Discussion keeps the world's turning.
This is Roundtable.
You're listening to Roundtable with myself,
who are young.
I'm joined by Yushan and Steve Hatherley in the studio.
Coming up, get ready for an accelerating summer as the 2024 Summer Movie Box Office
soars past 7.5 billion yuan.
With Bookbuster hits lighting up the screens.
There's no better time to dive into the cinematic magic.
And guess what?
Watching the Paris Olympics in the cinema has become the hottest trend this season.
Dive into the ultimate summer experience with us, where blockbuster films make, well,
they also could meet Olympic thrills.
And your voice matters.
And we would love to hear it in our Heart to Heart segment.
Got a question?
Something you're itching to share?
Share that voice memo and hit us up at eZFM Roundtable at Foxmail.com.
Our podcast listeners can find us at Roundtable China on Apple Podcast.
Now let's move on to the next topic discussion today.
As the summer heat cranks up, so does the excitement in Chinese cinemas.
According to CCTV.com, the 2024 Summer Movie Season has already raked in an impressive
$7.5 billion yuan or about $1 billion US dollars by June 31st.
Leading the pack are the domestic hits successor.
A place called Silence.
And moments we shared with the new Marvel flick Deadpool and Wolverine eyeing a spot in
the top three.
With the longest screening session or season in full swing, what surprises do August releases
hold for us?
Let's dive into the summer's hottest films and explore why these particular movies are
stealing the show.
So what a summer is shaping up to be.
You shan't do tell us what's hot in Chinese cinemas.
Oh, well, like there are so many.
To be honest, I just watched one of the movies you mentioned just now is called Successor
or in Chinese, Drawa.
It's currently the top one on the summertime box office chart right now.
Well, if you want to hear more on it without spoilers or anything or my impression about it,
maybe we can chat about it later.
But the way I see it, I read about the current summer movie season has brought together
like a wide variety of films apart from Successor or Drawa type of realistic films.
There are a whole bunch of new things coming up, including high profile visual effect block
posters, major, always in the summertime.
I know, right?
That's the perfect season for those types of films.
Yeah, it's because the summer movie going period is kind of like the one of the major
and one of the longest running screening season for at least for Chinese mainland.
Yeah, I think it's common everywhere, right?
Everybody wants to go to the movie theater in the summertime because of the air conditioning.
Oh, that explains a lot.
Absolutely.
I'll go see almost anything in the summertime just because it's nice and cool in there.
But yeah, it is always the big, expensive movies it feels like, right?
Big action movies, horror movies come out a lot in the summertime as well.
Successor, you said it's the name of this one.
Is this like a horror?
Is it?
No, what's this about?
It's actually a comedy movie, but the ironic thing is I cried like twice when I was watching
yesterday.
You know, like it's, well, on what this movie is about, this is like a comedy, just a drama
featuring renowned Chinese comedic Duel, Shen Tong and Mali.
I think most Chinese viewers know these names quite well.
And their previous work, including one other one called Duxing Yue, or Moon Man, that came
up in 2022.
So stay top on the box office this time two years ago.
So it's not really like a surprise that their work is topping again this year.
So back to the successor movie.
And this one is more, to me, the setting is rather similar to, have you ever watched the
1998 movie called The True Men Show?
Oh, Jim Carey.
Yeah, so the successor is more or less a Chinese version of that, but instead of talking about
self growth or self discovery, this one focuses on the roles of parents in the child's
life and the child's growth.
Or more on, you know, do you want your child or your children to follow the path that you
pay for them?
Or should it be a decision made by the child, him or herself?
It's like a deep topic, to be honest, a very realistic topic.
How is it like The True Men Show then?
Because Jim Carey, he lived in a world that he didn't realize was fake, right?
So did the parents create a fake world for their kids?
Exactly.
That is just like how you just described it.
So in the film successor, this parent in order to, the, yeah, the dual played by Shintonamali,
the parent want to shape their boy or rather sculpt their boy into a qualified successor
of their family business.
So this two are like very wealthy, successful business people in the city and they were trying
to train their boy into like a qualified successor.
But in the meantime, they don't want their boy to just be tempted by the wealth or any
other easier entry into life.
So instead they created this fake world or fake house with fake neighbors, even the fake
grandma can you believe that to have the boy believe that, oh, I come from a very humble
and poor origin and I need to fight my way into the society.
I need to be independent and be qualified to stand up and shoulder all the responsibility
of my family.
It's an interesting concept, isn't it?
And creating this world that's not, well, it's exactly how you want your child to grow
up, right?
So these are wealthy parents, but they don't want their kid to know that he's from a wealthy
family.
So they try to make it seem different.
