How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 268: What inappropriate and lewd words? (Two chapters combined)

Liu Haifeng is pushing forward the acquisition of AMC Theatres very quickly, mainly because two private equity firms are unwilling to continue investing and want to cut their losses.

After all, the US has not yet recovered from the impact of the economic crisis, consumer spending on consumption and entertainment has not yet recovered, and the internet technology sector is booming. This money is better placed anywhere than tied up in such a capital-intensive, long-term business.

AMC Theatres CEO Greg Gerry personally flew to Shanghai to meet with the future chairman.

AMC is a cinema chain with a 90-year history. It was founded in 1920 by the three Dubinski brothers. Initially, it focused on community movie viewing services. After the founders passed away, the second-generation CEO took over, at a time when all cinemas were operating on a single-screen model.

It pioneered the world's first multiplex cinema and introduced tiered seating, adjustable armrests, cup holders, and other facilities that became industry standards. It also promoted additional services such as popcorn, cola, and snacks, making movies a cultural synonym for the 'popcorn economy'.

Prior to the acquisition, AMC was a family business.

Gerry is the fourth CEO. He previously served as the global president of consumer products at Starbucks. After taking over AMC as a professional manager, he promoted the reform of IMAX and 3D projection equipment, giving AMC a first-mover advantage in differentiated competition.

Furthermore, by adjusting film prices and introducing customized high-end catering services, the company still achieved net revenue in the first few quarters of this year despite a debt ratio of nearly 200%, demonstrating its exceptional capabilities.

Gerry is considered one of the world's top professional managers. Dealing with this kind of person is not just a matter of remuneration. Wang Yao had no experience, so he could only hire Zhu Zhu, who had experience dealing with foreigners, to serve as a translator and public relations officer.

After Wang Yao invited Ge Li to visit several representative models of the Skyfire Cinema System, it elicited amazement from Ge Li.

"I never imagined that China's cinema model had become so diverse and convenient. This online ticketing system will significantly boost attendance. The 'one-day store manager' feature is also very eye-catching. However, if I were a high school student, I would watch three movies a week just for these pretty girls," Gerry said exaggeratedly.

AMC also has online ticketing in big cities like LA, but it relies on the system of Live Nation, the largest ticketing company in the West, and the commission is not low. If they used their own ticketing system and combined it with a membership system, they could save a lot of commission and advertising costs, as well as generate additional revenue.

"The mobile app for Kanpianer.com has also been launched and is currently receiving a good response in East Asia. The built-in forum has some social features that can be integrated into the membership system, such as points redemption."

"I have great confidence in Mr. Gerry's abilities. If we cooperate in the future, I won't interfere too much with the operations and will even provide some other promotional advantages. However, I hope to set up some special theaters to enhance audience loyalty to the cinema brand," Wang Yao said.

"Specialty theaters? Like those that specifically show art films or R-rated movies?" Gerry frowned.

"Pretty much. There's a Picturehouse cinema chain in England that runs independent art-house cinemas, attracting a lot of independent film enthusiasts. I heard that the occupancy rate in a single theater exceeds 70%."

AMC could select some cinemas with low attendance and set up pilot programs for customized memberships. This could involve acquiring independent or imported films, supporting niche independent films by inviting directors or creators to give lectures, and offering unlimited viewing for annual members. The key is to build a strong and loyal membership base for AMC.
"Although this type of audience won't be large, it's still at least in the tens of millions. These are film enthusiasts, and reducing their viewing costs through annual memberships can increase the theater's reputation and reach," Wang Yao suggested.

“If we adopt our own ticketing system, that would be very valuable,” Gerry pondered for a moment.

Starbucks has established itself on its highly loyal paid membership system, so Gerry's management of the cinema chain will also be affected. After all, member loyalty is the biggest factor in improving brand value. Since taking over the cinema chain, he has been working on building a membership system, but previously he could only try it on a small scale due to offline management costs.

If there is an online ticketing system combined with an app, a lot of redundant costs will be saved in terms of promotion and management, so it's worth trying.

