China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 897: Purple Star Falls from the Sky, Warner Regrets

"Not going?"

Ren Zhonglun looked at Zhou Yutang steadily.

He thought Zhou Yutang was joking.

However, seeing that his expression was calm and relaxed, and he didn't seem to be joking at all, my eyebrows couldn't help but twitch suddenly.

The previous film grossed over 3 billion yuan at the box office, coupled with the power of Stephen Chow’s emotional marketing.

Logically speaking, as long as the sequel is filmed and there are no unexpected problems, it will be a sure success.

Zhou Yutang actually threw away such a big piece of cake.

The Grand Commander has the confidence, but Ren Zhonglun, as the head of the Shanghai Film Group, has to consider more.

For a moment, I was a little hesitant.

"Director Ren."

Zhou Yutang smiled softly and reminded:

"This time, Zhou Xingxing will definitely release his shares at a premium, and by then there will definitely be many companies that speculate on the stock price that will come in and take over."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I think it's just chicken ribs. It's tasteless to eat, but it's not a pity to throw it away."

“It is better to integrate resources and focus them on more valuable projects.”

It’s not that Zhou Yutang is fickle, it’s just that the first “The Mermaid” didn’t give him too many surprises compared to Stephen Chow’s previous classic movies.

Stephen Chow is no longer the star he used to be.

Now, he is more of a film businessman.

The reason why they are in a hurry to launch "The Mermaid 2" is to monetize this super IP.

Therefore, the priority of this sequel in Zhou Yutang's mind is far lower than that of China's first science fiction film "The Wandering Earth".

It is also not as good as Warner's other superhero blockbuster "Aquaman".

He also has a share in the latter. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable to reap the global film market by then than to compete for food in the trough with others?

"Zhou Xingxing has talked to Hua Yi privately."

Seeing that Ren Zhonglun was still hesitating, Zhou Yutang took a sip of water and calmly revealed the news:

"Huayi and China Film Group will definitely reap the biggest rewards, and with several more companies entering the market, Shanghai Film Group will just have to eat the soup. It's better to get rid of this burden as soon as possible."

Huayi?

Hearing this name and thinking of the Wang brothers, Ren Zhonglun frowned quietly.

Compared with the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, these two are like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

How can you make a good movie with insects?
If other people said these words, Ren Zhonglun would have to think more about it.

But it was Zhou Yutang who spoke at this time, which was very convincing.

As if he had made up his mind, Ren Zhonglun smiled meaningfully: "Yu Tang, I heard that the investor for The Wandering Earth hasn't been decided yet?"

"Mr. Ren, am I inviting a wolf into the house?"

"Eh."

Ren Zhonglun chuckled and said, "You can't say that. Let's join forces. No matter what conditions you set, Shanghai Film will follow them to the end!"

"Then what if I don't agree?"

"If you don't agree, then I'll live with the crew and I'll be provided with food and lodging."

"."

Zhou Yutang almost spit out a mouthful of water.

People in the industry jokingly call Han Sanping a mountain eagle, and give Ren Zhonglun the elegant nickname of the Shanghai gentleman.

He worked hard and made great plans to make the Shanghai Film Festival a big success. There is nothing wrong in calling him a gentleman.

But now, where is the courage of the head of Shanghai Film Group?

He is simply a rogue bandit.

Zhou Yutang helplessly spread his hands: "Director Ren, how can I carry out my work if you do this?"

"You shoot your scenes, and I drink my tea."

For the benefit of Shanghai Film Group, Ren Zhonglun also risked everything:
"Didn't Fan Binbin and Liu Dehua both come to guest star? I'll also come and play a cameo role, for free."

"One tenth share."

"Thirty percent."

"Mr. Ren, is the lion's mouth wide open?"

Zhou Yutang shook his head and laughed: "This time Jiangdong will have at most 50% of the share, Wanda and the cinema chain will take 20%, and the Space Administration will take 10%. The maximum I can leave for you is 20%, no more."

"Two for two, no matter how big the plate is, the shadow can be lifted."

As the national financial center, Shanghai Film Group is never short of money.

Mr. Hu is so confident.

******
The news that Shanghai Film Group Chairman Ren Zhonglun visited the crew of "Snow" was quickly pinned to the top of major Internet portals and media websites.

Compared to the stars in the spotlight, the attention outside the circle is not that high.

Many leaders came to visit the set.

Ever since the Grand Commander went south to film, teams from Ningbo and Xiangshan have come to the crew to provide guidance.

As for the extremely sensitive people in the film and television industry, they did smell something.

If the head of Shanghai Film Group can come to visit in person, it must be a big project that can shake the entire Chinese film industry.

The answer doesn't seem difficult to guess.

It has never been a secret that Jiang Dongjia's "The Wandering Earth" project has entered the preparation stage.

On the Vision Media side, several elite teams started work as early as last year.

The Grand Commander wants to make a science fiction movie for China, and even China's space agency is alarmed.

