Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 690 CCTV Asked Me for Help
Chicago

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall of the studio dome, falling on Oprah Winfrey's signature red sofa.

As the audience erupted in applause, Oprah smiled and stood up, opening her arms to welcome the five guests who walked onto the stage: Zhang Chen, director of Mission: Impossible 4; Tom Cruise, the lead actor; Zhang Jin and Jing Tian, ​​who joined the cast; and Angelina Jolie, who played the villain in the film.

Welcome everyone!

Oprah hugged everyone in turn, and after everyone was seated, she picked up the card in her hand and said, "I have to say, Tom, every time you bring us the Mission: Impossible series, you always manage to surprise us."

But this time is different, because we heard a bombshell—Paramount is going to create a 'spy universe'?

Tom Cruise smiled and shook his head upon hearing this: "No, no, no, it's not about creating, it's about joining. The concept of the 'Mission: Impossible universe' was proposed by director Zhang Chen. Before Mission: Impossible joined, Taken had already done so..."

The camera immediately cut to Zhang Chen, who was adjusting his microphone. Hearing this, he looked up and smiled modestly: "Actually, it's about standing on the shoulders of giants. Hollywood has never lacked excellent spy IPs, but they are like scattered pearls. We just want to find a thread to string them together."

"This thread is amazing!"

Oprah widened her eyes dramatically, “You know, before Taken, Hollywood already had three established spy series: The Bourne Identity, Mission: Impossible, and James Bond, but for decades no one ever thought of putting them on screen together.”

But this time, Brian from *Taken* has actually teamed up with Ethan Hunt! This was unimaginable before!

Tom Cruise picked up the conversation, his tone brimming with pride: "That's what makes the Mission: Impossible universe so powerful. The Taken series has amassed a huge number of loyal fans, and through this collaboration, they can more naturally step into the world of Mission: Impossible."

We conducted a survey, and over 60% of the audience for *Taken 2* indicated they would see *Mission: Impossible 4* because of this crossover event.

Oprah turned to Zhang Jin, her eyes full of curiosity: "Zhang Jin, the character you play, Abu, is a key figure in this collaboration. Can you talk about this character?"

Tom just mentioned that you filled a gap in Mission: Impossible's lineup?

Zhang Jin straightened his back and answered calmly, "Abu is an agent from the East who is skilled in close combat."

Tom Cruise is right. Previous Mission: Impossible films relied heavily on high-tech equipment and thrilling scenes for action, while Brian Abramovich brings a purer, more aggressive martial arts style.

Tom Cruise couldn't help but add, "I was blown away the first time I saw Zhang Jin's action scenes."

In the scene at the Burj Khalifa, he performed a 360-degree spinning kick without a stunt double, leaving the entire crew stunned.

With him around, audiences can witness the clash of two completely different types of charisma in secret agents.

Oprah nodded and gestured to the staff: "Speaking of which, we've prepared a video clip, which is what old friends from Taken have to say about Mission: Impossible 4. Let's take a look."

The big screen lit up, and Tony Leung's familiar face appeared on the screen: "Hello everyone, I'm Brian. As Abramovich's old partner, I'm very happy to see him working with Ethan."

The plot of Mission: Impossible 4 was tight, and the action scenes were beyond imagination, making me a little envious. Here, I want to shout to Director Zhang: Taken 3 must not be inferior to Mission: Impossible 4..."

Liang Jiahui's speech drew laughter from the audience.

Next up was Chen Daoming, dressed in a suit, his expression serious yet unable to hide his smile: "The character of Abu is very nuanced, and Zhang Jin's performance was spot on."

I've already seen the finished film. *Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol* is a fantastic action movie. The pacing is tight, the scenes are spectacular, and the comedic moments always bring a smile to your face, while the tense scenes get your adrenaline pumping. It's definitely a visual and auditory feast and well worth watching with the whole family.

After the VCR ended, both lead actors of "Taken" expressed their approval of "Mission: Impossible 4," which was obviously at Zhang Chen's behest.

The film industry is a circle where personal relationships matter, and often it's a matter of you helping me and me helping you!
A round of applause erupted in the audience, and Oprah continued to throw out a bombshell question: "Now that the spy universe has been launched, will you consider a crossover with '007'? After all, it's the originator of the spy IP."

