Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 619 Another Trouble
Warner Bros., Los Angeles.

Tom Cruise, Sasha, and Zhang Chen sat in the conference room, where they could see the outline of the Hollywood Hills through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Opposite them were a group of Warner Bros. executives.

As Zhang Chen moved, the names "Mission: Impossible 4" and "Inception" appeared on the projector.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I currently have two film contracts in hand: one for Warner Bros.' Inception and one for Paramount's Mission: Impossible 4."

Zhang Chen stood up, straightened his suit, and said, "We've gathered everyone here today not for a single project, but for a brand new idea that can create a win-win situation for both sides."

Zhang Chen pressed a button, and a chart appeared on the projection screen. "My plan is to start filming these two films simultaneously. We will coordinate the resources of the production team and share some studios and post-production teams, which will not only shorten the overall production cycle but also reduce the cost of a single film by about 12%."

Tom is the male lead in both films, so I hope to adjust the release strategy—releasing the two films one after the other.

Mission: Impossible 4 will be released in theaters a month and a half earlier than Inception.

This is a well-known action IP with a certain appeal among movie fans. The fourth installment is a transformative work, and Tom and I are confident that we can make it a classic.

If Mission: Impossible 4 is a success, Tom Cruise's popularity will reach its peak in a short period of time, and what we need to do is seize this golden window of opportunity.

A month and a half later, *Inception* will be released, which will not only leverage Tom Cruise's popularity to attract audiences to theaters, but also reach a wider audience through the different styles of the two films, achieving a double box office explosion.

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, Warner Music did not immediately respond, but instead whispered among themselves.

"Then why wasn't Mission: Impossible 4 released after Inception?" someone suddenly asked.

"Inception is, after all, an original script, and it is inherently less appealing than Mission: Impossible 4, so it is safer for it to be released after Mission: Impossible 4."

The person didn't say anything more. In fact, they had all received paper proposals before and had already understood and verified the content of the proposals.

In Zhang Chen's plan, the two films would work together, and the cost benefits for both companies would be obvious. However, Warner would benefit significantly more, as they would also reap the rewards of the promotional campaign in addition to the cost savings.

David was inclined to cooperate, but he also had to raise his concerns.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask, what was the basis for Paramount's judgment that Mission: Impossible 4 would definitely be a huge hit?"

Then it was Sasha's turn. She explained a series of factors, including the combination of a big director and a big star, the repositioned style of the Mission: Impossible series, and the connection with Taken.

"Based on the above reasons, we believe that Mission: Impossible 4 has the potential to be a huge hit."

After listening to Sada's explanation, David looked at Allen, the head of the evaluation team next to him, who nodded, indicating that the plan was feasible from a business perspective.

"We basically agree to this plan. Now let's talk about the investment share..."

Zhang Chen signed a priority investment agreement with them, and they clearly wanted to finalize the matter as soon as possible.

Paramount actually had similar ideas.

Because of the priority investment agreement, it is highly likely that Warner Bros. will invest in Mission: Impossible 4. Therefore, Paramount also hopes to obtain the investment qualification for Inception. This way, cross-investment and shared benefits are the way to achieve a win-win situation.

This consensus was easily reached; Warner couldn't just take advantage without giving anything in return.

Moreover, as Zhang Chen said, Inception is, after all, an original script, and original scripts involve a gamble. It's not a bad thing to have someone help share the risks.

Just when everyone thought everything was going smoothly, Warner Music suddenly said, "Since everyone is now an investor, from an investment perspective, we have a question to raise."

The one who spoke was the team leader from Warner's evaluation team.

"In both films, we believe Ms. Fan Binbin is not suitable for the lead role."

In an instant, the conference room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on Zhang Chen.

"What's the reason?"

"Ms. Fan's salary~"

Zhang Chen frowned and leaned forward: "I've seen her quote, it's within a reasonable range, and have you carefully reviewed her resume?"
She was the absolute lead actress in Pacific Rim, which grossed over $500 million worldwide.