I can see why this concept would be at number one in the box.
And all the jokes were so well played.
Like they're, you see like cameras everywhere in their fake little poor house and you know,
underground, sorry, this is like spoilers for the audience who haven't washed it.
Turn off your radio in three, two, one.
Okay, go on.
Good.
So the parents actually built like a basement just to supervise their kid underground and
to schedule for the next phase of how they're going to sculpt their boys or like educate
their kid.
And the reason why I cried was mainly following the plot where, you know, it's strike me
how hard it is for the boy to take, take the reality because they're there.
One point where, you know, the fake grandma passed away, you know, they had to pull that
actress out, out of the boy's life.
And so they fake their her death to trick the boy to believe that, okay, his grandma
passed away.
And the boy was like crying so hard because in his world, that's like his grandma.
Right.
And I was like crying with him because I resonate with him, you know, there were jokes
all over that period of, you know, a story, but everybody else was laughing.
And I can just resonate with the boy and keep on crying.
But I can see why this is like a very good movie and appealing to a lot of the general
public out there.
Yes.
And also this movie seems to speak to the Chinese public.
And then when you look at the top three or now we've got a strong contender for the top
three space, which is Deadpool and Wolverine.
And you know, the success of local produced films, I think what they do really well is they
can, you know, basically grab the local audience's attention and understand what can make them
tick.
Make movies that resonate with people.
Yes.
And I wonder what about the other movies on this list?
Are they of very different genres?
For example, like the a place called Silence, that's Mocha, that's got to be a thriller,
right?
Yeah.
That one is, well, I didn't actually watch that one because only by seeing the posters,
it gives me goosebumps.
Like, they're just like, there are days that you would watch a thriller.
There are days you don't, you want to stay away from horror or suspense.
Yeah.
And moments we shared, you know, this is really chill.
I think this is, you know, people have different options.
And then they go for different types of movies, even if it's the summer movie season,
when you would think that, you know, popcorn style movies that don't make you think too
much, but can get you in Wolverine, for example.
Yeah.
I want to watch that though, because Ryan Reynolds, fellow Canadian, shout out to the
country.
He's really funny, right?
And his character of Deadpool is really funny as well.
If you've not seen any of those films, I wouldn't necessarily watch those with your kids,
the humor is quite inappropriate at times.
But I kind of thought it would be an interesting concept to put that character together with
Wolverine.
I think a lot of people are seeing it maybe as a little bit of a stretch, but that might
be what makes it work.
So I'm definitely going to be checking that out this summer at some point.
Me too.
Like, I can basically see the two.
Just everywhere whenever I open my social media apps and see them doing marketing for this
movie, Deadpool and Wolverine.
And well, the numbers are looking quite good as well, because according to Mo Yen.com,
which is like leading Chinese entertainment, ticketing service providers, the Deadpool
and Wolverine box office actually ranks number two based on this chart in box office,
only after six days that it was released.
And it's already like taking up 17% of the domestic total box office sales this summer here
in China.
And as the 34th moon, oh my gosh, like Marvel has already released 34 so many.
Yeah.
The superhero movies that's following the lineup that this one has generated $205 million
US dollars of sales in the US and $438.3 million US dollars globally.
And I'll lead the Chinese market is contributing to that as well.
If you don't want to watch Wolverine, if you don't want to watch successor, you can watch
the Olympics too.
I think these days if you go to the theater, right?
Yeah.
I mean, I was totally surprised when I hear it.
Isn't the Olympic Games something you can watch just resting on your couch back at home
enjoying AC a good beer or just chatting and shouting for the sportsman's just feel comfortable
at home.
But now we see that this service is provided in cinemas as well and it's all pre booked
online on all major ticketing services as well.
I like it.
I like the idea.
I mean, you do.
You pay to actually go into cinema to watch it.
Yeah.
I mean, think about it.
If you have an athlete from your country that you're really excited about if they're
playing a sport that you really are into, then yeah, of course, you shine.
You can watch it at home on your TV.
But why not?
Watch it on a much, much larger screen in a big space with a lot of other people who will
be cheering along with you.
I mean, I don't know if the ticket prices are the same as they are for regular films
or if they're discounted for this, I'm not sure.
I think it's more or less the same as regular films or even cheaper.
I heard the cheapest should be cheaper.
The cheapest is about 30 yuan.
That's still too much to sorry revealing what a true cheap skate.
I'm not paying.
That is like, isn't more than guhua有限.
Oh, wow.
Mostly payment.
So that is the cable in China.
I'm not going to pay to see one Olympic game, the whole monthly payment of my cable.
Yeah, I wouldn't do it for sports that I'm not into at all.
But for something that I'm excited about, why not?
