Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 656 Fox and Universal's Joint Suppression

In Century City, Los Angeles, there's a gray-white three-story building. If it weren't for the 'Fox Studio' sign at the entrance, no one would guess that this is the headquarters of Fox Studios.

James, the president of Global, stood by the window, watching the cars and casually dressed pedestrians driving by on the street below, and curled his lip in disdain: "That's why I don't like Los Angeles. It's too casual here, lacking any sense of elitism..."

Unlike New York, which is full of skyscrapers, Los Angeles is a very relaxed city with few particularly tall buildings, and the pedestrians on the street are not dressed in suits like in Manhattan.

Fox President Allen was roasting a cigar with a blowtorch in his hand. After a while, he took a puff and exhaled with satisfaction: "James, do you know why I invited you here today?"

"That Chinese director and Pacific Rim 2?"

James loosened his tie and waved the folder in his hand. "Yes and no, I'd rather talk to you about Chinese films."

Allen shrugged, sat down opposite him, shrugged again, and adopted a listening posture.

James began, “Zhang Chen’s success is by no means an isolated case. Look at the box office data of ‘Ocean’s 2’ and his influence in the international market. Behind this is the continuous expansion of Chinese capital and the rapid progress of the Chinese film industry.”

As he spoke, he pushed the folder in his hand over: "This data shows that the compound annual growth rate of the Chinese film market has exceeded 15% over the past five years, and Chinese capital investment in Hollywood has also increased year by year, from film company acquisitions to project investment. I heard that a company has its eye on AMC Theatres and wants to acquire it. Their reach has extended to every link of the industry chain."

Allen: "You mean China is the second Japan?"

"No, they are more formidable than Japan. The technological level of China's film industry is also rapidly improving. From special effects production to post-production editing, it has initially acquired the strength to compete with Hollywood."

James paused, a hint of worry in his voice: "If this trend continues, it won't be long before Chinese films flood the international market, eroding our market share and even seizing our cultural discourse power. At that time, Hollywood's dominant position in the global film industry will likely be shaken."

Allen took a deep breath, his eyes hardening: "We must take action to stop this from happening. Zhang Chen is now a benchmark figure in Chinese cinema. If we can suppress him, we can slow down the expansion of the Chinese film industry to some extent, giving us more time to deal with the situation."

James nodded in agreement: "That's right, 'cut down the tallest tree,' concentrate resources to strangle Zhang Chen, this 'benchmark.'"

“I have carefully analyzed Zhang Chen’s situation. His strengths lie in the quality of his films and his international market recognition, but he also has weaknesses, namely his identity. He is an Asian.”

James stood up, walked to the conference table, pointed to the whiteboard on the wall and said, "We can take a two-pronged approach, exerting pressure from both the outside and the inside at the same time, making it difficult for him to attend to both ends."

Allen's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "External and internal? How exactly does it work? Tell me."

"External" refers to the United States mainland.

James pointed to the ground beneath his feet. "This is Hollywood, our home turf. We need to show him who's in charge here..."

"But don't forget, Warner Bros. is behind that guy. Are we going to start a war with Warner Bros.?"

"Of course not. We can find an agent. Harvey Weinstein is a good choice. Harvey has a certain influence in Hollywood, and he has a history with Zhang Chen. He publicly mocked the Oscar nomination of 'Ocean's 2' before and is full of hostility towards Zhang Chen."

Allen frowned: "Harvey may be useful, but he doesn't have a good reputation, and his style is too flamboyant. Could something unexpected happen?"

James smiled and said, "Don't worry, my team has already secretly met with Harvey. I've given him enough incentives—a promise to invest in his new film projects and to use Universal's media resources to help him improve his public image."

“Harvey has agreed to cooperate with us. He will not only continue to oppose Zhang Chen in public and damage Zhang Chen’s reputation, but also use his connections among the Oscar judges to ensure that Zhang Chen wins nothing in this year’s Oscars.”

"If Ocean 2 loses to Avatar this time, its influence in the international market will be greatly reduced, and the plan for Chinese films to open up the international market with its works will also be hindered."

After listening, Allen nodded in satisfaction: "This plan is good, and Harvey is indeed the best person to execute this line. As for the inside, I guess it's inland China. How should we operate there?"

"You guessed right, I contacted a company called Huayi Brothers to shake Zhang Chen's local foundation."

James exhaled another puff of smoke. "Huayi Brothers is the second-largest company in China's film and television industry. They used to be number one, but were later surpassed by Zhang Chen's Star Entertainment, and have always harbored resentment about it."

"Moreover, Huayi Brothers has just gone public and has ample funds at its disposal. It is also eager to regain its leading position in the industry, so they have a strong incentive to cooperate with us."

