Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 617 Deceiving Tom Cruise

The reception following the premiere was held in the banquet hall on the top floor of the cinema. The crystal chandeliers reflected a dazzling light, making the entire banquet hall appear magnificent.

The banquet hall was bustling with people; celebrities, who are rarely seen in normal times, were as common as cheap cabbages.

The reception was very informal, with no opening ceremony; guests strolled around chatting while holding champagne glasses.

Throughout the hall, small groups of people could be seen chatting. Some of these people were executives of film and television companies, while others were well-known directors and actors. They seemed to be chatting casually, but many of them were glancing around intentionally or unintentionally, their eyes occasionally sweeping towards the door.

An international movie star of Tom Cruise's caliber rarely appears in China, so today's opportunity is rare, and many people want to take this chance to get to know him, and hopefully exchange phone numbers or something.

But to their surprise, Tom Cruise didn't show up even after they had been waiting for half an hour.

Could it be... that the other party didn't even attend the party?
Some people couldn't help but feel secretly annoyed. If they had known it would be like this, they should have taken the initiative to strike up a conversation at the premiere.

Some people's patience ran out, and when they saw Ning Hao chatting and mingling at the party, they couldn't help but go over to ask him about it. The answer they received was, "It seems that Tom Cruise is with Zhang Chen."

Everyone then realized that Zhang Chen hadn't been seen at the party either. Could the rumors be true, and were the two really going to cooperate?

But when they inquired further, Ning Hao knew nothing about it, which was incredibly frustrating!
Meanwhile, in the side hall on the west side of the banquet hall, the atmosphere was unusually focused.

Zhang Chen, Tom Cruise, and Sasha sat around a small round table with three untouched glasses of champagne on it.

Sasha broke the silence first, leaning forward slightly, her tone somewhat solemn: "Zhang, actually, besides supporting you, we have another important thing we want to discuss with you at this premiere—Paramount hopes you can direct 'Mission: Impossible 4,' and Tom also hopes you will direct 'Mission: Impossible 4'..."

Tom Cruise didn't say anything, but he nodded to indicate that it was indeed his idea.

Zhang Chen had already guessed that the two had come for this reason, so he wasn't surprised when he heard this. He was just trying to find the right words to refuse.

“Ms. Sasha, I’m very grateful for Paramount’s high regard for me, but I’m truly sorry, Warner Bros. and I are currently preparing a new film, and I’m afraid its release date will conflict with Mission: Impossible 4…”

Zhang Chen paused for a moment, then continued, "However, to express my gratitude, I can share some of my thoughts on Mission: Impossible 4 with you, which might give you some inspiration."

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

Sasha and Tom Cruise both showed interest. As for why they didn't directly propose a trade, that was actually Paramount's strategy.

Despite Tom Cruise's high regard for Zhang Chen, Sasha made an agreement with him beforehand: he would control the pace of the negotiations, and Tom Cruise would cooperate with her.

Sasha knew that Zhang Chen would definitely repay them for coming to support "Train to Busan".

She wasn't trying to take advantage of Zhang Chen's ideas for free; rather, she wanted to use this opportunity to see if Zhang Chen was really as suitable as Tom Cruise had said.

Zhang Chen, unsuspecting, casually said, "What I'm about to say is my personal understanding of the Mission: Impossible series. Please don't take offense if I offend anyone..."

Zhang Chen gave the other party a heads-up, and the two on the other side nodded to indicate that they wouldn't mind.

Zhang Chen made a startling statement: "Actually, I think the Mission: Impossible franchise went astray starting from the second movie."

Faced with the two people across from him staring wide-eyed, Zhang Chen spoke with certainty, then picked up a pen and paper from the table and casually sketched a simple outline:

"There are three Mission: Impossible movies so far. Although the box office performance has varied, I think the first one, Mission: Impossible, is the best."

The phrase "Mission Impossible" sounds incredibly appealing, and the film's plot perfectly captures that theme. The scene where they infiltrate the CIA is so gripping that the audience barely dares to breathe.

That's the charm of a good movie.

However, starting with the second installment, this excellent quality was abandoned.

Although Mission: Impossible 2 broke box office records that year, it was actually just an ordinary action movie with various Wu-style slow motions and cool poses.

Back then, these were all novel elements, but from a developmental perspective, they were actually quite low-brow. They were no different from other action films. The reason they were able to achieve such high box office numbers was entirely due to people's curiosity about John Woo's style.

While the action scenes before the third installment were well-done, they still failed to highlight this theme.

