Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 424 Huayi is about to be slaughtered

"Zhang, do you want to give it a try? Since we have a good relationship, I can treat you~"

I don't know how much magic this bald guy Jason has been fed, but he actually started making tap water. It seems that he really thinks it is good value for money.

But Zhang Chen still refused.

He had never heard of a vote bank treating anyone to a meal.

However, the reason he refused was not this, but because he felt unsafe.

He didn't dare to bet the rest of his life on the other party's professional ethics.

Moreover, he has some psychological problems now. He will not feel comfortable if the person he discusses art with does not have some fame.

The four people had their own division of labor in the evening: Fan Xiaopang went to Huayi cocktail party to act as Infernal Affairs, Jason went to the streets to rescue fallen girls, Zhang Chen prepared to watch "Summer Palace", and the people from New Line were the most pitiful, so he had to continue searching their movie booths.

The movie premiered in the Summer Palace yesterday, but Zhang Chen and Lou Ye didn’t know each other, and he had been clearly opposed to art films, so he probably wouldn’t be welcomed if he went there.

The reason he wanted to go was mainly because of art, he swore, and it was definitely not because of Hao Lei.

It's just taking off all your clothes in a movie, what's the big deal?

In the past two days, he has taken time to watch movies and appreciate various foreign art films. He has already seen enough of them.

In European and American art films, whenever there is a love scene, there will definitely be sex scenes. For them, this is standard.
This is not a big deal in the country, but in Cannes, it is really a big fuss.

What we call large scale is actually common to Stone by Cannes standards.
Among those famous European and American female artists, which one has never filmed a nude scene? Do you dare to call yourself an artist if you have never filmed a nude scene?

So tonight, Zhang Chen really went there for the movie, simply wanting to see Hao Lei, not to see how good Lou Ye is.

Then Zhang Chen left without finishing it. He only read the essential parts and left immediately after finishing it.

reached a conclusion:
There is nothing wrong with Deng Chao breaking up with her. Any normal man would have to break up.

I was strolling around and then saw the poster of "The Wind That Shakes the Rice Field". I had the impression that it was the Palme d'Or chosen by the King of Sunglasses this year.

But this is not the point, the point is the poster, it is very explicit~
That’s right, even in the Palme d’Or film, there’s still a lot of exposure.

Simply judging the quality of a film based on whether it is exposed or not may be acceptable in China, but it is definitely inappropriate in Cannes.

After watching for an hour, he left again. He really couldn't stand watching art films because the pace was too slow.

The only highlight was the passionate scenes, which made him feel a little swollen.

As I walked out of the cinema, a familiar female English voice sounded behind me again: "Director Zhang Chen?"

Zhang Chen turned around and saw Rinko Kikuchi~
A look of surprise.

"Oh, Rinko, are you here to watch a movie too?"

"Well, I wanted to come here to study, but I didn't expect to meet Director Zhang here by chance~"

A coincidence?
Zhang Chen was a little skeptical.

However, it seems that the other party has no motive to create a chance encounter.

"Well, I came here to study, but then I found out that I couldn't study~"

Having said that, the two smiled at each other.

The fact that everyone left midway is very telling.

"Director Zhang, do you want to have a drink together?"

Rinko Kikuchi made the invitation cautiously.

Zhang Chen's attention was attracted by another place, Jason.

The guy was currently walking into a hotel with two big foreign horses in his arms. Looking at the time, Zhang Chen had already watched two and a half movies, and the other party was probably also in the second or third show.

He can still fight one against two at this time. Are all divers so strong?

"Uh, what did you say?"

Zhang Chen finally reacted when he felt someone was watching him.

"Did you see someone you know?"

"Uh, yes~"

"I'm glad to meet Director Zhang. Do you want to have a drink together?"

"Of course, but there are too many people here. Let's buy some wine and drink it directly at your residence~"

"Ah~"

Rinko Kikuchi was stunned. Was it so direct? But she responded immediately: "Oh, okay... OK~"

She works in Hollywood and knows this stuff very well.

In Hollywood, this is not called an unspoken rule, it's called courtesy, especially for second- and third-tier stars like them.

Isn't it normal for a movie director and a movie actress to clash?
If you, as a director, don't hire actresses, how can we actresses get the chance to perform?
During the subsequent drinking trip, Rinko Kikuchi became much more proactive.

