Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 652 Wang Wanda

In Beijing, the night was as dark as ink. During the evening rush hour, even the Fourth Ring Road was completely jammed. The red taillights of the cars reflected the faces of the drivers, all of whom wore impatient expressions.

Inside the "Yu Pin Xuan" restaurant in the city center, however, a completely different and bustling scene unfolds.

The private room was dimly lit, with a warm yellow glow illuminating the exquisite mahogany tables and chairs. The air was filled with the aroma of dishes, mixed with the subtle fragrance of wine.

Han Sanping sat in the main seat, wearing a dark Zhongshan suit, and was looking at the younger generation in front of him with a gentle expression.

Around him were Zhang Chen, Fan Xiaopang, and Guo Fan. At this moment, Han Sanping looked at the three of them with the same kind of admiration and care that a sect elder in a fantasy novel would give to his promising disciples.

The waiters brought out one exquisite dish after another to the table: crystal shrimp dumplings that were translucent, Dongpo pork that was bright red, and steamed grouper that was tender and juicy.

Seeing that the dishes were almost all served, Han Sanping picked up his wine glass, gently swirled the rich red wine inside, and said, "I've gathered everyone together today for two reasons: first, to celebrate your Oscar nominations, and second, to take this rare opportunity to chat with you all..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a convincing power.

"Now the country is strongly encouraging the development of the international cultural market and promoting the export of culture to enhance the country's soft power. This is a rare opportunity for our film and television industry!"

Han Sanping's gaze swept over everyone present. "I've watched Xingchen Entertainment grow step by step, from a small workshop to the number one in the country."

You are all very capable; your works can be exported overseas, which is a great achievement for Chinese cinema on the international stage.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen nodded slightly, put down his chopsticks, and said, "Third Master, please don't flatter us anymore. We've just been fortunate to be born in a good era."

With increasingly frequent international cultural exchanges, audiences are becoming more accepting of film and television works from different cultural backgrounds.

"The fact that our films can go global not only helps us achieve our own commercial interests, but more importantly, it also enhances the international influence of China's cultural industry, allowing more people to understand Chinese culture and Chinese stories."

Han Sanping praised them generously: "You did a great job. Binbin's Best Actress nomination is the first time in history that a Chinese actress has been nominated. Congratulations! Zhang Chen and Guo Fan are also very impressive. No director from mainland China has ever been nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. This is the first time..."

Fan Xiaopang smiled politely and said, "Third Master, you flatter me. It's mainly Director Zhang and Director Guo who are capable. I'm just benefiting from their generosity..."

Guo Fan quickly added modestly, "I also think it's mainly Director Zhang's achievement; our contribution was really small..."

"Hey everyone, don't underestimate yourselves!"

Everyone chimed in, each wanting to take credit.

During the meal, Han Sanping suddenly remembered something, his gaze fell on Zhang Chen, and he asked with a smile: "By the way, Zhang Chen, I remember you were very accurate in predicting these awards before. This time, 'Universe 2' and 'Gravity' have been nominated for so many Oscars. Can you analyze for us whether they have a chance of winning an award?"

Especially for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, is there any chance of winning?

Upon hearing Han Sanping's question, the atmosphere in the private room instantly fell silent, and everyone turned to look at Zhang Chen, anticipating his answer.

Zhang Chen is a professional in this area.

He successfully predicted the Venice Golden Lion and the Oscar for Best Director, and both came true!
Hearing that he was asked to make a prediction again, Zhang Chen gave a wry smile. He pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Third Master, to be honest, I think my chances of winning Best Picture with 'Pacific Rim 2' are slim."

"why?"

The other three looked at him with suspicion.

Zhang Chen shrugged: "Although the Oscars do not discriminate against commercial films, 'Universe 2' did not make any major breakthroughs in special effects and scene production. Although it was better than Avatar in terms of story depth and emotional expression, it still had many shortcomings."

As for Best Director, the contenders this year are all internationally renowned directors whose works are highly competitive in terms of both artistic merit and critical acclaim.

He paused, turned his gaze to Guo Fan beside him, and continued, "As for the probability of winning the award, I think Guo Fan is higher than me."

"Me?" Guo Fan pointed at himself in disbelief. He had always thought of himself as a runner-up, but Zhang Chen was now saying that he had a higher chance of winning the award. What was going on?

“Gravity is a highly experimental film with great depth in its story and humanistic concerns, and its filming techniques are also very innovative. It might surprise you in this year's awards selection.”

Guo Fan smiled somewhat embarrassedly upon hearing Zhang Chen's words: "Director Zhang, you're too modest."

The international attention given to "Pacific Rim 2" is so high, and many viewers have praised your directing style.

