allonlinenovel Chapter 348: Pacific Rim Released
Chapter 348: Pacific Rim Released
Pacific Rim was released worldwide on December 1.
The average screening rate in cinemas nationwide is 43%.
This figure represents a remarkably high starting point for the domestic film market in 2009.
There aren't many new movies in December, with Pacific Rim being the biggest one.
On the opening day of the film's release, Fu Yibai and his team arrived in Shanghai.
The first stop of the roadshow was Shanghai Galaxy Cinema.
The theater was packed with audience members, with the front rows reserved for the media and the back rows filled with ordinary viewers.
Fu Yibai stood in front of the screen, holding a microphone, and said a few simple opening remarks before watching a twenty-minute clip with the audience.
The interactive session was lively.
Some people asked about the inspiration behind the monster design, while others asked about the scientific principles behind controlling the mecha.
In the afternoon, we moved to Suzhou, and in the evening, we arrived in Nanjing. Three cities in one day, visiting two cinemas in each city.
The same process was repeated six times: opening remarks, watching clips, interaction, group photo, and then moving on to the next place.
The audience's enthusiasm grew with each performance.
The situation in cinemas across different regions is largely the same.
Tickets for IMAX theaters in first-tier cities sold out three days in advance, and the occupancy rate of regular theaters was over 80%.
While the popularity in second-tier cities is not as high as in first-tier cities, the occupancy rate during prime evening hours still exceeds 70%.
May 2th, 10:00 AM.
Fu Yibai and his team had just finished a roadshow.
Zhao Qi's message was brief: Pacific Rim's box office on its opening day in mainland China was 56 million.
This figure broke the record for the highest opening day box office in Chinese film history.
The record of 32 million set by Gravity last year was directly raised by 24 million by Pacific Rim.
When the message reached the team group chat, Deng Chao sent three exclamation marks in a row, Fan Binbin sent a smiley face, and Lei Jiayin sent a "Director Fu is awesome" emoji.
The media quickly followed up.
Sina Entertainment's headline reads: "Pacific Rim earns 56 million on its opening day, breaking the record for the highest-grossing opening day in mainland China."
Tencent Entertainment wrote: "Mechs and monsters sweep the screen, Pacific Rim opens at its peak."
Sohu Entertainment used a more straightforward title: "Fu Yibai breaks another record, a new ceiling for domestic films."
On December 3, the global box office figures for the opening day were released.
The amount was US$23 million in North America, which is equivalent to approximately RMB 157 million.
$11 million for Europe, $9 million for Japan and South Korea combined, and $4 million for Southeast Asia and Australia combined.
Other markets added up to about three million US dollars.
The global box office on its opening day was approximately US$50 million, equivalent to about RMB 340 million.
This number silenced the entire team.
It wasn't disappointment, it was shock.
Last year, Gravity grossed $38 million on its opening day worldwide, while Pacific Rim grossed 30% more.
Margaret called from Los Angeles, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.
"Boss, the reviews in North America are amazing. It has an 8.7 rating on IMDb and a 91% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes."
Audience reviews are even better than critics'.
Fu Yibai leaned back on the sofa in his hotel room, listening to the report on the other end of the phone, a slight smile curving his lips.
"Increase publicity."
On December 4th, Fu Yibai continued to lead his team on roadshows.
Qingdao, Jinan, and Zhengzhou – three cities in one day.
The audience's enthusiasm in the theater did not decrease because it was a weekday; on the contrary, it grew higher and higher as word of mouth spread.
On December 7th, the domestic box office figures for the first week were released.
Pacific Rim has grossed 6 million yuan in China in the first six days of its release.
Based on the current box office curve and word-of-mouth trend, the domestic box office will exceed one billion yuan in less than a month.
The final box office is even expected to reach 1.5 billion.
In North America, the box office grossed $119 million in its first five days.
With the support of other markets around the world, the cumulative global box office has exceeded $300 million.
The success of Pacific Rim wasn't just about the soaring box office.
Sales of related products are also catching up with box office revenue at an astonishing rate.
The first batch of 200,000 model kits for the Dangerous Gader sold out within three days of going on sale.
The Crimson Storm model sold 150,000 units, and the Monster model sold 120,000 units.
Sales of merchandise such as T-shirts, posters, and keychains were also impressive, with first-week sales exceeding 60 million RMB.
December 10, Taishan, Guangdong.
Fu Yibai handed over the task of the roadshow to Fan Binbin and Deng Chao, and flew to Guangzhou with Guo Zhenni, and then transferred to Taishan.
The filming location for "Let the Bullets Fly" is an old town in Taishan, where a large number of arcade buildings from the Republican era are preserved, with gray and white walls covered with traces of time.
Fu Yibai arrived at 10:00 AM.
The filming location has been cordoned off by the production crew, with yellow and black police tape around it, and many local residents standing outside watching.
Jiang Wen's assistant was waiting at the entrance. He was a young man in his early twenties, wearing black-rimmed glasses and holding a walkie-talkie.
Upon seeing Fu Yibai get out of the car, he immediately went to greet him.
"Director Fu, Director Jiang asked me to pick you up."
This way, please.
Fu Yibai followed him across the cordon and into the filming location.
The streets were lined with filming equipment: lighting stands, tracks, reflectors, monitors, and all sorts of other equipment crammed together.