“AMC currently has 350 theaters across the United States, with an average occupancy rate of around 40%. Theoretically, it could allocate 10% of its theaters to support this unique annual membership fee system. However, it’s difficult to guarantee profitability in the short term, especially since the loss rate for promoting niche films is very high. After all, as you know, anyone can make a movie these days,” Gerry joked.

“Of course, after all, I’m also a production company.” Wang Yao chuckled. “So the production company can bear the initial marketing and distribution costs.”

“Movies with a marketing budget generally can’t be considered independent films, right?” Gerry chuckled.

Independent films, as the opposite of commercial films, are characterized by being "poor," lacking stars, strong plot conflicts, niche themes, and gimmicks.

Movies are usually made through crowdfunding, and their content doesn't typically cater to the mainstream market or commercial demands. To put it nicely, it's artistic expression; to put it bluntly, it's just the creators indulging in self-gratification.

However, occasionally some true geniuses or mavericks emerge to deliver a blow to mainstream cinema, such as Ang Lee and Christopher Nolan.

Therefore, the characteristic of independent films is that they focus on neglected groups or issues. Although they are niche, once they succeed, they will gain attention and support from a small group of people. This is the small circle effect of subculture.

“It’s alright. Skyfire has independent film support programs in many Asian countries. This year, the budget is expected to be 2000 million US dollars to support more than 50 films. In addition, Skyfire alone can provide at least 150 distinctive independent films with partners in other countries,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Asian films have indeed gained some market share in the US in recent years, but it’s difficult for them to generate box office revenue,” Gerry said, frowning.

“Skyfire’s next step is to prepare for the acquisition of Legendary Pictures, and at the same time, open a branch in the United States to cooperate deeply with Fox. It will also support some Western independent film projects. I have already reached a strategic cooperation with director James Wan and we are already preparing a new thriller film series.” Wang Yao smiled.

“Skyfire’s business lines are far larger than I knew. This aggressive business expansion model is quite astonishing.” Gerry looked at Wang Yao with some surprise.

Legendary Pictures is also an established company valued at $8 million, with potential IPs such as "Batman" and "Warcraft", and is known in the industry as a "micro-giant".

Gerry knew that Skyfire held a 5% stake in Legendary, but he didn't expect there to be further acquisition plans. It was already shocking enough that he could come up with $10 billion in cash to acquire AMC, but now he still had the spare capacity to come up with at least another $10 billion to acquire Legendary. He was curious about what kind of capital was supporting this young man.

While Gerry wouldn't really like having an Asian boss, it would be a different story if that boss were very wealthy.

With Zhu Zhu, an Asian beauty who perfectly matched his aesthetic, gracefully interacting with him, Gerry's attitude changed drastically within half a day, even though the acquisition agreement had not yet been reached.

However, this did not affect the cooperation. Wang Yao invited him to watch the American version of "22". After watching the movie, Gerry was not sure how to evaluate it. However, since Wang Yao was willing to pay for the publicity and distribution, and the movie already had a gimmick, AMC Theatres was naturally willing to cooperate.

After discussing the scheduling of "22" and the subsequent cooperation on the cinema ticketing system, it was already afternoon. Since they were already there, Wang Yao invited Gerry to give the management of Tianhuo Cinemas some guidance on operational experience. Gerry readily agreed, as he also wanted to learn about the management of Tianhuo Cinemas in advance.

After all, if they really become a family in the future, Gerry could become the global head of the cinema division. At that time, with AMC + Skyfire, he could very well become the CEO in the history of the cinema industry who controls more than 40% of the global cinema market share.

"Is President Wang really serious about acquiring AMC?" Zhu Zhu followed Wang Yao back to the office.

Today, in order to cooperate with Wang Yao's translation work, she specially changed into a slightly formal black silk uniform.

"Of course, the debts have all been paid out." Wang Yao politely glanced at her outfit.

"I thought it was a tactic to boost the stock price. Mr. Wang, you really have the ability." Zhu Zhu smiled, her dimples revealing her charm.

"It's a desperate gamble, since I can't make it in China, so I have to go abroad to find a way," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"22 is about to break the Chinese box office record. If word gets out that you said that, won't people gossip behind your back that you're getting a good deal and still acting innocent?" Zhu Zhu chuckled.

