In early August 1980, Xu Guanwen and Zou Wenhuai finally returned to Hong Kong. Since July, they have carried out the promotion of "Modern Bodyguard" in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

In the Taiwan market, it has been almost 20 days since its release, and the box office has also reached NT$53 million, setting a historical record at the box office in Taiwan.

In the market, it was released for 2 weeks, with a cumulative box office of 1.47 billion yuan, and among Chinese films, only Bruce Lee has achieved a box office of 1 billion yuan in this book.

It can be said that "Modern Bodyguard" is the first time that Xu Guanwen has surpassed Bruce Lee in the box office market. And it was a clean two-week box office, which not only surpassed the 1.4 billion box office of Bruce Lee's movie "Raptors Across the River" released in 1974.

Historically, the box office of this movie has always topped the list is "Spirited Away", a cartoon with a box office of 30.4 billion yuan. The second place is "Titanic" with a box office of 26.2 billion yuan, and the highest record of the Chinese film "Shaolin Temple" is 6 billion yuan at the box office.

Xu Guanwen's movie has now surpassed Bruce Lee at the box office and has become the champion of Chinese films in the box office market. Before "Shaolin Temple" was not released in the book, the box office champion of "Modern Bodyguard" was unshakable.

After hearing about the box office data, Zhang Shaojie was already numb.

It is no longer interested in the box office in other parts of Southeast Asia.

"1.47 billion yuan, such a big data, converted into US dollars is almost more than 9 million, if converted into Hong Kong dollars, God, almost more than 70 million Hong Kong dollars, or two weeks to record!" Zhang Shaojie has become numb to the astonishment of the box office.

Xu Guanwen said with a smile: "It's really better than I imagined, I estimate that the box office in Yueben can at least exceed 3 billion yuan!" Coupled with the box office of Taiwanese films, Southeast Asia and other places, the overseas box office of "Modern Bodyguard" is estimated to reach 200 million Hong Kong dollars! ”

Zhang Shaojie sighed: "This is the Asian film market, the Asian box office is not the main battlefield of the global film box office, but if Hong Kong films can manage the entire Asian market well, they can at least be compared with one or two Hollywood film giants." ”

Xu Guanwen smiled and said, "Who said it wasn't!" At this time, "Modern Bodyguard" in Hong Kong, in the sixth week of its release, had already begun to be painted.

The total box office in Hong Kong reached 43.275 million Hong Kong dollars, which not only exceeded 10 million Hong Kong dollars to set a record, but also raised the local box office record in Hong Kong to a height of 43.27 million Hong Kong dollars. This record in the 80s was destined to be looked up to, and it cannot be replicated or surpassed in the next ten years!

Because, with a box office of 43.27 million Hong Kong dollars, according to the current movie ticket prices in Hong Kong, 6 million viewers must buy movie tickets to create this miraculous record!

For the time being, Hong Kong's population is only 5 million. In fact, according to market research, the Hong Kong population who have not seen a movie in the past five years has also reached 45%!

It can be said that the achievement of a big-selling movie in Hong Kong to sell 1 million movie tickets is already very amazing, and it will be mythical to be able to sell 6 million movie tickets in a city in Hong Kong!

Zhang Shaojie can assert that if the ticket price of Hong Kong movies does not rise above 30 Hong Kong dollars, the local box office record of 43 million Hong Kong dollars will be unbreakable!

At this time, the box office dividend of "Modern Bodyguard" in Hong Kong is more than 2.16 million, which has reached Zhang Shaojie's account, and in addition to deducting the 15% tax rate, there is also more than 1.83 million Hong Kong dollars, which is considered a windfall.

After the overseas box office settlement is completed, it is expected to be at least 4 times the local box office dividend in Hong Kong.

Of course, for the time being, this is the benefit of Golden Harvest's traditional Asian film market. As for North America and Europe, it may not be possible until next year, or even longer, to be released. The box office dividends released outside Asia will not be seen by Zhang Shaojie this year.

―――――― 1.83 million Hong Kong dollars, Zhang Shaojie was directly stored in the bank's books, eating interest.

Coupled with the previous profit from the sale of Jianing Real Estate, as well as the recent remuneration income, the cash lying in Zhang Shaojie's bank account has begun to reach the scale of 13 million Hong Kong dollars. According to the annual interest rate of 1.5% on demand deposits, the interest on bank deposits for one year will also reach 210,000 Hong Kong dollars.

Such a strong amount of funds, coupled with the monthly income of more than 1 million Hong Kong dollars brought by the publication of "The Legend of Double Dragons of the Tang Dynasty". There is also the dividends that have not yet been calculated at the overseas box office of "Modern Bodyguard", Zhang Shaojie is full of confidence for the filming of the movie "The Legend of Double Dragons of the Tang Dynasty: Origin"!