Allen asked curiously, "What benefits can we offer Huayi Brothers? Why would they be willing to join forces with us to deal with Zhang Chen?"

"We can conduct capital operations and resource exchanges with Huayi Brothers."

James explained, "Universal can provide Huayi Brothers with Hollywood film production technology and overseas distribution channels, helping Huayi Brothers' works enter the international market."

"At the same time, we will also inject capital into Huayi Brothers to support them in expanding their business. In exchange, we require Huayi Brothers to use its controlled media resources and online trolls to spread 'dirt' on Zhang Chen domestically."

These "dirts" don't need to be true; as long as they can arouse public questioning and discussion, and damage Zhang Chen's image in the eyes of domestic audiences, they will achieve our goal.

James paused for a moment, then continued, "Huayi Brothers has been deeply involved in the domestic film and television industry for many years, controlling a lot of entertainment media and marketing accounts. They have also cultivated a large number of online trolls and have a strong ability to create public opinion on the internet."

If they're willing to intervene, they can quickly embroil Zhang Chen in a media storm, keeping him preoccupied with negative domestic news and preventing him from focusing on the pressure from the United States.

Allen pondered for a moment and said, "This plan sounds perfect, but will Huayi Brothers back down halfway because they're worried about Zhang Chen's retaliation? I've heard that Zhang Chen has a lot of influence in their country."

James shook his head: "No. The conflict between Huayi Brothers and Zhang Chen is already very deep. They are not willing to remain in second place forever, and the temptation we offer them is big enough."

Allen stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looked at the bustling traffic outside, and said firmly, "Okay, then let's proceed with this dual-track operation plan."

"I will have the Fox team work closely with Harvey and Huayi Brothers to ensure that the two lines of action can proceed in sync, giving Zhang Chen no chance to breathe."

"We must successfully 'cut down' Zhang Chen, this 'tallest tree,' and let the Chinese film industry know that Hollywood's cake is not something they can just eat whenever they want."

James stood up and shook hands with Allen: "Don't worry, we will definitely succeed. As long as Zhang Chen falls, the expansion of the Chinese film industry will lose its direction, and we will be able to maintain our leading position in the global film industry."

Their eyes met, both filled with confidence.

They believed that with the strength of Fox and Universal, plus the cooperation of Harvey and Huayi Brothers, they would be able to successfully suppress Zhang Chen and prevent the rise of the Chinese film industry.

A global campaign to eliminate Zhang Chen is about to begin.

Soon, Universal launched several collaborative projects with The Weinstein Company. Harvey benefited and began to frequently appear in various public occasions, using his connections and media resources to spread negative rumors about Zhang Chen.

He even fabricated some false "insider information," claiming that Zhang Chen's "Pacific Rim 2" was nominated for an Oscar because he bribed the Oscar judges.

At the same time, Huayi Brothers, in accordance with its agreement with Fox, began to create negative public opinion about Zhang Chen in China.

Huayi Brothers-controlled entertainment media outlets were the first to publish an article titled "Zhang Chen Suspected of Manipulating the Film Market with Capital." The article contained no substantial evidence but used a lot of inflammatory language to question whether Zhang Chen's success was due to capital operations rather than real ability.

Subsequently, the online trolls trained by Huayi Brothers began to spread the article on a large scale online, and fabricated more "dirt" on Zhang Chen, such as "Zhang Chen suppresses new directors" and "Zhang Chen acts like a diva on set".

These "dirts" spread rapidly across major social media platforms in a short period of time, sparking widespread public discussion.

Although many viewers and industry insiders who know Zhang Chen are aware that these "black stories" are false, some viewers who are unaware of the truth have still been affected, and their impression of Zhang Chen has begun to deteriorate.

……

With the Oscars selection process entering a crucial stage, Fox and Universal's public relations teams are operating at full speed.

Allen and James personally spearheaded the effort, leveraging their companies' extensive academic networks accumulated over many years to lobby directors, actors, screenwriters, and producers among the Oscar voters.

They arranged private dinners, one-on-one meetings, and even used personal relationships built up over many years, all to achieve one goal—to denigrate the "artistic value" of "Pacific Rim 2" while simultaneously garnering votes for their own award-winning film.

At a dinner party at a private villa in Beverly Hills, Allen, facing several key judges, raised a glass of champagne and spoke eloquently: "The special effects in 'Universe 2' are indeed well done, but a movie cannot be judged solely on its special effects."

"It's essentially a popcorn movie that's all about showing off technical skills. It lacks profound themes and nuanced character development. If such a work could win an Oscar, it would lower the artistic bar for the Oscars and lead audiences to misunderstand the aesthetics of film."

