Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 691: A Second Collaboration with Cheng Long?

Huayi Brothers Headquarters
Wang Zhongjun slammed the box office report in his hand onto the mahogany table, the creases on the edges of the paper turning white from the impact.

"6 million! 'Mission: Impossible 4' has grossed over 6 million in just half a month since its release, but what about our 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame'?"

He pointed to the glaring number on the report, his voice trembling slightly as he suppressed his anger, "The box office has barely exceeded 100 million, only one-sixth of others'. What's the difference between this and a snail crawling?"

Wang Zhonglei sat opposite him, his face equally gloomy, thick smoke billowing from the cigar in his hand.

"Brother, it's no use talking about this now. 'Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame' has been completely blacklisted by Golden Harvest Cinemas. Major cinemas in more than 20 provinces and cities across the country are not giving it any screenings. Other cinemas that distribute it through Wuzhou are only giving us unpopular screenings, either the 9 a.m. screenings that are not popular, or the midnight screenings that are not popular. Audiences simply cannot buy tickets."

He sighed, his eyes bloodshot, clearly indicating he hadn't slept well for several nights.

Just then, the secretary pushed open the door and entered, her face pale, handing over a latest stock market report.

Wang Zhongjun snatched it away, and when he saw the big red characters "Huayi Brothers' stock price hit the daily limit down," his vision went black.

"This is the third time...this is the third time it has hit the daily limit down!"

He slammed the report on the table, scattering documents all over the floor.

It has only been half a month since "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" was banned, and Huayi Brothers' market value has already evaporated by half. The old shareholders who fought alongside the Wang brothers to build the empire are probably already sharpening their knives in secret.

The conference room fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning vents.

Wang Zhonglei picked up the report from the ground, his fingertips tracing the shocking numbers, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.

They miscalculated, and miscalculated two key points—first, they didn't expect Zhang Chen to be so ruthless, and second, they didn't expect the Film Bureau to actually turn a blind eye.

When Huayi Brothers made a high-profile announcement that it would target "Mission: Impossible 4", it not only used its connections to get all its cinemas to remove the film, but also joined forces with several Beijing-based film and television companies to spread the message that "foreign IPs are squeezing out the living space of local films".

Wang Zhongjun confidently assured him that no matter how capable Zhang Chen was, he wouldn't dare to go against the entire Beijing film circle, not to mention that the Film Bureau would definitely favor local companies.

But now, Zhang Chen not only didn't back down, but also got Golden Harvest Cinemas to put "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" on the shelf, while the Film Bureau remained silent and didn't even offer a word of mediation.

"Reconciliation is impossible."

Wang Zhongjun suddenly spoke up, his tone carrying a sense of desperate resolve, "Zhang Chen is riding high right now. If we take the initiative to bow down, he will only trample us even more."

He paused, a calculating glint in his eyes, "The only thing we can do now is to pin our hopes on public opinion."

Let the media outlets and film critics who are on good terms with us speak out, saying that Golden Harvest is abusing its industry position to bully its peers, and that Zhang Chen is using his position for personal gain to suppress competitors. Let's escalate the situation, and the Film Bureau will definitely have to intervene under pressure.

Wang Zhonglei frowned: "Why not just put pressure on Xingchen Entertainment directly?"

"no!"

Wang Zhongjun waved his hand, his tone resolute, "You know Zhang Chen's personality; he's easily swayed by soft words but not by force. The more pressure we put on him, the more he'll fight us to the death. This time we must change our strategy, starting with public opinion and seizing the moral high ground."

Without hesitation, Huayi Brothers' public relations team sprang into action.

As a bridgehead in Beijing's film and television circle, the connections that the Wang brothers had accumulated over more than a decade were finally coming in handy.

Within half a day, numerous posts discussing the screening schedule of "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" appeared on major film and television forums and social media platforms.

Renowned screenwriter Shi Hang was the first to speak out on Weibo: "The blame should not be placed on the film. Behind every work is the hard work of hundreds of people."

It is heartbreaking that the film "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," which was in preparation for three years and invested nearly 500 million yuan, has been deprived of the opportunity to meet the audience due to capital games.

We hope that Golden Harvest Cinemas will uphold fairness and give this film a level playing field in terms of screenings!

This Weibo post was quickly forwarded tens of thousands of times, and many netizens who were unaware of the facts left comments expressing their support.

Following that, producer Zhang Dahuzi, known for his adaptations of Jin Yong's novels, also stated in an interview: "Making a show is not easy. From script polishing to filming and production, and then to post-production editing, every step is full of hardships."

Banning a film is certainly easy; a single sentence can cause a labor of love to vanish without a trace. But this kind of behavior—using industry superiority to suppress competitors—will only damage the entire film and television industry's ecosystem in the long run!

The implication was that Golden Harvest Cinemas and Zhang Chen were engaging in monopolistic practices.

