"'The Mystery of Talismans' is a box office hit, earning 125.17 million RMB on its North American opening day. Jackie Chan may surpass Bruce Lee to become the top Chinese superstar." — Beijing News
Across the Pacific in China, Chinese media were more concerned about the box office of The Mystery of Talismans than their North American counterparts.
In reality, The Mystery of Talismans grossed $15.265 million on its opening day in North America, but many media outlets were adept at crafting eye-catching headlines.
Converting the dollar figure into RMB made it look more impressive, drawing more attention.
But even without the conversion, the $15.265 million opening day box office was already quite remarkable.
Beyond the numbers, what drew the most attention was, of course, the actors.
Jackie Chan needs no introduction long before The Mystery of Talismans, he was already one of the most internationally recognized Chinese stars.
The biggest gains in fame, however, belonged to Bingbing Li and Shuchang. Both were actors from mainland China, and their popularity was absolutely exploding.
Bingbing Li's younger sister, Li Xue, called her three times a day to report on the domestic buzz.
"Big sis, you've really made it. The front pages of the news are all about you now!"
"Really?" Bingbing Li was actually very excited. A blockbuster opening day naturally thrilled her.
Though she maintained a calm facade, she was already bursting with excitement inside.
"Yes," Li Xue said, full of enthusiasm. "Next week, The Mystery of Talismans will be released in China. I've already invited my friends to go see it to support you.
Sis, you've really become an international star now."
A smile crept across Bingbing Li's face, though she understood that the real international star was Shuchang, as she was the lead actress.
Due to Shuchang being underage, she was always accompanied by family whether filming or promoting in North America.
Although still young, Shuchang wasn't clueless. She understood the movie was a major hit. Her father had just called to tell her how explosive the public reaction was back home.
Shuchang felt a bit proud and smug inside. Having debuted as a child actor, she knew exactly how difficult it had been to land the role of Jade.
With countless actresses across the country vying for the part, she had stood out and secured the role. Now it was time to reap the rewards.
Indeed, the media frenzy in China was already at a boiling point.
Not just the entertainment outlets—even political and financial news outlets were dedicating significant coverage.
Why had The Mystery of Talismans sparked such a huge reaction in China, especially the mainland?
Keep in mind, when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon premiered in North America, it hadn't generated such an intense response in China.
The reason was simple. The Chinese film industry, to put it politely, had little involvement from mainland actors; most of the stars were from Hong Kong.
Even mainland directors typically chose Hong Kong and Taiwan actors first when making films especially in the era of big-budget blockbusters.
Zhang Yimou's new film Hero, for example, starred Hong Kong actors or actors who had worked extensively in Hong Kong. Mainland actors were rarely featured, and if they were, it was just for supporting roles.
But The Mystery of Talismans was different. One of the leads was a mainland actress, and not even fifteen years old. It was surreal.
Then there was Bingbing Li, who snatched a key supporting role from a group of glamorous Hong Kong actresses an unexpected upset.
With this opportunity, Bingbing Li's fame exploded overnight, catapulting her into the top tier of Chinese actresses, and near the very top at that.
The media frenzy, relayed by Li Xue, was reaching Bingbing Li's ears.
She was proud and satisfied, and a bit of arrogance crept in feeling that other Chinese film stars might not be that impressive after all.
That kind of mentality was understandable. Before The Mystery of Talismans, Bingbing Li's most notable role was Ling Chuchu in Young Justice Bao.
Now she had leaped to the top in one move anyone would find it hard to keep their ego in check.
Shuchang, on the other hand, perhaps due to her age, though equally proud, hadn't yet realized what playing Jade truly meant for her.
It was her passport to stardom. Simply put, if The Mystery of Talismans became a successful series, no Chinese actress would be able to challenge Shuchang's status for the next decade.
A single blockbuster Hollywood film can reshape the status of Chinese stars. From now on, those who simply walk a red carpet abroad and claim to be international stars may not qualify anymore.
Gilbert had seen it coming. He'd been through it himself. When he released Shallows at the age of twenty-one and it became a box office success, the media praise nearly drowned him.
Gilbert had once been proud and self-satisfied too but he soon sobered up.
Unlike many young stars, Gilbert understood early what he truly wanted not media praise or applause.
Gilbert knew that as long as he kept succeeding, the flowers and applause would never stop. So he quickly shifted his focus back to making better films and continued improving.
It's fair to say that without years of hard work and a constant drive to learn and grow without pulling himself away from the glamour and flattery Gilbert would never have made The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
And precisely because he understood this, Gilbert, out of goodwill, invited the cast of The Mystery of Talismans to his Melon Manor during their promotional tour in North America to give Bingbing Li and Shuchang some guidance.
"Wow, it's so big here…" Shuchang and Bingbing Li arrived with Jackie Chan and were guided around Melon Manor by the housekeeper.
This home most coveted by Hollywood actresses covered a vast area. It took more than ten minutes just to walk from the gate to the central compound.
