Chinese singer Sha Baoliang, who rose to fame for singing the theme song “Fragrance in the Dark” for the TV drama “The Family of Gold Dust,” has transitioned to filmmaking in recent years. His comedy film “Diamond Shining on Bell and Drum Tower,” with a production cost of 30 million Chinese yuan, only made 2,898 yuan on its opening day at the box office.
“Diamond Shining on Bell and Drum Tower” tells the story of rock veteran Cui Dacheng (played by Sha Baoliang) and his unreliable daughter Zhao Xiaolu (played by Chen Yumi). On the eve of her wedding, Xiaolu unexpectedly loses her engagement ring and decides to run away, reaching out to her long-lost father, Cui Dacheng, for help. Little did she know that her presence was the key to unlocking her father’s creative inspiration, leading to a series of absurd events.
According to reports from mainland media, the promotional highlight of the “Beijing-style comedy” film “Diamond Shining on Bell and Drum Tower” is the lead actor, Sha Baoliang, who hails from Beijing. Despite his past success with the hit song “Fragrance in the Dark,” Sha Baoliang’s recent ventures in films and TV series like “Taking Risks,” “The Porcelain Seeker of the Antique Bureau,” “The Lock,” “Hello, Sharpshooter,” and “Harbin 1944” have been lukewarm. This latest film, “Diamond Shining on Bell and Drum Tower,” marks his debut as a male lead in a movie.
Some audience members have noted that a prominent feature of Beijing-style comedies is witty dialogue, which unfortunately was lacking in “Diamond Shining on Bell and Drum Tower.” The film also lacks the viral internet memes commonly found in similar productions, leaving it somewhat lackluster.
Reports indicate that despite the 30 million yuan budget, the film only made 2,898 yuan on its opening day as of 9 p.m. on April 19, a significant gap from expected box office returns. Analysis suggests that based on current box office trends, the likelihood of the film surpassing 10,000 yuan is close to zero. This movie might end up being one of the biggest box office flops for Chinese films in April this year.