Fooling Huayu for Thirty Years

Chapter 593 "Painted Skin": The Originator of the Tearing Up of Cast List? I, Ma Xun, will

Chapter 593 "Painted Skin": The Originator of the Tearing Up of Cast List? I, Ma Xun, Will Take a Hand!
First, it is essential to understand an important fact.

That means our entertainment industry is very large.

Although Ma Xun is currently a big shot in the entertainment industry, and can even be said to be a top figure in the mainland entertainment industry.

However, he couldn't possibly have absolute control over the entire Chinese entertainment industry.

Simply put, they take the whole pot themselves, leaving nothing for anyone else.

That's really impossible.

Moreover, this is not the way to do business.

Therefore, Ma Xun originally had no way to get involved in "Painted Skin".

Actually, this isn't really Ma Xun's problem. Take the original timeline for example; even though the Wang brothers' Huayi is so powerful, they still couldn't really get their hands on this project.

At least for the film "Painted Skin 1", Huayi really had no choice.

It only included actresses like Zhou Xun.

So why?

Ma Xun actually knew some of the inside story about this.

Actually, it's not that difficult, because there are two forces in "Painted Skin" that are not easy to deal with.

One of them is 'local'.

This film was shot at Western Film Studio, but the "local" aspect actually refers to Dunhuang.

Yes, it's the local government; they want to create a cultural tourism industry IP.

This kind of development is quite common, but there are many such projects all over the country, and very few are successful.

The local authorities intend for them to take the largest share... but I won't go into details.

There is another faction.

The director of "Painted Skin 1" is Chan Ka-sang. Don't underestimate him; he is now the chairman of the Hong Kong Film Directors Guild and the chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards.

They have a very strong hand.

So why would someone with such a high profile direct this film?

This brings us to another force... Lan Tai.

It's obvious that she took her husband's surname, and Mrs. Lan's husband is a very famous actor, Lan Tianhong.

Well, mainland movie fans may not be very familiar with him, especially his later-founded Taiji Films.

Some film companies are very famous, especially those in Hong Kong.

TVB and Golden Harvest, those companies would put their names in the opening credits; they appeared in many Hong Kong films.

There are also films directed by directors, such as Cinema City and Aces Go Places.

Taiji Films is really not well-known, which is understandable, because the company's name is rarely mentioned at the beginning of a movie.

Of course, it's not that it doesn't exist, but it's really rare.

However, this company also has a very compelling reason for its existence!
Yes, it's in Hong Kong; this company has to survive.

If this company disappears, then Hong Kong cinema will also disappear.

Some people might think that this is an exaggeration.

That's because you don't know what the company's main business is.

The most important thing about Taiji Films is that it has a large film library.

Film stock is actually very precious and delicate. To preserve it, you need a temperature-controlled, moisture-free warehouse.

It also needs to be managed by dedicated personnel, and if any problems are found, protection or repair should be carried out immediately.

On the mainland, these warehouses are mainly operated by several film studios and archives.

Ma Xun had seen it; it was extremely strict, and those film reels came in huge boxes—it wasn't an easy task.

Simply put, preserving film is not cheap.

Since Hong Kong doesn't have an official institution dedicated to preservation, companies like Taiji Films are the only option.

Preserving film reels will definitely require a fee.

Regardless of whether your movie sells well or not, you still have to pay this money.

Therefore, Taiji Film Industry cannot go bankrupt; if it does, no one will care about all those film reels.

Many movies, because they have been on the market for a long time and no longer generate much profit, should we still charge for preservation?

Let's just sell it directly to Taiji Pictures.

That's right, that's what this company mainly makes its money from.

And there is one advantage to this.

Most directly, regardless of the state of the Hong Kong film market, this company makes money.

Furthermore, they can make even more money when the market is particularly bad.

During the 97 Asian financial crisis, many Hong Kong film companies went bankrupt.

Even companies like Jet Li's have gone bankrupt.

The company is gone, and those film reels... were sold cheaply, or even for free, and became part of Taiji Film Industry.

That's right, this relatively unknown company actually owns a huge number of copyrights.

In recent years, the boss, Lan Tianhong, has not been involved in much business; it's all been Lan Tai who's in charge. Lan Tai is very good at reading the political winds and has been heading straight to the mainland.

We have a lot of cooperation with the mainland.

Reselling copyrights!
After making money in mainland China, they went on to make money internationally, especially in Asia. In fact, Lan Tai had already expanded a lot in Southeast Asia before, and later sold to various countries.

Eleven years have passed since 97, and Taiji Films has surprisingly developed into a hidden giant in the Hong Kong film industry.

Yes, they hold the copyrights to many classic films and sell them all over the world, plus they're firmly committed to the mainland Chinese market.

Mrs. Lan is living a more and more fulfilling life.

And this "Painted Skin"... yes, the IP belongs to Taiji.

Many people probably wouldn't guess that many of the film rights to "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" in Hong Kong belong to Taiji.

Therefore, both Taiji Pictures and Lan Tai are very important figures in the production of "Painted Skin" in mainland China.

But they still managed to hide themselves very well.

Fortunately, Ma Xun is no ordinary person.

So when Zhou Xun came to Hong Kong to see him, the two of them quickly got down to business.

"Let me guess, it can't be as simple as competing with that little swallow, right?"

