r18novel Chapter 66, "Sword Rain," is scheduled for release.
Chapter 66, "Sword Rain," is scheduled for release.
"Boss, you've already watched it three times, it's perfect."
Tang Long watched as Cheng Xiaodong carefully examined the finished film of "Reign of Assassins" and saw what improvements could be made. He couldn't help but speak up.
He cared more about the movie "Reign of Assassins" than Tang Long did.
I was involved in the entire process, from editing and music to subtitles.
It's not that an amateur is directing professionals, but rather that they use a meticulous approach to make every step of post-production as perfect as possible.
But it was Cheng Xiaodong's dedication that made Tang Long feel that "Reign of Assassins" was better than the original after the final cut was released.
Compared to Michelle Yeoh, Brigitte Lin's performances are more nuanced and emotionally rich, not the kind with a blank expression.
Tang Long's action scenes are also more exciting, much better than the original version where the South Korean actor only used stunt doubles and fast editing.
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I won't watch anymore. That's it." Cheng Xiaodong clapped his hands and sighed.
"Don't worry, boss. 'Reign of Assassins' will do well at the box office. After the movie is released, everyone will truly respectfully call you Director Cheng."
Tang Long understood the source of Cheng Xiaodong's inner conflict.
Although he has directed several films, he is still known as a martial arts choreographer.
The situation only improved slightly after "The Blade" was released and grossed over ten million Hong Kong dollars.
This also sparked his desire to become a real director.
However, with the release of "A Chinese Ghost Story III" last month, it grossed more than HK$3 million at the box office.
Cheng Xiaodong was not mentioned at all by outsiders, while Xu Ke, who was not involved at all, frequently appeared in newspapers.
This frustrated him, but also made him even more eager for "Reign of Assassins" to vindicate him.
"Reign of Assassins" was entirely directed by him, and there was no trace of Tsui Hark in it.
"I hope so. By the way, when is the movie scheduled for release?"
"December 12th."
"There's less than a month left, but Stephen Chow's 'The Saint of Gamblers' will be released next month. Won't 'Reign of Assassins' be competing with it and negatively impact the box office?"
"There are also Stephen Chow movies being released during the Spring Festival. Are they going to wait until after the New Year to release them?"
"After waiting this long, I'm afraid someone will steal the film negatives for 'Reign of Assassins.'"
"Someone still dares to steal the film negatives?" Cheng Xiaodong was shocked by Tang Long's words.
"Why wouldn't I dare? These days, gangsters are so arrogant, what wouldn't they do?"
Despite having Deng Guangrong's investment in "Reign of Assassins," Deng stole the film negatives and sold them directly to pirate distributors, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Surely not, they're that bold?"
"Boss, better safe than sorry. Next month is the best time to release it. Even Stephen Chow isn't invincible."
His film "New Fist of Fury 1991" only grossed over 20 million Hong Kong dollars at the box office.
Moreover, our "Reign of Assassins" and his "Some Like It Hot" were released a week apart.
Previously, Tang Long, Wu Siyuan, Xu Ke, and Deng Guangrong sat down to discuss the release date of "Reign of Assassins".
Both Ng See-yuen and Tsui Hark suggested avoiding Stephen Chow's films and releasing the movie after the Lunar New Year.
Stephen Chow is incredibly popular right now, a guaranteed box office draw, and no company wants to compete with him.
They were also rational in their decision-making, feeling that there was no need to confront Stephen Chow head-on.
Deng Guangrong, however, believes there is absolutely no need to be afraid. "Reign of Assassins" is not an unknown production; it also boasts a star-studded cast and is not afraid of competing with anyone.
The Spring Festival film market is large enough to allow a film to compete with Stephen Chow during the Spring Festival season.
Tang Long asked Stephen Chow about the movies that would be released in December and during the Spring Festival, and then decisively chose to release his movie in December.