James chimed in, "Look, Cameron's *Avatar* far surpasses *Ring 2* in terms of story depth and humanistic concern. It explores timeless themes of war and peace, humanity and redemption, making it more in line with the Oscar selection criteria." Most of the judges remained silent; some seemed thoughtful, while others clearly showed a perfunctory expression. But faced with the powerful public relations efforts of Fox and Universal, no one dared to refute them on the spot.

Similar scenes were playing out in every corner of Los Angeles, with Fox and Universal's PR teams working like a fine spider web to try and secure the possibility of "Universe 2" winning awards.

In addition to public relations efforts targeting the work, Fox and Universal launched a comprehensive smear campaign against Zhang Chen, quietly initiating a relentless media war.

The first to speak out were a large number of film critics who had received benefits from both companies.

They published commentaries in authoritative film and television media outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, sharply criticizing the plot of Ocean 2.

"The new prehistoric storyline added to Pacific Rim 2 is completely superfluous. It not only fails to enrich the plot, but also disrupts the original clear main storyline of Jaegers fighting monsters."

"In pursuit of so-called Eastern elements, Zhang Chen forcibly added settings that did not conform to the worldview, resulting in a chaotic story logic. Compared with the purity and focus of the first part, this is undoubtedly a step backward."

These comments spread rapidly online and were even reprinted by some domestic media, sparking doubts among some viewers about "Pacific Rim 2".

Seeing these comments, Zhang Chen sat in his office with a cold smile on his face.

He was all too familiar with this tactic; the New York Times's subsequent smear campaign against The Wandering Earth 2 was exactly the same.

At the time, The New York Times said that The Wandering Earth 2 "lost all the joy of its predecessor and was replaced by a complicated storyline, flawed themes and confusing political subtext." The arrogance of values ​​and ideological bias in that article are exactly the same as the attacks that these film critics are launching against The Wandering Earth 2 now.

"Trying to smear a work with such outdated methods is too naive," Zhang Chen muttered to himself, his eyes growing increasingly determined.

However, Fox and Universal's smear campaign did not stop at the works; it soon extended to Zhang Chen personally.

It's unclear when exactly, but rumors started circulating online that "Zhang Chen likes to eat balut (fertilized duck egg)," and some people even posted blurry photos, fabricating "details" of Zhang Chen eating balut privately on set.

It is important to know that balut is considered "inhumane" and "unhygienic" food in the West. This claim immediately attracted the attention of animal protection organizations in the United States.

Several small animal protection organizations publicly expressed their "shock and dissatisfaction with Zhang Chen's behavior." Although they did not launch a large-scale protest, they successfully labeled Zhang Chen as "disrespectful of life."

When Zhang Chen found out, he was both angry and amused. He didn't like eating balut at all, and this was obviously a fabrication by his opponent, but he didn't expect it to be hyped up.

What’s even more outrageous is yet to come.

The Los Angeles Times suddenly published a fake news article titled "Zhang Chen's crew mistreats actors; Chinese-style high-pressure management tramples on Hollywood union rules."

The article cites an "anonymous source" claiming that during the filming of "Pacific Rim 2," Zhang Chen frequently forced actors to work overtime, disrespected their right to rest, and even ignored safety regulations set by Hollywood unions, forcing actors to perform dangerous stunts themselves without providing adequate protective measures.

This news was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in Hollywood.

The Screen Actors Guild immediately stated that it would "investigate the matter," although the investigation was ultimately dropped due to lack of evidence, it still severely damaged Zhang Chen's reputation.

Immediately afterwards, Industrial Light & Magic, which had previously collaborated with Zhang Chen, suddenly announced that it would no longer cooperate with Zhang Chen and his team.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) cited "differences in creative philosophies" as the reason, but it's clear to everyone that ILM has chosen to side with Fox and Universal in this showdown.

Although Warner Music is behind Zhang Chen, Zhang Chen does not represent Warner Music.

Moreover, Zhang Chen has established his own visual effects company, which is already in competition with Industrial Light & Magic. In the eyes of Industrial Light & Magic, its value is far less than that of the Hollywood Big Six, Universal and Fox.

As a top Hollywood special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic's statement carries considerable weight and has caused Zhang Chen a lot of trouble.

Meanwhile, at the behest of Fox and Universal, their artists also joined in the smear campaign.

The bald guy in the Fast & Furious cast is a guy who loves to flatter higher-ups. During an interview, he suddenly changed the subject and started attacking Zhang Chen's work.

