China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 1063 One Company Dominates, Kicking Aircraft Carriers!

As September drew to a close, several films scheduled for the National Day holiday began their promotional campaigns.

Zhou Yutang had just stepped out of the VIP channel at Beijing Capital International Airport.

I glanced up.

I happened to see Zheng Yinjian, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse and others wearing black leather jackets on the giant LED screen in the terminal, striking the classic poses of the gangsters from back in the day, with a background of blasted streets and speeding sports cars.

He paused slightly, turned his head, and chuckled softly.
"The Black Serpent Society?"

"This is a new film co-produced by Bona Film Group and Yaolai Films for the National Day holiday."

Chen Duling adjusted her glasses, tilted her head, and glanced at him:
"It's the same old guys. Da Peng used this trick when he made 'Jianbing Man,' and now he's doing it again. I wonder if this trick will still work."

"It's still somewhat useful."

Zhou Yutang withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent.

Who among those born in the 80s and 90s hasn't been exposed to the Young and Dangerous series on pirated DVDs?
Chicken and Chan Ho-nam are the dreams of countless blond-haired gangsters.

Take Zhou Yutang for example. Back then, there were quite a few people in Yancheng who imitated gangsters and organized group fights.

There have even been cases where, in brawls, people have recklessly used knives, resulting in fatalities.

Governor Zhou's itinerary was never a secret, and a large number of media reporters who had caught wind of it were already waiting at the airport exit.

As soon as the wild Zhou Dudu spawned, guns and cannons swarmed in.

Fortunately, his team was also very experienced, and the four protectors quickly formed a human wall.

Protecting Zhou Yutang, who had started running at full speed, they fought their way out of the encirclement and finally managed to get into the black Maybach that had been waiting for them without any serious trouble.

On the way back to the company, Zhou Yutang leaned back in his seat, picked up the tablet Chen Duling handed him, and started looking at the film schedule for the National Day holiday.

Throughout the entire release period, under the prestigious reputation of "produced by Jiangdong + directed by a national director," no other heavyweight project of the same caliber dared to compete head-on.

Despite the huge National Day holiday season, there aren't many truly competitive projects.

The movie we just saw, "Golden Brothers," was a new project that Bona Film Group commissioned from Fatty Wang to work on with Wong Jing.

Although it's a rehash of the classic Hong Kong gangster film, it's still a significant work from the fading Hong Kong film industry, and there's been a lot of online coverage of it.

In addition, there's the comedy film "Fat Buddies," directed and starring Bao Beier, and "Cry Me a Sad River," a youth drama adapted from a melodramatic novel produced by Enlight Media. Guo Jingming has a considerable fan base, meaning he brought his own fan base with him to the movies.
The rest are mediocre and not worth mentioning.

After scanning the movie schedule, Zhou Yutang gently put down the tablet, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

For a film to reach its box office ceiling, in addition to its own high quality, the strength of its competitors at the same time is also crucial.

If several strong films are released at the same time, even if "Shadow" has the powerful marketing network of Jiangdong to seize the initiative, its box office performance will inevitably be subject to change due to word-of-mouth diversion and screening competition.

Now that the situation is clear and there are no strong competitors, the box office expectations for "Shadow" can be raised to a higher level.

In the blink of an eye, news of Governor Zhou's return to China swept across the internet like a whirlwind, firmly occupying the top spot on the trending searches of major platforms.

After Zhou Yutang hung up the third call from the vixen, Chen Duling reminded him at the right moment: "Boss, Chairman Zhang of the Hundred Flowers Awards Organizing Committee is calling."

Where will this year's Hundred Flowers Awards be held?

Zhou Yutang rubbed his temples, and suddenly remembered TS from two years ago.

"This year it's Foshan."

Chen Duling added, "By the way, boss, the Golden Eagle Awards have also sent an invitation, and they hope you can attend the opening ceremony."

Zhou Yutang immediately felt a headache coming on, "Just cancel it for me."

The second half of the year is the awards season in the entertainment industry, with the Golden Eagle Awards, Hundred Flowers Awards, and Golden Horse Awards all being held in the last two months.

Many film and television companies are busy with public relations, and celebrities are all hoping to improve their status through awards.

But for Governor Zhou, who has already risen to prominence, all these domestic awards, big and small, are as insignificant as fleeting clouds.

On the contrary, these awards urgently need his support as the helmsman of Jiangdong Entertainment and a benchmark figure in the Chinese entertainment industry.

It's a very simple principle: Zhou Yutang's attendance directly affects the attention, buzz, and industry influence of these award ceremonies.

Several months ago, Lee An, the chairperson of the Golden Horse Awards Executive Committee, had personally extended an invitation to him.

Now that I've just returned to China, the organizing committee of the Hundred Flowers Awards, which had previously gone to great lengths to extend a warm invitation to me, is calling me again.

"We'll have Lu Yang and Wenzi go over to Baihua's place later."

