Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 374, Section 372: Testing the Waters

Beijing time, October 8th, 1:00 AM.

The chill of the autumn night seeped silently through the glass windows of the high-rise hotel, but was dispelled by the constant warmth inside.

Wang Sheng stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city below.

Most of the dazzling lights have been turned off, leaving only the streetlights along the main road stretching into a dim yellow ribbon, outlining the sleeping city.

Gao Yuanyuan was already fast asleep in the bedroom, her face still flushed with a mixture of fatigue and satisfaction.

……

the other side.

Across the ocean.

Toronto, Canada, home of the film crew of "The Tuxedo".

Local time, just after 1 p.m. on October 7.

Compared to the chilly autumn in Beijing, the afternoon sun in Toronto was warm, streaming through the high windows of the photography studio and casting dappled shadows on the floor covered with cables and equipment.

Jackie Chan had just finished a short lunch break and still looked a little sleepy.

He was dressed in a slightly comical, not yet fully special-effects-enhanced tuxedo costume, sitting on the sofa in his private lounge, taking a sip of the warm coffee handed to him by his assistant.

"Big Brother, the afternoon's scenes are action scenes in the garage. The props team has finished checking everything, and the stunt doubles have already rehearsed their positions," his personal assistant reported on the afternoon's arrangements.

Jackie Chan rubbed his temples and asked, "How's the overall progress? Can it be finished by the end of November?"

Agent Chen Ziqiang, holding the schedule, nodded confidently: "No problem. We've already completed a little over a third of the filming. At the current pace, we should be able to wrap up filming before the end of November. It won't delay your return to Beijing to film 'Night at the Museum'."

Jackie Chan's schedule is indeed as tight as a war zone.

After finalizing the details of the collaboration on "Night at the Museum" with Wang Sheng in Beijing in September, he immediately flew to Toronto to begin filming "The Tuxedo".

The Medallion, originally scheduled to begin filming this December, has been postponed to next year to make way for Night at the Museum. Filming is planned to take place after the completion of Shanghai Knights.

"The Medallion" is a Hong Kong-funded project that also leverages Jackie Chan's fame, so Jackie Chan has a significant say in the project.

"That's good." Jackie Chan breathed a sigh of relief. He valued his promises the most, especially to Wang Sheng, that very interesting young man.

He paused, lowered his voice, and asked about another matter of concern: "By the way, how's the communication between Robert White and the people at New Line Cinema going? About the release of 'Shaolin Soccer'."

Robert White is an important part of Jackie Chan's extensive network of contacts in Hollywood, a seasoned independent producer and project broker who moves between major studios.

He wasn't the kind of glamorous bigwig who worked in the spotlight; he operated more behind the scenes, known for his shrewd business acumen, flexible tactics, and unique understanding of the Eastern and Western film markets.

White previously worked as a mid-level manager at Fox and Paramount before leaving to focus on bridging Asian films (especially Hong Kong action films) with Hollywood.

He was deeply involved in the North American distribution negotiations for many of Jackie Chan's films, such as "Rumble in the Bronx" and the "Rush Hour" series, and has considerable experience in how to package Jackie Chan's action-comedy style into products that can be accepted by the North American market.

He maintains a good personal relationship with senior executives at New Line Cinema, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. New Line Cinema, with its relatively flexible decision-making and keen sense of genre films (such as creating "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and the "Rush Hour" series), has always been one of Jackie Chan's important partners in North America.

In order to get him to help with the operation, Wang Sheng paid a considerable amount of public relations fees.

Chen Ziqiang had clearly just spoken to White on the phone. He leaned closer and reported quickly, "White just sent word that the higher-ups at New Line Cinema have shown an unexpected level of interest in Mr. Wang Sheng himself and the Chinese film market he represents."

He organized his thoughts and continued, "According to White, New Line is currently working on an assessment report on the growth potential of the Chinese film market over the next five to ten years. They are very interested in whether Mr. Wang can... or rather, to what extent he is willing to provide 'facilitation' for their New Line films in the Chinese market."

"Convenient?" Jackie Chan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes,"

Chen Ziqiang nodded. "To be specific, it's about scheduling."

They hope that their key films in the future, such as some projects next year, can obtain more screening opportunities in China through Mr. Wang's relationship with China Film Shengshi Cinemas, especially ensuring that they can be released and promoted during prime time such as the Spring Festival and National Day holidays.

They viewed Mr. Wang as a highly promising 'strategic partner' in the Chinese market, not merely a film supplier.

Jackie Chan nodded thoughtfully.