Furthermore, audiences have grown tired of Mission: Impossible because it lacks its own unique characteristics. In other words, Ethan Hunt is no different from the hundreds of other Hollywood spy characters; they all just know how to shoot guns.

When Zhang Chen said these things, Sasha remained expressionless, but Tom Cruise nodded unconsciously.

He felt the same way.

"So what do we do?"

"It's simple. Find a label for Ethan Hunt, like Jason Bourne from the Bourne series. When people think of Jason Bourne, the first thing that comes to mind is that he's a strong fighter and very smart. Ethan needs a similar label. The current teamwork is quite good, which is one label, but not enough. I think Ethan's biggest label should be his planning ability."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two people opposite him looked confused. Zhang Chen continued to explain, "The movie is called 'Mission Impossible,' so we need to work on that."

Ideally, every movie should present the protagonist with an impossible task, and then let Ethan use his planning skills to accomplish it. That would be the biggest highlight of the film.
Every mission is filled with 'impossible' challenges, and what the audience enjoys is that tension and the exhilarating feeling of pushing their limits.

At this point, Tom Cruise's eyes seemed to brighten even more than before, and he frequently glanced at Sasha beside him, as if to say, "See, I wasn't wrong."

"In movies, the concept of 'impossible' must be pushed to its extreme. I also have a suggestion for you personally."

Tom Cruise became even more curious, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"I suggest you do it on location. I heard you did the rock climbing scene at the beginning of Mission: Impossible 2 on location?"

"Yes, at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah, I did most of the stunts myself, only using a stunt double for a few of the more difficult ones."

Tom Cruise spoke of this with great pride.

Zhang Chen nodded: "Those impossible missions I just mentioned must have very dangerous parts during the operation. I suggest you film them on location, of course, with protective measures in place. This can become your personal style. I don't need to remind you why Jackie Chan has such a high status, do I?"

"Do you want Tom to follow Jackie Chan's path?" Sasha suddenly asked.

"I guess so, but Jackie Chan was completely risking his life, while Tom Cruise didn't need to. He was doing as much real filming as possible with safety measures in place, which doesn't seem to be the case in Hollywood yet."

Zhang Chen was essentially giving Tom Cruise a heads-up about his future path.

In the original timeline, Tom Cruise's career was full of ups and downs until Mission: Impossible 4, when he seemed to suddenly have a breakthrough and started doing extreme sports, even earning the nickname "American Jackie Chan".

Tom Cruise suddenly broke into an excited smile. He looked at Sasha, then at Zhang Chen: "Could you give me an example? For instance, what would an impossible mission like the one you mentioned in Mission: Impossible 4 look like?"

Zhang Chen shrugged: "For example, you might need to climb the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building."

"What?"

They both exclaimed in surprise.

“The specific plot could be designed so that important documents are on a certain floor of the Burj Khalifa, but the internal security of the Burj Khalifa is insurmountable. You have to risk climbing from the outside of the Burj Khalifa to reach the floor where the documents are located. Think about it, would the audience like to see such a scene? And if you filmed such a scene live, how would the audience react?” Zhang Chen’s words were full of seduction: “In the future, when other peers are relying on CG and green screens to piece together dangerous scenes, you, Tom Cruise, can stand up and arrogantly say, ‘If you don’t risk your life, what’s the point of a movie?’”

After he finished speaking, Tom Cruise suddenly stood up and paced excitedly back and forth in front of the two men, muttering something to himself.

"Yes, that's it, that's how it should be~"

Tom Cruise looked at Zhang Chen with burning eyes again: "Zhang, do you know, a casual remark from you solved a problem that had been bothering me for a long time."

Zhang Chen thought to himself, "Is the problem your pretentiousness?"
Tom Cruise continued: "I realized a long time ago that I didn't have anything unique about me. I made romance movies, action movies, and sci-fi movies, but the media always focused on my appearance, which frustrated me. I've always wanted to find the right direction, but I never had a clue. But today, I think I've found it. What you're talking about is exactly what I've been longing for..."

Tom Cruise seemed very excited, and Zhang Chen was hearing this for the first time – that Tom Cruise also had appearance anxiety.

After thinking about it, it seems normal.

Tom Cruise rose to fame in the 80s thanks to his stunning good looks, much like Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s. DiCaprio is in a similar situation now, otherwise he wouldn't be so focused on proving himself through awards.

"Zhang, you absolutely have to come and help me direct 'Mission: Impossible 4.' Seriously, this movie can't do without you."

In exchange, I can play the male lead in "Inception." How about we help each other out?

