China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1037 Two leading actresses make a stunning appearance, clearing the way for the Chinese film market.
"After 9 days, 'Hello Mr. Billionaire' has grossed a total of 20.18 billion yuan at the box office. Its reputation and audience attendance remain stable, and its future is still promising!"

"Following 'Dying to Survive,' another box office monster with over 20 billion yuan has emerged during the summer season, and the box office record of the comedy film 'The Mermaid' is in jeopardy!"

"Zhou Dudu has made another phenomenal investment, and industry experts predict that Happy Twist's market value may exceed 10 billion!"

"."

In the film market, aside from the news of the celebration banquet for "Dying to Survive," "Hello Mr. Billionaire" continues its triumphant run, firmly dominating the headlines of film and television news.

It is said that the Grand Commander of Jiangdong has eyes that are blessed, and this is indeed true.

Whether it's his management of Jiangdong, his behind-the-scenes control of Mingjie, or his investment in Bilibili, Douyin, and other capital operations.

It has long been written into textbooks and used as a classic case study, and is repeatedly discussed in some university courses.

Today, Zhou Yutang's impressive track record includes another noteworthy achievement: his investment in Happy Twist.

The twisted dough sticks of today are no longer the bandits they once were.

With the rise to fame of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" and the dominance of "Hello Mr. Billionaire" in the comedy genre, there is a story to tell.

Moreover, with Governor Zhou as his backer, a market value of 10 billion is no joke.

China Cultural Industry Investment Fund acquired an additional 11.33% stake in Mahua FunAge for 9.12 million yuan, becoming one of the company's major shareholders.

Many people are unaware of the background of the China Cultural Industry Investment Fund.

This is a national-level cultural industry investment institution with government backing, jointly initiated by the Ministry of Finance of China and several large state-owned enterprises and financial institutions!

That is, the national team as it is commonly known!
The fact that such a major player is investing real money in the market has undoubtedly boosted market confidence and caused Mahua's overall valuation to skyrocket.

The investment community has paid close attention to this, including Tencent and Alibaba, the two major capital players, who are actively pursuing the acquisition of Mahua's shares.

For internet giants, what they fear most is not being able to spend their money; anything that can be solved with money is not a problem.

After receiving a private call from Pony Ma, his investment advisors conveyed once again that the Tencent team had a very sincere intention to acquire a portion of the equity.

Zhou Yutang thought for a moment, then nodded:

"We can talk to Tencent."

Jiangdong was his base, while Mahua was just a casual move, a small part of the Jiangdong Grand Commander's entertainment empire.

From an investment perspective, the company has already achieved at least a tenfold return, so buying out a portion of the equity at a premium is perfectly acceptable.

The main reason is that Zhou Yutang felt that after its peak, Mahua might be going downhill for a while.

With the golden combination of Shen Teng and Mary, the popularity of Rocket Girls, and even the Grand Commander personally appearing, coupled with multi-channel promotion, "Hello Mr. Billionaire" basically reached the box office ceiling for a comedy film.

The decision made at the internal meeting of Mahua FunAge was to try to reduce Shen Teng's influence as much as possible and prepare to vigorously promote new people to new positions.

Including Mahua FunAge's "Never Say Die," which heavily promoted Allen, it can only be said that it was half successful; the new drama "Li Cha's Aunt" was just a platform set up for Huang Cailun.

Achieving the same effect as Shen Teng is basically unrealistic.

After all, comedic geniuses like Stephen Chow and Shen Teng only appear once every ten years.

Within days, capital poured in, and the deal was nearing completion, stirring up the film and television industry once again.

Zhou Yutang still wields considerable influence, and has also received a large sum of cash. Mahua FunAge has gained access to Tencent's distribution channels, providing even stronger support for future project promotions. As for Tencent, having spent a significant amount of money, they are finally back on the same side as Governor Zhou, and everyone feels they have won against Mahua FunAge.
The Venice Film Festival also receives considerable attention within the industry.