Hollywood's calculations were shrewd. What they valued was Wang Sheng's increasingly extensive cinema network in mainland China and his deep relationship with China Film Group, which represented a direct channel to hundreds of millions of Chinese viewers.

"And what about 'Shaolin Soccer' itself?" Jackie Chan pressed. "New Line Cinema acknowledges the comedic style and box office success of 'Shaolin Soccer' in Asia, but they also point out that pure Eastern humor and the soccer theme create a cultural gap in North America."

They are assessing the possibility of making some localized edits and allowing the production company to participate in the promotion, but only if... they see Mr. Wang show sincerity in channel cooperation.

The release of "Kung Fu Soccer" can be seen as a 'trial run' to establish this cooperative relationship.

Chen Ziqiang relayed White's message as clearly as possible.

Jackie Chan understood; this was a deal.

New Line Cinema is willing to discuss the distribution of "Shaolin Soccer," but the bargaining chip is Wang Sheng's future support for screenings in the Chinese market.

"Understood." Jackie Chan pondered for a moment and instructed, "Have Brother Qiang contact Wang Sheng's secretariat when it's morning in Beijing time, around... eight o'clock, and convey the message from the new line to them exactly as it is. Let Wang Sheng decide how to proceed."

"Understood." Chen Ziqiang wrote it down.

……

Beijing time, October 8th, 9:15 AM.

Jingxin Building, the floor where Shengying Media is located.

The original sign that read "Office of the Assistant General Manager" has been replaced with the more substantial and larger "President's Secretariat".

The expansion and renaming of the department signifies the growing size of Wang Sheng's business empire and the increasing formalization of its management.

The office was a scene of busy activity yet orderly activity.

The sounds of telephones ringing, keyboards clattering, and hushed conversations mingled together.

Several well-dressed and highly trained secretaries each perform their duties efficiently, handling the flow of information from all directions.

The head of the secretariat, a man in his thirties with a calm demeanor (who took over some of Li Tingting's external coordination functions), had just finished a cooperation inquiry call from Hong Kong Island.

Another dedicated phone on the table rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was an international call from Canada.

He immediately perked up and answered in fluent and clear English: "Hello, this is the Secretariat of the President of Shengying Media."

The familiar voice of Jackie Chan's agent, Willie Chan, came from the other end of the phone. The two had communicated several times regarding the preparation of "Night at the Museum".

"Hello, this is Chen Ziqiang. I'm here on behalf of Mr. Jackie Chan to convey some preliminary feedback from New Line Cinema regarding the North American distribution rights for 'Shaolin Soccer' to Mr. Wang..."

Chen Ziqiang gave a clear and organized account of his discussion with Jackie Chan the previous night, emphasizing New Line Cinema's interest in Wang Sheng's distribution channels in the Chinese market and the potential intention to link the distribution of "Shaolin Soccer" with future screening support.

The head of the secretariat quickly jotted down key points on the computer while asking one or two crucial questions as needed to confirm the accuracy of the information.

“Thank you very much for the information from you and Mr. Chen. I have taken notes. I will submit this important briefing to General Manager Wang as soon as possible.” He responded politely and professionally.

I had just ended the call with Chen Ziqiang and hadn't even had time to organize the briefing when another phone rang.

The screen displayed a number with an unfamiliar New York area code.

The head of the secretariat answered the phone again, and a standardized English greeting came from the other end.

"Hello, this is Miramax Films. We'd like to speak with Mr. Wang Sheng regarding the North American distribution rights for 'Shaolin Soccer'."
The other party's tone carried the kind of slightly condescending efficiency common to big Hollywood companies, directly stating their purpose.

"Hello, this is the President's Secretariat. Regarding the copyright matters of 'Kung Fu Soccer,' we can take the lead. Do you have any specific plans or intentions?" The head of the Secretariat remained calm, trying to elicit more information from the other party.

The other party seemed a little impatient about needing to communicate with the secretary first, but still quickly said, "We at Miramax are interested in the unique style of this film."

We can offer a buyout price to resolve all North American copyright issues in one go.

I hope to arrange a transoceanic conference call with Mr. Wang as soon as possible to discuss this in detail.

The tone implied that offering a buyout was already a favor.

"Okay, I've noted your appointment request. Mr. Wang's schedule needs to be coordinated, and we will get back to you as soon as possible." The head of the secretariat ended the call calmly, without revealing any emotion.

He put down the phone, quickly organized the two communication records into a concise and clear report, marked them with priorities, and then got up and walked towards Li Tingting's office.

(End of this chapter)