In a short time, topics such as "Jiahe monopolizes film scheduling" and "Zhang Chen abuses his power for personal gain" have topped the trending searches, and many media outlets have followed suit, portraying Huayi Brothers as a victim in the capital game.

As Wang Zhongjun watched the topic's popularity steadily rise, a relieved smile finally appeared on his lips. He firmly believed that as long as the public pressure was strong enough, the Film Bureau would eventually intervene.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

Just when Huayi thought victory was in the bag, Chen Xi suddenly posted on Weibo, directly exposing Huayi's pretense: "You were the ones who wanted to start the war, but now that you can't beat them, you immediately bring up the issue of screening schedules and put on a victim's act. Isn't that too hypocritical?"

Golden Harvest banned "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," and Huayi Brothers also banned "Mission: Impossible 4," didn't they?

If you want to surrender, kneel down and sing "Conquer," don't try to be both sides here.

Chen Xi's Weibo post also included the film schedule of Huayi Brothers' cinemas, which made netizens realize that Huayi Brothers also has its own cinema chain, but it is very small, with only 18 cinemas.

When Golden Harvest banned "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," Huayi Brothers also banned "Mission: Impossible 4" in its own cinema chain. However, compared to the size of Golden Harvest, Huayi Brothers' 18 cinemas were negligible.

Wang Zhongjun's face turned ashen as he watched the public opinion on Weibo reverse.

He didn't expect Chen Xi to be so direct in tearing off the mask of civility. His carefully planned propaganda war had now backfired.

"What should we do now?"

Wang Zhonglei asked anxiously, feeling as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, about to fall at any moment.

Wang Zhongjun remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "What else can we do but tough it out? Notify the public relations team to stop making pointless excuses and focus on calming down the public outcry. Also, contact a few core shareholders and convene an emergency shareholders' meeting to stabilize their emotions. If the shareholders collectively launch an attack, we brothers will really be finished."

Damn, Chen Xi's mouth is really too venomous.

He even knelt down and sang "Conquer"~
What was they thinking?

Whether the Wang brothers originally intended to back down or not, it's impossible for them to do so now.

……

In the conference room at New Line Cinema's headquarters in Santa Barbara, the atmosphere was even more intense than the California sunshine outside the window.

President Mark Berg slammed a newly released box office report onto the table. The red growth curve, like a soaring fire dragon, was particularly dazzling on the projection screen—Mission: Impossible 4 had grossed over $2 million in North America in three weeks, a 40% increase compared to the same period of previous installments in the series. And everyone knew that behind this impressive achievement, the four words "Mission: Impossible Universe" played a crucial role.

"We must seize this opportunity."

Mark's fingers tapped rapidly on the report. "Disney is making a fortune with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Warner Bros. is integrating the MonsterVerse and the SpyVerse. If we don't act soon, we'll really be left behind in the top tier."

The executives in the conference room nodded in agreement, but their eyes all turned to Pete, who was silent in the corner.

Everyone knows that New Line Cinema holds a potential trump card – the Rush Hour series starring Jackie Chan, with Brad Pitt as its producer.

This IP, which was created in 1998, once created a box office legend of nearly $10 billion worldwide with its humorous blend of Eastern and Western cultures and thrilling action scenes. However, in recent years, with the homogenization of spy themes, the popularity of the sequels has declined.

“I’ve spoken with Jackie Chan, and he’s very interested in a sequel, but only if there’s a compelling enough concept.”

Pete pushed up his glasses and said cautiously, "The most eye-catching concept right now is the spy universe. But the problem is, the creator of this universe is Zhang Chen."

The moment the name was uttered, the meeting room fell silent.

New Line Cinema's connection with Zhang Chen is not shallow. Long before Zhang Chen became famous, New Line Cinema recognized his talent and invested in his debut film, "Eden Lake".

That thriller, which cost only $500 million to make, eventually became a dark horse, grossing $3 million worldwide and making Zhang Chen an overnight sensation.

The two parties then collaborated on the "A Quiet Place" series, with the two films grossing a combined $15 billion worldwide, making it one of New Line Cinema's most successful IPs in the past decade.

However, as Zhang Chen's reputation grew, the cooperation between the two parties gradually fell apart.

Zhang Chen established his own company, 'Cube,' in the United States and signed a priority investment agreement with Warner Bros. The Pacific Rim series he produced became increasingly popular, solidifying his status as a top director in Hollywood.

New Line Cinema, on the other hand, has gradually become a second-tier production company due to several poor decisions, and now can only survive by relying on old IPs such as "Rush Hour".

"Talking directly to Zhang Chen is probably not going to work."

Mark rubbed his temples, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Last year, we wanted to invest in Pacific Rim 2, but we couldn't even meet Zhang Chen. His assistant turned us away."

"Therefore, we need a middleman."

Pete looked up, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "Jackie Chan and Zhang Chen have always had a good relationship. Jackie Chan was the male lead in '2012,' and since they're both Chinese, communication should be smoother."

This suggestion caught Mark's eye.

