Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 291 Earning 1 Million in One Summer? A Battle for Stephen Chow's Film Stardom!

Autumn is a season of harvest.

The same applies to the Chinese entertainment industry.

The summer movie season is over, and many people are now summarizing their experiences.

This year, apart from "Pearl Harbor" breaking 100 million, this is a standout performer.

As for the other movies, we'll have to look at Ma Xun's selection.

"50 First Dates" ultimately grossed nearly 50 million at the box office.

This is already the highest-grossing domestic film so far.

Moreover, it actually outperformed the Hollywood blockbuster "Rush Hour 2" released at the same time.

Although it came in second place at the box office, this result is absolutely outstanding.

In addition, the Korean version of "My Sassy Girl" and "Beijing Bicycle" have also achieved considerable success.

Ma Xun really made a fortune. Keep in mind that this is just the box office performance of the movie; there will be other copyright revenue later.

Piracy is indeed rampant now, but we have been producing genuine video products all along.

Moreover, the copyright price of this video product is absolutely positively correlated with box office revenue.

Based on this calculation, these three films can bring Ma Xun at least ten million yuan in revenue from video product copyrights.

It will definitely be sold to the movie channel later. As Ma Xun's long-term partner, the channel's revenue is very stable.

Looking back at the box office figures, we also need to consider the overall investment in Ma Xun's films.

Good guy!
You wouldn't believe it until you calculate it; Ma Xun's net profit for the summer season alone is around 40 to 50 million!

And this doesn't even include the revenue from Ma Xun's several TV dramas this year.

Although he hasn't had any particularly big hit dramas, currently, the dramas that rank high in ratings on Hunan TV are all his.

Nationwide, CCTV's "The Grand Mansion Gate" stands out as the best.

The ones listed below are TV series produced by Ma Xun.

Film and television dramas are both experiencing rapid development in both directions.

Before 2001 was even over, Ma Xun had already made at least 100 million yuan in profit!

Of course, this is just a rough estimate, and there are certainly many more details.

We might not get that much, but we might get even more.

But to others, especially Ma Xun's rivals... they felt an intense hatred!

On this day, several bosses gathered in the conference room of Huayi Advertising Company for a meeting.

What were they discussing?

Hold on a minute. The biggest difference between this meeting and the previous ones is that the key figures have changed.

Qin Hong, the younger brother of the former owner of the Heaven on Earth nightclub, is now speaking confidently about his plans.

"Everyone, the most important task for the rest of this year should be the Lunar New Year film season. However, in terms of this period, we have Mr. Feng Xiaogang, the king of Lunar New Year films, so there is naturally no need to worry."

So, why not take a longer-term view?

Take a long-term view?

Someone couldn't help but ask, "How long does it need to be?"

Zhang Xinming remains a highly respected guest of the Wang brothers, given his considerable financial resources.

Currently, coal mine owners are having an increasingly better time, thanks to favorable policies and rising international coal prices.

And someone like Zhang Xinming... he's guaranteed to be in the top three among Shanxi's coal bosses.

The Wang brothers treated Mr. Zhang like servants.

Therefore, what Mr. Zhang said now was somewhat impolite.

But Qin Hong still had to put on a smile.

"That is to say, we should look ahead, at least one to two years."

Such a long-term perspective?
Zhang Xinming frowned. "What kind of project is it that makes us wait so long?"

His question was also asked on behalf of the bosses present.

Honestly, even the Wang brothers would want to know.

People like Zhou Zhengyi, and others, needless to say.

However, Sun Donghai was not present at this meeting.

It's perfectly normal that he didn't show up; he's gone abroad.

They said they were going out for a relaxing vacation, but everyone in the house knew what was really going on.

Not only them, but anyone in Beijing's social circles will definitely laugh when Sun Donghai is mentioned.

Everyone knows this guy owes Ma Xun three kowtows.

Running away is supposed to avoid having to kowtow to someone, but doing it this way is really unethical.

What was the bet you made with them back then?

You boasted and braggarted, but when you lost, you refused to admit it.

What do you mean, "make do"?
Sun Donghai's reputation is completely ruined.

However, he is from the compound after all, so this matter will probably pass after a while.

He just wanted to get away with it; that was his purpose in running away.

Let's not even talk about this coward.

Now, all the bosses are eager to know what Qin Hong is really up to!

In fact, everyone knew very well that Qin Hong was the person present, but in reality, it was Qin Hui.

After Qin Hui fled to the United States, he did not keep a low profile. He even set up his own institution in Hong Kong and, through a series of operations, gained actual control of several listed companies.

Any normal businessman who sees this kind of operation would exclaim, "Holy crap, holy crap!"

It's so abnormal.

Where did he get his money?
What's going on with this thing?

Most of the owners in this room know a thing or two.

That Heaven on Earth, seemingly a place of eroticism, was actually frequented by all sorts of important figures.

People in the entertainment industry... are really just small fry.