Zhang Chen replied without hesitation: "That depends on MGM's decision."

We would love to see Brian, Ethan Hunt, and James Bond together on screen – it's so exciting!

However, this involves cooperation between two or more companies, which requires time for communication.

"Understand, understand."

Oprah then changed the subject, "What about Taken 3, which is of more interest to the audience? Tony just asked that Taken 3 must not be inferior to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. What are you planning to do? Continue Brian's own story, or have him connect with other movies?"

Zhang Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa armrest and said mysteriously, "This time there might be a new breakthrough. We're considering having Brian and Angelina play the villains in a crossover."

Since it's a TV program, there needs to be some highlights; otherwise, the audience won't remember them, and the promotional effect won't be achieved.

"Oh?"

Oprah's eyes lit up. "Is it the 'Syndicate' organization from 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'?"

"Yes."

Zhang Chen nodded in agreement.

Could you elaborate?

Oprah pressed for an answer, and the audience held their breath.

Zhang Chen smiled and waved his hand: "It's just an idea right now, there's not even a script yet."

However, I can guarantee that this story will be very exciting. If *Hurricane 3* was about Brian fighting the Syndicate, then *Hurricane 4* or *Mission: Impossible 5* might just be about the IMF and Brian teaming up against the Syndicate.

Zhang Chen's words were always surprising and thought-provoking, leaving Oprah and the audience completely absorbed in the fantasy.

What Zhang Chen said is exciting just to think about.

Even Tom Cruise was shocked. Zhang Chen had never mentioned these things to him before, but thinking about it along these lines, they seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Can't you really talk about it?" Oprah persisted.

"I really can't talk about it, because it's all just my idea. If I talk too much, and then I can't deliver, the audience will be even more disappointed."

"Okay, I know you filmmakers like to leave things in suspense."

Let's switch to a lighter topic and talk about some fun things that happen on set.

"I heard your filming experiences in Dubai and Rio de Janeiro were quite unique?" Oprah changed the subject playfully.

Tom Cruise immediately perked up: "The experience in Dubai was unforgettable!"

Prince Rashid took great care of us, not only providing us with exclusive filming rights at the Burj Khalifa, but also assigning a dedicated security team to protect us.

Moreover, the prince personally delivered coffee and snacks, which touched the entire crew. "It's all because of Zhang Chen," Jing Tian quickly added.

“When we applied to film the Burj Khalifa, we encountered some difficulties, and it was only through Zhang Chen’s personal communication with the prince that we were able to resolve them,” Julie added.

Zhang Chen smiled sheepishly: "The prince is a very knowledgeable person about movies, and we often discuss scripts together."

He offered many valuable suggestions for the filming of Mission: Impossible 4.

Oprah turned to Tom: "What about Rio de Janeiro?"

I heard you've run into some trouble?

Tom Cruise looked somewhat helpless: "Yes, we encountered difficulties with the local gangs when we were filming in the slums."

They wouldn't let us turn on our computers and demanded exorbitant protection fees.

The situation was very tense; we almost had to stop filming.

"So how was it resolved in the end?"

Oprah asked eagerly.

"It's still Zhang Chen~"

Tom smiled and looked at Zhang Chen, "It's quite a coincidence that another gang leader heard we were filming and sent people to help mediate."

Later we found out that the leader was actually a fan of Zhang Chen; he had seen the *Taken* and *Pacific Rim* series, and especially liked the character Brian.

The crowd erupted in astonishment. Oprah exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Zhang Chen, your influence is incredible! Even a mob boss is your fan!"

Zhang Chen shook his head modestly: "It's all a coincidence. Actually, what I did is nothing. Brother Cheng Long is the real expert."

Those of us in the industry know that he once pointed to a map and told his son, 'I can find friends to take care of you anywhere in the world.'

That kind of status and influence in the martial arts world is what we younger generations need to learn.

Oprah remarked, "Indeed, Jackie Chan's international influence is undeniable. But to have achieved this much is already quite remarkable."

Over the next segment, the guests shared more interesting anecdotes from the filming, such as Zhang Jin teaching Chinese Kung Fu to local actors in Rio de Janeiro, Tom Cruise practicing dozens of times for a skydiving scene, and Zhang Jin serving as Angelina Jolie's action director during filming.