Zhou Yutang, with little enthusiasm, instructed his secretary, "Invite Wu Jing along as well."

Now that he has returned to China, his primary task is to advance the preparation of his new film "The Captain" and the global layout of Jiangdong's own "Mulan" project.

"Oh I see."

Chen Duling nodded slightly, her mind racing.

She could more or less guess Zhou Yutang's thoughts.

In such a public award ceremony, you'd probably run into seven or eight fish girls within ten steps.

Even if the Master of Balance possessed extraordinary abilities, he would be overwhelmed and unable to defy fate.

According to intelligence from inside sources, there seems to be some undercurrent in Governor Zhou's harem due to the scandal involving Venice rock candy!

Indeed, just as the secretary thought.

Being a "sea king" isn't so easy.

After the initial excitement, some effort is always required to maintain the ecological balance of the fishpond.

Zhou Yutang had no interest in joining in the fun at the Hundred Flowers Awards, and he avoided attending if possible.

Sending two of the three great generals of Jiangdong, each with a single War Wolf, is impressive enough.

The outside world is talking about this year's Golden Eagle Awards.

The phenomenal "Snowy Mountain" garnered almost every nomination, including Best Television Series, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Favorite Actor, and Favorite Actress!
It set an astonishingly exaggerated record.

Of course, whether or not you will win an award, and how much you will win, is another matter.

Everyone claims their awards are fair, but where is there absolute fairness?

Just as the Magnolia Awards favors Shanghai artists, Hunan TV will definitely promote its own artists as well.

Regarding projects from rival platforms, there are always considerations. The nomination for "Snowy Mountain" was entirely due to Governor Zhou's powerful influence.

As for the Hundred Flowers Awards, which are hotly debated by netizens, Jiangdong Entertainment still holds a dominant position.

Wolf Warrior 2 received 7 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor, while Operation Red Sea received 6 nominations.
"Operation Mekong," "Bad Genius," and "Project Gutenberg" were lined up in a row, almost encompassing all the major and minor awards at the Hundred Flowers Awards.

Its imposing presence is unmatched by any other film and television company.

"The Jiangdong navy is assembling. Is the Grand Admiral about to have an affair with both the big and small screens?!"

"The Golden Eagle and Hundred Flowers Awards have been swept, it's terrifying, the Jiangdong Dynasty is now established."

"Huayi should come out and take the beating. They're completely useless, not even getting a single nomination?"

"Probably busy paying back taxes, haha." "."

A quick glance at the online comments revealed that, aside from the flattery, there were also various sarcastic remarks directed at Huayi.

Back at the company, before even dusting off the journey, Zhou Yutang went to the creative center first.

"President Zhou, this is the latest seventeenth draft of the script. Based on your feedback last time, we've focused on strengthening the specific plot design of Mulan's psychological transformation before and after joining the army, as well as her battlefield strategies."

The project leader, Pingceng, was already a top screenwriter in the industry, but he still felt a little apprehensive when facing the renowned Governor Zhou.

After giving a brief explanation, he put his hands at his sides and kept a close eye on Zhou Yutang's expression as he flipped through the script.

Seeing his boss's long, dark eyebrows furrow, Pingceng's heart sank.

Oh no, it’s over!
Sure enough, Zhou Yutang closed the script, tapped it lightly with her finger, and calmly said:

"The core conflict of the story is still lacking, and the plots of the supporting characters are too trivial, which dilutes Mulan's growth arc."
That emotional subplot was too abrupt and unnecessary... scrap it and start over.

"clear."

Pingceng quickly noted down the requirements and continued working on the scripts with the team.

Chen Xi happened to be at the company today, and Zhou Yutang called her into his office and gave her instructions:
"The public relations department can release the first batch of press releases for 'Mulan' as planned, to hype up the casting and warm up the market."

After taking a sip of water, Zhou Yutang continued, "How is the pre-production of 'The Captain' progressing?"

"The pre-built Airbus A319 simulator will be completed by next month at the latest. Director Jin from the Civil Aviation Education Center of China, experts from the Southwest Air Traffic Management Bureau and Sichuan Airlines have all arranged to come to the company for their first meeting tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

"Okay, then let's proceed according to plan."

Zhou Yutang nodded slightly, tapping her fingers lightly on the table as she explained the overseas expansion plans to Chen Xi.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Chen Xi noticed a fleeting hint of coldness in Zhou Yutang's eyes, a man who usually kept his emotions hidden.

Her mind raced, and she instantly understood the crux of the matter.

After Disney's collaboration with Jiangdong on "Mulan" fell apart, they have completely dropped their pretense and started engaging in underhanded tactics behind the scenes.

Besides officially announcing Jun Ji-hyun's appearance as disgusting, they are also spreading rumors that Governor Zhou is asking for an exorbitant amount.

Back in China, the loyal dog, having been fed dog food, started barking wildly, and a lot of negative reports about Zhou Yutang suddenly appeared online.

