Huayu: Starting from Fahrenheit

Chapter 422 Appearance in Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

Upon hearing Stephen Chow's words, Wu Zhuo's expression turned strange.

He remembered seeing a lot of news about "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" in his previous life.

One of these issues was that Huayi Brothers defaulted on a debt of 8000 million yuan owed to Stephen Chow, which eventually led to a lawsuit.

As for the outcome, the 8000 million yuan agreement between Stephen Chow and Huayi Brothers was only a verbal agreement and was not put in writing.

This is why Stephen Chow ultimately lost the case.

It's no wonder that Huayi Brothers went back on their word.

That's 80 million! Even though Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons ultimately grossed over 1 billion at the box office, Huayi Brothers still made a killing.

Eighty million is not a small amount.

If there had been a contract, it wouldn't have been a problem, but it was just a verbal agreement at the time. When the lawyer said they could renege on the agreement, Huayi Brothers naturally chose to betray them.

“No problem. If the box office really exceeds 500 million, I agree to give you 80 million in bonuses.”

Wu Zhuo agreed to Stephen Chow's suggestion without much thought.

He didn't agree because of the filter.

It's mainly because of interests.

In the following years, Stephen Chow's career will reach a peak.

He will also have "The Mermaid" and "The Demon Slayer" coming up.

These two movies were huge box office hits.

If the collaboration with Stephen Chow goes well this time, Legend will be able to continue participating in both of his projects.

To be honest, if Huayi Brothers hadn't betrayed Stephen Chow over 80 million in their past life, perhaps their future situation wouldn't have been so difficult.

It seems that Huayi Brothers started its complete decline from the year it betrayed Stephen Chow.

There's nothing we can do; their actions are truly disheartening.

Even if it's just a verbal agreement, it's still a promised reward.

In the end, they actually chose to default on their debt.

This served as a warning to many great directors who avoided Huayi Brothers when choosing investors.

Huayi Brothers' success today, its listing on the stock market, and its soaring stock price are all thanks to its top directors!
As a result, after betraying Stephen Chow, Feng Xiaogang couldn't regain his footing, and naturally, the company also began to falter.

"Aren't you going to think about it more?"

Zhou Xingchi looked at Wu Zhuo with some surprise.

He didn't expect Wu Zhuo to agree so readily.

That's no small amount; it's not eight thousand dollars, but eighty million.

"I think Stephen Chow's abilities can help me earn back this 80 million."

I'm thinking about long-term cooperation, not just one or two times.

Wu Zhuo replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Stephen Chow fell silent for a moment, "You don't seem like a boss at all."

Every single big boss I've met in the past few years has been extremely meticulous and calculating.

"Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a boss!"

Wu Zhuo smiled.

In fact, Stephen Chow himself is the kind of person who is very meticulous, and more than one person in the industry has said so.

"I have already prepared the script for this project. If your funding is in place, we can start filming right after the New Year."

Regarding funding…

Zhou Xingchi was more concerned about the project and took the initiative to ask Wu Zhuo about the funding.

"I will have someone from the company come to discuss this issue with you in detail tomorrow. The same goes for the contract."

As long as everything goes smoothly, the funds from Legendary will be in place soon.

As Wu Zhuo spoke, he poured himself a glass of wine and gestured to Zhou Xingchi:
"I wish us a pleasant collaboration and great box office success."

"Happy cooperation!"

……

After leaving the Beijing Hotel, Wu Zhuo immediately went to Legendary Film Company and summoned the company's senior executives together.

"Brother Jianfeng, how much money is left in the company's accounts right now?"

After everyone had arrived, Wu Zhuo looked at Zheng Jianfeng.

Actually, he knew what was going on.

The company's finances are handled by his people, and he knows exactly how much money is involved.

However, this kind of behavior—where one doesn't trust others—can certainly not be displayed.

So he asked Zheng Jianfeng directly.

"Our total revenue from 'Fleet of Time' was 1.1 million, 'Lost in Thailand' was 6000 million, and 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' was 1.3 million in profit."

In addition, our investment in "Tangshan Earthquake" yielded a return of 4500 million.

Some of these funds have already been invested in new projects, and some have been distributed as dividends.

The company currently has 1.7 million yuan in its accounts.

When Zheng Jianfeng spoke, he appeared full of vigor and confidence.

In just three years, Legendary Pictures transformed from an unknown company into one of the most famous and profitable film and television companies in mainland China.

This not only made Wu Zhuo, the boss, famous, but also made him, the president, a hot commodity in the industry.

"What I mean is we have to find a way to put that money in."