And then there's "2012," which she co-starred in with Jackie Chan last year. It grossed nearly $1.8 million in China, breaking the all-time box office record in the country. Few Hollywood actresses can match this kind of cross-cultural appeal.

"We know she's a top-tier actress and has a certain box office appeal..."

Allen picked up the conversation, pushing a new budget sheet in front of Zhang Chen, "But Mission: Impossible already has two A-list actors, you and Tom Cruise. If we use an A-list actress for the female lead, the salary will exceed the 35% cap, the project will get out of control, and the pressure to recoup costs will increase dramatically..."

I don't object to casting Ms. Fan as the female lead, provided she's willing to lower her fee, or that you and Mr. Cruise are willing to lower your fees..."

The guy in front of me is very blunt; he doesn't mince words at all.

Hollywood doesn't care if you're a big director or not; everything has to follow the established procedures.

David, fearing to strain the relationship, tried to smooth things over: "Zhang, let's just discuss the matter at hand. Fan is indeed a good actress, but her salary does pose a risk to the project's profitability..."

We did a simple calculation: for that shot of the Burj Khalifa, if we blocked off 10 floors, the daily rental would be 20, and it would take at least 15 days to shoot, which would cost 300 million.
The sandstorm effect has 120 shots, at 2 per second, which is 240 million.

"Overspending on actor salaries will inevitably affect production; these two shots will either be scaled down, cut, or even impact marketing and distribution..."

Zhang Chen was a little annoyed, but what the other party said did make sense.

He had a whole host of reasons, such as Fan Xiaopang's popularity in China, but none of them could outweigh the risks involved.

He wanted to use his own people, but only if it didn't affect the project.

Is it possible for Fan Binbin to take a pay cut?

Of course not.

A film's salary reflects its star power; if it can be lowered once, it can be lowered a second time, and it will be difficult to raise it back later.

As for asking him and Tom Cruise to take a pay cut, that's even more impossible.

If they insist on using Fan Xiaopang, they should either cut the special effects or reduce the publicity. If that's the case, even Zhang Chen himself feels that they shouldn't use Fan Xiaopang.

"Okay, I agree to the change, but the candidate must be approved by me."

"Of course, that hasn't changed. You're both the producer and the director, so this is your right. We're only doing this for cost reasons, and we hope you don't mind."

David's biggest fear was that Zhang Chen would quit, but rules are rules.

Over the years, few commercial films in Hollywood have dared to start production with the risk of paying more than 35% of the cast's salary; that's an ironclad rule.

Now that a consensus has been reached, the next step is for the lawyers.

After the lawyer reviewed the contract, Zhang Chen finally signed it. At that moment, legally, he officially joined Mission: Impossible 4 and became the director of the film.

"I'll need your help to finish writing the movie script as soon as possible during this period; the project team needs to review it."

As I said before, rules are rules.

Despite agreeing to Zhang Chen's conditions, no procedure would be omitted.

"Okay, I'll finish writing the script as soon as possible. I'll be staying in North America for a while, so feel free to contact me if anything comes up."

Zhang Chen's trip to North America this time wasn't just for Mission: Impossible 4, but also for the post-production work on Pacific Rim 2.

In the hotel, Zhang Chen hesitated for a moment, but finally took out his phone and dialed that familiar number.

Soon, that familiar voice came through: "Director Zhang, are you not used to fast food? Do you need me to deliver some?"

Fan Xiaopang joked as usual, but Zhang Chen didn't respond to her today.

"There's been a problem with Mission: Impossible 4 and Inception, so you probably won't be able to play the female lead in either of those films."

The laughter on the other end of the phone vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of silence. After a few seconds, Fan Xiaopang finally asked, "What's wrong?"

