Super Zoo-Chapter 779 - 758 National Chain?

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I don't know why, but gradually there has been a notion on the internet: every city should have one or two 'art house cinemas'. Of course, they wouldn't solely screen art films, but rather, like Taoyuan Cinema, they would provide a relatively plentiful number of showings for new, quality films with depth that appeal to a niche audience, while also offering opportunities to revisit classics.

Such cinemas needn't be numerous—one or two per city would suffice. Let a hundred flowers bloom, with mega-cinemas ensuring the screening of new blockbusters, and art house cinemas catering to the more niche and classic films, giving audiences who wish to see such films a quiet place to watch.

Simply put, establish a national chain of art house cinemas!

It should be a chain, not just standalone cinemas, and it should be present in every city across the country!

As soon as this opinion was voiced, it immediately gained widespread support.

Ordinary moviegoers naturally didn't need to say they supported it. The so-called art house cinema chain would not only screen old films and revisit classics, but also, due to the profit-driven nature of many large chains, the showtimes for niche films are frighteningly scarce, often leading to would-be viewers only finding out that the movie they wanted to see has already been pulled from theaters by the time they manage to find the time or decide to buy tickets.

The so-called art house cinemas don't just play art films; they are thus named to distinguish them from purely profit-oriented mega-cinemas. Since they greatly diminish the emphasis on profits, they naturally provide adequate screening time and schedules for niche films.

Not all niche or less favored films can achieve a turnaround miracle like the Great Saint did; most of them, due to the short showtimes and limited screenings in cinemas, ultimately fade away without a trace.

Take, for example, The Master that was released this time, featuring two best actor and two best actress award winners, and which had won international awards. Its total national box office was only over sixty million, while another nostalgia film released in the same period, which had a mere 3.4 rating, earned 180 million at the box office.

At first glance, it seems like bad films have a bigger market than good ones, but a closer analysis of the number of showtimes and screening duration reveals that across the country, the latter had more than six times the showings of the former.

The total number of showings was six times greater, yet the box office revenue was less than threefold.

It's not that niche films don't have a market; it's that mega-cinemas don't give viewers the opportunity to choose, thereby shrinking the market for niche films.

And art house cinemas are cheap! In a mega-cinema, a single movie can cost seventy to a hundred or more, and even with group purchases, it would be thirty to fifty, while at Taoyuan Cinema, the most expensive ticket is just over thirty.

The difference is clear at a glance, especially for students who only have a few hundred yuan to live on each month. Saving tens of yuan—nearly a hundred for two people—is no small sum. Saving a hundred yuan could allow a young student couple to enjoy a decent meal together.

The support doesn't come solely from ordinary audiences; the industry voices calling for it are also surprisingly strong.

Some of the internal support comes from various academies and celebrities and experts in the film circle, especially the latter.

There have been calls for art house cinema chains that screen niche movies and offer affordable ticket prices to revisit classics in China for more than a day or two. Not everyone is blinded by the bubble of the domestic movie market; there are many who are astute. To expect mega-cinemas to burst this bubble is out of the question—they are the creators and benefactors of the bubble themselves. One can only hope that 'conscientious merchants' or the government will take the lead, setting up a few art house cinemas to ensure that niche films have room to survive.

The emergence of Yangchuan City Peach Blossom Cinema this time was just right.

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The other part of the rallying force was mainly from the cinema chains.

At first glance, it was quite surprising. They say in any industry, as soon as you achieve a little success, there will definitely be someone who comes out with cold remarks or gossip, and that mockery is actually considered polite. There are quite a few who would go as far as to backstab you.

Those in the same trade are often the most knowledgeable about the industry, and their attacks are usually directed with deadly accuracy.

However, this time, almost all the cinema chains in the industry expressed their admiration for Taoyuan Cinema's art and nostalgia route, along with its people-friendly pricing. They also stated that, for various real-world reasons, major cinema chains couldn't set up similar art movie venues in the short term, but the film industry should be a place where a hundred flowers bloom. As practitioners, they were willing to give their utmost support to this undertaking.

Especially the major cinema chains with operations in Yangchuan City were the loudest, even directly naming Taoyuan Cinema and Taoyuan Group.

Among them, Baoke Cinema Chain was the most proactive. Mr. Qian Xiaojun, the regional manager of Baoke, even personally wrote and published an article introducing Taoyuan Cinema and its background, the entire Taoyuan Group. Starting from the various achievements of Taoyuan Group, he vigorously endorsed the Group, suggesting that it couldn't be better for Taoyuan Group to spearhead the domestic art cinema movement. It was a clear indication that they wanted to push Taoyuan Group to the forefront.

The most unexpected development was the government mouthpiece starting to make a move, stating that what the citizens like should be promoted, and expressing hope for discussions among various cities and industry units to establish one or two art cinemas in every city.

"One cinema in each city? A nationwide chain of cinemas?" Suming chuckled and patted Hou Longtao on the shoulder, "Monkey, get ready. Maybe in less than two or three years, you'll become the head of Huadong Peach Blossom Chain Cinemas."

Hou Longtao had recently stopped using hair oil. With his mood improved, no need for chemicals to give his head a shiny gloss, his hair was jet black and lustrous, looking as if he had a cap made of otter hide on his head.

"Suming, I'm really impressed with you!" Hou Longtao gave a thumbs-up, truly convinced, "No wonder you can make money. Your vision is just too accurate!"

"But there's no rush right now," Suming said with a smile. "First, let's solidify our base in Yangchuan City, then thinking about other things isn't too late."

"Su, I'm a bit worried," Hou Longtao frowned, "This venture, for the big cinema chains, is like a fishbone—tasteless but not a pity to discard. The big chains won't come and snatch it. But now that the official media has spoken up, could it be that the officials will take the lead and set up their own layout?"

"Definitely possible!" Suming nodded, "Monkey, you're thinking more deeply than before. It's a project that can earn political credits and it's beneficial without cost. Certainly, many local government departments would interfere. Heh, if the market doesn't come to steal business, they definitely will."

"So what do we do?" Hou Longtao asked.

"We don't do much of anything," Suming shrugged. "We can't do much anyway. If they want to go ahead, then let them. The market, after all, is an invisible hand that sometimes can't be controlled by a visible one."

Regarding the government's involvement, Hou Longtao didn't want to delve too deeply and changed the subject, "Su, should we get in touch with Baoke? They've clearly shown an intention to woo us, reaching out with an olive branch."

Suming thought for a moment and then smiled, "No rush, no rush. There are many who are trying to woo us right now. We're not in a hurry to make a stance. Besides, since it's an olive branch, they should personally deliver it to us. Right now, that olive branch is still far away from us. If we rush to reach out for it, we'll seem too eager, as if we're in dire need of help."

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