And again, it's so hot these days, embaging.
If you are looking for a way to beat the heat and maybe chill out, watch some sports for
an hour, two or three or however long it is, then why not go ahead and do it?
And think about the immense of large screen viewing experience, especially when it's
like sports or activities or even for action movies sometimes, the bigger the screen, the
more interpersonal kind of impact you get at the scene.
And that's something you can only get in the cinema.
Yeah, myself, it does not do 4D movements.
Have you ever watched a movie like that before?
No.
Oh, really?
It's so fun.
What movie did I watch?
The last Willy Wonka, Wonka film and the chair moved up and down and I watched it in a
theater where the screen extended up the wall, the side walls of the theater as well.
So you really felt like you were in a dome almost.
That was a beautiful experience to watch a movie too.
So I don't know what kind of theaters maybe they have just down the street from us, but
if it has that, I'd be willing to check it out.
All right.
And I also wonder about sort of the movie going etiquette if you're going into the cinema
to see a live game, like such as the Olympic Games, because is it okay to cheer on and I've
heard people, you know, just they should pardon their French basically.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I wonder if that's allowed.
I mean, people sometimes go to bars, you know, to watch live sports.
It can be very loud there.
Yeah.
So I wonder what should the etiquette be if you're going to the cinema to watch live the
Paris Olympic Games?
I would say, well, I'm not sure, but I would say cheer away if you're cheering for your
country or supporting an athlete you really like, then let them know, and, you know, obviously
no swearing or anything like that.
But I think being a little bit noisy to cheer on your favorite team is okay.
And I think the purpose of showcasing these flickers on a cinema screen is different than,
you know, just showcasing movies as well, because movies are there for you to appreciate
and watch.
So everybody stay quiet and just watch it.
But for games, you're there to be part of it.
You're there to watch live and watch and be, you know, passionate and get motivated.
So yeah, I would assume that people just cheer along, right?
I think it's pretty innovative what these cinema operators have come up with.
So it's live sports, right?
Yeah, I suddenly realize it's, you know, with movies, they're not live.
But okay, so there is one thing to expect.
And what about releasing past movies that have done superbly?
It seems maybe these cinema operators are really pulling out all the stops to attract
people to come back into, well, basically to fill the seats.
Exactly, Julian.
I think the main purpose of why they're doing it.
And they're not just doing it in China as well, but it's been reported that this summer
movie operators in China are also re-running old blockbusters in cinema to attract movie
goers to just come in, just visit us and, you know, just fill up some seats and enjoy
some good old flickers like, you know, the Avengers, the Avatar movie and all that.
And I don't have any opinion or like disagreement with that.
I love all the good old blockbusters to be re-run.
So that gives you another opportunity to sit in the cinema to watch something that's
not, you know, showcasing currently.
But it's like an experience thing.
I totally agree with you, you know, the movie came out 20 years ago that you loved going
back to the theater.
That's nice.
Undoubtedly, the theaters are much better today than they were 20 years ago to have that
similar experience.
Yeah, I think it's a really, really good idea.
I've seen it in other countries done as well.
All right, and coming up, let's have a moment of heart to heart.
You ask.
We answer.
Ram table, heart to heart.
This week we've got, um, audio's, anymails that we like to share with you and let's start
off with, uh, Kathy from Bay Bay, Chongqing city.
She's got another voice clip for us.
She's sent us some amazing sound clips in the past.
So what's up, Kathy?
Hello, who are you?
And all around table.
This is Kathy here and I am a middle school student now, turning 13 and less than one week.
Anyhow, I listened to the episode on goods as well as other merchandise and I got so pumped
up right now.
Every fandom needs collectible goods to our generation, buying these items connected to
our favorite fandoms, cartoons, anime characters is as important as having the free meals of
the day.
Sometimes we do spend money a little bit unnecessarily on them, but everyone knows that it's our
way of showing our enthusiasm to the characters.
For example, when the collectible car company, Kaiyo took a chance on the popular My Little
Pony cartoon series, the collectible cars became a hit.
Like when I was probably a kindergartener or a primary school student, I love the series.
And now the cars are becoming more popular than ever before, with lovers of the colorful
ponies collecting expensive cars of their toy standing for the character they fan for.
I am still a big fan of My Little Pony myself.
The ponies teach me a lot about friendship and life.
That's why I collect cars of my favorite character, Tarpy and Adorable background pony.
I have more than 80 of the identical SSR card.
That is definitely something that makes me proud.
However, when some people show off their many goods, it might make other people feel uncomfortable.
Maybe they are a fan of the same character, but they don't buy as that many goods.
As long as you love your favorite character and respect the other ones, then you can say
in the fandom and have a great time.