"My salary exceeded the 35% budget limit. Paramount and Warner Bros. thought this would increase the chances of the film failing and insisted that unless I took a pay cut, they would replace me. I didn't agree to take a pay cut..."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone. Fan Xiaopang didn't ask why Zhang Chen didn't agree to a pay cut; she understood the reasoning behind it.

Taking a deep breath, Fan Xiaopang forced a smile: "I know, it's alright. Anyway, these two dramas don't fit the strong female lead character you gave me~"

Fan Xiaopang's voice seemed to cheer up again, and he turned around to comfort Zhang Chen: "Don't take it to heart. It's just an opportunity. If you miss it, you miss it. By the way, are you bored over there? Do you need me to come and keep you company?"

Zhang Chen could even picture Fan Xiaopang smiling through his tears, but this wasn't the time to let emotions cloud his judgment.

"Not for now. I need to calm down by myself for a while. Don't worry about me; just get yourself in a good mood as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Okay, I'm hanging up now~"

"Ah."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Chen walked to the window, looking at the cars coming and going on Hollywood Boulevard below, his fingers clenching tightly in his pocket.

This was his first setback in Hollywood.

Through this incident, he also realized that although he had succeeded in Hollywood, he was far from having absolute authority.

Back home, he was in charge of everything.

But in Hollywood, the film company is the biggest player. Not to mention him, even James Cameron, who once proclaimed himself the "King of the World," still has to follow the rules, unless it's his own project.

……

The next day, Zhang Chen arrived at the special effects company on time and checked the special effects of "Pacific Rim 2" with Edland.

The increased screen time in "Pacific Rim 2" may be a pleasant surprise for some viewers, but it may make others uncomfortable.

What Zhang Chen needs to do is to make the film as high-quality as possible and minimize this discomfort.

Adeline: "I heard you're going to work with Paramount on Mission: Impossible 4?"

"Yes."

"I heard Tom Cruise went to China specifically for this reason~"

"more or less."

"I heard you got to decide who would play the female lead in Mission: Impossible 4?"

Zhang Chen was taken aback: "Where did you hear that from?"

Edland chuckled: "Don't be surprised, buddy, there are no secrets in Hollywood."

Zhang Chen felt relieved. Adeline was a seasoned veteran in Hollywood, so it wasn't surprising that she had some inside information.

"Yes, what's wrong? Do you have someone you'd like to recommend?"

Adlan shrugged: "Haha, you guessed right. An old friend asked me to recommend Lily Collins to you. Here's her information, a new actress. Of course, whether you use her or not is up to you. I was just responsible for passing on the message. Now, I've completed my task..." This old guy is pretty straightforward. He promised to pass on a message and he really just passed it on, without saying a word more than necessary.

Zhang Chen flipped through the information in his hand. To be honest, he was quite good-looking, but he lacked experience, having only acted in one TV series and one movie.

"Okay, I've got it. I'll ask her to audition if needed."

Adeland looked at Zhang Chen's expression and asked, "What? No one contacted you before me?"

Zhang Chen asked in bewilderment, "Shouldn't there be?"

"I've said it before, there are no secrets in Hollywood."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chen's phone rang. Seeing that the caller ID showed Diana's name, Zhang Chen suddenly had a feeling.

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, the person on the other end said, "I heard there's a vacancy for the female lead in Mission: Impossible 4 and Inception?"

"Yes, are you coming?" Zhang Chen joked.

"Me? I'll pass~"

Diane chuckled. "I wanted to recommend someone to you, Blake Lively, do you remember her?"

"Of course, the female lead in 'Don't Breathe' and 'Gossip Girl'~"

Zhang Chen had a pretty deep impression of her; he was won over on their very first meeting.

The two had also watched "Memoirs of a Geisha" together and acted out some of the scenes.

From what I remember, this girl was quite argumentative.

"Promise me you'll consider her."

"OK, I'll think about it seriously."

For the next two hours, Zhang Chen's phone kept ringing.

Some people called directly to recommend the artists, some asked friends to pass on the information, and some even sent audition clips from the actors themselves.