"It was pure luck. Besides, the movie belongs to Xingmei. Tianhuo just helped with distribution and made a little money from the hard work." Wang Yao waved his hand, distancing himself from the project.

"Okay, I believe you. So if the acquisition is real, then the US branch is real too, right?" Zhu Zhu stood up, swaying her slender waist as she leaned against the desk, smiling at Wang Yao.

“Of course.” Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"So, is Mr. Wang satisfied with my performance today?" Zhu Zhu smiled and straightened his posture.

“Of course, Miss Zhu has done a great job by giving Gerry such face today.” Wang Yao smiled.

"So, is it really possible for me to take on a position at the US branch?" Zhu Zhu subconsciously licked the corner of his mouth, a little nervous.

Although she knew that Wang Yao was probably just making empty promises to her, she was genuinely tempted by the opportunity that was right in front of her.

She had been looking forward to it when she heard that Qin Lan had actually transitioned to a behind-the-scenes role and taken on a management position on par with Wang Jinhua.

“The branch office is still in the preparation stage. After all, we only have one project, ‘Queen of Silicon Valley,’ at the moment. It mainly depends on the progress of the AMC acquisition. However, if Ms. Zhu is interested, she can participate in and assist with the acquisition process.” Wang Yao pondered for a moment.

"Is our branch office wholly owned?" Zhu Zhu asked.

"We're currently considering a joint venture with Fox or Legend. Ms. Zhu, are you interested in investing?" Wang Yao narrowed his eyes.

Zhu Zhu, after all, came from a prestigious family and had some advantages.

"I don't have that kind of ability," Zhu Zhu chuckled. "But I have a friend who has connections in various circles in Hollywood, and he's just starting out recently."

"Oh?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow. Zhu Zhu's circle of friends in China might not be very interesting, but her circle of friends abroad is much more valuable.

"Have you heard of Paris Hilton?" Zhu Zhu asked with a smile.

“Of course.” Wang Yao nodded.

She can be considered the pioneer of the socialite economy. The famous Kardashian family effect is a copy of Paris Hilton's model, creating a business monetization model that combines socialite status, entertainment industry popularity exposure, and entrepreneurial investment.

Because Kim Kardashian initially worked with Paris Hilton's stylist, and even appeared as a handbag carrier in the reality show.

In a sense, Paris Hilton is a pioneer in monetizing online traffic.

However, Paris is no longer associated with Hilton, the former global hotel giant, because Hilton was acquired during the financial crisis and the Hilton family was ousted.

However, Paris's own perfume brand has been doing quite well in recent years and is now completely independent.

The character of Caroline in "2 Broke Girls" was partly inspired by Paris Hilton.

"In 08, her perfume brand wanted to enter the Chinese market, and MTV did a program for her, which I hosted. We became good friends. Unfortunately, the financial crisis later caused her cash flow to dry up, her family business was acquired, and her grandfather's entire estate was donated. Although she still promotes herself as Hollywood's top socialite in recent years, she is already considering a career change. Because of the poor economy and the loss of family support, it has become difficult for her to maintain her extravagant lifestyle."

"I know Mr. Wang values ​​the variety show business highly. I think Paris is very talented in this area. Her self-created reality show still holds viewership records. We chatted the other day, and she was considering preparing another reality show, but she lacks funds." Zhu Zhu reported with a serious expression, like a secretary.

Wang Yao pondered upon hearing this.

This is unexpected news. Paris's value lies in her mass appeal, and if it weren't for the Kardashian family's sudden rise to prominence after her family's decline, Paris's value might be even higher.

In 07, the Kardashian family borrowed inspiration from Paris Hilton's 03 reality show "The Simple Life" to create "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," leveraging the internet boom to become the most famous socialite family and realize their IP status.

Paris was focused on starting her own business at the time, but the financial crisis hit. After her family business was seized, her image as a top socialite was also taken away. So this time, she is probably preparing to make a desperate comeback.

However, the dispute between Paris and Kardashian is essentially a dispute over American aesthetics. Paris represents the typical American sweetheart aesthetic, which is based on the previous American white, blonde, approachable, confident and sunny image. Kardashian, on the other hand, represents the new masculine aesthetic, which is characterized by a curvy figure, a slim waist, and a shapely bottom, as well as trends such as black partners, virtuous wives and mothers, and plastic surgery and tanning.