There was no shortage of news reports during this period.

It is said that Wolf Warrior Leng Feng, who rose to fame this summer, will play the leading role in the movie.

There is also a saying that the Grand Commander of Jiangdong stood on a high place and raised his arms to call out.

Domestic film and television giants such as China Film, Wanda, Guangxian, and Alibaba have all entered the market, working together to support the entire capital pool and jointly create China's first science fiction blockbuster.

In short, the news is both true and false, and all kinds of rumors are spreading.

Recently, news came out that Huana has joined the team, and the top Chinese and American film production companies have once again joined hands to create brilliance.

Warner: Not really.

Warner Bros. is now in a state of confusion because of Zhou Yutang's Joker.

There will be a high-level meeting internally, so how can we have the energy to take care of other things?
At this time, in the conference room of Warner headquarters.

Looking at the exaggerated bold headlines on the projection and the shocking box office figures around the world.

Frank loosened the collar of his shirt.

Inexplicably, the atmosphere in the conference room at this moment felt so heavy that it was almost suffocating.

He pretended to write and draw with a pen, and glanced at several senior executives including the President of Warner, who were arguing again.

Go ahead and argue, argue all you want!
Anyway, it's none of my business, just hang it up high.

After all, he is just a senior worker in charge of publicity and promotion.

But Frank was still a little shocked.

Shocked by the strong performance of "Joker", it has won the daily championship in the North American market since its release.

The film received rave reviews from over 70 countries including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina and Italy.

It has taken the global film market by storm.

This box office performance can only be described as unreasonably overbearing.

Dude, I just did the promotion for a movie that Warner Bros.’ data department predicts has the potential to gross $18 billion at the global box office?

Frank was a little dazed and drank a sip of iced American coffee to calm himself.

The instigator of all this is undoubtedly the young emperor from the Chinese entertainment industry.

No one expected it.

The box office of such an art film would be a huge hit.

And it's a global explosion.

During this period, a major earthquake has occurred in Hollywood, and people from various companies are using various means to gather relevant information.

Zhou Yutang's "Joker", which came out of nowhere, brought a shock comparable to Nolan's "Batman" at the time, or even more so.

After all, the production cost of Joker was only over 1.5 million. Batman Begins, the lowest-budgeted of Nolan's Batman trilogy, made million US dollars.

Now public opinion and word of mouth have exploded across all channels, and with the power of the Golden Lion, it intends to top the global film market.

Among the Hollywood heroes, who wouldn’t be shocked?
Especially Marvel President Kevin Feige, who collected information from various channels and couldn't sleep for several days, finally came to the conclusion:
Oh no, the rival Warner Bros. has really found a treasure.

Make him a movie that is enough to change the entire Warner superhero universe structure.

It can be said that it is just like the Purple Star sent from the sky.

It's just that others think that Warner is in control, but Frank, who is really involved in it, knows it very well.

The young wealthy man from the East is the big boss behind the scenes.

He even had to ask Ms. Zou for instructions on his work.

Frank, a graduate of Yale Law School and a veteran who has participated in the production of many Warner blockbusters, initially disagreed.

But after the release of "Joker", Frank was completely convinced, and his heart was in turmoil.

"That guy is truly a genius, and a monster-level super genius."

"Did he foresee the situation today? That's why he wrote all the copyrights of Joker into the contract?"

"That shouldn't be the case, right?"

The outside world is saying that Warner is soaring, but in fact, it is at most a soaring monkey.

Originally, the copyrights of Zhou Yutang's films were given as a bonus as part of the contract.

Now that the movie is a big hit, I will regret it immediately.

Although it still retains a 10% share.

But the biggest piece of fat is in Zhou Yutang's bowl, which is almost a loss in the eyes of Warner executives.

Someone has to be held accountable for this.

"It was Kelly who signed the contract in the first place."

The current president Kevin tapped the table with his fingers, his face solemn but:
"This has caused irreparable losses to the company, and she has resigned."

You are worthy of being the palace fighting champion.

Frank was feeling uneasy in his heart, and was feeling sorry for Sister Kelly who had taken the blame.

The contract was originally signed under the order of the Palace Fighting Champion in order to kidnap the Chinese media tycoon on board.

Now he changes his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book, and he clears himself of all charges.

"There is no doubt that this was a wrong market judgment and we have to find a way to do something."

"The share in the contract is very unfavorable to us, so we have to increase it."

There was a white man with a golden hair like Chump, who leaned back in his seat, thinking he was cool, and made some fantastic remarks.

"What if he disagrees?"

"Otherwise, we'll set him up and kick him out."

Wow, that's a good idea. Why don't you say you want to be the commander-in-chief?

Frank nodded approvingly like everyone else.

In fact, I had already started to sneer in my heart.

If only the fierce dragon crossing the river were so easy to control.

Jiangdong International Pictures has been eaten up by others over the years, and not even a bone is left.

"Unrealistic."

Warner President Kevin pondered for a moment and shook his head.

