China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 869 Fairy, I could tell you weren't human at first glance! [Two-in-One]

The day after the production alliance issued its revenue-sharing announcement, the news continued to escalate and showed signs of intensifying.

First, it was the directors and producers.

Led by Jiang Wen, and primarily composed of sixth-generation directors such as Jia Zhangke and Wang Xiaoshuai, along with a group of young directors including Ning Hao, Cheng Er, Xue Xiaolu, and Guan Hu, as well as well-known producers in the industry, a joint statement was issued.

We hope that theaters can make a concession and increase the revenue share for film producers to alleviate the pressure brought about by the ever-increasing production costs and leave more room for artistic creation.

Following this, celebrities such as Zhou Xun, Yu Feihong, Liu Yifei, Fan Bingbing, Yang Mi, Huang Xiaoming, Wu Jing, Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Huang Bo all appealed.

In an instant, the news spread throughout the entire entertainment industry.

But the theaters remained unmoved and didn't even bother to respond.

The media became anxious as the theater chains remained silent.

You can't just not respond.

If you don't respond, there's no topic; without topics, there's no buzz; and without buzz, there are no bonuses or rewards.

You're not going to respond, are you? We'll force you to respond.

The owners of several production companies rarely grant interviews, so surely they can find someone in the industry to issue a joint statement?

Therefore, at any event where entertainment reporters are present, whether it's a movie premiere, an offline business event, or even a brand launch, the reporters will seize every opportunity to ask questions.

What are your thoughts on the recent revenue-sharing negotiations between production companies and theater chains?

Surprisingly, this wide-net approach has unearthed quite a few topics.

Chen Daoming was caught by reporters when he attended a film association working meeting.

"This is a legacy issue. Back then, there were few cinemas, and in order to encourage the construction of more cinemas, the government chose to favor the downstream, namely the cinema chains, in the box office revenue sharing policy."

"There are already quite a few cinemas in China, and some cities are even experiencing saturation. Under these circumstances, conflicts over box office revenue sharing are inevitable. So it was only a matter of time before the upstream and downstream industries started fighting. It's already too late now."

"Me? As an actor, of course I hope the film can be made to be of higher quality."

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, every word was aimed at securing benefits for the production alliance.

Directors, producers, and big-name stars are all demanding a higher share of the profits, and ordinary viewers are following suit, unanimously demanding that theaters increase their share.

Chinese people have always been like this, always inclined to favor the disadvantaged. Compared with the cinema chains that have the backing of large corporations, the production alliance companies are simply the disadvantaged.

Public pressure immediately fell on the cinemas.

In this first round, it seems the production alliance has won by a small margin.

But many things cannot be controlled by public opinion alone.

November 20, China Film Digital Cinema Center.

This is a cinema system developed by China Film Group over two years to ensure unified allocation of resources across the country's cinema chains and to provide real-time feedback on cinema box office, ticketing, and other viewing information. It covers all cinemas nationwide.

This place just opened this year, and the 2012 Lunar New Year film screenings were held here.

A film screening, as the name suggests, is a joint event where film producers and theater owners watch a film together and jointly determine the film's screening schedule before its official release.

In the past, film screenings were attended by representatives from various production companies and theater chains.

This time was different; all the company CEOs were present, along with media reporters.

According to their reports, this Lunar New Year film screening was portrayed as the first round of negotiations between the production alliance and the theaters.

Contrary to outside speculation of a tense atmosphere, the CEOs at the screening were all beaming with joy upon meeting, as if they were old friends.

"Oh, Mr. Chen, it's been a long time!"

"Mr. Yu, it's been a long time indeed! You've certainly gained quite a bit of weight!"

"Oh, Mr. Sun is here. If I remember correctly, this is the first time Mr. Sun has personally attended a film screening, right? Haha."

"Hello, Mr. Chen. As far as I know, you are a rare guest here. It's a pleasure to meet you today."

After a round of mutual flattery, those who don't understand might think they have a great relationship.

Once everyone was seated, the scene immediately separated, with the production alliance and the theaters on either side, clearly distinct.

"Mr. Wang, how's things going with 'Light'?" Sun Yi whispered to Wang Changtian.

"They're still holding on." Wang Changtian shook his head, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at the group of people on his left. He said fiercely, "I didn't expect them to play such dirty tricks."

