Author: Weinika
Editor|Li Chunhui
The 77th Cannes Film Festival, which has just opened, has received the long-lost warm attention of the melon-eating masses. The Cannes red carpet seems to be lively back to the season when Fan Bingbing's dragon robe was glamorous and all the Internet celebrities were out of treasures.
The issue of "treatment" is still the focus of public opinion. Whenever this happens, each of us can incarnate as a Shandong person, and strictly control the details of qualifications, status and etiquette. For example, we have so many big stars in domestic entertainment and they are also going with works, but there are so few close-ups.
In fact, there is no close-up of domestic entertainment stars going to Cannes, it is not a new thing, and this is how it used to be. The reason why these topics can quarrel is probably that people with good intentions grasp the topics and make good use of them.
On the whole, Cannes' treatment of China this time can be said to be the best in history. When the film list was announced in April, five Chinese films were shortlisted, the largest number in history, and the state media took the lead in reporting the event for the first time. Because of these five movies, the scale of domestic entertainment stars going to Cannes to walk the red carpet and participate in activities this year has also reached the largest in history.
The most concerned by the fan circle is naturally Jia Zhangke's director "The Merry Generation", and the starring role is still his "eternal muse" Zhao Tao. The most popular among the people who eat melons is the crew of "Sauce Garden Lane" directed by Chen Kexin, with Zhang Ziyi, Wang Chuanjun, Yi Yang Qianxi, Zhao Liying, Lei Jiayin, Yang Mi, Dapeng, Li Xian, Fan Wei, This Sha, Zhang Zifeng and other luxury lineups.
In addition, Guan Hu's "Dog Formation" has Peng Yuyan, Tong Liya, who have not appeared for a long time, and Zhang Yi, the "uncle circle traffic". The most mysterious director Lou Ye's work "An Unfinished Movie", the latest announced cast includes Qin Hao, Qi Xi, Huang Xuan, Zhang Songwen, etc., and some netizens are already looking forward to the combination of the two top-notch of "Hurricane".
The French brand also invited its Chinese spokesperson to Cannes this year. At present, there are L'Oréal Paris's "endorsement team" Gong Li, Tang Yan, Zhong Chuxi, Gong Jun, etc., as well as Qeelin's spokesperson Zhang Yixing.
It is easy to make a speculation: the Cannes Film Festival has given such a high share of participation to domestic entertainment, which is not unrelated to the special node of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Not long ago, the Paris Olympics announced that Zhao Lusi would serve as the torchbearer. Another "Sino-French encounter" in the long history seems to show a new possibility to domestic entertainment: whose opportunity will it be to participate in French activities and gain fame and fortune easily?
Who benefits the most from the film industry?
The Hollywood Reporter wrote an article on "The Grand Return of Chinese Films to the Cannes Film Festival in 2024", which shows the attention paid to Chinese films at home and abroad. There is no doubt that this year's Cannes Film Festival does have a favorable public opinion environment for Chinese films, and Bao Buqi will give the "Chinese team" an award. Then, the one most likely to win the grand prize must be Zhao Tao.
Since the official announcement of "The Merry Generation" directed by Jia Zhangke was shortlisted for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival, it has stimulated a boom in the fan circle, and Zhao Tao has swept the major fan groups with the emoticon of the actress. It seems that this Cannes actress is already in Zhao Tao's bag, Zhao Tao is about to stand at the top of the domestic entertainment actresses, and "big flowers" such as Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Shu Qi, Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, etc. can only bow down under his skirt.
Playing stalks is playing stalks, objectively speaking, the possibility of Zhao Tao hitting the Cannes actress is indeed very great. In terms of content, the film was shot in the form of a pseudo-documentary, spanning up to 20 years. Started in 2001 and ended in 2022, it records the entire change of Zhao Tao from youth to middle age, and shows the development and changes of the entire Chinese society with the growth history of a woman. Referring to Richard Linklater's 12-year-old "Boyhood", the impact of this kind of "pseudo-documentary" with real texture to the audience is self-evident.