“If Paris is interested, Skyfire welcomes her to join us.” Wang Yao felt that Paris still had a certain base of support and commercial value.

"Then I'll go talk to her?" Zhu Zhu was delighted to hear this.

"Thank you for your hard work, Director Zhu," Wang Yao said with a light smile.

"Tsk, Mr. Wang's nickname makes me feel all swayed." Zhu Zhu smiled charmingly.

"?" Wang Yao's lips twitched.

What outrageous words! Zhu Zhu, having received the imperial edict, happily went to prepare. Wang Yao was just about to finish work and have dinner with Zhang Meng. If they could really sign Paris to Tianhuo, then the clothing/accessories business could use Paris's collaboration to test the cross-border market.

I received a call from Ni Ni as soon as I got on the bus.

"Oh, Ms. Ni's special training is over?" Wang Yao answered with a smile. Ni Ni had been in closed training for almost three months.

"It's still early, Mr. Wang. What do you think of the 'Golden Hairpin' project?" Ni Ni asked listlessly.

During her three months of intensive closed training, she not only had to learn various manners, language, and acting skills, but most importantly, she had to work on her physique. In order to achieve the voluptuous state required for the character, she has been working herself to the bone lately.

“Director Zhang’s work is definitely going to be good, what’s wrong?” Wang Yao asked.

"Director Zhang suddenly contacted me today and asked me to ask you if Tianhuo is interested in investing in 'The Golden Hairpin'." Ni Ni's tone was somewhat puzzled.

"Find Tianhuo Investment? Director Zhang will be short of budget?" Wang Yao was taken aback.

The name Zhang Yimou is a living advertisement in the country; whenever he appears, investors flock to him.

"Um, he didn't go into details, he just told me to inquire about it." Ni Ni paused for a moment, "A few days ago, Zhang Weiping asked me to sign with New Pictures Company, and I said I had already signed with Spark. Then today Director Zhang asked about this. Do you think this is implying that I either need to bring my own funding team or change the female lead?"

After following Wang Yao for several months, Ni Ni was no longer the naive and foolish college student she once was. She already had some business acumen, and after learning from Wang Yao, her mind was full of intricate schemes, making her extremely quick-witted.

“That’s actually possible. What do you think?” Wang Yao asked with a smile.

"I've already gone through so much hardship, I definitely don't want to give up halfway. But if this project loses money, we certainly can't be the ones to suffer the consequences. My idea is, if they really want to change the female lead, I'll sue."

"Then Xinghuo will help me promote it, and I can even sell some products while it's trending. Even if I don't make a movie, I'm definitely going to ride this wave of popularity. I'll do another boost after it's released. As long as this movie is popular, I won't miss out." Ni Ni said sinisterly.

If she were just an ordinary college student, she would probably be helpless and silently endure this situation. But now she is the legal representative and shareholder of Xinghuo Cooperative, and even Zhao Liying is one of its artists. Not to mention that Zhang Weiping and his group were in the wrong and bullying her, so she has a legitimate reason to protect her personal interests.

Wang Yao nodded with satisfaction. Ni Ni was now a successful internet-thinking operator.

"Give me Director Zhang's phone number, I want to ask about the situation," Wang Yao said with a smile.

Ni Ni chatted for a couple of minutes and then sent her phone number to Wang Yao.

"Who is this?" The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"Hello Director Zhang, I'm Wang Yao," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Oh, Mr. Wang, it's a pleasure to meet you." Zhang Yi's voice froze for a moment before he spoke slowly.

"Director Zhang, you're too kind. Ni Ni said that 'The Golden Hairpin' needs funding?" Wang Yao asked with a smile.

“Yes, the budget exceeded our expectations a bit. Several investors were hesitant. I happened to hear that Ni Ni is an artist under President Wang's company. I recently saw the news that Skyfire is going to acquire AMC. As a Chinese filmmaker, I am also proud of this. 'The Golden Hairpin' is also going overseas to compete for awards, so I thought I'd ask if you were interested.” Zhang Yimou said in a friendly manner.