Cao Baoping, the leading figure in the Chinese suspense and crime film genre, is highly anticipated, while top actress Fan Bingbing has recently been making headlines.

Before this, Maggie Cheung had won Best Actress awards at both Berlin and Cannes, while Gong Li had won Best Actress awards at both Venice and Montreal.

These two are the pinnacle of female star status in the industry.

If Ms. Fan really does win the Venice Film Festival, she'll have three international A-list Best Actress awards in her hands.

Whether from the perspective of actual achievements or popularity, he is undoubtedly the number one person in the industry.

There are quite a few female celebrities in the industry who envy her.

What's the use of just being envious?

We need to take action to at least close the gap with the women of Naru Province.

Yang Mi has always been incredibly proactive.

Teacher Fan began to rub her hands together, preparing to go all out for the Venice Film Festival, and she was not lagging behind.

Following the official announcement of the 75th Venice International Film Festival, the neighboring 66th San Sebastián International Film Festival also announced its list of nominees for each section.

Among them is the art film "Baby," starring Yang Mi and Guo Jingfei and directed by Liu Jie, which is prominently featured in the main competition section.

"Yang Mi's film 'Baby' is set to compete in the San Sebastián International Film Festival, making it the only Chinese-language film to be nominated for the main competition at this year's festival!"

"Two leading actresses dazzle Europe, sounding the clarion call for Chinese-language films to go global!"

Yang Mi and Teacher Fan seem to be destined rivals. The two veteran "Fish Girls" are once again being compared when they take the stage at the same time.

Smart people always know how to take shortcuts.

Take Yang Mi for example. These past few days, she's been contacting Governor Zhou with unusual enthusiasm, using intimate photos that aren't suitable for children as a pretext, and they're being incredibly affectionate.

"Honey, do you think I have a chance?"

"Want to go hiking?"

"Ugh, it's not like you haven't climbed it before."

Zhou Dudu had only read the script for "The Hidden Corner," and Da Mimi didn't understand it at all, thinking it was just some intimate talk.

"You should ask the chairman of the jury if you think you have a chance."

Zhou Yutang calmly saved Da Mimi's private photos and then replied in a very perfunctory manner.

"Then you should help them out. At worst, I'll wear a Real Madrid jersey."

Da Mimi raised her sweet voice and immediately unleashed her invincible coquettish charm.

"We'll see how you perform. I'll have Old Chen go and ask first, but it's best not to have too high hopes."

He made a vague promise, and then Governor Zhou gave Yang Mi a preventative injection. The whole process was incredibly smooth.

Every film festival, whether in China or abroad, is essentially a distribution of spoils.

But how to divide pork is also a science.

Ultimately, public relations efforts can only proceed if the film itself is of high quality.

If someone is utterly hopeless and is forcibly promoted to a high position, then they are unworthy of the position and will suffer a backlash from public opinion, which will also tarnish the reputation of the film festival.

Zhou Yutang participated in the post-production of "She Kills" and was confident in the quality of the film, which is why he asked Chen Zhiheng to do his best in public relations, while the Film Academy also put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

As a professor at the Beijing Film Academy, if Cao Baoping can make a name for himself at the Venice Film Festival, it will be a great honor for the entire academy.

Liu Jie is also a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, Wang Xiaoshuai's go-to cinematographer, and he also collaborated with Da Meiyuan on "Beijing Bicycle".

He did make an appearance at the Shanghai International Film Festival and even starred in "Youth," which launched the career of Dong Zijian, the son of Wang Jinhua.

But these alone are definitely not enough.

The film academy doesn't have the power to dominate both of these major film festivals. If it has to choose one to promote, it will inevitably choose Cao Baoping, who is close to the Jiangdong faction.

So, Yang Mi can't wear a Real Madrid jersey, not even a Barcelona one.
While the film festival's public relations efforts were progressing, the TV series' popularity continued to rise.

The hit TV series "Snow in the Sword" continues to be a sensation on both TV and online platforms. The death of Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang, played by Li Xuejian, has brought tears to many viewers' eyes.

