Chapter 428: Objective Achieved
Chapter 428: Objective Achieved
After Legal Beauty locked in its release date, Lu Jiaxin did not allocate additional funds for promotion. According to her, as long as the movie was of excellent quality, there was no need to worry about a lack of audience.
Tian Pengyu was left with no choice but to promote the movie the traditional way, through advertisements on television, newspapers, and magazines, while also relying on the cast to help with publicity.
Although Lu Jiaxin didn't provide extra funds for marketing, she instructed Tian Pengyu to spend money on inviting renowned media personalities and film critics to watch the movie. She knew that if they gave positive reviews, it would attract a large number of viewers to the theaters.
On the day of its release, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zan also went to watch the movie. Upon entering the cinema and seeing that the occupancy rate was less than 30%, she frowned slightly, thinking that the promotion had not been effective.
After the movie ended, the two walked out, and Nie Zan smiled as he said, "With such a low attendance rate, it looks like our movie is going to lose money."
Lu Jiaxin shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "If we lose money, then we lose money. Think of it as spending money for entertainment."
Nie Zan couldn't help but laugh at her response. Compared to those spendthrift heiresses, Lu Jiaxin was quite frugal.
Fortunately, as Golden Princess and Golden Harvest were also screening, even though the first-day attendance rate was not high, they still managed to pull in a box office revenue of 70,000 yuan. Of course, this was mainly due to the popularity of the lead actors. On the second day, the box office revenue increased to 120,000 yuan, likely due to positive word-of-mouth from those who had already seen the movie and recommended it to their friends and family.
Nie Zan jokingly compared the movie's performance to Nie Jingting's, saying that his highest box office earnings from his nine movies only amounted to 350,000 yuan.
Lu Jiaxin rolled her eyes at him and said, "With the quality of this movie, it's impossible to lose money. It's just a matter of how much we'll profit."
This movie would still be relevant decades later, so how could it possibly fail to turn a profit?
On the third day, reviews from renowned media personalities and film critics were published. Some praised the exceptional performances of the actors, while others complimented the captivating plot or the exquisite costumes and props. Of course, with praise came criticism. Some criticized the plot for being detached from reality, while others felt cheated, claiming that it was falsely advertised as a romance when the female lead was more focused on her career, using romance as a mere side dish. There were also complaints about the unattractive appearance of the third male lead, which supposedly detracted from the viewing experience. Some even went as far as to say that this wasn't a movie but a fashion show. It was normal for a movie to receive both positive and negative reviews—it would have been suspicious if all the reviews were glowing.
These reviews sparked curiosity among many, drawing them into the theaters. After watching the movie, most of them were impressed and eagerly promoted it to their friends and family. This was especially true for female audiences, who enthusiastically discussed the fashion and makeup showcased in the film after leaving the theater.
The box office revenue continued to climb day by day, bringing a broad smile to Tian Pengyu's face. He had never felt so proud and vindicated. On the seventh day of the movie's release, sales of Green Forest and Wufu Jewelry began to surge.
Usually, when a movie's female lead has appealing outfits, audiences will be inspired to purchase similar clothing. However, in Legal Beauty, the female lead exuded maturity and reliability, the second female lead was alluring and captivating, the third female lead was lively and beautiful, and even the fourth female lead was adorable and charming. The costumes in the movie perfectly matched their respective personalities. No matter what type of woman someone was, they could find a character in the film that resonated with them.
Susan called Lu Jiaxin, excitedly saying, "Boss, many of our clothes have sold out. Customers who couldn't buy the items they wanted even offered to place deposits and asked us to notify them when the stock is replenished."
She regretted not standing her ground and stocking more of those items. However, upon further reflection, she realized that without Boss's heavy investment in the movie, they wouldn't have achieved such impressive sales.
This turn of events was well within Lu Jiaxin's expectations. She calmly said, "Take this opportunity to promote our store and let everyone know that our shop is one of the most popular destinations for young people in Hong Kong."
Young people craved fashion and trends, and they would naturally flock to the most fashionable and trendy clothing stores. For those seeking the latest styles, Green Forest was the go-to choice for clothes, bags, and accessories.
"Okay," Lu Jiaxin agreed.
Compared to Green Forest, Wufu Jewelry also experienced a boost in sales, but the increase was not as dramatic. This, too, was within Lu Jiaxin's expectations. Young people might be willing to spend a thousand or two on trendy clothing, but jewelry and accessories were a different story. With limited income, it didn't make sense for them to splurge several thousand or even tens of thousands on jewelry.
When Tian Pengyu approached Lu Jiaxin, he couldn't conceal the joy on his face. Since its establishment, Man Ting Film had never experienced such a triumphant moment, and he was happier than he would have been with any amount of money.
Lu Jiaxin didn't have high expectations for the movie; as long as it turned a profit, she was content, regardless of the amount. She asked about something that concerned her: "Are Miss Lan and Miss Wang willing to sign with us?"
Lan Yinggu's contract with TVB was ending in April, and Miss Wang hadn't signed with any agency yet as she hadn't had a breakthrough role. Both of them were potential signees.
Tian Pengyu shook his head, indicating that both of them had refused. All the movies produced by Man Ting Film thus far had flopped, and even though this latest one was backed by Lu Jiaxin's investment, the two beauties were hesitant to sign with a company that had such a track record.
Noticing that Tian Pengyu was discussing Man Ting Film matters with her, Lu Jiaxin found it amusing. "These matters should be reported to Nie Jingting, not me. I'm not a shareholder of Man Ting Film."
What Lu Jiaxin didn't expect was that the next day, Nie Jingting would find her and express his desire to sell Man Ting Film to her for a mere 2 million yuan.
Lu Jiaxin looked at this spendthrift young master, feeling a bit exasperated. "The equipment of your film company is worth nearly 10 million yuan. What's the difference between selling it to me at this price and just giving it away?"
Nie Jingting, the fourth young master of the Nie family, had always purchased the best equipment. Before the incident at the hotel, Nie Jingshu's net worth was around 40 to 50 million yuan, but now, to fund his film production, he had to go back and ask his mother and older brother for money. There was no other option—he had poured all his own funds into this film company.
Nie Jingting didn't try to hide anything. "Third Sister-in-Law, I originally intended to give Man Ting Film to you as a gift. Third Brother said you wouldn't accept it, so I just quoted a random price."
"Third Sister-in-Law, I plan to go to Si Jiu City to study acting for two years initially. If you don't want to buy it, I'll have to sell it to someone else. These machines and equipment will deteriorate if they're not used."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "I'll have to discuss this with Ah Zan and hear his opinion."
"Okay," Nie Jingting agreed.
That evening, the couple brought up the topic during dinner.
Upon hearing Lu Jiaxin mention it, Nie Zan knew that she wanted to buy it; otherwise, with her straightforward personality, she would have refused outright. "If you want to buy it, then go ahead. Don't worry about it."
Since Tian Pengyu could handle the company's affairs, Lu Jiaxin could indulge her interest in filmmaking. Legal Beauty had turned out well, and with such an impressive debut, future projects were unlikely to disappoint.
Lu Jiaxin expressed her concern, "I'm just afraid that your aunt will find out and accuse me of taking advantage of the Nie family because of you."
Nie Zan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. My aunt would be delighted for him to sell the film company and return to work at the company. In her eyes, filmmaking is not a proper career."
Indeed, the older generation often viewed actors and actresses as belonging to a lower social stratum. No matter how famous a female celebrity might be, marrying into a prestigious family usually meant facing disapproval and disdain.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
