Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 258 "The Mastermind" Tang Wen (Please Subscribe)
Tang Wen earned 100 million yuan from one movie.

These words came from Fan Bingbing's mouth.

It is undoubtedly very credible.

Naturally, it spread very quickly.

New footage:
Zhang Weiping: "Is the news reliable? One hundred million for a movie? Is making money in Hollywood really that easy!"

I heard that it was Fan Bingbing who revealed the news at the dinner party.

He immediately believed it to a large extent and turned to Zhang Yimou: "We also need to hurry up and enter Hollywood!"

The latter replied calmly, "Post-production on 'Hero' will take another month. When that time comes, please invite Director Tang to come and see the finished film."

“With Jet Li in ‘Hero,’ we’re sure to open up the North American market, and we can make even more money with our next film!” Zhang Weiping felt that selling ‘Hero’ to Tang Wen was a bad deal.

Before anything even happened, he had already decided that next time he would skip Tang Wen, the middleman, and go directly to North America to sell the films.

"It's become a damn money-printing machine!" Mr. Wang cursed.

"He had two movies released in Hollywood this year, so he must have earned 200 million yuan, right?"

This is the net profit Tang Wen received, which is almost half more than Huayi's total revenue for the entire year of 2001.

"This kid will definitely have a place on this year's rich list."

Feng Xiaogang kept his head down and smoked the whole time without saying a word. He was a director, and so was he.

The difference is huge, whether it's in terms of money or awards.

Wang Jinhua also remained silent, preoccupied with how to get closer to Tang Wen.

Even her, the top agent, had this idea.

Not to mention the others in the industry.

They had a strong desire to improve themselves, but they couldn't see Tang Wen.

Some people then focused their attention on Tang Wen's women.

Recently, alumni of the Beijing Film Academy have been returning to campus hoping to bump into their junior, Dong Xuan.

I hope to establish a connection.

After spending a few years navigating the social world, they thought they could make a name for themselves with their good looks and acting skills.

The results of it?
There aren't many people who can afford to rent a place to support themselves.

Even fewer achieve fame.

The example of junior Guan Yue is right here. Because she was Dong Xuan's best friend, she was directly selected by the "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" production team before she even graduated!
Chen Zihan, who graduated a few years ago, has recently become a frequent visitor to her alma mater.

She was in the class of '94, majoring in acting. After graduation, she went to Taiwan to develop her career, but didn't make much of a splash.

Now they're shifting their focus back to the mainland.

Of course, this girl wasn't entirely after Dong Xuan.

More often than not, he fantasized about bumping into Tang Wen.

After all, everyone in the industry knows that Tang Wenming only graduated this year.

What she didn't know was that the supporting role of Yin Li in "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre" that originally belonged to her had already been given to someone else.

Guan Yue joined the crew, and Liu Yifei and her classmate Jiang Yiyan often appeared by Dong Xuan's side.

The news that Tang Wen earned 100 million from one film spread.

Countless girls are envious of Dong Xuan.

Director Tang may be a womanizer, but he's incredibly wealthy!

"Sister Xuan, you haven't been joining the crew lately?" After getting to know each other better, Jiang Yiyan started to get restless.

"The production team is currently preparing for the film."

"What drama?"

"Wuxia (martial arts)".

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiyan's heart pounded wildly: Could it be Jin Yong?
Dong Xuan seemed to have figured out what she was thinking and casually said, "Director Tang's new script is not a Jin Yong adaptation."

The new drama is called "The Best in the World".

Not announced to the public.

Dong Xuan was the first to choose a role, and she's currently undecided.

Will she play the female lead Shangguan Haitang, who often appears in men's clothing, or will she play two roles, the Liu Sheng sisters?

The former is the female lead, while the latter has fewer scenes, but she has more time to learn how to be a producer.

That Tang Wei guy has become a director, so I can't fall behind.

In Dong Xuan's heart, only Tang Wei and Fan Bingbing could compete with her.

Everything else should be relegated to the back.

Fan Bingbing did not expect that the information she revealed would spread so widely.

Hesitantly, he called Tang Wen to "admit his mistake."

Tang Wen chuckled inwardly: What kind of news is this?

He plans to undertake a major project in Jiangnan, and will announce it once he acquires the land by the end of the year.

By then, it will be impossible to hide how much money he makes.

"This is a serious matter. Tell me, how should I punish you?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing knew he wasn't angry, so she raised her voice and said pitifully, "Brother, you can punish me however you want~ okay~"

Tang Wen's anger flared up instantly: This vixen!
"I hope you'll still be talking like this when the stick comes at you."

Fan Bingbing chuckled: "When the stick is about to be used, he definitely won't have time to talk, brother."

Tang Wen hung up the phone.

Lin Chih-ling provided Sunday's box office figures—US$1159 million.

Slightly higher than Saturday.

This is enough to surprise everyone in the industry.