The atmosphere was lively, filled with laughter.

After the recording of the program ended, this wonderful conversation quickly spread online.

The popularity of Mission: Impossible 4 has soared, with topics such as #Mission: Impossible Universe# and #ZhangChenGangFans# trending on social media.

Domestic netizens were in an uproar, discussing the issue on social media platforms.

Fans of Taken, in particular, have begun to seriously analyze the possibility of a crossover between Taken 3 and the Syndicate.

One netizen commented: "The Syndicate is an organization formed by various retired agents, and Brian and Chen are both retired agents. They may cross paths with the Syndicate because of a certain mission, and the leader of the Syndicate may even be their former colleague!"

Some netizens even came up with some wild ideas: "Angelina Jolie's syndicate is under MI6, while Brian used to work for the CIA. The two might have crossed paths before. Just thinking about it is exciting!"

"If Angelina Jolie's villain is the core of this organization, then she likely possesses secrets from intelligence agencies around the world. As a former CIA agent, Brian's family may have already been targeted by the Syndicate. This connection makes perfect sense!"

Zhang Chen couldn't help but laugh as he read the comments from these netizens.

Brian's idea of ​​connecting with the Syndicate actually coincided with his initial concept.

If he didn't also lack a complete script, one would really think the information had been leaked.

He couldn't help but marvel at how many hidden talents were among the netizens.

Action movie enthusiasts focused on Zhang Jin's fight scenes, with some netizens creating GIFs from the "Dubai Tower roundhouse kick" clip mentioned by Tom: "Zhang Jin's legwork is fast, accurate, and ruthless; he's practically the Eastern version of Jason Statham!"

Some martial arts bloggers even uploaded videos analyzing the technique, saying, "This 360-degree spinning kick requires extremely strong core strength and spatial awareness. It's very difficult to do without a stunt double. Zhang Jin's ability to do it shows that his martial arts foundation is quite solid. This is what a true action actor is!"

"In the past, when I watched Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise was always playing with high technology. Now we finally have a pure martial arts agent. I look forward to seeing what kind of sparks will fly between him and Ethan Ruan."

A 007 fan commented: "If there really is a crossover between 007 and James Bond, I hope Bond can maintain his gentlemanly demeanor and not be led astray by Ethan's 'life-or-death' agent style. The two could have a showdown between a suit-wearing thug and a tech madman."

Fans of different IPs have also engaged in lively interactions regarding the grand concept of the "spy universe".

Someone even suggested including Jason Bourne from "The Bourne Identity," but this was immediately refuted by others.

"What a joke, the timelines are not even consistent. If the Bourne series used the technology from Mission: Impossible, Jason Bourne would have been finished long ago."

However, someone pointed out the key point: "Don't even think about it, it's impossible. 'The Bourne Identity' is a Universal project. Do you really not know the relationship between Universal and Zhang Chen? I can tell you with absolute certainty that 'The Bourne Identity' will not be included in the spy universe!"

"King Kong is a Universal film, but it still got into the MechWarrior Universe, didn't it?"

"Hey, it seems like that's really the case!"

Just as the online discussion was in full swing, Zhang Chen's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and was surprised to find it was Xiao Cui's number.

Xiao Cui and he are not among the majority. If we're talking about their connection, it's because Zhang Chen spoke up for him, revealing all the grievances he suffered in the movie "Cellphone".

Although the idea of ​​making a movie to disgust Feng Xiaogang didn't come to fruition, and the Film Bureau rejected the script outright, it at least gave Cui Yongyuan a chance to vent his anger.

Zhang Chen answered the phone, and Xiao Cui said on the other end, "Director Zhang Chen, this is Xiao Cui. I'm calling you today on behalf of my colleagues at the documentary channel..."

After learning the details, Zhang Chen discovered that CCTV wanted to make a documentary about the Brazilian mafia and, knowing that Zhang Chen had some special connections in Rio de Janeiro, wanted to ask him to help make contact and conduct in-depth interviews with them.

Zhang Chen hadn't expected it to be like this, but he still agreed: "No problem."

However, the situation with the Brazilian mafia is quite complicated. I need to communicate with them first and see their attitude; they may not be willing to show their faces.

Please send me the detailed shooting plan, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)