"Summer Movie" is a hotly contested spot for domestic film and military strategists.
Among the top five box-office films in my country's film history, two are from the summer season, "Wolf Warrior 2" and "Nezha: The Devil Boy Comes into the World", both of which have a box office of over 5 billion.
The 2023 summer season broke the 20 billion yuan mark for the first time, with a total box office of 20.619 billion yuan, making it the "strongest summer season."
But the climax of this year’s summer season has not yet begun. As of press time on June 19, the total box office for the 2024 summer season has reached 1.248 billion yuan. However, there are more than 60 new films in the summer season, and we are still waiting for the one "The Disappearance of ".
In 2023, it was "She Disappeared" that aroused the public's long-lost enthusiasm for the summer movie.
's next "Octagonal Cage", " Conferred Gods Part 1 " and "Chang'an 30,000 Miles" can be called a triple hit at the box office, and " All-or-Nothing " completed the best ending for the summer season.
But this year’s scene is not hot enough.
Since "Nezha 2" and "Fengshen 2" will regret missing this summer release, the summer release in 2024 requires new box office stories.
The expected absence of the three giants in the summer season also makes the industry as a whole look down on the summer season.
But after watching the previews of eight summer blockbusters, I want to say: 15 billion box office is conservative!
So who is the potential stock to "explode", who will "become a god" this year, and who will "go all in"?
Now, let the story begin.
01. "Bad Boys 4": The "Emperor"'s comeback, recreating the famous Oscar scene
Release date: June 22 Predicted box office: 90 million
For Hollywood, the "Bad Boys" series has always been a life-saving straw like existence.
In 2020, when the epidemic broke out, this police film in which Will Smith and Martin Lawrence beat up bad guys while talking about cross talk won the global annual title of Hollywood movies.
Several opening films of this year's Hollywood summer season, such as "Mad Max 4", hit the market one after another. At the critical moment, it was " Jedi Men 4" that broke 100 million US dollars in three days to save the situation.
For Chinese audiences, the IP "Jedi Men" is full of memories. It is also synonymous with Hollywood action comedy and cool movies.
"Bad Boys 4" is still full of bullets and bad jokes, but the comedy effect is still full.
focuses on a hilarious, hard-core fight with a lot of blood.
Another interesting point of this film is that Will Smith "hacked" himself. In the film, he and his co-stars slapped each other and flooded social media. It was obviously a joke about the famous scene at the Oscar Awards ceremony that year.
At present, the North American popcorn index of the film is 97%, and the global box office has exceeded 200 million US dollars. Will Smith has proven in the North American market that the reputation he lost due to a slap in the face has to be won back with the box office.
It depends on whether the mainland box office can be the icing on the cake.
02, "There is a Commissary by the Clouds": Zhang Jiajia's comeback, a domestic healing film
Release date: June 22 Estimated box office: 300 million
Eight years ago, Zhang Jiajia's "The Ferryman" was very topical: Wong Kar-wai personally took action to maintain reputation.
Although the box office performance was good, the film's reputation has been controversial.
Eight years later, Wong Kar-wai proved with "Flowers" that boxing does not distinguish between north and south, and a great director is still a great director.
And Zhang Jiajia appears in the summer season with this new work adapted from his own novel and written and directed by himself.
Zhang Jiajia’s golden sentences are directly arranged: Some people remember them deeply and forget them within a few years. Some people will be by your side whether in life or in death.
Part One tells the story of an ordinary young man, Liu Shisan (played by Peng Yuchang), who lost himself in the city and was taken back to his hometown by his grandmother. He found himself in a small town beside the clouds accompanied by his childhood friend Cheng Shuang (played by Zhou Ye). s story. Will
create miracles?
At least for now, the number of people who want to watch the film ranks first in the summer season. Whether
can succeed or not, the key depends on whether the dreams, hometown and family ties of young people in small towns bring a pastoral pastoral story to the audience, or whether it is a suspended healing.
There are cases where a director's debut film turned upside down and his second film became a hit. Last year, Wang Baoqiang's " Octagonal Cage " was one of them.
But Wang Baoqiang grasped the key point of the counterattack: sincerity.
hopes that the canteen next to the cloud will allow the audience to see sincerity through the cloud.
03, "Customs Front": Jacky Cheung returns, Nicholas Tse takes up the Hong Kong film
Release date: June 28 Predicted box office: 700 million
The first hit in the summer season. Still from our Hong Kong action movie brother: Qiu Litao.
"The Negotiator" released on the Dragon Boat Festival is Qiu Litao's best-reputed police film in recent years and the one that best demonstrates his ability to make small films.
But "Customs Front" is an absolute blockbuster.
Judging from the trailer, Qiu Litao seems to also intend to inject a Hong Kong-style crazy little rebellion within the framework of a propositional composition.