"Yes, Mr. Wu, I also think that money cannot be saved; it must make money work for us. There are many projects seeking our investment now."

I think we should continue to invest in it.

Sitting to Zheng Jianfeng's left was a middle-aged man, who was the vice president Zheng Jianfeng had poached last year.

His name was Li Qiusheng, a name that Wu Zhuo disliked very much.

"What? Do you have a suitable project?"

Although Wu Zhuo didn't particularly like this guy, he never showed it, instead smiling at him instead.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiusheng perked up, stood up, and said:
"Our successive successes, coupled with the company's financial resources, have resulted in a large number of project offers being sent to us this year."

I've selected three projects and am about to apply to the company for them.

"Go ahead and say it!" Wu Zhuo showed some interest.

"Okay, Mr. Wu!" With Wu Zhuo's permission, Li Qiusheng immediately began to speak.

"The three projects I chose are all large-scale productions. I think that if our company wants to go further, we must focus on large-scale projects."

The three projects I chose not only have a large team and experienced investors, but they are also willing to give us a larger share of the investment.

First, the first film is "Guan Yun Chang". This film is co-directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong. They have confirmed that Jiang Wen will play Cao Cao, and they hope that you, Mr. Wu, will play Guan Yun Chang.

The second project is "The Warring States". Starlight Entertainment has indicated that as long as Mr. Wu plays the lead role, they are willing to give us half of their investment share.

Then, for "The Legend of the White Snake," Ching Siu-tung wanted to invite you and Jet Li to play the two male leads...

"stop!"

Wu Zhuo directly signaled him to shut up.

He had initially thought this guy would come up with some great project.

The result was that all of them were big-budget films that also lost a lot of money.

These films are typical examples of movies with huge investments that ended up losing so much money they were practically bankrupt.

The funniest thing is that this guy actually acts like he'll make a fortune just by having Wu Zhuo star in it.

If they really listen to other people's opinions, the box office miracle they've worked so hard to build up over the past few years will probably be ruined.

Wu Zhuo turned to look at Zheng Jianfeng and said, "Old Zheng, your vice president has quite the insight."

Wu Zhuo's words were words of praise.

But Zheng Jianfeng could hear the dissatisfaction in Wu Zhuo's words.

Otherwise, Wu Zhuo wouldn't have changed his address from "Brother Jianfeng" to "Old Zheng".

"He previously worked as a project investment manager at Enlight Media and had several successful experiences..."

Zheng Jianfeng said with a wry smile.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Qiusheng spoke again.

"Mr. Zheng, a true hero doesn't dwell on past glories. Now that I've joined Legend, it's a fresh start. Rest assured, the projects I've chosen have all been thoroughly reviewed and approved by me. They..."

Wu Zhuo glanced at him; this guy was probably an undercover agent sent by Guangxian.

"We'll talk about those things later." Wu Zhuo tapped the table, interrupting him, and then looked at everyone.

"I have reached an agreement with Stephen Chow to co-produce his new film, 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons,' with Bigo Group."

This project requires a minimum investment of 1.2 million yuan.

Bi Gao will definitely invest a portion, and we'll take the rest of the investment.

What do you think?

"Mr. Wu, we can't invest! Stephen Chow's reputation was ruined by 'CJ7,' investing in him will definitely lead to failure."

Suppressing his anger, Wu Zhuo turned to look at Zheng Jianfeng.

Zheng Jianfeng understood Wu Zhuo's meaning perfectly well, and he quickly said:
"I agree!"

……

Legendary is, after all, Wu Zhuo's company, and it's not a listed company, so there are no shareholders interfering.

Therefore, if he wants to invest in a project, even one with a huge investment, the rest of the company will agree.

Therefore, unsurprisingly, the "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" project was officially included in the planning.

As Wu Zhuo left the conference room, Zheng Jianfeng followed behind him.

He noticed Wu Zhuo's dissatisfaction with Li Qiusheng.

Li Qiusheng was the one he recruited to serve as vice president, and he was very worried that Wu Zhuo would think he had some bad intentions.

“I know you can’t handle everything by yourself, so I agree to let you hire a vice president to help you with things.”

But look at his abilities.

With his background, is he qualified to be a vice president?

"Zhou Xingchi is outdated; he probably doesn't rely on online opinions to analyze the market."

As Wu Zhuo walked, he spoke, but when he was almost at the gate, he suddenly paused, "You need to find a way to deal with him. I don't want to see him."

……

After Legendary Entertainment approved the investment plan for "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", it sent people to begin the handover with Stephen Chow's company within a few days.

