After a tense night of counting, the mainland's first-day box office earnings for "[Immortal]" were delivered to Shanghai Tangren the next morning. Aside from Jiang Cheng, who had somewhat prepared himself mentally, Cai Yinong was stunned for a long time, examining the data sheet over and over again before believing she wasn't seeing things.
Her disbelief was understandable, as the report showed a national first-day box office of 8.42 million RMB!
Although this figure might seem small compared to the hundreds of millions typically seen with Hollywood blockbusters, it's important to note that this was just the first day's earnings. Moreover, due to Shanghai Tangren's limited resources, only 1,053 cinemas nationwide screened [Immortal]—just one-twentieth of China's over 20,000 cinemas! As other cinemas notice these impressive figures, they'll surely want to show the film, marking the unstoppable rise of "[Immortal]."
A first-day gross of 8.42 million RMB, based on a ticket price of 20 RMB, means that around 420,000 people nationwide saw "[Immortal]" on the first day—a staggering figure indicating highly effective initial promotions.
Moreover, this was just the mainland box office. Shanghai Tangren, having business ties in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and other regions over the years, also released "[Immortal]" simultaneously in these areas. Though the number of cinemas was smaller, a substantial box office was expected. However, due to regional differences, these figures would be reported later in the afternoon.
Following a standard practice in China, film distributors take 20% of box office earnings, with the remaining split between the cinemas and the production company. So, just from the first day's box office, Apex Studios would receive over 3.3 million RMB! Even if not a single additional ticket was sold, "[Immortal]" would already be a historic entry in cinema, boasting a return on investment of 3300%. This figure, if announced, would embarrass many directors and producers proud of just breaking even.
But of course, this is unlikely. Given the current critical response, the film undoubtedly has the potential to be a big seller.
That afternoon, the first-day box office figures from Hong Kong and other regions came in, again surprising everyone.
Hong Kong: 1.2 million HKD; Taiwan: 5.1 million TWD; Singapore: 220,000 USD; Malaysia: 350,000 USD!
Converted to RMB, these earnings also exceeded 7 million! And with the film receiving positive reviews in these regions, the subsequent box office trend is expected to be very strong!
In just one day, "[Immortal]," a sci-fi film costing only 200,000 RMB, grossed over 15 million RMB from its premiere in just the mainland and four other regions!
This was just the premiere day's earnings, achieved under low expectations!
According to box office analysts hired by Tangren, the film could gross at least 50 million RMB in China alone given the current trend. Adding the projected substantial earnings from Hong Kong and other regions, the final global box office for "[Immortal]" could reach at least 85 million RMB, and perhaps even break 100 million if exaggerated!
A box office breaking 100 million!
This was early 2002, just before "[Hero]" was released, and the era of blockbuster films hadn't yet begun. How many domestic films then could boast a global box office breaking 100 million?
Even if the mainland box office only reached over 50 million, this low-budget film would be a phenomenal success. According to these figures, "[Immortal]" would rank twelfth in the history of China's mainland box office, trailing only two domestic films!
Up to early 2002, the two leading films were "[Shaolin Temple]" (1982) with 140 million and "[Choice of Life and Death]" (2000) with 116.5 million. (Of course, "Shaolin Soccer" would be the fourth, but it's a pity it wasn't released in the mainland.)
In terms of investment return ratio, only the legendary "[Shaolin Temple]," which created a box office myth with every penny, could surpass "[Immortal]." Jiang Cheng estimated that even in the next ten or twenty years, no film could match it.
Jiang Cheng never imagined comparing to such a phenomenon, but "[Immortal]" could likely become the second most extraordinary film in Chinese cinema history, unable to be replicated.
Although it's only the second most extraordinary, Jiang Cheng was very satisfied. Being second was enough to leave others far behind and was a source of pride.
Of course, the primary reason for such impressive figures was the film's incredibly low cost. Even the low-budget "[Crazy Stone]" cost over twenty times more than "[Immortal]," not counting marketing expenses. Otherwise, it would be a hundred times more.