Based on the current findings, one bribery case occurred here.

A senior executive of a major bank, who is now in jail, had provided Qin Hui with a considerable loan.

Only Qin Hui himself knows the specifics, and the case is still under investigation.

Therefore, although Qin Hong is only a younger brother, he should not be underestimated.

So, the project he's going to talk about today...

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is actually one person and his film that performed even better this summer."

Who is this person talking about?

The bosses had barely furrowed their brows when Qin Hong gave his answer.

Stephen Chow!

After he revealed his answer, everyone became even more curious.

"Shaolin Soccer didn't come to mainland China either."

"exactly."

"Brother Qin, what exactly do you want to say? Just say it quickly."

Qin Hong nodded, finally getting to the point.

"Although 'Shaolin Soccer' was not released in mainland China, it grossed over 6000 million HKD in Hong Kong! As far as domestic films go, this is the strongest, even stronger than Ma Xun's films."

This last sentence is the essence.

And all the bosses understood.

"You mean, collaborate with Stephen Chow?"

"Great! This project is great!" And just like that, some business owners decided to invest.

Stephen Chow, his movies are really attractive, and bosses will wave their money around to make movies for him.

but!

"Wait a minute, this won't be easy. Stephen Chow is a very strange person. Can he really work with us?"

Although Zhang Xinming is a coal mine owner, he is definitely not a fool.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

But Qin Hong clearly had a backup plan.

"Dear bosses, my brother in the United States has provided us with tremendous help!"

what?
Has Qin Hui made his move?
Qin Hong nodded to the Wang brothers, who understood.

Not long after, a fat white man appeared in the conference room.

"Everyone! Just call me Harvey, haha..."

Harvey?

Those in the know will recognize this guy as Harvey Weinstein, the eldest of the Weinstein brothers.

This guy doesn't have a good reputation; there's a formula in the international film industry:

Harvey = Liar!

That's really true, but once this thing arrived, all the bosses knew what was going on.

"Attracting foreign investment? Opening up the US market?"

"But didn't Mr. Harvey previously work on this 'Shaolin Soccer' project?"

"Yes, I think that's how it is."

Fortunately, I have a good memory.

The Weinstein brothers are the largest operator of the overseas rights to "Shaolin Soccer".

But the two of them... were really disgusting.

In other words, they created a different version, cut out the original "Shaolin Soccer," and planned to release this version in the United States.

As a result, Stephen Chow naturally objected strongly.

This version also faced unanimous opposition from many American movie fans during its preview screenings.

The situation at the time was... what the hell did you guys do?! Okay, it was probably all swearing in English, and anyway, it was incredibly vulgar.

In the end, they had no choice but to use the original version, but those two guys still disgustingly cut out some content, making the American version of "Shaolin Soccer" over 80 minutes long.

These two are just trying to get more screenings, which benefits the cinemas.

However, the results were only so-so.

They did make money, though.

But their behavior was bound to anger Stephen Chow.

Therefore, the possibility of collaborating on the next film is very small.

These two brothers are quite cunning; they saw that this film was a huge hit in Japan and sold very well.

Of course, I wouldn't give up.

Meanwhile, Qin Hui was still up to something in the United States. He controlled three listed companies in Hong Kong, all of which were in the cultural business sector.

The Weinstein brothers then joined forces with Qin Hui.

And so, Harvey came to the mainland to work with Qin Hong on the actual operations.

Of course, Xavi wouldn't say anything about his brothers messing around with the "Shaolin Soccer" thing.

"Someone is sabotaging our cooperation with Mr. Zhou! This person has gone too far!"

Who?
Who else could it be!

"It's that Ma Xun!" Qin Hong said more directly.

By now, all the bosses have fully understood.

"We want to get the opportunity to work with Stephen Chow!"

"Great! I absolutely support it!"

"With so many of us, is there even a question? Let's just throw money at him!"

"Exactly! I don't believe he would refuse if you put a hundred or two hundred million in front of him!"

Hearing this, Qin Hong laughed, while Harvey's laugh was even more cunning.

As for the Wang brothers, they laughed too.

This is such a great opportunity!
But is it really possible to get Stephen Chow to agree to a collaboration simply by throwing money at him?
……

night.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street.

But then a lady in a mink coat walked over.

Oh, and she was also walking a dog.

This is a relatively rare breed in China: the Corgi.

Corgis... well, when they walk, their butts wiggle.

It's particularly interesting.

But what's even more interesting is this lady.

She walks like a corgi, with a wobbly gait.

We walked all the way to a supermarket.

She knocked on the door, yelling, "Hey! Is anyone home? Where the hell have you all gone? Open the door for me!"

The camera was previously focused on the corgi's butt, but now it's on this lady.

Wang Xuxian?
"Cut! Wait a minute, let's do another one."

Ma Xun has transformed into a director again.

But he's still not satisfied with this play?

"Director, what's wrong?"

Although Soo-hyun likes being hung under the grape trellis, this has happened several times already during filming.