Wu Zhuo no longer needed to concern himself with these matters.

He only needs to check the project's progress occasionally, and then he can join the crew when the project moves to the filming stage.

Yes, I'm joining the group.

He will choose to star in this project.

He didn't really want to act in it originally.

Because he has never acted in a comedy.

But Stephen Chow's words woke him up: "Not having acted before doesn't mean you can't act. Besides, the current market has entered a period where comedy reigns supreme. Are you sure you don't want to give comedy a try?"

Stephen Chow's words enlightened Wu Zhuo.

Indeed, since 10, almost every blockbuster movie has had comedic elements.

If you can't act in comedy, then you basically have no chance of becoming a top actor in China.

Wu Zhuo may not be a pure comedian, but he absolutely cannot be incapable of performing comedy.

Therefore, he chose to take on this project.

Stephen Chow was naturally happy about his joining the cast.

Wu Zhuo's box office appeal is undeniable.

He's just like himself in 92 and 93—a game-changer in the market.

If he were to star in a movie, the box office would absolutely explode.

With Wu Zhuo joining the project, he has even more confidence in "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons".

After confirming his role in Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, Wu Zhuo did not interfere with Stephen Chow's casting process.

Stephen Chow is a director with strong opinions.

Wu Zhuo was worried that if he recommended an actor, Zhou Xingchi would feel that Wu Zhuo was trying to interfere with the production team's control and would refuse.

Therefore, apart from strongly recommending the female lead, he did not interfere with the other roles.

As for the female lead, Wu Zhuo naturally recommended Liu Shishi.

After all, she was his woman, so Wu Zhuo was bound to take care of her.

Moreover, Liu Shishi's acting skills have improved significantly in recent years.

Because she wasn't acting in idol dramas or fantasy series every day at Tangren Media, and Wu Zhuo was constantly urging her to improve her acting skills.

The current Liu Shishi is no longer the blind woman she once was.

Even if we don't say she's an award-winning actress, Wu Zhuo considers her a truly talented performer.

At the very least, she is capable of playing the role of Miss Duan.

However, after confirming his role in "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", Wu Zhuo encountered a very troublesome situation.

That means Noon Sunshine wasn't willing.

Wu Zhuo had originally agreed to play the lead role in "Nirvana in Fire".

Unfortunately, "Nirvana in Fire" and "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" were released at the same time.

If Wu Zhuo were to act in "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons," he wouldn't be able to act in "Nirvana in Fire."

This is something Kong Sheng cannot accept.

Wu Zhuo is acting in a TV series again—what a huge gimmick!

Moreover, with Wu Zhuo around, the success of Nirvana in Fire is practically guaranteed.

Now that Wu Zhuo is no longer acting, Kong is naturally unwilling.

Then, Kong Sheng would come to Wu Zhuo's place every few days to cause trouble.

“Mr. Wu, tell me, if you don’t play this role, who will I let play it?”

Who can replace you? You know, we've already confirmed other actors.

The other actors only confirmed their participation because of you.

Now that you're not performing anymore, how am I supposed to explain this to them?

Listening to Kong Sheng's complaints, Wu Zhuo looked like he had a headache.

This is indeed a problem.

The drama "Nirvana in Fire" was planned in September, and at that time it was rumored that he would play Mei Changsu.

Because of the huge investment, many well-known actors applied for the job.

The cast that has been confirmed so far is completely different from that of the previous installment.

The lineup is quite impressive.

Now that Wu Zhuo isn't acting, what will happen to all the actors who came specifically for him?
“How about we let Hu Ge play the role? I think he’s quite suitable for it.”

Wu Zhuo was in the wrong after all, so he tried recommending other actors.

"No, Hu Ge is indeed a good actor, but he simply can't handle this lineup."

Look at the other actors—Chen Kun, Deng Chao, Chen Daoming—who can he overshadow?

Kong Sheng flatly refused, making his stance clear: he wanted Wu Zhuo to play the role.

Seeing this, Wu Zhuo gave a wry smile.

Indeed, in the current Chinese entertainment industry, besides him, how many others can rival this lineup?

"So what do you suggest we do now? I'm definitely going to act in 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons'."

"If I don't act in it, I can't explain it to Stephen Chow."

Wu Zhuo looked at him.

Upon hearing this, Kong Sheng immediately smiled.

"It's simple. The Nirvana in Fire project has been postponed, and the company is creating a new project. But as you know, the money you invested was for filming Nirvana in Fire, and we can't understand that money, so..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhuo was speechless.

So all that fuss Kong Sheng did was to ask him for money.

(End of this chapter)