While box office data is usually confidential, especially just after the first day, making a fortune quietly was the norm. However, the omnipotent media, through various clues, estimated the figure at around 8 million RMB.
Compared to the announced production cost of 100,000 RMB, this achievement astounded many.
A film with less than 500,000 RMB total investment managed to earn 8000% of its box office revenue! Even after sharing with cinemas and distributors, it remained a mythological figure.
The industry was abuzz.
Art films are typically acclaimed but not box-office hits. "[Immortal]," though labeled as sci-fi, was essentially an art film in disguise. Art films usually break even only with famous actors, directors, screenwriters, and decent investment. Otherwise, they tend to lose money.
But "[Immortal]" had none of these and wasn't expected to draw audiences to cinemas. Yet, it achieved over 8 million RMB on its premiere, especially given the low investment.
Film professionals were silent. As Zhang Yimou spent hundreds of millions on "[Hero]," the industry believed future box office success would require following the commercial Hollywood model. Just as they decided to emulate this, someone domestically created a successful film with such low costs.
A few years later, "[Immortal]"'s box office might seem insignificant. However, in an era not yet dominated by blockbusters with billion-RMB revenues, "[Immortal]"'s earnings were dazzling.
And this was just from over a thousand cinemas. If all national cinemas joined, the final box office would be unimaginable!
As expected, once "[Immortal]" showed success, cinemas that initially refused to screen it couldn't stay away. No one wanted to miss out on profits. Their initial refusal was due to a lack of confidence in "[Immortal]," but seeing its success, they all wanted a share.
Finally, on the third day of release, "[Immortal]" achieved nationwide screening. Though a bit late, it wasn't a big deal.
Amidst controversy, "[Immortal]"'s box office remained strong. In the first three days, it grossed over 18 million RMB, and the first-week total surpassed 30 million!
That week, Hong Kong and other regions also reported impressive figures, adding over 25 million RMB. Together, "[Immortal]" had a global box office of over 55 million RMB.
By then, both Cai Yinong and Jiang Cheng were somewhat numb. A film with just a 200,000 RMB total investment multiplied its earnings by over 250 times! Though not a pleasant-sounding figure, it was thrilling.
Jiang Cheng finally understood why so many people loved investing in movies. Even if the return wasn't as high, doubling the investment was highly lucrative.
Cai Yinong was even more determined: never to fall out with Jiang Cheng and to maintain a good relationship. This young man was destined for greatness. Following him, Shanghai Tangren could prosper immensely!
Just from the film's distribution rights, Shanghai Tangren had earned at least ten million RMB, having invested only 100,000 RMB in promotions—a total windfall!
With "[Immortal]" starting strong and the box office turning red, the second week added 19 million RMB, with the first month's total breaking 70 million RMB.
After the first round of screenings, the second wave's box office began to wane, earning just 6 million RMB in the fifth week.
By March, when "[Immortal]" was finally withdrawn from cinemas, it had achieved an extraordinary 92 million RMB in the mainland alone!
Though it narrowly missed the 100 million-RMB box office club, at that time, a 100 million was the hallmark of elite films. Those that entered this club were truly exceptional.
In Hong Kong, "[Immortal]" screened for nearly two months, just breaking the 30 million HKD mark, overcoming the "30 million curse" but stopping there. In Taiwan, where art films are more appreciated, it reached 87 million TWD! In Singapore and Malaysia, the box office also exceeded a million USD, with Singapore at 2.38 million USD and Malaysia at 4.57 million USD.
Together, the total global box office for "[Immortal]" was 203.8 million RMB, equivalent to $25 million USD!
Achieving such results was beyond everyone's expectations, causing a sensation domestically!
A 17-year-old's directorial debut, a sci-fi film with just a 200,000 RMB investment, seen as merely a university student's project by outsiders, ultimately grossed over $25 million USD, surpassing many Hollywood directors' debuts!
This made the domestic film industry reconsider whether following Hollywood's model was the only way to make money!