"The plot framework of 'Taken' is clearly suspected of plagiarizing 'The Bourne Identity,' and the monsters in 'Pacific Rim' are too similar in size and attack methods to the dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park,' making it hard not to suspect that it is a copy; as for the mecha, it is simply a variant of Transformers, just with a different shell."

These statements have no factual basis, but due to the high popularity of the "Fast & Furious" series, they have been widely disseminated, causing many viewers to question Zhang Chen's "originality."

In addition to smearing existing works, Fox and Universal have also targeted Zhang Chen's ongoing collaborative project, Mission: Impossible 4.

They approached Paramount Pictures executives, implying that there were "risks" in collaborating with Zhang Chen, citing "too much negative news about Zhang Chen recently, which may affect the film's reputation and box office performance," and hoping that Paramount would replace the director.

After being rejected by Paramount, they secretly contacted Tom Cruise, the star of Mission: Impossible 4.

In a private meeting, a Fox executive told Tom Cruise, "We appreciate your performance in the Mission: Impossible series, but the addition of Zhang Chen may cause a sudden change in the series' style, deviating from the track that the audience is familiar with, which is not good for the long-term development of the series."

At the same time, they also created unnecessary trouble for the Mission: Impossible 4 project in areas such as labor unions and insurance.

The Screen Actors Guild demanded that Paramount provide more detailed shooting plans and actor protection measures, citing "rumors of mistreatment of actors in Zhang Chen's production team"; the insurance company increased the film's insurance premium, citing "safety risks in projects directed by Zhang Chen".

As a result of these actions, the preparation progress of Mission: Impossible 4 was severely affected. Although Tom Cruise did not publicly express his dissatisfaction, he also developed some doubts about Zhang Chen.

In order to completely isolate Zhang Chen, Fox and Universal also held a special meeting with Disney executives.

In a conference room at Disney headquarters, Allen got straight to the point: "We're here today to talk about Zhang Chen and the threat posed by the Chinese film industry."

"Zhang Chen's success is not accidental; it is the result of the continuous expansion of Chinese capital and the rapid progress of the Chinese film industry..."

It's still the same old "China threat" theory.

James added, "Warner Bros. has worked with Zhang Chen before, and Paramount is now working with him on Mission: Impossible 4. They are traitors to Hollywood, willing to sacrifice the long-term development of Hollywood for short-term gains."

"We hope that Disney can stand with us, and that the three companies can form an alliance in name to jointly resist Zhang Chen and the invasion of Chinese capital and maintain Hollywood's dominant position."

As for Colombia, they didn't consider it.

Columbia is now called Sony Columbia, and it has become a lackey of the Japanese, no longer considered one of their own.

Disney executives fell into deep thought. Although they were wary of Zhang Chen's rise, they were unwilling to easily align themselves with Fox and Universal and give up the potential benefits of the Chinese market. In the end, they only vaguely said that they would "carefully consider" the matter, without explicitly agreeing to an alliance.

However, Fox and Universal's actions created an atmosphere of "boycotting Zhang Chen" in Hollywood, causing many companies that originally intended to cooperate with Zhang Chen to hesitate.

At the same time, negative voices against Zhang Chen have also emerged in the domestic public opinion field.

A strange statement began to circulate: "Zhang Chen may seem to be a source of pride for Chinese people, leading Chinese films to the international stage, but in reality, he has blocked the path for other Chinese companies to go global."

“Zhang Chen’s success in making money in the international market is useless and does not help the overall development of China’s film industry. On the contrary, his success has made Hollywood notice the potential of the Chinese film industry too early and start to make preparations in advance, making it more difficult for other Chinese film companies to go global.”

These statements seem reasonable, but they are actually full of misleading information, and the mastermind behind them is Huayi Brothers.

Although Huayi Brothers has reached cooperation agreements with Fox and Universal, it is very cautious and will not easily become the "first to stick its neck out" before it has obtained tangible benefits.

They were simply releasing these rumors quietly through controlled marketing accounts and online trolls to test public reaction and also to suppress Zhang Chen.

After all, Zhang Chen was hailed as a "shining light of the Chinese people" by the media and the audience, which in itself made Huayi Brothers very unhappy.

In a private meeting, a senior executive of Huayi Brothers said sourly, "Why can Zhang Chen be called 'the pride of the Chinese people'? We at Huayi have been deeply involved in the domestic film and television industry for so many years and have made a lot of contributions to the development of Chinese films. Why doesn't anyone call us that?"

With multiple measures combined, including overseas attacks from Fox and Universal, and domestic sabotage from Huayi Brothers, Zhang Chen found himself in an unprecedented public opinion crisis.

(End of this chapter)