“Indeed.” Sun Yi nodded. “It’s not just you guys. I was originally going to apply for an extension for ‘The Martian,’ but they rejected it too, saying that with the Lunar New Year season approaching, there are no screenings scheduled.”

"That's pure bullshit. The Martian was released during the National Day holiday, and it was only postponed until the middle of the month. In the first half of November, what movie is there that doesn't have screenings?"

"That's all they can do. At most, they can tamper with the subsequent screening schedule. I don't believe they would dare not show our films."

Of course, the theaters wouldn't dare. The State Administration of Radio and Television has regulations that require domestic films to account for more than 55% of screenings during the Lunar New Year season. Even if they show all imported films, they still have to allocate more than half of the screenings to the production alliance.

But they really dare to cut it to 55%.

Huayi Brothers' "1942," which premiered on the 29th, had 28% of the screenings on its opening day, "The Last Supper" had 17%, and the remaining 10% was allocated to three domestic films that were released earlier this month and were nearing the end of their run, including Enlight Media's "Flowers for the Beast."

When Wang Zhonglei saw this film schedule, his eyes turned red, just like the starving people who had been starving for several days on the screen.

When has Huayi Brothers' top production ever had a screening rate of less than 40% on its opening day?

This is absolutely insulting.

When he charged forward with the production alliance, he didn't feel anything. When the first knife hit Guanglu's head, he was somewhat relieved. But when the second knife hit him, the pain came instantly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's not that we don't want to increase the number of screenings for you, it's just that it's a difficult choice. Director Li An's 'Life of Pi' will have a simultaneous global premiere on the 26th, and we feel that this film has a greater advantage."

Wang Zhonglei was so angry that he couldn't say a word for a long time.

Anyone can see that this is nonsense, but there's nothing you can do about it, since he didn't break any rules.

During a break at the movie screening, Chen Hongtao from Wanda Group approached Sun Yi privately.

"Mr. Sun, although this is our first meeting, our two companies' cooperation has always gone very smoothly, hasn't it?"

"Mr. Chen, what are you saying? Xingkong and Wanda have always had a very pleasant cooperation."

Sun Yi feigned ignorance and replied, leaving Chen Hongtao speechless.

"Mr. Sun, let me get straight to the point. First, I must admit that we all like Starry Sky's films, for one simple reason: they're profitable." Chen Hongtao poured Sun Yi a glass of wine and handed it to him. "If Mr. Sun's Starry Sky company abandons this so-called revenue-sharing negotiation, we, the theater chain, can promise that all future Starry Sky films, regardless of quality, will receive at least ten percent more screenings than other films released at the same time."

"Wow, Mr. Chen is really generous." Sun Yi took the wine glass, but didn't drink it. Instead, he held it steadily in his hand.

At first, Chen Hongtao was pleased to see Sun Yi accept the wine glass, thinking that the toughest challenge, Starry Sky, had been overcome. However, seeing that Sun Yi didn't seem inclined to drink, his expression changed slightly, and he tentatively asked:

"Mr. Sun, are you dissatisfied with these terms?"

"No, no, it's 10 percentage points higher than the same period last year. Many movies can't even get 10 percentage points on their opening day."

"So, what does Mr. Sun mean?"

“Mr. Chen, I must say, I’m very tempted.” Sun Yi glanced longingly at the wine glass in his hand, then firmly put it down. “However, someone told me that one must persist in doing the right thing, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”

"Alright, I understand what Mr. Sun means." Chen Hongtao nodded, then sneered, "However, I'd like to ask, who is this person Mr. Sun is talking about?"

Chen Hongtao originally thought Sun Yi would answer that it was Chairman Han, but he scoffed at him from the bottom of his heart, thinking he was just an old man who was about to retire.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Sun's answer almost broke his guard.

"Mr. Chen also knows this person."

"Oh? I know him too?"

"Yes, even if I haven't met her, I would definitely know her. My wife, Liu Yifei."

You son of a bitch!!!
Chen Hongtao almost blurted out a single word about traditional Chinese culture.

I'm trying to talk to you about serious matters, and you're just showing off your love.

Sun Yi protested his innocence, saying, "It really was my wife who said it!"

The first film screening ended unhappily.

As soon as everyone stepped out of the center, they found that the entrance was already surrounded by a dense crowd of reporters.

The theater owners ignored them and forcibly removed them. Reporters surrounded Sun Yi and his group.

