Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 423, Section 421: Looting Disney Coins

In May, Florida is bathed in intense sunshine. Unlike the dryness of California, the air here is filled with the humid, oceanic scent.

The delegation traveled from Los Angeles on the West Coast across the North American continent to Orlando, Florida on the East Coast.

The core destination of this trip—Walt Disney World Resort—is located here.

Unlike Burbank, which focuses on film production and animation, Orlando is the offline experience hub of Disney's vast entertainment empire, the ultimate embodiment of dreams being materialized and operated on a large scale.

The "World Showcase" at EPCOT (Future World) theme park is like a miniature global village.

When the delegation members stood in front of the iconic China Pavilion, which resembled the dome of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven, their feelings were quite complex.

The vermilion pillars and the carved beams and painted rafters of the antique-style building strive to create an atmosphere of oriental solemnity and mystery in a foreign land.

The core facility inside the venue is the cinema with a 360-degree circular giant screen.

The group filed in and took their seats in the tiered seating area.

As the lights dimmed, the familiar, slightly faded film "Chinese Wonders" began to play.

Aerial views show the Great Wall winding through towering mountains, the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City resplendent in the setting sun, the landscape of Guilin appearing and disappearing in the thin mist, and the flying apsaras murals of Dunhuang swaying gracefully...

These images are so familiar to Wang Sheng, Zhu Yongde, and others that they are etched into their very bones.

The film's shooting techniques, narrative rhythm, and even the soundtrack bear a strong imprint of the 1980s. It is grand and solemn, but it also inevitably feels somewhat distant, as if it is showing a specimen of civilization frozen in history, only for viewing.

The film finished playing and the lights came on.

Vice President Iger looked at the Chinese delegation, especially Zhu Yongde and Wang Sheng, and said sincerely: "Ladies and gentlemen, as we have discussed before, these scenes are undoubtedly magnificent and classic."

But we believe that today's China has even more stories to tell the world.

We look forward to a new version of the film that will allow visitors to feel the pulse of a modern city at the foot of the Great Wall and experience the vibrant life outside the Forbidden City.

Zhu Yongde nodded. As the head of a long-established film studio, he was well aware of the importance and subtlety of external publicity work: "Mr. Aiger is right. China's development is changing rapidly, and we need a new film that can both inherit ancient civilization and showcase contemporary vitality, especially the achievements of reform and opening up."

In this collaboration, we have the control over the content, which is crucial. We must ensure that we present an authentic, three-dimensional, and comprehensive picture of China.

Wang Sheng observed silently from the side.

Although he couldn't interfere with this project, which had more political significance than commercial interests, he keenly realized that it represented a significant effort by China to gain control over cultural discourse—the script, location selection, filming direction, and even the final censorship rights.

Disney's concessions here reflect its long-term ambition for the Chinese market, especially the Disneyland project that has yet to be launched.

This was a tacitly agreed-upon deal.

During their two days in Orlando, the delegation carefully examined the hardware facilities of the China Pavilion and discussed the technical specifications of the circular screen and the possibility of future upgrades with Disney Imagineers.

After concluding their trip to Orlando, the delegation returned to Burbank, Los Angeles.

The real negotiations officially began in a spacious conference room at Disney headquarters.

Although the talks surrounding the remake of "Glimpses of China" involved many details such as technology, funding, and filming schedule, the overall tone was relatively harmonious.

China holds two trump cards: content control and the right to review films, while Disney has shown a cooperative and respectful attitude.

The two parties quickly finalized the cooperation framework: Shanghai Film Group would lead the formation of a core production team, while Disney would provide no less than eight million US dollars in funding and the latest circular screen shooting and projection technology to ensure that the film reaches world-class standards in terms of visual and auditory experience.

The project is expected to start within the year, with post-production completed the following year to replace the old film in the EPCOT China Pavilion.

With the business settled, the atmosphere in the meeting room became noticeably more relaxed.

The waiter refilled the coffee and tea.

At this moment, Zhu Yongde cleared his throat, put on a warm smile, and looked at Aiger and Ms. Li: "Robert, Ms. Li, we are very pleased and confident about the cooperation on 'Glimpses of China'."

This demonstrates the sincerity and vision of both sides in cultural exchange. However, cultural exchange should be multi-dimensional.

Besides this film showcasing the national image, could we also explore some exploratory collaborations in more market-oriented areas?

Aiger raised an eyebrow, showing interest: "Mr. Zhu, please tell me in detail."