“I’ve seen the online disclosures about the ‘Golden Hairpin’ project. It’s an important historical project, and as Chinese people, we naturally have a responsibility to do it, especially since it’s a major project personally overseen by Director Zhang. Tianhuo is very interested,” Wang Yaoxian said, setting the tone.

"Let me give you a brief overview of the script?" Zhang Yi was delighted to hear this.

“I don’t understand scripts, just tell me about the budget and distribution plan,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Mr. Wang is a man of few words, so I won’t mince words either. The estimated investment is between 600 and 700 million, and filming is expected to begin around the end of the year, with a shooting period of eight months. If all goes well, it could be released by the end of next year. The distribution plan is not yet finalized. I’ve heard that Mr. Wang is an expert in publicity and distribution, so if we can cooperate, I would naturally hope that you can offer some advice.” Zhang Yi smiled.

"Director Zhang, you flatter me. Director Hu and Brother Quan handled the publicity and distribution as well." Wang Yao smiled. "May I ask, what about the other investors?"

“Initially, it was solely owned by our company, but the amount of capital was quite large, so we took out a bank to provide partial collateral. The issuers were Xia Shi and Xia Ying, and the funding parties were quite simple,” Zhang Yimou said.

Wang Yao found it a bit strange. This was essentially a sole proprietorship by New Pictures. Even if the budget was exceeded, with Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping's reputation and connections, they could easily borrow one or two hundred million.

It's unlikely that they would rely on publicity channels, given that with the full support and responsibility of both Xia Film and Xia Television, they face virtually no pressure domestically.

If it were truly about securing overseas theater slots, this might be possible, but it's also far-fetched, since the theater acquisitions haven't been completed yet. So, considering all these factors, Wang Yao couldn't think of any reason why Zhang Yimou would want to collaborate with him.

"What is the funding gap?" Wang Yao asked.

“It can be 50%, or it can be 100%,” Zhang Yimou gave an unexpected answer.

"Hmm?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

"To be honest, this project was something I carefully prepared, but it's a high-risk project for the company," Zhang Yimou sighed.

"If you don't want the company to take risks, with Director Zhang's influence, it shouldn't be difficult to prepare for this project, so why did you come to me?" Wang Yao asked in confusion.

“Mr. Wang is a smart man; he should have guessed the reason,” Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

Wang Yao frowned.

“I’m just a filmmaker, I don’t understand these things about company operations. ‘The Golden Hairpin’ is the largest investment project we’ve had in many years. Everyone has high hopes for it, so we have to control the risks. Controlling the risks means that some parts of the work may have to be compromised for realistic factors,” Zhang Yimou said in a deep voice.

"So, Mr. Zhang and Director Zhang have a disagreement over who has control over the film?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Internal disagreements? That makes sense.

While Zhang Yimou could certainly find funding, without Zhang Weiping's help in dealing with these investors, he would find it difficult to focus on making films. Theoretically, a project can operate normally with a producer but no director, but a project with a director but no producer is likely to be shelved or stalled.

What Zhang Yimou needs is not money, but money from producers who can handle all the miscellaneous matters for him.

He only wants to have fun filming and doesn't want to take on the subsequent responsibilities and risks—a typical scumbag mentality.

“Yes, with such a large investment, it’s almost impossible to recoup the box office profit. He wants to win at least one of the two: fame and fortune. So he hopes to win awards and that I can win an Oscar with this film. But I’m not confident. Besides, he wants to make award-winning revisions to the script, which I don’t quite agree with.” Zhang Yi sighed.

"An award-winning revision? Let me guess, it's about white men saving the world, the impact of Chinese literature on suffering, and the perspective of female victims?" Wang Yao chuckled.

After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Zhang Yimou's slightly surprised voice came through: "Mr. Wang has done a lot of research on Oscar's orientation?"

"Why is Director Zhang's disapproval described as 'somewhat'?" Wang Yao countered.

Zhang Yi fell silent again.

"It's true that movies are entertainment products, but we still hope that historical disaster films can have a clear stance on what can be conveyed and what cannot be conveyed." Wang Yao's tone was somewhat subtle.