"Mr. Sun, Mr. Yu, Mr. Wang, what were the specific results of today's negotiations? Could you tell us about them?"

"There was no negotiation. Don't make wild guesses. It was just a regular movie screening."

"Could you tell me about the revenue-sharing announcement issued by the production alliance a few days ago?"

“I can say that,” Yu Dong said, taking the microphone. “It’s just so unfair.”

"During this year's May Day holiday, before the release of 'Gravity,' 90% of the big screens across the country were showing 'Titanic,' 'The Avengers,' and 'Battleship.' Apart from Ning Hao's 'The Golden Era,' which remained relatively stable, all other domestic films suffered the misfortune of being pulled from theaters. Our rapid construction of cinemas has resulted in the rampant growth of imported films in the mainstream market."

"In recent years, venue rental fees, actor salaries, and staff wages have all increased exponentially, but our production company is still maintaining the revenue-sharing rules from ten years ago. This is not only out of step with the current state of the industry, but also unfair. Therefore, our joint announcement this time is to change this distorted revenue-sharing model."

Back home, Liu Yifei was packing her things.

The Golden Horse Awards are about to begin and will last for more than a week, until the awards ceremony at the end of the month. This is the first time the two of them have attended the Golden Horse Awards.

Sun Yi was nominated for Best Actress for two films, "Gravity" and "New World," while Liu Yifei was nominated for Best Actress for "Gravity."

Because of her huge success at the Hundred Flowers Awards, all her brands came to her for help.

Red carpet gowns, jewelry, bags, watches, and cosmetics were delivered to her door a week in advance, and there were more than one set of each. They wanted her to show them off, ideally one outfit during the day and one outfit at night, so that she wouldn't repeat herself 24 hours a day.

The young lady is currently testing it with great enthusiasm.

"Brother, what do you think of my outfit?"

Liu Yifei, dressed in a deep V-neck backless evening gown, twirled in front of Sun Yi with a sly smile on her face.

"Where is this clothing from? Why didn't they send a transparent one? It shows everything that should and shouldn't be shown."

Sun Yi himself thought he looked pretty good in the dress, but he wasn't so keen on attending the event.

Why should I show my own wife to you?

Even if it's for work, there's no need to be this revealing!

"Hey~ Brother, are you jealous?" Liu Yifei giggled, even pinching Sun Yi's cheek, and said with a smug look, "Since you won't let me wear it, I'll reluctantly return it. I actually quite like this one~"

Keep pretending!
I could tell you weren't human at first glance.

Liu Yaojing~!

"If the cough subsides, don't return it. They went to a lot of trouble to send it over. Let's keep it at home and wear it ourselves."

"Pah, you big pervert." Upon hearing Sun Yi's words, Liu Yifei immediately pictured him and wished she could spit in his face.

Leaving something at home costs money; a million-dollar haute couture gown used only once is just too extravagant.

At that moment, Liu Yifei's only thought was, "Can I reuse this and tear it gently?"
Sun Yi accompanied Liu Yifei to change into several more outfits, helping her choose a few dresses that weren't too revealing but still flattered her figure and temperament.

Actually, Liu Yifei herself chose the same few items as Sun Yi.

She was just trying to prank Sun Yi on purpose.

It's like watching Sun Yi get jealous, like hearing him scolding you in a fierce tone.

This shows that she cares.

Feeling comfortable~
That evening, Sun Yi received a call from Chairman Han, who immediately asked about the film screening that day.

Sun Yi told Chairman Han directly about Wanda's efforts to win him over, and it was clear that Chairman Han had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

After all, the screening was held on China Film Group's premises.

"Third Master, I'm fine on my end, but I'm afraid they'll do the same thing as last year and try to break through every single one. I saw when Boss Wang saw that '1942' only had 28% of the screenings, his face turned green."

“If I refuse, they will definitely come after Huayi. Whether Huayi can hold on is anyone’s guess.”

"Go ahead and look for her. If it's going to rain, and Mom's going to join in, no one can stop her. I'm calling you tonight because I have something else to say."

"They like to try individual breakthroughs, so who says we can't do it too?"

Sun Yi could tell from Han Dong's joy over the phone and asked, "Third Master, which company have you secured?"

"Haha, it wouldn't be fun to just tell you directly. Just wait and see, they'll have their day."

(End of this chapter)