Actors who have worked in Hollywood are quite open-minded and can open bottles easily.

The two of them constantly communicated with each other, and both were experienced masters with amazing drinking capacity.

First cup~
Second cup~
Rinko Kikuchi still showed no signs of decline, and it was impossible for Zhang Chen to call a halt.

It is the time to win glory for the country. If the other side is strong, does that mean he is weak?

"Speak Japanese~"

"what?"

"Speak Japanese~"

"Oh~"

Rinko Kikuchi changed English into Japanese and immediately felt that the man on her body became much braver.

"Chop the devils' heads with your sword..."

With the help of the war song, the little notebook was finally defeated.

Rinko Kikuchi's body was shaking slightly, which was a symptom of alcohol poisoning.

Afterwards, they smoked a cigarette quietly while lying on the bed.

After a while, Rinko Kikuchi said softly, "Mr. Zhang, can you give me a role in Pacific Rim~"

Zhang Chen's hand holding the cigarette paused for a moment. As expected, there is no free lunch in the world.

"The main roles have already been decided, and you are Japanese..."

Rinko Kikuchi was not discouraged. "I am not picky about roles. Any role is fine. I just want to participate in this work. I have not participated in A-level projects yet..."

Obviously she had done her homework beforehand.

Zhang Chen thought about it and decided that it would be fine if he didn’t require a main role.

He immediately thought of a character. Since the country in the little book was destroyed, there must be survivors.

Rinko Kikuchi will play the role of a remnant who runs around in the dome base to avenge her country.

Sure enough, my predecessors were not deceiving me. The Muse is the source of creative inspiration.

As for Rinko Kikuchi's choice, he could actually understand it.

It is already very difficult for Asians to make it in Hollywood. To put it nicely, Rinko Kikuchi is working hard in Hollywood, but to put it bluntly, she is just a bystander.

Most of the projects I participated in were B-level projects, and I only got small roles with little sense of existence. If this continues, I will never get ahead in my life.

To put it bluntly, it’s hard for an actor to become famous if no one supports him!

She was actually trying to get a chance to stand out.

Although "Pacific Rim" is not controlled by Hollywood, it is also an A-level project and a top-level resource.

As long as it is released, she can announce to the public that she has also participated in an A-level project, which can greatly improve her ecology.

It is very important whether you have participated in A-level projects.

All A-level big productions are released worldwide.

Can you imagine an actor going from being completely unknown to being a global celebrity just by doing one movie?

You may have been poor yesterday, but today you can earn millions a day and realize your life dream.

For an actor, going from zero to one is the hardest. Once you reach one, it won’t be difficult to get more…

The temptation is too great.

Not to mention just speaking a few words in Japanese, even Javanese is fine~
Of course, Zhang Chen could only agree to play insignificant minor roles. It was impossible for him to get the main role by sleeping.

The entertainment industry has the most abundant resources of beautiful women.

When Zhang Chen returned to the hotel, Jason had already returned, but he looked listless.

Zhang Chen joked, "Jason, what country's food are we having tonight?"

"Estonia, Iceland, Norway~"

"What a good appetite! Three kinds of food in one night..."

Jason was very pleased with Zhang Chen's compliment and even made a move to show off his muscles.

"Zhang, it's a pity that you didn't come. I have to say that Icelandic girls have really fair skin..."

Jason said this with an obscene smile on his face, and it was obvious that the conversation just now brought back some fond memories.

"But man, your forehead is dark and your eye sockets are sunken. This is not a good sign in traditional Chinese physiognomy. There are still several days before the end of the film festival. Be careful of getting a stroke. I advise you to take it easy..."

Zhang Chen teased him: "Jason,"

Jason agreed with what he said: "You're right, I was too impatient..."

Zhang Chen guessed that Jason was probably no longer satisfied with G4 and he was probably aiming for G8 or G20.

After a while, Fat Fan also came back.

"Comrade Chen Yongren, have you found out any important information?"

"Of course~"

Fat Fan poured himself a glass of water and drank it in one gulp.

"Is there anything to eat at home? I'll eat first~" "Aren't you going to a cocktail party? Don't they have any food prepared?"

“Who eats at a reception?”

Fatty Fan argued, and Jason handed him the bread: "Wholemeal, this is all I have~"

"This is okay too~"

Fat Fan took the bread and ate it in a few bites.