Jacky Cheung, his eyes are playful.
Nicholas Tse is very fierce in acting.
The success of "The Case of the Fury" in 2021 is indispensable to the combination of Donnie Yen + Nicholas Tse. Compared with that two-strong battle, this time Nicholas Tse and Jacky Cheung are both talented and talented.
Nicholas Tse served as the action director and trained for half a year in advance, so he will undoubtedly be able to handle the action scenes. A Nicholas Tse who plays seriously and devotes himself will not let the audience down.
And the last work of "Song God" Jacky Cheung was the 2016 "Macau Storm 3".
As the second male lead in this film, this is by no means a conventional positive role. From the trailer, it seems that the character may have bipolar disorder.
Jacky Cheung has always been regarded as the most underestimated actor of the Four Kings. Not to mention his emojis back then, his performance in "Equator" is well-known.
Qiu Litao invited him to come out, which obviously gave him enough to play.
The film not only has the brotherhood that is most important in Hong Kong-style action movies, but also has dizzying scenes.
Car chases, gun battles, explosions, and thrilling action scenes are staged in turn.
But to retain the audience, it also depends on the appeal of the story.
I think the film shoulders the important task of kicking off the summer season, and the advantageous schedule is not short. There is no decent opponent from the end of June to mid-July, so it is the right time to upgrade it.
Can Nicholas Tse win back a win for Hong Kong action movies?
I think there is a high probability that this will be a qualified genre film, and it will be better than Qiu Litao's "Anti-Drug 3" from the same period last year.
If you want to go one step further, let's see how Nicholas Tse and the singer "steal your heart secretly".
04, "Successor Plan": Happy Twist Comedy Returns? Shen Teng + Ma Li are worth 2 billion
Release date: July 18th Predicted box office: 3 billion
Happy Twist is a hit this summer.
The first picture is the best: Shen Teng + Ma Li.
The second highlight: Yan Fei and Peng Damo, whose representative works are "Charlotte's Trouble" and "Ma Liang, the Magic Pen".
Of course, there is also " The Richest Man in Xihong City ".
" successor plan " is called the remake of "The Richest Man in Xihong City" by movie fans. As soon as the first trailer of
came out, it could be said that there was no response, and the fandom burst into cheers.
The story is fascinating.
Comedy is full of laughter.
Read the synopsis of the story: Ma Chenggang (played by Shen Teng) and Chunlan (played by Ma Li), who have no oil in their soup and no money in their pockets, drive donkeys to work, and their families are living in poverty. Their son Ma Jiye (played by Xiao Bochen) is their opposite. The only hope is that God will change your fate.
But as Xiaoma grows up day by day, he gradually finds that something is getting more and more wrong with the people around him.
It seems that the story may include ridicule and discussion of education, and the entire story setting may hide a huge reversal.
After all, the male and female protagonists in the trailer do not look rich, let alone the richest man.
Is it possible that not being rich is just an act?
Anyway, there is no reason not to be optimistic.
From "Charlotte Troubles" to "The Richest Man in Xihong City", the demand for comedy has always been hungry for the public.
In the shortage, we are only concerned about one question: how much can the Shenma combination supply this time.
"Walking Alone on the Moon" starring Shen Teng was a win for Mahua.
is on full steam this time, and it is very likely that the final box office of the film will be the box office ceiling for the 2024 summer season.
05, "Deadpool and Wolverine": The last hope of the entire Marvel village, Uncle Wolf really goes all out
Release date: July 26th Estimated box office: 800 million
It is hard to imagine that Marvel's annual masterpiece "Deadpool and King Kong" "Wolf" actually landed in the summer season.
Although Marvel has long lost its former dominance, "Avengers 4" was its final peak, and it has plummeted since then.
In just two years, almost all new Marvel DC movies have been released, almost all of the superhero bonuses have been eaten up, leaving only a decline caused by political correctness.
So this "Deadpool and Wolverine" carries the hope of Marvel's recovery.
In addition to the popular character Deadpool, the 55-year-old wolf uncle Hugh Jackman almost single-handedly supported the action scenes of the movie.
"Wolverine 3" sold 700 million box office that year, and "Uncle Wolf"'s mainland box office appeal is even higher than "Deadpool".
The tomato scrambled egg combination of two popular characters should bring out sufficient comedy elements and exciting plot. At least Marvel is very satisfied with the final effect of
. There is news of reshoots for the
film. It’s not that Marvel doesn’t like the finished film, but it’s because they were too satisfied and decided to add a few more popular characters.
The director of this film, Sean Levy, who has filmed the "Night at the Museum" series, has been locked by Marvel as the director of "Avengers 5".
I personally believe that the film will be the best-selling new Marvel film after Avengers 4.
Although the film is focused on the feeling of killing, it is not a bad thing for the audience to let the 55-year-old Uncle Wolf's feelings continue for a few more years.