As for *Gravity*, I think it's hard to say whether it will win any awards.

Zhang Chen waved his hand and said seriously, "I'm not being modest, I'm telling the truth."

In award selection, there are many other factors besides the quality of the work itself that need to be considered.

Especially in Hollywood award selection, there are many rules and intricacies that we are not very familiar with.

He took a sip of red wine and continued, "Hollywood awards consider not only the artistic value and commercial success of a work, but also personal relationships and public relations."

If you want to win an award, you must thoroughly understand the rules of Hollywood, make more contact with the judges, and establish good communication and exchanges with them.

Furthermore, one should attend various Hollywood parties and social events to increase their exposure and influence within the industry.

Upon hearing this, Fan Xiaopang's eyes flashed with curiosity, and he asked, "Zhang Chen, according to you, if you want to win an award in Hollywood, wouldn't you have to spend a lot of time and energy on public relations?"

Zhang Chen nodded: "That's true."

Whether you're a director or an actor, public relations and promotion are essential for standing out in Hollywood award competitions.

Take the Oscars for example. Many winning films and individuals engage in extensive public relations activities before the selection process, showcasing their work and personal charm to the judges through various means.

So, if Guo Fan and Xiao Pang want to win awards in Hollywood, they need to travel there more often, connect with judges and industry professionals, and attend more important parties and events.

Guo Fan said thoughtfully, "I see."

I used to think that as long as the quality of the work was good, I would definitely win an award.

Looking back now, I realize I was too naive.

Han Sanping was taken aback: "Zhang Chen, how do you know all this?"

Zhang Chen shrugged: "Some of it David told me, and some of it was from other friends of mine in Hollywood, so..."

Zhang Chen paused, then looked at Guo Fan and Fan Xiaopang: "You two will probably have a tough time these next few days, staying in the US for a while longer to build your connections..."

"What about the movie?"

Guo Fan was referring to "Edge of Tomorrow," which is currently in the preparation stage.

"Let's put it on hold for now. The Oscars are in March this year. You can start filming again after the Oscars."

"Okay, but... we don't know anyone here~" Guo Fan immediately put on a bitter face again.

Zhang Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've already had Diane contact a very famous public relations firm in Hollywood."

This PR firm has extensive experience and connections in Hollywood award ceremonies, having helped many films and individuals win major awards such as the Oscars. They will arrange your schedule for the time being; you just need to cooperate with them.

Upon hearing the news, Fan Xiaopang's face lit up with a delighted smile: "Really? That's wonderful!"

With the help of a professional public relations firm, our chances of winning awards in Hollywood are much greater.

Thank you so much, Director Zhang!

Guo Fan also expressed his gratitude with great emotion.

Looking at the scene before him, Han Sanping smiled with satisfaction, as if he were seeing an elder with a harmonious family: "Seeing you all so motivated, I feel at ease."

I believe that with our joint efforts, Star Entertainment will surely carve out its own niche in the international cultural market and make a greater contribution to the development of China's cultural industry.

"Come on, let's raise a glass together! To the bright future of Star Entertainment, and to the future of Chinese cinema! Cheers!"

Everyone picked up their glasses, which clinked together, producing a crisp and pleasant sound.

The red wine rippled in the glass, reflecting the hopeful smiles on everyone's faces.

……

At the same time, although it was already night, the top-floor conference room of Wanda Group's headquarters building was brightly lit, where the chairman was holding a meeting.

Wang Wanda sat at the head of the conference table. His hair was slightly sparse but neatly combed. What was most striking about him was his demeanor. Even though he had been working all day, there was no sign of fatigue in his eyes. He exuded a calm and powerful aura.

On either side of him sat a group of senior executives from Wanda Group. Some held documents and were carefully reading them; some were deep in thought, seemingly pondering the topics to be discussed; and others sat up straight, their eyes fixed on the head of the table, waiting for Wang Wanda to speak.

In the center of the conference table were exquisite tea and fruit, but no one paid any attention to them; everyone's focus was on the upcoming meeting.

Wang Wanda cleared his throat, breaking the silence of the conference room. His voice, transmitted through the microphone, filled the entire room: "I've gathered everyone here today mainly to talk about a major event in the film and television industry recently, as well as Wanda's future development plans."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of the executives present, and continued, "I believe everyone has heard recently that Zhang Chen's film 'Pacific Rim 2' not only achieved tremendous box office success in the United States, but was also nominated for an Oscar."

Upon hearing this news, a murmur rippled through the conference room. The executives exchanged glances, their faces showing surprise and interest.

Wang Wanda raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said: "The fact that 'Global Times 2' was nominated for an Oscar is not only an honor for Zhang Chen personally, but also a major breakthrough for the Chinese film and television industry."