"The North American copyright of "The Banquet" has been sold~"

"Sold it? Sold it to whom?"

“Miramax.

I personally saw that Harvey Weinstein bid $500 million for the North American rights to The Banquet, and Wang Zhonglei, Feng Xiaogang and Harvey seemed to be talking to each other happily..."

"The film of The Banquet shouldn't be finished yet, right?"

"Well, it's not finished yet. I just watched the trailer~"

Fatty Fan took another bite of bread and muttered, "So Harvey only gave me a deposit, which seemed to be $20..."

"Huayi agreed?"

"agreed."

Seeing Zhang Chen's meaningful smile, Fatty Fan suddenly realized: "Is there something fishy going on here?"

Zhang Chen glanced at her and said, "Don't you remember last year's "The Promise"?"

Fat Fan suddenly realized: "You mean 'The Banquet' will also be returned? No way, what good will it do them if 'The Banquet' is returned?"

"The benefits are huge. Now he offers a high price to occupy the movie, and when the movie comes out, he directly says the quality is not good and wants to return it. It's ok if you don't want to return it. It's $100 million. If you were Huayi, what would you do?"

Fan Xiaopang immediately said: "Then I definitely can't sell it to him."

Zhang Chen snapped his fingers: "Wrong, you can only sell it to him."

Knowing that Fan Xiaopang didn’t understand, he explained, “It’s the film festival now, so there are so many buyers. By the time Harvey returns the goods, the major film festivals will have already passed. Who will Huayi sell it to then?
In the end, I had no choice but to sell it to Harvey at a low price. If I sold it to Harvey, I could at least make $100 million. If I didn’t sell it to him, it would just rot in my hands. When it was released in other regions, it would be even more impossible to sell the North American copyright…”

In the original time and space, Harvey used this trick to make Huayi go around in circles.

Later, the China Film Association even issued a notice to remind domestic film and television companies to be wary of various traps set by foreign buyers. Miramax was put on the blacklist, and only then did China know about the existence of a figure like Harvey.

Huayi has little experience in selling films and has no sense of prevention.

In addition, the popularity of costume films has declined in the past two years and they are not selling as well.

Huayi thought that as long as it could be sold, it would be fine, and didn’t think too much about it.

As a result, he was completely controlled by Harvey.

"Should we remind them?"

"Why should I meddle in other people's business? I hope you don't either. Even if you do say anything, they may not appreciate it. They will just think you don't wish them well~"

Fan Xiaopang thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case.
Zhang Chen brought two movies this time, "Kowloon Walled City" and "A Quiet Place", among which "Kowloon Walled City" was unexpectedly more popular than "A Quiet Place".

It sold for 100 million U.S. dollars in North America, and several other countries also sold some of it. The United Kingdom, France, and Spain all bought the copyright, generally for between 30 and 50 U.S. dollars. Together with Japan and South Korea, the total was almost 500 million U.S. dollars.

Kung Fu movies still sell well!
As long as the buyers hear that it is a Kung Fu film from East Asia, they are willing to spend money to buy it.

The reason why it sold well was mainly because of the discs.

Action movies are naturally suitable for being made into discs, and action movie discs are more expensive than other types of discs.

It is naturally impossible for "A Quiet Place" to be sold at such a low price, but precisely because of this, it has been in a state of turmoil.

In the end, Japan received 400 million US dollars and South Korea received 300 million US dollars.

It was CJ Entertainment that purchased the Korean copyright.

Zhang Chen originally wanted to offer a higher price, but unfortunately the other party did not accept it.

The audience for this kind of horror genre is still relatively small.

By now, the majority of the copyrights for the two films have been sold, and the rest are just small fry.

The markets in many countries are too small, and purchasing copyrights may only cost 20,000 to 30,000 US dollars, or at least a few thousand dollars.

After the film was sold, Zhang Chen immediately contacted the reporter.

It's going to be released in July, so it's about time to start promoting it.

The interview was conducted by Southern Metropolis, and the location was arranged on the balcony of the hotel.

Cannes has a strong literary and artistic atmosphere. Although these hotels are old and small, they all have a quaint open-air balcony.

Put a small table and two chairs, and it looks very literary.

The two of them sat on the balcony. The sun was shining brightly and they could see the people passing by below through the fence.

Zhang Chen didn't wear a suit or tie, just ordinary home clothes, whatever made him feel comfortable.

