Can Avatar Save the Bleeding Cinema?
On the first day of release, movie fans arrived as promised; theaters are full of expectations for the movie
On the evening of December 16, audiences bought popcorn before the screening of the movie “Avatar: The Way of Water” at Changsha Jinyi Cinema Times Store.Photo/Trainee reporter Xiao Tianjian
Reporter Zhou Shihao reports from Changsha
From 0:00 on December 16, “Avatar: The Way of Water” (hereinafter referred to as “Avatar 2”) will be officially released nationwide. As the most watched heavyweight imported film released in the domestic film market after the recent adjustment of domestic epidemic prevention and control policies, the box office trend of “Avatar 2” has attracted much attention, and it will also have an impact on the “harvest” of theaters this year.
Some insiders predict that in the absence of new films, “Avatar 2” is undoubtedly the “rescue” of the film market, and the release of this film has also become the best catalyst for the recovery of theaters.
Fans excitedly took pictures, posted tickets, and took photos with materials
Some insiders predict that in the absence of new films, “Avatar 2” is undoubtedly the “rescue” of the film market, and the release of this film has also become the best catalyst for the recovery of theaters.
Under the prestigious name, it lives up to expectations. As of press time, the cumulative domestic box office of “Avatar 2” has reached 126 million yuan, of which Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou are the top three cities in the country, with 8.902 million, 6.090 million and 3.771 million respectively. In Changsha, the cumulative box office of “Avatar 2” was 2.29 million. The first day of the film accounted for 80.9% of the film schedule, and the box office accounted for 99.4%.
As the sequel to “Avatar”, which set off a wave of 3D movies that year, the magnificent and spectacular visual world created by well-known director James Cameron in “Avatar 2” has also aroused heated discussions. “Avatar 2” continues the story of the previous work, and once again revolves around Jack Sally (played by Sam Worthington) and the princess Natalie (played by Zoe Saldana) of the Na’vi tribe, telling the story of their parents. In the new survival predicament, the story of fighting against evil forces with the tribe, the film is 192 minutes long. To say how popular the movie is, it can be seen from the audience’s enthusiasm for watching the movie.
Late at night on December 15, the Wanda Cinemas located on Jiefang West Road in Changsha was full of people. Avatar elements can be seen everywhere in the studio. Fans excitedly took pictures, posted tickets, and took photos with materials… It has been a long time since such a scene has been seen in a movie theater. Some movie fans were moved and said, “In the gorgeous ocean world, I seem to be swimming in the blue water. This makes me believe that the planet Pandora is real, and Cameron probably went to outer space to get it without telling us. When I secretly wiped my tears, I found that I was not the only one crying…” For many movie fans, “Avatar 2” is not just a movie, it may also carry the feelings of waiting for 12 years.
Regarding the plot and ticket price, many movie fans have something to say
However, among the many voices of praise, there are still some contradictory comments, most of which fall on the film’s storytelling and high ticket price.
As the masterpiece of James Cameron, the “Technology God”, “Avatar” captured a large number of Chinese fans after it landed in China in 2010. However, “Avatar” was lively back then, and many people in the industry also pointed out that the story of the film was too routine, almost “Hollywood-style assembly line production”. Now, with the grand debut of “Avatar 2”, does it make up for the “story appeal” that was lacking in the first film? The answer of many movie fans is: unfortunately, or not.
Although the story of “Avatar 2” is a sequel to the first one, in fact its plot line is still a traditional Hollywood-style narrative, and there is no amazing storyline, and even in some key plots, a series of characters are required. The plot is promoted by the “wisdom reduction behavior” and the coincidence of the story.
In addition to criticizing the clichés of the plot, many netizens pointed out that the high ticket price of the movie is “not worth it”. On December 7, Huaxia Film Distribution Company issued the official release notice of “Avatar 2”. The minimum ticket price for different versions is digital 3D: 25 yuan/person, IMAX, laser: 30 yuan/person, and CINITY: 30 yuan/person. The notice also stated that the above ticket prices are only settlement standards, movie ticket prices are market-adjusted prices, and sales prices are set by theaters themselves. Huaxia Films specifically stated: “Our company does not set any restrictions on the ticket prices sold by theaters and theaters to audiences, and the ticket prices are completely market-oriented.”
“High ticket prices are generally for high-standard movie theaters. Ticket prices for other ordinary movie theaters are still normal. Giant screen, Dolby, VIP, China Giant Screen, etc. will increase the price appropriately.” A theater manager in Changsha explained However, the price of tickets consumers choose depends on their own needs.
There are enough cards in the lineup, whether it can save the market remains to be seen
Previously, according to media reports, the production cost of “Avatar 2” was about 310 million U.S. dollars (about 2.2 billion yuan), higher than the 237 million U.S. dollars for the first film. Director James Cameron called it “the worst business case in film history”. The box office has to reach the third or fourth place in the single-film box office list in film history before it can pay back, which means that it must reach the North American box office of 800 million U.S. dollars and the global box office. The box office revenue of 2 billion US dollars can guarantee that “Avatar 2” is not a loss-making business.
Some theater managers also said that the release of “Avatar 2” has a self-evident boost to the market, and the high ticket prices of IMAX, Dolby and other shows are actually a consensus in the industry. The pressure of survival is something every theater must face. “The film length of “Avatar 2” has reached 192 minutes. As a movie of more than 3 hours, the length of the film is actually not easy to arrange. Coupled with its brand effect, the theater will choose to sacrifice other film schedules to keep the number of “Avatar 2″.” As for the ticket price increase, it is also a purely market behavior, and it is a self-help behavior of the theater.
“The release of “Avatar 2″ has brought about a significant increase in the passenger flow of theaters across the country, and it is expected that there will be a small peak this weekend.” Many theater staff expressed such emotion. However, it is still impossible to announce in a high-profile manner that the release of “Avatar 2” will completely save the market. Some people in the industry pointed out, “Judging from the current national sales situation, the recovery of the market is still a slow trend, mainly because after the optimization of epidemic prevention and control measures, everyone has a stronger awareness of their own protection, and most people are still hesitating. Go into a confined space and watch a movie.”
As for what level the box office of “Avatar 2” will reach? Industry insiders said: “It’s hard to say now, but overall it may be lower than expected. As the biggest IP before the Spring Festival, “Avatar 2” will definitely have a positive impact on the movie. The recovery of the market will help a lot, but the current state of the entire market industry cannot recover quickly. Some people predicted that “Avatar 2″ can reach more than 4.5 billion. Whether it breaks through 4.5 billion or not remains to be verified by time.”
Source: Xiaoxiang Morning News