Last week's total box office was $4109 million.

The total global box office has surpassed 2 million US dollars!
A low-budget horror film that was shot in just half a month actually grossed 200 million yuan at the box office?

Just as Lin Chih-ling was about to congratulate Tang Wen, her phone rang. She glanced at the number and said, "It's the vice president of Warner Bros."

"Take it."

Five minutes later, Lin Chih-ling reported excitedly, "They've come to ask you about our collaboration. They want to know what your plans are after 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Warner Bros.' classic IP library is available for you to choose from."

Tang Wen's heart skipped a beat: "Let's give them some space first."

Warner Bros. owns the copyright to Batman.

Nolan's Batman trilogy was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

It would be very suitable for me to use as a transitional work.

He patted his thigh. Just as his sensible older sister, Zhiling, was about to sit down, the phone rang again. It was a call from the chairman of New Line Cinema.

Without a doubt, they were there to discuss cooperation with Tang Wen again.

Lin Chih-ling's phone kept ringing, either asking about her schedule or inviting her to parties.

That evening, Tang Wen invited Aiger and Robert to dinner.

The three chatted happily, as they shared common interests, making the conversation naturally pleasant.

When it came to throwing a celebration party for "Saw 2", Robert took on the task.

He comes from a prominent family and is an expert at organizing parties.

Tang Wen had other purposes in inviting the two over.

That means getting Harvey.

This is a Hollywood "gangster"-like figure.

Tang Wen had read many rumors about him in his previous life.

For example, he has slept with many female celebrities.

It is one of the white gloves worn by the Zipper Couple.

And he has intricate connections with Puff Daddy, etc.

Inside the private room, at Tang Wen's signal, Robert turned on the military-grade audio and video jamming device.

"What is this?" Looking at the black box-like object, Aiger was curious but not flustered.

He had enough trust in Tang Wen.

Robert shrugged, explained the device's functions, and then said, "This is a business club in Beverly Hills, not our own territory."

Previously, when he and Tang Wen discussed important matters in the office, they would also turn on a jammer.

Tang Wen felt that things couldn't continue like this.

So they brought in a group of recently retired special talents from China to be in charge of Galaxy Entertainment's security.

Aiger asked with interest, "Is it easy to use?"

The two exchanged a glance, and Robert shrugged: "Foberle's current equipment."

Aiger nodded: "Then get one for me too."

"no problem."

Tang Wen raised his glass and laughed, "Men are not like women and children; they can never be careless."

This is a classic line from "The Godfather".

The other two exchanged knowing smiles: "That's right, especially since there are so many bad guys in Hollywood!"

Tang Wen then asked, "Do you know anything about Harvey?"

“Harvey Weinstein?” With the jammer on, Iger visibly relaxed, swirling his wine glass as he said, “He’s a complete bastard! Hollywood is such a mess because there are too many bastards like him.”

That's the truth, and Iger himself is known for being reliable and having good character.

You must know, this is a traitorous American territory!

Not in China.

For someone to be of good character and reliable, and yet rise to the top of Disney, you can imagine how cunning they are. For example, right now, Iger doesn't rule out scheming against Harvey behind his back.

He dislikes rash actions that might alert the enemy.

“This bastard is trying to get me, and Robert has been helping me find out who’s behind him.”

Tang Wen has a ready-made hand to deal with Harvey.

But he first needs to find out if the couple behind Harvey are the Silas.

When Tang Wen voiced his doubts, Aiger's brows furrowed deeply.

The power and influence of the Sheilas were unmatched by that of ordinary billionaires.

Robert: "All I can find out so far is that he has a close relationship with a congressman, but it's all done in private. This person has stepped in to smooth things over for him on several occasions."

Tang Wen looked at Iger: "How about Disney makes the first move?"

The latter was taken aback for a moment, then immediately realized: "You mean using President Michael? He has indeed disliked Harvey for a long time."

Disney president Michael was known in the industry as a "tyrant," and Harvey was equally domineering.

The two had a conflict, but both restrained themselves.

Harvey's current company, Miramax, is owned by Disney.

Disney could kick the Harvey brothers out the door if it finds the right opportunity.

In his past life, Michael did the same thing.

Aiger took a sip of his drink, his eyes gleaming.

Tang Wen and Robert lit their cigars and quietly savored them.

A few minutes later, Aiger agreed: "Okay, but it will take some time to set it up."

Tang Wen immediately offered a suggestion: "You and Roy Disney have achieved so much recently, Michael is definitely going to be restless."

Regaining control of Miramax is also a remarkable achievement and will help Disney's stock price recover.

As long as you show interest in Miramax.

Michael might take the bait and take the initiative to deal with Harvey.

Iger followed his train of thought: "Harvey is no pushover either. The two will engage in a prolonged fight, which will tie up Michael's attention."

"Yes."

"However, it would be best if there were a trigger. Harvey himself is very good at ruthless public relations for the Oscars."