"I heard that both movies you brought were sold~"

"Yes."

Zhang Chen shrugged. "It's selling better than I thought, especially Kowloon Walled City. Kung Fu movies are very popular abroad. Although the price is not high, there are many people interested in it."

"What about the other one?"

“A Quiet Place? It’s sold too~”

"Can you tell me how much it sold for?"

Zhang Chen smiled and said, "There's nothing to keep secret. Japan sold 400 million, South Korea sold 300 million, and other European countries sold a total of 400 million..."

"Dollars?"

"Yes, in US dollars."

"That's not bad. It's 1100 million US dollars. How much did it cost?"

"About $1000."

"This has already paid off, so won't the next release be pure profit?"

Zhang Chen was also in a good mood: "That's about right."

“Is this your best performance in overseas copyright?”

"Of course not. The best-selling one is Taken. The North American copyright alone sold for 2500 million."

"Wow, so you made hundreds of millions from just one movie?"

"I did make some money, but not that much, because there are many investors and the profits have to be distributed according to the proportion. But I did make some money, otherwise where would the money for Jiahe come from..."

"Are you the largest shareholder of Jiahe now?"

“Yes, I personally hold more than 50% of the shares and have absolute controlling rights, but let’s talk more about A Quiet Place~”

Zhang Chen implicitly reminded the other party what the theme of tonight was.

“Oh, A Quiet Place is coming out in July?”

"Yes, it will be released simultaneously in China and the United States in July..."

"I heard there was a wave of movie-watching craze a few days ago?"

"I guess so. A Quiet Place has a good reputation and it has created a miracle. No one dares to eat while watching the movie..."

"why?"

"This has something to do with the setting of the movie. Making noise in the movie will easily attract monsters, so there is almost no dialogue in the whole movie..."

“This setting is very novel…”

"It's really good." Zhang Chen nodded with a smile.

"How much do you expect the box office to be this time?"

Zhang Chen shook his head: "I don't know. It depends on whether the audience supports it. But I think it's pretty good. It should be no problem for the domestic box office to exceed 100 million..."

"Can't make over 200 million? Don't you think about breaking the box office record of Taken?"

Zhang Chen shook his head again: "It's impossible. A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic horror film. It can't reach as many viewers as Taken, so its box office is naturally not going to exceed Taken..."

At this point, the reporter from Southern Metropolis suddenly changed the subject.

"This morning Huayi announced that the North American copyright of The Banquet was sold for $500 million~"

Zhang Chen nodded: "Yes, I heard that too."

"Why did your A Quiet Place easily sell 800 million, but The Banquet only sold 500 million? Is there something wrong with the quality of The Banquet?"

The reporter who conducted the interview was obviously trying to stir up trouble.

These southern media are of this character, they never forget to stir up trouble wherever they go.

But this time Zhang Chen did not fulfill their wish. Having reached his current level, he no longer needs to rely on dragging down other people's movies to increase his own box office.

“This statement is not quite right. First of all, A Quiet Place was not sold for $800 million casually. The process was a long process, and it was the good reputation of the movie that finally led to the film buyer’s agreement.

Secondly, "The Banquet" sells the North American copyright, while "A Quiet Place" sells the copyright for other regions except North America. The two are not comparable at all.

Or think about it from another angle. Although 500 million for "The Banquet" is not high, the North American copyright of "Kowloon Walled City" was only sold for 100 million US dollars. Does that mean that the quality of "Kowloon Walled City" is worrying?

But is the quality of "Kowloon Walled City" worrying?
of course not!

The price of 500 million for "The Banquet" can actually be considered high. Most movies cannot be sold at this price. Of course, it cannot be compared with the 2000 million for "Hero".

But it is a fact that the popularity of domestic costume blockbusters has declined. Even if we take the "Hero" from that year, it still won't sell for 2000 million.

This is the market. Things that were popular two years ago may be ignored in the next two years. As far as I know, the sales of "War of Attack" don't seem to be very good..."

"Have you watched "The Banquet"? Can you give us your review~"

It was obvious that the reporter was trying to come up with another plan after one failed, but Zhang Chen was not going to be fooled.

"Sorry, I haven't had time to watch this movie. After I came here, I was busy selling movies every day and didn't have time to appreciate other movies..."

(End of this chapter)