06, "Under the Stranger": The ceiling of domestic fantasy, another "big gamble" by Wu Ershan
Release date: July 26 Predicted box office: 1 billion
Wu Ershan's last big gamble, "Fengshen Chapter" "Part 1" bet was won, now it's another round.
"Fengshen Part 2" couldn't finish the special effects in time for the summer. " Under the Stranger " carries the hope of this year's summer domestic fantasy film.
The drama version of "Under the Stranger" directed by Xu Hongyu won a lot of praise during the summer release last year. This is both a good thing and a bad thing for the movie version.
The good thing is that the audience believes that domestic entertainment has the ability to film Under One Person well.
The bad thing is that Hu Xianxu's Zhang Chulan, Li Wanda's Feng Baobao, and Naran's Xia He cannot escape the judgment of the audience.
But Wu Ershan dared to come, holding three magic weapons in his hands.
The first point is big investment and new lineup.
Wu Ershan is currently the best blockbuster director in China, and he is also the blockbuster director who dares to use newcomers.
The popularity of "Fengshen Part 1" is inseparable from the brand-new Proton Group. Now Yu Shi is very popular, and Guo Jing is also played by Guo Jing.
"Under the Stranger" focuses on urban mythology + contemporary martial arts + Chinese style supernatural powers. The protagonist group is mainly newcomers.
also held a six-month "Under the Stranger" training camp, where actors had to receive traditional martial arts training.
The second point is the realistic restoration, exquisite production, and the "luxury" of the scene.
These features are not obvious just by looking at the first trailer.
But looking back on "Fengshen", the first trailer was ridiculed by the crowd. It cannot be ruled out that this is Wu Ershan repeating his old tricks, and what he wants is a reversal of reputation.
I don’t think there is any doubt about Wuer’s ability to do big scenes with special effects. The movie is not short of money and the actors are also invested. The final special effects are definitely not at the level of the trailer.
I still believe it is the benchmark for domestic fantasy movies.
The third point is to base the big IP. Although the drama version of
is very successful, one person has a huge IP, and there is still a lot that can be explored. For example, Wuershan focuses on the concept of "Qi", which is a combination of tradition to embody the special powers of the country, metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The five elements, the combination of martial arts and magic, and the use of talismans and seals create action scenes with both comedy effects and comic elements.
It is definitely difficult to adapt a movie because you have to balance book fans and passers-by, and even TV drama fans, but it is essentially aimed at young audiences.
"Under the Stranger" can also be said to be the domestic film most likely to capture the youth market this summer.
I am selfishly optimistic that Wu Ershan will once again achieve box office success. If it loses, it will also reflect many problems in the domestic fantasy genre.
07, "Decryption": Chen Sicheng enters the summer season again, will he create a box office champion again?
Predicted box office: 1.5 billion
Compared with other summer movies, this "Decryption" is the most special.
First of all, it is a spy movie type that is rare in summer movies. It can even be said that it is the first summer spy movie movie in the past twenty years.
Secondly, Chen Sicheng once again entered the summer season, which may have special meaning for him.
Last year, "The Lost Girl" he produced became a hit, with a box office of 3.5 billion, and later "The Three Brigades" with a box office of 700 million, and has a good reputation.
But this time "Decryption" may be the least Chen Sicheng movie. The
movie is adapted from Mai Jia's novel of the same name, with a magical lineup of Liu Haoran, Daniel Wu, and Chen Daoming.
tells the story of the mathematical genius Rong Jinzhen in the 1940s who was involved in the thrilling Sino-US cryptographic war.
It doesn’t matter whether you have seen the drama version or not. Chen Sicheng’s story is obviously starting from scratch.
's first "Life in Three Acts" version of the trailer, the amount of information does not seem to be large, but it is actually very large.
19 seconds, three shots explained the life of the mathematical genius Rong Jinzhen played by Liu Haoran.
From an ignorant boy, a high-spirited young man, to a bald middle-aged man, behind the appearance, there is an important genre of the film hidden: the patriotic theme.
Domestic spy war genre, strong in drama and weak in film.
Spy dramas originated from early spy dramas, starting with "The Conspiracy" in 2006, breaking out in 2009's "Insidious", and 2017's "Kite" being the pinnacle and the end of the climax.
There are far fewer outstanding domestic spy films. There are only "The Wind" in 2009 and "On the Cliff" in 2021.
Why is it so difficult for spy movies to become hits?
Because the movie is a 90-minute piece of art, it lasts for 120 minutes and cannot fit into the huge volume of a spy movie.
"The Wind" is essentially a secret room suspense film, while "Above the Cliff" was transformed into a suspense thriller by Zhang Yimou. If you really want to play spy war, you have to watch Liu Yunlong's spy war drama.