As the Northern Wilderness storyline progresses, the sheer power and resources displayed by the Northern Wilderness are awe-inspiring. Their vast army, with its overwhelming might, is truly terrifying.

Xu Fengnian ventures alone into Northern Mang, where there is a spectacular fight scene reminiscent of the original novel.

In other words, he directly defeated the Fifth Lord of the Northern Barbarian Mountain to save Qingniao.

In fact, the Fifth Badger's realm was even higher than Xu Fengnian's.

But the wall hanging is unreasonable.

After dissipating the Great Yellow Court, his inner universe erupted, allowing him to overpower and kill the Fifth Badger. As a result, his cultivation level once dropped to the pseudo-Profound Realm, and his black hair turned white.

"I think this may mark the transformation of the Crown Prince from a reckless youth to the Prince of Beiliang who will succeed Xu Xiao and shoulder heavy responsibilities."

"These action scenes are really exciting!"

"Seeing Xu Fengnian return with the fifth charcoal head, and the entire Northern Liang army paying homage to the Crown Prince, was absolutely thrilling!"

"Damn, am I the only one who thinks Xu Fengnian with white hair is more handsome than Xu Fengnian with black hair?"

"Me too."

"A Grand Commander of unparalleled good looks, someone even I must temporarily avoid."

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There are various analysts online doing plot interpretations, but most agree that Zhou Yutang's white-haired prince skin is incredibly handsome.

While the TV series was airing, a survey of the beauty and hairdressing industry showed that, just like the unconventional lion's mane hairstyle of yesteryear, dyeing hair white has become a current trend.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yutang's vision went black.

He finally remembered that he was the lead actor in the drama, and took time out of his busy schedule to promote "Snow in the Wind".

Ordinary directors take their main cast on various promotional tours, during which rumors and gossip fly everywhere, all for the sake of exposure and attention.

Zhou Yutang doesn't need to do this anymore.

The name of the Grand Commander of Jiangdong has become a tangible symbol of his reputation, naturally attracting wave after wave of audience support.

In early August, Jiangdong Entertainment held a press conference to officially announce the release dates of several of Dongwu's unreleased projects. Simultaneously, the State Film Administration website also released an announcement:
"The Wandering Earth, co-produced by Soochow Pictures, Wanda Pictures, Shanghai Film Group, and others, directed by Zhou Yutang, and starring Wu Jing, Lu Han, Wu Mengda, Li Guangjie, and Zhao Jinmai, with cameo appearances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, and others, has officially passed censorship and is scheduled for release during the Chinese New Year holiday!"

"The National Day holiday is all about 'She Kills' and 'Shadow,' 'The Wandering Earth' is going to be released during the Lunar New Year holiday, and 'Detective Chinatown 2' will be released on the first day of the Lunar New Year. It's like Jiangdong has monopolized all the popular movie seasons for the whole year!"

"Braise! That's not fair!"

"Is there no justice in this world? Is there no law? Can't someone come and stop this guy surnamed Zhou?"

"Who can stop this? Jiangdong has achieved a box office of 10 billion in half a year. Foreign blockbusters would have to get a few kicks from the Grand Commander when they enter the market."

"Relatively speaking, there is still more room for maneuver during the National Day holiday."

"It seems that 'The Captain' will be officially announced soon, and there's also 'Aquaman' about to be released. They're all big hits."

Governor Zhou still did not attend the press conference. Jiangdong President Li Shuang and Dongwu CEO Chen Xi stood up for the women, causing a huge uproar in the industry.

After dominating the summer movie season in turn, several more fierce contenders are set to emerge and dominate the National Day, Lunar New Year, and Spring Festival holidays.
Show your cards, stop pretending.

This is clearly a strategy to dominate the entire Chinese film market for the whole year!

Are you even giving people a way to survive?!
The entire film and television industry was subsequently shaken by a massive earthquake.

Film and television companies in the industry are paying close attention to Jiang Dongjia's actions, using them as a basis for analysis and adjusting their own strategies.

