From 8 PM when it officially premiered to 1 AM the next morning, a total of five hours, the online viewership of Zootopia had risen from an initial few million to a peak of over fifty million.
Even after the movie officially ended, the audience within the online cinema hall had not dispersed.
The number of reviews in the review section was also skyrocketing at an astonishing speed.
"It's been a long time since I stayed up late for a movie, but I just want to say it was worth it."
"5 hours, do you know how I spent these 5 hours? I can finally go to the restroom."
"I'll call it the strongest movie of 2022, truly amazing filmmaking."
"I actually watched a bunch of animals all night."
"No exaggeration, this is a perfect movie with a story and animals, and special effects and animals."
"It's proven that some young idols' acting skills are not only inferior to children, but even to a group of animals."
"I'm a spoiler, the final villain is the sheep principal, pfft, the sheep mayor."
"Laughed all night, my neighbors thought I was kidnapped and called the police."
"The plot is childish, the storyline is simplistic, the actors' performances are subpar, and the special effects are cheap. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about those domestic trash films nowadays."
"Principal Yang didn't disappoint me, it's truly an all-star cast, with stars like S.T.D., Space Ape, Paw Patrol, Tuan Tuan, Gang Zi, Sister Hua, etc., all playing supporting roles."
"If these were human actors, the salaries would have to be tens of billions."
"I'm a local from Ningnan, and I can confirm that the animal actors also received salaries. The female lead's salary was rumored to be several hundred tons of carrots."
"The male and female leads are pure amateurs, suspecting they brought their own funding."
"There's a scene between Director Fox and Principal Yang, those who haven't seen it, hurry up and watch."
"No emotion, all acting."
"Zootopia was filmed on location, I have to visit it at least once."
.......
Without exception, all comments about the movie were overwhelmingly positive.
Some praised the plot, some praised the scenery, and some praised the animal actors.
What surprised the audience the most were the performances of the animals in the film and the real locations within Zootopia.
The audience was already accepting of animals as actors.
After all, compared to humans, animals have significant deficiencies in both intelligence and behavioral capabilities.
However, in Zootopia, both the main and supporting animal characters performed with great effort.
Even minor imperfections were endearing.
Coupled with the amplification of the animals' inherent characteristics, it appeared seamless.
The real locations within Zootopia were even more remarkable, a true microcosm of human society integrated with animal elements.
As the audience gave their positive reviews, major film critics and media outlets began to capitalize on the trend.
Some praised it unequivocally, while others subtly satirized it.
Within a few hours, the top ten trending topics on Douyin were all occupied by topics related to Zootopia.
Consequently, some viewers who were not initially interested in animal-themed movies decided to watch it out of curiosity.
By the morning of the next day, the viewership of Zootopia had surpassed one hundred million.
......
"Old Yang, Old Yang, wake up, it exploded, it exploded!"
Early in the morning, at six o'clock, Yang Lin, who was in a deep sleep, was awakened by knocking on his door.
Vaguely hearing the word "exploded," he immediately got out of bed without bothering to put on his clothes.
"Exploded! What exploded! The gas tank exploded?"
In his haste, he quickly scanned the room and, after confirming there were no issues, noticed the sound was coming from outside the door.
With a hint of confusion, he opened the door.
The next moment, the "Ox" and "Horse" duo, with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes, appeared before him.
Seeing their disheveled state, Yang Lin was taken aback.
"What's wrong with you two? Did you know Tuan Tuan had diarrhea yesterday and you're planning to dress up as pandas today?"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the "Ox" and "Horse" duo flanked him and steered him back into the room.
"Old Yang, the reputation of our Zootopia has exploded."
"We stayed up all night, and personally watched the viewership rise from millions to over a hundred million, and it's still climbing."
Hearing this, Yang Lin, who was still confused, immediately understood.
However, there was no sign of excitement on his face.
"Sigh, I thought it was something else. Isn't this normal? It would be strange if it didn't explode."
"Besides, even if the reputation explodes, we won't get any extra money. We've already received what we were owed."
He then squeezed out from between them.
"Old Yang, you shouldn't say that. Do we make movies for money? We do it for our dreams."
"Yes! For our dreams, the audience's positive reviews are recognition of our talent! Something that money can't buy."
As they spoke, the "Ox" and "Horse" duo became excited again.
Yang Lin, standing beside them, suddenly added.
"If you say that, then I won't be giving out the year-end bonuses I prepared for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the "Ox" and "Horse" duo immediately looked at him expectantly.
"Look at what you're saying, people can't abandon money for dreams."
"Right, I've always believed my dream is to make big money."
Seeing their expressions, Yang Lin smiled slightly.
"Let's go, let's go have breakfast. Two great directors, after you eat, I have another job for you."
"What job?"
"Autographs. Zootopia officially opens today, and all the visitors will be your fans."
Instantly, the "Ox" and "Horse" duo's eyes lit up, filled with surprise and a hint of disbelief.
At this moment, Yang Lin didn't explain further and led the two to the staff cafeteria.
As the three of them were having breakfast, the entrance of the Zootopia park, not far from the Xihong Zoo, was already bustling with activity.
Countless tourists and reporters from all over the country were crowded at the entrance, even though it was still more than an hour before Zootopia officially opened.
At the same time, a large screen next to the Zootopia entrance was continuously playing scenes from Zootopia.
This further amplified the already enthusiastic atmosphere.
To document this significant moment, several national television media outlets and Ningnan City's local television station had dispatched mobile broadcasting vehicles to provide live coverage of the scene, satisfying the curiosity of those who couldn't be there in person.
As time ticked closer to the official opening, half an hour quickly passed.
Amidst the anxious anticipation of many, a large truck decorated as a float slowly drove onto the road in the distance.