but also in the fact that it inspires infinite anticipation for the future of the series.
So, in this context, the production of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" was announced, carrying the hopes of the audience and the dreams of the film production team.
Speaking of which, in recent years, those Hollywood blockbuster series have not been as popular in China as they used to be.
I remember the previous series of awesome movies, such as the heroes of Marvel and the robot fights in the Transformers.
and the drag racing "Fast and Furious", who didn't chase like crazy before.
What now? I feel that Chinese audiences are generally not as interested in these series of blockbusters as before, which may be the reason why our domestic films are gradually gaining strength.
Nowadays, our local filmmakers are working hard.
Innovation and doing things, whether it is writing scripts, doing special effects, directing level or actors' acting skills, are constantly improving, and their ability is greater.
Just like the "Wandering Earth", it not only illuminates outer space, but also illuminates our dreams of science fiction.
As a result, Hollywood movies seem less mysterious to us.
The preferences of Chinese audiences are also changing, and the traditional heroic stories that used to hold an unbreakable place in their hearts are no longer the same.
We prefer to watch domestic action movies and war movies that are down-to-earth and can touch the heart.
These films are not only exciting in terms of fighting, but also have gripping plots, and they are no longer just Hollywood movies with only special effects and no plot.
Instead, it can make people cry and laugh along with the characters.
It can be seen that the current film market is rich and colorful, and those Hollywood movies that only rely on scene effects and do not look at the development of plots and characters are not as attractive as before.
What the audience wants is a story that touches people's hearts, not just the shock in front of them.
Therefore, Hollywood producers should also think carefully about how to find that balance and make a good movie that can both explode the vision and move people's hearts, so as to win the hearts of fans around the world again.