Zhu Yongde then took out an English version of the script outline from his briefcase. It was a synopsis of a co-production version of Wang Sheng's early work, "The Pursuit of Happyness," provided by Wang Sheng.

He pushed the outline to the center of the table. "This is a project idea from our director Wang Sheng, based on his previous very successful Chinese-language film, 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' which is being adapted for local audiences."

The story tells of a single father struggling at the bottom of American society who, through tireless efforts and optimism, ultimately earns respect and happiness for his family.

The theme is warm, full of humanistic care, and possesses universal values.

Ms. Li picked up the outline first and quickly skimmed through it. Iger also took a copy and began reading it carefully.

Wang Sheng added at the opportune moment: "At its core, this story is about resilience, family, and hope, and I believe it can transcend cultural differences and resonate with American audiences. In fact, the original film has received excellent reviews in Asia."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of papers turning.

Aiger put down the outline and looked at Wang Sheng, his eyes showing a hint of scrutiny and consideration.

He certainly knew about the miracle of "Shaolin Soccer." This young man in front of him not only had a huge influence in the Chinese market, but also collaborated with New Line Cinema to sell a non-English film for more than $60 million in North America (and it was still growing).

This demonstrates his mastery of commercial genre films and his ability to operate across cultures.

More importantly, he heard about the "Jackie Chan Happy Park" project led by Wang Sheng in Huairou, a model that combines film and television IP with immersive experiences, which is similar to Disney's core business.

If Disney wants to establish a presence in China, it would undoubtedly be highly beneficial to build a deep partnership with a local giant that understands both content creation and operational implementation, and has good relationships with the government.

"Mr. Wang's works, whether it's 'First Love,' 'My Sassy Girl,' or the recent 'Shaolin Soccer,' all demonstrate your accurate grasp of the market pulse."

Iger spoke slowly and solemnly, “This heartwarming and inspiring story truly aligns with Disney’s consistent values ​​of ‘family’ and ‘dreams’.”

He paused, exchanged a glance with Ms. Li, and seemed to have reached some kind of consensus.

"Disney is interested in participating in this project."

Iger ultimately stated, "We can explore doing it as a collaboration."

Given that the story is set in the United States, in order to ensure the authenticity of cultural details and market acceptance, we hope that Disney's writing team will take the lead in the specific creation and polishing of the script.

Of course, Mr. Wang Sheng, as the original story creator and director, your opinions will be fully respected. Meanwhile, Disney will be responsible for the film's global distribution.

This is typical of the logic of major Hollywood studios—controlling content production and international distribution channels.

Iger continued, "We approve of the fact that Mr. Wang Sheng will be the director."

However, on the producer side, we need to appoint an experienced Disney producer to coordinate the production, budget control, and matters related to Hollywood unions, ensuring that the production meets Hollywood industry standards.

Wang Sheng had anticipated this.

“Okay.” Wang Sheng agreed succinctly. “I must have control over directing and final editing. This is the foundation for ensuring the film’s stylistic consistency and artistic integrity.”

Aiger hesitated for a moment.

Final cut rights are usually the prerogative of big Hollywood directors, but Wang Sheng's achievements and influence in China gave him leverage in negotiations.

“In principle, we can agree that Mr. Wang Sheng has the final cut rights, but Disney reserves the right to negotiate on major disagreements,” Iger conceded.

Next comes the most practical negotiation on the distribution of benefits.

Zhu Yongde represented Shanghai Film Group, Wang Sheng represented Shengying Film Group, and Iger and Ms. Li represented Disney. The three parties engaged in a heated discussion on investment ratios and profit sharing.

After several rounds of heated debate, an agreement was finally reached:
The initial total budget for the project is set at US$3500 million.

Disney, leveraging its advantages in distribution channels, technology, and local production, invested $2000 million, taking a 57% stake; Shengying Media invested $1000 million and provided original IP and director resources, taking a 28.5% stake; Shanghai Film Group invested $500 million and assisted in handling some of its affairs in China, taking a 14.5% stake.

Profits are distributed according to the investment ratio, and global box office revenue and all subsequent derivative income are shared in this proportion.

……

Two days later.

When the memorandum of understanding was printed out and the representatives of the three parties signed it, polite applause rang out in the conference room.

Zhu Yongde looked radiant; this was not only an international co-production project, but also a major breakthrough achieved by Shanghai Film Group before his retirement.

Wang Sheng clapped his hands with a smile.

Disney is going to be based in Shanghai anyway, so what's wrong with him taking this opportunity to generate some buzz?
(End of this chapter)