“Mr. Ma, you are unaware of this. We actresses take some things very seriously.”

"Let's be frank. Is that Little Swallow going to join Jia Yueting? In other words, she might join Huayi, and then your position..." "Huayi is practically defunct now, why would I care about the top spot? But, could you please not use the name 'Little Swallow'? It disgusts me."

“Alright, I know that woman’s ambitions very well. So, Miss Zhou, what do you mean…”

It should be said that Ma Xun's change in address is quite significant.

The transformation from a little swallow to a woman fully expresses Ma Xun's disdain for that guy.

Zhou Xun was naturally very happy to hear this; now that things had come to this point, she should get to the point.

"That woman really has some tricks up her sleeve. Originally, my character and hers were on equal footing, but after she joined the crew, she started all sorts of activities."

I never knew this woman could be so eloquent, haha…

So good at talking?
Ma Xun interrupted with a smile, "I heard Bingbing say that this 'Big-Eyed Thief' is the best talker and can make everyone happy. At the beginning of the 'Princess Pearl' crew, there were a lot of conflicts between the mainland and Taiwan personnel, but this 'Big-Eyed Thief' could talk to both sides and make both sides say good things about her."

Oh, this is firsthand information!

It must have been when Bingbing was completely overwhelmed that she said it.

After hearing this, Zhou Xun nodded with a furrowed brow, "I didn't expect that woman was already like this back then."

Of course, she didn't overlook the fact that Ma Xun's way of addressing that woman had changed again.

Big-eyed thief...hehe...well said!

Zhou Xun was very happy at this moment, and had obviously already grouped herself with Ma Xun.

She certainly didn't expect that Ma Xun was just bluffing, but there was something more important to say.

"It's obvious she's bullied you quite a bit. So, what's her real reliance?"

Actually, many movie fans just thought the movie "Painted Skin" was good.

But in reality, Ma Xun knew all too well!

This movie is the originator of the drama of tearing up the cast list in the Chinese entertainment industry!

That's right, it was Zhou Xun and the "Big Eye Thief" tearing each other apart, and the fight was incredibly fierce.

Oh, but that's "Painted Skin 2". However, the way "Painted Skin 2" was torn up must be related to "Painted Skin 1".

Ma Xun knew very well that although the tearing apart of the skin in "Painted Skin 1" was not obvious, it was because the lead actor in that film used real bullets.

But now... how about I, Ma Xun, concoct a good show!

At this moment, Zhou Xun heard Ma Xun's question about that woman's reliance...

"Just as you said, she's very close to that guy Jia Yueting. Besides, she's also getting along well with Chen Jiashang because of her connections in Hong Kong. As for other things... Lan Tai from Taiji Film Industry..."

Ma Xun knew that Lan Tai would definitely be involved.

He chuckled and said, "She means she has a very good relationship with Mrs. Lan?"

Zhou Xun nodded, "That's pretty much it."

Ma Xun continued, "Perhaps they have a good relationship, but... how about this, you come with me to see someone."

Meet someone?

Who?
Zhou Xun soon learned the answer.

Ma Xun drove Zhou Xun, and the two of them soon arrived at Taiji Film Studio.

This company is not located in the city center of Hong Kong; it is relatively remote.

But as soon as we arrived, someone came out to greet us.

"Ah... Mr. Ma, what a rare guest you are."

"Mrs. Lan, how have you been lately?"

“Mr. Thomas Deford, I’m doing well. But Mr. Thomas, there must be some good business to be had this time.”

"There is a business deal that I need to discuss with Mrs. Lan."

"What kind of business is it exactly?"

"Painted Skin".

So direct?

Are they so familiar with each other?

Zhou Xun was completely stunned.

In fact, Ma Xun had previously been involved in copyright business in Hong Kong and had had many contacts with Taiji Film Industry.

The copyright is taken, but you'll have to take care of preserving the film.

Moreover, procedurally, it is still necessary to take the film master tape to the mainland... Of course, in practice, this is not necessary, because many films already have copies in the mainland.

In short, Ma Xun and Lan Tai were originally in a cooperative relationship.

But Zhou Xun called earlier... so Ma Xun decided to call Lan Tai and have a chat.

During their conversation, Mrs. Lan was quite proactive.

Hmm... Mrs. Lan is not young, and she's quite plump, but her husband only passed away last year, and she...

Ma Xun ordered two local Hong Kong ducks for her to cool her down.

Zhou Xun had no idea about any of this. What she saw now was that these two were far too familiar with each other, definitely more so than that big-eyed thief!
And so... we heard Ma Xun and Lan Tai talking as they walked.

"Our company, Taiji, invested approximately 2000 million yuan in the film 'Painted Skin,' according to Mr. Ma's intention..."

"I'll offer 30 million, and Mrs. Lan will grant your wish, how about that?"

Did Taiji secure a 3000 million yuan investment in "Painted Skin"?

Zhou Xun was genuinely surprised by what she said so casually.

But will Lan Tai give up?

"Ha! Mr. Ma is indeed a man of great courage."

That old woman...

Ma Xun kept his distance from the other person, "Okay, it's settled then, so what's next..."

He looked at Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun also knew that at this time, she should take responsibility.

"We're going to the Cannes Film Festival next month to promote our work, and then..."

Ma Xun interrupted abruptly, saying, "That's the time for the decisive battle!"