The film released during the Spring Festival is "All's Well, Ends Well 1992," while the film released in December is "The Saint of Love."
Although the latter is also a classic, with Amy Yip's large breasts being extremely shocking, the film's box office performance was only so-so, earning just over ten million.
Lee Lik-chi is still a bit inexperienced; the story of "The Love Saint" is somewhat clichéd, and the humor is just so-so.
"All's Well, Ends Well 1992" was different; it was a box office bomb.
This movie also instantly reminded Tang Long that next year is supposedly the year of Stephen Chow.
From the beginning of the year to the end, it dominated the box office charts, releasing seven films, all of which made it into the top 15 of the annual box office rankings.
He swept the top five spots, with a total annual box office of over HK$260 million, accounting for more than 20% of Hong Kong's total box office that year.
"All's Well, Ends Well 1992" raked in HK$48 million during the Lunar New Year holiday, almost draining the entire Lunar New Year box office.
If "Reign of Assassins" were released during the Spring Festival, it would definitely be a complete flop.
If the movie is released next year, it will inevitably clash with Stephen Chow's films, and those films will all be his box office hits.
After all, there are only a few good slots available each year.
Therefore, December is undoubtedly the best time to book a movie.
Because "The Love Saint" was scheduled for release in December, other companies avoided releasing the film.
Wong Jing's "Lee Rock" has been moved up to a November release date.
This film, which followed the trend of "To Be Number One," grossed HK$30.7 million, becoming the eighth film to break the HK$30 million mark at the box office this year.
The seventh film is Stephen Chow's "God of Gamblers II: Back to Shanghai," which was released in October and grossed HK$31 million, once again demonstrating his strong box office appeal.
Tricky Master, Fight Back to School, and God of Gamblers II: All of these films were box office hits.
There's a reason why "The Saint of Love" has caused many films to avoid its brilliance.
No one expected that "The Love Saint" would flop at the box office.
Of course, this was a disappointment for Stephen Chow.
The release of "Reign of Assassins" a week later than "The Saint of Love" will not have any impact.
In addition, it scared off other film companies, leaving almost no decent competitors in December.
"Reign of Assassins" is almost guaranteed to dominate the December release window.
"You guys decide what to do, but I still think we should be careful with Stephen Chow's 'The Saint of Love'. His movies have a very strong box office performance."
"Don't worry, boss. Our 'Reign of Assassins' is not some nobody. We have a strong cast."
They are also big names that other companies need to pay close attention to.
"With only Stephen Chow in 'The Saint of Gamblers,' and even with Amy Yip added, we might not necessarily lose."
Cheng Xiaodong is, after all, just a director. The release date of "Reign of Assassins" should be the result of discussions among several production companies.
Wu Siyuan and Xu Ke wouldn't joke about something like this, so he didn't say anything more and instead asked:
"By the way, how's the situation with Director Tsui's 'Once Upon a Time in China II'?"
"They're still negotiating, but it's almost finalized, and Director Xu is preparing to resume filming."
"Who conceded?"
"Who else could it be but Golden Harvest? It's all about the company. Cai Ziming is playing dirty tricks, and Golden Harvest can't handle it, after all, they're a large and powerful family."
Moreover, they can't afford to delay; every day that "Once Upon a Time in China 2" is suspended, they have to spend an extra day's worth of money.
The production has been suspended for half a month, costing Golden Harvest an extra one or two million dollars.
Tang Long was somewhat gloating.
"Golden Harvest really deserves it; the extra money they spent is almost enough to pay the back fees owed to Jet Li."
They simply handed over the money without making a fuss.
Now we've not only lost face, but also substance.
"Thank goodness you didn't sign with Golden Harvest back then, or I would have regretted it to death. I was pushing you into a trap."
"Golden Harvest is used to being domineering. Once the matter of 'Once Upon a Time in China II' is settled, Ng See-yuen can come back and take over the publicity and distribution of 'Reign of Assassins'."