The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2020–2024
The Journey of Flower (2024): the movie that turned a hit drama into a ¥90M loss
After the 2015 TV hit 花千骨, a ¥100M+ movie adaptation grossed only ¥6.56M and lost ~¥90M — one of 2024's first big flops.
新派系（上海）文化传媒有限公司 · 2024-01-20
What happened
The Journey of Flower (花千骨), a film adaptation of the hugely popular 2015 TV drama of the same name, cost more than ¥100 million in all. It was released in mainland China on January 20, 2024, years after the television series became a phenomenon.
The film grossed only ¥6.56 million at the box office, per Maoyan — a fraction of its cost. With the investors' share of that gross at just about ¥3 million, the adaptation lost roughly ¥90 million and was counted one of the year's first major flops.
Director Zhang Chaoli publicly apologized, crying that four years of effort went unrewarded, and the tearful plea drew more ridicule than sympathy. The failure showed that a beloved television property did not automatically translate into a film audience.
Why it happened
- Years after the TV series was a hit, the film spent ¥100M+ on the same IP without the original leads, betting the fans would follow the property.
- The movie opened January 20, 2024, to a few million in gross and rapidly collapsed, ending near ¥6.56M — a total rejection of the adaptation.
- With the investors' box-office share only ~¥3M against a ¥100M+ bill, the film lost roughly ¥90M, and director Zhang Chaoli publicly apologized and wept.
The lesson
A beloved property is not an audience: the 花千骨 movie spent ¥100M+ on a hit-TV IP and grossed ¥6.56M — the fans who loved the show stayed away from the film, and the cost went down the drain.
Sources
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