So okay, that was something I wanted to say and I'll keep staying tuned to Roundtable.
Bye!
Hey!
Future Roundtable staff member, Kathy Kathy, can I speak to you for a second?
You are an inspiration to your friends and anyone who's in a middle school studying English
right now.
I have an incredible message from you.
Thank you for sharing.
What energy, right?
Yeah, absolutely.
And Kathy, thank you for always bringing a smile to my face.
And I don't know how she does it.
I remember her mom or it was that Kathy sending us the email a couple of years ago just
saying that the mother and daughter duo would listen to our show together and that's what
got Kathy into English as well, well I suppose she's probably just amazing to start with.
And also just to learn more about what's happening in different parts of China as well as
the world.
And Kathy is growing up with Roundtable.
That's really cool, isn't it?
I've heard of Kathy many times even before I joined the show and I'm so happy that I'm
hearing it on live today and I'm just here to give a response.
So yeah, I do join you guys.
Thank you so much for the message Kathy and I think she mentioned something really important
and kind of big in China as well, which is the collectible card or trading card culture
that's you know, which is like a booming market in the Chinese society as well as reported
that China has become the frontier for trading card collection and obviously Kathy is part
of this community.
As important as three meals a day I think was the way she put it.
Yes.
So all the goods that you know get the attention of kids and also hopefully it's not breaking
mom and dad's bank because it seems like you know, especially when you're young and I love
it that the further us back in history Kathy could refer to was oh when I was a kid and
gardener.
Maybe just like less than 10 years ago.
But anyhow, so yeah, like merchandising that was one story we did the other week I suppose
and I'm glad that you find some resonance to what we say Kathy and thank you so much for
sending us a voice memo.
It's always great to hear your voice and do let us know.
Keep us updated with what's going on in life as such and now let's, yes, dip into the
mail bag and respond to some emails.
Here's one from Carol and here's her email, dear round table team how's it going?
I'm excited to share that the results of the big exam go-go came out while you said
today but of holidays we have to respond much later than when we received the email and
you go on saying that I did really well.
Yay!
Yay!
And I'm especially thrilled to tell you that I scored 147 out of 150 in the English exam.
Wow.
So that's close to full marks.
I don't think I could score 147 out of 150.
Not even for English.
I doubt it.
I doubt it.
It's my first language but I'm not perfect at it.
Well done.
Not only for the score, well done because you accomplished a goal that I'm, you probably
exceeded your goal but Gau Kau that's one of the most difficult tests not only in China
but that's one of the hardest tests in the world.
So to be able to achieve that, under that amount of pressure, well done.
Well done.
Well done Carol and also she goes on saying this.
I, oh plus, I wore your round table show merchandise t-shirt on exam day which made it
even more special.
Hey, this is a bigger applause.
Oh my god.
Yeah.
Forget about the test score, Carol, you were promoting round table for us today or that day.
And so the energy of round table fault her into the classroom when she was taking the
exam.
Yeah, it's like us three giving her a round hug and then okay not to suffocate you.
Just give you good spirits, good will.
Like Carol says, thank you for the knowledge and courage you've given me and for all the
luck and support you've shown to me while I'm still a little bit disappointed about my math
score.
Okay.
632 is a solid grade, a solid score for me and thank you my friends.
I love you all, Carol.
So that is she humbled bragging or something?
It's 632 still really good.
That's really high.
That's really good.
Carol, if you want me to send you my math transcripts from high school, you'll feel even
better about your Gowkow math score.
Obviously a really, really good student, huh?
Yes.
And she's doing really well.
We're super happy for you.
And we have time for one more email and this is from Kevin from Africa.
Due to our time constraints, we will probably need to shorten your email for today's segment
and thank you for understanding.
Okay.
So Kevin says, thank you so much for your show and I have something to say about your
tobacco control show.
Isn't it the best control on tobacco shutting the companies away rather than the consumer
approach?
And yes, I mean, on that show, I think we did mention something about the business side
of things, but certainly shutting the business is a little controversial and it's more, I
suppose, complex initiative.
On paper, Kevin, I believe you said his name was on paper, Kevin.
That's a tremendous idea in practicality that would take years and years and it might
be very difficult to accomplish that goal.
Yes.
And, you know, despite the fact, but your perspective on holding companies accountable
and for their actions to be more responsible, I think that is a crucial aspect of the
discussion.
And we really appreciate your insights and we're glad that you enjoy our show.
Kevin from Africa and keep listening and stay engaged.
We really appreciate it.
What was it good for you?
Well, send us an email, a voice memo to eZFMorowntable at Foxmail.com with love to hear from
you and that's it for today's round table.
Bye guys.