Iger's meaning was clear.

Harvey may be a jerk, but he's useful to Disney.

Tang Wen looked at Robert; the two of them had been targeting Harvey for some time.

Robert used his family connections to hire consulting firms and pay them to obtain a lot of intelligence.

"Harvey's two recent films, 'Cold Mountain' and 'Gangs of New York,' will have very high budgets. The total investment is expected to be close to 200 million."

"Really?"

“I bought this information for $20,000. It’s hard for others to tell if it’s true or false, but you should be able to verify it easily.” Robert took a sip of red wine.

"If that's the case, then he has completely deviated from Miramax's business philosophy!"

To put it bluntly, Disney didn't think Harvey was cut out for commercial films.

Just let him work on award-winning films and earn some honors, as long as the company doesn't lose money.

But even laymen know that art films can't make much money.

Harvey has been involved in a lot of messes his whole life, lowering the bar for Oscar's public relations, and he's long since become indifferent to any kind of honor.

In addition, he didn't own many shares in the company, so he didn't make any money at all.

His savings over the years were less than what Tang Wen earned from just one movie.

How could he possibly be willing to accept this?

Since they have been successful in winning awards.

Of course we should try making a big production!

Anyway, the company isn't his, so if the box office is a hit, he'll make a fortune.

They can rake in a large share of the profits and become a renowned producer.

Disney won't be able to control him anymore.

He doesn't care if he loses money, since it's not his money.

“In that case, I’ll give it a try.” Egger had an idea.

The next day.

He and Roy Disney communicated.

The two intentionally or unintentionally released a message: they wanted to gradually regain control of Miramax.

President Michael found out immediately, but scoffed at it.

There's currently fierce infighting within the organization.

How could they possibly have time to cause trouble for Harvey?
But Michael is no longer the wise and decisive president he once was.

He had his suspicions and sent people to continue inquiring.

Two days later, further information was uncovered.

First, Iger and his team felt there was an opportunity to put Harvey in check, but they didn't know exactly what that opportunity was.

Second, there is a high probability that Tang Wen's "Pirates of the Caribbean" will be a huge hit next year, if they can also get Harvey to the fore.

That would mean achieving success in both "Oscar awards" and "box office revenue."

He'll force the CEO to step down...

Thinking of this, Michael gasped.

If they actually succeed, I'll be in real trouble.

No!

"What opportunity? Find out what they've got against Harvey!"

He immediately sent his trusted men to inquire about Aegon and his men, while also looking for weaknesses in Miramax's scheme.

A two-pronged approach is the only safest solution.

This trivial matter has been dragging on for over a week.

Finally, the conclusion is clear: Harvey was secretly making a big-budget production behind Disney's back?

Investing hundreds of millions of US dollars, and investing in two projects at once?
No, absolutely not.

That's all my money!

Michael owns shares in Disney, and Disney controls Miramax.

Harvey spent his own money.

The information is accurate.

Taking advantage of Harvey's absence, he led his men straight to Miramax.

He didn't want to confront Harvey directly until he had the evidence.

As Tang Wen's staunch friend, Aiger saw that the two of them couldn't possibly not clash.
So, half an hour after Michael set off.

I estimated that we would arrive soon.

He leaked the information to a Disney board member who was a supporter of Harvey.

Once this person found out, Harvey also found out.

The ending did not disappoint Tang Wen, Aige, and their trio who had been waiting for so long.

Two hot-tempered Hollywood moguls clashed head-on in their office.

It was said to be a very exciting match, with each side accusing the other of being a "son of the beach" and nearly coming to blows.

It took the employees a lot of effort to pull them apart.

The news spread throughout Hollywood.

With the help of Tang Wen and Robert, everyone in Hollywood knew about Harvey's domineering ways, which caused the Disney president to suffer losses.

As for the reason for the conflict between the two.

It was fabricated that Harvey was secretly pursuing the actress Michael had his eye on.

So Michael led his men to Miramax's office.

Unexpectedly, I suffered another loss.

With such a tailor-made scandal, Michael had no choice but to deal with Harvey!
Besides, he was indeed angry.

During the weekly meeting, he launched a tirade against Harvey for over ten minutes.

Seeing the two facing off, Tang Wen felt relieved.

As the new week ends, the box office of "Saw 2" has inevitably slipped to just over $2400 million.

Its performance after four weeks of release is beyond expectations and not a dramatic drop.

The quality of Tang Wen's roadshow presentations is still increasing.

Filming for "Pirates of the Caribbean" is gradually coming to an end.

Some shots have already been sent for special effects.

But he can't just sit idle.

Besides being busy with the English album.

You also need to befriend some "powerful people," such as Spielberg.

He is a hidden bigwig among the Oscar judges.

It's said that a few phone calls can sway over three hundred votes...

Such big shots are naturally not easy to get to know.

(End of this chapter)