Seeing others achieve such success in the film and television industry, to be honest, I am deeply inspired.

Although Wanda Group is a powerful force in the domestic business community, there is still much room for improvement in its layout in the cultural industry, especially in the international film and television market.

Therefore, I believe that Wanda needs to take big strides forward and make a greater name for itself in the cultural industry.

Upon hearing this, an executive in charge of cinema operations immediately stood up, holding a document, and said, "Mr. Wang, speaking of development, Wanda Cinemas has already achieved good results in China."

Currently, Wanda Cinemas owns over 1000 screens, accounting for nearly 16% of the Chinese film market share, and this share continues to grow.

"In the entire Asian region, Wanda Cinemas ranks among the top three in scale, which is one of our strengths."

Wang Wanda nodded, gesturing for the executive to sit down, and then said, "I am aware of all the achievements you mentioned, and I am proud of Wanda Cinemas."

However, we cannot be content with our leading position in the domestic and Asian markets.

Think about it: the three major cinema chains in North America each have more than four or five thousand screens. Compared to them, Wanda Cinemas still has a long way to go in terms of scale.

If we want to become a true global cinema giant, it will be difficult to achieve this goal by relying solely on our own slow development within the domestic market.

Silence fell in the meeting room once again as the executives pondered Wang Wanda's words.

After a while, a senior executive in charge of strategic planning spoke up: "Mr. Wang, what you said makes sense."

To rapidly expand its scale and catch up with the level of top international cinema chains, acquisitions may be an effective approach.

By acquiring established international cinema chains, we can directly access their resources, distribution channels, and market share, which is much faster than starting from scratch to develop markets abroad.

Wang Wanda agreed with this view: "That's right, acquisitions are indeed an effective way to rapidly expand scale."

Moreover, from the perspective of Wanda's overall development strategy, we also plan to transform into the cultural and tourism sector and gradually reduce the proportion of real estate revenue in the group's total revenue.

The cultural industry is a sunrise industry of the future, with enormous development potential. We must seize this opportunity and plan ahead.

He picked up a document from the table and asked the staff to distribute it to the executives: "You can take a look at this document. It introduces AMC Theatres, an American theater chain."

AMC Theatres is a well-known American theater chain that owns numerous theaters and screens in North America.

If we can acquire AMC, it will be a key step in our strategic transformation. It will not only rapidly expand our market share in the international cinema market, but also enrich Wanda's overall layout in the cultural industry, laying the foundation for our future development in film production, distribution, and other fields.

A senior executive in charge of finance carefully reviewed the documents and then said, "Mr. Wang, according to the documents, AMC's recent operating conditions are not good. Due to poor management, the company has accumulated a large amount of debt and is now considering selling it."

This could be a rare acquisition opportunity for us.

However, acquiring AMC is a huge transaction, and we need to conduct a comprehensive evaluation to see if it aligns with our strategic needs and financial capacity.

Wang Wanda nodded: "You've thought this through very thoroughly."

In fact, Wanda has been promoting its internationalization strategy. We have already made some investments in overseas real estate and hotels. Now, entering the international cultural industry is also an important part of our internationalization strategy.

"Li Qiang, I'm leaving the initial contact with AMC to you."

The executive named Li Qiang nodded in agreement. The initial contact essentially involved communication and exchange between the two parties regarding key issues such as the acquisition intentions, price range, and the general framework of the transaction.

Through these communications, Wanda gained a deeper understanding of AMC's situation, laying the foundation for further in-depth negotiations.

An executive in charge of cultural industry business asked, "Mr. Wang, besides expanding the scale of the theater chain and promoting strategic transformation, are there any other considerations in our acquisition of AMC?"
After all, AMC is currently poorly managed, and after we acquire it, we will need to invest a lot of effort and money in its integration and operation.

Wang Wanda smiled and said, "That's a very good question."

Our acquisition of AMC is not simply about expanding our scale.

AMC, a well-known American movie theater chain, is currently facing operational difficulties, but it possesses a very mature operating model and abundant industry resources.

Over the past few decades, AMC has accumulated a wealth of experience in cinema management, marketing, and customer service. This experience is of great value to Wanda Cinemas in improving its own operational level.

He continued, "Moreover, AMC has extensive distribution channels in North America. By acquiring AMC, we can quickly enter the North American film market and reach local film production companies, distribution companies, and audiences."

This will provide strong support for Wanda's development across the entire film industry chain, promote our expansion from traditional commercial real estate to diversified cultural industries, and enhance our core competitiveness in the cultural field.

In the long run, this acquisition will also help Wanda build core competitiveness for the next 20 years, allowing us to gain a favorable position in the increasingly fierce international cultural industry competition.

(End of this chapter)