"Isn't it just burning money? Who's afraid of whom! It seems that in history, Golden Harvest's "Legend of Shu Mountain" invited Industrial Light and Magic to do movie special effects, and the total cost was only an investment of 20 million Hong Kong dollars, and the attached corner of Industrial Light and Magic was also dug up, and Golden Harvest's film special effects studio was established in Hong Kong! ”

Zhang Shaojie calculated in his heart: "Please industrial light and magic, that's a must!" Because, at this time, Global Industrial Light & Magic can be said to be the first special effects studio to serve the outside world, and other Hollywood film companies have also established their own special effects departments, but the special effects departments of those Hollywood film companies only provide special effects services for their own companies' films, not external services. I don't know how much it costs to do the special effects of "Datang"? If there is a budget of 20 million Hong Kong dollars, it should be enough! After all, I didn't expect to achieve the level of "Titanic", as long as it reached the level of "Chinese Heroes", it was enough! ”

Hong Kong movies are actually playing to death for themselves. In the 80s, there were more than 400 films produced in Hong Kong every year. And the combined annual output of large companies such as Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers, and New Arts City is only 100 films.

The vast majority of the rest of the films are low-cost, low-quality farces made by small companies or directors who readpower productions casually pull up some investment.

More than 300 low-quality films are released every year, and in addition to being released in the local film market in Hong Kong, they are also keen to cheat money in overseas markets.

The Taiwanese market, as well as some markets in Southeast Asia, are not picky in this era, and perhaps the junk film industry can make money in overseas markets.

However, with the gradual improvement of the taste of audiences in the Southeast Asian market, it is inevitable to think that Hong Kong movies are more junk movies than high-quality films.

Wait until the reputation of Hong Kong movies has changed from the current "all good-looking" to "mostly garbage" in the eyes of the audience. Hollywood's best blockbusters will suddenly overwhelm Hong Kong's dominance in the Asian box office market.

Zhang Shaojie has no way to let hundreds of small directors in Hong Kong who make ends meet not to shoot low-cost, money-making bad movies.

But Zhang Shaojie can at least influence the operation of Baolong Film Company and make Baolong Film Company a model of "big cost, big production"!

In the future, when Hollywood is all keen on big productions, "Lionsgate" is a niche film with a small budget and small production, and it has fought its way out of the gap between the high-cost blockbusters of many large Hollywood companies.

However, Hong Kong's films are basically small productions, winning by quantity.

If you want to develop in Hong Kong's film market, you must do the opposite and become a company specializing in "high-cost, big-scale production".

Playing this kind of performance art, differentiating yourself from other film companies in Hong Kong, and establishing your own unique reputation and brand is the way to survive!

―――――― this era, there are only Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers who have their own studios.

The set of Shaw Brothers was the private property that Shaw bought in the early 60s, when land prices were low. Nowadays, Shaw Brothers Films and TVB TV have enjoyed the benefits of Shaw's cheap land enclosure.

Golden Harvest Film Company, in accordance with the Hong Kong film-related policies of the year, leased the right to use the studio from the authorities for decades. Golden Harvest never imagined that decades later, because the land lease on the set expired, it would be repossessed.

Baolong Film Company, the costume drama of "The Legend of Double Dragons of the Tang Dynasty", originally the Shaw Brothers' cinema was more suitable for costume movies, but Zhang Shaojie thought about it and rented Golden Harvest's studio to shoot the film.

Because, Zhang Shaojie can speak well on the set of Golden Harvest, at least Zou Wenhuai, He Guanchang and other senior executives of Golden Harvest, and the relationship with him is more tacit, and the movie "The Legend of Double Dragons of the Tang Dynasty: Origin" is verbally agreed to be released in Golden Harvest Cinemas. If Baolong's crew went to the Shaw Brothers studio to shoot for more than half a year, it would undoubtedly make Golden Harvest suspicious.

On the set, Tsui Hark has the style of a general, not only Wu Dairong, Cheng Xiaodong, Zhang Shuping, who have not been mixed up in the film and television industry, are commanded by him, but even the famous Yuan Heping, the well-known Lin Qingxia , Wan Ziliang, none of them dare to play big names with Tsui Hark.

Of course, in addition to Tsui Hark, who does have a little talent, he is in control, has tension and relaxation, and fully considers the emotions of the crew, which can make the crew appear efficient and energetic.

If the director is too high-pressure to rule, then the crew may be obedient, but deliberately slack off, slowing down the progress of the scene, or it is clear that the film can be shot better, but the crew plays tricks and reduces the quality of the film.

If the management is too lax, then maybe the entire crew, hee-hee-ha, can't take the filming of the movie seriously.

Zhang Shaojie watched for a long time, and couldn't help but admire!

A director must not only have talent, but also have the leadership ability to manage hundreds of people!

Just if you are talented, you can't be a good director, you can only work as a martial arts instructor, styling designer, photographer and the like. Just if you have management talent, you can't be a good director, you can only be a manager.

is both talented and manageable, and he is an excellent director! Zhang Shaojie feels that an excellent director is at least equivalent to an excellent regiment commander in the army

(To be continued)