You better explain yourself!
Ma Xun had no choice but to come over, but this guy had a stern face.

"If you do that, watch how I walk."

Huh? The director is giving a demonstration?

That's right, this is the director, and Tsui Hark is the one who likes to give the demonstrations the most.

Yu-Hsien has collaborated with Tsui Hark on many films.

This scene felt very familiar to her.

But this demonstration... wow!

I saw Ma Xun walking down the road, and the way he swayed his hips was even more flamboyant than Yu Xian's just now!
Our supermarket owner couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Many members of the film crew couldn't help but laugh.

Ma Xun, however, remained serious and said, "What are you laughing at? We're filming! You have to twist like this. The more flamboyant and seductive you twist, the more it means you're the most dangerous person on this street."

Makes sense!
Yu-Hsien genuinely admires Ma Xun.

We've reached this stage in the scene planning; we can continue filming now.

Unexpectedly, someone arrived from the other side.

"Mr. Ma, oh dear, and Miss Wang too."

Stephen Chow actually showed up!

His arrival immediately made him the center of attention.

Our crew already has Wang Yuxian, which is enough, and now we have Stephen Chow.

Actually, our female lead, Yuanyuan, hasn't returned yet. Ma Xun is just filming Yu Xian's scenes first, because we need to make the most of our time.

But the appearance of Stephen Chow has surprised Ma Xun.

"Mr. Zhou, is there something important?"

The question was very direct, so Stephen Chow just told the story directly.

"A big boss is planning to invest in my new film..."

Ma Xun understood immediately... Someone was trying to steal my business!

Grass!
This cannot be tolerated.

But he still listened quietly as Stephen Chow finished speaking.

Good heavens, the Weinstein brothers, the Qin brothers, and the Wang brothers... Damn it, how come they're all brothers?

Ma Xun understood as well; this guy had tied several bosses together to form an aircraft carrier fleet.

They plan to use a large sum of money to bring Stephen Chow to their side.

Ma Xun certainly understood; this was Huayi Brothers making "Kung Fu Hustle."

I definitely have to fight for it!

He immediately said, "Mr. Zhou, your movie production only costs one or two hundred million so far. I have that kind of money too. Even if they have a lot of money, isn't that what they need?"

Ma Xun's words were very effective, and Stephen Chow nodded.

Indeed, these days, investing 100 or 200 million yuan in a movie is more than enough.

Any more than that, and that would just be fooling the investors.

Ma Xun then asked, "Are you worried about distribution channels?"

Stephen Chow nodded. "After all, the Weinstein brothers have influence in Hollywood."

In fact, Stephen Chow did not intend to cooperate with those two, but circumstances forced him to do so.

Star Shine Company doesn't belong to him alone; other shareholders saw that there was a large investment and Hollywood celebrities coming to invest.

They'll definitely lean more towards that side.

Stephen Chow coming here to talk to Ma Xun is already a very sincere gesture.

Ma Xun nodded, "But I also have Hollywood connections, and for us filmmakers, isn't the key the quality of the film?"

That makes sense, but this statement...

"Mr. Ma, can you think of a solution?"

Stephen Chow's words were very vague, but Ma Xun understood them perfectly.

We just need to find a way to persuade the other shareholders!
After a moment's thought, Ma Xun saw our film crew and came up with a plan!
"When it comes to cooperation, it's all about the strength of the partner, not just money, but also their actual level of expertise in film and television production. What do you think, Mr. Zhou?"

"Of course! Cooperation still depends on strength."

“Great, how about this? This year’s Lunar New Year film season, the movie I’m currently filming is going to be included, and you should also know that Huayi Brothers has a movie called ‘Big Shot’ going to be released.”

"It just so happens that we were destined to be rivals. Mr. Zhou, you'll be the judge then, what do you say?"

Ma Xun's words were very clever!

Make a judgment, rather than saying you'll cooperate with whoever wins.

This assessment does not necessarily refer to box office revenue.

While "Big Shot's Funeral" might perform well at the box office, our film might receive even better reviews.

Of course, no one can predict the future.

However, after comparing and comprehensively evaluating the various films released during the Lunar New Year season, it's clear that...

Stephen Chow would then have a reason to convince the other shareholders of Star Overseas.

really!

"Mr. Ma's idea is excellent!"

It's clear that Stephen Chow prefers to work with Ma Xun, and his previous collaboration with the Weinstein brothers was quite unpleasant.

But when you're in the game, you're not always in control of your own destiny; they've already paid you a lot of money... right?

I understand everything I understand.

At this moment, Yu-Hsien laughed and said, "Brother Xing, why don't we all have a meal together?"

How could Stephen Chow refuse?

"Okay."

Ma Xun was pleased that he agreed.

"Alright, let's stop filming here for today. I'll treat everyone to a nice meal."

These words caused an uproar among the crew.

The initial tension due to time constraints vanished completely.

(End of this chapter)