Director Edward

Chapter 239: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Premieres! (1)

The chimes of the New Year rang out slowly as the empire bid farewell to the final night of the year, welcoming the dawn of a new one.

For Durin, however, Christmas Eve remained a busy day. After completing the filming and production of the projection crystals, he immediately sought out Viscount Banil to distribute copies of the crystals to cinemas across the region.

At the same time, Durin sent copies of the projection crystals to the Imperial Mage Academy and the Southern Border Army. He even mailed copies to the royal palace and the Duke of the South's estate.

After all, considering the royal family's and nobility's adherence to various etiquettes, it was highly unlikely that Emperor Hubbard or Duke Constantine would personally attend a movie screening on New Year's Day. This gesture was Durin's way of offering them a special courtesy.

Once everything was in order, Durin finally allowed himself to relax. Exhausted, he arrived at Edward's Tavern, where he was cared for by Winry, who had been waiting for him. Under her care, he managed to rest for a while.

Meanwhile, a brand-new "movie war" was officially ignited between the empire's eastern and western borders.

...

On New Year's Day, cinemas in the eastern, western, and southern regions of the empire began displaying posters for new films.

Unlike before, when Edward Studios was the sole producer of films, this time the cinemas were also showing advertisements for The Song of the Vampire, a film funded and produced by a coalition of southern nobles.

Undoubtedly, the title alone gave away the premise of the story. It was an adaptation of a classic stage play about the forbidden love between a young woman and a vampire, a love that could never exist under the sunlight.

In the past, this stage play had toured the southern region and other parts of the empire, already amassing a natural audience base. Combined with meticulously designed posters and the selection of attractive leads, the film quickly caught the public's attention and became a hot topic of discussion.

In comparison, Durin's new film, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, seemed like a work shrouded in mystery. The title gave no clue about its content, and the poster merely depicted two men in a standoff, offering little to draw in an audience.

If not for Durin's reputation as a director, even the people of the southern region might not have paid much attention to this film.

As a result, in the eastern and western regions of the empire, where films had not been widely available in the past, The Song of the Vampire quickly dominated the market, overwhelming JoJo's Bizarre Adventure with its immense popularity.

A casual survey revealed that the vast majority of the general public expressed a preference for The Song of the Vampire over JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Buoyed by this good news, the southern nobles began to let their success go to their heads.

Many of them even hosted premature victory banquets, drinking themselves into a stupor while fantasizing about a future where they would be swimming in wealth.

Even Viscount Ranier, who had been cautious initially, couldn't help but feel emboldened. He began to believe he truly possessed the talent to be a filmmaker.

In his eyes, although Durin was the pioneer of cinema, he had merely benefited from the early advantages of a budding industry. When faced with a formidable competitor like himself, Durin's shortcomings were bound to be exposed.

Thus, when a group of nobles approached him the day before the film's release, proposing that the ticket price for The Song of the Vampire be raised to five silver coins, Viscount Ranier agreed without hesitation.

Ranier was no stranger to business strategies. He fully understood the nature of price wars. However, recognizing the obvious disparity between The Song of the Vampire and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, he couldn't resist the temptation of greater profits and chose to increase ticket prices.

Originally, a single ticket was priced at five copper coins. Even if sales were phenomenal, the potential revenue was still limited. There was a clear ceiling that couldn't be broken.

By increasing the price tenfold, to five silver coins, it would undoubtedly deter some moviegoers.

But as long as a significant number of people were still willing to watch, the profits would far exceed what could be earned with lower-priced tickets.

As a businessman, Viscount Ranier was well-versed in such basic economic principles.

However, in the end, Ranier made the critical mistake of treating films solely as a commodity, forgetting their essence as entertainment products.

No matter how meticulously he calculated, the ultimate factor determining a movie's box office success was a single element: its entertainment value.

Only a film that was truly engaging and interesting could command a high audience turnout and make substantial profits.

On this point, Viscount Banil, who had been in the film industry far longer, had a much clearer understanding than Viscount Ranier.

As former competitors in the industry, Banil naturally paid close attention when he learned that Ranier had ventured into filmmaking.

Long before Durin decided to shoot a new movie, Banil had already begun crafting various plans in secret, intending to defeat his old rival.

However, when he discovered that Durin was planning to release a new film, Banil ultimately abandoned any underhanded tactics. While damaging his own reputation wouldn't have been an issue, risking harm to the reputation of Durin or Edward Studios was a completely different matter.

To Banil, Durin was nothing short of the embodiment of the god of cinema, and he saw himself as the most devout of worshippers.

How could a devoted believer ever dare tarnish the image of the deity they revered? Doing so would be tantamount to betraying his own faith.

Because of this, Banil had been in a constant state of mental tension over the past few weeks.

But that tension evaporated entirely the moment he watched the original cut of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure from Durin and, through his own channels, managed to acquire and view the full version of The Song of the Vampire.

Having seen both films from start to finish, every ounce of his previous unease disappeared.

If he had to sum up his feelings in one word, it would be: This is a sure thing!

...

On the first day of the new year, cinemas in the major cities of the eastern and western regions opened their doors to the public.

Thanks to the recent wave of promotional campaigns, countless ordinary citizens, many of whom had never experienced a movie before, flocked to the theaters, eager to make their choice between the two films being screened.

At first glance, when comparing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and The Song of the Vampire, the latter seemed like the obvious pick, with its more enticing premise and polished presentation.

However, the stark difference in ticket prices immediately gave many viewers pause.

After all, while five copper coins were equivalent to the cost of a mug of ale at a tavern, five silver coins represented several days' worth of meals for an entire family.

Faced with such a disparity, most people, especially those with limited financial means or less affluent households, opted for the far more affordable ticket to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and filed into the side theaters.

Meanwhile, wealthier patrons with disposable income chose to watch The Song of the Vampire in the main theaters.

And thus, the world's very first "movie war" officially began!

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