In his excitement, Tom Cruise disregarded his agreement with Sasha and revealed his trump card: he was eager to get Zhang Chen to join his film project.

Zhang Chen, on the other hand, was stunned by his words.

Tom Cruise?
Starring in "Inception"?
It seems that it's not impossible.

Zhang Chen had been trying to find a top Hollywood star, but Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon both turned him down. Warner Bros. even offered him the opportunity to direct and star in their own film.
But Zhang Chen was unwilling in his heart.

It's exhausting to be both a director and a lead actor at the same time.

"But I remember contacting you before, and you refused, didn't you?"

"That's my agent. That idiot didn't even tell me. I've already fired him." Tom Cruise said angrily.

Sasha knew it was time for her to step in: "Mr. Zhang, your thinking has completely hit the core issue of the Mission: Impossible series. We also felt that the positioning of the previous films was a bit vague, but now that you've said this, it's all clear."

In addition, your suggestions on Tom and the film's branding are excellent. Both Tom and Paramount believe you are the best choice to direct Mission: Impossible 4.

We are truly sincere. As for your concerns about scheduling, Paramount is willing to wait. We can start filming Mission: Impossible 4 after Inception is completed. As for the compensation, it will be in accordance with the standards for top Hollywood directors.

Paramount is really showing great sincerity. What kind of package does a top Hollywood director typically get? $2000 million plus 10% of the box office revenue.

Zhang Chen was basically satisfied, but didn't agree immediately. Instead, he discussed conditions: "I need to be a co-producer. Since I'm directing, I must have corresponding rights."

Sasha and Tom Cruise exchanged a glance: "No problem, and we'll completely respect your decision."

"I need more investment funds~"

"This is fine too."

Paramount didn't have high expectations for Mission: Impossible 4 at the beginning, because the third film didn't receive good reviews, and Tom Cruise had been embroiled in scandals for the past two years.

Although Zhang Chen's joining has made the future much brighter, they are more than happy to have someone share the risks.

"script……"

"You're fully responsible for the script~"

Before Zhang Chen could finish speaking, the other party had already completed the sentence.

This is actually standard practice. Since Zhang Chen is already a producer, the film script must at least be approved by him before filming can begin.

Zhang Chen wasn't finished: "I also need the decision-making power regarding the second male lead and the female lead, as this involves the connection between the film and the spy universe~"

At this point, Tom Cruise became interested again: "Could you elaborate?"

Zhang Chen knew he had to put the other party at ease: "I've said before that I hope 'Mission: Impossible' and the spy universe will work together."

However, we shouldn't rush things. Too many connections at the beginning can confuse the audience and dilute the unique characteristics of Mission: Impossible. So it's best to stick to one connection at a time.

Brian wasn't a suitable candidate, so I chose Abramovich.

By making Abu the second male lead, he is the one who provides the most physical strength in the entire show, as well as the protagonist's right-hand man.

Here's what I think: if Mission: Impossible is to differentiate itself from other action movies, then the IMF team should ideally be known for their intelligence.

They relied on their intellect and technology, but not on force.

As for the fighting, it's up to Abramovich; this style will also benefit other works in the series later on.

As for the female lead, I want Fan Bingbing to play the role; her fame can only benefit the film.

Zhang Chen spoke frankly, making no attempt to hide his personal motives.

He wanted to replace Jeremy Renner's original role with one of his own, while also helping Fan Xiaopang secure the lead female role.

The two people opposite didn't care at all. Zhang Chen was right. If Fan Xiaopang could also join the film, it would only be beneficial to the movie.

Furthermore, Paramount has conducted statistics showing that over 70% of the audience for "Taken" is between 18 and 35 years old, which happens to be the core audience group for the "Mission: Impossible" series.

“Okay, we have no objection to that.” The two readily agreed.

"Then there's only one last thing: I have a priority investment agreement with Warner Bros., which stipulates that they have investment rights for any film projects I lead."

Zhang Chen had to make this point clear; since it involved interests, it had to be clarified beforehand.

Sasha didn't agree immediately this time. After considering it for a moment, she said, "Paramount will talk to Warner Bros. about this. Whatever the outcome, it won't affect our cooperation."

Hearing Sasha say that, Zhang Chen felt relieved. He raised his champagne glass and said with a smile, "I hope we can work together to make Mission: Impossible 4 a film that will impress audiences."

Tom Cruise and Sasha immediately raised their glasses and gently clinked them against Zhang Chen's glass, the crisp sound echoing in the side room.

"Happy cooperation!"

The three of them spoke in unison, their faces beaming with anticipation for the future.

(End of this chapter)