From the aesthetic point of view of the judges' group, it is also good for Zhao Tao. Because this time, in addition to director Jia Zhangke's old friend Hirokazu Kore-eda, there are also five female judges, including the chairman Greta Gerwig, who became the leader of feminist films because of her director "Barbie". Female judges are very likely to stand on the side of Zhao Tao's "women's epic movie".
And in terms of qualifications, Zhao Tao is also qualified. has been shortlisted for Cannes as the "heroine" of Jia Zhangke's film six times, and has been running for more than 20 years, and it is her turn to be crowned.
In addition to Zhao Tao, the actors of "Dog Formation" who were shortlisted for a kind of attention unit also have the probability of benefiting. Although this unit will only select the Best Film, Jury Award, Director Award, Freedom Award, Group Award, New Voice Award, and Fipresci Award, there is no well-known Best Actor Award. But as long as the film wins awards in Cannes, it is enough for the leading actors to be promoted in domestic entertainment. Especially Peng Yuyan, who has almost "disappeared" in domestic entertainment, is expected to return to the public eye after this battle.
Among the films screened in the non-competition unit, only Lou Ye's film "An Unfinished Movie" is more artistic, and the other films are more commercial, and the main purpose of coming to Cannes is naturally to promote. In the past, the Cannes Film Festival rarely screened Chinese films, but this year three films were screened at once. You can understand the competition for Chinese films, but you can't ignore the fact that there is an element of Sino-French relations that will help.
Judging from the case of "The Siege of the Kowloon Walled City", being shortlisted for the Cannes screening is still very useful for the word-of-mouth communication of the film. The follow-up release of "Sauce Garden Lane" must also be able to achieve a good "gilding" through this Cannes screening.
In addition to the gilding of the festival, the film industry may also benefit from French batches and co-productions. Since last year, the number of French films imported from China has soared, reaching 8. But because the overall box office appeal of French films is not high, this business may not attract many film owners. Last year's highest-grossing French film was Luc Besson's "The Dog God", which collected only 17.49 million.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chinese buyers in Cannes are no longer keen to buy the import rights of foreign films, but tend to buy the adaptation rights of foreign films. is mainly because the overall box office of foreign films in China has declined, and at the same time, the adaptations of foreign films represented by "Hot and Hot" have frequently exploded.
However, according to Hard Candy, French films are not completely without box office potential. At present, the awareness of French films in the Chinese market is relatively low, so publicity and distribution are particularly important. Road Paintings once turned a Lebanese film "What is Home", which was shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival, into a box office dark horse of 370 million, and only those who have courage and wisdom can eat the dividends of French films.
Overseas data helps domestic entertainment stars eat "French rice"?
Compared with the trend of the film industry, the news of Zhao Lusi's appointment as the torchbearer of the Paris Olympics was controversial as soon as it was released. The main reason is that the masses don't understand what the selection criteria behind this are, and at the same time, they can't think of what Zhao Lusi's connection with the Olympics and the sports circle is.
Zhao Lusi mentioned on the official website of the Paris Olympics that she has been deeply involved in the field of sports and public welfare, not only participating in amateur sports competitions, but also committed to the cultural and educational development of children and adolescents in poor areas for a long time.
In the context of Sino-French relations in the new era, it is logical to choose two Chinese torchbearers for the Paris Olympics. Behind the selection of Kang Hui and Zhao Lusi, there is obviously a meaning to represent the country. Kang Hui is a well-known host of CCTV and is obviously a representative of the system. And Zhao Lusi, who is outside the system, was selected because of her cultural output achievements.
Hard Candy Jun has previously discussed the data of Chinese dramas in Southeast Asia in 2023, and has competed with Korean dramas. The main reason is that the output of Korean idol dramas has decreased, while domestic idol dramas have gradually gained market share in Southeast Asia with stable output. Last year, Chinese idol dramas achieved rapid progress in overseas data, and one of the major contributors behind it was Zhao Lusi, who starred in "Secretly Can't Hide" The overseas data is even comparable to the Korean drama "Dark Glory".