However, these negative reports were quickly quelled by Jiangdong's public relations department as soon as they surfaced, without causing much of a stir.

Before these two entertainment giants from the East and West have even clashed head-on, a covert public relations battle has already begun.

This kind of backstabbing is just basic stuff; Jiang Dong has also done his fair share of dirty laundry on Disney.

What truly angered Zhou Yutang was Disney, which was secretly trying to poach senior executives from Jiangdong International.

The first priority was to offer substantial rewards to Zou Zhongyan, the person in charge of Jiangdong International Film Industry, hoping to coordinate an inside-outside operation to swallow up the cake of the industry's recognized Oriental Hollywood film studio.

Zou Zhongyan was well aware of the implications, and immediately relayed the message to Zhou Yutang verbatim.

The preparation of such a large project could not be kept secret from those with ulterior motives. Since the pretense had been laid bare, they might as well play their cards openly and see who would have the last laugh.

"In the future, try to reduce overseas trips unless absolutely necessary."

After finishing their business, Zhou Yutang gave a final, meaningful instruction that made Chen Xi's heart skip a beat: "Boss, is there something going on over there?"

"Given the current situation, it's always better to be safe than sorry."

……

Disney has confirmed that it will cast South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun in the live-action remake of Niki Caro's animated film "Mulan." The film's production cost is reportedly estimated at $2 million!

Just as Zhou Yutang returned to China, foreign media broke the news, instantly causing a sensation in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Jun Ji-hyun is indeed a woman with considerable influence across Asia.

The 2001 film "My Sassy Girl" caused a sensation across Asia, introducing many spoiled and unruly young women who caused a lot of trouble for their male counterparts.

After that, she won many awards for films such as "Daisy" and "Assassination", and in recent years, she became a huge hit in East Asia with the Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun". She is a top-tier actress in South Korea and has a wide audience base.

However, casting her as the Chinese heroine Mulan still sparked considerable controversy.

Disney has spent countless hours and resources promoting the "Mulan" project.

First, they held a global search for Disney princesses, turning aspiring actresses into beauties.

Then he was rumored to have affairs with several of the top directors in China, including the Grand Commander of Jiangdong.

In the end, not only did the collaboration fall through, but they also turned around and chose a South Korean actor. Now the project has officially started with great fanfare.

However, just as the Disney news was gaining traction, Jiangdong Entertainment's official announcement swept across the entire internet with overwhelming force:
"Is a fairy descending to earth to become a heroine? Or is Fan Binbin suddenly appearing as the female lead in the epic Jiangdong production 'Mulan'?"

"Mulan will shock Hollywood! Jiangdong Entertainment is dedicated to creating the first Eastern superheroine IP!"

"It is rumored that popular Chinese actresses such as Fan Binbin, Liu Shishi, and Yang Mi have received offers from Disney!"

"Jiangdong Entertainment VS Disney: The 'Mulan' battle between Eastern and Western media giants is brewing, and the fierce competition is already evident!"

"."

This series of news items, like a series of depth charges, instantly caused an uproar in the film and television industry both at home and abroad.

Disney just acquired 21st Century Fox this year, and its momentum is truly unstoppable.

On a global scale, they are almost unchallenged superpowers, and no one dares to confront them head-on.

Only the Grand Commander of Jiangdong had the confidence to do so.

Currently, two projects are clashing, creating a tense atmosphere, and discussions on social media about the two versions of "Mulan" have instantly become heated:
"The Grand Commander has gone mad! He's going to create a new Mulan!"

"I support Jiangdong this time, the Grand Commander has a higher reputation score."

"Roll it up! Roll it all up! It's just a battle of capital anyway, the audience will get their fill!"

"Disney, stop being so arrogant! Chinese stories should still be made in China. Looking forward to the reunion of these two amazing characters!"

"She's definitely number one, the number one female action star."

"It's really unlucky that even Korean female celebrities are trying to piggyback on this."

"."

The entertainment headlines on major portal websites, the hot posts on forums, and the trending topics on Weibo are all about the reunion of the divine couple after "Snow Sword".

On Zhihu, netizens have already conducted in-depth analyses of the strengths and foundations of both sides.

To be fair, Disney has long been a global entertainment giant, and is now a behemoth with a market value of over $1700 billion. It is no exaggeration to call it the entertainment aircraft carrier of America!
—Even including Mingjie, it might not be enough, and even with the streaming platform Bilibili, it might not be able to compete with such a global giant.

But what if we were to bet the entire Jiangdong film and television sector!

Including Zhou Dudu's cross-industry ventures such as sports investment and trendy clothing brands, the overall strength he demonstrates is in no way inferior to Disney.

Even if this Hollywood aircraft carrier came to China, it would still get a couple of kicks from Governor Zhou.
P.S.: [The previous chapter's roommate was Tan Songyun, which has been corrected. Thank you for pointing it out.]

(End of this chapter)