Beyond that, there was a garden, then a private beach, and even a dock with yachts moored there.
Bingbing Li also noticed that some areas had the flavor of Suzhou-style gardens.
She asked housekeeper, "Were these parts designed by garden architects from China?"
"Yes," housekeeper nodded. "Sir is very passionate about Chinese culture and particularly loves the aesthetics of Chinese gardens. He specially hired master designers from China to plan this manor."
These artificial hills, the bamboo groves, and the layout of the courtyards all come from China."
"I see," Bingbing Li gazed at the surroundings filled with classical Chinese charm, momentarily unsure of where she actually was.
After touring the estate, the group returned to the living room, where Gilbert had already prepared tea and was waiting for them.
Naomi Watts, as the estate's primary hostess, naturally stayed by his side. Anne Hathaway and Scarlett had also come along to join the lively atmosphere.
"What is this…" Jackie Chan's eyes immediately landed on a ram's head displayed on a shelf. "Is that a zodiac ram head?"
The concept of the Twelve Zodiac Bronze Heads had gained considerable attention in recent years. In order to recover these relics, China's Poly Group had made multiple attempts, successfully reclaiming a few—but at a hefty cost.
Gilbert shrugged. "I got this one from Prince Charles. He still has another one, but unfortunately, he wouldn't give it to me."
"So, are you planning to collect it?" Jackie Chan asked.
"To be honest, I'm not particularly into antiques," Gilbert replied. "After all, the value of these things is ultimately decided by people. I'll keep it here for a few years. I heard the National Museum of China is working to recover cultural artifacts lost overseas.
When the time is right, I'll make a quiet donation."
Jackie Chan chuckled. "You should make a big show of the donation! At least let the Chinese people know about your contribution."
"No, no," Gilbert waved his hand, refusing. "Better to stay low-key. I think a lot of people would prefer not to see that scene."
Jackie Chan thought about it and agreed. Gilbert's identity was unique, and some things had to be done discreetly.
Gilbert then shifted the topic: "Same goes for you all. Don't be fooled by the current Hollywood trend for Chinese kung fu and China fever nothing lasts forever.
I don't know if you'll manage to thrive in Hollywood. It might be quite difficult.
But I hope you'll stay grounded and not get arrogant. Hollywood can tolerate someone like me succeeding consistently because I'm considered one of their own.
But you're different. At the end of the day, you're outsiders and will never truly be the mainstream in Hollywood.
So, staying low-key in your words and actions will benefit you."
This speech from Gilbert served as a reminder to Bingbing Li. As for Shuchang, who was still young, she only understood bits and pieces.
Gilbert then turned to Jackie Chan and said, "Old Tian kept asking me about the future development of Chinese-language films. I told him I didn't know much.
But there's one thing I do know: having a strong domestic market is the key to sustaining a nation's film industry.
No other place has that potential only China. I believe in the future of this market.
So you filmmakers of Chinese-language cinema need to work hard. If you don't own your domestic market, then Hollywood films will dominate instead."
Gilbert's words were sincere and heartfelt—something that Hollywood big shots rarely shared with Jackie Chan.
Being older and more experienced, Jackie Chan knew that Gilbert was speaking the truth and quietly took the advice to heart.
This visit to Melon Estate proved fruitful for the team behind The Mystery of Talismans. They received many insights from Gilbert and enjoyed a meal of authentic Chinese cuisine.
Bingbing Li and Shuchang finally understood that it wasn't that authentic Chinese food didn't exist in North America—it was just all hidden inside Melon Estate.
No wonder the Chinese chefs were specially recruited by Gilbert from China. They came to the U.S. to earn U.S. dollars, and he immediately hired a few skilled ones. One of them was even a prized disciple of a state banquet chef.
As for The Mystery of Talismans, following its $15.265 million debut day, it earned $22.3 million on Saturday and $17.384 million on Sunday. Including midnight screenings, it grossed $59.209 million in its first weekend.
That's quite an impressive figure several years ago, only high-quality commercial films could achieve such a first-week box office.
Of course, The Mystery of Talismans was indeed a quality production. The audience's average rating of A- made that clear, showing that the film was well-received.
But in today's climate, where commercial blockbusters can rake in $80–90 million on opening weekend or even over $100 million, like The Return of the King and Spider-Man the box office of The Mystery of Talismans wasn't especially groundbreaking.
The only standout aspect was that the film had a predominantly Chinese cast.
However, when people saw that the lead was Jackie Chan, the North American media weren't surprised. In recent years, Jackie Chan had become a top-tier action star in Hollywood thanks to the Rush Hour series.
That his movie would perform well at the box office seemed entirely normal. Some media outlets even commented that the results fell short of expectations for Jackie Chan.
Compared to the box office, what the North American press found more interesting was the plot of The Mystery of Talismans and the performance of one Chinese actor. This focus, however, differed from the approach of Chinese media.
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