Whether a film can become a box-office hit depends on multiple factors.
Even if the quality of the film is excellent, there are still many, many factors that can affect its success. The Mystery of the Talisman just happened to catch a fortunate wave.
The kung fu craze hadn't yet died down, and thanks to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Lord of the Rings being filmed in China, many people had developed an interest in Chinese culture.
After the premiere, it was followed by midnight screenings.
Of course, the midnight screening for The Mystery of the Talisman couldn't compare to The Return of the King, which made a fortune at midnight. Still, the attendance was decent of the 2,300 midnight screenings across the U.S., the occupancy rate was around thirty percent.
Liu Yue was an employee of Jack Zhao, working part-time in a nearby concession shop to earn a bit of money to support her studies abroad.
After arriving in America, she was quickly drawn to the dreamy, paradise-like life and decided to stay for good. She even found herself a local Black boyfriend.
After work that afternoon, Liu Yue went out on a date with her boyfriend. He suggested watching a movie.
"A movie? What movie?" Liu Yue rarely went to the cinema. The last time she went was when her boss, Jack Zhao, booked a theater for The Return of the King.
Her boyfriend James pointed to a movie poster outside the theater: "Let's go watch The Mystery of the Talisman!"
Liu Yue followed the direction James pointed to and saw a large poster pasted on the wall.
The actor named Jackie Chan stood out prominently on the poster, along with a few other yellow-skinned actors she didn't recognize.
Liu Yue didn't know the background of the production or the cast of The Mystery of the Talisman, but judging from the yellow-skinned actors, she knew they were all Chinese.
It was strange—although others couldn't tell who was who, East Asians could always immediately distinguish between who was Chinese, who was ethnic Chinese, and who was Japanese or Korean.
Yes, that's right. There's even a difference between Chinese nationals and ethnic Chinese. Her boss Jack Zhao was a typical ethnic Chinese his lifestyle had been completely Westernized.
Liu Yue didn't know why, but despite having already decided to enjoy the wonderful life in America, she felt disgusted when she saw that poster.
Why? Why? How could a few Chinese people star in a Hollywood movie and have it released in North America?
And judging by the looks of it, a lot of people were going to see it too.
Although Liu Yue wasn't very willing, she had just latched onto James's thigh and was about to start living her dream life. At this point, she could only agree with James—she couldn't afford to upset him.
"Sure, let's go watch it together…" Liu Yue forced a sweet smile onto her face.
James wasn't particularly interested in so-called Chinese culture; he wasn't at that level yet. But he was a fan of Gilbert and only wanted to see this movie because of Gilbert.
Once inside the theater, Liu Yue felt like ants were crawling all over her. She was incredibly uncomfortable.
She didn't know why, but while watching Jackie, Shu Chang, and the others performing on screen, a feeling of imbalance started to rise in her.
Maybe it was jealousy! In any case, Liu Yue silently cursed the film in her heart, hoping it wouldn't succeed.
Compared to Liu Yue, James was actually drawn into the film. As the movie delivered stunning action and visual spectacle, he couldn't stop shouting and exclaiming.
"Wow, did you see that move, that move…" James fully embodied the exaggerated reactions and excitement characteristic of Black Americans.
He kept imitating moves with his hands and shouting, thinking the movie was incredibly cool.
When the movie ended and they walked out of the theater, Liu Yue was a bit absent-minded. By the end, she had become numb. Although this Hollywood film starring Chinese actors was actually pretty good, Liu Yue just refused to accept that fact.
She didn't even know why. To put it simply, she couldn't stand seeing her own people doing well.
If this movie became a huge hit, Liu Yue felt that the rose-colored filter of the American life she dreamed of would shatter, and her American Dream would be destroyed…
Liu Yue wasn't alone many ethnic Chinese and international students shared the same mindset.
James, on the other hand, was excitedly discussing the movie's scenes, those cool action sequences, not even caring if Liu Yue could follow along.
He even planned to go to Chinatown to find a master and learn Chinese kung fu—and if possible, take a trip to China someday.
Liu Yue wanted to stop him. She wanted to say that China was terrible, a horrible place. But just as the words were about to leave her mouth, she found herself unable to speak.
Compared to Liu Yue's inner turmoil, Zhao Jack, their boss, had a much broader perspective.
He and Irene had just watched the film in the theater together and gave it high praise: "Jackie Cheng has really made a name for himself in Hollywood. This movie blends comedy, action, and adventure all into one.
You'd think all those elements would be too much, but instead, they're seamlessly woven together to create an exciting treasure-hunting adventure."
Irene agreed: "I heard the idea for the script came from Gilbert. He truly deserves his reputation as one of Hollywood's best movie creators.
He's full of ideas, endlessly creative, and always manages to capture the audience's attention."
"Exactly," Zhao Jack beamed, as if he were the one being praised: "Our chain stores always see their best annual sales during the release of Gilbert's movies.
I'm a fan of his a loyal one."
Irene rolled her eyes and said, "I noticed that long ago…"
"Darling…"
"Hm?"
"Let's travel to China this year!"
"Sure, if you say so."
The couple made their travel plans this would be Zhao Jack's first time setting foot on Chinese soil as a second-generation immigrant, a sharp contrast to Liu Yue, who had no desire to ever return to China.
Liu Yue also had a close friend named Wang Zhenzhen, who had come abroad to study as well, but lately Wang Zhenzhen had been acting all mysterious, saying she had become an actress and was filming some videos or something.
Liu Yue was very curious. With how her best friend looked not as pretty as her, not as good a figure who in their right mind would cast her as an actress?
But when she asked Wang Zhenzhen directly, she wouldn't say a word.
There had to be something fishy going on. Liu Yue decided to secretly follow her friend and when she did, she immediately stepped into a whole new world.
Putting aside what exactly Liu Yue discovered, the midnight screening of The Mystery of Talismans performed quite well, earning 4.26 million USD at the box office.
It might not have matched The King Returns or Spider-Man, but as a Hollywood film featuring many Chinese actors, this result was already impressive.
On Friday, July 13th, The Mystery of Talismans opened in 2,600 theaters across North America. By commercial film standards, this was already considered a small-scale release.
Previously, the film held several test screenings, which received good feedback from media outlets and hardcore fans alike. The media gave it an average score of 88, and veteran moviegoers rated it an A-, making it a fairly well-made commercial movie.
Because of this feedback, and the fact that Gilbert served as the film's producer, it was able to secure a release in 2,600 theaters.
You have to understand this is the fiercely competitive summer blockbuster season, where every theater is prime battleground real estate.
Over the past few years, Jackie Chan had built up a solid reputation in North America, and once the film hit theaters, many of his loyal fans came out to support it.
Combined with Gilbert publicly backing the film and acting as its producer, the movie also drew in some of Gilbert's fans.
With all these factors working together, The Mystery of Talismans maintained the summer box office heat and achieved quite a strong result.
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