He looked at the messages popping up on his phone and the resumes filling his inbox, and smiled helplessly—the news that "Zhang Chen has the final say" had already spread throughout the industry at some point.

Even Zhong Lifang called, and Zhang Chen said helplessly, "You're not here to recommend someone either, are you?"

Zhong Lifang laughed and said, "No, I didn't. I'm just informing you that quite a few people have mailed their documents to the company. Do you need me to forward them to you?"

Zhang Chen rubbed his temples: "Never mind, let's just pile them up there for now."

He never imagined that just as Fan Xiaopang's defeat was confirmed, a silent battle for the female lead position had already begun.

Because of the decision-making power he held, he became the object of everyone's scramble.

……

In the top-floor office of SM Entertainment in Seoul, CEO Lee Soo-man pushed a document in front of Lim Yoon-a and traced the title "Mission: Impossible 4" with his fingertip: "Yoon-a, there is a vacancy for the female lead in Director Zhang Chen's new film. This opportunity is ten times more valuable than the idol drama you took on last year. You must take the initiative."

Yoona gripped the edge of the document, her fingertips turning slightly white: "But CEO, what should I do? Should I just ask directly? Would that be too impolite..."

"That's not important~"

Lee Soo-man leaned back in his leather seat, his tone decisive and unwavering: "The fact that he was willing to give you a supporting role in 'Train to Busan' shows that you two got along well before."

Now that Fan Xiaopang's role is off the table, Director Zhang has the final say. If you don't step up, are you going to wait for someone else to snatch the role away?
You should muster your courage. When necessary, the entire Girls' Generation will be your support!

He picked up Lin Yoona's phone and opened Zhang Chen's contact information in her address book: "Stop dawdling, just send a message yourself saying, 'I heard Mission: Impossible 4 needs a female lead who can fight, and I've been practicing Taekwondo for three months now. I'd like to send you a training video.' -- It'll both mention our past interactions and show your sincerity."

Lin Yoona stared at her phone screen, biting her lip: "What if Director Zhang doesn't reply?"

If you don't reply, send another message.

Lee Soo-man shoved the phone back into her hand. "What you need right now is a Hollywood blockbuster to open up the international market. Mission: Impossible 4, riding on Tom Cruise's coattails, is more effective than releasing ten solo singles. You have to send out the message before tonight. I'll be waiting for your reply."

Yoona nodded, her finger hovering over the input box for a long time before finally typing the message word by word, just as the CEO had instructed.

……

In a cafe in Myeongdong, Seoul, Ha Ji-won's manager asked with a serious expression, "Ji-won, would you like to be the female lead in Mission: Impossible 4?"

Ha Ji-won was surprised: "Wasn't it already decided that it would be Fan Binbin?"

When she was doing a roadshow in China, the news spread like wildfire, and she had heard about it too.

"That's all in the past. Now that Fan Binbin's career has ended, there's no new replacement."

"why?"

"You don't need to know the reason."

"Then I probably won't have a chance either~"

"No, you do. Don't forget, Zhang Chen personally selected your role in 'Train to Busan'!"

Ha Ji-won seemed lost in thought.

The agent suddenly became serious and said, "Ji-won, tell me the truth, did you two...?"

Ha Ji-won blushed, but still said, "No."

The agent looked slightly surprised: "No?"

Ha Ji-won stated firmly, "No, he has never hinted at that."

"But he's definitely interested in you. I heard Director Ning Hao mention it when we were drinking. He specifically chose you for 'Train to Busan' because Director Zhang had seen your 'Sex Is Zero'."

"Then what should I do?"

"Go to America, appear before him, and then let things happen naturally. Do whatever he needs you to do?"

Ha Ji-won stirred her coffee, her brow furrowing slightly: "Wasn't that a bit too direct?"

"Direct? Once you're successful in Hollywood, nobody will think you're direct; they'll just envy you."

