Chapter 404 - 399: Cat and Mouse: Lucky Rabbit Year Gets a Release Date

Chapter 404: Chapter 399: Cat and Mouse: Lucky Rabbit Year Gets a Release Date

On December 12th, the Capital City saw its first snow of the year.

The trees lining the streets were bare, and as far as the eye could see, a blanket of white covered everything.

Jiang Xia took a sip of hot tea, watching the snowflakes drift down outside his window. ’Another year has passed,’ he thought with a sigh.

This year, Qitian Company had seen nothing but success. In the animation market, they had produced two massive hits, *Cat and Mouse* and *Slam Dunk*. Dili Dili had also become the most popular video website among young people in the country.

Furthermore, through third-party collaborations, merchandise for *Cat and Mouse* and *Slam Dunk* had appeared in major markets. This even boosted his father-in-law’s toy factory, with sales figures several times higher than the previous year. *Cat and Mouse* had also gone international, gaining fame abroad and earning the title "the face of the domestic animation industry" from netizens.

A sudden knock came at his office door. He slowly pulled his gaze away from the window. "Come in."

The person who entered was Li Weiya. She wore a long, black trench coat over a form-fitting, knit maxi dress, giving her an elegant yet capable air.

"Ah Xia, post-production for *Cat and Mouse: Lucky Rabbit Year* is complete. This is the final cut, freshly copied. Take a look."

Li Weiya smiled, handing him a portable hard drive. "The post-production team and I have reviewed it carefully. We haven’t found any mistakes so far."

Jiang Xia nodded, took the hard drive, and plugged it into his computer. "If we send it for review now," he asked casually, "will we have enough time?"

Li Weiya sat down across from him and poured herself a cup of tea. "We have plenty of time. The *Cat and Mouse* movie is a cartoon. It has no dialogue and doesn’t involve any sensitive content like pornography, superstition, or violence, so the review process should be relatively quick."

Most importantly, the script was sent to the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television for review and filing early in the production phase. And since *Cat and Mouse* is currently the hottest cartoon in the country, as long as the content isn’t prohibited, the relevant departments will almost certainly give it the green light.

"That’s good."

Jiang Xia opened the *Cat and Mouse* movie file. The opening was the same as the series: a roaring tiger’s head, which then introduced "TOM and JERRY."

"What about marketing and distribution? How are the contacts coming along?"

"We’ve finalized deals with all the major platforms," Li Weiya said with a smile after a sip of tea. "Once it passes review and we get the Dragon Seal—the permit for public screening—we can officially start the promotional campaign. We’re also planning to call a press conference for the ad placements, and that will require an appearance from you, our executive director."

"No problem," Jiang Xia agreed without hesitation.

A film’s press conference was really just a promotional event. Media, reporters, and industry professionals would be invited with the goal of disseminating information about the movie to the public, such as showing trailers and posters, and sharing behind-the-scenes stories or details.

It was also an important opportunity to showcase the talent of the creative team. However, given the current popularity of *Cat and Mouse* in the country, the public already held Qitian Animation’s production capabilities in high regard.

"However, the contracts for the theatrical release date and screen scheduling are still under negotiation. I’ll do my best to secure a high screen-time percentage," said Li Weiya.

"Mm, no rush on that. We can deal with the screening contracts after it passes review. As for the official release date, it’s definitely going to be the first day of the Lunar New Year—that’s a given. If we can get the number one spot at the box office during the Spring Festival season, *Cat and Mouse* will have made its mark on the history of domestic animated films. All our hard work this year won’t have been for nothing," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

Compared to traditional films, animated movies in this era were still at a disadvantage. Getting tens of millions, or even a hundred million, at the box office was considered quite good.

But Jiang Xia didn’t see it that way. *Cat and Mouse* had been a viral sensation for over a year. Other films might need to spend a fortune on marketing just to get the public aware of them, but *Cat and Mouse* only needed its name. That was its advantage.

Most importantly, there were so many children in the country who loved *Cat and Mouse*. During the New Year holiday, parents wanting to make their kids happy would buy at least two tickets, guaranteed.

After all, a film that would later be hailed as a masterpiece, *Let the Bullets Fly*—the 2010 box office champion—only grossed a little over 600 million in this era. Its budget was over 130 million, and after deducting the shares for various distribution partners, the final take-home profit wouldn’t be that much.

Jiang Xia had just recently watched the press conference for *Let the Bullets Fly*. It was scheduled to release on December 16th, meaning it would hit major theaters in the mainland in just four days.

The *Cat and Mouse* movie, on the other hand, was set for the 2011 Spring Festival season, perfectly avoiding this formidable competitor.

’As I recall, there aren’t any heavy hitters releasing during the Spring Festival season. With one side’s loss being the other’s gain, the probability of the *Cat and Mouse* movie earning a higher box office take has invisibly increased by several percentage points.’

"Alright, take your time watching it. I’ll get back to work. Call me immediately if you find any issues," Li Weiya said.

Jiang Xia gave a slight nod.

He watched *Lucky Rabbit Year* in silence, even going frame-by-frame in several spots to ensure there were no mistakes in the details. If anyone had slipped in some personal "creative input" at any point, it could ruin the entire animated film.

Fortunately, that hadn’t happened. After triple-checking everything, he had someone send the final cut, along with the film production permit, back to the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television for review.

「Four days later」

On December 16th, the movie *Let the Bullets Fly* was released. It earned 30.18 million on its opening day, and its box office numbers continued to climb, reaching a peak of 60 million in a single day. Within eight days, it surpassed 300 million, and several of the main actors posted their thoughts on Weibo.

Right at this moment, however, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television approved their film. The very next day at 12:00 PM, Qitian Animation announced the premiere date for *Cat and Mouse: Lucky Rabbit Year* on D Station. It was officially scheduled for the Spring Festival!

Simultaneously, major media outlets scrambled to report the news. Qitian Animation even spent a fortune on advertisements on television, at bus stops, and across online platforms.

Released along with the announcement was the trailer for the *Cat and Mouse* movie. The visuals were filled with strong traditional Chinese elements, and a clever, quirky rabbit became Jerry’s new friend, repeatedly helping him escape Tom’s clutches.

It had the same classic feel, and the three-minute trailer alone had countless people roaring with laughter. The exquisite quality of the animation and the silky-smooth movements were breathtaking.

Seeing the endless stream of positive reviews online and netizens eagerly begging for the New Year to come faster, Qitian Animation finally, and unhurriedly, held its press conference.

With various media outlets broadcasting the event, Jiang Xia, as the executive director, took the stage with the entire *Cat and Mouse* creative team. He walked the public through the creative journey of *Lucky Rabbit Year*.

The final part of the event was to rally support for their movie, expressing their hope that this lively and fun animated film would be loved by kids and adults alike.