Although Jiang Cheng was somewhat prepared for the box office success of "[Immortal]," he was still completely taken aback.
Despite his confidence in "[Immortal]," and knowing that the original "[The Man from Earth]" created a global box office miracle of $350 million, he believed "[Immortal]" would be no less successful. However, it's important to note that "[Immortal]" is a domestic film, which many people, consciously or subconsciously, regard as inferior to Hollywood blockbusters, a perception formed over a long time. Moreover, it was early 2002, when people's spending levels weren't as high as in later years, and the habit of going to the cinema for movies hadn't fully formed; many preferred waiting to rent CDs or DVDs to watch at home after the movie's release. All these factors could impact the box office of "[Immortal]."
Most importantly, the original "[The Man from Earth]" was released globally, in at least 50 countries, whereas the so-called "global release" of "[Immortal]" was limited to five regions.
Thus, Jiang Cheng's initial expectations for the film's box office were much lower than what it achieved, perhaps just 80 or 90 million RMB across five regions. But now? In just one month of screening in five regions, the box office broke 100 million RMB, which was far beyond Jiang Cheng's expectations.
People tend to follow trends. When they see others discussing a hot topic, they can't help but join in and later seek to understand it. Recently, "[Immortal]" was the hottest topic nationwide, discussed on TV, in newspapers, and by people around. Those initially uninterested or unaware of Jiang Cheng or the movie learned about it and heard it was an excellent "sci-fi film" directed by a 17-year-old. Curiosity piqued, they went to the cinemas to see if it was as good as claimed, then shared their thoughts with more people...
Thus, the news spread, and as more people watched the film, its box office continued to rise.
Who would be unhappy with such high earnings? But this success also disrupted Jiang Cheng's plans.
Initially, Jiang Cheng planned to accept many interviews post-release to promote the film and build good relations with the media. However, that became unnecessary; if he were an already famous director, it would be fine, but as a newcomer with less than six months in the industry and a history of controversy, he felt some media praise was a bit like "killing with kindness." Excessive exposure could lead to unwanted attention, not beneficial for his future development.
Moreover, as a newcomer with such success, how would established industry veterans view him, especially if he continued to be so conspicuous? If a powerful figure took offense and tripped him up later, he'd have nowhere to cry!
So, it was better to take the profits and stay quiet; silent wealth accumulation was the best approach.
As the saying goes, moderation is key.
Therefore, Jiang Cheng only accepted interviews from a few major newspapers and TV stations in the first two weeks after the release of "[Immortal]," naturally starting with his own "Southern Weekly," with others selected by Cai Yinong and Zheng Hai. After a busy two weeks, he retreated behind the scenes, ignoring these matters. The media, surprised, found that the young director who created a "box office miracle" had vanished again in the third week, prompting some to criticize him for arrogance after just a bit of success.
However, to the discerning, Jiang Cheng's reputation improved. This young man remained sensible amidst sudden success, focusing on what mattered. They wondered, did he come to this realization himself or was he advised? If advised, it showed he was open to guidance, promising a bright future. If he realized this himself, it meant he was clear-headed from start to end, marking him as a significant future figure, capable of great achievements!
For many veterans, what matters isn't your current strength or potential, but your mindset. Innate talent can be compensated for with effort, and knowledge gaps can be filled with learning. But unyielding perseverance and a calm disposition are rare and hard to cultivate quickly, making them the most valuable traits. For instance, Hong Kong's "Comedy King" Stephen Chow, who started as an extra and was deemed untalented by many, never gave up and, through constant effort and resilience, succeeded, creating a new comedy genre and becoming a comedy master. His mindset is worth emulating.
As for the media voices... they're the least of concerns!
They thrive on news, and regardless of past relations, if you have something worth reporting, they'll swarm like flies to blood. Conversely, once you lack what interests them, they'll quickly discard you and ignore you.
In the end, only one's strength truly matters.
And what was Jiang Cheng busy with? Naturally, preparations for "High School Musical."
"[Immortal]" was in the past, and it's essential to look forward. The preparatory work for "High School Musical" was nearly complete. For the film's music, Zheng Hai contacted Mai Zhenhong, who had scored for Tangren's productions like "[Handsome Siblings]" and "[Legendary Fighter: Yang's Heroine]." Having worked with Tangren for years and known for his diverse and prolific style, Mai felt honored to score for "High School Musical."
For choreography, Jiang Cheng had Zheng Hai bring in Mr. Chen Shizheng, the director of the original "Chinese High School Musical." Despite many criticisms of that film, some dance sequences were undeniably good. Chen, with a background in dance and expertise in classical and modern dance from both the East and West, had been directing and acting in plays and longed for a chance in film. Although it was just for choreography, he wouldn't refuse this opportunity.
Fame indeed has its uses. If it were a few weeks earlier, Jiang Cheng, as a newcomer, couldn't have attracted talents like Mai Zhenhong and Chen Shizheng. But now, as the director of the successful "[Immortal]," he had the clout to draw many capable individuals to work for him.
Over these weeks, Jiang Cheng also completed the storyboard for "High School Musical" and planned to shoot a few scenes before the year's end.
But first, there were other matters to attend to.
Two weeks after "[Immortal]" premiered, close to the Chinese New Year when everyone was busy with preparations, Jiang Cheng, along with Cai Yinong and Zheng Hai, organized a celebration banquet within Tangren, inviting staff from both companies and several actors to celebrate together. Jiang Cheng and Cai Yinong each contributed 1.5 million RMB for red envelopes for the actors and crew members. Although actors like Huang Lei and Li Ruotong only made cameo appearances without intending to profit, it wouldn't be right not to reward everyone now that the film had earned so much. Otherwise, they might be labeled as ungracious in the future.
And compared to what Jiang Cheng and Cai Yinong earned, these expenses were nothing!
Huang Lei, Li Ruotong, Sun Li, and others were very satisfied. They had taken a day to act in a relaxing movie and received unexpected bonuses in the hundreds of thousands. Though not a huge amount, it was more than welcomed. No one expected such success from this seemingly insignificant film.
"[Immortal]" was destined to be recorded in cinema history, and their participation would be noted in the development of film, a motivation even more exciting than the bonuses!
Initially fond of Jiang Cheng, their admiration only grew. Aside from the honor given to them, the bonuses were quite generous. Jiang Cheng was a person of note, gracious and generous!
For Hu Ge and the others, it was an absolute surprise. Except for Han Xue, the others weren't from wealthy backgrounds, and even Han Xue had never seen so much money, especially money she earned herself! The feeling was incomparable.
Up until now, they still felt somewhat unreal. A film that took just a day to shoot and seemed somewhat trivial had achieved such success! Receiving so much money, they felt like they were dreaming.
This made them decide: if they receive another film invitation from Jiang Cheng, regardless of the role, they must accept. His future achievements were beyond their comparison, and following him promised a "bright future."
Especially for the upcoming "High School Musical," there was no reason to refuse. They were determined, no matter how busy or tired, not to miss out on this film, lest they regret it for life.
Of course, Jiang Cheng was unaware of their thoughts. After the celebration banquet and a few days of preparation, "High School Musical" was announced to begin shooting.
The second film, begins!