Jiangdong International Pictures has already established a firm foothold in Hollywood and is not a soft persimmon that can be bullied by anyone.

What's more, Warner has done so much preparatory work in the early stages and is hoping to promote cooperation on subsequent projects.

There is no need to do such petty tricks and ruin your own reputation.

After another heated discussion, they finally reached a consensus:
"Tell the person in charge of the Tianchao office to contact Zhou immediately to discuss the subsequent sales of DVDs, cable TV, streaming media, etc."

"In addition, including the sequel to the Joker movie, we must take greater initiative."

*****
Warner established an office in China as early as 1993.

Ai Qiuxing, president of Warner Bros. Pictures China, is also the first Hollywood executive to be based in China.

Later, this person became more and more powerful and started his own business. Warner also poached Zhao Fang, a senior executive of Wanda Pictures, to take over this position.

After receiving twelve gold medals from the headquarters, Zhao Fang rushed to the crew of "Snow" to meet Zhou Lang.

When she arrived at the Xiangshan crew, she happened to see Zhou Yutang acting opposite Wang Jinsong.

In Tingchao Pavilion, the master and his apprentice played a game of chess and decided to rule the world.

"Click, pass."

Director Kong Sheng, who was behind the monitor, nodded with satisfaction.

After finishing filming Operation Ice Breaking, Wang Jinsong seamlessly joined the crew of Snow and quickly got into the groove.

Xun Yu had a stunning performance in "The Advisors Alliance".

In "In the Snow", he plays the strategist of Beiliang King Xu Xiao, which is completely within his comfort zone.

Zhou Yutang also took over his role perfectly.

The two of them put on a performance that even Kong Sheng couldn't find any fault with.

As they were discussing behind the monitor, Chen Duling came over and reminded them:

"Boss, Mr. Zhao from Warner wants to see you."

"Zhao Fang? Take her to the car first."

Zhou Yutang was naturally no stranger to this well-known strong woman in the circle.

Jiangdong Entertainment and Warner have a lot of business overlaps and have dealt with each other several times.

A few minutes later, the two met in Zhou Yutang's luxury RV.

"Mr. Zhou, I just happened to have something to deal with in Ningbo. I'm sorry to bother you so much."

"Where is it."

Zhou Yutang smiled slightly and shook hands with Zhao Fang: "Mr. Zhao, what would you like to drink?"

"Thank you, ice water will be fine."

Zhao Fang brushed the hair beside her ears.

There were gossips on the Internet about this man being the emperor and having a harem in the crew, and Zhao Fang had done her homework in advance.

After getting on the bus first, I also observed carefully.

Sure enough.

I don't know who threw the underwear on the bed.

Black with lace
The interior decoration of this RV is luxurious beyond imagination. It is indeed the golden house where the Grand Commander of Jiangdong hides his mistress.

I've heard that the Grand Commander likes older sisters, and there have been many rumors of sister-brother love in the circle.

If he wants to, it's not impossible.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yutang had no such idea at all. Zhao Fang also showed her professionalism and started the conversation from "In the Snow". The topic was full of twists and turns, and she kept saying auspicious words:
"Oh, congratulations, Mr. Zhou. Joker is a global hit. I just came back from a business trip yesterday and watched this movie. It's really great.
Many netizens are discussing the ending online. I wonder if Mr. Zhou has any plans for a sequel?"

"Is it too early to talk about sequels when the movies are still in theaters?"

"Haha, prepare for a rainy day."

"Mr. Zhao, we are all family, so feel free to speak up if you have anything to say."

Zhou Yutang raised his cup, took a sip, and chuckled, "Warner wants to make a sequel?"

"Nothing can be hidden from President Zhou."

Zhao Fang stared at Zhou Yutang's expression and said, "Based on the current reputation and box office, the sequel will definitely sell well, including sales in various back-end channels. We can continue to deepen our cooperative relationship."

Zhou Yutang was so angry that he slammed his teacup on the table and started to complain:
"Mr. Zhao, the contract we signed at that time gave me the rights to the sequel. Now that we have achieved some results, Warner Bros. wants to go back on its word. It's difficult for me to deal with this."

"I completely understand Mr. Zhou."

Seeing the Jiangdong Grand Commander's face change, Zhao Fang felt nervous and explained with a wry smile:
"It was decided at the headquarters meeting that I came here with sincerity. As long as it is within my ability, we can talk about it. We can talk about it."

What DC superhero universe project.

What about Superman vs. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Justice League?
Everyone must kneel down before the crazy dancing Ugly Master.

The family next door released the ace Spider-Man, who followed behind them so closely that he couldn't even get a whiff of their exhaust fumes.

They are all thousand-year-old foxes, so there is no need to play any kind of fairy tale.

However, the initiative in the negotiations was undoubtedly in Zhou Yutang's hands.

"Mr. Zhao, we Chinese people don't cheat on Chinese people. I have a suggestion. Do you want to hear it?"

(End of this chapter)