Ha Ji-won seemed encouraged, yet also somewhat insecure: "Can I really do it?"

The agent immediately smiled: "Don't worry, with your abilities, he'll just think 'we've found the right person'."

……

In the rest area of ​​the Hengdian film set, Zhu Yilong, holding a script, sat down next to Mao Xiaotong and pointed to the news on his phone: "Look, the female lead for Mission: Impossible 4 hasn't been decided yet. Director Zhang has the decision-making power. You and Director Zhang have a good relationship, so why don't you contact him?"

Mao Xiaotong was taken aback, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Where are we close? Don't talk nonsense~"

"Alright, Director Yimou must have already told Director Zhang about the stupid thing you did last time. Director Zhang may not say it, but he's definitely grateful in his heart."

"That's impossible. This is a big Hollywood production, starring Tom Cruise!"

"Why not? I think it's perfect. Tom Cruise is said to be only 173cm tall, which is just right for him to partner with you!"

Mao Xiaotong immediately snapped: "Hey, are you making fun of me?"

She picked up the script as if to hit him, but Zhu Yilong got up and ran away. After he disappeared from sight, Mao Xiaotong lost all interest in reading the script and felt like a cat was crawling inside her.

Hollywood blockbusters? How could it possibly be my turn?

But what if?
Ugh, this is so annoying! It's all this guy's fault for messing up my Daoist mind!
Should I ask Sister Hua for her opinion?
……

Starlight Brilliant Film & Television Company, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

Jing Tian rushed into the company without announcing herself and pushed open the door to Lu Zheng's office.

"Uncle Lu, have you seen the news?"

After asking, they discovered that the computer in front of Lu Zheng also displayed news about Fan Binbin missing out on the female lead role in "Mission: Impossible 4".

Jing Tian's tone was full of excitement: "Fan Binbin can't play this role, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Uncle Lu, I want to get this role!"

Jing Tian knew very well that if Fan Xiaopang were there, she would have no chance at all.

But now that Fan Xiaopang can't take the role, although Zhang Chen might be chosen from among European and American actors, she still has a good chance.

Jing Tian is now bursting with confidence. Before, she only had minor supporting roles in "Taken" and at most "Crawl".

But things are different now; she has "The Witch".

"The Witch" is a film that directly challenged and defeated "Wolverine," and it's also a standard female-centric movie. Jing Tian, ​​as the only female lead, is the soul of the entire film.

The female lead in Mission: Impossible 4 required a range of unspoken conditions, including action skills and box office appeal.

Jing Tian felt that this was simply tailor-made for him.

Among domestic actresses, Jing Tian is not afraid of anyone except Fan Bingbing.

Lu Zheng, however, was not so optimistic. He was an amateur when it came to getting roles; he only knew one way: to throw money at the problem.

In the past, this move was always successful.

However, it stopped working in 2012.

For the first time, he realized that throwing money at the problem wasn't always effective.

Rumors circulated that Fan Bingbing missed out on Mission: Impossible 4 due to injury, but Lu Zheng was far more prepared this time than ever before. He learned that the real reason was the salary.

Mission: Impossible 4 went over budget.

This is fantastic news for Lu Zheng. Mission: Impossible 4 can't offer the female lead a high salary, and Jing Tian doesn't need a salary at all; she can even pay out of her own pocket to make the film.

What we want is fame, not money.
Lu Zheng has made up his mind that this time he will probably have to rely on the big stick of money again.

He originally thought that Jing Tian would no longer need to use this trick after becoming famous, but now it seems that this trick is still the most practical.

However, he learned from his mistake.

“Sponsorship alone won’t work. We need to take two approaches. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll have someone compile a highlight reel of your action scenes right away. And ideally, we’d also like a survey report on your recognition in the North American market. Director Zhang needs something that can carry the box office; data is more effective than empty words.”

……

Asking for a monthly pass
(End of this chapter)