Past examples have shown that going head-to-head with Governor Zhou would most likely result in being crushed in a direct confrontation.

But such a huge piece of the pie during prime time is always tempting.

Those who need to adjust their schedules will do so, those who need to make alternative plans will do so, and those who are secretly plotting and making ugly moves behind the scenes will also be numerous.

La Peikang, the head of China Film Group, was no exception. While he was overseeing the post-production special effects of "Shanghai Fortress" at the special effects base, his secretary came up to him and gave a concise report on the specific arrangements for the Jiang family's project.

The relationship between China Film Group and Jiangdong is no longer what it used to be, but they have maintained a basic level of civility.

Jiangdong CEO Li Shuang had already given advance notice regarding the release dates of these films.

La Peikang knew what was going on, and turned to tell Teng Wentao about it. Teng Wentao was slightly taken aback, still somewhat incredulous: "Chairman La, 'The Wandering Earth' only finished filming at the beginning of this year, how come the post-production progress is so fast?"

This is unscientific! This is absolutely unscientific!
Looking at those Hollywood blockbusters, they all take several years to polish before they meet the audience on the big screen.

Zhou Yutang's actions seemed to be a bit overpowered, but after the initial shock, Teng Wentao was secretly delighted.

Anyone in the engineering field knows that to speed up the process, certain details inevitably have to be overlooked.

The same principle applies to film and television projects. Moreover, Governor Zhou has too many projects under his control and is also busy playing around with women.

Judging from his own experience, Teng Wentao felt that Governor Zhou's mind might not be entirely on this science fiction movie.

If the product doesn't perform well when it's served, wouldn't that be a stepping stone for "Shanghai Fortress"?

It's like a simp automatically imagining which kindergarten his future child will attend after seeing a goddess.

At this moment, Teng Wentao's mind was filled with the wonderful fantasy of becoming a god by stepping on the Grand Commander of Jiangdong in one battle.

Even when La Peikang called him twice, he didn't hear it. The secretary, sweating profusely, nudged Teng Wentao and said, "Director Teng, Chairman La has something he wants to discuss with you."

"I was thinking about the post-production of the movie and my mind wandered."

Having regained his original spirit, Teng Wentao respectfully smiled and said:

"La Dong, please speak."

Excellent, that's exactly the kind of focused and dedicated craftsmanship we're looking for!

La Peikang nodded almost imperceptibly, then asked, "Can it be done by the end of October?"

Teng Wentao: "?"

Seeing him tilt his head and look troubled, La Peikang frowned slightly.

He was naturally familiar with the way Jiangdong operated film and television projects.

As early as when the project was established, the visual effects team from Vision Media followed up.

Following Zhou Yutang's ideas, a special effects plan for the film was created. Once the pre-production was completed and filming officially began, the special effects team would join the crew.

They work day and night without stopping.

Zhou Yutang would even continue to hold meetings with the special effects team at night after filming was completed during the day, his energy was frightening.

In contrast, Teng Wentao, a well-known director in Beijing's film circle, seemed rather flustered when it came to post-production special effects.

He was like a greenhorn in front of Governor Zhou.

It was the secretary of the chairman of Lada who had the best sense of observation, and explained to Teng Wentao:
"Director Teng, what Chairman La means is that it's best to get it done in October, leaving enough buffer time to develop a publicity plan. Then we can release it during the Spring Festival season and take advantage of Jiangdong's momentum."

Since Jiang Dong's "The Wandering Earth" is scheduled for release during the Lunar New Year holiday, its box office performance will be whatever it may be.

With the endorsement of the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, the public opinion is bound to be extremely heated.

At that time, Chinese science fiction films will be in the spotlight, and it will be the perfect time for "Shanghai Fortress" to rise to prominence.

Bundling two projects together for marketing purposes will surely generate a response.

Sending Teng Wentao to deal with Governor Zhou was a bit like trying to extort money, and would only make people laugh.

But none of that matters.

As long as the box office is good, what's the big deal if Teng Wentao becomes a laughing stock?
(End of this chapter)