But Liu Yunlong’s own spy movie "Dongfengyu" is only 5.5 on Douban. To put it bluntly, spy movies are just not easy to make.
So Chen Sicheng challenged himself. In the past, the three-minute strong reversal style of the short video that he played in "The Vanishing Her" didn't work anymore.
He wants to open the curtain to introduce the background of the times, capture the atmosphere of a spy war between China and the United States in the crypto war, and insert human thoughts into the dense plot. Finally, he should complete the sublimation of individual destiny in the background of the times. .
This is as difficult as stuffing an elephant into the refrigerator.
Chen Sicheng said that "Decryption" will be a relatively new type of Chinese film attempt. This is no exaggeration.
There are two possibilities for early adopters. One is a disastrous failure.
The second is to explode. The previous summer hits "Wolf Warrior 2" and "Nezha" were genres that audiences had never seen before.
Chen Sicheng is taking a risk. If he loses, he loses. If he wins, the domestic spy film will advance to the summer season. Whether
can be exploded will only be decrypted after the movie is released.
08, "Retrograde Life": Xu Zheng goes to war again, another dark horse guarantee?
Release date: August 9th. Predicted box office: 1.2 billion
" Retrograde Life " is placed on the schedule of early August, which happens to be the schedule of last year's "Desperate". This means obviously, it is a summer release. Leading the box office in the second half.
The film stars Xu Zheng, Xin Zhilei, Wang Xiao, and the then ubiquitous Jia Bing.
But the key to success or failure lies in one person: Xu Zheng.
From the very beginning "On the Road to Misfortune" to several subsequent National Day highlight short films, Xu Zheng's directing skills have been evolving.
But Xu Zheng’s past box office blessings were actually the National Day and Lunar New Year slots.
Different from the past "囧" series of comedies, "Retrograde Life" is more like a realistic drama film. It tells the story of Gao Zhilei, a middle-level executive in a large factory played by Xu Zheng, who was laid off and turned to work as a delivery boy to make a living.
"The God of Medicine" and "All or Nothing" have proven that small and medium-cost films with realistic themes are not unpopular with the public. The most important thing is whether the film can tell a good story. The more closely
is integrated with reality, the more it will resonate with the public. The more
is connected with real public emotions, the easier it is to stir up the audience's nerves.
"Desperate" is the best proof.
"Retrograde Life" obviously hits the public's point. Large factories are laid off, middle-aged people are unemployed, and delivery workers counterattack.
Xu Zheng knows exactly what the public wants to see.
In addition, the story itself is in line with Xu Zheng's specialty style of realist comedy with small characters. It is hard to imagine that it will overturn. Jia Bing is responsible for comedy, Wang Xiao is responsible for acting, and Lao Mo is responsible for delivering fish.
As long as Xu Zheng's protagonist can make the audience empathize, then all is well -
it must be a blast.
is written at the end
In addition to these eight films, there are many other good works that will be included in the summer season.
For example, " legend " is a sequel to "Myth", directed by Tang Jili, starring Jackie Chan, Zhang Yixing, Guli Nazha, Li Zhiting, Li Chen, etc. Jackie Chan, who has not been very successful at the box office in recent years, has to go through box office again Tested.
"Welcome to Me" is a fantasy romance film starring Yu Shi and Bao Jie Wang Yinglu. It will be a dark horse once it is filmed.
"A Dream of Red Mansions" dares to be released on the same day as "Deadpool and Wolverine" and "Underworld". I can only say that the film crew is very confident, so I wish them well.
The director of "Wild Child" starring Wang Junkai has filmed Zhang Zifeng's "My Sister". Whether he can replicate the former's box office success depends on Wang Junkai's acting skills.
"White Snake: The Floating Life" is the third hit in the light-chasing animation White Snake series after the unexpected hit of "Chang'an 30,000 Miles" last year.
As for Deng Chao's "Gate of the Sand Sea", Lu Chuan's "749 Game", and Zhang Jiahui teamed up with Ethan Ruan's "Rebirth", they may also enter the summer schedule at any time.
Although on the surface, this year’s summer season still lacks large-scale projects like “Nezha 2”, in fact, before the start of last year’s summer season, the industry and audiences were not optimistic about it.
Who would have thought that "Feng Shen", "Octagonal Cage" and "All or Nothing" would all be hits?
The fact is that there is no sure-win schedule. The best summer schedules are all made up of spells.
To put it another way, if the summer box office wins, who will win? Is it a movie? It could also be emotions and issues.
instead of movie.
overwhelming publicity + strong emotions and strong topics + short video hits means a hit.
Audiences are more often pushed into the theater by the topic.
There are very few movies that can be watched in the traditional sense.
In this sense, what I am most looking forward to is not how much box office it will win this summer.
Let the movie itself win the game.