Zhao Lusi's data on overseas social platforms has also soared, with Instagram fans rising by 3 million a year, and Tik Tok's personal topic views exceeding 11 billion, comparable to the idol data of the fifth generation group in South Korea. Many famous aristocrats in the Southeast Asian entertainment industry, such as Cambodian princesses, Malaysian princesses, and Indonesian royal families, have expressed their love for Zhao Lusi. Not long ago, Wang Bingbing also sent Zhao Lusi's signature to the Cambodian princess in CCTV's new variety show.
It can be seen that Zhao Lusi has been officially recognized as a "business card" of international social networking. Zhao Lusi's role as the torchbearer of the Paris Olympics also shows from the side that important events and activities in France are releasing the participation share of Chinese stars.
In terms of the overseas influence of pop culture, in addition to the idol drama school represented by Zhao Lusi, there are two major schools in China, one is the Dangai faction, such as "Chen Qingling" starring Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. The other is the Chinese idols who have gone to South Korea to work, represented by Wang Jiaer. Representatives of both genres have been transforming in recent years, but there may also be opportunities to brush their faces at important French events and enjoy certain international dividends.
Linkage with legal entertainment, a new way out for variety shows?
The super high degree of discussion of "Singer 2024" allows people to see the enduring magic of Hunan Satellite TV again. After 5 years of silence, it was restarted, and it even became a big hit variety show. Mango is worthy of being at the helm of the variety show field, in addition to having strong innovation, he also has a strong sense of wind direction and policy sensitivity.
Since the beginning of this year, Mango TV's various variety shows have been fully linked to the French entertainment industry. "Riding the Wind and Waves 2024" invited the French "sister" Joyce Jonathan for the first time. In addition to her ex-boyfriend, who is the French prime minister, her parents are engaged in Sino-French exchanges, her father is an architect who graduated from Tsinghua University, and her mother founded the "China House" tourism company in France.
The investment copywriting of the eighth season of "Chinese Restaurant", which was exposed on the Internet some time ago, also revealed that the show will be recorded in France next month, and the guests to be invited are Huang Xiaoming, Wang Junkai, Yang Zi, Wu Lei, Zhao Lusi, etc.
If this trend continues, the linkage between domestic entertainment and legal entertainment may become a new trend in variety shows. Domestic entertainment stars who can go abroad and export culture will become sought-after goods. At the same time, French stars may also become catfish that stir up domestic entertainment, and they can collectively go to domestic entertainment to work and start a second spring in their careers.
For example, Sophie Marceau, a well-known French female star in China, just went to the Elysee Palace in Paris to attend a Sino-French dinner a few days ago, and Chinese stars Gong Li and Lang Lang were also present.
It's a pity that most of the French screen goddesses have entered their twilight years, such as Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani, etc., and it is difficult for their bodies to be like the "goddess of literary films" Isabelle Huppert, a model worker, who can afford to travel across the ocean for filming. Among the active actresses, the more famous "Bond Girl" Léa Seydoux may be the most promising to engage in co-production, and her "Dune 2" has just been released in China.
In terms of Sino-French co-production, at present, it is still mainly officially cooperated with documentaries, and private co-production has no wind direction for the time being. Seven years ago, the popular Kidmei Pictures was a good friend of the French film industry, and co-produced the sci-fi blockbuster "Star Agent: City of a Thousand Planets" with Luc Besson. But the most successful Sino-French co-production case is "Wolf Totem" in 2015, which received a box office of 700 million, directed by French director Jean-Jacques Arnaud, starring Feng Shaofeng and Dou Xiao. In the follow-up, director Jean-Jacques Arnaud only produced a series "God of War" and withdrew from domestic entertainment.
In any case, it is not difficult to see from "Singer" that domestic entertainment really needs imported catfish to stir it up. Hard Candy Jun expects that catfish from France can stir up domestic entertainment and bring a certain freshness to the market.