Jackie Chan, as Hollywood's most successful Asian action star, not only has a close personal relationship with Zhang Chen, but more importantly, he is the soul of "Rush Hour." If Jackie Chan could be sent to test Zhang Chen's attitude, the success rate would undoubtedly be greatly increased.

That afternoon, Pete called Jackie Chan.

On the other end of the phone, Cheng Long had just finished a charity event, and his voice sounded a little tired.

After Pete explained his purpose, Jackie Chan remained silent for a moment.

He certainly knew how popular the "spy universe" was and understood what that meant for the Rush Hour series.

But he knew Zhang Chen's personality better—seemingly gentle, but actually extremely stubborn in his creative work, never compromising for commercial interests.

"I can ask around for you, but I can't guarantee the outcome."

Jackie Chan's tone was very sincere, "Zhang Chen has a very clear plan for his universe, and not just any IP can be added to it."

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Long sat on the sofa and pondered for a long time.

He turned on the TV and happened to see a news report on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" about Zhang Chen being threatened by gangsters in Rio.

In the scene, Zhang Chen's crew was surrounded by dozens of gang members. Although they escaped unharmed in the end, the chaotic scene still made Jackie Chan sweat.

He suddenly remembered that Zhang Chen's trip to Rio to film location scenes for "Mission: Impossible 4" was arranged by the mayor of Rio, whom he had introduced.

Thinking of this, Cheng Long immediately picked up his phone and dialed Zhang Chen's number.

The phone was answered after three rings, and Zhang Chen's slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver, clearly indicating that he was exhausted from the recent roadshow.

"Achen, are you alright? I just saw the news, I heard you ran into trouble in Rio."

Cheng Long's tone was concerned: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have introduced that mayor to you in the first place. He couldn't help at all when it mattered most."

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Chen's voice was still full of fatigue, but his tone was very cheerful: "Brother Long, it's not your fault. Actually, the mayor has already helped a lot."

We were going to film at more than a dozen locations in Rio, which involved a lot of traffic control and site approvals. Without his coordination, those permits would have taken at least a month to come through.

As for the gang issue, we underestimated the local situation; it has nothing to do with him.

Cheng Long breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and seeing that the time was right, he changed the subject and subtly brought up his purpose: "Ah Chen, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

New Line Cinema is considering rebooting Rush Hour 4. They think the spy universe is very popular right now and are wondering if it's possible to add Rush Hour to their spy universe?

A brief silence fell over the other end of the phone.

Cheng Long actually felt a little uneasy. He could imagine Zhang Chen frowning and thinking at this moment.

After a while, Zhang Chen's voice came again: "Brother Long, thank you and Xinxian for your high regard."

But to be honest, your style isn't suited to the spy universe.
"Rush Hour's style leans more towards comedy and action, which doesn't quite fit the tone of my universe. Forcing its inclusion would likely disrupt the integrity of the entire universe, which wouldn't be good for either film."

Although he had expected it, Cheng Long was still somewhat disappointed to hear Zhang Chen's rejection.

However, he was very open-minded and quickly calmed down.

"Ah Chen, what I really want is to work with you again. Whether it's a spy movie or not, as long as it's one of your films, I'm willing to act in it..."

Silence fell again on the other end of the phone, this time for even longer than before.

Cheng Long's heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"Brother Long, I have always admired your acting skills and action prowess."

Zhang Chen's voice rang out again, tinged with emotion, "I do have a few projects in preparation right now, and there's one role I think would be perfect for you."

However, the specific situation is still being adjusted, and I cannot guarantee anything to you.

Okay, let me think about it carefully later, and we can discuss it in more detail then~

Okay! I'll wait for your news!

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Long paced back and forth excitedly in the living room.

Although the plan to include "Rush Hour" in the spy universe fell through, getting Zhang Chen's promise was already a pleasant surprise.

However, after the initial excitement, he calmed down.

He knew perfectly well that top filmmakers like him and Zhang Chen usually had filming schedules booked two or three years into the future.

Zhang Chen's statement that he would "seriously consider it" was likely just a polite way of putting it.

Even so, Jackie Chan still held onto a sliver of hope.

He turned on his computer and found photos from when he collaborated with Zhang Chen on "2012".

In the photo, he and Zhang Chen are standing on the film set, both with tired but satisfied smiles on their faces.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that regardless of whether they could ultimately cooperate, having such a beautiful memory was enough.

In his hotel in Los Angeles, Zhang Chen hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

He looked at the night view outside the window, but his mind was preoccupied with other things.

He highly approves of Jackie Chan's acting skills and character, but "Rush Hour" is indeed inappropriate.

Originally, he had no plans to collaborate with Jackie Chan, but he had incurred a favor from him during Rio and felt he had to repay it.

A phone call from Jackie Chan certainly wasn't worth a movie project, but Zhang Chen didn't like owing favors, and he was genuinely considering this matter.

(End of this chapter)