Aside from the five films with production budgets exceeding 50 million, the remaining seven were all small-budget productions with investments under 10 million — most of them costing only 3 to 4 million to produce.
Romance films, by nature, don't require large production budgets. In fact, over 30% of a typical romance film's investment often goes into hiring top-billed actors.
So, in terms of raw data, the budget of the Qixi Festival lineup was far lower than that of the previous summer season.
However, the difference in box office scale between the two periods was more than double, so this discrepancy was understandable.
But on August 12, the day after advance ticket sales began…
The pre-sale box office data was officially released.
As expected, 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' topped the charts with 59 million in Pre-sales, just as predicted. The second to fifth places basically correlated with each film's investment level.
'The Deep Blue Sea' pulled in 36 million, 'Dreamers' had 29 million, 'Fireflies in Summer' made 22 million, and 'Unlovable' followed with 21 million!
Once this pre-sale data came out, the film industry collectively sighed. It confirmed once again:
Pre-sale numbers don't guarantee final box office success. There have been films that earned over 100 million in advance tickets, only to gross less than 200 million a month into release due to poor word-of-mouth.
But this data already proved how strongly Jing Yu's TV fans were supporting him. His film only had a 50 million investment, and clearly received less promotional funding compared to big-budget projects like 'The Deep Blue Sea'. Yet the marketing effect? Absolutely bonkers.
As for whether Jing Yu's film would crash due to a bad storyline?
That possibility exists for anyone's work. But up to this point, Jing Yu hasn't had a single flop.
"Never flopped" — just those two words were enough to make his fans trust his work unconditionally and pay for it. But to his competitors, that pressure was enormous.
Meanwhile, Jing Yu's fans began mobilizing in full force.
On major forums and fan groups, there were endless calls for everyone to buy tickets.
"Let's go, brothers! Get your tickets now. Don't wait for the streaming platforms — it'll take over a month before it hits any of them. By then, theatergoers will have spoiled everything. Watch early, enjoy early!"
"Think about it. Before Old Thief Jing Yu rose to fame, what was Great Zhou's TV industry like? And what is it now? This isn't about whether you like romance films or whether you've got a date for Qixi Festival. Support Old Thief's movie — if it succeeds, maybe the film industry will be revitalized just like he did for TV!"
"Honestly, you won't lose money on a Jing Yu film. It's only 30 or 40 yuan a ticket — totally worth it."
"60 million in pre-sales? That's barely okay. Let's keep pushing!"
"But what if it's a tragedy? Kinda nervous..."
"Nervous for what? Did you regret going to the theaters for 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' or 'Love Letter' just because they were tragedies? Besides, Old Thief clearly said — no one dies in this one. You're still scared?"
"People talk trash about him online, but I really don't want him to lose. Especially not to those films!"
"Look — the screenwriter of 'The Deep Blue Sea' was exposed years ago for abusing rookie actresses. And the director of 'Fireflies in Summer'? Back when 'Love Letter' dominated the Qixi box office, he claimed Old Thief Jing Yu just got lucky that year and had no real competition. Tsk tsk…"
"No wonder so many fans hate those films!"
"Well, not all of it's hate. It's just that Jing Yu's influence is too strong. His TV and film projects are so closely connected that the whole industry has opinions about him. It's like the old guard judging the younger generation. And the fans? They don't want the undefeated Old Thief of television to get stomped in cinema — that would just give his haters a field day."
"Exactly. We're not expecting him to dominate the film industry like he did TV. That would be insane. But if he's going to lose, at least let it be to a worthy rival — not to a bunch of romance films in Qixi season. Don't forget, Old Thief made his name in romance! If he loses now, it's like his home turf getting conquered."
People may talk all kinds of smack normally — ranting online, swearing they'll never watch his next work…
But on the eve of 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time's release, even the toughest critics among his fans softened their tone. Many even encouraged hesitant moviegoers to go to the theater and support the film.
This is why, despite Jing Yu not pouring much money into promotional efforts for 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time', its pre-sale box office was still far ahead of 'The Deep Blue Sea'.
Unless it's a sequel, most films don't come with an existing fan base. Viewers usually buy tickets for the actors, screenwriter, or director involved.
And in that regard, Jing Yu held a massive advantage.
That evening, on August 12, Yunteng TV did something rare — it temporarily suspended one of its prime-time dramas and gave that golden time slot to a variety show promoting Jing Yu's new film.
After an hour-long promotional event aired, it marked the end of Jing Yu's own efforts for the film. The rest… was now up to time.
On the way back, Cheng Lie said, "You're surprisingly calm."
Jing Yu laughed, "Nothing to be nervous about. Do you know how many times I've experienced this kind of night before a premiere? Twenty… thirty times, maybe. I've gotten used to it."
"What I mean is," Cheng Lie continued, "most people at the top are terrified of falling. Acclaimed musicians often delay new releases. Celebrated screenwriters obsessively rewrite their scripts. Fame isn't easy — that's why they treasure their position, sometimes spending ten years on a single piece. But you… You're different."
"You've been out of the film scene for two years," he added. "And now you're back, returning on the same Qixi slot where 'Love Letter' set records. If this film fails, the media won't be kind. Aren't you afraid?"
"Well…" Jing Yu replied, "I guess I just have confidence that even if I fall from the top, I'll be able to climb back up again."
You have no idea how many stories I have stockpiled in my head. If one genre flops, I'll just switch to another — and it'll hit again.
But that's not something Jing Yu could explain to Cheng Lie.
Soon enough, the clock passed midnight.
August 13 had arrived — Qixi Festival was here.