“Yes, I think so too,” Zhang Yi replied.

"I heard that 'The Golden Hairpin' is adapted from a novel of the same name, right? Coincidentally, I read that book when I was young. I don't know how Director Zhang adapted it, I'll just say that the content of the book is such that I don't quite understand the last part."

The girls' school in the story was an elite institution, funded by the church, and its students were mostly from wealthy and noble families. The author concludes by using the idea that prostitutes were of lowly status to persuade others to suffer the humiliation in place of the students, and even to grant them a better rebirth as students in their next life.

It seems to be a fatalistic view that the plight and misery of prostitutes should be despised, without considering the objective factors that led them to prostitution. This condescending and elitist approach is essentially a tragedy of collective unconsciousness.

There's even a distorted value system that sees 'weakness as original sin.' As a leading figure in Chinese-language cinema, I hope Director Zhang can think more deeply about what he can express when dealing with such themes of suffering." Wang Yao's tone remained subtle.

Zhang Yi felt somewhat uncomfortable listening to this: "Mr. Wang, would you be interested in taking a look at my script?"

“Forget it, I’m not the kind of person who would interfere with creative work.” Wang Yao smiled. “As for whether or not to invest, it all depends on Director Zhang’s wishes. Tianhuo can take over 'The Golden Hairpin' with full funding, but of course there are conditions. I want to reuse the scenes from 'The Golden Hairpin' to shoot another movie.”

Most of the cost of "The Golden Hairpin" was for actors and set construction. While actors may not be able to share the costs, the set costs could be spread out.

"Is Tianhuo also preparing for this subject matter?" Zhang Yi was taken aback upon hearing this.

“That’s right, but I’m similar to ‘The Diary of John Rabe,’ not exactly the same as ‘The Golden Hairpin,’” Wang Yao said.

Last year's releases of "John Rabe" and "The Battle of Nanjing" were competing head-to-head, but for some reason, "John Rabe" performed extremely poorly at the box office, resulting in significant losses for Huayi Brothers.

Although Wang Yao said there was no overlap, it is clear that the themes are similar. If the two films are released at the same time, it is very likely that the controversy of last year will be repeated. Is this a way of exerting pressure?
"When will Mr. Wang's movie be released?" Zhang Yi's tone turned serious.

"It's still in the preparation stage. If Director Zhang collaborates with me, it will probably be around the same time as 'The Golden Hairpin,' maybe before, maybe after, it's uncertain." Wang Yao smiled.

Zhang Yi immediately became alert, realizing that this was definitely a threat.

Although "22" became a hit due to an unexpected major event, its promotional methods are worth learning from. This promotional approach, which has never been seen before in the Chinese entertainment industry, has made everyone aware of the new strategy of "riding the wave of hot topics + inciting conflict + expanding the circle".

There is no doubt that all future film releases related to Skyfire may be affected by this new tactic.

"Is Mr. Wang really not going to interfere with the scriptwriting process?" Zhang Yi asked thoughtfully.

"Of course, but given the scale of the investment, I hope we don't lose money. As for winning awards or box office success, that's up to luck," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll think about it," Zhang Yi replied and hung up the phone.

Originally, he sought to collaborate with Wang Yao in the hope of introducing a third party to check and balance Zhang Weiping, but he did not expect that Wang Yao would actually have the strength and confidence to take over and promised not to interfere with the creative process.

This was clearly beyond Zhang Yimou's expectations, but what worried him even more was that Tianhuo would also produce a similar film to compete with it, which was definitely not good news.

He and Zhang Weiping made a bet on their future influence with "The Golden Hairpin." If this new film interferes, the risk will be even greater. However, since someone is willing to take over, and his relationship with Zhang Weiping is already difficult to repair, it's only a matter of time before they part ways.

Why not make a decisive move, focus on your work, and then prove them wrong?

After smoking a few cigarettes, Zhang Yi suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

He and Zhang Weiping were already sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams, and they were just one step away from getting a divorce. Now he had found another top-notch horse, and Tianhuo was obviously stronger and lacked a big director like him to oversee things.

If he joins Skyfire, wouldn't he have a greater advantage than staying in New Picture?

(End of this chapter)